Cellular Network Planning (Elective)

M.Sc. ISE Semester: Third Full Marks: 100

Credit Hour: 4 Internal: 40 Final Exam: 60

General Objectives;
To impart students with comprehensive mechanisms required for cellular network planning.

Course Description:
Introduction to Cellular Network Planning. Radio Propagation Effects and Coverage Planning. Multiuser
Interference and Capacity Planning, Frequency and Channel Allocation, Cellular Network Planning Tools,
Cellular Network Measurements.

Course Outline:

Introduction
Objectives of Radio Network Planning
The Impact of User Environment
Cellular Network Planning Approaches
Starting Points for the Planning Procedure: Desired Grade of Service, System Specification, Equipment
Specifications, Available Frequency Band, Service Area Topography, Traffic Distribution, Existing Infrastructure
Phases of the Planning Procedure

Radio Network Definition including Capacity planning

Starting Points and Objectives
Frequency Reuse
Prediction of Offered Traffic 2
Capacity Planning Example
4. Frequency Allocation
Starting Points and Objectives
Regular Frequency Reuse Patterns
Methods Applied in Frequency Planning: Interference Levels, Minimum Reuse Distances, Allocation of
Frequencies, Adjacent Channel Interference Avoidance
Application Example: Simple Frequency Planning Method Using Regular Reuse Patterns, Advanced
Frequency Planning Method Using Pairwise Interference Analysis

5. Cellular Network Planning Tools

Digital Maps
Capacity Planning in Radio Network Definition
Propagation Analysis and Coverage Planning: Hata Model and Walfish-Ikegami Model, Morphography,
Antenna Height and Topography Corrections

References:

S. Faruque:Cellular Mobile Systems Engineering, Artech House, 1996

J. Gardiner, B. West (Ed.),Personal Communication Systems and Technologies, Artech House,
1995
J. D. Gibson:The Mobile Communications Handbook, CRC Press, 1996
W.C. Jakes, Jr.:Microwave Mobile Communications, John Wiley & Sons, 1974
Mehrotra:Cellular Radio Performance Engineering, Artech House, 1994
R. Steele:Mobile Radio Communications, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1999
A.R. Mishra :Fundamentals of Cellular Network Planning & Optimisation,. 2004 John Wiley & Sons
J. Lempiäinen-M. Manninen:Radio Interface System Planning for GSM/GPRS/UMTS - 2002 Kluwer
Academic Publishers.

3
Cellular Wireless Networks
Introduction

• Objectives of Radio Network Planning

• The Impact of User Environment
• Cellular Network Planning Approaches
• Starting Points for the Planning
Procedure: Desired Grade of Service,
System Specification, Equipment
Specifications, Available Frequency
Band, Service Area Topography, Traffic
Distribution, Existing Infrastructure
Phases of the Planning Procedure
Cellular Networks Impact our Lives
More Infrastructure
More Mobile Connection
Deployment
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More Mobile Users More Mobile

Information Sharing

5
 INTRODUCTION
A cellular network is a radio network made up of
a number of radio cells (or just cells) each served
by at least one fixed-location transceiver known
as a cell site or base station.

6
The Cellular Concept
 Made up of a number of radio cells

 Uses multiple low-power transmitters (100W or less)

 Coverage areas divided into cells

 Implements Space Division Multiplex

 A mobile phone

 Two types of channel avaible between mobile unit and

Base Station
 Control Channels
 Traffic Channels
 The MS may be a vehicle or carried as a
portable and are assigned a duplex channel
and communicate with an assigned Base
Station

 Base Station’s communicate simultaneously

with all MS’s within their area of coverage and
are connected to mobile switching centers

 A MSC Controls a number of cells and are

connected to PSTN
 Each cell has allocated to it a number of channels
which can be used for traffic or signalling

 An active Mobile Station (MS) registers with an

appropriate Base Station (BS), the information is
stored in Mobile Switching Center (MSC)

 When a call is set up either from of to the MS, the

control and signalling system
 Assings a channel and
 Instructs the mobile to use the corresponding channel
 WORKING

MSMobile station; BSTBase station transceiver; MSCMobile switching center;

BSCBase station controller; PSTNPublic switched telephone network

10
Example of a Cellular Wireless Network

Picture: http://www.scom.hud.ac.uk
1G Cellular Networks

 1st generation cellular networks are purely

analog cellular systems.
 The transmission of data is sent via a
continuously variable signal
2G Cellular Networks
 2nd generation cellular networks refer to
digital cellular and PC wireless systems.

 voice and low speed data services.

