Mentum Planet: Market

leading, state-of-the-art
planning and optimization
software solution for wireless
access networks

Wireless network planning and optimization

has evolved. Historically, RF planning
software was used primarily for the
design of greenfield networks. However,
as wireless technologies have advanced,
the expectations for planning tools have
as well.
Todays operator must evolve its
network to offer advanced data services
cost-effectively and stay one step
ahead of the competition. New technologies
such as WiMAX and LTE present new
opportunities, but their advanced features
also provide challenges that need to be
overcome through innovative design and
optimization software.

Who Needs Mentum Planet?

Network operators, system
integrators and RF consultants
RF coverage, capacity and
performance engineers

Who Are Our Customers?

Mentum has more than 250 customers who:
Employ all wireless technologies
Utilize from 1-500+ software licenses
Are located in 90 countries in every
region of the world

Mentum Planet Supported

Technologies
WCDMA and HSPA
CDMA2000 and 1xEV-DO
(Rel. O and Rev. A)
WiMAX (mobile and fixed) and
pre-WiMAX BWA technologies
GSM/GPRS/EDGE
AMPS/TDMA, iDEN
4G technologies (LTE/UMB/WiMAX
release 2) under development

Accurate planning and optimization

software is more critical than ever.
It is critical to successfully roll out
state-of-the-art services, to build or
expand networks and to implement
optimization/densification activities.
Operators have to balance the introduction of
new technologies and related services against

the need to reduce costs and increase

capacity all while maintaining a high
Quality of Service (QoS) for existing customers. Meeting this challenge is crucial. It
is the key to retaining customers, offering
competitive services and increasing profits.
Mentum Planet is an industry leading
solution that delivers results. Mentum
offers objective, vendor-agnostic advice
on how to optimally deploy advanced
wireless networks using the Mentum
Planet planning and optimization toolset.
Mentum combines the focus, flexibility
and responsiveness of a smaller company with the resources, experience and
expertise of an industry leader. The result:
our customers get the results they are
looking for as quickly as they need them.

Building on Our Success

Building upon the worlds original
planning solution, MSIs Planet, Mentum
Planet is the result of over 15 years of
feature development and several years
ofstrategic and targeted R&D effort.

Expanding Role For Planning Solutions

Planning

Expansion

Traditional Role
Greenfield network planning
Site planning and acquisition
CAPEX planning
Coverage planning
Traffic planning
Manual optimization/scenario
planning
Frequency planning
Visualization and reporting

Optimization

Evolution

Evolving Role
New technology
deployment/overlay
Convergence, merging
networks
Optimization with ACP and
measured data
Enabler for operational
efficiencies as a centrally
integrated and open data
management system

[The worlds most innovative wireless network planning,

optimization and data management platform]

The Evolution Of Planet

MSI
1992: MSIs first RF
planning software
Planet
1999: Planet DMS, first
enterprise-grade
planning tool

Marconi
2000: MSI acquired by
Marconi
2001: Marconi acquires
Northwood Technologies
and deciBel Planner
2003: Marconi launches
Planet EV with .NET
Windows Platform

Ericsson
2006: Ericsson acquires
Marconi, including the
Planet group
2006: Improved integration with other Ericsson
TEMS tools
2006: Further development of next-generation
technologies: HSPA,
EV-DO and WiMAX

Mentum Planet has evolved to become

the worlds most innovative network
planning, optimization and data management platform, utilizing the most
advanced software architecture available.

does not require substantial tuning.

Where more survey data is available,
the Mentum Planet General model is
an excellent choice with a decade-long
track record of proven accuracy.

Exceptional Accuracy

The Mentum Planet Universal model

developed by strategic partner France
Telecom R&D (Orange Labs) has
proven extremely accurate, is easy to
tune and delivers the industrys fastest
predictions in built-up urban areas and
urban/suburban transition zones. Used in
conjunction with Mentum Planet geodata
and drive test data, it provides simulations with unparalleled accuracy, and
models that can be confidently re-applied
in areas with similar RF characteristics.

