Annals of Operations Research 107, 251265, 2001 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Manufactured in The Netherlands.

Multicriteria Design Model for Cellular Network

PHILIPPE REININGER and ALEXANDRE CAMINADA

alexandre.caminada@rd.francetelecom.com

France Telecom R&D, BP 382, F-90000 Belfort, France

Abstract. This paper considers the design problem for cellular network. Design consists in determining locations and parameters of radio transmitters so-called base stations. Cellular networks are deployed on large geographical area. A description of different discrete sets of test points is given on this working area, then a concentrator location approach is dened. The sets of test points have to be optimally attached to base stations in order to supply the best quality of service. The design model deals with specic engineering constraints of cellular systems. At the end, the full design model denes a classical concentrator link approach on a multicriteria basis. Keywords: cellular network, optimisation, model

1.

Introduction

One of the most important task in engineering of cellular radio networks is the design [5]. The design consists in locating sites for base station positionning and dening parameters for these base stations (BS) [1]. These tasks are very complex by the amount of information to take into account. Nowadays engineers only improve their networks by local change. Complexity is reduced but it leads to sub-optimal solutions. These tasks can be optimally achieved by considering the design problem as a combinatorial optimisation problem. This paper introduces an optimisation model for cellular network design. The model presented next is dened to address the full problem: optimising location and parameterization of BS in cellular networks on one shot. Mostly known models only address the location problem [3,6,8,11]. BS parameterization requires stated geographical database and simulation of electromagnetic wave propagation. Tackling these information in the optimisation process is a hard computational task. In this paper the working area is modelled with four discrete sets of points: receiver points, service points, trafc points and site locations. BS have to be located on sites. The mobile stations (MS) are located on the service points. Then MS are concentrated on BS regarding three main constraints: link budget between downlink and uplink signals, handover between BS and connectivity constraints on the network. Finally, a multicriteria model is dened to jointly minimise the network cost, to maximise the trafc capacity and to minimise an overlapping criteria. In next section we give a set of denitions on environment and cellular system engineering. In section 3 a minimal set of constraints to design a cellular radio network
Work supported by the EC DG III under the ARNO contract NR IT-23243.

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is presented. The main objectives are discussed in section 4. Then in last section, a full discrete design model for cellular radio network is given. 2. Denitions on radio network design

This section introduces main information related to the geographical working area and to the cellular system engineering. At the end we also give a denition of cell. 2.1. Environment Environment is a generic term for any geographical information needed for the design. It is mainly composed of a working area and some discrete sets of points. A working area is the part of a geographical region where the cellular network must be deployed. The working area is described by a Digital Map Database dened by P. Any point from P is known by its coordinates (x, y). Four discrete sets of points are identied on P: A set of sites which are candidate for the positioning L = {Lj | j N}. Each site is dened by its coordinates (x, y) and eventually by z (height above sea level). A set of Reception Test Points (RTP) where the radio signal will be computed R = {Ri | i N}. R denes the set of RTP. Every RTP is used as a signal test point where electromagnetic eld strength must be computed [4]. A set of Service Test Points (STP) where the expected service have to be tested S = {Si | i N}. The MS are located on STP. S denes the set of STP where the network must overcome a signal quality threshold, Sqi , to ensure a given quality of service (QoS). The value of the threshold depends on the service type. Table 1 introduces some current threshold values for Sqi . When services of different types appear on the same location, Si , the more constraining threshold is used as unique reference on i. Sm, a minimum reception threshold for the MS, is used as default service threshold on Si , whatever i. A set of Trafc Test Points (TTP) dened by T = {Ti | i N}. Each TTP is associated with ei , the amount of measured or expected trafc on this point. ei is given in Erlang (trafc unit). ei = 0 is used as default trafc value on Ti , whatever i. The trafc is dened for a specic service. So each Ti is associated to a Si on the same coordinates. That is, where the trafc is dened a specic signal quality threshold is
Table 1 Signal quality thresholds per service. Different services 2 Watt Incar 2 Watt Outdoor 8 Watt Outdoor Sqi in dBm Sqi = 78 Sqi = 84 Sqi = 90

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Figure 1. Relationships between TTP, STP and RTP on P.

