I.

INTRODUCTION

Cell planning in GSM mobile system is one of the most important operations must be
done before the installation of the system. In this plate, the planning of the GSM mobile system
for the assigned site is shown.
This plate shows a cellular planning that provides a better wireless network with a use of
cellular network or mobile network. The location of the hub is at 1487 Maceda Street, Sampaloc,
Manila. This area will serve as the center of the 1.0 km radius service area that is required for
this plate. The geographic area where the system will be installed and the radius of each BTS
coverage and the frequencies used for the system is analyzed by gathering information such as
parameters and the tools given.
There are other requirements and methodology considered for this design. The reference
point of the site profile is the selected BTS that serves as the hub. In this plate, the computation
for the target number of subscribers, cells per cluster and voice channel per station is shown and
the cellular plan for the given area is also discussed. Frequency plan is shown as well as the
calculations in the CalcuCell for each given BTS. The total number of channels per BTS and the
locations of the BTS are summarized in a table. Also, the hexagon area, and power budget
together with the uplink budget and downlink budget were calculated. The NSO files and sources
indicated the population for each barangay in the given area.
 II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Global System for Mobile Communications

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a second-generation digital mobile

telephone standard using a variation of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). It is the most
widely used of the three digital wireless telephone technologies - CDMA (Code Division
Multiple Access), GSM and TDMA. GSM digitizes and compresses voice data, then sends it
down a channel with two other streams of user data, each in its own time slot. It operates at
either the 900, 1800 or 1,900MHz frequency bands.

2G networks developed as a replacement for first generation (1G) analog cellular

networks, and the GSM standard originally described a digital, circuit-switched network
optimized for full duplex voice telephony. This expanded over time to include data
communications, first by circuit switched transport, then by packet data transport via GPRS
(General Packet Radio Services) and EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution or
EGPRS).

Mobile services based on GSM technology were first launched in Finland in 1991.
Today, more than 690 mobile networks provide GSM services across 213 countries and GSM
represents 82.4% of all global mobile connections. According to GSM World, there are now
more than 2 billion GSM mobile phone users worldwide. GSM World references China as "the
largest single GSM market, with more than 370 million users, followed by Russia with 145
million, India with 83 million and the USA with 78 million users”.
 Figure 1. Global System for Mobile (GSM) from SlideShare

GSM 900

The term GSM 900 is used for a GSM system which operates in any 900 MHz. For
GSM- 900, it uses 890 - 915 MHz to send information from the Mobile Station to the Base
Transceiver Station and 935 - 960 MHz for the other direction, providing 124 RF channels
spaced at 200 kHz. Duplex spacing of 45 MHz is used. In some countries the GSM-900 band has
been extended to cover a larger frequency range. This 'extended GSM', E-GSM, uses frequency
range 880 - 915 MHz for uplink and 925 - 960 MHz for downlink, adding 50 channels (channel
numbers 975 to 1023 and 0) to the original GSM-900 band. The GSM specifications also
describe 'railways GSM', GSM-R, which uses frequency range 876 - 915 MHz for uplink and
921 - 960 MHz for downlink. Channel numbers 955 to 1023. GSM-R provides additional
channels and specialized services for use by railway personnel. All these variants are included in
the GSM-900 specification.

GSM 1800

GSM 1800 is the term used to denote GSM operating in the 1800 MHz band. It uses 1800
MHz band ranges from 1710-1785 MHz and from 1805-1880 MHz. Mobiles transmit in the
lower band and base stations transmit in the upper band. GSM-1800 uses 1710 - 1785 MHz to
send information from the Mobile Station to the Base Transceiver Station (uplink) and 1805 -
1880 MHz for the other direction (downlink), providing 374 channels (channel numbers 512 to
885). Duplex spacing is 95 MHz. GSM-1800 is also called PCS in Hong Kong and the United
Kingdom. Most of the GSM operators in India use the 900 MHz band. Operators like Hutch,
Airtel, Idea, and some others, use 900MHz in rural areas and 1800MHz in urban areas.