The value of any simulation-based

planning tool is its ability to emulate
real-world conditions. Mentum Planet
excels at accurately modeling changes
prior to implementation so our customers
benefit from efficient planning, accurate
budgeting and optimal return on investment in their deployed networks.
In addition to industry-standard propagation
models, Mentum Planet offers two
remarkably accurate differentiating
models. CRC-Predict, developed in
conjunction with strategic partner
Communications Research Centre
Canada, is the result of more than
ten years of effort. It is a unique macro
model for use in suburban and rural
areas that is extremely accurate and

Mentum

Advanced Open Software

Platform
Mentum Planet delivers a future-proof
software architecture that enables rapid
customization and integration, and delivers improved clientserver performance.
Based on Microsofts .NET technology for

2007: CTS International

acquires the Planet
assets from Ericsson and
creates its new identity:
Mentum
2007: With focus on the
planning and optimization market, Mentum
Planet is at the core of
Mentums growth
strategy

What sets Mentum apart?

Focus
Mentum is dedicated specifically to
developing wireless planning and
optimization solutions. It does not use
these products to sell network equipment
or consulting services. We work directly
for the customer.

Dependability
Mentum is committed to the long-term
success of Mentum Planet through
best-of-class services and R&D efforts.

Leadership
Mentum anticipates and participates
in the evolution of wireless and software
technologies to offer the most benefit
to our customers both today and
tomorrow.

Windows, it also ensures compatibility

with all major languages, middleware and
databases, and streamlines workflows via
integration with in-house and third-party
systems through standard APIs.

projects. Maintaining applications and

data on central servers makes upgrades,
redundancy and workflows easier to
manage and helps our customers to
better plan and optimize their networks.

Mentum Planets advanced platform also

means it can be rapidly customized and
integrated within an operators existing
RF planning environment.

Mentum Planet Data Manager is

extremely flexible, fully supporting
thin-client architecture deployments
based on Citrix as well as standard
client/server architecture. It has been
successfully deployed to support more
than 500concurrent users and allows
each to share key data and to pull down,
edit and only check back in the data
they need to a central database.

Enterprise-grade Database
Management
While traditional RF planning tools have
been independent solutions isolated from
other important data sources such as
operations support systems (OSS),
Mentum Planet seamlessly integrates
network solutions and enterprise IT
environments. With this innovative
solution, operators RF and performance
engineers are able to manage, access
and utilize data more effectively.
The Mentum Planet integrated data management system facilitates multi-user
project collaboration and can provide a
centralized database for all RF planning

Administrators can set access privileges

for users, ensuring corporate design
standards are maintained and the
network database is not corrupted by
an unauthorized user. Because data
can be easily pulled using a scriptable
data import/export function in other
applications (including Mentum Ellipse),
Mentum Planet integrates easily within
the complex OSS ecosystem of wireless
operators.

Advanced Traffic Modeling

Precise modeling of subscriber
distributions is the key to simulating
both interference and actual network
performance. Mentum Planets advanced
modeling helps illustrate how different
user types will impact the network
and facilitates the delivery of detailed
traffic maps for use in planning or other
optimization activities, such as automatic
frequency or cell planning.
Mentum Planets unique Subscriber
Manager enables simulation of realworld end-user behaviour. It includes
support for subscriber location, operating
environment, mobility and services used
(voice, e-mail, web browsing).
For rapid planning analysis, or where
known or estimated traffic loads are
available, Mentum Planet can quickly
perform advanced traffic modeling on
single or multi-technology networks.
For the latter, the software models
off-loading traffic from one layer to
the other.

Integration With Operations Support Systems

Client

Mentum Planet

Performance Tools

API

Drive Test

Data Exchange

Server

OSS System

Data Manager

Site Configuration
Frequency Plan
Neighbour List
Interference Matrix
Etc.