 They consist of digital traffic channels,

perform encryption, error detection &
correction

 Users share channels dynamically

3G Cellular Networks
 3rd generation refers to the next generation of
wireless systems.

 This is digital with high speed data transfer

 It is voice quality comparable with a switched

telephone network.

 Data transmission rates can be asymmetric or

symmetrical

 It provides support for circuit switched and packet

switched data services
Cellular Operation

 Three basic devices

 A mobile station

 A base transceiver

 A Mobile Telecommunications Switching

Office (MTSO)
Cellular Operation

Picture: www.Xanthippi.ceid.upatras.gr
 Cellular Network Organization
 Base Station (BS)
 includes an antenna, a controller, and a number of
receivers

 Mobile Telecommunications Switching Office

(MTSO)
 connects calls between mobile units

Two types of channels available between mobile unit

and BS
• Control channels
• used to exchange information having to do with setting up and
maintaining calls (out-band or in-band through stealing bits)

• Traffic channels
• carry voice or data connection between users
Cellular Operation
Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) refers to a
cellular network that has land and radio
based sections.

This network consists of:

• Mobile station (MS): A device used for
communication over the network.
• Base station transceiver (BST): A
transmitter/receiver used to transmit/receive
signals over the network.
 Cellular Operation

Mobile switching center (MSC): Sets up and

maintains calls made over the network.

Base station controller (BSC): Communication

between a group of BSTs and a single MSC is
controlled by the BSC

Public switched telephone network (PSTN):

Section of the network that is land based
Cellular Operation
 Outgoing from mobile
 input phone number and press send
 mobile links to base transceiver via control
channel
 base to MTSO to PSTN
 MTSO routes connection back to mobile via voice
channel
 mobile shifts from control to voice
Cellular Operation

 Incoming to mobile
 call goes from PSTN to MTSO

 on control channel, MTSO searches for mobile

by PAGING every active mobile

 If found, MTSO rings it and establishes voice

channel connection

 uses transceiver with strongest signal from

mobile
BENEFITS
 More capacity due to spectral reuse

 Lower transmission power due to smaller

transmitter/receiver distances

 reduced power usage

 larger coverage area

 reduced interference from other signals

GSM Specifications - I
 RF Spectrum
 GSM 900
 Mobile to BTS (uplink) : 890 – 915 MHz
 BTS to Mobile (downlink) : 935 – 960 MHz
 Bandwith : 2 * 25 MHz

 GSM 1800
 Mobile to BTS (uplink) : 1710 – 1785 MHz
 BTS to Mobile (downlink) : 1805 – 1880
MHz
 Bandwith : 2 * 75 MHz
GSM Specification - II
 Carrier Separation : 200 KHz

 Duplex Distance : 45 MHz

 No. of RF carriers : 124

 Access Method : TDMA/FDMA

 Modulation Method : GMSK

 Modulation data rate : 270.833 Kbps

GSM Operation
Speech Speech
Speech coding Speech decoding
13 Kbps
Channel Coding Channel decoding
22.8 Kbps
Interleaving De-interleaving
22.8 Kbps
Burst Formatting Burst Formatting
33.6 Kbps
Ciphering De-ciphering
33.6 Kbps
Radio Interface
Modulation
270.83 Kbps
Demodulation
GSM Applications
 Mobile telephony

 GSM-R

 Telemetry System
 Fleet management
 Automatic meter reading
 Toll Collection

 Value Added Services

CONTENT OF NETWORK PLANNING
Analysis of the operator’s Analysis of the operator’s
status developing environment

