Wireless and Mobile Communication

Chapter-2 Cellular System

(Part-I)

Dr. Anjaneyulu Pattem

Dr. Arun Rai Vadde
 Wireless Mobile Communications

1.1 Cellular system

1.2 Hexagonal geometry
1.3 Concept of Frequency Reuse
1.4 Channel Assignment strategies
1.5 Co channel interference (S/I considerations)
1.6 Adjacent channel interference

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 1.1 Cellular system

Coverage area is divided into smaller areas called as cells.

Instead of large high power transmitter, a low power
transceiver called as base station, is located in each cell.
Available channels in the system are distributed among the
cells such that channels used in one cell may be reused in
another cell. This channel repetition is called as frequency
reuse, which increases system capacity.
A cellular system with frequency reuse is shown in Figure-1.
In this system, there are three groups (shown borders with
bold lines). Each group use the same set of frequencies
(channels), and these groups are called as clusters.
Each cluster is consisting of cells from A to G. Also each cell
shape is shown as hexagonal.
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Figure-1: Cells and frequency reuse

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 1.2 Hexagonal geometry
Hexagonal geometry is chosen for the cell based on the
following considerations :
With the cell shape, cells should be without overlapping, and
without gaps between the adjacent cells (not circles).
A cell must be designed to serve the weakest mobile in the cell
area. i.e., a mobile user who is far from the base station, even at
the edge of the cell, is supposed to be served with good signal to
noise ratio.
By using hexagonal geometry fewest number of cells can cover
larger area, (not possible for square and triangle shapes).
Hexagon closely approximates the circular radiation pattern.
Hexagon is relatively a close approximation to a circle.
 1.3 Frequency reuse

Frequency reuse is in the sense that the available channels

will be distributed among the cells in one cluster and the
same set of frequencies are repeatedly used in the adjacent
clusters.
Thus the channels used in one cluster consisting of the cells
labled from A to G, are used again in any adjacent cluster
for the cells labled from A to G, as shown in Figure-1.
i.e. Channels assigned to one cell (A) in one cluster , repeated
in another cell (A) in another cluster. These two cells are
called as co-channel cells. This is applicable to all other
cells in the cluster.

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Frequency reuse

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 Capacity of the System

Capacity, C, of the system can be estimated from the

following parameters:
S is number of available channels in the system
k is number of channels per cell
N is number of cells per cluster, also called as cluster size
M is cluster repetition number (M is 3 in Figure-1)
Then the capacity of the system is given as
C=MkN=MS ……….(1)
where S = k.N ……….(2)
Also (1/N) is called as frequency reuse factor.

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 Finding the cochannnel cells

Possible clusters for hexagonal shaped cells:

Cluster size, N is possible satisfying the following relation
N = i2 + j2 + ij, ……….(3)
where i, and j are non negative integers.
Finding the co-channnel cells with reference to i, and j, is
illustrated in Figure-2.
Steps:
1. Move i cells along any chain of hexagon cells
2. Turn 600 counter clockwise, and move j cells along that
direction.
This is illustrated in the Figure-2, for i=3 and j=2, for N=19.

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Figure-2: Finding the cochannnel cells

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 Example-1

Distribute a spectrum of bandwidth, 33 MHz, in a cellular

system with cluster sizes, a) N=4, b) N=7 and c)N=12. Each
channel spacing is 25 kHz. If 1 MHz is allocated for control
channels, show the even distribution among the cells.
Sol:
Available spectrum = 33 MHz
Each duplex channel bandwidth = 2x 25 kHz = 50 kHz.
Total available channels = 33000 / 50 = 660
Distribution of total available channels:
N= 4 available channels per cell = 660/4 = 165
N= 7 available channels per cell = 660/7 = 94
N= 12 available channels per cell = 660/12 = 55
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 Example-1

