Introduction to EDGE

• EDGE = Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution

– GSM2+ specification accepted 3G standard by 3GPP and ITU
– EDGE = EGPRS + ECSD
– GSM/EDGE RAN = GERAN
– GERAN Rel’5: In the near future common 3G core with same Iu interfaces
for multiradio GSM/EDGE/WCDMA RAN

• Improved GSM air-interface performance

– 8-PSK modulation method
– New modulation and & coding scheme (1-9)
– Incremental Redundancy (IR)
– Link Adaptation (LA) Enhancements
– In the near future (AMR)
EDGE modulation technique
 EDGE coding scheme

Different bit rate between CS1-CS4 and MCS1-MCS4 due to header

size to support resegmentation in EGPRS
 Technical Differences: GPRS - EGPRS
• Protocol differences
GPRS and EGPRS have different protocols on BSS par but share the same protocols
on core network side.
 Technical Differences: GPRS - EGPRS
• Packet handling
With EGPRS, resegmentation is possible. Packets can be retransmitted with more
error protection.
 Technical Differences: GPRS - EGPRS
• Addressing window
EGPRS addressing numbers/ window increased from 128 to 2048/ 64 to 1024.
• Measurement accuracy
Instead of slow twice in 240 ms period measurement as GPRS, BEP is measured in
every EGPRS burst resulted in better link adaptation.
• Interleaving
To reduce # bursts to be retransmitted, MCS7-9 transmit 2 radio blocks over 4 bursts
and interleave over 2 burst instead of 4.
 Link Adaptation and MCSs
• MCS scheme is dynamically selected to maximize throughput, depending
on the radio link conditions
• Different LA algorithms can be envisaged based on different link quality
indicators (e.g. BLER, C/I, BEP)
• Bit Error Probability (BEP) is a new MS quality measurement introduced in
EDGE for more accurate DL quality reporting
Incremental Redundancy (IR)

 IR increases probability to data

recovery and data rates esp. in
poor radio conditions for higher
MCSs
 Data retransmitted with
incremental coding and then
soft combined with previous
information until decoding
successful
 Known as Type II Hybrid ARQ
protocol
 Need no information about the
link quality to protect data
EGPRS Network Upgrade
 EGPRS planning aspects
 EDGE deployment doesn’t bring dramatic changes to radio network
planning with GPRS
 Frequency plan optimization can make a significant difference for the
achievable throughput
 Features such as LA should be utilized optimally
 Main concerns the allocation of capacity and steering of traffic to wanted
layer/cell/TRX
 Upcoming 2G/2.5G/3G parameterization challenges
 Changes to transmission capacity will be needed, if larger scale EDGE
deployment per cell/area is done

 The easiest way to implement EDGE is replacing TRX.

 The replacing can be done for every 1-3rd site

 EGPRS coverage planning
• Impairments of signal distortion due to amplifier non-linearity increase
susceptibility to errors

• Link budget calculated from required Es/No in each services

• 8 PSK mean power must have margin from saturated output power
called Modulation Back-off

2 dB back-off for BTS and 4 dB for MS

• No Body loss is taken in EDGE scenarios

• No HO scheme in PS link but retransmission and cell reselection, no fast
fading margin is assumed as in voice

• IR reduced required C/I (higher BLER, higher IR gain)

EGPRS coverage planning
EGPRS coverage planning
EGPRS Link Budget
EGPRS Link Budget
 EGPRS capacity planning
• GSM, assuming Poisson process voice call arrivals & traffic models with
simple Erlang B but data in EGPRS is complex.
• PS Traffic resources divided into 3 types as
• Dedicated EGPRS capacity
• Default EGPRS capacity
• Additional EGPRS capacity
• As higher load leads to less user data rate, ‘rate reduction’ is introduced
to linked occupied GPRS usage to %achieved data rate.
 EGPRS network dimensioning
Input data Dimensioning steps
• CS (Voice) traffic in BH (Erlangs CS) 1. CS traffic dimensioning
• PS (Data) traffic in BH (kbps/cell) 2. Calculate the Erlang PS
• GPRS layer and characteristics: 3. Calculate TS Capacity for PS
• BCCH (frequency reuse) 4. Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
• Hopping type 5. Obtain #TS for PS load
• Power Control 6. Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
• MS Time Slot capabilities 7. Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
8. Evaluate EGPRS performance
QoS 9. Guarantee certain capacity and quality
• Average PS load support (kbps/cell)
• Maximum PS load possible (kbps/cell)
• Minimum PS traffic guarantee(kbps/cell)
• PS average throughput per user (kbps)
 EGPRS network dimensioning
Input Data
BCCH reuse: 12 Dimensioning steps
BH CS traffic: 5 erl 1. CS traffic dimensioning
BH PS traffic: 200 kbps/cell
2. Calculate the Erlang PS
Average MS cap: 3 TS
3. Calculate TS Capacity for PS
EGPRS launched on hopping layer
4. Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
and later with QoS..
5. Obtain #TS for PS load
Min Guaranteed PS: 100 kbps/cell
Ave PS throughput/ MS: 64 kbps 6. Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
7. Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
Step 1 & 2 8. Evaluate EGPRS performance
CS traffic:
9. Guarantee certain capacity and quality
ErlB(Tbh=5 erl, Blk=0.02) = 10 TS

