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GSM EI/ Introduction to GSM Repeaters/GSM 2009‐2010
CONTENTS
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GSM EI/ Introduction to GSM Repeaters/GSM 2009‐2010
1.0 Scope:
This Engineering Instruction describes about functionality of various types of RF and Optical
Repeaters and their applications in GSM network in both 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands.
2.0 Introduction
Mobile Communications Systems are planned as cellular systems and each cell of the Base Station
(BTS) is required to provide RF coverage over a certain geographical area as per defined RF power
levels. Due to the physics of radio propagation, even using high radiated RF powers or complicated
antenna systems, there are zones within the coverage area where the RF signal strength from Base
Station remains inadequate for establishing the desired connectivity to mobile users.
Repeaters traditionally are inducted in the Mobile Communication network to fill in the “Dead
Zones” caused by blocking of signals by geographic topologies such as mountains, valleys, dense
foliage, high rising urban landscapes and other man-made structures. The distance from the Base
Station also adversely affects the RF signal strength. The BSNL views repeaters as a means to extend
Base Station coverage so as to reduce the number of Base Stations for economic reasons and thereby
accelerate network availability to the mobile users. Repeater systems are installed after meticulous
planning between BTSs and the mobile users to provide RF coverage in the shadowed regions.
Repeater is also ideal for use in emergency situations such as accidents or natural disasters, and for
tactical operations everywhere from remote or inaccessible locations to densely built-up urban
environments.
• They transparently transmit the signal in both directions e.g. BTS to Mobile station (Down link)
and Mobile station to BTS (Uplink)
• Repeaters do not increase or decrease the capacity of the Cell/BTS. The number of simultaneous
calls handled by the Cell/BTS remains the same.
• These repeaters are independent of type of Modulation /technology used by BTS and the type of
data (voice/data) being transmitted provided the frequency band of operation remains same.
• The repeaters will not correct the noise available in the signal received from BTS in Down Link
and Mobile station in Uplink. They are designed in such a way that least noise is contributed by
them in amplification process.
• It can work for works in different frequency bands e.g. GSM 900/GSM 1800, CDMA
800/CDMA 1900 etc. However 3G frequencies cannot work due to different band of operation.
• Repeater will not degrade the data services offered by BTS i.e. Voice band data, GPRS and
EDGE
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GSM frequency bands are the radio spectrum frequencies designated by the ITU for the operation of
the GSM Networks. There are four GSM bands: 850, 900, 1800, and 1900. The most dominant bands
used in the world are 900 and 1800. BSNL uses both 900 as well as 1800 Frequency Band for its
Mobile Operation.
ARFCN (Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number) specifies a pair of physical radio carriers and
channels used for transmission and reception on the Um-Interface in GSM cellular networks, one for
the uplink signal and one for the downlink signal.
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possible without the repeater. RF repeaters are bidirectional amplifiers which, when located
between two antennas, relay signals in remote locations, or in order to bypass obstructed paths.
The repeaters are mainly used to overcome signal-blocking impediments such as mountains,
large buildings, structures that obstruct base station signals, or the distance to the base
station.
In context to mobile communications, a repeater is viewed as a bi-directional amplifier,
which performs essential functions as given below:
4.2 Applications of Repeaters: It shall be possible to use the repeaters for the following applications
a) Extending coverage inside building:
Many buildings incorporate small windows, reinforced concrete and metal in their
construction, therefore, act as an effective RF screen. By using distributed antennas or
radiating feeders within these buildings (connected to the base port) coverage can be
extended within these building.
b) Filling propagation black spots:
Local topography such as hills, valley, cuttings, and embankments can cause propagation black
spots. Coverage into such areas can be achieved using RF Repeater with a suitable antenna to
cover the area and a Yagi antenna mounted high enough to view the nearest base station.
c) Temporary coverage:
Special events such as conferences, sporting events, exhibitions and festivals can generate
temporary demand that would not justify installation of a base station. In this case, a RF repeater
can be employed to “borrow” channels from a site with less traffic some distance away that
would otherwise be out of range of mobiles at the event.
d) Optimizing Radio Traffic:
If a site becomes very heavily congested with radio traffic whereas a neighboring site is
under-utilized, then a RF Repeater can be set up to make use of channels from the quiet
site for use in the coverage area of the busy site.
e) In areas of low user density, a base station can be under used. Often, however, it is not always
possible to increase converge from a central point which experiences limits on power levels, mast
heights etc. in these instances a Cell Enhancer place some distance away from the base station
can be used to extend the coverage in the desired direction.
