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The next step in the development towards 4G is the separation between uplink and downlink technologies for the transmission path. The modulation technique that holds the most potential for 4G applications is wideband OFDM. Its potential bandwidth is estimated to be as high as 100 Mbps for the capacity of one cell. Wideband OFDM is chosen as a single carrier solution due to the lower complexity of equalisers for high delay spread channels or high data rates.

Hierarchical Service Area Although all objects will be connected to a network through wireless links, it may be difficult for small devices to be directly connected to 4G systems due to power consumption and antenna size. Compact devices will be able to access the 4G systems through a miniature base that will act as a mobile terminal (MT) for 4G systems. Employing such a configuration results in service areas consisting of multiple overlapping cells.