Understanding LTE User Equipment Categories

LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the fourth-generation (4G) of wireless cellular services for smartphones and mobile devices. The 4G/LTE Standard was developed by 3GPP to provide higher voice bandwidth and data services than 3G.

The LTE protocol uses the LTE UE (User Equipment) Categories to define the performance specifications of an LTE device. Each LTE category has fixed parameters like datarates, power, bandwidth, etc. which tells users or base stations what to expect from a device. For example, LTE Category M1 is the standard used for IOT Devices and requires low data rates whereas LTE Category 18 supports very high data rates and can be used for FWA or other higher data rate applications. LTE devices usually relay their LTE UE category to a base station, which then communicate with the device accordingly.

There are 22 different LTE UE categories that have been defined in lastest 3GPP release 13.

LTE UE Categories