SMALL CELLS

OVERVIEW
AGENDA

– HETEROGENEOUS NETWORKS

– INDOOR IMPORTANCE

– DEPLOYING INDOOR SOLUTIONS

– INDOOR SOLUTIONS

– COEXISTENCE BETWEEN MACRO AND SMALL CELLS

– EQUIPMENT USED FOR INDOOR SOLUTIONS

HETEROGENEUS
NETWORKS
› The Heterogeneous Networks goal is to create a single network with one controller despite of the technologies and
type of cells included in the solution improving the performance and allowing the vendors to upgrade their networks
seamlessly.

› Small Cells are a key point for the deployment of the HetNet as they will add coverage and/or capacity according to
the customer needs.

› Overall network performance will depend on the degree of integration and coordination that can be achieved
throughout the heterogeneous network.

ONE Core network /

controller
NETWORK

Internet
grade
Main Macro
Unit RBS

Small Small Small Small Small Small

AP RBS AP RBS RRU RRU RRU RRU
HETEROGENEUS
NETWORKS
› The improvement is achieved by 3 main steps

1- Improve the macro layer:

Involves the deploying of more spectrum, the use of advanced antennas, greater baseband processing
capacity within and between nodes and continued evolution of HSPA and LTE technology, higher
sectorization, multi-carrier and multi-antenna solutions, as well as spectrum refarming using hybrid
radio solutions.

2.-Densify the macro layer

Involves the targeted addition of strategically located macro cells to improve capacity and data rates,
particularly when it is not longer feasible to continue improving the macro network to meet demand
alone.

3.-Add small cells

As a complement to the macro layer, including micro cells, pico cells and Wi-Fi, as well as dedicated
indoor solutions. It delivers high per-user capacity and rate coverage in high-traffic areas, with the
potential to improve performance in the macro network by offloading traffic generated in hotspots.
WHY INDOOR is so
important? >70% of users are indoor
~100% of problem users are indoor
WHY?
1. Most of the problems 10-30 dB
experienced by users wall loss
are indoor.

2. Small cells offer a cost-

effective complement
in traffic hot-spots, for Use enough Use indoor
coverage holes and in
certain buildings
power outdoor & solutions
(airports, high-rises, Area traffic density
subway, tunnels). Improve
Densify
Add

Improve
WHERE? Densify
1. Dense Urban areas
2. Urban areas Improve
3. Premium customers
Facilities.

Dense urban Urban Suburban Rural

HoW to deploy?
› The Indoor systems can be deployed basically in three ways.

1.- Dedicated Cell Capacity.

A RBS is installed inside the building to provide indoor coverage and capacity. Pico Cells or
Femto Cells can be used for this solution.

Requirements:
– Capacity needs to calculated and dedicated only for in-building users.
– It needs a dedicated link to the core network
– The type of cell (Pico or Femto) to be used depends on the number of users and cost.
HoW to deploy?
2.- Low Power Radio Units

– A standard RBS can use Low Power Radio Units

known as micro RRUs (mRRU)

– They can serve specific areas (hotspots) both indoor

or outdoor.

– Flexible solution, 2 sectors can use standard RRUs

and 1 sector mRRUs

– These RUs can be used at site level or at cell level.

Most of the configurations used for standard RRUs
are also valid for mRRUs.

– Dedicated capacity guaranteed.

HoW to deploy?
3.- Capacity from a Macro Cell.
The donor signal is obtained from a close Macro cell and repeated inside the building

Requirements:
– A clean signal from the Macro Cell is required in order to repeat a good signal inside the
building and avoid repeating noise.
– The donor cell should consider the capacity provided by the indoor solution in order to
avoid blocking in the Macro Cell.
 INDOOR DEPLOYMENTS
Flexibility and a strategic network evolution path are needed to ensure that customer expectations are met in
the most cost-effective, spectral-efficient and future-proof way.

• Small macro cells or micro cells would be cost-effective in a city environment to improve general indoor
coverage

• Small remote radio units could be used at a train station or stadium for maximum performance

• Pico cells or a Sectorized DAS fed by small remote radio units would be a natural solution for an office
environment.

