Specification of Smartphones - Network Types - Part 2

3. SPEED

An upgrade for UMTS is High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) which is in two forms:

1. HSDPA

2. HSUPA

HSDPA only handles the downlink while the uplink is handled by a related technology called HSUPA. The combination of both technologies is usually called  (HSPA).

HSDPA

High Speed Data Packet Access is an upgrade for UMTS networks that doubles network capacity and increases download data speeds by five times or more.

The service was initially deployed at 1.8 Mbps but upgrades to the networks and new user devices led to increased rates of 3.6 Mbps, followed by 7.2 Mbps and further down the road, 14.4Mbps and even 21Mbps.

HSUPA

An upgrade for UMTS/HSDPA networks that increases upload data speeds up to 5.76 Mbps. The standard is backwards compatible with UMTS and HSDPA and will work with devices supporting only those standards.

LONG TERM EVOLUTION

LTE is the next-step of the evolution of UMTS (3G) and HSDPA (3.5G). It's the only wireless network technology that's correctly called 4G. Some carries may market their high-speed HSDPA+ networks as 4G, but that's not technically correct.

Some of the improvements LTE brings along over the currently used wireless mobile radio technologies are a better spectral efficiency, lower costs, higher transfer speeds, improved services, etc.

Theoretically, LTE networks should provide wireless data downlink speeds of up to 300Mbps and uplink speeds of up to 75Mbps.

Originally, LTE was conceived as an IP-based wireless system used purely for carrying data traffic. Network carriers were supposed to provide voice communication via their concurrent 2G/3G networks or by using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). 

By popular request however, Voice over LTE (VoLTE) was a standardised system for transferring voice traffic over LTE. Currently, the availability of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) depends on the carrier implementation.

LTE networks throughout the world can be seen utilizing one or several different network bands such as ranging from Band 17, 700MHz to Band 7, 2600MHz.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU CHOOSING A SMARTPHONE, CHECK THE NETWORK IT OPERATES ON BEFORE YOU START COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SLOW SPEED OF THE SMARTPHONE AND THE ISSUE OF YOUR NOT ENJOYING THE FULL SERVICE FROM YOUR PROVIDER.

Credit : Wikipedia and GSMArena