Apple’s Latest iPad Highlights Major LTE Issue
Apr 24, 2012 11:39 AM, Philippe Roux, Lime Microsystems
Regional differences in LTE availability inhibit the iPad’s potential for truly global speed.
Philippe Roux serves as the vice president of business development at Lime Microsystems Limited. He has 20 years of experience in sales and marketing within the semiconductor Industry. In his most recent role, he was heading up the European Sales force for Skyworks Semiconductor, delivering strategic devices to the handset market. He also was with Rockwell and Conexant, based in the U.S., driving the revenue growth within major PC OEMs. He holds a BSEE from the Technology University of Cachan, France.
Apple’s latest iPad debuted to great success, moving 3 million units in its first three days on sale. But consumers who expect fast 4G speeds may be disappointed if they live in areas that don’t have 4G networks online yet.
Apple launched its third-generation iPad on March 16 with the usual fanfare and anticipation. Indeed, it’s an impressive device, with reviews calling it the best tablet available by far (see the figure).
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Press coverage of the latest iPad has focussed on two new features in particular—the stunning retina display, which delivers exceptional resolution, and its 4G connectivity (700 MHz and 2.1 GHz), which will enable users to receive up to 100-Mbit/s download speeds.
These speeds highlight a significant problem faced by 4G (and 3G) device manufacturers: virtually no two networks are the same, and a handset or femtocell built to work in one country will not work in another.
Allocated spectra differ according to what’s available and cost effective. But this affects both manufacturers, who are unable to benefit from economies of scale, and consumers, who are missing out on such technologies or are being sold devices that won’t work in that region.
4G Speeds If You Can Get Them
In the United Kingdom, for example, 12% of those polled by Informa’s Telecoms.com while queuing outside a London Apple Store on the launch day said they wanted the new iPad because it had 4G connectivity, even though there is no official network and the only London-based trials were on a 2.6-GHz network.
It’s a similar picture in Australia, where Apple has been forced to offer refunds because it advertised the devices’ 4G connectivity. Once again, the country’s Telstra-run Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks (which have launched) exist on different frequency bands—this time 1800 MHz.
A similar pattern is true elsewhere. According to Strategy Analytics analyst Chris Taylor, 43 LTE (E-UTRA to be more precise) bands exist globally, with 38 assigned and a few pending approval.
“The PA (power amplifier) guys are working on broader-band PAs to cover almost everything with three PAs: 700 to 1000 MHz, 1700 MHz to 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz to 2700 MHz. The challenge is that broadening the bandwidth of a PA reduces electrical efficiency, something already at a premium in LTE devices,” Taylor says.
In Europe the planned frequencies are 800, 1800, and 2600 MHz, with 1800 and 2600 MHz in Asia, and 1800 MHz in Australia. The Brazilian government and CnPQ are testing a rural version of LTE under the 450-MHz frequency band.
The United States is the only country to use the 700-MHz and 2.1-GHz frequency bands, though U.K. telecoms regulator OfCom is looking at the 700-MHz frequency band as well.
Uniform Systems
The same challenge, creating a universal device, has existed for a long time. The raft of 3G variants, for example, required OEMs to create multiband handsets and devices at significant expense.
Systems such as residential and enterprise femtocells, picocells, and repeaters can incorporate multi-band, multi-standard transceivers. However, handset and tablet vendors still must create regional variants using several RF ICs, which adds significantly to the overall cost and takes up valuable space, affecting the final design—something Apple’s Jonathan Ive doesn’t normally compromise.
It’s unlikely that Apple will be swayed by operator requests and alter the design of the third-generation iPad to incorporate additional transceivers that operate in a greater number of countries, especially as it will have to still incorporate 3G and 2G RF ICs.
A second option would be to create region-specific versions. The margins involved in doing so make this option unlikely too, though. Therefore, we can assume that the 4G version of the iPhone will operate on these (or very few extra) frequencies and the iPad will only deliver blistering speeds if you’re in America. Or will it?
It’s an understatement to say that Apple makes popular products and people will pay a premium for them. Apple sold 3 million new iPads during the model’s first three days on the market. The iPhone 4S saw similar initial success, with 4 million sold in its first three days. When the 4G iPhone launches, there will be a lot of iPhone/iPad 4G data tariffs that operators that aren’t based in the U.S. operators would like to sell.
So will operators pressure regulators to free up the required frequencies?
When the original iPhone launched in 2007, operators such as AT&T in the U.S. and O2 in the U.K. changed their business models to accommodate the handset and reach the boost in users, who also paid high rates for the devices themselves.
The cost implications mean it’s unlikely that operators, such as TeliaSonera or Telstra, which have existing LTE networks, will go through the cost of switching to lower frequencies.
But the number of 4G rollouts is still very low. So, will those operators that lack the trappings of existing infrastructure be inclined to use these Apple bands? We will have to wait and see if the lure of tariff sales from 4G-enabled iPads and iPhones will influence their decision.
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