Different Categories of UE in LTE

Different Categories of UE in LTE

Categories of UE in LTE is divided by its function which is as per below.

Functionality:
eNB obtains the UE radio capabilities via:
• The S1AP initial setup request message
• The X2AP in case of handover
• The RRC in any other cases

eNB sends the UE radio capabilities to:
• The MME if it has been retrieved from RRC signaling
• The neighbor eNB in case of handover

UE category determines:
• MIMO settings
• PRB allocation and AMC limitation (e.g. 64QAM in UL)
• ROHC (Robust Header Compression) profile
• Inter RAT handover support

• All categories support 20 MHz
• 64QAM mandatory in downlink, but not in uplink (except Class 5)
• 2×2 MIMO mandatory in other classes except Class 1

Categories of LTE User Equipment (UE)

1. Category 1 (Cat-1):
   • Designed for low-cost, energy-efficient applications.
   • Supports data rates up to 10 Mbps.
2. Category 4 (Cat-4):
   • Common in mid-range devices.
   • Provides higher data rates, up to 150 Mbps.
3. Category 6 (Cat-6):
   • Found in more advanced devices.
   • Supports Carrier Aggregation for increased data rates, reaching up to 300 Mbps.
4. Category 12 (Cat-12):
   • Represents high-performance devices.
   • Enables even higher data rates, reaching up to 600 Mbps.
5. Category 20 (Cat-20):
   • Found in top-tier devices.
   • Supports advanced features like 4×4 MIMO and higher-order modulation, achieving data rates up to 2 Gbps.