LTE Direct: communication without base stations

Qualcomm, Facebook and a number of other IT companies are experimenting with technology that will allow smartphones to use their LTE module for direct communication with other devices at a distance of up to 500 meters.

A new feature added to the LTE protocol allows for the possibility of communication between two subscribers bypassing base stations. Phones will be able to "talk" directly with other mobile devices and share information with beacons located in stores and other trading enterprises.

Known as LTE Direct, this wireless technology has a range of 500 meters, which is much more widely used Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It is included in the LTE standard update, which will be adopted this year. Devices that support LTE Direct may appear no earlier than the end of 2015.
')
LTE Direct was offered by Qualcomm, which has been working on a new technology for about 7 years. At their own Uplinq conference, held in San Francisco, company representatives announced that Facebook and Yahoo, already experimenting with technology, are among the partners who support the initiative.

Among other options for using LTE Direct, for example, it is being tested for the possibility of being used to automatically detect nearby people, organizations and other information in accordance with specified criteria. Some see technology as a promising new channel for targeted advertising.

Despite the considerable working distance, LTE Direct consumes a relatively small amount of energy, so the phone can constantly monitor nearby devices without much damage to the charge of a mobile battery. A device with LTE Direct enabled will be able to detect other phones using technology or exchanging information with beacons - stationary devices installed in organizations or part of the infrastructure of airports or railway stations.

“You can treat LTE Direct as a sixth sense, who always knows what is happening to you nearby,” says Mahesh Makhijani, technical director of marketing for Qualcomm. “The world around us is filled with information and the phone can use this opportunity to help you in everyday life.”



Beacons using LTE Direct will be able to transmit useful information, as well as, for example, special offers. Such a device, mounted in the check-in counter, will be able to inform the people nearby who have bought a ticket for the delayed flight.

Facebook is looking for ways to use technology in its own mobile application: “LTE Direct will allow us to build experience of engaging around pleasant interactions with local organizations or friends nearby,” says Jay Parikh, vice president of Facebook for engineering infrastructure. “You can find information about events or create them yourself without preparation.”

LTE Direct can be used in the same scenarios as iBeacon, announced by Apple last year. Retail chains, such as Macy's, for example, are testing iBeacon capabilities for tracking and connecting customers with mobile devices. However, the technology proposed by Apple uses the Bluetooth protocol - the radius of its work is small, and not all users leave the Bluetooth module turned on.

According to Beverly Harrison (Beverly Harrison), a leading scientist at Yahoo Labs, his company has started developing applications that can use LTE Direct. One of the applications of this kind is a digital guide: just tell him how much free time you have, so that the application offers you a route that runs alongside points of interest, which is compiled on the basis of online information about them obtained using LTE Direct. Testing application is scheduled to begin in January.

LTE Direct is also designed to smooth out the glitches in the cellular network, which occur with the influx of subscribers trying to connect to the same base station. New York-based advertising agency R / GA, whose clients include Nike and Beats, is developing a system that will allow LTE Direct to be used to serve the millions of people in Times Square and in its vicinity on New Year's Eve. According to Roman Kalantari, creative director of R / GA, LTE Direct is the only technology that will allow subscribers to stay online in such conditions.

RG / A and the technology consultant Control Group also plan to use LTE Direct to work with targeted advertising. The smartphone, using the new technology, will be able to transmit information about what kind of food or products the user prefers, which will allow you to quickly prepare a personal offer: “The idea that every retailer will be able to track the intention to buy something is incredibly valuable,” says Kalantari.

In theory, LTE Direct can be used to create communication applications that redirect information from device to device. Some instant messengers can already use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to communicate with nearby subscribers. But LTE Direct will be able to increase the working radius and expand the capabilities of such applications. However, telecom operators will be able to track which of the devices in their network can use LTE Direct, because this technology uses the same radio frequency band as conventional cellular communication channels. According to representatives of Qualcomm, operators can even get a new source of income, serving companies that want to offer services or applications that use the new technology.

The original article on LTE Direct is here .