Mobile network dimensioning and planning

28th October, 2014

Abstract

Mobile networks has to be planned keeping considering both business aspects (network performance) for
network operators as well as radio link aspects (system perspectives) of the entire network. Accommodating this
increase in mobile traffic is really challenging in itself. Various parameters like environment type(urban, suburban or rural), site topography and busy hour traffic have to be taken into account for proper planning of the
network to guarantee minimum quality of service to users at peak hours.

In this report, initial planning phase, detailed planning phase and system optimization phases have been
discussed and eventually network dimensioning for has been shown using COST 231 Hata model and network
capacity provisioning.

Introduction

LTE (Long Term Evolution) has been standardized in order to fulfill higher network
capacity and data rate by using better network planning techniques and advances in digital signal
processing. With changing traffic types of today's mobile network, operators should also adopt
flexible algorithms accordingly. Basic requirements of the users like seamless mobility and roaming

should be guaranteed. Above all, resources like spectrum and finances are limited. So network has
to be designed optimally so as to gain maximum spectral efficiency.

1) Network planning:
Main targets of network planning are:
To maximize the network coverage
To provide the desired capacity
Network planning is carried out in various phases like dimensioning, detailed planning and
optimization. Network planning is carried out in following phases:
i. Initial phase (Network Dimensioning)
ii. Detail planning
iii. Network optimization
I. Network Dimensioning:
Rough calculation of network elements is done to provide coverage for entire coverage site
in initial dimensioning phase. For dimensioning, link budget calculations are done which takes into
account transmitted power of the base station, receiver sensitivity and all the losses that may incur
in the channel (medium). Such losses may include channel noise, indoor penetration losses and
interferences. These losses depends on the type of environment. Basically signal propagation from
base station to receiver mobile equipment is observed and maximum range of the mobile station
from base station is calculated. Eventually minimum number of base stations (nodes) and cell sites
are determined so as to calculate the rough cost for the network infrastructure. Parameters like
coverage regions (environment information, propagation model), capacity (spectrum, subscribers,
traffic density) and quality of service (coverage probability, blocking probability and end user
throughput) are considered to dimension the network in initial planning.
II. Detailed Planning:
In detailed planning phase, information gathered in the initial planning phase are used to
provide an effective detailed planning of the network. Its main goal is to select sites properly, plan
coverage so as to reduce cell edge interference and plan the capacity of the cell. Simulation tools are
used for accurate and complex processing of the information.
III. Network Optimization:
Network optimization is basically the analysis of the network and is carried out using
statistical tools and their measurements. On the basis of those results, existing network parameters
are optimized (corrected and adjusted).
Link Budget:

In link budget calculation the path loss, maximum signal attenuation is calculated.
Okumura-Hata model is used to calculate the maximum cell range and thus cell site radius. So the
number of base stations are determined to provide maximum coverage area of the entire site.
Parameters in link budget: Transmitted power, transmitter gain, body loss, EIRP (Effective
Irradiated Power), Receiver sensitivity, receiver noise, interference margin, SINR, thermal noise,
fading losses and receiver gain.
EIRP = transmitted power + transmitter gain loss (dB)
Receiver Sensitivity = Receiver noise + SINR (dB)
Path loss = EIRP Receiver Sensitivity Interference margin cable and other losses
Uplink budget:
LTE uplink budget has some differences with HSPA like smaller interference margin, no macro
diversity gain (Soft handover gain) and no fast fading margin
RAN Technology
Data rate (kbps)

GSM

HSPA

LTE

12.2

64

64

Transmitter UE
a

Max. TX power (dBm)

33

23

23

TX antenna gain (dBi)

Body loss (dB)

EIRP (dBm)

30

23

23

Receiver BTS/Node B/eNode B

e

Node B noise figure (dB)

Thermal noise (dBm)

-108.2

-118.4

Receiver noise floor (dBm)

-106.2

-116.4

SINR (dB)

-17.3

-7

Receiver sensitivity (dBm)

-114

-123.4

-123.4

Interference Margin (dB)

Cable Loss (dB)

