AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

2011, Science Hu, http://www.scihub.org/AJSIR ISSN: 2153-649X doi:10.5251/ajsir.2011.2.3.346.351

CDMA network coverage optimization in South-Eastern Nigeria

1 1

Shoewu, O., 1Adedipe, A and 2Edeko, F.O

Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Lagos State University, Epe Campus 2 Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Benin, Edo State
ABSTRACT

This is a study on Coverage optimization of a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) Network. The paper proposes exposes the work carried out via drive test on 10 (ten) sites located at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, south-East Nigeria. The drive test was carried out through an agreed drive route to attain a desirable network performance threshold. The distribution after optimization confirms that the value of good Ec/Io has improved from 98.27% before optimization to 98.33% after optimization. Also, the RX value above -95 dBm has improved from 98.73% to 99.58%; and low RX value below -105dBm has reduced from 7.16% to 1.78%. The forward coverage is now improved. Results show a very good TX power level which has now improved from 94.02% to 97.53%. Transmitting power greater than 0dBm has reduced from 5.97% before optimization to 2.45% after optimization. Keywords: GSM, Optimisation, Radio Signals, Data Communication, Coverage INTRODUCTION The CDMA cellular concept began in 1988 and was proposed in November 1989 by QUALCOMM as a more efficient, higher-quality wireless technology CDMA open demonstration conducted in San Diego. In February 1990, NYNEX and QUALCOMM successfully demonstrate CDMA in New York City .In 1991; QUALCOMM successfully performs large-scale capacity tests in San Diego. US West orders the first CDMA network equipment and the patent was granted in 1992. CDMA IS-95A standard was completed in 1993 and was adopted by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) as a North American digital cellular standard. Similarly in 1993, the first commercial CDMA market trial was adopted in South Korea. In 1994, Sprint PCS adopted CDMA (Frenger P.K et al, 1999) 1995 marks the standardization of CDMA for U.S. PCS. Also was the lunch of the first commercial cdmaOne by QUALCOMM. cdmaOne became commercially launched in South Korea and 14 cities in the U.S. CDMA Development Group (CDG) announces more than one million cdmaOne subscribers in the same year (Schulze, 2001). In1997, IS-95B standard was completed (including 64 kbps data transmission capability) .Commercial service available in 100 U.S. cities CDMA and in Japan In 1998, TIA endorses CDMA2000 to be 3G solution for International Telecommunication Union (ITU). LG Telecom launches first CDMA data services CDMA2000 submitted to ITU as part of the IMT-2000 process for global 3G standards. More than 12.5 million cdmaOne subscribers in 30 countries First 1xEV-DO demonstration. (Gibson, 1999). In 2005, more than 200 million commercial CDMA2000 subscribers worldwide.143 CDMA2000 operators commercially deployed in 67 countries on 6 continents.950 CDMA2000 devices offered commercially since 2000.64 CDMA2000 device manufacturers. Number of commercial CDMA2000 1xEV-DO operators doubled from 16 to 29. Number of commercial CDMA450 operators increased to 31 in 22 countries. Average growth rate of nearly 4.9 CDMA2000 subscribers per month. The IS-95 CDMA cellular system has several key attributes that are different from other cellular systems. The same CDMA radio carrier frequencies may be optionally used in adjacent cell sites, which eliminates the need for frequency planning, the wideband radio channel provides less severe fading, which the inventors claim results in consistent quality voice transmission under varying radio signal conditions. The CDMA system is compatible with the established access technology, and it allows analog (EIA-553) and dual mode (IS-95) subscribers to use

