GSM Cell Planning and Optimization

Study Case : Sragen Area

By Sumantri Pramudiyanto (+6281703544310)
Jakarta, April 7th , 2009
Materi berikut merupakan open content, bersifat free utk didistribusikan

Content
Cell Planning Process

Idle Mode Operation

BSS Parameter
RF Optimization flow chart
Study Cases of RF Optimization

Cell Planning Process

Cell planning can be described briefly as all the activities involved in

determining which sites will be used for the radio equipment, which
equipment will be used and how the equipment will be configured

Traffic and coverage Analysis

Collecting required data
Making discussion with the client to know their demand.
Analyzing traffic and coverage
Required data :
Geography data
Demography data
Data of around network
Available frequency
Number of customer which
wish to cover

Customer demand :
GOS 2%
95 % Indoor coverage
(C/I > 12 db) > 95%

Nominal Cell Plan - Dimensioning (1)

Geography and Demography data taken from sragen.go.id
Table 1 Geographic + Demographic data

Table 2 Demographic data per years

Target subscriber

After the data available, we need to divided the region into

smaller cluster, then classify the subdistrict into cluster
depend on traffic, contour area, and etc.
From the demographic data (Table 2) , we able to calculate
% growth of population.

Pt Po (1 r ) n
573333 = 437556 x (1+r)6
r = 0.046
Assume that, in 2010 the operator want to cover 10 %
subscriber in the region, so the number of subscribers to be
covered :
Pt = 10 % x 57333 x (1+0.046)3
Pt = 65629
If traffic allocation per subscriber equal to 60mE then total
traffic in Sragen area = 65629 x 60 mE = 3937.74 E
Wide of area which will be covered

Nominal Cell Plan - Dimensioning (2)

From the geographic data we can determine Erlang distribution by

density in each cluster.

The next step, we can calculate the number of required sites depend on

traffic.
Using erlang B table we can count number of sites for cluster sragen tengah

(GOS 2%, 1585.85 Erlang) 1586 TS ~ 227 TRX

Sragen tengah locate in center of town and has high traffic we use
configuration 5/5/5 so the number of sites required in this cluster :
227/15 TRX = 15 Sites
With the same way we can calculate number of sites for the others cluster:
Sragen Timur = 9 sites
(Config 4/4/4)
Sragen Barat = 12 sites
(Config 4/4/4)
Sragen Utara = 9 sites
(Config 4/4/4)

Nominal Cell Plan Link Budget

Link Budget Calculation is required to achieve system balance between

uplink and downlink signal.

Output from system balance is a cell size in every sites.
We can calculate coverage area per sites in suburban and rural cluster by

equation L = k x R2
Lsite suburban

= 1.95 x (1.865)2 = 6.78 km2

L site rural

= 1.95 x (2.67)2 = 13.90 km2

The next step, calculating number of sites related to coverage.

Choose the biggest one

Nominal Cell Plan - Result

Sragen Utara

Sragen Timur

Sragen Tengah

Sragen Barat

CW Test / Model Tuning

In order to find out appropriate

propagation model, RF Engineer

should perform CW Test.
Drivetesting should be performed
encircle the route and represent
all of azimuth.
Input all of drivetesting result to
the planning tools then
conducting calibration to get
appropriate propagation model.

Survey
Survey is required to ensure whether the nominal cell

position can be realized or not ?

In general, The RF Team should give alternative
nominal or informed SAR ( 300m) to survey team, in
case the nominal cannot be realized.
The survey team should take the panoramic photo
around the nominal (0-360 degree), and report to the
RF team if appear obstacle around the nominal.
Panoramic photo used to determine coverage
target/azimuth
Survey team also need to survey : road to nominal,
electricity, space for equipment.

Detail Planning
All of nominal coordinates must be fixed in detail

planning phase.
Scope of works in Detail Planning :
Frequency Planning
Parameter Planning (BSIC, MAList, MAIO, HSN, etc)
Adjacency planning

The main key in conducting frequency planning is

avoiding co-channel and adjacent interference.

For TCH Frequency planning, we able to apply SFH or
Baseband hopping in order to reduce the interference.

Detail Planning Frequencies

Allocation
SFH Pattern 1x1 will be applied in this implementation
Number of Malist frequencies can be calculated by using

equation :
Maximum configuration for the sites 5/5/5, so that number of

required frequencies :
Nfreqs/site = (12 3 ) x 2 + 3.2 = 24 Frequencies
NTRX
FL =

X 100%
# Hoppers

3 sectors with 24 hopping frequencies :

-TCH = 3 TRXs FL = (3/24)*100% = 12,5%

-TCH = 4 TRXs FL = (4/24)*100% = 16,67%

Detail Planning Frequencies Allocation

SFH Allocation untill configuration 5/5/5

MAIO
MAIO Step

= 0
= 2

16

Detail Planning HSN Planning

HSN used to the parameter that differentiates the

hopping algorithm between two cells having the same

MAList.
We can choose best pairs HSN to reduce collision
frequencies between server and adjacent.