Figure 2. Discrete distribution of points.

expected. Moreover, to check the signal quality threshold on Si , the eld strength have to be computed on this point. That is, each Si is associated to a Ri on the same coordinates. The following inclusion is always satised: Assumption 1. T S R. As illustration, gure 1 shows a working area, and gure 2 shows the discrete distribution of points dened above. 2.2. Engineering Engineering data are technical data which describe the systems used in the network. These data fully dene BS and MS. Some characteristics are xed, others are decision variables to assign during the design process. We dene by B, the set of BS positionned on the set of sites L to design a network, and by Bj,k the kth BS located on the site Lj , where Lj L and Bj,k B. A BS Bj,k is dened by the following data:
AT Bj,k : antenna type, Ps Bj,k : transmitter power, Gs Bj,k : transmitter gain,

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As Bj,k : Ss Bj,k : gs Bj,k : as Bj,k : TRX Bj,k :

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transmitter loss, receiver sensitivity, receiver gain, receiver loss, number of TRX.

EIRPs Then, we dene Bj,k as the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power from the antenna of the BS: EIRPs Ps Gs As Bj,k = Bj,k + Bj,k Bj,k .

Each site may receive either one BS with omnidirectional antenna or from one to three BS with directive antenna. A directive antenna is dened by one horizontal and one vertical radiant diagram (cf. gure 3). Those diagrams describe radiant energy of the antenna. They are used to compute energy loss in any direction of space [2,9]. With omnidirectional antenna, energy loss is equivalent in any direction of space. To simplify the design problem, we will suppose that only one category of MS is dened for the whole network (for instance the most constraining). As the BS, the MS is dened by the following data: Pm: Gm: Am: Sm: gm: am: transmitter power, transmitter gain, transmitter loss, receiver sensitivity, receiver gain, receiver loss. Then, as for the antenna of the BS, we dene EIRPm for the MS: EIRPm = Pm + Gm Am.

Figure 3. Antenna diagrams.

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2.3. Cell This section gives a denition of cell. A cell is a geographical area associated to one BS. In our model, a cell is a set of STP. This set is dened from the computation of the electromagnetic eld strength on all STP of P. The eld strength is the basic element to compute the cell. Parameters of BS and MS are used to compute the eld strength. The eld strength is always computed between one BS, Bj,k , located on a site, Lj , and one MS located on a STP, Si . We distinguish the eld strength received from the BS by the MS, noted Cdi,j,k , and the strength received from the MS by the BS, noted Cui,j,k . The eld strength computation includes the path loss computation, LOSSi,j , between the site Lj and the point Si . Path loss is obtained by simulation of a propagation model on Digital Map Databases [2,9,10]. Denition 1. The eld strengthes Cdi,j,k and Cui,j,k are given by the following:
EIRPs Cdi,j,k = Bj,k LOSSi,j + gm am and as Cui,j,k = EIRPm LOSSi,j + Bj,k Bj,k , gs

where LOSSi,j [0, +[. From these denitions, we are able to give a denition for cell. A cell of a BS is the set of service test points where the BS satises the signal quality threshold, and gets the higher eld strength on Cd basis. Denition 2. The cell Cj,k of the BS Bj,k is the set of STP, Si , where the signal, Cdi,j,k , received from Bj,k is higher than the given reception thresholds, Sqi , on Si and is higher than any other eld strength received on Si : Cj,k = {Si | Cdi,j,k Sqi and Cdi,j,k Cdi,u,v , u L, v B}.

As illustration of a cell, gure 4 shows a grid where black points are the set of STP located inside the cell. In addition to the cell denition we give a denition for a cellular network. A cellular network is the set of cells dened by the set of BS located on sites. That is: Denition 3. A cellular network N is dened by union of the set of cells, Cj,k , of the BS, Bj,k , of B: N = Cj,k , where Bj,k B.

Basic denitions of the problem are now given. Following section describes a minimal set of constraints to satisfy to design a cellular network.

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Figure 4. Cell dened by a set of STP (black points).

3.

Constraints on radio network design

Three main constraints which have to be satised to design a cellular network are introduced in this section: Link budget constraint attempts to assess the quality of downlink and uplink communications. Handover constraint attempts to ensure minimal condition of eld strength between cells to allow MS mobility. Connectivity constraint provides geometrical properties to cellular network. 3.1. Link budget We are supposing that BS and MS characteristics are known (see section 2.2), and that computation of eld strengthes from BS to MS and from MS to BS is available. All these information are used to estimate the radio links between Equipment while BS and MS are successively considered as transmitter and receiver whatever their location. The radio link from the BS to the MS is called DownLink, when the opposite link is called UpLink. These links dene the requirements to satisfy during the design to establish the communications between MS and BS. We dene the DownLink and Uplink constraints for any couple of BS and MS whatever their location:

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Constraint 2. The DownLink, DL, between one BS and one MS is the maximum loss acceptable by the MS on any point of the network to get a communication from the BS. DL = B Ps + B Gs B As (Sm gm + am) = B EIRPs (Sm gm + am). Comment: DL 0.

Constraint 3. The UpLink, UL, between one MS and one BS is the maximum loss acceptable by the BS on any point of the network to get a communication from the MS. U L = (Pm + Gm Am) B Ss B gs + B as = EIRPm B Ss B gs + B as . Comment: UL 0.

From these general denitions of DownLink and Uplink constraints, we can give the Link budget constraint on STP: Constraint 4. Any STP, Si , must satisfy the DownLink and UpLink constraints with at least one BS, Bj,k B, that is: Si , Bj,k B: Cdi,j,k 3.2. Handover By denition, the MS may move at any time. The cellular network must be able to ensure the communication continuity from the starting cell to the target cell when the MS is moving toward the network. The handover is the mechanism by which this continuity is supplied. The starting cell drops out its communications with the MS as soon as the target cell is able to change over the communications with the incoming MS. This mechanism requires to manage overlap areas between cells. Our proposal is to dene a minimal set of points for the handover inside each cell. One cell may be broken in two different areas. The kernel area which is the set of points where the MS does not require handover. The handover area which is the set of points where the MS may require handovers to leave or to get in the cell. In order to get it while the MS is moving from one cell to a neighbour cell, both starting and target cells must provide good radio link properties. If not, the communication will drop out. We dened the handover area of each cell with a new parameter, ho, which is used to select the STP and BS candidate for handover. Implicitly, this parameter denes the size of the handover area for each cell. Sm and Cui,j,k
Ss Bj,k .

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Denition 4. Given the parameter ho, ho N, the handover of a cell, Cj,k , is the set of points of the cell where the eld strength from at least one other BS Bu,v is not lower than Cdi,j,k minus ho, and is greater than Sqi . That is: hand Cj,k = {Si Cj,k | Cdi,u,v Sqi , 0 Cdi,j,k Cdi,u,v ho}.

From this denition, the handover constraint on the design is the following: Constraint 5. Every cell must have a handover area. Bj,k B, hand Cj,k = .

This constraint does not take into account the location and the number of handover points. Extension of this constraint may be developed to consider harder handover management. 3.3. Connectivity Any customer is expected cellular networks allowing trips with continuous network connections. The network must provide communication continuity during MS travelling. This requirement asks for a specic management of network connectivity. It does not concern the handover mechanism, but the organisation of the network itself. As illustration of this requirement, gures 5 and 6 illustrate two situations: on the rst case the network is composed of two disconnected parts, and on the second case the network is composed of only one connected set of points. In order to control and to avoid the separation of the network on different disconnected parts, we need connectivity properties for the network design. Considering that the working area is discretized as a grid of points (see gure 2), we give a denition of connected set of STP:

Figure 5. A bad cellular network composed of 2 separated parts.

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Figure 6. A good cellular network with only one component.

Figure 7. A path between STP A and B.

Denition 5. Two STP Si and Sr are connected if they are adjacent on the grid (they have a common vertex), or if there is a sequence of STP Si , Si1 , . . . , Sip , Sr with the property that any pair of subsequent points in the sequence are adjacent, considering that any points of the sequence is satisfying the Link budget constraint. On gure 7 we show a connected relationship between two STP, A and B. Denition 6. A set of STP is connected if any pair of STP of this set is connected. Then we dened a constraint of connectivity on the network: Constraint 6. Given N c the number of connected set of the network N , the network must be composed of one and only one connected set, that is N c = 1. 4. Objectives on radio network design

In this section, the objectives on radio network design are described, there are three main objectives: on the network cost, on trafc, and on overlap management.

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4.1. Cost Limiting the economical cost of the network is one of the main preoccupation of designers. In particular site rental and maintenance are really expensive. The objective on sites is to minimise the number of site used for the design: min
L j L

yj ,

where yj = 1 if the site Lj is used for the positioning of at least one BS, otherwise yj = 0. When the cost of sites can be differenciated with specic values, fj , the following objective might be considered: min
L j L

fj yj ,

where fj N. 4.2. Trafc Considering T , the set of TTP described in section 2, each TTP Ti is associated to a given amount of trafc in Erlang noted ei . In our model the trafc demand on Ti is served by the cell Cj,k which contains the point Si . Hence the trafc demand is served by the BS Bj,k . At the network level, the trafc problem is to adapt the capacity network to the global trafc demand in order to serve the maximum amount of trafc. Depending on the amount of trafc on the TTP associated to the STP of its cell, one BS will support a given number of transmitters (equipment called TRX) to satisfy the global amount of trafc demand in Erlang. The following table 2 allows the designer to estimate the necessary number of TRX of a BS to satisfy its amount of trafc. The following hypothesis are dened on the trafc management: T S, the trafc test points TTP are located on STP. Hence, a capacity in Erlang ei is associated to each STP supporting one TTP. A BS Bj,k holds the trafc demand on one TTP if the corresponding STP is in its cell Cj,k . The capacity in Erlang of any BS Bj,k is dened by the minimum number of TRX TRX Bj,k required to serve the trafc demand supported by the BS (cf. table 2).
Table 2 Table of correspondence Erlang-TRX. TRX Erlang 1 2.9 2 8.2 3 15 4 22 5 28 6 35.5 7 43

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The objective on trafc is to maximize the amount of trafc held by the network: max
Si S

ei xi,j,k ,

where xi,j,k = 1 if the STP Si is in the cell Cj,k of the BS Bj,k located on site Lj , otherwise xi,j,k = 0. 4.3. Overlap The design gives a high importance to overlap management. In cellular networks, interference are directly linked to cell overlapping. If there is too much overlap between cells, interference will be very high and spectrum efciency will be poor. In the opposite, overlap is necessary for mobility management (handover between cells). So we need overlap but not too much. The problem is to adapt the number and the power of the signals received by each STP. Theoretically, each STP should not require more than two BS, knowing that a major part of each cell should not be involved in handover mechanism. The following formula tries to describe this phenomena of overlapping management between cells: Si ,
j

lim {Bj,k | Cdi,j,k

Sqi } = h + 1,

where h is the target number of BS for the handover. In order to dene the overlap management, the eld strengthes have to be sorted on each STP Si of the network. For instance, we get the following from the best signal to the worst one: Cdi,j,k Cdi,u1 ,v1 Cdi,u2 ,v2 Cdi,uh ,vh Cdi,uh+1 ,vh+1 .

We dene by Iih the set of undesirable eld strengthes received on Si , then: Iih = {Cdi,u ,v | > h, u L, v B}. Note: If Cdi,u ,v < Sm, the eld strength is not considered. Now the objective on overlap is to minimise the surface of the network with a high degree of undesirable overlapping: min
Si S

i ,

where, i =
Cdi,u,v Iih

(Cdi,u,v Sm ).

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5.

Concentrator link model for cellular network design

The nal model includes the constraints and objectives introduced above: Notation: Bj,k , k [1, . . . , p], with p 3, the kth BS of site Lj , Ps Bj,k , the transmitting power of Bj,k ,
AT Bj,k , the antenna type of Bj,k ,

Bj,k , the tilt of the antenna of Bj,k ,

Bj,k , the azimuth of the antenna of Bj,k , TRX Bj,k , the number of TRX of Bj,k , Cdi,j,k , the eld strength received on the STP Si from the BS Bj,k of site Lj , Cj,k , the cell of the BS Bj,k of site Lj .

Given, L, a set of sites Lj located on P; each site may hold 0 to 3 BS, R, a set of Reception Test Points Ri where the radio signal will be computed, S, a set of Service Test Points Si where an expected service has to be tested, T , a set of Trafc Test Points Ti where a trafc volume is dened, Ps AT TRX B, the current set of BS for which the data (Cj,k , Bj,k , Bj,k , Bj,k , Bj,k , Bj,k ) have to be dened.