Scheme of the
operator’s The goal of the operator’s development
development

Market planning Network planning Finance planning

Transmission Wireless network Core network

system planning planning planning

Network construction project

WIRELESS NETWORK PLANNING
Wireless network planning

Wireless network planning target

Coverage Capacity
Cost target
target target

The number of The number of Erland

Link budget base stations base stations capacity of a
Q1 Q2 single cell

Parameters of base stations

Investment
CONTENT OF PLANNING GSM WIRELESS NETWORK

 COVERAGE
 TARGET：Coverage probability
 RESULT：The number of the stations Q1 , Information
of the base stations.(location, altitude, power and
antenna bearing)

 CAPACITY
 TARGET：The number of the subscribers, GoS
 RESULT：The number of the base stations Q2,
Configurations of the channels.
GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_coverage

 Area class
 Urban;
 Suburban;
 Village;
 Open area ;
 Indoor;
 Propagation model emendation
 Link budget
 Radio coverage of a single cell
GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN
PLANNING FLOW

Subscriber busy hour

Subscribers prediction
traffic

Overall traffic The ratio of traffics in

prediction the every regions

Analyse of the Configuration of the

The traffics in the every
traffic density in existing wireless
region
the special areas network

The plan of the bi- The dimension of the

frequency wireless planned wireless
network network
The considered factors to make certain one subscriber
busy hour traffic:

 Increase trends in system busy hour traffic ,one subscriber’s busy hour traffic
and the relationship between subscriber increase and traffic increase within a
year

 Traffic increase brought by feast day, price policy and data services.

Busy hour traffic of Unstable stability Fluctuation of the Analysis of the

one mobile phone of the system system busy hour operator future policy
busy hour traffic traffic

Busy hour traffic of one

subscriber
 GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity

 target：the number of base stations, channels

configuration.

 process：
 Firstly, getting the total traffics by the predicted
subscribers;

 secondly, analyzing the total traffics into every regions;

 thirdly, getting the number of the base stations and the

configuration of the channels.
 Method of Increaeing
普及率法预测
Method of Popularization
Ratio in Anticipating
增速法预测市
Rate in Market
Market市场容量
Capability 场容量
Capability Forecast 业务拓展
多种市场 自

SUBSCRIBER PREDICTION
Compare
Actuality of Market
市场容量现状 能力、网
Anticipating in Capability 占有率
Method
络支撑能
in
Diversified
上
From
而
Population Amount Anticipating
市场容量增长 in 方法比
力比较分Market
up
Rising Rate of
Market速度预测
Capability 选析Occupancy 下
To
Anticipating in Anticipating 式
down
普及率预测 Anticipating
增量市 存量市
Popularization Ratio in Increment
场预测 in Reserves
场预测 预
Market Market 测

Anticipating in Anticipating in
市场容量预测
Market Capability 市场占有率确定
Market Occupancy

Result of services
业务量预测数
prediction

Apply Stat. Software, Draft

运用统计软件，拟合时间
Sequence Curve of Time, Carry
序列曲线，进行趋势外推
Through Current Extrapolate 自
下
From
而
down
上
To
Construct Time Sequence
构建业务量时间序列
of Portfolio 式
up
预
测
实际业务发展统计
Statistics of Actual Inquisitional Result in
34 Services Development
数据
Services Development 划数调查结果
Programming
SERVICE PREDICTION(from up to down）
Prediction method
Prediction Prediction Prediction
procedure description method

Population  resident
人 人 prediction
人人  Time sequence method

The whole mobile phone Simple curve fit method


market,including all the Popularization rate method
All mobile users operators in the region
人人人人 Increase rate method
prediction in 人
the人region
人人人
Analogy method
Relay analysis method
Indicating the operator’s  Origin of increment and
Market occupancy rate deposit prediction method
subscribers proportion in Analogy method
人 人prediction
人人人人人 the whole market
Market orientation method

 Making certain three prediction  Getting the number of the

Subscribers
人 人 人 人prediction
人人人人 result:high,middle,low. operator’s subscribers,by
of the operator the market occupancy and
 Analysis of the preconditions all mobile users prediction
of three predictions
 Taking the factors into
Analysing the total
account,such as the number
Subscribers
人人人人 prediction
人人人人 in  subscribers of the operator
into every regions. of the people,economics,etc.
every region
GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity

 Analyzing the total traffics into every regions.