RX antenna gain (dBi)

18

18

18

Fast fade margin (dB)

1.8

Soft handover gain (dB)

162

161.6

163.4

Maximum path loss

Downlink budget:
RAN Technology
Data rate (kbps)
Transmitter BTS/Node B, eNode B

GSM

HSPA
12.2

1024

LTE
1024

Max. TX power (dBm)

44.5

46

46

TX antenna gain (dBi)

18

18

18

Cable loss (dB)

EIRP (dBm)

60.5

62

62

Receiver UE
e

UE noise figure (dB)

Thermal noise (dBm)

-119.7

-108.2

-104.5

Receiver noise floor (dBm)

-101.2

-97.5

SINR (dB)

-5.2

-9

Receiver sensitivity (dBm)

-104

-106.4

-106.4

Interference Margin (dB)

Control channel overhead (%)

20

20

RX antenna gain (dBi)

Body loss (dB)

161.5

163.4

163.5

Maximum path loss

The maximum path loss for LTE link budget in downlink is on similar lines with that of
HSPA. The transmission power levels and the RF noise figures are almost same in GSM and HSPA
technologies, and the link performance is also similar in LTE than in HSPA at low data rates.

2) Dimensioning Network cost for Greater Helsinki:

Greater Helsinki can be divided into following environment types according to urbanization:
Environment type
Urban

Municipality
Helsinki

Area(km2)
213.26

Total area (km2)

213.26

Sub-Urban

Rural

Espoo
Vantaa
Kauniainen
Hyvinkaa
Jarvenpaa
Kerava
Kirkkonummi
Nurmijarvi
Sipoo
Tuusula
Vihti

312.75
238.37
5.88
322.62
37.55
30.62
366.10
361.84
339.62
219.51
522.06

557

2199.92

Link budget calculation for these three environment types:

S.N.

Losses

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o

Tx Power
Antenna Gain
Cable Loss
EIRP (a + b - c)
UE Noise Figure
Thermal Noise
Rx Noise (e + f)
SINR
Rx Sensitivity (g + h)
Control Channel Overhead
Rx Antenna Gain
Body Loss
Interference margin
Indoor Penetration loss
Path loss

Urban
46 dBm
18 dBi
2 dB
62 dB
7 dB
-104.5 dB
-97.5 dB
-9 dB
-106.5 dB
1 dB
0 dB
0 dB
8 dB
20 dB
139.5 dB

Rates
Sub-Urban
46 dBm
18 dBi
2 dB
62 dB
7 dB
-104.5 dB
-97.5 dB
-9 dB
-106.5 dB
1 dB
0 dB
0 dB
5 dB
15 dB
147.5 dB

Rural
46 dBm
18 dBi
2 dB
62 dB
7 dB
-104.5 dB
-97.5 dB
-9 dB
-106.5 dB
1 dB
0 dB
0 dB
3 dB
15 dB
149.5 dB

Path loss = EIRP Receiver Sensitivity Interference margin Indoor penetration loss control
channel overhead
Maximum distance (radius) of mobile unit from base station can be calculated using extended hata
(COST 231 model) formula.
Frequency = 1.8 GHz
Height of base station = 25 m
Height of mobile station = 1.2 m

COST 231 extension of the Okumura Hata formula:

Correction coefficients:
a2 = 0.8 + (1.1 log (f) 0.7)hms 1.56 log (f) = -0.82
For sub urban (i=3)
a3 = a2 + 2(log (f/28))2 + 5.4 = 11.11
For rural (i=4)
a4 = a2 + 4.78 (log (f))2 18.3 log (f) + 40.9 = 31.16

