How to calculate peak data rate in LTE?

Hongyan
18 Feb 2010 10:35 AM
Comments 6
You may hear it many times that the peak data rate of LTE is about 300Mbps? How is the number calculated? What
are the assumptions behind? Let's estimate it in a simple way. Assume 20 MHz channel bandwidth, normal CP, 4x4
MIMO.
First, calculate the number of resource elements (RE) in a subframe with 20 MHz channel bandwidth: 12
subcarriers x 7 OFDMA symbols x 100 resource blocks x 2 slots= 16800 REs per subframe. Each RE can
carry a modulation symbol.
For 20MHZ channel 1200 subcarriers are available(20*1000/15=1200, as all subcarrier are not avialble some are
reserved or not used)---and grouped in 12 subcarrier per resource block so 1200/12=100 resource block available
per subframe and 7symobls*12 carrier*2slots*100=16800REs available per subframe.


Second, assume 64 QAM modulation and no coding, one modulation symbol will carry 6 bits. The total bits
in a subframe (1ms) over 20 MHz channel is 16800 modulation symbols x 6 bits / modulation symbol =
100800 bits. So the data rate is 100800 bits / 1 ms = 100.8 Mbps.
Third, with 4x4 MIMO, the peak data rate goes up to 100.8 Mbps x 4 = 403 Mbps.
Fourth, estimate about 25% overhead such as PDCCH, reference signal, sync signals, PBCH, and some
coding. We get 403 Mbps x 0.75 = 302 Mbps.
Ok, it is done through estimation. Is there a way to calculate it more accurately? If this is what you look for, you need
to check the 3GPP specs 36.213, table 7.1.7.1-1 and table 7.1.7.2.1-1. Table 7.1.7.1-1 shows the mapping between
MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) index and TBS (Transport Block Size) index. Let's pick the highest MCS
index 28 (64 QAM with the least coding), which is mapping to TBS index of 26. Table 7.1.7.2.1-1 shows the transport
block size. It indicates the number of bits that can be transmitted in a subframe/TTI (Transmit Time Interval). For
example, with 100 RBs and TBS index of 26, the TBS is 75376. Assume 4x4 MIMO, the peak data rate will be 75376
x 4 = 301.5 Mbps.

Table 7.1.7.1-1: Modulation and TBS index table for PDSCH (3GPP TX 36.213)

Table 7.1.7.2.1-1: Transport block size table (3GPP TS 36.213)

[Q: Want to try a small exercise? Here you are: what is the peak data rate if MCS 20 is used? Assume the channel
bandwidth is 10 MHz and 2x2 MIMO is configured.]
We also know that there are different device capabilities, which is defined in 3GPP TS 36.306, Table 4.1-1 and table
4.1-2. For example, with a cat 2 device, the supported peak data rate is about 50 Mbps in the DL and about 25 Mbps
in the UL. All UE categories should support all channel bandwidths (1.4/3/5/10/15/20 MHz) and all duplex modes
(FDD/TDD/H-FDD) in LTE. Cat 1~4 devices can support up to 2x2 MIMO in the DL. Only cat 5 device can support
4x4 MIMO in the DL and 64QAM in the UL.