PS traffic TS Capacity also depends on the Erlang PS, so few

iterations needed to get accurate ErlPS and TS Cap
ErlPS = BH PS traf / TS Cap
= 200 kbps/ 45 kbps = 4.4
 EGPRS network dimensioning
As TS Cap depends on EGPRS layer
Dimensioning steps
a) Obtain equivalent PS Erlangs
the impact of CS traffic with DLPC and DTX 1. CS traffic dimensioning
creates less traffic to PS 2. Calculate the Erlang PS
3. Calculate TS Capacity for PS
5 erlangs CS
 4.4 erlangs PS   6.9 4. Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
2
5. Obtain #TS for PS load
b) Obtain TS Capacity
From simulation, TS capacity for 6.9 Erlang 6. Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
is 47.3 kbps 7. Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
Timeslot capacity 8. Evaluate EGPRS performance
60

50 9. Guarantee certain capacity and quality

Load [Data Erlang]

40

30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Load [Data Erlangs]
Reuse 3/9 (B) Reuse 4/12 (B) Reuse 5/15 (B) Reuse 7/21 (B)
 EGPRS network dimensioning
With the first iteration, the error would be:
Dimensioning steps
error(%) = (47.3-45) x 100 = 4.9%
47.3 1. CS traffic dimensioning
2. Calculate the Erlang PS
So recalculate step 2&3 (iteration 2) 3. Calculate TS Capacity for PS
Calculate Erlangs PS 4. Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
ErlangPS = 200 kbps = 4.2
5. Obtain #TS for PS load
47.3 kbps
6. Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
Calculate TS Capacity 7. Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
Equivalent ErlangPS : 8. Evaluate EGPRS performance
5 erlangs CS 9. Guarantee certain capacity and quality
 4.2 erlangs PS   6.7
2

Obtain TS capacity from simulation graph

The TS capacity for 6.7 Erl is 47.3 kbps
 EGPRS network dimensioning
5) Obtain # TS to support PS load
Dimensioning steps
Minimum number of TS needed for PS
services is round up integer of Erlang PS 1. CS traffic dimensioning
2. Calculate the Erlang PS
Ns = int [4.2] = 5 TS 3. Calculate TS Capacity for PS
4. Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
6) Min # TRXs for average CS & PS load
5. Obtain #TS for PS load
Assume #dedicated PS TS & guard TS= 2
6. Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
Total TS = Max {TS for CS, H} + ded. TS 7. Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
H = (int[ErlCS] + guard TS) + 8. Evaluate EGPRS performance
(int[ErlPS] – ded. TS)
9. Guarantee certain capacity and quality

Total TS = Max{10, (5+2)+(5-2)}+2 = 12 TS

So minimum #TRX required = 2 TRXs

 EGPRS network dimensioning
7) Calculate reduction factor
Dimensioning steps
Due to PS resources are shared between
different users and CS traffic preemption, not 1. CS traffic dimensioning
the whole TS is available for each user. 2. Calculate the Erlang PS
Reduction Factor (RF) is defined as portion of 3. Calculate TS Capacity for PS
TS available for a user at different load. 4. Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
With # TRX, CS and PS load as input, the RF
5. Obtain #TS for PS load
factor can be obtained from lookup table, in
this example: 6. Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
RF = 0.407 7. Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
8. Evaluate EGPRS performance
9. Guarantee certain capacity and quality
 EGPRS network dimensioning
8) Evaluate performance of EGPRS network
Dimensioning steps
Maximum possible PS load:
12(TS avail for PS) x 47.3 kbps = 568 kbps 1.
2.
Average PS load supported: 3.
(12(TS PS) – 5 ErlCS) x 47.3 = 331.1 kbps 4.
5.
Minimum PS load supported:
2 (ded. TS) x 47.3 kbps = 94.6 kbps 6.
7.
Average user throughput: 8.
3 (MS TS) x 0.407(RF) x 47.3 kbps = 58kbps
9.
CS traffic dimensioning
Calculate the Erlang PS
Calculate TS Capacity for PS
Calculate accurate PS load (reiterate 2 and 3.)
Obtain #TS for PS load
Minimum #TRXs for PS and CS load
Calculate reduction factor (due to PS MUX)
Evaluate EGPRS performance
Guarantee certain capacity and quality

