4.

WCDMA Radio Coverage

LZT123 7628 - 81 -
4 WCDMA Radio Coverage
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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Intentionally Blank
4. WCDMA Coverage
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OBJECTIVES:
On completion of this chapter the student will be able to:
Explain free space path loss.
Use Okumura-Hata and COST 231-Walfish-Ikegami propagation formulas.
Explain the concept of log normal fading and how it is incorporated in WCDMA
coverage calculations.
Calculate the sensitivity of a RBS for various services,
Perform link budget calculations for the uplink of a WCDMA system.
Use simulation graphs to calculate the downlink coverage and capacity of a
WCDMA cell.
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4. WCDMA Coverage
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Contents
RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION........................................................... 86
OKUMURA-HATA PROPAGATION FORMULA............................................ 89
COST 231-WALFISH-IKEGAMI PROPAGATION FORMULA ....................... 89
SIGNAL VARIATIONS .................................................................................. 90
POWER CONTROL MARGIN (PC
MARG
) ........................................................ 95
BODY LOSS (BL).......................................................................................... 96
CAR PENETRATION LOSS (CPL)................................................................ 96
ANTENNA SYSTEM CONTROLLER (ASC) INSERTION LOSS (L
ASE
) ......... 96
FEEDER AND JUMPER LOSSES (L
F+J
) ....................................................... 97
RBS SENSITIVITY (RBS
SENS
) ....................................................................... 98
UPLINK LOAD ............................................................................................ 102
LINK BUDGET CALCULATION FOR UPLINK................................. 103
MAXIMUM PATH LOSS (L
PATHMAX
).............................................................. 104
WCDMA CELL RANGE............................................................................... 106
SITE COVERAGE AREA ............................................................................ 107
DOWNLINK DIMENSIONING........................................................... 109
DOWNLINK LINK BUDGET........................................................................ 110
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RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION
In this course, we are primarily interested in the transmission loss
between two antennas: the transmitter/emitter and the receiver.
Many factors, including absorption, refraction, reflection,
diffraction, and scattering affect the wave propagation. However, in
free space an electromagnetic wave travels indefinitely if
unimpeded. This does not mean there are no transmission losses,
as we will see in this first simple model where isotropic emission
from the transmitter and line of sight between the two antennas
separated by a distance, d, in free space are assumed (Figure
4-1).

d
Figure 4-1 Free space path loss
Since an isotropic antenna, by definition, distributes the emitted
power, P
t
, equally in all directions, the power density, S
r
, (power
per area unit) decreases as the irradiated area, 4d
2
, at distance
d, increases, that is:
S
P
d
r
t
=
4
2

If the transmitting antenna has a gain, G

t
, it means that it is
concentrating the radiation towards the receiver. The power
density at the receiving antenna increases with a factor
proportional to G
t
, that is:
S
PG
d
r
t t
=
4
2

4. WCDMA Coverage
LZT123 7628 - 87 -
The power received by the receiving antenna, P
r
, is proportional to
the effective area, A
r
, of that antenna, that is:
P S A
r r r
=
It can be shown that the effective area of an antenna is
proportional to the antenna gain, G
r
, and the square of the
wavelength, , of the radio wave involved, that is:
A
G
r
r
=

2
4
and, hence, the received power becomes
( )
P
PG G
d
r
t t r
=

2
2
4
The transmission loss can be calculated as the ratio between the
transmitted power and received power, that is:
( )
loss
P
P
d
G G
t
r t r
= =
4
2
2

Radio engineers work with the logarithmic unit dB so the

transmission loss, L, then becomes
( )
( )
( ) ( ) L loss
d
GG
d
G G
t r
r t
= =

10 10
4
20
4
10 10
2
2
log log log log log

Radio engineers treat the antenna gains, 10log(G

r
) and 10log (G
t
),
separately, so that what is given in the literature as the path loss,
L
p
, is only the term 20log(4d/). In clearer terms, the path loss in
free space is given by equation 14 below.
Free Space Path loss
L
d
p
=