Bandwidth allocated for control channels = 1 MHz

Number of available control channels = 1000/50 = 20
Therefore among 660 channels, 20 channels are allocated for
control channels. Then the Distribution of total available
control and voice channels are shown as below:
N= 4
No. of cells no. of voice no. of control
channels per cell channels per cell
4 165 5
 Example-1

N= 7
No. of cells no. of voice no. of control
channels per cell channels per cell
4 92 3
2 90 3
1 92 2
N= 12
No. of cells no. of voice no. of control
channels per cell channels per cell
8 53 2
4 54 1

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 1.4 Channel assignment strategies

Channel assignment strategies are of two types:

Fixed channel and dynamic channel assignment strategies
Fixed channel assignment strategy:
In this strategy, a cell assigned a particular number of voice
channels. Each requested user is served one channel.
If all the channels are occupied, then next requesting user will
not be served because of the lack of the channel. In that
case that user call is called as blocked (not completed).
To avoid call blocking there is an alternative, such that a
channel can be borrowed from any neighboring cell. This
is called as channel borrowing strategy. This is supervised
by MSC.

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 dynamic channel assignment strategy

Dynamic Channel Assignment:

All the available channels are collectively arranged in a pool,
and whenever a user requests, a channel will be served.
After use of the channel, it is again added to the pool to
serve further.
This increases trunking capacity and avoids call blocking.
For this it requires data of some parameters such as channel
occupancy, traffic distribution, likelyhood of call blocking,
radio signal strength indication, probability of request
from the users, etc.

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 1.5 Interference and system capacity

Possible sources for interference to a mobile in a cell:

Another mobile in the same cell operating on adjacent
frequency.
Call in progress in the neighboring cell
Neighboring base station operating in the same frequency band.
Any non cellular source leaking energy into the cell frequency
band.
Interference on voice channels leads to cross talk and
Interference on control channels leads to missed and blocking
of calls.
Interference is of two types:
Cochannel interference and adjacent channel interference

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 1.5 Cochannel interference

Cells, which use the same set of frequencies, are called as

cochannels.
Interference of signals from these cells is called as cochannel
interference.
This interference can’t be minimized by raising simply the
transmitter power.
This interference is independent of transmitter power, since
all the cells are of same size and are having similar
features.
Distance between co-channel cells should be large to satisfy
minimum interference between these cells. Thus distance
between cells labeled , A, in any two adjacent clusters
should be kept large.
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 Cochannel interference

This interference can be minimized by increasing the spatial

distance between the cochannels, for a fixed radius, R of
the cell.
Co channel reuse ratio, Q, is defined as the ratio of the spatial
distance, D, between centres of the cochannels, to the
coverage distance or radius, R of the cell.
For hexagonal geometry, Q can be shown as
Q= D/R = (3N) 1/2 ……….(4)
From the above equation, for smaller values of N, i.e cluster
size, system capacity can be increased, where as for larger
values of Q, cochannel interference can be minimized.
Therefore a trade off is required in between these two.

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 S/I considerations

For different values of N, calculation of Q for the tradeoff is

shown in the following table.
When i0 be the number of cochannel cells (in the first tier),
then signal to interference ratio (S/I) is given as
S/I = S / ∑ Ii, i=1 to i0 ……….(5)
Where S is desired signal power from the desired base
station, and Ii is the power from the ith interfering
cochannel base station.

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Q values for different N

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 S/I considerations

From the propagation measurements, power received at a

point in the far field region from the transmitter decays as
the power law of the distance separation between the
transmitter and the receiver and it is given as
P α (d )-n ……….(6)
Where P is the received power at a point d distance from the
transmitter antenna and n is the path loss exponent.
From the above equation, with reference to power at close in
point distance, d0, in the far field, the power Pr at any
point, d from the transmitter antenna are related as
Pr = P0 (d/d0 )-n ……….(7)

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 S/I considerations

If Di is the distance of the ith interfering cell from the mobile,

then the S/I is given as
S/I = R-n / ∑ Di-n ……….(8)
Also if all the cells are of same size and the first tier cells are
equidistance, D, from the mobile, then it can be re
rewritten as
S/I = (D/R)n / i0 = (3N)n/2 / i0 ……….(9)
For an expected S/I of 18 dB, with n=4, N comes around 7.
Thus to achieve 18 dB it requires, a cluster of size, 7.