1. based on proportion of the traffics in existing
network of every region ；

2. statistics of relative increase rate in every region.

3. result：proportion of traffics in network of

every region in the plan period.
GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity

 Analysis of feast traffics

 purpose：analysis of the peak traffics in every
region to reserve some redundant capacity for
the peak traffic.

 process：
1. comparing the feasts peak traffics with the weekday
peak traffics

2. ensuring the plan traffics to meet the most busy hour

traffics of the plan period.
 GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity

Analysis of traffic density

Space between the The wireless network
base stations in the in the area could
maximum traffic provide the maximum
density area. traffic in the end of
the plan period GSM900/GSM1800
bi-frequency
wireless network
plan
The traffic density and The maximum
traffic development in traffic density in
the maximum traffic the end of the
density area. plan period.
 GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity

 Traffics Analysis of the maximum traffic density area.

 target：to determine whether to introduce GSM1800 system

 Process
 according to traffics statistics of about 3km2 area，to get the
increase trends of the traffic density in the area and the prediction
on traffics density in the area within 3 years.

 according to Statistics of the base stations in the area，to get the

average distance of the base stations；

 according to the bearable traffic density of the different wireless

network, to determine whether to introduce the bi-frequency network.
 GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity

GSM wireless network construction

The dimension of the planned
Request of the GSM wireless
wireless network
Subscriber network
prediction；
The number of base stations
Subscriber traffics prediction； in every regions；
The number of the
CONFIGURATION OF THE EXISTING frequencies in every regions；
WIRELESS NETWORK
The number of the base
The configurations of the base stations stations for coverage in every
and the channels in every regions； regions；

The ratio of the base stations for The number of the

coverage in every regions； frequencies for coverage in
every regions.
The principle of GPRS dedicated Packet
Data Channel (PDCH) configuration
The ration of half-rate traffics.
GSM WIRELESS NETWORK
PLAN_capacity

 Target：transferring traffic into channels。

 procedure：
 statistics of the cell parameters in every region, including
the number of the base stations , cells, channels etc.；

 to make sure the traffic of one channel in every region by

looking up reference form；

 Dividing the traffics of the every region, assumed the

number of the voice channels。
GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_capacity
 purpose：transferring channels into carriers and
base stations.

 process：
 Considering the influence of Broadcast Control Channel
(BCCH)/stand alone dedicated control channel (SDCCH), and GPRS
dedicated PDCH；

 With the number of carriers in a cell of existing networks for a

reference, transfer voice channels into carriers.

 the total channels is divided by the number of channels per site in

every region to get the number of the sites.

 compared with the number of the existing base stations, to estimate

whether the network arrive at the coverage target .
 GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_optimization

 target：
 Enhance use efficiency of network resource and improve network
quality of service.

 Resolve problem of the network coverage and the traffic

imbalance.

 Wireless network optimization：

 Optimizing base stations location

 Adjusting sites type

 Adjusting antennas

 Adjusting carriers to balance the assigned traffic

 GSM WIRELESS NETWORK PLAN_items

GSM network
dimension

Subsidiary equipment Main equipment of GSM wireless

of GSM wireless GSM wireless network
network network optimization

Power supply,iron
Road coverage,indoor
tower,air TRU,frameworks
coverage,etc.
condition,etc.
 GPRS wireless network plan
Configuration of Throughout of
the existing GPRS system
wireless network RPP
configuration
principle

Throughout
of one PDCH
RPP demand GPRS wireless
in the plan network
Throughout period dimension
The GPRS
of one
statistics
PDCH