20
4
log

Equation 14 Free space path loss

Note that the wavelength dependency of the path loss does not
correspond to losses in free space as such. It is a consequence of
the finite effective receiver area.
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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This transmission loss expression is fairly general. The only thing
which changes when we improve our models is the expression for
the path loss. The antenna gain is normally given in dB(i), that is,
as 10log(G), where gain means a reduction of the total
transmission loss, L, between a transmitting and receiving
antenna.
This model helps us to understand the most important features of
radio wave propagation. That is, the received power decreases
when the distance between the antennas increases and the
transmission loss increases when the wavelength decreases (or
alternatively when the frequency increases).
For cell planning, it is very important to be able to estimate the
signal strengths in all parts of the area to be covered, that is, to
predict the path loss. The model, described in this section, can be
used as a first approximation. However, more complicated models
exist. Improvements can be made by accounting for:
The fact that radio waves are reflected towards the earths surface.
Transmission losses, due to obstructions in the line of sight.
The finite radius of the curvature of the earth.
The topographical variations in a real case, as well as the different
attenuation properties of different terrain types, such as forests,
urban areas, etc.
The best models used are semi-empirical, that is, based on
measurements of path loss/attenuation in various terrain. The use
of such models is motivated by the fact that radio propagation
cannot be measured everywhere. However, if measurements are
taken in typical environments, the parameters of the model can be
fine-tuned so that the model is as good as possible for that
particular type of terrain.
Two common propagation formulas are Okumura-Hata (equation
15) and COST 231- Walfish-Ikegami (equation 16)
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OKUMURA-HATA PROPAGATION FORMULA
L
path
= A - 13.82logH
b
+(44.9-6.55logH
b
)logR - a(H
m
) [dB]
Equation 15 Okumura-Hata Propagation formula
where
A = 155.1 for urban, A = 147.9 for suburban and semi-open areas
A = 135.8 for rural, A = 125.4 for open areas.
H
b
= base station antenna height [m]
H
m
= UE antenna height [m]
R = distance from transmitter [km]
a(H
m
) = 3.2(Log(11.75*H
m
))
2
- 4.97 or for 1.5m antenna a(1.5) = 0
COST 231-WALFISH-IKEGAMI PROPAGATION FORMULA
L
path
= 155.3 + 38logR 18log(H
b
17) [dB]
Equation 16 COST 231-Walfish-Ikegami propagation formula
where
H
b
= base station antenna height [m]
R = distance from transmitter [km]
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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SIGNAL VARIATIONS
The models, described in the previous section, can be used to
estimate the average signal level (called the global mean) at the
receiving antenna. However, a radio signal envelope is composed
of a fast fading signal super-imposed on a slow fading signal as
shown in Figure 4-2 below.
SS at Rx-antenna
Distance Variations due to Shadowing (Local mean)
Received Signal Level from formulae (Global mean)
Variations due to
Rayleigh fading
Figure 4-2 Signal Variations
These fading signals are the result of obstructions and reflections.
They yield a signal, which is the sum of a possibly weak, direct,
line-of-sight signal, and several indirect, or reflected signals.
The short term or fast fading (Rayleigh fading) signal (peak-to-
peak distance /2) is usually present during radio
communication, due to the fact that the mobile antenna is lower
than the surrounding structures, such as trees and buildings.
These act as reflectors. The resulting signal consists of several
waves with various amplitudes and phases. Sometimes these
almost completely cancel out each other. This can lead to a signal
level below the receiver sensitivity. In open fields where a direct
wave is dominating, this type of fading is less noticeable.
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LZT123 7628 - 91 -
The first and most simple solution is to use more power at the
transmitter(s), thus providing a fading margin. Another way to
reduce the harm done by Rayleigh fading is to use space diversity,
which reduces the number of deep fading dips. Diversity means
that two signals are received which have slightly different
histories and, therefore, the best can be used, or even better:
the two can be combined.
The signal variation received, if we smooth out the short-term
fading, is called the local mean and its power, often called the
local average power. The measured mean value is log normally
distributed about the derived value with a standard deviation as
shown in Figure 4-3 below.
SS at RX antenna
P
r
o
b
a
b
i
l
i
t
y
Derived Mean
Standard Deviation ( )
Measured Mean
Figure 4-3 Log Normal Fading
Therefore, this slow fading is called log-normal fading. If we drive
through a flat desert without any obstructions, the signal varies
slowly with distance. However, in normal cases the signal path is
obstructed.
Obstructions near the mobile (for example, buildings, bridges, and
trees) cause a rapid change in the local mean (in the range of five
to fifty meters), whereas topographical obstructions cause a slower
signal variation (shadowing). Because log-normal fading reduces
the average strength received, the total coverage from the
transmitter is reduced. To combat this, a fading margin must be
used.
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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If outdoor base stations are used to provide indoor coverage
building penetration loss must be take into consideration.
Building penetration loss is defined as the difference between the
average signal strength immediately outside the building and the
average signal strength over the ground floor of the building.
Typical values of the mean building penetration loss, BPL, are
given in Table 4-1 below.
Environment BPL [dB]
LNF(o)
[dB]
LNF(i)
[dB]
LNF(o+i)
[dB]
Dense urban 18 10 9 14
Urban 18 8 9 12
Suburban 12 6 8 10
Table 4-1 Building penetration loss
The building penetration loss for different buildings is also log-
normally distributed with a standard deviation of
BP.
Variations of
the loss over the ground floor could be described by a stochastic
variable, which is log-normally distributed with a zero mean value
and a standard deviation of
floor
.
Here
BPL
and
floor
are lumped together by adding the two as if
they were standard deviations in two independent log-normally
distributed processes. The resulting standard deviation,
indoor
or

