New Concepts for Optimization

Enhanced Approaches Using Measured Data

presenter Richard Edge

Contents

Developing a new concept - Veritune

Validating the Veritune concept

Developing a practical solution

Conclusions
 Developing a
new concept
- Veritune

Is this really the best way of

doing things?
(Picture – Testing Golf Clubs by Heath-Robinson)
The importance of antenna optimization in
UMTS
Downtilt, azimuth and power
changes control are used to
control radio propagation
If a cell causes too much
interference in a UMTS /
WCDMA network…
… frequency planning is no
longer an option…
…the only options are
power and antenna
optimisation.
Antenna optimisation in
UMTS is both more frequent
and important than in GSM
networks.
A typical antenna optimization process

Changes identified by:

Field drive drive 03
Optimized!
Validation 02
01
 Predicted data
 ‘Ranging’ spreadsheets
 Experience…
Uncertain results
Antenna
Time-consuming changes
in field
KPI analysis
cost

Identify changes to
antenna coverage
time
How do we speed up the process?

Reducing the loops is key Field drive

Validation
Drive Test drive 02
01
to reducing time to revenue:
 Get an acceptable solution
as early as possible.
How do we improve the Time consuming
certainty that our changes
Antenna
will work? changes KPI analysis
in field
Relatively quick

Identify changes to
antenna coverage
Some principles for a new concept in
optimisation to reduce the number of loops

Improve prediction accuracy by simplifying

the problem (rather than increasing the
complexity of the model)
Wherever possible use real data (rather
than predicting measurable information)
Guide the user towards the solution (rather
than prescribing a solution automatically)
Present results in the same format as
measured data (rather than presenting a grid
of data)

(Picture – NASA Space Pen)

 Review – how a planning tool predicts network
performance

Antenna Masking
Required inputs: Map database, antenna
performance and configuration

Modified Interfering
Cell Cells

Interference Generation
Link Budget Path Loss Required inputs: Map database, model
Required inputs: Required inputs: Map diffraction/penetration/ reflection assumptions, antenna
Equipment database, model performance and configuration, traffic geographical
performance & diffraction/penetration/ distribution, building penetration, interferer link budget, traffic
configuration. reflection assumptions. modelling, power control, RRM modelling, mobile location in
buildings.
The planning tool prediction process
Traffic
Model

Map Data Pathloss

Prediction
Pilot
Propagation RSCP
Model

Antenna Masking
Model Pilot EcNo

Site RSSI
Configuration
Service
Channel Model EbNo

Served
Traffic Map Users
 Applying the principles - Veritune

Antenna Masking
Required Inputs: Map database, antenna
performance and configuration

Modified Interfering
Cell Cells

Link Budget Path Loss Interference Generation

Measure Signal Strength. Required Inputs: Map database, antenna performance and
Not Required.
configuration of changed interfering cells.
 The Veritune prediction process
Measured
Pilot EcNo

Measured
Pilot RSCP

Antenna Masking
Model Pilot RSCP Pilot EcNo

Map Data

Site
Configuration
An improved antenna optimisation process
with Veritune
Optimized!
Field
Validation
drive drive 02
01

Optimisation loops are

taken out of the field onto
the desktop
Antenna
changes KPI analysis
in field
cost

Less cycles
saves time,
reduces cost

time Actix Veritune

Traditional process
on desktop
With Actix Veritune
Validating the Veritune concept
 Validation approach
Actix Veritune
Before Synthetic
Drive Drive

Configuration Comparison
Changes

Traditiona After
l Tuning Drive

• Validation was carried out using historically collected data.

• Synthetic drives calculated off ‘before’ measured drives
were compared to ‘after’ measured drives, and the error at
each data bin calculated.
Input measurements

Trials of 4 clusters (33 sector changes, 20 control sectors)

have been carried out across a variety of rural, suburban
and urban environments, in flat and hilly terrain.
A total of 8545 data bins were considered, approximately
427km driving.
No data filtering was carried out:
 Sector heights ranged between 12m and 48m
 Measurements both within and beyond the main lobe by
bearing were considered
 All ranges were considered up to 14km (including less than
500m)
The validation results
Standard deviations significantly improve upon typical
propagation model accuracies (benchmark 8dB – top of the below
graph).
The mean error was within 1dB of the control set for all clusters.
8

7
Standard Deviation (dB)

5
Control
4
Veritune
3

2 4.8dB
1 without 2
outlying
0
sectors
Rural/Suburban A Rural/Suburban B Urban Hilly dense urban
How consistent are the results?

A majority of sectors exhibited consistent performance:

20
18
16
standard deviation
Number of Sectors

14
mean
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6 6 to 7 7 to 8 8 to 9 9 to 10
Range (dB)

Outlying
sectors
Distribution of error with distance

Error Plot with Distance

30.00

20.00

10.00
Error (dB)

0.00 Rural

-10.00

-20.00

-30.00
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000
Distance (m)
Developing a practical solution
Implementing the principles in practice

2 3
1

Enabling 3 easy steps to fast, in-office optimization:

Step 1. Identify poorly performing areas
Step 2. Review guidance towards possible solution
Step 3. Simulate the effect of antenna changes
1 Identify poorly performing areas

 Complementary visual
and analytical
methods:
 Select geographic
problem areas; or
 Concentrate on
problem cells.
2 Review guidance towards possible solution

 Trace and identify

interferers
 Offer scenario analysis
 Shows a range of
sector settings and
estimated performance
Retain local knowledge
input for informed
decision-making
3 Simulate the effects of antenna changes

 Make a change then see

the difference on the
map and in statistics.
 Make multiple changes
and see cumulative
effects.
 Allow existing analysis,
queries and reports to
be run on the synthetic
log file

View effect of changes

Summary
The value to an operator

Reduce drive testing

 How much would you save by a 20% reduction in required drive
tests?
Accelerate time to revenue
 How are your business targets helped by reducing the number
of optimisation iterations by 15%?
Reduce antenna changes
 What would be the benefits of 20% less antenna re-work?
Improve engineers efficiency
 How much more effective could engineers be with a single tool
for acceptance and tuning?
Thank you

Richard Edge
richard.edge@actix.com
+44 7971 409514