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

Time division multiple access (TDMA) is a channel access method for shared medium
(usually radio) networks. It allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing
the signal into different time slots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other,
each using his own timeslot. This allows multiple stations to share the same transmission
medium (e.g.radio frequency channel) while using only the part of its bandwidth they require.
TDMA is used in the digital 2G cellular systems such as Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), IS-136, Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) and iDEN, and in the Digital
Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard for portable phones. It is also used
extensively in satellite systems, and combat systems.

The method chosen by GSM is a combination of Time- and Frequency-Division Multiple

Access (TDMA/FDMA). The FDMA part involves the division by frequency of the (maximum)
25 MHz bandwidth into 124 carrier frequencies spaced 200 kHz apart. One or more carrier
frequencies are assigned to each base station. Each of these carrier frequencies is then divided in
time, using a TDMA scheme. The fundamental unit of time in this TDMA scheme is called a
burst period and it lasts 15/26 ms (or approx. 0.577 ms). Eight burst periods are grouped into a
TDMA frame (120/26 ms, or approx. 4.615 ms), which forms the basic unit for the definition of
logical channels. One physical channel is one burst period per TDMA frame.

The GSM network is structured into a number of discrete sections:

● Base Station Subsystem – the base stations and their controllers explained
● Network and Switching Subsystem – the part of the network most similar to a fixed
network, sometimes just called the "core network"
● GPRS Core Network – the optional part which allows packet-based Internet connections
 ● Operations support system (OSS) – network maintenance

Figure 2. Illustration of TDMA (Ques10.com)

Switching System

The switching system (SS) is responsible for performing call processing and subscriber
related functions. The switching system includes the following functional units:

● Home location register (HLR)—The HLR is a database used for storage and management
of subscriptions. The HLR is considered the most important database, as it stores
permanent data about subscribers, including a subscriber's service profile, location
information, and activity status. When an individual buys a subscription from one of the
PCS operators, he or she is registered in the HLR of that operator.
● Mobile services switching center (MSC)—The MSC performs the telephony switching
functions of the system. It controls calls to and from other telephone and data systems. It
also performs such functions as toll ticketing, network interfacing, common channel
signaling, and others.
● Visitor location register (VLR)—The VLR is a database that contains temporary
information about subscribers that is needed by the MSC in order to service visiting
subscribers. The VLR is always integrated with the MSC. When a mobile station roams
 into a new MSC area, the VLR connected to that MSC will request data about the mobile
station from the HLR. Later, if the mobile station makes a call, the VLR will have the
information needed for call setup without having to interrogate the HLR each time
● Authentication center (AUC)—A unit called the AUC provides authentication and
encryption parameters that verify the user's identity and ensure the confidentiality of each
call. The AUC protects network operators from different types of fraud found in today's
cellular world.
● Equipment identity register (EIR)—The EIR is a database that contains information about
the identity of mobile equipment that prevents calls from stolen, unauthorized, or
defective mobile stations. The AUC and EIR are implemented as stand-alone nodes or as
a combined AUC/EIR node

Figure 3. Overall GSM Architecture (SlidePlayer.com)

Base Station System

The BSS performs all radio-related functions, which consists of base station controllers
(BSCs) and the base transceiver stations (BTSs).

The BSC provides all the control functions and physical links between the MSC and
BTS. It is a high-capacity switch that provides functions such as handover, cell configuration
data, and control of radio frequency (RF) power levels in base transceiver stations. A number of
BSCs are served by an MSC.
The BTS handles the radio interface to the mobile station. The BTS is the radio
equipment (transceivers and antennas) needed to service each cell in the network. A group of
BTSs are controlled by a BSC.