LNF(i)
, could be calculated as the square root of the sum of the
squares. Typical values of
LNF(i)
are presented in Table 4-1.
The total log-normal fading is composed of both the outdoor log-
normal fading,
LNF(o)
,and the indoor log-normal fading
LNF(i)
. The
total standard deviation of the log-normal fading is given by the
square sum:
2
) (
2
) ( ) ( i LNF o LNF i o LNF
+ =
+
Values of
LNF(o+i)
are presented in Table 4-1. These are the
values that should be used in the link budgets when calculating the
LNF
marg
, required to achieve a certain probability of indoor
coverage.
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LZT123 7628 - 93 -
This combining of standard deviations is illustrated in Figure 4-4
below.
Ground floor

indoor
or

LNF(i)

floor

BPL

LNF(o)

LNF(o+i) =

LNF(o)
2
+

LNF(i)
2
Figure 4-4 Log-normal fading margins for indoor coverage
Note that the characteristics of different urban, suburban etc.
environments can differ significantly throughout the world. Thus
the values in Table 4-1 must be treated with care. They should be
considered as a reasonable approximation when no other
information is obtainable. Rural areas are not considered in Table
4-1 since indoor coverage is not usually calculated for them.
Once the standard deviation has been established the required
LNF margin is determined from the required probability of
coverage.
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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In Figure 4-5 below it can be seen that a LNF margin of 4.1dB
would be required to produce a 95 % probability of coverage if all
users were outdoor in an urban environment. This increases to
7.5 dB if the same probability of coverage is required indoors.
LNF=7.5 dB
Environment BPL [dB] LNF(o) [dB] LNF(i) [dB] LNF(o+i) [dB]
Dense urban 18 10 9 14
Urban 18 8 9 12
Suburban 12 6 8 10
Outdoor Urban
Indoor Urban 95%
probability of
coverage
LNF=4.1 dB
Figure 4-5 LNF margins for urban environment
A complete set of LNF margins for 3 sector sites is shown in
Table 4-2 below.
Table 4-2 LNF
marg
for 3 sector sites
The log-normal fading margins presented above reflect the case
where the UE can make a handover to other cells when
experiencing poor coverage. If handover is allowed, the log-normal
fading margins can be reduced as compared to the single cell
case. This reduction is referred to as handover gain and is
included in the values for log-normal fading margins.
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POWER CONTROL MARGIN (PC
MARG
)
In a WCDMA system fast power control (1500 Hz) is employed.
For slowly moving UEs the power control has the ability to
compensate for the fast fading, thus reducing the E
b
/N
o
. However,
due to the characteristics of the fast fading, more power will be
required in the fading dips than the corresponding reduction in the
fading tops. The result is that each UE (BS) has to increase its
average power in order to combat fast fading. This effect is called
TX increase. A sensitivity degradation for UEs located at cell
borders also appears, since the UE power control at cell borders
no longer can fully compensate for fading dips.
To cater for the combined effect of TX increase and the sensitivity
degradation at cell borders a power control margin PC
marg
of
typically 2 dB is used in the link budget. Note that this value is
channel-model dependent. PC
marg
for the various channel models
is shown in Table 4-3 below.
Table 4-3 Power Control Margin (PC
marg
)
The following losses must be considered for coverage
calculations:
Body Loss (BL)
Car Penetration Loss (CPL)
Building Penetration Loss(BPL)
Feeder and Jumper losses (L
F+J
)
If an Antenna System Controller (ASC) is fitted at the base station,
losses associated with the antenna feeder and jumper cables
(L
F+J
) will be overcome for the uplink. But they must be included in
downlink calculations along with the insertion loss of the ASC
(L
ASC
).
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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BODY LOSS (BL)
