LET, otherwise, does not alter the Link-16 waveform. This was done so as not to alter the spectral content and so avoid National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) certification issues. It uses the same time refinement pulses, encryption, frequency selection algorithm, timeslot burst length, and transmitted pulse structure as current Link-16 terminals.
Note that the increased data rates of LET affect the achievable range of transmission. For example at 1 Mbps, a range of 185 km is possible. Also, there are implementation issues when using these increased data rates. The problem is that the US government specified hardware and software that must be used in the core of the Link-16 terminals cannot cope with the higher data throughput made possible by LET. The 1553 bus also has transfer rate limitations that adversely affect the maximum achievable performance.