[ Mentum Planet uses sophisticated network parameter modeling

and algorithms to replicate actual network behaviour ]

Mentum Planet Product Structure

3GPP

3GPP2

WiMAX

Capesso

Capesso

Capesso

Automated Cell Planning

Included

Automated Frequency
Planning

Renaissance
HSPA

EV-DO
Network Simulation

WCDMA

CDMA

WiMAX

Mentum Planet
Measurement Data Package
Universal Model
Indoor/Outdoor Integration iBwave RF-vu

With detailed traffic input, Mentum Planet

uses sophisticated network parameter
modeling and algorithms to replicate
actual network behaviour. The analysis
provides detailed reports and maps
illustrating how the radio network will
perform under various configurations and
loading scenarios, helping operators to
understand how to cope with the increase
in demand and how to spend wisely to
address it.

MapInfo Location Intelligence

A network operators primary asset is its
network coverage and capacity. Mentum
Planet offers unparalleled Geographic

Information System (GIS) features

through its OEM version of MapInfo
Professional. As the only RF planning
and optimization tool with native MapInfo
file support, Mentum Planet users have
easy access to worldwide data and an
advanced GIS toolset that provides a
foundation for managing all geographic
data in the planning environment.
Widely used throughout the telecom
sector, MapInfo Professional allows
users to easily import and map data such
as traffic patterns, measurement data
and site locations and share outputs
with other MapInfo users without

Core Package

Extensions to Core
Package

labourious import/export translation

procedures. Mentum Planets own data
formats are open and based on GIS
standards, making them easily created
and accessed through other applications.
The ability to pull in marketing data
and share engineering data through
MapBasic scripts across the operators
organization promotes the full potential
of Mentum Planet. The MapInfo GIS
foundation facilitates map data creation
and editing, spatial data visualization,
query and analysis, map plotting, Google
Earth exports, access to web-enabled
GIS data repositories and reporting.
4

Mentum Planet Deployment Scenarios

1. Stand-alone
Thick-client
Workstation

Region A

Mentum
Planet Server

3. Enterprise,
Centrally Hosted
Client-server
Solution

Mentum Planet Workstations

Mentum
Planet Server

2. Thick-client
Workgroup With
Centralized Data

Region B

Mentum Planet Workstations

Flexible Deployment Models

Mentum Planet supports a variety of
deployment models through its unique
software design and licensing system.
A network administrator can opt for
standalone workstation deployments,
with or without a Data Manager to share
project data. Or, alternatively, they can
employ a centralized model supported
through Citrix or Windows Terminal
Services or some combination of both.
Mentum Planet also offers a flexible
licensing system that allows software
licenses to be acquired on a named
end-user basis or a pool shared for
multiple users. The licensing system
also offers a cost-effective commuter
license option that supports disconnected
operation of the software for use when
away from the office.

Full Support for Advanced

GSM/GPRS/EDGE Networks
Mentum Planet provides comprehensive
support for 2G+ technology and supports
advanced GSM features such as adaptive

Database
Servers
(Oracle or
MS SQL)

Mentum
Planet Server

multi-rate coding (AMR) and advanced

frequency-hopping planning methods.
It also generates advanced interference
matrices (IMs) based on histograms and
provides an interference matrix manager
to merge IMs from multiple sources
(network measured, survey, modeled
coverage and local knowledge).
The optional Renaissance automatic
frequency planning (AFP) solution,
developed in conjunction with France
Telecom R&D (Orange Labs) and proven
on some of Europes largest networks,
is a best-in-class frequency planning
solution that lets the user optimize their
spectrum utilization.

Mentum Planet Clients

As a complement to Renaissance,
Mentum Planet provides a unique GSM
performance analysis tool based on
powerful and rapid simulation
techniques. It allows engineers to
predict not only QoS for mixed voice/data
networks, but also establishes benchmarks for various frequency plans and
their relative QoS impact on the network.

Renaissance delivers unmatched

frequency plan quality and specialized
features such as:
Partial frequency retune
capabilities
Mixed voice and packet data
scenario optimization
Voice/data trade-off and area/traffic
trade-off
MAL and MAIO joint optimization

Mentum Planet supports the analysis of

HSPA network performance using detailed
throughput predictions based on achievable data rates, coverage probabilities and
end-user network utilization.

