Abstract
In wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) cellular systems, the coverage radius of a cell depends on its current capacity level. As a result, existing WCDMA radio network dimensioning approaches require that coverage and capacity planning be carried out jointly in an iterative manner in order to obtain the minimum site count needed while fulfilling both coverage and capacity requirements. This requires relatively long computational time, particularly when there are many scenarios or what-if cases to be considered. To overcome this problem, we propose an alternative radio network dimensioning approach where coverage planning and capacity planning can be carried out separately to reduce computational time. Besides, a portion of the values calculated in the initial iteration is preserved in a lookup graph, allowing future what-if analysis to be accomplished rapidly. Simulation results show that, unlike the existing approach, the planning and what-if analysis times of the proposed dimensioning approach are independent of the number of sce-narios considered. Lastly, we present a few case studies and show that the proposed dimensioning method can give the same prediction accuracy as the existing method.
Highlights
Motivated by successful mobile broadband subscription uptake in some countries, the cellular communication industry around the world is currently aggressively expanding third-generation (3G) systems using wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA)
As a result, existing WCDMA radio network dimensioning approaches require that coverage and capacity planning be carried out jointly in an iterative manner in order to obtain the minimum site count needed while fulfilling both coverage and capacity requirements
We propose an alternative radio network dimensioning approach where coverage planning and capacity planning can be carried out separately to reduce computational time
Summary
Motivated by successful mobile broadband subscription uptake in some countries, the cellular communication industry around the world is currently aggressively expanding third-generation (3G) systems using wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA). In a practical WCDMA network, initial dimensioning involves forecasting of subscribers and traffic growth followed by dimensioning to yield a network deployment plan for the upcoming years This is carried out through an iterative process between coverage and capacity planning where the number of base stations needed is calculated [1]. Most studies on optimized network planning focus on locating base stations according to the best trade-off between network infrastructure costs and service coverage These processes are lengthy, requiring large numbers of iterations for a specific network operating scenario and are not efficient for multiple-scenario radio network dimensioning. These methods cannot be implemented in a dynamically changing telecommunication environment where new service types are frequently introduced and individual cell analysis is required.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Communications, Network and System Sciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
