LTE Advanced

The next major network to increase data download and upload speeds is called, "LTE Advanced." LTE advanced will have the capacity of aggregating up to 5 carriers to increase data speeds, such as browsing the web, making a phone call, and even watching videos. Data speeds when aggregated or combined can

provide up to 1 Gbps but in the real world with everyone using it, you will most likely get around 150 Mbps which is still crazy fast.

LTE Advanced will also bring in a new type of Radio Based Station called, "Small Cells" which is optimized for much larger Range Expansions and still provide blazing fast speeds.

Another feature that will be provided in the future for cell phones will be Advanced Antenna Techniques, which can go up to 8x8 MIMO (Multiple-input and multiple-output, the use of multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance). Currently the MIMO for today is 2x2 so it could be a big leap but will bring most of the antenna gain to the cell phones

Check out the source to read more about LTE Advanced and get a more detailed look, or check out the 1 minute video and get a basic idea of what LTE Advanced is as well.

Source: 

Article: http://www.qualcomm.com/solutions/wireless-networks/technologies/lte-advanced

Research and Working EQ

1. What is your working EQ?

How can you troubleshoot cellular coverage in a city?

2. What is a possible answer to your working EQ?

Typically, when their is a problem in the mobile networks, it is most likely due to a Radio Based Station (RBS) experiencing failure in the software or hardware. An RF Field Engineer receives a ticket or e-mail from the Mobile Telephone Switching Office, which tells the employee what RBS it is and where it's located. 

To troubleshoot the cellular coverage, there are three possible solutions:

• First you need to check if the area has an Radio Based Station to transmit cellular data to cellphones. If there is no RBS in that area then you will have no service, and you won't have internet access or make phone calls. So to fix this problem the carriers need to install an RBS in that area. 
• If there is an RBS but there is still a problem in the network, then you will need to go operate and maintain the equipment and radios in the RBS.
• If all else fails, you will need to work with the performance of the sector, and checking the power antennae to up tilt it or replace the antennae for a better outreach.

3. What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

My summer mentorship and the mentorship that I am doing with my current mentor has helped me answer my essential question. There I have learned how to troubleshoot the cellular coverage in the best way possible.

4. Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

Oscar Holzmeister is my mentor and he is an RF Field Engineer for T-Mobile. We are going to Based Stations and troubleshooting all of them.

Independent Component 1 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

The topic that I have chosen is Radio Frequency Field Engineer, and I plan on completing my 30 hours with my mentor, Oscar Holzmeister. I will be accompanying him to Radio Based Stations so that I can learn more about the replacements of radios, the failures within the stations, the software that is used to operate an RBS, and the different types of networks that the sites manipulate.

Once my mentor has approved of my basic understanding over my course of learning, he will allow me to handle and troubleshoot Radio Based Stations on my own for several different cells. He will also make sure I complete the job correctly and that I understand what everything is and what it does.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

It is very difficult to show any physical evidence of what I have done because I can't really take anything with me from an Radio Based Stations, but that is what cameras are for. Like many others, I will provide photographs of what I am doing, and what I am trying fix in all of the stations that I visit with my mentor. I am still debating on whether or not to make a short little video on how to fix a specific site with a specific problem, to show more evidence. But I will definitely provide photographs for evidence.

3. And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth

Troubleshooting stations on my own will allow me not only help me understand my topic in much more debt and will definitely help me answer my EQ. It will help me answer my EQ, because my EQ is about troubleshooting cellular coverage and troubleshooting an RBS is the first steps in doing so.