Operation and Support System

The operations and maintenance center (OMC) is connected to all equipment in the
switching system and to the BSC. The implementation of OMC is called the operation and
support system (OSS). The OSS is the functional entity from which the network operator
monitors and controls the system. The purpose of OSS is to offer the customer cost-effective
support for centralized, regional, and local operational and maintenance activities that are
required for a GSM network. An important function of OSS is to provide a network overview
and support the maintenance activities of different operation and maintenance organizations.

Cellular Frequency Reuse

For the concept of cellular frequency reuse, the frequencies allocated to the service are
reused in a regular pattern of areas, called 'cells', each covered by one base station. In mobile
telephone nets these cells are usually hexagonal. In radio broadcasting, a similar concept has
been developed based on rhombic cells. To ensure that the mutual interference between users
remains below a harmful level, adjacent cells use different frequencies. In fact, a set of N
different frequencies {f1, ..., fn} are used for each cluster of N adjacent cells. Cluster patterns
and the corresponding frequencies are re-used in a regular pattern over the entire service area.
The total bandwidth for the system is N times the bandwidth occupied by a single cell.
 Figure 4. Frequency Reuse-3 Model in GSM (Reasearchgate.com)

Real World Counterpart

In actual practice for cell planning, cells are not hexagonal as in the theoretical studies.
Computer methods are being used for optimized planning of base station location and cell
frequencies. Path loss and link budgets are computed from the terrain features and antenna data.
This determines to coverage of each base station and interference to other cells.

Figure 5. Siemens TORNADO D Cellular Planning Tool (wirelesscommunication.nl)

Reuse Distance
 The closest distance between the centers of two cells using the same frequency in
different clusters is determined by the choice of the cluster size N and the lay-out of the cell
cluster. This distance is called the frequency reuse distance. It can be shown that the reuse
distance ru, normalized to the size of each hexagon, is ru = √3N.
For hexagonal cells, i.e., with 'honeycomb' cell lay-outs commonly used in mobile radio,
possible cluster sizes are N = i2 + ij + j2, with integer i and j (N = 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, ...). Integers i and j
determine the relative location of co-channel cells.

Figure 6. Frequency reuse plan for C = 3, with hexagonal cells. (i=1, j =1) (wirelesscommunication.nl)

Figure 7. Frequency reuse plan for C = 7 (i=2, j =1) (wirelesscommunication.nl)

GSM Frequency Reuse Patterns

For the frequency reuse pattern the frequencies used in GSM radio frequency planning
are divided among different frequency groups. GSM uses reuse patterns of 4/12 and 3/9 in most
of the GSM installations. 4/12 refers to 12 frequency groups and 4 base stations, this states that
the available GSM network frequencies are divided into 12 frequency groups across 4 BS sites. It
has been assumed that there are 3 cells interfaced with each BS. Here frequency groups are
designated11 as A1, B1, C1, D1, A2, B2, C2, D2, A3, B3, C3, D3.
Figure 8. GSM Frequency re-use pattern type 4/12 (rfwireless-world.com)
 III. SITE PROFILE

In this part, the coverage are of the design is presented. The area covered were certain
parts of Sampaloc, Manila and Quezon City. It has 1 cluster with 3 cells. There is a total of 1
BTS in the design as shown by the pin. It is placed at the middle of the sector. The BTS site is
also presented below which is located at B&M Building Maceda Street Sampaloc, Manila.

VICINITY MAP

Figure 9. Vicinity Map

CELL MAP

Figure 10. Cell Map

BTS SITE PROFILE

BTS C

Figure 11. BTS C

BTS ADDRESS
C 1487 Maceda Street Sampaloc, Manila
Table 1. BTS C Address
COVERED BARANGAY LIST
 Brgy 363. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 358. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 346. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 349. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 369. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 376. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 382. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 350. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 341. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 353. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 342. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 477. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 475. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 503. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 513. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 507. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 486. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 484. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 501. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 514. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 516. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 494. Sampaloc, Manila
 Brgy 492. Sampaloc, Manila
 Sta Teresita. Sampaloc, Manila
 San Isidro Labrador. Quezon City
 La Loma. Quezon City