RF Basics

IDEA Cellular Limited

OBJECTIVES
1.Coverage

2.Capacity

Nos of Cell sites in a given

geographical area
Needs the accurate RF
propagation characteristic in
the provided clutter, viz, urban,
suburban, open, etc.
Based on RF propagation model
for different morphological area
we decide the inter-Celldistance
Inter-cell-distance decides the
cell count

Total numbers of TRX to be

equipped to a cell to cater
the projected traffic given
by the operator
Coverage area is divided wrt
tele-density
Average nos of subscribers is
considered based on Sales
projection.
Allowing a definite blockage in
the trafficblockage in voice
circuits (GOS), we find the nos
of total voice channels.
Total voice channels divided by
8 provides total TRX with some
margin for signaling time slots.

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage Planning
There is a O Kumara Hata Model based on the RF samples
collected by extensive drive test in different type of
morphological clutter in Japan for the frequency range 1001500 Mhz, BS antenna height= 30-200M and MS antenna
height= 1-10M and distance 1-20Km.
There is another model developed by EUROpean COoperative
for Scientific and Technical Research committee-EURO COST
231 Model. It just extends the frquency of operation from
1500-2000 MHz.
Above two model are simplified to have simple format y =
m.x + c, where y-path loss, m- the gradient and is function of
frequency and BS/MS antenna heights, x- path distance from
BS and c- a fixed intercept usually termed with db/decade on
logarithmic graph plotted between path loss and disatance.

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage Planning
Total area of the coverage is divided into different
morphological clutter on the digital mapDense
Urban (DU), Urban (U), Suburban (SU), Quasi Open
(QO) and Open areas.
To correlate the propagation behavior of the RF with
the mentioned model we collect the RF samples in
the clutter of the interest by drive test established
by transmitting the frequency with the appropriate
power and collecting as much data as we could by
putting the possibly small sampling windowA
different type of drive test toolCW Test Tool
Chameleon & Panther
4

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage Planning
Data collected out from the CW Test is then
correlated with the Hatta O Kumara/COST 231
model to get minimum error of zero and
possibly low standard deviation and we get an
appropriate Intercept (path loss per decade) by
formatting the data as y = m.x + c
Above process is called Model Tuning which is
obtained for each morphological clutter.
Based on the standard deviation we conclude the
value of Fade margin for each clutter.
Allowing a definite FM, we obtained a Link Budget
Formula for each of the clutter.
5

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage planning
From Link Budget we get the Cell radius, r and then
the Cell Area A = 2.59*r^2 for different type of
clutterDU, U, SU, etc.
No of sites is obtained by dividing the total area
with the cell area.
Nos of sites = A(DU)/Cell Area(DU) + A(U)/Cell
Area(U) + A(SU)/Cell Area(SU) + ..

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage Panning
Antenna Height usually 8-9M above the average clutter
height
DU : 22-23M
U : 24-25M
Rural : 27-30M
Highway : 50-55M
Antenna Azimuth Usually 0/120/240 deg
Antenna Type Gain, HBW, VBW,FBR
Gain:
17-18
15
21
22
HBW:
65
90
65
33
VBW:
7
7
4
4-5
VEDT:
0-8/10
Mech
We have antennae with 65/14;65/30 and 90/45 degfor
scyscrapers
7

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage Planning
Cable Type In link budget cable loss = 3 dB
7/8 : 6 dB/100M

(use up to 50M)

1&1/4 : 4.5 dB/100M (use up to 60-70M)

1&5/8 :3 dB/100M

(use > 70M)

all @ 1800 MHz

TMA is to be used for highway sites to compensate

the Uplink power.

IDEA Cellular Limited

Coverage Planning
Coverage Threshold
DU : -60 dBm
U

: -65 dBm

SU : -70 dBm
In-car : -80 dBm
Outdoor : -86 dBm
Path Balance
= Path loss (DL) Path loss (UL)

Coverage Criteria
75% of Cell Edge reliability
90% of Area probability
9

IDEA Cellular Limited

Capacity Planning:
Case Study # 1:
Traffic/subs = 25 mErl;
Mean holding time = 90 secs
BTS Config = 3+3+3
Abis GoS = 2%
Say, 3 TS for signalling per cell
Total Nos of Subs = ???

10

IDEA Cellular Limited

Capacity Planning
1. 3+3+3 TRX config = 8*3 =24 3 = 21 TCH per
cell
2. Total TCH count = 21*3= 63 nos.
3. At 2% of GOS, total traffic, by Erlang B Table:
Total Traffic = 52.481 Erls
Total Subs = 52.481/0.025 =2099.24
Means BTS is able to serve 3000 subs in the BH.

11

IDEA Cellular Limited

Capacity Planning
Case Study #2
A geographical area, categorized as Dense Urban
has a total area of 5 sq KM. GSM operation is
at 1800 MHz.
How Many BTS would be needed ???
Say we have planned our network for 20% teledensity. The mentioned area has a population
of 1 Lakh. Take average traffic per subs as 25
mErl and Abis GOS as 2%.
What should be the BTS config???
Assume 2 TS per cell for signalling as extra
margin.
12

IDEA Cellular Limited

Capacity Planning
Typically for DU, at 1800 MHz for typical BS antenna
height of 22M and MS antenna height of 1.5M we may
get Cell Radius = 0.56 sq KM( for FM=6 dB with st. dev.
Of 8) with a coverage threshold of -65 dB in outdoors.
Total BTS count = 5/0.56 = 8.9 = 9 BTS
Total subs = 100000*0.2 = 20,000
Total Traffic = 20000*0.025 =500 Erl
Total TCH required = 514 ( by Erlang B Table at 2% GOS)
Total TS = 514 + 2*9*3 = 568
Total TRX = 568/8 = 71
TRX per BTS = 71/9 =8

Typically, we have to deploy 6 nos of BTS with

3+3+3 TRX and 3 nos of 2+2+2 TRX config.
13

IDEA Cellular Limited

14

IDEA Cellular Limited