[ Mentum Planet is the ideal solution to meet the engineering and marketing
requirements of a 3G network overlay over an existing 2G network ]

Finally, Mentum Planet offers full multitechnology support. A single network

can be composed of WCDMA and HSPA,
along with GSM/GPRS/EDGE allowing
engineers to analyze the interaction
between these layers and analyze
performance of one layer against another.
Mentum Planet is the ideal solution to
meet the engineering and marketing
requirements of a 3G network overlay
over an existing 2G network.

Full Support for

3GPP Technologies
Mentum Planet offers options for
WCDMA and HSPA analyses. Detailed
inputs are possible through the Subscriber
Manager plus a fast, efficient Monte
Carlo engine, while quick analyses can
be generated through a unique rapid
planning analysis engine.

characteristics that add value, minimize

interference and enable the use of high
throughput TFRCs.
Mentum Planet has HSPA capabilities
supporting all deployment configurations
including Rel. 99, HSDPA and HSUPA, and
HSPA or Rel. 99 exclusively. With ongoing
development in support of future 3GPP
release evolution such as HSPA+ and
LTE, Mentum continues its commitment
to leading-edge support for the most
advanced wireless technologies.

Comprehensive
3GPP2 Capabilities
In interference-limited CDMA environments, it is important to understand the
performance of every cell in the network
and its interaction with other cells. With
advanced traffic modeling, detailed
PN analysis planning and PN conflict
analysis, plus pilot pollution inspection
and support for repeaters, Mentum
Planet continues to lead the way in planning capabilities for CDMA2000 networks.

Mentum Software Portfolio

Mentum Planet allows operators to

predict network performance by using
all data available, whether collected
through drive test or gathered in the form
of OSS statistics. Its interactive planning
features, including the CPICH pollution
analysis tool, a spatial statistics engine
and extensive reporting capabilities,
provide a comprehensive toolset for all
RF engineering tasks.
The intelligent system capabilities of
the HSPA radio access layer are mainly
implemented through adaptive scheduling
and selection of Transport Format and
Resource Combinations (TFRCs) as a
function of radio conditions and resource
usage. Mentum Planet can help improve
the performance levels of new and
existing networks with accurate modeling

Mentum Planet offers advanced WiMAX modeling capabilities, including support

of advanced antenna techniques for accurate coverage predictions in the most
complex environments.
With the optional CDMA2000 module,
Mentum Planet delivers high accuracy in
a comprehensive yet easy to-use feature
set, making it the top choice of CDMA
operators around the world.
Planning and managing high-speed
data services poses unique challenges
to RF engineers. The optional Mentum
Planet EV-DO extension allows users
to define and analyze EV-DO carriers in
detail, providing a variety of outputs to
assess achievable forward/reverse link
data rates and coverage probability, and
to find the optimal balance of coverage,
quality and capacity. The EV-DO modeling
and simulation capabilities are fully
integrated in the Mentum Planet 3G
Monte Carlo engine, thus allowing users
to analyze data-only carriers in concert
with other non-EV-DO-based carriers.
Several reports and statistical analyses
provide insight into the network perfor7

mance, allowing assessment of capacity

challenges (e.g. reasons for blocked calls),
network coverage (e.g. pilot coverage)
and network quality (e.g. EV-DO data
rates) all in the same project and all
using todays network or tomorrows
forecasted traffic and expected network
configuration.