4.3 Main Components of Repeater
In order to perform above functions, a repeater shall be equipped with following essential
components/units:
a) Arrangement to intercept signals from the BTS, it is achieved by means of a highly directional
antenna which is mounted in such a way so that it has direct line of sight with the designated
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BTS. This antenna is called Donor antenna which shall have appropriate bandwidth, gain etc. In
some applications, signals are picked up from BTS through physical interface by providing RF
Coaxial cable and directional coupler. The signals in the DL path are then fed to repeater.
b) Provision of passive components is made in the repeater for isolating the DL & UL paths, also
separating different equipped bands, sub bands, channels for further treatment. These
requirements are achieved by incorporating Diplexers, Duplexers, splitters/combiners etc.
c) In RF repeaters, the signals are converted to IF in converters and retranslated/ radiated after the
desired amplification. However, the arrangement is different in optical repeaters where signals
are converted to optical signals for transporting them to a designated Remote Optical Unit
(ROU). The detail is discussed in subsequent sections of this document.
d) For distributing RF signals to the mobile users, a set of antennas called as server antenna/e is
mounted at pre-determined site for providing coverage to the targeted area. The server antenna
is normally an omni antenna with appropriate bandwidth and gain etc. The same antenna is
used to pickup signals from mobile users for transmitting signals in the UL path. For some
applications directional antennas are also deployed.
e) Another important aspect is noise performance, there is no provision in the repeater to correct for
the existing noise in the signals but the repeater should contribute least noise while the signals
are subjected to amplification. Proper attention is paid to the designing of power amplifiers and
other nonlinear devices used in the repeater.
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a) Distributed Capacity: An airport has areas that need high capacity only at certain peak period’s
viz. at arrival/departure, when the mobile user’s density is quite high. To increase the efficiency
of the system, the solution should have a powerful Base Station that distributes capacity to a
number of Repeaters for further coverage.
b) Optimized Capacity and Extended Coverage: Induction of repeaters in the network shall
enable the Operator to optimize the network capacity for extending the coverage without
resorting to the installation of additional BTS. However, the BTS can be added at a later stage
when the density of users increases. The redundant repeater equipment can be reused elsewhere
as per requirement.
c) Low Infrastructure Costs: Repeaters are easy to install and require no expensive transmission
equipment and space.
d) Multi-Band System: More and more network Operators make use of different systems and aim
at optimum utilization of their infrastructure to its capacity. This requirement enables to operate
in different frequency bands e.g. GSM 900/GSM 1800, CDMA 800/CDMA 1900 etc.
e) Multi-Operator requirements: In Subways, Hotels, Large offices, Industrial areas and similar
situations, two or more network Operators can share the same Distributed Antenna System for
cost effective requirement.
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f) Management : As mentioned above, a number of repeaters are inducted in the network for
providing coverage in the desired areas, in order to have continuous monitoring and configuration
as per requirement, it is possible to manage & have proper control on the whole network
consisting of repeaters through a Repeater Management System (RMS). It is an extremely useful
tool with the help of which above functions can be accomplished for speedy maintenance.
Further, it can be integrated with NMS of the Operator.
g) Higher Capacity and Revenue: For a network operator, estimating traffic capacity is not an easy
task in situations where call intensity varies heavily in the cell over the time and at different spots.
The induction of repeaters to meet this challenge has to be carried out after proper analysis &
advance study.
The repeater may also be classified based on its place of use i.e. indoor repeater and out door
repeater.