Ability of
one RPP
RPP: receiving party pays
 Short message center (SMC) plan

 Plan method

Short message
model in the plan
period
Analysis of Demand of Dimension of
subscriber SMC BHSM SMC BHSM
behavior by
SM statistics Concentration
coefficients of busy hour
and busy day

Gross short
messages
 Finance plan
Plan method

Finance plan

Unit price,ARPU Incoming

Market prediction
prediction prediction
Management performance

Analysis of the cost Cost budget

status

Analysis of investment and

Annual investments incomings
of the every The total investment
speciality network.
QoS architecture
QoS MATTERS IN CELLULAR
 Overprovisioning is difficult
 Resources are scarce (few 10s of MHz)

 Equipment and spectrum expensive

 You need to use well what you have

 Everything is more complicated

 Due to the wide-area radio delays are higher

 Primary application is delay sensitive

 Money
 People are (somewhat more) willing to pay

 There is an infrastructure to charge

 Service and price differentiation happens

 Bearers SGi

PDN-GW HSS
 A bearer is a L2 packet transmission channel S5
 …to a specific external Packet Data Network,
 …using a specific IP address/prefix, SGW S11 MME
 …carrying a specific set of IP flows (maybe all)
 …providing a specific QoS. S1-U S1-CP

 In 2G/3G also known as “PDP Context”

eNodeB
 Bearer setup is explicitly signaled
 In LTE one bearer is always set up at attachment
UE

See more in: 23.107

Courtesy: Zoltán Turányi
QoS concept and architecture
 Traffic to the same
external network

Bearers A set of
Traffic with the
same IP address
or IPv6 prefix All traffic of a UE

IP microflows
A set of with the same QoS
IP microflows Terminal
IP microflows
APN traffic
Service Data Flow default PDN traffic
Service Data Flow
bearer connection
External networks

Service Data Flow dedicated

PDN 1 PDN 2 bearer
Service Data Flow
APN1 SGi SGi APN2

PDN GW PDN GW
Dedicated bearer: bearer with special QoS
Default bearer: rest of traffic with default QoS

SGW MME

eNodeB
Two default bearers
to different APNs PDN – Packet Data Network
UE Courtesy: Zoltán Turányi APN – Access Point Name
Why then no QoS?
(Apart from voice)

• Terminal apps do not use QoS

– Original IP socket API has minimal QoS features
• No widespread QoS mechanism in fixed networks
• Usually IP app developers do not care about network QoS
– A number of QoS API failures
• Conceptual difficulties
– QoS must be authorized and charged
• QoS can only be effectively decided in the face of its price
– Complex QoS descriptors
• Determining QoS parameters is challenging
– E.g., 10-3 or 10-4 bit error rate?
– Yet not flexible enough to cater for e.g., VBR video
Pre-rel.8 QoS descriptor
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Quality of service IEI octet 1 Delay (maximum values)
SDU size: 128 octets SDU size: 1024 octets
Length of quality of service IE Octet 2 Mean 95 percentile Mean 95 percentile
0 0 Delay Reliability octet 3 Delay Class Transfer Delay (sec) Transfer Delay (sec)
Delay (sec) Delay (sec)
spare class class
1. (Predictive) < 0.5 < 1.5 <2 <7
Peak 0 Precedence octet 4 2. (Predictive) <5 < 25 < 15 < 75
throughput spare class 3. (Predictive) < 50 < 250 < 75 < 375
4. (Best Effort) Unspecified
0 0 0 Mean octet 5
spare throughput
Traffic Class Delivery order Delivery of erroneous Octet 6 Maximum bit rate (octets 8-9)
SDU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 The maximum bit rate is binary coded in
Maximum SDU size Octet 7 8 bits, using a granularity of 1 kbps
Maximum bit rate for uplink Octet 8 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 giving a range of values from 1 kbps to
Maximum bit rate for downlink Octet 9 63 kbps in 1 kbps increments.
Residual BER SDU error ratio Octet 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 The maximum bit rate is 64 kbps + ((the
Transfer delay Traffic Handling Octet 11 binary coded value in 8 bits –01000000) * 8 kbps)
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 giving a range of values from 64 kbps to
priority
568 kbps in 8 kbps increments.
Octet 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 The maximum bit rate is 576 kbps + ((the
Guaranteed bit rate for uplink binary coded value in 8 bits –10000000) * 64 kbps)
Guaranteed bit rate for downlink Octet 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 giving a range of values from 576 kbps
0 0 0 Signal- Source Statistics Descriptor Octet 14 to 8640 kbps in 64 kbps increments.
spare ling 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0kbps
Indicat-
ion If the sending entity wants to indicate a Maximum bit
Maximum bit rate for downlink (extended) Octet 15 rate for uplink higher than 8640 kbps, it shall set octet 8
Guaranteed bit rate for downlink (extended) Octet 16 to ”11111110”, i.e. 8640 kbps, and shall encode the
Maximum bit rate for uplink (extended) Octet 17 value for the Maximum bit rate in octet 17.
Guaranteed bit rate for uplink (extended) Octet 18