The human body has several negative effects on the UE
performance. For example, the head absorbs energy, and the
antenna efficiency of some UEs can be reduced. To cater for
these effects a margin for body loss has to be included in the link
budget. The body loss margin recommended by ETSI is 3 dB for
1900 MHz.
Generally, body loss is not applied to data services since the users
will most likely not have the terminal at their ear.
CAR PENETRATION LOSS (CPL)
When a UE is placed in a car without an external antenna, an
extra margin has to be added in order to cope with the penetration
loss to reach inside the car. This extra margin is approximately 6
dB.
The recommended values for body and car losses are shown in
Table 4-4 below.
Table 4-4 Body and Car penetration losses
ANTENNA SYSTEM CONTROLLER (ASC) INSERTION LOSS (L
ASE
)
The ASC will add a propagation loss to the RBS downlink.
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LZT123 7628 - 97 -
FEEDER AND JUMPER LOSSES (L
F+J
)
Feeder and jumper losses is the combined loss associated with
the feeder and jumper cable, as below:
L
f+J
=

Feeder attenuation + jumper attenuation
Typical feeder attenuations are shown in Table 4-5 below.
Table 4-5 Typical Feeder Attenuation
The jumper loss can vary depending on the length but typical
values are in the order of 1dB.
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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RBS SENSITIVITY (RBS
SENS
)
The sensitivity of the RBS is the minimum signal level it needs to
receive to decode the channel.
It is the C/I for the service () added to the thermal noise (N) and
the noise figure of the receiver (noise introduced by the RBS) as
shown below:
Minimum RX signal (RBS
sens
)= Noise + N
f
+
In other words RBS
sens
is C/I dB above (Noise+N
f
)

as illustrated in
Figure 4-6 below.
RBS
sens
C/I
Noise +N
f
Figure 4-6 RBS Sensitivity
The level of noise for a particular bandwidth and temperature can
be calculated using the formula below.
Noise = KTB W/Hz
K is Boltzmanns constant = 1.38 X 10
-23
J/K
T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin = 290 (17
o
C)
B is the bandwidth over which the noise is measured.
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LZT123 7628 - 99 -
If these are expressed as log values:
Noise = KT + 10log(B) = Thermal noise (N
t
) + 10 log (B)
Therefore:
RBS
sens
= N
t
+ 10log(B) + N
f
+
However Eb/No = + 10 log (B/R
info
)
= + 10 log (B) - 10 log (R
info
)
To solve for
=> = Eb/No - 10 log (B) + 10 log (R
info
)
If is substituted into the equation for RBS
sens
it becomes: -
RBS
sens
= N
t
+ 10log(B) + N
f
+ Eb/No - 10 log (B) + 10 log (R
info
)
The negative 10 log (B) will cancel out the positive one leaving
equation 17 below.
RBS
sens
= N
t
+ N
f
+ 10 log (R
info
) +E
b
/N
o
dBm E
Equation 17 RBS Sensitivity equation
where
N
t
is the thermal noise power density = -174 dBm/Hz
N
f
is the noise figure = 3 dB with ASC, 4 dB without ASC
R
user
is the total RAB bit rate in bps, i.e. user rate + 3.4 kbps
signaling
E
b
/N
o
is the energy per bit to noise ratio for the service.
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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RBS Sensitivity Examples
What is the sensitivity of an RBS with ASC for the services shown
in Table 4-6 below?
Speech RBS sensitivity in dBm
64 kbps PS RBS sensitivity in dBm
Table 4-6 Example RBS Sensitivities
N
t
= 10 log (KT) dBW/Hz
K= Boltzmans constant 1.38 x 10
-23
J/K
T = Standard noise temperature = 290
o
K
=> Nt = 10 log (KT/10
-3
) dBm/Hz
= 10 log(1.38 x 10
-23
X 290/10
-3
)
= -174 dBm/Hz
RBS
sens
= N
t
+ N
f
+ 10 log (R
info
) +E
b
/N
o
dBm
= -174 + 3 + 10log (R
info
) +E
b
/N
o
dBm
= -171 + 10log (R
info
) +E
b
/N
o
dBm
For speech
R
info
= 12.2 kbps + 3.4 kbps = 15.6 kbps = 15600 bps
RBS
sens
= -171 + 10log (15600) +E
b
/N
o
dBm
= -171 + 41.9 +E
b
/N
o
= -129.1 +E
b
/N
o
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LZT123 7628 - 101 -
When E
b
/N
o
=