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the same analog control channels. Some of the voice channels are replaced by CDMA digital transmissions, allowing several users to be multiplexed (shared) on a single RF channel. As with other digital technologies, CDMA produces capacity expansion by allowing multiple users to share a single digital RF channel (Rappaport, 2002). CDMA systems use a maximum of 64 coded (logical) traffic channels, but they cannot always use all of these. A CDMA radio channel of 64 traffic channels can transmit at a maximum information throughput rate of approximately 192 kbps [14], so the combined data throughput for all users cannot exceed 192 kbps. To obtain a maximum of 64 communication channels for each CDMA radio channel, the average data rate for each user should approximate 3 kbps. If the average data rate is higher, less than 64 traffic channels can be used. CDMA systems can vary the data rate for each user dependent on voice activity (variable rate speech coding), thereby decreasing the average number of bits per user to about 3.8 kbps (Bairer et al, 2000). Varying the data rate according to user requirement allows more users to share the radio channel, but with slightly reduced voice quality. This is called Soft Capacity Limit (Etemad, 2004). HISTORY OF CDMA TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA Multi- links started operations in December 1997 as the first private company to rollout fixed wireless phones in Nigeria. The companys network operation started in Lagos and could boasts of over 100,000 subscribers. Multi-Links was the first evidence of the successful commencement of the liberalization of the Nigerian telecommunications sector. Intercellular was incorporated in December 1992 and began operations in January 1998 rendering limited mobile and fixed wireless services. It had over 100,000 subscribers. Its services were available almost every part of the country. The firm commenced network operations in 1998. Although it joined the ranks of PTOs relatively late, it is rubbing shoulders with the leaders today. It has over 100,000 subscribers in Lagos. Starcomms provides pre-paid voice and data services to over 145,000 subscribers including retail users, corporate and community centres. The company uses CDMA technology which provides high quality voice and 3G- type telecoms services to its customers. The company is also the first business of its type to fast track international private equity in Africa. Today, Nigeria is proud of about eighteen CDMA operators providing full mobile and fixed wireless services with a total number of subscribers above 64 million as at February, 2009. The main reason for this study is to present a simple but very effective method of performing coverage optimization within a CDMA network. This work started with engineering parameter audit through a detailed single site verification to ensure that all the sites within the cluster to be optimized are operating at specified performance threshold. Site verification also ensures that all sites under test are free of critical alarms. It should however be noted here that optimization within a CDMA or general cellular networks transcends coverage optimization. Other optimization exercises include but not limited to parameter optimization, call quality optimization and capacity optimization. METHODOLOGY The process of optimization is a continuous process. It is carried out from time to time until the desired network performance threshold is attained. The performance of a network is expressed by values of some certain parameters called Key Parameter Indices (KPI). The KPIs to be analyzed here are specific for coverage optimization process. These parameters are Mean Ec/Io (dBm), Receive Power (dBm), Transmit Power (%), Forward Frame Error Rate (%), Call Setup Success Rate (%) and Handover success. The coverage optimization method adopted for this research is as summarized below: Single site verification exercise Pre-optimization drive test Drive test report or log-file analysis Implementation of recommendation proffered for optimization 5. Post-optimization drive test 6. KPI Benchmarking Single site verification exercise is a process of verifying the status of the base stations within the cluster to be optimized. In this exercise, individual sites are verified to ensure they are free of critical hardware problems before the optimization process is started. Engineering parameters like antenna height transmit power and even the PN (pseudorandom 1. 2. 3. 4.

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noise) configured for each cell of the sites are properly checked for errors and inconsistency with that in the site data obtained before the optimization exercise. Pre-optimization drive test refers to the data collection exercise. A set of devices called drive test kit is used for this purpose. This setup system is placed in a vehicle while the vehicle moves around predefined route called test route. The data obtained in this process called log-file gives the real behavior of the network at the time of collection. After collection, the log-file was analyzed. Possible problems are identified within the network. Proper recommendations are then made to improve the network performance. After implementing the recommended changes, another drive test exercise is performed to ascertain the effect of the changes in the network parameters. Post optimization is a continuous process as it will go on until the desired threshold of network performance is attained. After each optimization exercise, the KPIs obtained are checked against the desired threshold. This is called benchmarking. THE INVESTIGATED ENVIRONMENTS This study was carried out following the need for higher capacity and improved coverage as desired by one of the leading cellular network service providers in Nigeria. The operator recently engaged one of the equipment vendors in the country to install some new BTS sites in Uyo. This covered a total of ten base stations. The list of the sites, their co-ordinates and configurations are listed below:

Implementation of recommendation involves changing the antenna height or tilt, performing parameter audit or simply changing transceivers within one or two base transceiver stations within the network of operation. S/N BTS Name BTS ID Longitude 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 University of Uyo Govt Office Nwaniba A-line Abak road State Secretariat Nkemba road Babanjida avenue Itam junction Teaching Hospital 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 7.92158 7.93535 7.95812 7.94421 7.92596 7.9023 7.91231 7.9184 7.89542 7.86181

Latitude 5.04908 5.03951 5.02854 5.01653 5.03361 5.0261 5.0329 5.01539 5.04708 5.01022

BS Configuration S111 S111 S111 S111 S111 S111 S111 S111 S111 S111

Table 1: List of Newly Installed BTS sites in Uyo

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Base Station Layout The figure below shows the base station layout of the sites in Uyo.

