From LTE-Advanced to the Future

LTE and LTE-Advanced have undeniably provided a major step forward in mobile communication capability, enabling mobile service provision for the first time to approach that available by fixed-line connections. However, market demands typically do not evolve simply in discrete steps, and thus the future evolution of LTE-Advanced will be a story of continuous enhancement, on the one hand taking advantage of the advancing capabilities of technology while on the other aiming to keep pace with the expectations and needs of the end users. In this paper, the likely directions of this continuing enhancement are discussed, and areas where further technical advancement will be required are highlighted.