4.9 dB
RBS
sens
= -129.1 + 4.9 = -124.2 dBm
When E
b
/N
o
=

6.4 dB
RBS
sens
= -129.1 + 6.4 = . dBm
For 64kbps PS
R
info
= 64 kbps + 3.4 kbps = .kbps = .. bps
RBS
sens
= -171 + 10log (..) +E
b
/N
o
dBm
= -171 + . +E
b
/N
o
= .. +E
b
/N
o
When E
b
/N
o
=

3.2 dB
RBS
sens
= . + 3.2 = .... dBm
When E
b
/N
o
=

4.5 dB
RBS
sens
= . + 4.5 = . dBm
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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UPLINK LOAD
As users are connected to the cell the overall uplink noise will rise.
This means that the sensitivity of the RBS will increase with also
increase. As shown in Figure 4-7 below the sensitivity of a loaded
RBS is the unloaded sensitivity plus the uplink noise rise (I
UL
)
C/I
N
t
+ 10log (Bw) + N
f
RBS
sens
(unloaded) = N
t
+ 10log (Bw) + N
f
+C/I
Noise rise (I
ul
)
RBS
sens
(loaded) = RBS
sens
(unloaded) + I
Ul
Noise rise (I
ul
)
Figure 4-7 Sensitivity of loaded RBS
Uplink noise rise can be derived from equation 18 below.
I
UL
= 10log
1
1 - Q
dB
Equation 18 Uplink Noise Rise (I
UL
)
Where Q is the Uplink load in the cell (0 to 1)
Uplink Load Example
How much will the uplink noise rise when a cell is becomes 50%
loaded?
I
ul
= 10 log (1/1-0.5) = dB
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LZT123 7628 - 103 -
LINK BUDGET CALCULATION FOR UPLINK
The signal level at the RBS receiver (SS
RBS
) will be the output
power of the UE (P
UE
) minus any losses plus any gains. These
losses and gains are shown in Figure 4-8 below.
P
UE
G
ant
L
path
RBS
L
f+j
SS
RBS
Figure 4-8 Uplink link budget
The losses are:
L
path
is the path loss
L
f+J
= Losses in feeder and jumper
The only gain is this example is that of the RBS antenna as the UE
is assumed to have no antenna gain.
This is expressed in equation 19 below.
SS
RBS
= P
UE
L
path
+G
ant
L
f+j

Equation 19 Signal strength at RBS
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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MAXIMUM PATH LOSS (L
PATHMAX
)
The ideal uplink budget would be where the signal level at the
RBS (SS
RBS
) is equal or greater than the RBS Sensitivity
(RBS
sens
).
In practice the loaded sensitivity should be used and the previous
margins and losses must be included in the link budget
calculations.
This means that the SS
RBS
can be expressed as:
SS
RBS
= RBS
sens
(loaded)