Now, if a cat 3 device is used in a 10 MHz channel with 2x2 MIMO configuration, can we get the peak data rate of
100 Mbps in the DL? Let's calculate. We know that, in the network side, the peak data rate is 300 Mbps for 20MHz
channel with 4x4 MIMO, so the peak data rate is 75 Mbps for 10 MHz with 2x2 MIMO. Therefore, in case of cat 3
device in 10 MHz channel with 2x2 MIMO, the expected peak data rate over the air interface is: min (device
capability, network capability) = min (cat 3, 10MHz with 2x2 MIMO) = (100, 75) = 75 Mbps.
One more thing before you claim you've mastered the peak data rate calculation, QoS profile can also impose
constraint on the actual peak data rate a user expects.
Ans: 39.7 Mbps.
LTE Peak Capacity Explained: How to Calculate it?
JUNE 27, 2011 3 COMMENTS
I like to focus on LTE capacity in the next few blog entries and present what can realistically be obtained. I have seen
wild figures, mainly pushed by system vendors and consumed by many operators, journalist and writers who like to
wow readers of the promise of new technologies. For network operators, erring on capacity expectations has
negative consequences as capacity fundamentally impact the cost of the network both on the access side and the
backhaul side. Inflated capacity figures would lead to under-dimensioning on the access side and over-dimensioning
on the backhaul side. So, for example, if we think LTE cell will provide 100 Mbps of throughput while in reality can
only do 50 Mbps, the operator will be short by 50% of capacity in the access network resulting in poor user
experience (e.g. slow download, blocking, etc.) and will be 50% over the required capacity for backhaul in which case
its investment in capacity thats sitting idle. This is why it is important to get capacity expectations right.
In this blog, I will look at the peak capacity of LTE. This is the maximum possible capacity which in reality can only be
achieved in lab conditions. To understand the calculations below, one needs to be familiar with the technology (I will
provide references at the end). But for now, lets assume a 25 MHz LTE system. We first calculate the number of
resource elements (RE) in a subframe (a subframe is 1 msec):
12 Subcarriers x 7 OFDMA Symbols x 25 Resource Blocks x 2 slots = 4,200 REs
Then we calculate the data rate assuming 64 QAM with no coding (64QAM is the highest modulation for downlink
LTE):
6 bits per 64QAM symbol x 4,200 Res / 1 msec = 25.2 Mbps
The MIMO data rate is then 2 x 25.2 = 50.4 Mbps. We now have to subtract the overhead related to control signaling
such as PDCCH and PBCH channels, reference & synchronization signals, and coding. These are estimated as
follows:
PDCCH channel can take 1 to 3 symbols out of 14 in a subframe. Assuming that on average it is 2.5 symbols, the
amount of overhead due to PDCCH becomes 2.5/14 = 17.86 %.
Downlink RS signal uses 4 symbols in every third subcarrier resulting in 16/336 = 4.76% overhead for 22 MIMO
configuration
The other channels (PSS, SSS, PBCH, PCFICH, PHICH) added together amount to ~2.6% of overhead
The total approximate overhead for the 5 MHz channel is 17.86% + 4.76% + 2.6% = 25.22%.
The peak data rate is then 0.75 x 50.4 Mbps = 37.8 Mbps.
Note that the uplink would have lower throughput because the modulation scheme for most device classes is 16QAM
in SISO mode only.
There is another technique to calculate the peak capacity which I include here as well for a 220 MHz LTE system
with 44 MIMO configuration and 64QAM code rate 1:
Downlink data rate:
Pilot overhead (4 Tx antennas) = 14.29%
Common channel overhead (adequate to serve 1 UE/subframe) = 10%
CP overhead = 6.66%
Guard band overhead = 10%
Downlink data rate = 4 x 6 bps/Hz x 20 MHz x (1-14.29%) x (1-10%) x (1-6.66%) x (1-10%) = 298 Mbps.
Uplink data rate:
1 Tx antenna (no MIMO), 64 QAM code rate 1 (Note that typical UEs can support only 16QAM)
Pilot overhead = 14.3%
Random access overhead = 0.625%
CP overhead = 6.66%
Guard band overhead = 10%
Uplink data rate = 1 * 6 bps/Hz x 20 MHz x (1-14.29%) x (1-0.625%) x (1-6.66%) x (1-10%) = 82 Mbps.



http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/cellulartelecomms/lte-long-
term-evolution/physical-logical-transport-channels.php
Alternative to these methods, one can refer to 3GPP document 36.213, Table 7.1.7.1-1, Table 7.1.7.2.1-1 and Table
7.1.7.2.2-1 for more accurate calculations of capacity. I have used these tables to generate the figures below for LTE
peak capacity.

To conclude, the LTE capacity depends on the following:
1. Channel bandwidth
2. Network loading: number of subscribers in a cell which impacts the overhead
3. The configuration & capability of the system: whether its 22 MIMO, SISO, and the MCS scheme.
I will address the issue of average capacity in my next blog entry. But for now, those interested in dig a little deeper
on how the background for the above calculations can refer to my LTE white paper series posted at: