Automatic Cell Planning for W-CDMA and IS-95

Automatic optimal cell-site selection and equipment configuration

 

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The task:

In 2G (GSM) networks cell sites were placed and configured manually cell by cell in a `coverage first, capacity laterī manner. The results were not optimal but nevertheless acceptable for two reasons. Coverage was fixed not depending on mobile users or even on other cell sites. Secondly, interference to adjacent cells could be decreased by appropriate channel assignments. In 3G (WCDMA, IS-95) networks with a jointly used frequency band coverage depends on the location and density of mobile users (uplink) as well as on interference of adjacent cell sites (downlink). Thus, the deployment of a site and its equipment configuration will highly effect the service quality of adjacent cells. Because of these interdependencies, planning networks cell by cell will need a lot of iterative improvements to work well and thus will be too time consuming.

 

The idea: Network Optimization with Automatic Cell Planning

Instead of manually tuning cell sites one by one we propose an automatic cell planning procedure that jointly analyzes all the cell sites in the supplying area and optimizes the overall service quality mathematically by using different sites (from a set of possible sites to be erected) and/or different configurations per site (like main antenna direction, antenna downtilt, antenna pattern, or even different pilot power for a macro/micro cell layout). Afterwards, very detailed network simulations might be carried out to prove the quality of our optimal solution and to evaluate its improvements compared to own, manually-designed network configurations. 

 

Our 3G automatic cell planning solutions:

  • Pilot_Opt. A fast optimization module maximizing cell dominance and minimizing pilot power pollution.

  • Node_B_Opt. A comprehensive optimization module addressing up- and downlink Eb/N0, soft handover areas, and the assignment of user equipments to Node Bs.

 

Areas of application:

  • To optimize an existing network. The user enters the current network plan and our solutions suggest how the sites should be reconfigured.

  • To expand an existing network. The user enters the current network plan together with potential new sites and our solutions suggest which of the new sites should be added to the network together with the appropriate configurations. Optionally an advise is given how the existing sites should be reconfigured.

  • To erect a network from scratch. The user enters a set of potential sites and our solutions suggest how many and which of these should be erected and how each of the chosen sites should be configured to ensure an optimal network design.

 

Your benefits:

  • Get more revenue. Our solutions maximize the service quality of your existing network. More traffic can be served and last but not least billed.

  • Save millions in operational costs. Our solutions figure out sites that are not needed. The same amount of traffic might (even better) be served with less but cleverly arranged sites.