6.1 RF Repeaters
Depending on the application & bands incorporated, the RF repeaters are classified as below:
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Example: BAND SELECTION AND CHANNEL SELECTION ( for Operators A,B and C)
COMPLETE BAND
A B C
(Figure 4: Band Selective Repeater (For ease of explanation only GSM 900 MHz Down
Link is shown)
a) Broad Band Repeaters (Full Band): These repeaters amplify the signals in the entire band. For
example a broadband repeater can be designed to amplify the signals from different Operators in
freq band of 890 to 915 & 935 to 960 MHz that means in Delhi, it will amplify the signals of
service providers like BSNL, MTNL (Dolphin) services or other Operators. These are used for
small offices & are normally procured by the office owners to facilitate the employees.
b) Band Selective Repeaters: In band selective repeater, a part or a number of parts of the same
band called sub-bands are allocated to a single Operator for providing better coverage to its
customers. These repeaters are installed and maintained by the operator himself. It brings higher
revenue to the Operator.
These band selective repeaters achieve high selectivity by converting the received signals to IF;
filtering it with highly selective filters and converting it back to the original frequency band.
These repeaters enhance the complete operating band of the operator and are suitable for
competitive markets, where the extended coverage provided by the Repeater is not meant to be
shared with competing operators.
Example:-Operator A has frequency band of 890 to 896.2 MHz & 935 to 941.2 MHz whereas
operator B has frequency band of 897.4 to 901.6 MHz & 942.1 to 941.6 MHz.
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Band
For new Operators, providing quality coverage to the prospective customers in large areas in a cost
effective manner is a big challenge, it requires lot of equipment with large capacity.
CDMA technology has tremendous capacity. When a new service provider activates their system, very
limited capacity is utilized due to the low number of subscribers required to be served. This redundant
capacity remains unexploited though the investment has been made in procuring & installing the
equipment, it does not work out to be a cost effective method.
In order to exploit the equipped capacity, optimal development of network has to be carried out by
deploying fewer base stations by adopting some other methodology. Deploying RF repeaters after
proper analysis & planning could achieve it. The reducing of base stations means that less
infrastructure will be deployed for a typical coverage area. This will certainly result in greater revenue
generation for the operator. For small service areas, where the desired coverage footprint consists of
several population centers connected with highways, the approach is typically to use repeaters to cover
the smaller population centers, as well as connect these areas to a central possible larger population
centers. For long stretches of highway, repeaters can be configured in a cascaded (tandem) fashion to
cover long distances using base stations at the end points.
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For larger service areas, repeaters can be used to provide coverage on the connecting roads and
outlying areas as well as hard to reach areas, such as stadiums, convention centers, tunnels, hotels,
large office buildings and underground parking structures in the network.
The channel selective repeater has been designed to carry traffic in specified channels in a particular
band. It finds application where cells are smaller and are at large distances from the base stations.
Channel selective repeaters achieve high selectivity by converting the received signals to IF, filtering it
with highly selective filters and converting it back to the original frequency. The bandwidth of the high
selective filters covers only specific channel, therefore only strength of the selected channel signals can
be enhanced. Channel selective Repeaters have flexible configuration according to the different
number of channels in the serving BTS and can host up to 4 channel modules. Channel tuning in the
repeater can be done remotely, so the repeater can be configured according to changes in the frequency
plan.
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determined frequency band before providing amplification. The remote unit is installed at a site where
the signals are required to be distributed. The remote unit restores the frequency band to the one
received from the BTS before retransmission for consumption of the customers.
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FCRG
Figure 10:
Extending BTS coverage to remote area without high cost infrastructure (like MW radio or Optical
connectivity / E 1 & BTS), where no BTS is available
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Do’s
¾ Identify the service provider’s base station location and measure the available signal strength at
the exterior of the installation location.
¾ Identify the installation location for the donor antenna, and review the antenna manufacturer’s
installation procedures for additional considerations. Ensure that the donor antenna has a direct
line-of-sight to the service provider’s base station. If the line-of-sight is obstructed, determine the
azimuth position by using a magnetic compass for approximate alignment of donor antenna with
base station antenna.
¾ Accessibility to available electric power point.
¾ Flat, structural mounting surface.
¾ Providing a short, low loss RF cable connection to the antennas.
¾ Maintaining RF isolation between antennas at least 15 dB more than the repeater gain setting.
