Analytical average throughput and delay estimations for LTE uplink cell edge users

Abstract

Estimating average throughput and packet transmission delay for worst case scenario (cell edge users) is crucial for LTE cell planners in order to preserve strict QoS for delay sensitive applications. Cell planning techniques emphasize mostly on cell range (coverage) and throughput predictions but not on delay. Cell edge users mostly suffer from throughput reduction due to bad coverage and consequently unexpected uplink transmission delays. To estimate cell edge throughput a common practice on international literature is the use of simulation results. However simulations are never accurate since MAC scheduler is a vendor specific software implementation and not 3GPP explicitly specified. This paper skips simulations and proposes an IP transmission delay and average throughput analytical estimation using mathematical modeling based on probability delay analysis, thus offering to cell planners a useful tool for analytical estimation of uplink average IP transmission.