Optimizing the Cellular Network Planning Process for In-Building Coverage using Simulation

Abstract

The global scenario of mobile telecommunications networks suggests that the next years the number of mobile users will continue growing as well as the services demand. The biggest growth is expected mainly in Asiatic and developing countries. Particularly, the Mexican telecommunications market suggests that if the number of mobile users will continue growing in Mexico as in the last years, then the mobile networks operators should increment the network capacity and the in-building coverage in order to maximize the quality of service. Also, network operators should offer attractive plans to users in order to maximize their economic benefits. Therefore, this research study aims to develop a simulation model to analyze the services transmission in a Third Generation mobile network and maximize the network coverage and the theoretical economic benefit of network operators. The delivered services included are voice, data and video. Using this simulation model we obtained the optimal cost-effective network design in a scenario of a Mexican airport. This design consisted of six cells, each one configured with an Omni-directional antenna and capacity of seven traffic channels. Through the traffic channels were delivered the services: sound, multimedia, narrow band and wide band, with a data rate of 12 kb/s, 128kb/s, 384 kb/s, and 1920 kb/s, respectively. The maximum economic benefit was 46.6% using the optimal network design. We propose this simulation model as a tool for decision-making support of mobile network operators in Mexico.