Worldwide WiMAX Leader

Mentum Planet was selected by the
largest operator of WiMAX in the world,
which means the products feature set
for WiMAX planning and optimization has
been tested like no other. It also ensures
compatibility with leading equipment
vendors in the WiMAX technology space.
Mentum takes its leadership in this
innovative technology seriously. In fact,
we are a member company in the WiMAX
Forum to ensure our involvement in its
evolution. Currently, many of the WiMAX

Forum board members use Mentum

Planet in their designs, an unofficial
endorsement of Mentum Planet as the
leading 4G RF planning and optimization
toolset in the market.
Mentum Planet delivers comprehensive
modeling of the WiMAX radio technology,
including support for 802.16d and
802.16e, OFDM/OFDMA, diversity
schemes and adaptive antenna systems.
OFDM/OFDMA modeling is achieved
through detailed modeling of subcarriers, sub-channelization and other
specific technology parameters. Mentum
Planet for WiMAX includes innovative
algorithms that can evaluate the
impact of collision-based interference,
power control, adaptive modulations
and other advanced parameters on the
performance of the network all while
accounting for radio propagation and
traffic loading.

[ Mentum Planet was selected by the largest

operator of WiMAX in the world ]

Mentum Planet also supports performance

enhancing features of WiMAX and Smart
Antennas. MIMO-A and MIMO-B are
supported within the product, as well as
phased array antennas and beamswitch
antennas. Users can investigate
mobility by assessing handover areas
and neighbour lists for different sectors.
For TDD deployments, Mentum Planet
can automatically optimize network
uplink/downlink resource allocations
taking coverage, interference, traffic
distribution and availability of various
adaptive modulation schemes into
consideration resulting in maximization of ARPU/deployment.
Mentum Planet continues to invest in
its WiMAX capabilities through custom
developments for operators, algorithm
design and feature implementations in
conjunction with leading vendors and
operators as it continues to pave the
way to 4G.

against the cost, feasibility and value of

potential changes to the network and
the recommended plan is seamlessly
used within Mentum Planet for analysis
and further action.
Plans developed with Capesso are
demonstrably better, delivered faster,
and are more useful than plans developed any other way. These optimized
plans deliver significantly improved
coverage, capacity and quality over
manually-developed plans with
production-time reduced by up to 90%.
Capesso can provide automatic planning
for all major radio standards in a single
package, as well as multiple networks
simultaneously. While performing
calculations at speeds that set the
benchmark for the ACP competitive
environment, Capesso offers an auto-

matic implementation planning report

so that network improvements can be
implemented in the optimal order.

Incorporating Measurement Data

All wireless operators base their planning processes on a range of prediction
and network-derived data. In addition to
a series of features related to simulation-based activities, Mentum Planet
provides solutions addressing all aspects
of this continuum, including support for
CW, scanner, test mobile, as well as OSS
data in a single toolset. Purchasing the
optional measurement data package
provides customers with the Automated
Model Tuner, Survey Manager, Test
Mobile Tool and Survey Prediction Tool.
Users can calibrate predictions using
Mentum Planets Automated Model
Tuning features in combination with

Capesso Automatic Cell

Planning Solution
Capesso is a fully featured, tightly
integrated Automatic Cell Planning (ACP)
tool developed by Mentums strategic
partner Symena as an optional module
for Mentum Planet. It addresses all
stages of the network lifecycle and supports GSM/iDEN, GPRS, EDGE, as well as
CDMA2000/1xEV-DO and WCDMA/HSPA
technologies.
Capesso builds upon the workflows and
information available through Mentum
Planet, including geodata, traffic maps
and propagation predictions. Optimization
criteria are mathematically balanced

Advanced automated toolsets such as Capesso for Mentum Planet allow engineers to
quickly develop better network plans or improve existing networks.

Predictions

Measurements

measurement data. Processing and

analysis of measurement data is provided
through the extensive survey management
features.
With the Test Mobile Tool, users can
import, analyze, and post-process
test mobile and scanner data to better
leverage its value. CW and drive test
data can be used within Mentum Planet
to augment predictions through the
use of the Survey Prediction Tool. This
outstanding application inserts measured
path-loss values where they are available
(e.g. on a survey route) and interpolates
neighbouring values based on specialized
algorithms. The result is startlingly
accurate predictions for Mentum Planet
analyses rendered even more accurate
bythe efficient reuse of collected data.