+ losses + margins
If the expression for SS
RBS
is

substituted into this formula it
becomes:
P
UE
L
path
+G
ant
L
f+j
= RBS
sens
(loaded)

+ losses + margins
Since RBS
sens
(loaded) = RBS
sens
+ I
UL
this formula becomes:
P
UE
L
path
+G
ant
L
f+j
= RBS
sens
+ I
UL
+ losses + margins
Since Losses = BL + CPL + BPL and margins = LNF
marg
+ PC
marg
the formula can be written as:
P
UE
L
path
+G
ant
L
f+j
= RBS
sens
+ I
UL
+ BL + CPL + BPL + LNF
marg
+ PC
marg
If this equation is solved for L
path
then the maximum path loss
allowed for the cell (L
pathmax
) is given by equation 20 below.
L
pathmax
= P
UE
RBS
sens
I
UL
LNF
marg
PC
marg
BL CPL BPL +G
ant
L
f+j
Equation 20 Maximum path loss (L
pathmax
)
where:
L
path
is the path loss (on the uplink) [dB].
P
UE
is the maximum UE output power (= 21 or 24) [dBm].
RBS
sens
is the RBS sensitivity. [dBm].
LNF
marg
is the log-normal fading margin [dB].
4. WCDMA Coverage
LZT123 7628 - 105 -
I
UL
is the noise rise [dB].
PC
marg
is the power control margin [dB].
BL is the body loss (= 0 or 3) [dB].
CPL is the car penetration loss (= 6) [dB].
BPL is the building penetration loss [dB].
G
ant
is the sum of the RBS and UE antenna gains [dBi].
L
f+j
is the loss in feeders and jumpers [dB].
This formula may be used to calculate the various maximum path
losses for each service, as shown in Figure 4-9 below.
TU,
3 km/h
TU, 3 km/h
PS
TU,
50 km/h
TU, 50 km/h
PS
L
pathmax
L
pathmax
L
pathmax
L
pathmax
Figure 4-9 Maximum uplink path losses
WCDMA Radio Network Design
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WCDMA CELL RANGE
When roughly estimating the size of macro cells, without taking
into account specific terrain features in the area, the Okumura-
Hata propagation formula can be solved for R to give equation 21
below.
R
pathmax
= 10

, where = [L
pathmax
- A + 13.82logH
b
+ a(H
m
)]/[44.9 - 6.55logH
b
]
Equation 21 Maximum range using Okumura-Hata formula
where
A = 155.1 for urban areas
A = 147.9 for suburban and semi-open areas
A = 135.8 for rural areas
A = 125.4 for open areas
H
b
= base station antenna height [m]
H
m
= UE antenna height [m]
R = distance from transmitter [km]
a(H
m
) = 3.2(Log(11.75*H
m
))
2
- 4.97
a(1.5) = 0
It must be emphasized that the Okumura-Hata formula only can be
used for rough estimates. For more precise numbers, network-
planning tools should be used.
4. WCDMA Coverage
LZT123 7628 - 107 -
For small cells in an urban environment the cell range is typically
less than 1 km and in that case the Okumura-Hata formula is not
valid. The COST 231-Walfish-Ikegami model, gives a better
approximation for the cell radius in urban environments.
The COST 231-Walfish-Ikegami model formula is solved for R to
give equation 22 below.
R
pathmax
= 10