Enviroment
type
Rural
Sub urban
Urban

Radius of
cell
(r) km
17.3
4.2
1.2

Area of cell
(hexagon)
(33 r2)/ 2
777.6
45.6
3.5

Total
coverage
area(km2)
2199.9
556.9
213.3

Cell sites

2.82 ~ 3
12.22 ~ 12
61.12 ~ 61

Cost of cell
sites
(euros)
300 x 103
3000 x 103
21350 x 103

61 cell sites are required to cover urban areas inside ring I (Helsinki metropolitan area)
whereas comparatively lesser cell sites are required to cover larger areas of sub-urban (12 cells) and
rural (3 sites). Due to high population density, more crowded buildings, high interference margin in
city areas, cell sites need to be small (3.5 sq. km), which accounts for need of large number of cell
sites in such cities. On the contrary, rural areas are sparsely populated and such areas have less
interference margins and indoor penetration losses. So, even few base stations can cover large areas
areas of rural areas. Major portion of greater Helsinki lies in rural category but these areas can be
provided with network coverage with just 3 cell sites.
It follows that cost of providing coverage in rural areas 300 thousand euros which is far less
in comparison to that of urban area which require 21.35 million euros.

3) Network Capacity Provision Part:

Quality of Service (QoS) / Throughput demand of user:
Population in Kauniainen municipality = 9039
Market share of the mobile operator (Nu) = 55% of the population = 4971
Arrival rates for voice calls = v = k1 Nu = 1.7 104 4971

= 3.4797 per second

Arrival rates for data services = D = k2 Nu = 8.9 103 4971

= 0.627 per second

Service type

Minimum rate (r)

Arrival rate ()

Duration ()

Data service
Voice service

500 kbps
16 kbps

0.627 per sec

3.4797 per sec

365 sec
75 sec

Total throughput
=r
114427.5 kbps
4175.64 kbps
Sum: 118.6 Mbps

Area of Kauniainen municipality = 5.88 km2

Throughput density = 118.6 / 5.88 = 20.17 Mbps per km2
This is the user demand for throughput.

Calculation of SIR at cell edge:

Cell number

Distance of MS
from base station
(d)

Average path loss

Lo + 10log10(d-)

L1= Lo + 10log10((r)-)

L2 = L2= Lo + 10log10((r)-)

2r

L3= Lo + 10log10((2r)-)

(7)r

L4= Lo + 10log10(((7)r)-)

(7)r

L5= L4= Lo + 10log10(((7)r)-)

2r

L6=L3= Lo + 10log10((2r)-)

L7= L2= Lo + 10log10((r)-)

Transmitted power = Ptx

Transmitter gain = G
Radius of cell = r km
Propagation loss exponent () = 2.5
Effective irradiated power is same for all base stations. SIR at cell edge does not depend on cell
radius.

= 0.0277
= -15.57 db

(linear)

SIR in the inner part of the cell is considered to be 8 db more than that of the edge, so

Spectral efficiency:
= A log2 (1 + B SIR)

[bps/Hz]

A = 0.88 , B = 0.8, SIRinner = -7.57 db

= 0.1662
W = 10 MHz
Throughput (TP) = W = 1.6622 Mbps
Throughput density = TP/(Cell area)
Cell area = TP /

= 1.6622 / 20.17 = 0.0824 sq. km

Cell radius = 0.1781 km

Hence the cell size should not be more than 0.0824 square kilometers in order to guarantee the
minimum quality of service demand of the users of that area.
So, cell radius should be equal or less than 0.1781 kilometers.
In this model, we are considering single cell reuse and omnidirectional antenna in all the base
stations. So, interference experiences at cell edge would be more which accounts for the less SIR in
such cases. Such kind of systems are interference limited system.
Impact of propagation loss exponent ():
Propagation loss exponent depends upon site specific factors. Its effect on spectral efficiency,
throughput and maximum cell radius

1.5
2.5
3.5
4.5

Spectral
efficiency
0.3431
0.1662
0.0733
0.0306

Throughput
(Mbps)
3.431
1.6622
0.7334
0.3063

Cell radius (km)

0.2559
0.1781
0.1183
0.0764

With the increase in the value of propagation loss exponent, spectral efficiency decreases as
observed in above listed results.

Conclusion

While dimensioning the network, cell area is calculated roughly to provide coverage to
geographical area and then throughput as demanded by the users (QoS) is calculated. It is observed
that the network supplied throughput is less than the user demand and hence cell size has to be
reduced ensure both quality of service and coverage of the network.