LTE Throughput Calculator
Calculate theoretical and practical throughput for LTE/4G networks.
LTE UE Category Reference
| Category | DL Max | UL Max | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat 4 | 150 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 2x2 MIMO |
| Cat 6 | 300 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 2CC CA |
| Cat 9 | 450 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 3CC CA |
| Cat 16 | 1 Gbps | 150 Mbps | 5CC, 4x4 MIMO |
LTE Throughput Formula
Peak Data Rate Calculation
Throughput = RBs * 12 subcarriers * 14 symbols * Qm * R * layers * 1000 / 1ms
Where Qm = modulation order, R = code rate (~0.93)
Where Qm = modulation order, R = code rate (~0.93)
LTE uses OFDMA with 180 kHz resource blocks (12 subcarriers x 15 kHz). Each subframe is 1ms with 14 OFDM symbols (normal CP).
Key Factors
- Bandwidth: More RBs = higher throughput
- MIMO: Spatial multiplexing doubles/quadruples capacity
- Modulation: 256-QAM vs 64-QAM = 33% more bits
- Carrier Aggregation: Combine multiple carriers
- Overhead: ~25% for reference signals, control