Ensuring the reliability of RF field optimisation

Roger Rland, Vodafone Netherlands Dietrich Hunold, Actix

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Overview

Vodafone Netherlands network optimisation project Importance of using measurements throughout the optimisation process Time efficient and reliable RF field optimisation method Successful verification of optimised network by measurements

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Vodafone Netherlands

Part of the Vodafone Group 3.4 million customers 3500 employees Mobile phone penetration in NL: 81% 55% UMTS population coverage Highly competitive market (5 Operators, several MVNOs)

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UMTS Optimisation Project

VF live! UMTS launch in June 2004 Need for optimisation of parts of the VF-NL radio network topology on very short term Network covers all major Dutch cities Due to size and timeframe of the project external help was necessary

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UMTS Coverage

Amsterdam The Hague Rotterdam Utrecht

Maastricht

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Optimisation Targets

Rollout of a new network is focussed on coverage, not capacity Maximise the area with good CPICH Ec/Io and decrease the pilot pollution without decreasing the area with good RSCP Downlink based optimisation Only downtilt changes allowed

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UMTS Optimisation Project

Deadline was strict so the external party had to absolutely deliver within timeframe Lots of existing drive test measurements which should be used in the optimisation

Radioplan selected as one of the delivering companies

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Optimisation Workflow
Deliver planning data (Quantum) and measurements to Actix Verify consistency and completeness based on delivered data
Find logical errors (swapped sectors, down sites, etc.) Pathloss tuning to increase reliability and accuracy

Receive and discuss optimisation results from Actix Implement changes in the network Evaluate optimisation predictions with measurements

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Pre Optimisation / Rollout Process

Planning data must reflect network data Check sites when handovered from contractor Done by VF-NL drive test team using TEMS equipment
Handover test Pathloss test

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RF Network Check in Actix Radioplan

Compare measurements with planning data VF-NL site assessment procedure works well, only 1 site found with logical errors (exchanged feeder) Measured RSCP level in line with predicted RSCP level; good fit of propagation model (Std. Dev.: 6 to 8 dB) Improve accuracy of pathloss matrices even more by pathloss tuning One drive test route rejected for pathloss tuning due to obvious unrealistic offset

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One Occurrence of Exchanged Sectors

Sector 2 measured

Sector 3 measured

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Pathloss Prediction Accuracy

Pilot RSCP error (measurement prediction): Avg. -2.9dB

Std.Dev. 8.0dB

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Optimisation and Change Implementation

Work orders for optimisation delivered by Radioplan Implementation of downtilt proposals in clusters and prioritised Installing Remote Electrical Tilt unit during site visit
4 2

3 1

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Assess Improvement by Measurements

Measurements show good improvement of KPIs
Ec/Io strongly increased, cell overlap reduced RSCP coverage maintained Ec/Io measurements

Measured improvements in the order of predicted improvements

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Drive Test Verification in Central Rotterdam

Ec/Io >= -8dB improvement
before predict. meas. 81.1% 90.5% after 91.5% 98.1% improv. +0.9dB +1.0dB

Cell overlap <= 3 cells

before predict. meas. 79.2% 94.9% after 90.2% 97.8% improv. -0.5 cells -0.2 cells cell overlap measurements

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Optimisation Workflow with Actix Radioplan

Data import Data consistency/correctness check Pathloss tuning Optimisation Result analysis Deliver work orders Evaluate improvements with measurements Optimised Network Planning Data Measurement Data

Actix Radioplan

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Pathloss Tuning
Direct use of drive test measurements
Shifting sand dunes

Goal: Improve planning data accuracy Very efficient (1 town in < 5 sec)

Example: Shifting sand dunes at coast line

No reliable clutter data possible Uncertainty in pathloss prediction DEM

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Pathloss Tuning Example

Effect of Pathloss Tuning

Low measured pilot RSCP

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Actix Radioplan Optimisation Approach

network setup DEM map pathloss maps clutter map traffic maps constraints

Planning Data / Measurements Pre-Analysis

Planning Data / Measurements

Reconfiguration of the network setup Objective function

Verification

High-speed iterative process

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Result Analysis
Graphical analysis of network KPIs
Pilot RSCP Pilot Ec/Io Pilot pollution areas / cell overlap

KPI statistics report

Coverage percentage of RSCP, Ec/Io per clutter class Number of cell/site changes, cost overview

Improvement analysis
Graphical clustering of site changes

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Ec/Io Before Optimisation

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Ec/Io After Optimisation

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Cell Overlap Before Optimisation

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Cell Overlap After Optimisation

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QoS Validation
Network simulations before/after optimisation with same traffic:
Ec/Io rejections reduced by 70% SHO users reduced by 5% UL load reduced by 16% Throughput increased by 11%

At same GoS (5% outage): at least 25% more traffic possible!

Simulated Ec/Io 80% Speech, 20% WWW

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Summary
Make sure that the planning data reflects the actual situation in the network Do not merely rely on predictions, use measurements when optimising a radio network Consistent network improvements within short time

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