, where = [Lpath 155.3 + 18log(Hb 17)]/38

Equation 22 Maximum range using COST 231-Walfish-Ikegami
Note: The expressions above have been adapted to 2.05 GHz.
SITE COVERAGE AREA
This range may now be used to calculate the coverage area of the
site using equation 23, 24 or 25 for omni, three-sector and six
sector sites respectively as illustrated in Figure 4-10 below.
2
3
2
3
R Area =
2
3
8
9
R Area =
R SitetoSite 3 =
R SitetoSite
2
3
=
R SitetoSite 3 =
2
3
2
3
R Area =
R
R
R
Equation 23 Equation 24 Equation 25
Figure 4-10 Relationships between coverage area and cell range
WCDMA Radio Network Design
- 108 - LZT123 7628
Example Uplink calculation
Complete Table 4-7 below for a three sector urban site to deliver
95 % probability of coverage to AMR 12.2 kbps to TU 3 km UEs at
50 % load.
P
UE
21
RBS
sens
Outdoor LNF
marg
PC
marg
I
UL
BL
G
ant
17.5
L
f+j
0
L
pathmax
(outdoor)
CPL
L
pathmax
(in-car)
BPL
Indoor LNF
marg
L
pathmax
(indoor)
0.7
3
4.1
6
7.5
18
Table 4-7 Example UL Calculation
NOTE: the outdoor service is assumed to be pedestrians as
opposed to users in vehicles.
4. WCDMA Coverage
LZT123 7628 - 109 -
DOWNLINK DIMENSIONING
For the downlink it is not as easy to separate the coverage and
capacity in the way that is done for the uplink. The main difference
as compared to the uplink is that the UEs in the downlink share
one common power source. Thus the cell range is not dependent
only on how many UEs there are in the cell but also on the
geographical distribution of the UEs.
Despite orthogonal codes, the downlink channels can not be
perfectly separated due to multipath propagation. This means that
a fraction of the BS power will be experienced as interference.
Also, the downlink interference, caused by neighboring base
stations transmitting channels that are not orthogonal to the
serving base station, is user equipment position dependent.
The final equations are quite complex and difficult to use. In order
to facilitate the dimensioning process, curves have been
generated based on the equations. The curves display the cell
load (M/M
pole
) versus the cell range. The curve for an urban 3-
sector site is shown in Figure 4-11 below.
Figure 4-11 DL capacity verses Cell Range
Typical parameter values have been used and 20% of the power
has been allocated to control channels. A homogenous user
WCDMA Radio Network Design
- 110 - LZT123 7628
distribution has been assumed. To account for non-homogenous
distributions and log-normal fading a 5 W headroom has been
used. Thus the curves are based on a total power P
tot,s
of 15 W
instead of 20 W. This roughly corresponds to 95% coverage
probability.
DOWNLINK LINK BUDGET
Before we can use this curve we must calculate the downlink
margin DL
marg
with equation 26 below.
DL
marg
= BL + CPL + BPL +G
ant
+ L
f+j
+ L
ASC
+N
f
+ A
0
Equation 26 Downlink Margin (DL
marg
)
BL is the body loss.
CPL is the car penetration loss. Since this is an urban area car
loss will not be considered.
BPL is the building penetration loss.
G
ant
is the difference in antenna gain compared to the value used
in the curves.
G
ant
= 17.5 G
ant

L
f+J
is the loss in feeders and jumpers.
N
f
is the difference in UE noise figure compared to the value
used in the curves
N
f
= N
f
7
L
ASC
is the insertion loss of the ASC (if used).
A
0
is the difference of the distance independent term, in Okumura
Hata, compared to the value used in the curves
A
0
= A
0
A
0curves
, where A
0
= A 13.82 logH
b
and A
0curves
is
134.68 or approx. 134.7
4. WCDMA Coverage
LZT123 7628 - 111 -
Example Downlink Calculation
What load could a 40m, 3-sector Urban Cell cope with at a range
of 1.5 km?
Firstly the DL margin must be calculated:
DL
marg
= BL + CPL + BPL +G
ant
+ L
f+j
+ L
ASC
+N
f
+ A
0
BL= 3 dB.
CPL = 0 dB
BPL = 18 dB
G
ant
= 17.5 G
ant
, Gant = 17.5 => G
ant
= 0 dB
L
f+J
5 dB (typical value)
N
f
= N
f
- 7, Nf = 7 => N
f
= 0 dB
L
ASC
=0.4
A
0
= A
0
- 134.7 but A
0
= 155.1 13.82 log(40)= 133
=> A
0
= 133 - 134.7 = -1.7 dB
Dl
marg
= 3 + 0 + 18 + 0 + 5 + 0 + 0.4 -1.7 = . dB
WCDMA Radio Network Design
- 112 - LZT123 7628
Where a line drawn through 1.5 km interecets the closest
DL
marg
plot to .. will give the supported load of the cell as
shown in Figure 4-12 below.
Figure 4-12 Example DL Calculation
The maximum load supported by the cell is .. %.