¾ Accommodation for the server antenna providing line-of-site coverage to as much of the coverage
area as possible.
¾ Connect to Earth point of Repeater to Telecom ground only.
Don’ts
¾ Do not install Donor & Server Antenna horizontally back to back. There has to be vertical &
horizontal separation to get isolation more than gain of repeater +15db.
¾ Do not install the Donor / Server Antenna near the AC power Supply Line.
¾ Do not connect Earth of Repeater to ordinary ground (commercial earth).
¾ The height of Donor Antenna should be lower than the lightening arrester.
The fiber optic repeater is a band selective repeater that receives signals directly from the base
station and transmits to remote areas via a fiber optic cable. This is used when the signal at the
repeater site is not strong enough (i.e. tunnel or inside a building), and the base station is within
range of the optical repeater. This repeater is built up in the same way as a standard band selective
repeater.
The optical repeater is used for providing coverage in medium size office building, hospital,
convention centers etc. up to a distance of 20 Kms. It is deployed in place where only one band
signal is required to be enhanced. Single Master Optical Unit (MOU) shall be able to connect up
to at least six (ROU) Remote Optical Units (each using one/two fiber) there shall be built in
spurious detection circuit. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique will be used to
enhance the optical fiber utilization and only single fiber is used for uplink and downlink signal.
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
Single mode fibers are used and normally two fibers run between the MOU and each ROUs. The
distance between MOU & each of the ROUs can be up to 20 Kms. Examples above show that the
coverage can be achieved by deploying suitable system with the desired numbers of ROUs. It is
possible to transmit traffic in single band, dual band & tri band by using suitable MOU and ROU
units.
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1. Package Contents
The package includes the following items:
a) Donor Antenna
b) Repeater.
c) Server Antenna
d) Coaxial Communication Cables
e) Power Supply to 220VAC
2. Installation guidelines
a) Start by taking your Net Monitor up to the roof or other location outside to find where the
signal is strongest.
b) Temporarily mount the Donor (outside) antenna in that location. You may need to adjust and
move the antenna later.
c) Run coaxial cable into the building to a convenient location where you can also get standard
220VAC power for the Repeater.
d) Place the Repeater in that location and connect the coaxial cable to the Donor Side of the
Repeater and the donor antenna.
e) Mount your Server antenna in a productive location. You may need to adjust or move the
antenna later.
f) Connect coaxial cable between the Server antenna and the Repeater output port.
g) Power up the system and check for signal inside the building. If needed, tune system by
moving and or pointing the Donor and Server antennae until they get the most signal
possible.
h) Secure all antennas and cables, securely mount the Repeater and clean up the installation.
8.0 Conclusion:
Two types of GSM repeaters have been discussed in this document. They are RF Repeaters and
Optical Repeaters. These repeaters are being deployed in the BSNL Network.
Applications and selection of repeaters type in BSNL scenario:
I. RF repeaters:
1. Extending coverage inside building
2. Filling propagation black spots
3. Temporary coverage
4. Rural area coverage
II. Optical repeaters:
1. Multistoried apartments
2. Office buildings
3. Shopping malls
4. Airports
5. Tunnels etc.
III. Frequency converting repeaters
1. Rural area coverage
2. Optimizing BTS utilization
3. Coverage in hilly areas
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9.0 Glossary
BTS : Base Transceiver Station
CID : Cell Identification
DL : Down Link (BTS to MS), Forward Channel
UL : Up link (MS to BTS), Reverse Channel
DAS : Distributed Antenna System
GSM : Global System for Mobile Communication
DCS : Digital Cellular System
FCR : Frequency Converting Repeaters
MOU : Master Optical Unit
ROU : Remote Optical Unit
10.0 References:
1. General Communication Technology…Volume 26 February 2009
2. Asia Pacific Telecom Journal……January, 2009 & March,2009
3. ETSI Journals on GSM…..April,2009
4. Modular residential radio Frequency converting repeater USA
Journal……February,2009
5. Intelligent Repeater interface journal……..March,2009
6. TSEC GR No. GR/RDA-01/01 May 2005 published by BSNL India
7. R & D sources of M/s Shyam Telecom,Gurgaon,India
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