Drivetest for QOD Program.ppt / 24.04.2008 /

VS

Detail Planning Coverage Result

NCC = 4,5
NCC = 5,6
NCC = 0,1
NCC = 2,3

Detail Planning Interference Prediction

Installation and System Tuning

After Installation done, the installation team need to

conduct commisioning (VSWR Measurement, check

hardware installation )
The Drive test team also need to verify whether the
BTS serving target correctly or not
Then, Acceptance Test Procedure is conducted to
check how well the KPI meets the demand.
Pre Launch Optimization performed to achieve the KPI
Target for new site or TRX expansion.

IDLE MODE OPERATION

Normal Cell Selection
Search all the RF channels , take samples during 3-5 s and
calculate averages. And put them in ascending order with respect to
signal level. Then tune to the strongest RF channel.

Search for the frequency correction burst in that

carrier in order to varify if it is a BCCH carrier
No

Is it a BCCH
carrier?

Yes
Try to synchronize to the carrier and read
the BCCH data.

No

Is it a correct
PLMN ?
Yes

Yes

Is the cell barred?

No
Is C1>0
Yes

Camp on the cell

No

Tune to the next highest

RF channel which is not
tried before
C1 = (A - Max(B,0))
A = Received Level Average p1
B = p2 - Maximum RF Output
Power of the Mobile Station
p1 = rxLevelAccessMin
Min. received level at the
MS required for access to
the system
p2 = msTxPowerMaxCCH Max.
Tx power level an MS may
use when accessing the
system

Cell Reselection
C1 + cellReselectOffset - temporaryOffset*H(penaltyTime-T) T < = penaltyTime
C2 =
C1 + cellReselectOffset . T > penaltyTime
1 when T < = penaltyTime
H(x) =
0 when T > penaltyTime

Cell Reselection Histerysis

BSS Parameter
BTS Parameter
RxLevAMI (0-63) Minimum signal strength for access the BTS in idle mode.
CRESOFF (Cell Reselection Offset) (0-25) used for C2 Calculation, normally used in dual
band network (GSM<>DCS)
RACHBT (RACH Busy Threshold) (0-127) defines a threshold for the signal level on the
RACH
HRACTT1 (0-100) Half Rate Activation Threshold
T3212 (0-255) Parameter LUP Periodically
MAXRETR (1,2,4,7) Maximum Retransmission on RACH
SDCCHCONGTH (0-100) SDCCH Congestion threshold
RDLNKTO (0-15) Timer for Radiolink timeout
Power Control Parameter
LOWTLEVD/U (0-63) the lower threshold of the received signal level on the downlink/uplink
for power increase
UPTLEVU/D (0-63) defines the upper threshold of the received signal level on the
uplink/downlink for power reduction
LOWTQUAD/U (0-7) the lower threshold of the received signal quality on the downlink for
power increase
UPTQUAU/D (0-7) defines the upper threshold of the received signal quality on the uplink
for power reduction
PWRINCSS (DB 2,4,6) defines the step size used when increasing the MS transmit power
PWREDSS (DB 2,4) defines the step size used when reducing the MS transmit power

BSS Parameter (2)

Handover Parameter

HOLTHLVDL/UL (0-63) defines the receive signal level threshold on the downlink
/uplink for inter-cell level handover decision.

HOLTHQUDL/UL (0-7) defines the receive signal quality threshold on the

downlink/uplink for inter-cell quality handover decision

Adjacent Parameter

RXLEVMIN the minimum received signal level the adjacent cell must provide to be
regarded as a suitable target cell for handover

HOM Handover margin for better cell

LEVHOM parameter defines the handover margin for handovers due to uplink level or
downlink level

QUALLEVHOM this parameter defines the handover margin for handovers due to
uplink quality or downlink quality

RF Optimization Flow Chart

Start

Check
SDCCH
Blocking

Identify KPI
Formula

Check
TRX
Quality

Identify the problems

SDSR
Problems ?

Check
Alarm

Check
Interference

Check
TCH
Blocking

Check Alarm

Check cochannel and

co-BSIC
Check
Interference

Check TA

HOSR
Problems ?

DCR Problems

Check all others

cause (Radio link
Failure, T200,
Transcoder) from
statistics

Check
Neighbor
Relation

Check
Handover
Failure Per
Cause

Check
Handover
Parameter

Check
TRX
Quality
Check Alarm

Check cochannel and

co-BSIC

Check
Interference
problems

Check Malist,
MAIO and
HSN

Check
measurement
from statistics
Take Action
list

Conclusion
Every New Network need good plan for avoid

problems that will be arise.

Commonly there are six step in conducting
planning.
The most critical problems in performing cell
planning process is interference.
the New Sites onair need to be optimized to
achieve the KPI
Pre Launch Optimization is done for new sites on
air or expansion sites.