Wimax RF Network Design Procedure

About Project --: Soma N/Ws is deploying a world Class state of Art Broad Band Wireless
Access Network in Coordination with BSNL .Soma is providing very High Speed Internet
Access to Home and Offices on Air.
In 3 Circles of India. The Circles are 1) Andhra Pradesh, 2) Gujrat, 3) Maharashtra.
Company has decided to outsource the all RF Activities viz.
1) CW Testing( Only One Frequency is available )
2) Network Area Calculation and Calculating Number of site required for Blanket
coverage.
3) Model Tuning
4) Network Coverage Plots ( Prediction Plots)
5) Site Survey and Site Database preparation.
6) Final Prediction Plots after Final Site Survey.
7) Network Drive testing.
8) Network Optimization ( Pre and Post )
For all above activities a Vender will be appointed and vendor will work in coordination with
Soma RF Dept/Engs.
The Following are the activities which will be outsourced to the vendor.
CW Testing ---:
Continuous Wave Test is the procedure where we check the spectrum cleanliness and also
used the same for
Finding Building penetration Loss and Model Tuning for different clutters. (Viz. Rural,
Urban, Dense Urban,
Highway).Various sites are selected for drive testing. Most probably 3 to 4 sites were
selected for drive testing
to tune the Model accurately for each Morphology .
Morphology describes the density and height of manmade or natural obstructions.
Morphology is used to more accurately predict the path loss.
Some morphology area definitions are Urban, Suburban, rural, open etc.
Density also applies to morphology definitions like dense urban, light suburban,
commercial etc.
This basically leads to a number of sub-area formations where the link budget will differ
and hence the cell radius and cell count will differ.
Vendor will select the sites and take approval for same from SOMA RF Dept. Samples
collected should be\
0.38 Wave lengths Apart. These sample power levels are then measured and collected by
the Drive test kit. This data is then loaded on the Planning tool and used for tuning
models.

Network Coverage Area Calculation and Calculating No. of sites required for
Blanket cov. -----:

Area for the given region / City / Village can be calculated using Google Earth, Clutter
Map, using
Authentic and Updated Maps.
Using link budget calculation, the maximum allowable path loss is calculated.
Using Okumura hata empirical formula, the initial cell radius can be calculated. Once the
cell radius is known,
the area covered by one site can be easily calculated. By dividing the total area to be
covered by the area of each
Cell, an initial estimate of the number of cells can be made.

Once the cell radius for each area is calculated, then the minimum number of cells required
to provide coverage can be determined.
For each area
A = 2.6R2
Where R - radius of cell A - Area of the corresponding hexagon.
Cell count = Urban Area (Km2) + Suburban area (Km2) + Rural Area (Km2)
Aruban (Km2)
Asuburban (Km2)
Arural (Km2)

Model Tuning ----:

Models are used to predict path loss. Different models are used for different purpose. Eg:Rural Macro-cell
\ -Okumura hata model, Microcells - Ray tracing. Models have to be tuned using data
collected by
drive testing.
Good propagation tool + Sound engineering ingenuity = Sound RF design.
Some of the popular prediction models are Okumura hata, Walfisch Ikegemi, COST231, Ray
tracing etc.
Propagation models use clutter and terrain data to predict cell coverage at a site.
However usually the terrain and clutter data available from the maps are not perfect.
This means that the actual cell coverage could be different from the predicted cell coverage.
This could in turn result in wrong cell designing. To avoid this model tuning is done. In model
tuning data collected from the
Propagation test is loaded on the planning tool. This data represents the real life condition
cell coverage.
The prediction for that cell is then done using the same conditions as were for the
propagation tests (i.e. using the same antenna type, same height of the antenna at the site,
same down tilts, same transmit power etc.).
Ideally both the propagation test cell coverage and the predicted cell coverage should
match. If they match then

the model does not require to be tuned. If the models do not match then the certain
parameters in the
propagation model equations are altered so that they both match. Once both the cell
coverage match the model is
then said to be tuned. Now the actual antenna type, height of antenna, transmit power are
used and prediction
done. This prediction can then be assumed to be correct. Cell designing is then done using
this prediction.
Network Coverage Prediction Plots ---: (Initial Planning before final Survey)
Initial Planning of cell sites depending on clutter type and no of sites calculated for the sub
Area.
Using generic models prepared by drive testing & prop test, run predictions for each cell
depending on morphology type to predict the coverage in the given Sub-areas.
Planning tool calculates the path loss and received signal strength using Co-ordinates of the
site location, Ground elevation above mean sea level, Antenna height above ground,
Antenna radiation pattern (vertical & horizontal) & antenna orientation, Power radiated from
the antenna.
Note the latitude and longitude from planning tool. Get the GPS Coordinate of the area from
mapping tool.
Release the search ring with details like Lat/Long, radius of search ring, height of antenna
etc.

Site Survey and Site Database preparation ----:

Final Site Survey has to conduct using the search ring released and site details.
Final Site database in Excel has been prepared , including all site details VIZ.
For each proposed location, surveys should carried out and at least 3 suitable site
candidates identified.
Details of each candidate should be recorded on a copy of the Site Proposal Form for that
site. Details must
Include:
Site name and option letter Site location (Lat. /Long), Building Height, Site address and
contact number
Height of surrounding clutter, Details of potential coverage effecting obstructions or other
comments (A, B, C...)
Tower Ht, Actual Ht to Install Ant. (In case of Tower Sharing), Ant Orientations (Potential
Directions), etc.
Network Coverage Prediction Plots ---: (Final Prediction Plots after Final Survey)
As the Final Database has been prepared, enter the sites exact location in the planning tool.

Now since the site has been selected and the lat/lon of the actual site (which will be different
from the designed
Site) is known, put this site in the planning tool and predict coverage. Check to see that the
coverage objectives are
met as per prediction.
If the prediction shows a coverage hole (as the actual site may be shifted from the designed
site), the surrounding
Search rings can be resettled and reviewed.
Network Drive testing ----:
After Completion of RF Deployments and once the sites were ready and go ON AIR, Drive
Testing of the Network is conducted to check the coverage test. Stand Alone Site test and all
Sites drive test is conducted to check weather
The site is radiating properly or not and to reduce overlapping of coverage to optimum
level .As well to provide maximum in building coverage and outdoor coverage. All the RF
Parameters should be thoroughly check and
Analysis is done to overcome any interference, call drops, Calls not maturing etc. Data Calls
should be checked for
Data throughput on Down Link and Uplink.
In order to verify that a candidate site, selected based on its predicted coverage area, is
actually covering all objective areas, drive test has to be performed. Drive test also points to
potential interference problems or handover problems for the site.The test transmitter have
to be placed at the selected location with all parameters
those have been determined based on simulations. Drive test all major roads and critical
areas like convention
Centers, major business areas, roads etc.Take a plot of the data and check for sufficient
signal strength, sufficient
overlaps and splashes (least interference to other cells).
Network Optimization ( Pre and Post ) ----:
After Drive testing is done, Analysis of the drive test files is done using post processing
tool and troubleshooting
/Optimization of Network is conducted. The weak coverage areas, Call Drop Areas, No
Coverage areas, poor Indoor Coverage, Overlapping Areas, Areas where there is
Interference, Analysis for all these problems is done using post processing tool and the
optimization is conducted for these problematic areas .
Once the Network is launch / ON AIR, frequent Drive tests conducted at regular intervals
and optimization is done to overcome the customer complaints.