Floor-level
RF
distribution Small
RBS
AP
Small
RBS

Small GbE Small

RBS RRU

CPRI
AP Wi-Fi 3G
5GHz GbE, RAN
EoC 4G
AP
GbE
backhaul
DAS
Wi-Fi
2G
 INDOOR DEPLOYMENTS

Radio unit
Complete base station
HSPA, LTE, Wi-Fi combinations

In-building wireless data deployment categories and used radio accesses

Owner: Mobile network operator Landlord / tenant / fixed
Driving force: broadband provider

Cost-driven general capacity and HSPA, LTE, Wi-Fi N/A

coverage for mobile broadband

Value-driven premium or separate HSPA, LTE, Wi-Fi Wi-Fi

service
INDOOR SOLUTIONS
› Distributed Antenna Systems

DAS systems splits the transmitter power among several antennas separated in the space, in
order to provide coverage over an area with reduced total power and improved reliability.

– Active DAS
› Uses amplifiers to overcome the losses in the system.
› Used where hundred of antennas are required. (Airport, subway, Universities)
› High cost.

– Passive DAS
› Do not include any amplification devices. Only passive RF devices are used.
› Used for solutions in small buildings.
› Low Cost

– Hybrid DAS
› Combination of active and passive elements.
› Usually some areas are deployed with active elements and less important areas with passive
elements due to the cost.
INDOOR SOLUTIONS
› Small Cells
This kind of cells are used in areas where Macro cells can’t attend the demand. They increase
indoor coverage and capacity and are deployed in zones with high density of users. Small cells
can be classified as follows:

– PICO CELLS
› A Base Station is located inside the building to provide coverage and capacity.
› It is designed to account high traffic density or data rate.
› Can be for mobile or fixed users.
› Coverage defined by the shape of the rooms
› Radius of various meters.
› Used where hundred of antennas are required. (Airport, subway, Universities)
› High cost.

– FEMTO CELLS
› Low power Access Points using standard DSL
› Manage Power and Interference automatically.
› Only used for Wireless Voice and Broadband Services.
COEXISTENCE
SMALL & MACRO CELLS
› The success in the performance of a HetNet depends in the correct integration and mobility between
small and Macro cells.

› Basically 3 concepts must be considered.

– Cell Selection

› The UE must have priority for small cells instead of macro cells. Cell selection is done in a
conventional way (according to DL power level) however special attention must be taken as
Macro Cell will always have more power that Small Cells.
› Usually a offset of 6dB is added to the Small Cells in order to keep gain users over the Macro
Cells.

– Interference Management

› UL signal in small cells must handle interference from macro users in the border of the cell.
› The increase in the UL power target in the small cell helps to mitigate the issue.
› RPS (Reduced Power Subframes) Technique can also be implemented to handle the
interference.
› Advanced techniques like Fast coordinated link adaptation, scheduling and beam-forming
can also be implemented.
COEXISTENCE
SMALL & MACRO CELLS
– Network Management

› The use of different technologies (HSPA, LTE, WiFi) implies the use of different controllers.

› Ericsson EVO Controller combines the functions of the GSM base station controller (BSC)
and the UMTS radio network controller (RNC) in one common network controller.

› New version of EVO 8200 allows the integration of the WiFi Controller (WIC).

› The use of this kind of devices improves the integration of the Macro and Small Cells in a
seamless way and also reduces the complexity of the network.
EQUIPMENT USED FOR
INDOOR SOLUTIONS
› PICO RBS (6401)
– Pico stations are becoming important as a complement to the larger macro network to increase
capacity and performance.
– Easy and quick installation.
– Supports both LTE and WCDMA
– Supports 2 WCDMA carriers

– WiFi Capacity 300-450Mbps

– Build-in antenna
– One dual TX radio with 2x1W output power
– Supports 64 active users for WCDMA
– Supports 128 active users for LTE
– Supports External alarms.
– Power Supply Plug-in 100-250V
EQUIPMENT USED FOR
INDOOR SOLUTIONS
› IPG 6440
› Used for connection of the RBS in small cell networks and transportation to the core network.
› Connect up to 6 RBS with ethernet and up to 48 RBS with VDSL2 connection.
EQUIPMENT USED FOR
INDOOR SOLUTIONS
› RBS 6201
› Complete RBS in a two radio subrack with a standard indoor footprint.
› Supports GSM, WCDMA, CDMA, LTE.
› Can be used as a MU with external radios.

› Micro RRU
› Dual TX RRU with 2x5W output power
› It is compatible with most of the RBS6000 family.