Assessment of the Next Generation Mobile Network candidate technologies

This paper provides a comparative overview of the candidates being discussed as successors for current mobile broadband data networking technologies. The comparison is based on typical network operator requirements that are summarized under the term “Next Generation Mobile Networks” (NGMN) and governed by a comprehensive approach to technology evaluation, which is presented in this paper. As the application of the technology evaluation approach in full requires considering a specific use case and business situation, only an exemplary range of aspects is assessed here. The technology evaluation is carried out for the technologies known as WiMAX, LTE and HSPA+. We conclude and motivate that all three technology candidates have their prospective application scenarios, but LTE will dominate the mobile broadband network arena in the long run.