Anticipating Spectral Efficiency of 4G LTE Networks in Korea

This paper provides a simulation based estimation of the spectral efficiency growth of 4G LTE networks in Korea for the next several years. The factors affecting the spectral efficiency have been analyzed in detail and it has been found that some of them, such as advanced modulation and coding schemes, make marginal impact, while the others, such as multi-antenna techniques, are dominant factors. The simulation parameters where selected based on the real field measurements for different mobile operators in Korea and statistical data of smartphone usage. Simulation results show that the spectral efficiency will gradually increase due to continuous upgrade of device capabilities and base station transmit antenna number.