Source: 24.008
Core network protocols; Stage 3
#1: Simple parameters QCI Resource
Type
Priority Packet
Delay
Packet
Error Loss
Example Services

Budget Rate
(NOTE 1) (NOTE 2)
1 2 100 ms -2 Conversational Voice
10
(NOTE 3)
2 4 150 ms -3 Conversational Video (Live Streaming)
10
(NOTE 3) GBR

• QCI: QoS Class Indicator 3

(NOTE 3)
4
3

5
50 ms

300 ms
10

10
-3

-6
Real Time Gaming

Non-Conversational Video (Buffered Streaming)

– Scalar value encompassing (NOTE 3)

5 1 100 ms 10
-6 IMS Signalling

all packet treatment aspects (NOTE 3)

6
-6
Video (Buffered Streaming)
(NOTE 4) 6 300 ms 10 TCP-based (e.g., www, e-mail, chat, ftp, p2p file
– 9 mandatory, 7 Non-GBR
sharing, progressive video, etc.)
Voice,

operators can define new (NOTE 3) 7 100 ms 10

-3 Video (Live Streaming)
Interactive Gaming
8

• MBR: Max bitrate (NOTE 5) 8

300 ms 10
-6
Video (Buffered Streaming)
TCP-based (e.g., www, e-mail, chat, ftp, p2p file
9 9 sharing, progressive video, etc.)

• GBR: Guaranteed bitrate (NOTE 6)

– If nonzero, admission control is performed

• ARP: Allocation and Retention Priority
– priority (scalar): Governs priority at establishment and handover
– pre-emption capability (flag): can this bearer pre-empt another?
– pre-emption vulnerability (flag): can another bearer pre-empt this one?

• AMBR: Aggregated Maximum bitrate

– Both a per-terminal and per-APN value
Source: 23.401, 23.203
GPRS Enhancements for E-UTRAN
Policy and Charging Control Architecture
Policy and Charging
•Flow descriptor (5-tuple)
App •Bandwidth
 Policy and Charging •Application (voice/video/etc.)

Rules Function Rx

SGi

 Decides on QoS and PCRF Gx PDN GW

Charging S5
•Flow descriptor (5-tuple)
 Controls gating •QoS descriptor
•Charging rules
•Gating (on/off) SGW S11 MME
 Service Policy Based on
 Request
S1-U S1-MME
 Subscription data
 Makes no resource
decisions eNodeB

UE
Courtesy: Zoltán Turányi
Advantages of SDN for Cellular
Networks
• Advantage of logically centralized control plane
– Flexible support of middle boxes
– Better inter-cell interference management
– Scalable distributed enforcement of QoS and firewall
policies in data plane
– Flexible support of virtual operators by partitioning
flow space

• Advantage of common control protocol

– Seamless subscriber mobility across technologies

• Advantage of SDN switch

– Traffic counters enable easy monitoring for network
control and billing