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 S/I considerations

The following example can be considered to assess the role of

cochannel interference in the determination of system
capacity and the cluster size.
Considering, base stations and the location of the mobile in a
7 cell cluster, as shown in Figure-3, S/I ratio for this cell
structure is given as
S/I = R-n / 2(D-1)-n + 2(D+1)-n + 2(D)-n ….(10)
Which can be simplified to
S/I = 1 / 2(Q-1)-4 + 2(Q+1) -4 + 2(Q) -4 ….(11)

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Figure-3: S/I considerations

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 S/I considerations

17 dB, which is slightly less than the required 17.8 dB, which
can be obtained from the original equation. Thus to
achieve 17.8 dB, required cluster size is N=12. If this is
used there is a decrease in the system capacity.
Thus cochannel interference contribute in the estimation of
system capacity and the cluster size i.e for the frequency
reuse plan.

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 Example-2

If signal to interference ratio of 15 dB is required in a cellular

system for satisfactory forward channel performance, then
calculate the cluster size, that should achieve maximum
capacity, when path loss coefficient , n is 4 and 3. Assume
number of cochannels from the mobile is 6 and all these
are at equidistance from the mobile.

Solution:
Path loss exponent, n=4 case:
let N = 7, then cochannel re use ratio, Q = 4.6,
For this S/I is obtained as
S/I = (1/6) (4.6)4 = 74.624
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 Example-2

S/I in dB is obtained as 18.72 dB, which is more than the

required. Hence cluster size required is N=7.
Path loss exponent, n=3 case:
let N = 7, then cochannel re use ratio, Q = 4.6,
For this S/I is obtained as
S/I = (1/6) (4.6)3 = 16.222
S/I is 12.10 dB, which is less than the required. So for the next
choice, N=12, Q=6.0, for n=3,
S/I = (1/6) (6)3 = 36, and it is 15.56 dB, which is
more than the required. Hence the required cluster size is
12 under path loss exponent, n=3.

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 1.6 Adjacent channel interference

Interference of signals from adjacent channels to the desired

channel is called as adjacent channel interference.
Effect of adjacent channel interference can be given in terms
of near far effect. This is the effect occurred when a mobile
user nearby a base station transmitting on a channel and
another mobile transmitting on adjacent to this channel far
from the base station. In this case there is a difficulty for
base station to discriminate the two mobiles.
Adjacent channel interference can be minimized using proper
filters and using relevant channel assignments.

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 Adjacent channel interference

In the case of channel assignments, adjacent channels

allocated in a cell are arranged such that the adjacent
channels are far separated to achieve minimum
interference. Usually more than six channel spacings
between adjacent channels are used.

In US AMPS systems, allocation of voice and control

channels, to achieve minimum adjacent channel
interference, is shown in Figure-4. A total of 832 duplex
channels (frequency plan is shown in chapter-1), are
divided into two blocks : block-A and block-B. Each block
is assigned to one network operator.

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 Adjacent channel interference

Thus each operator receives 416 channels from which 395 are
voice channels and 21 are control channels.
Arrangement of these 395 voice channels are divided into 21
subsets, each subset contains 19 channels as shown in
figure.
In a 7 cell reuse cellular system, each cell is allocated with 3
sub sets.
Thus in each cell minimum adjacent channel separation is 7
spacings and any adjacent channel in the 21 subsets, the
channel spacing is 21. With this separation, minimum
adjacent channel interference can be obtained.

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*Figure-4: Channel allocation for Block A and Block B

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