Signals Research Group, LLC (SRG) has announced the findings of the data performance benchmark test of commercially-available LTE chipsets. Although the SRG report highlighted the ability of some chipsets to realize the promise of LTE's high data rates, large performance differences were found between commercially-available implementations in devices.

Using a lab-based testing approach on the Spirent 8100 solution, SRG collected and analyzed the data performance of five commercial devices from LG, Sierra Wireless, Novatel Wireless, Samsung and Fujitsu, which use chipsets from four different vendors.

Michael Thelander, CEO, Signals Research Group said, "Overall the industry has made tremendous strides in the last few years, with theoretical peak data rates increasing from 3.6Mbps in 2007, when SRG and Spirent first started working together on benchmark testing, to today’s 70Mbps in a 10MHz radio channel. It is also very heartening to see the presence of emerging baseband chipset suppliers who previously did not offer a 3G baseband chipset."

The tests claim to measure the downlink throughput and key performance indicators of each chipset at the application layer under a wide range of realistic network conditions. The test scenarios, based on the latest specifications from 3GPP Technical Reports (TRs), included various static conditions as well as industry-standard pedestrian fading and vehicular fading conditions. In total, 28 LTE test scenarios were used.