9) Guarantee QoS
Compare result performance with required
QoS, recalculation if needed.
 Planning EGPRS features
• Incremental Redundancy (On or Off)
• Link Adaptation (Off, On RLC ACK, On)
• Highest MCS allowed
• Default MCS for (UNACK and ACK mode)
• BEP filter averaging period
• Inhibit the use of 8PSK on BCCH frequency
• Cell selection and re-selection
Planning EGPRS features
 The future of EDGE
• Traffic growth • How has the GPRS traffic
evolved in the network ?

• How does the GSM

• UMTS timetable capacity respond to this ?

• Do we believe in short term

• EDGE terminals mobile data take off ?

• Operator business cases

• EDGE capable infrastructure

 The future of EDGE
• What is the operators
• Traffic growth strategic/ financial UMTS
commitment ?

• UMTS timetable • Launch dates are postponed

in Europe

• EDGE terminals • How ready is the UMTS

infrastructure ?

• Would EDGE offer

• Operator business cases competitive advantage before
UMTS is widely deployed ?

• EDGE capable infrastructure • When to start utilising the

enormous capacity of
WCDMA ?
 The future of EDGE
• E2002 in US, but when in
• Traffic growth Europe ?

• Classical chicken-and-egg
• UMTS timetable problem again

• Asian EDGE commitment

• EDGE terminals will guarantee EDGE
terminals to 900/1800
bands ?
• Operator business cases • What is the vendors’
commitment and ability to
take risks ?
• EDGE capable infrastructure
• Multimode UMTS/EDGE
terminals the best bet ?
 The future of EDGE
• E2002 in US, but when in
• Traffic growth Europe ?

• Classical chicken-and-egg
• UMTS timetable problem again

• Asian EDGE commitment

• EDGE terminals will guarantee EDGE
terminals to 900/1800
bands ?
• Operator business cases • What is the vendors’
commitment and ability to
take risks ?
• EDGE capable infrastructure
• Multimode UMTS/EDGE
terminals the best bet ?
 The future of EDGE
• Traffic growth • What is the EDGE
capability of current network
infrastructure ?
• UMTS timetable • How is that capability
spread over the network ?

• EDGE terminals • Capacity extensions done

with EDGE HW ?

• Operator business cases • Geographical swap ?

• EDGE capable infrastructure

 Conclusions
• EDGE would be the best network evolution for GSM operators on the
road to UMTS (as in US)

• The needed investments are a lot smaller than in WCDMA

• Planning/deployment complexity is a fraction of that of WCDMA

• EDGE provides ~2,5 times the performance of GPRS and enables

similar services than UMTS
• EDGE is been specified by the 3GPP to fully meet UMTS QoS in the
future with Iu-interface + common 3G core network

• The feasibility of EDGE is network specific

EDGE will live alongside of WCDMA, but who is ready to

drive the market and set the role of EDGE in 3G field for the future?
The scale of EDGE deployment is highly dependant on early UMTS success
 Exercise
An operator has GPRS network in city X with 250 Base Stations. All together there is
720 cells and 1600 TRXs serving the subscriber base of 200,000.

Operator wants to offer EDGE to its customers by replacing one GSM TRX in every
cell within the city area with an EDGE TRX.

Based on the network statistical data, there is in average 2.8 timeslots (in downlink)
available for EDGE user in the busiest hour. The average division of used MCSs for a
EDGE connection is 3% MCS9, 30%, 60% MCS7 and 7% MCS6. Now Calculate:

1) The average throughput for a EDGE user in the busiest hour (kbit/s)
2) The available EDGE throughput in the coverage area over the busiest hour
(Mbits)*
3) The theoretical average monthly data usage available per EDGE subscriber
(Mbits), assuming that all the network EDGE capacity is utilised**

* Assuming that all timeslots (8) of every EDGE TRX are dedicated for the data usage
** Assuming that all subscribers have EDGE capable terminals. The busy hour takes 20% of the daily
traffic and the traffic is otherwise evely distributed over a month.