The Long Term Evolution( LTE) Direct is an innovative and autonomous long distance Device-to-Device (D2D) protocol that is introduced in the LTE standard as a part of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) release 12 specifications enabling the mobile devices and apps to discover and directly communicate with the nearby LTE devices. The LTE Direct implementation is underway to create an ecosystem of opportunities for the entire cellular industry which is the next big wave of digital transformation.
LTE Direct is revolutionizing the Future of Wireless Technology through its D2D protocol which enables peer-to-peer location-based applications and services. The LTE Direct can discover up to 1000 devices in a proximity range of 500 meters capitalizing unparalleled scalability. It has the highest battery life efficiency and Privacy sensitivity since there is no need for GPS or even Apps as the D2D uses system level implementations. The OS, Platforms, and Apps which will use the D2D functionality are interoperable with each other.
Although the cellular technological advancements have a significant impact on how we interact with the world around us and with every new development, it brings in a new level of convenience and access to information, people, and opportunities. Despite all that, there are still gaps in the cellular coverage and overloaded networks across the globe which the world is currently facing today.
Qualcomm has been the pioneer in experimenting the technology for the last seven years, that allows the Smart Phones to use their LTE radio to connect directly with other devices up to a quarter of a mile away. This feature of D2D communication with cellular towers will make it possible to bypass the towers entirely making the phones to talk to another mobile device directly and to the beacons located in the stores and other businesses. This advancement by itself is a game changer which has been the goal for the next-generation cellular technology.
LTE Direct now takes the communication entirely to a next level. The mobile device already knows how to communicate to cell sites, but LTE Direct enables your mobile device’s ability to talk directly to other mobile devices superseding what Bluetooth and Wifi currently allow. Thus the LTE Direct technology provides communication between devices at distances more than 500 yards away eliminating the need to connect to a Cellular Tower. Qualcomm Technologies in collaboration with Deutsche Telecom delivered their first LTE Direct operator trial in Germany for showcasing the LTE Direct’s technology advantages.
So far we have discussed only the cellular devices using LTE Direct. However, I envision the same technology to be implemented in all the IoT devices by assigning a unique identification or an IP address; which will enable your mobile device to communicate directly with the “Things.” Thus LTE Direct eliminates the need for having an IoT Hub or Gateway since your mobile device by itself acts as the IoT Hub or a Gateway.
“According to the Popular IoT Forecast there will 50 billion connected devices by 2020.” Hence based on my vision of implementing the LTE Direct in these 50 billion devices with Independent IP address assigned to them will enable my mobile device to communicate efficiently with my personal favourited “Things.” This is possible since the IP addresses of the things are already mapped to my LTE Direct device. Thus, the LTE Direct eliminates the need for having an IoT Hub, Gateways, Routers, and the most critical sensitive security layer.
To summarize, the Industry stakeholders are exploring how the LTE Direct technology could be used to create peer-to-peer communication eliminating the need for cellular towers and ensuring seamless connectivity at all times even in the remotest of the locations or in the gray zone areas on this planet earth.