Fig 1: MapInfo plot of BTS layout of the Network in Uyo

Test Route To have more knowledge about the network information and according to BTS distribution of the

sites and landform, we confirm test route around the sites. Factual drive test route is as follows:

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Fig 2: Drive Test route

EQUIPMENT SETUP 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Personal Computer with Drive test software Pilot Panorama Garmin GPS 12XL Mobile (Kyocera-SE47). Drive test vehicle Power supply unit data collection. The behavior of this mobile station gives the behavior of any mobile station within the network. The power supply unit provides the source of power for the entire system. It usually consists of an inverter which inverts the 12V dc power from the vehicle to 220V ac required by the data collection gadget. DATA COLLECTION The picture below is a pictorial representation of the data as viewed from the Pilot Panorama Data collection interface.

The personal computer houses the operating system and the data collection software (Ericsson TEMS Investigation 8.0).The personal computer serves as the communication hub for all other equipments in the system. The Global Positioning System GPS operates with global positioning satellites to provide the location tracking for the system during data collection. This enables the system to determine its position on a global map which has been installed on the personal computer. The test mobile phone connects to the personal computer and it is used to initiate calls during the

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Fig. 3: The picture above shows a log-file recorded during the drive test exercise.

DATA ANALYSIS All analysis here is based on the log-file as presented above. The data are presented in pictorial format, from which bar graph was obtained. The bar graph shows a statistical estimation of different range of values for each of the parameters analyzed.

This section presents step by step presentation of each parameter as obtained from pre-optimization and post-optimization drive test exercise. PRE-OPTIMISATION ANALYSIS DRIVE TEST RESULT

For the pre-optimization drive test, the following results were obtained.

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Ec/Io Coverage and Statistics before Optimization

Fig 4: Total Ec/Io distribution map of the network before optimization

Fig 5: Total Ec/Io Distribution Histogram of the network before optimization

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Ec/Io is the measurement mobiles used to gauge strengths of the various nearby sectors they encounter. Ec means the energy per chip of the pilot of the observed sector while Io means the total power currently being picked up by the mobile. The total Ec/Io of the cluster is generally good. Area 1 and 2 in the figure has been identified with lower Ec/Io values. The Ec/Io can be improved by correcting the azimuth of the surrounding sectors. Figure 5 shows the statistics analysis, from the chart we can see that the distribution is good and has 98.27% of good Ec/Io.

RX_Level Coverage and Statistics before Optimization

Fig 6 : RX_Level distribution map of the network before Optimization.

Rx_Level is a measure of the receive signal power (in dBm) by mobile stations at different receiver distances from the base station. Figure 6 shows the RX_Level distribution for the network. The RX_Level is good in many areas in Uyo. However there are few areas where the RX_Level is not very good. Areas 1-9 and Areas 1117 in figure 6 above are areas with bad RX power level. The reason for the poor values for the RX Level is due to distance from serving sector and topographical terrain of the concerned areas.

Areas 1-7 and Area 16 are the Clusters coverage border Areas. Adjustment of the Azimuth and Downtilt of the Sectors serving these Areas would improve the coverage. Area 14 is a Valley area with thick vegetation. Sector A-LINE_2 is not On-Air at the time of this test and is responsible for the poor coverage of Area10. Areas 9 and 17 are due to distance from serving sectors and thick vegetation areas. The RX power level can be improved by adequately changing azimuth and down-tilt of the surrounding sectors. Swap sectors corrections were done for ITAM JUNCTION_0 and ITAM JUNCTION_2, and ABAK ROAD_0 and ABAK ROAD_2

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Fig 7: RX_Level Distribution Chart of the network before Optimization.

The chart in figure 7 above shows the distribution of Uyo needs improvement. The recommended RX power and from the chart we see that the RX azimuths and down-tilts changes would result in value above -95 dBm is 92.83%; and low RX value better coverage. below -105dBm is 7.16%. The forward coverage of TX_Level Coverage and Statistics before Optimization

Fig 8: TX_Level distribution map of the network before Optimization

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Figure 9 shows the TX_Level distribution for the network at Uyo. The highlighted areas in the figure are areas with high values of TX power. The main reason is due to the low values of RX power which is as a result of the topographical terrain of the area and the distance of the serving sectors.

Fig 9 : TX_Level Distribution Chart of the network before Optimization.

The chart in figure 10 below shows the distribution of Improved forward coverage would improve this TX_Level for the network. It indicates that 5.97% of statistics. the transmitted power is greater than 0dBm. FFER Coverage Statistics before Optimization

Fig 10: FFER distribution map of the network before Optimization Figures 10 and 11 shows the distribution and chart of FFER for the network at Uyo. The FFER is good and areas with tolerable FFER value of 2% is 78.32%.

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Fig 11: FFER Distribution Chart of the network before Optimization.

Test result of short calls

Fig. 12: Test Results The call setup success ratio of 99.66% is a normal value; the call drop ratio of 0.34% is a good value.