Integrated Indoor/Outdoor
Planning

Merged Predictions

Mentum Planet allows for a combination of

predictive data with real-world measurements to provide network planners and
optimization engineers with the most
accurate representation of their network.

Mentum is working with the global

leader in indoor planning solutions,
iBwave. Mentum already distributes its
complementary iBwave RF-vu planning solution through its global sales
channel, and as of spring 2008, the
two companies will launch the worlds
first integrated indoor/outdoor network
planning solution. The joint offering will
enable visualization of indoor systems
(distributed antenna systems or others)
from within Mentum Planet in order to
understand the possible challenges to
theoutdoor radio access network.
The integrated offering will bring
together two complementary planning
tools and will provide operators with

new ways to identify, understand and

manage the business case for indoor
systems. For those buildings where the
return on investment makes sense, the
joint solution will enable the calculation
of indoor/outdoor interference and allow
users to analyze the impact of indoor
systems on reverse-link interference
as well as the impact of outdoor cells
on indoor network performance. Once
integrated with Mentum Planets Data
Manager, the joint solution will deliver
enterprise-level data management of
indoor layouts, plans and coverage that
enable complete data editing, versioning
and data reporting.

Optimized Geodata
Mentum offers a suite of geodata
products including clutter (land use),
terrain, and vectors tailored for use in
Mentum Planet. These data sets are
developed in our GIS lab or are offered in
conjunction with a select group of vendor
partners worldwide.
As the single point of contact for the
customer, Mentum can minimize costs
while offering an extremely wide variety
of services from the exacting production of building heights at 1m resolution
to the marketing analysis of urban sprawl
and growth. The standard Mentum
geodata offering includes 20m, 30m and
100m products, but higher resolution
datasets are also offered to meet specific
customer requirements.

[ Mentum can minimize costs while offering an extremely

wide variety of services ]

Specialized Services and

Differentiated Customer Care
The services Mentum delivers are
focused exclusively around Mentum
products, where the companys in-depth
knowledge provides unique and distinct
advantages. Our team of highly trained
professionals have years of experience
delivering specialized solutions to the
wireless industry.
Services offered include:
Education services: Tool or
technology-based courses delivered
on customer premises, at Mentum
training centers, or through the
Mentum Online Education Program
Implementation services: Project
planning, system integration and
data migration delivered by on-site
consultants or remotely with client
access provided to internal IT systems
Technology or Mentum Planet mentoring: Mentum engineers stay on site
with operators engineers to improve
operational efficiency through applied
RF and tool knowledge transfer
Custom integration: Integration of
Mentum Planet within operator
systems or development of specific
features to tackle key workflows

Mentum delivers support to its global

customer base through support centers
located in Paris, Ottawa, Dallas and
Hong Kong. Support staff blend a myriad
of skill sets, including IT, RFdesign and
software programming, to help ensure
customer productivity on Mentum
products. Mentum prides itself on
after-sales support and uses leading
technologies to provide the best support
in the RF planning software industry.

Mentum Partners
Mentum has strategic technology
partnerships with:

Proven Leader
Mentum Planet is at the forefront of the
RF planning and optimization software
industry, and Mentum continues to win
new customers across a broad spectrum
of innovative, as well as tried-and-true,
technologies.
Mentum currently serves over 250 customers around the world. The accuracy
and technical depth of its software,
coupled with ongoing research into
broadband technologies, including OFDM
technologies such as LTE, make Mentum
a safe investment that will benefit users
today, tomorrow and wellinto the future.

Mentums capabilities include:

Worldwide sales, support and
customer care
Offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris,
Ottawa and Dallas
Specialized products/services around
Mentum Planet and Mentum Ellipse
Implementation services
Global customer care
Training and mentoring
Geodata
A corporate commitment to deliver
well beyond software Mentum
delivers results

10

www.mentum.com
sales@mentum.com
2008 Mentum S.A.
Mentum, Mentum Planet and Mentum
Ellipse are registered trademarks owned
by Mentum S.A. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners.

Member Company of