With the constraints on equipment: If there is no BS on site Lj no STP can be concentrated on Lj (xi,j = 0, i N). 3, the kth BS of site Lj If the site Lj is used then Bj,k , k [1, . . . , p], with p uses: if p = 1, a directive antenna or an omnidirectional antenna, if p 2, a directive antenna.
AT On Bj,k , AT the antenna type is assigned to:

AO, if the antenna is omnidirectional (T = O), ASl , if the antenna is directive of type l (T = Sl ).
AO For any Bj,k , that is T = O, then Bj,k = Bj,k = 0. TRX 1, is always true k. 7 Bj,k The value of Cdi,j,k (Ps, AT, , ) changes regarding the BS power, the antenna type (obviously its diagrams), the antenna tilt and azimuth. For each variation of one of those parameters, the concentration of STP Si on Bj,k must be updated.

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The objectives are dened by: min

L j L

fj yj ,

where fj N, min
Si S

i ,

where i =

Cd i,u,v Iih (Cd i,u,v

Sm ), max
Si S

ei xi,j,k

such as: xi,j,k = 1,

Lj L k[1,...,p], p 3

Si S, Si S, Lj L, k [1, . . . , p], p 3, 3,

xi,j,k {0, 1}, xi,j,k = yj = 1 0,

yj {0, 1},

if Si received the best signal from Bj,k , Cdi,j,k = maxLl L {Cdi,l,k }, Cdi,j,k Sqi , k [1, . . . , p], p else,

1 if Lj is used, 0 else, hand Cj,k = , N c = 1,

where, Cj,k = {Si | xi,j,k = 1} (so yj = 1), hand Cj,k = {Si Cj,k | Cdi,u,v Sqi , 0 Cdi,j,k Cdi,u,v ho}, For each STP Si , eld strengthes are sorted from the higher to the worst, as for instance: Cdi,j,k and Iih = {Cdi,u ,v | > h, u L, v B}. If Cdi,u ,v < Sm, the eld strength is not considered. T S, the trafc test points TTP are located on STP. Hence, a capacity in Erlang ei is associated to each STP supporting one TTP. Cdi,u1 ,v1 Cdi,u2 ,v2 Cdi,uh ,vh Cdi,u( h+1),v( h+1) Cdi,u ,v

Sm

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A BS Bj,k holds the trafc demand on one TTP if the corresponding STP is in its cell Cj,k . The capacity in Erlang of any BS Bj,k is dened by the minimum number of TRX TRX Bj,k required to serve the trafc demand supported by the BS (cf. table 2). 6. Conclusion

This paper presents a multicriteria model for designing a cellular network. The model is based on a concentrator location approach. In this approach, we dened the main information related to the geographical working area and to the cellular system engineering. We also dened the notion of cell and cellular network. Specic constraints on link budget, handover and connectivity were introduced. Then the model was completed with the description of three main objectives on cost, trafc and overlap optimisation. This kind of model may be performed on various types of cellular radio networks like GSM900 or DCS1800 or UMTS. It is also open to different environments: macrocellular, microcellular and indoor networks. Nowadays this model has been applied and validated on three main applications. First it was implemented with success on microcellular network [7]. This model was also applied in the European ESPRIT project ARNO. This project provided good results on large GSM network design (over ve hundred BS). And it found some applications in France Telecom engineering tools. Our aim for further work is to improve this model on mobility and handover constraint management. Acknowledgments This work has been performed with the help of ARNOs Partners: S. Hurley and S. Chapman (UWC); H. Muehlenbein, J. Bendish and C. Crisan (GMD); J.K. Hao and M. Vasquez (EMA); O. Sarzeaud and A. Berny (ECTIA). References
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[7] P. Reininger, T. Dony and A. Caminada, Mobile cellular network evolution: The cover, in: Proceedings of High Performance Computing (1998) pp. 242247. [8] H.D. Sherali, C.M. Pendyala and T.S. Rappaport, Optimal location of transmitter for cellular microcellular radio communication system design, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (May 1994) 858862. [9] UIT, Propagation by diffraction, Recommandation Report UIT-R P.526-5 (1997). [10] F.J. Velez and L.M. Correia, Optimization criteria for cellular planning of mobile broadand systems in linear and urban coverages, in: ACTS (October 1997) pp. 199205. [11] M.H. Wright, Optimization methods for base station placement in wireless applications, in: VTC 98 (May 1998) pp. 387391.