The handoff successful ratio is 95.70% and this would improve when the coverage at cell border area improves after the recommendations are implemented and Neighbor relations fine tuned. RECOMMENDATIONS To obtain an improved network performance, the following recommendations were made and implemented

Network Parameter Adjustment Record Azimuth Sector ID University of Uyo_1 University of Uyo_2 Nwaniba_1 State Secretariat_1 State Secretariat_2 Babangida Avenue_1 Babangida Avenue_2 Itam Junction_0 Itam Junction_2 Teaching Hospital_1 BTS ID Before Now 501 115 120 501 220 240 503 506 506 240 250 508 80 120 508 270 260 509 0 10 509 270 240 510 110 120 Table 2: Network Parameter Adjustment Table. Downtilt (Mechanical) Before 2 2 2 2 2 2 Now 1 1 1 1 1 1

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After implementation of the above recommendations on the network, the following results were obtained. PRE-OPTIMISATION DRIVE TEST RESULT ANALYSIS Total Ec/Io Coverage and Statistics after Optimization

Fig 13: Total Ec/Io distribution map after optimization

Comparing figures 4 and 13 above, it could be seen that after optimization, the Ec/Io in the highlighted areas in figure 2 has been improved.

Fig 14: Total Ec/Io Distribution Histogram after optimization

The chart in figure 14 shows the total Ec/Io after optimization. The distribution after optimization confirms that the value of good Ec/Io has improved from 98.27% before optimization to 98.33% after

optimization.

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RX_Level Coverage and Statistics after Optimization

Fig 15

: RX_Level distribution map after optimization

Figure 15 shows the RX_Level after optimization. Comparing figures 4 and 15, it can be seen from the distribution that the RX_Level has been improved and areas with low RX power in figure 16 now have

better RX power level. Areas13, 14 and 15 are cells boundaries. A new site will be needed to further improve these areas.

Fig 16: RX_Level Distribution Pie Chart after optimization

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From the chart in figure 16 we see that the RX value reduced from 7.16% to 1.78%. The forward coverage above -95 dBm has improved from 98.73% to is now improved. 99.58%; and low RX value below -105dBm has TX_Level Coverage and Statistics after Optimization

Fig 17: TX Level distribution map after optimization

Figure 17 shows the TX_Level distribution after optimization. Following the necessary adjustment of the antenna azimuth and downtilt, areas with bad TX power level such as highlighted in figure 11 have improved. The chart in figure 18 below shows the

distribution of TX_Level after optimization. From the chart we can see that the very good TX power level is now improved from 94.02% to 97.53%. Transmitting power greater than 0dBm has reduced from 5.97% before optimization to 2.45% after optimization.

Fig 18: TX Level Distribution Chart after optimization

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FER Coverage Statistics after Optimization

Fig 19: FFER distribution map after optimization

Figures 19 and 20 show the distribution and chart of the FFER after optimization. The FFER of the network has also been improved after optimization.

Area 1 in figure 14 with bad FFER is now improved after optimization as seen in figure 19 above.

Fig 20: FFER Distribution Chart after optimization

The chart in figure 20 below shows the distribution of TX_Level after optimization. From the chart we can

see that the very good TX power level is now improved from 94.02% to 97.53%. Transmitting

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power greater than 0dBm has reduced from 5.97% before optimization to 2.45% after optimization. CONCLUSION: This research shows a successful optimization exercise which was carried out via drive tests, after a drive route was agreed by both vendors. All the necessary key parameter indices under consideration were optimized successfully, such as: The transmitting power which was greater than 0dBm reduced from 5.97% before optimization to 2.45% after optimization. The receive level which was above 95dBm improved from 98.73% to 99.58%, and low Rx value below 105dBm reduced from 7.16% to 1.78% after optimization. The distribution after optimization, confirms that the value of Ec/Io improved from 98.27% before optimization to 98.33% after optimization. However, after the optimization drive test through the agreed drive route and implementations of the recommendations were made, there was great improvement of the coverage of the CDMA network threshold. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The authors wish to acknowledge Lagos State University for financial support for this work.

REFERENCE
Rappaport, Theodore S. (2002) Wireless Communications, Principles and Practice. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Bairer PW, Bing T and Klein A (2000) TD-CDMA. In Third Generation Mobile Communication Systems Frenger PK, Orten P and Ottoson T (1999) Code-spread CDMA with interference cancelation. Schulze H (2001) The performance of multicarrier CDMA for the correlated Rayleigh fading channel. (eds. Prasad R, Mohr W and Konhauser W), Gibson JD (ed.) (1999) The Mobile Communications Handbook, 2nd edn.

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