4G (LTE) vs. 6G
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
4G (Long Term Evolution / LTE-Advanced) is an all-IP cellular architecture standardized under 3GPP Releases 8 through 14. Abandoning CDMA in favor of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Carrier Aggregation, and 4x4 MIMO, it provides data rates from 150 Mbps (Cat 4) to over 1.2 Gbps (Cat 18 Gigabit LTE) with VoLTE voice.
6G (Sixth Generation Cellular) is the future mobile communications standard targeted for commercialization around 2030 under the ITU-R IMT-2030 framework and 3GPP standardization. Envisioned to utilize Sub-Terahertz (100 GHz–1 THz) spectrum, 6G introduces Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), native AI air interfaces, and sub-100 microsecond latency.
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standardization Body
|
3GPP (Rel-8 LTE to Rel-10/13 LTE-Advanced Pro) / ITU IMT-Advanced | — |
|
Commercial Launch Year
|
2009 (TeliaSonera Stockholm/Oslo) | — |
|
Downlink Air Interface
|
OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) | — |
|
Uplink Air Interface
|
SC-FDMA (Single-Carrier FDMA for lower mobile PA power) | — |
|
Scalable Channel Bandwidths
|
1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz per component carrier | — |
|
Carrier Aggregation (LTE-A)
|
Up to 5 carriers (100 MHz total aggregated bandwidth) | — |
|
Peak Category Speeds
|
Cat 4 (150 Mbps), Cat 6 (300 Mbps), Cat 16 (1 Gbps), Cat 18 (1.2 Gbps) | — |
|
Voice Protocol
|
VoLTE (Voice over LTE / IMS–IP Multimedia Subsystem) | — |
|
Target Standardization / Launch
|
— | 3GPP Rel-21+ (~2028) / Commercial ~2030 |
|
ITU Framework
|
— | ITU-R IMT-2030 |
|
Targeted Spectrum Bands
|
— | Upper Mid-Band (7–24 GHz / FR3) and Sub-THz (100 GHz to 1 THz) |
|
Peak Target Data Rate
|
— | Up to 100 Gbps to 1 Tbps |
|
Air Interface Latency Target
|
— | < 100 µs (microsecond range) |
|
Core Transformative Capabilities
|
— | Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), AI-Native PHY/MAC, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Satellite convergence |