1

Network Planning and

Optimization

NanoCell Technologies

www.nanocellindia.com

GSM Recap
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Rayleigh Fading Channel
Average
Level with 10 dB
margin for 95 %
probability
3
Variant Uplink
(MHz)
Downlink
(MHz)
Total
Bandwidth
Duplex-
frequency
separation
ARFCN
Range
GSM-900
(primary
band)
890-915 935-960 Twice 25
MHz
45 MHz 1 124
Extended
GSM-900
880-915 925-960 Twice 35
MHz
45 MHz 1 124 &
975 1023
DCS-1800 1,710-
1,785
1,805-1,880 Twice 75
MHz
95 MHz 512 885
PCS-1900 1,850-
1,910
1,930-1,990 Twice 60
MHz
80 MHz 512 810
GSM Bands & ARFCN
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GSM Frame Formats
5
Normal Burst Format
2
One Slot
(156.25 symbols for 576.92msecs)
1 3 4 5 6
One Frame = 4.615msecs (216.66 frames/sec)
7 0
Normal Slot on DL and UL
Stealing (flag) Bits Tail Bits
TB TB
Training
sequence
Guard
Bits
3 26 3 8.25
Payload Payload
57
57
1 1
6
DL & UL Frame Arrangement
2 1 3 4 5 6
Downlink Transmission
7
0
Uplink Transmission
2 1 3 4 5 6
Uplink Frame
7 0
Downlink Frame
0 1
2
7 6 5
Downlink - Uplink
Offset (3 Time Slots)
Duplex Transmission
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Logical Channel - Purposes
Name of Logical
Channel & direction
Purpose of Channel Format of Channel
Frequency Correction
Channel (FCCH) DL
Enables MS to acquire
carrier frequency of BTS
142 0s
Synchronization
Channel (SCH) DL
Allows MS to acquire
frame synchronisation &
BSIC
39 bits + 64 training
bits + 39 bits
Broadcast Control
Channel (BCCH) DL
Allows MS to get various
system information
Normal Bursts (4
frames)
Paging Channel (PCH)
DL
Paging for MS(s) Normal Bursts (4
frames)
Random Access
Channel (RACH) - UL
MS sending access
request
36 bits + 48 training
bits + 56 extra
guard bits
Access Grant Channel
(AGCH) DL
Allocating SDCCH to MS Normal Bursts (4
frames)
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Combined BCCH

Combined CCCH/SDCCH/4 Multiframe
f s b b b b c
f
c f c s c c c c c c c c f c
f
s t t t t t t t t f
f
t t t t t t t t f s
f
s s s s s s s s s
t t t t r r s f s s s s s s r r r r r r r s f r r r r r r r r r r f r r r r t r t t t r f t t t r t r t t t
Downlink
Uplink
CHANNELS f = FCCH b = BCCH r = RACCH
s = SCH/SACCH c = CCCH t = SDCCH/4
51 TDMA frames = 235 ms
t
0 50
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Non Combined - CCCH
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SDCCH/8 Channels
11
Base Station Colour Code
12
Base Station Colour Code
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Location Updating
14
Handover Syncronised
15
Handover Non-Syncronised
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Handover Failure
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System information Type 3 broadcasts two parameters for cell
selection called CELL_BAR_QUALIFY & CELL_BAR_ACCESS
Based upon these two parameters, MS will classify the cell into
Normal, Barred and Low priority cells
CELL_BAR_QUALIFY CELL_BAR_ACCESS Priority for Cell
Selection
FALSE FALSE Normal
FALSE TRUE Barred
TRUE FALSE Low
TRUE TRUE Low
Cell Selection
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C1 Criterion
C1 Criterion is used to decide these two factors
If the MS is in the coverage area of the cell
If the mobile station has enough power to reach the BTS from
the location where it is at the moment
C1 Criterion makes use of the following parameters
Received signal level at the MS side
Parameter RXLEV_ACCESS_MIN
Parameter MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH
Maximum power of the mobile station
Cell Selection
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C1 = A Max (B,0)
where A = (Average receive power level RX_ACCESS_MIN)
B = MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH
Path loss criterion is satisfied if C1 > 0
Cell selection parameters appearing in System Information Type 3
Message in BCCH
RX_ACCESS_MIN
B = MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH
CELL_BAR_ACCESS
CELL_BAR_QUALIFY
Cell Selection
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CELL_BAR_QU
ALIFY
CELL_BAR_AC
CESS
Priority for Cell
Reselection
FALSE FALSE Normal
FALSE TRUE Barred
TRUE FALSE Normal
TRUE TRUE Normal
Parameters For Cell Reselection
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C2 criterion is used to enable the MS to reselect cells belonging to
suitable layer based upon mobility of MS (vehicle velocity)
C2 criterion is also used to create a hysteresis corridor around
Location Area boundary during cell reselection
Additional parameters used for C2 criterion are
CELL_RESELECT_OFFSET
PENALTY_TIME
TEMPORARY_OFFSET
CELL_RESELECT_HYSTERESIS
Cell Reselection
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Cell Reselection Hysteresis
Location update to LA1
Location update to LA2
LA2 LA1
Frequent reselection of cells by mobiles in the boundary between location
areas can create more location updates resulting in SDCCH congestion
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Location update to LA1
Location update to LA2
LA2 LA1












To avoid unnecessary location updates taking place , the
CELL_RESELECT_HYSTERESIS parameter is used
Cell Reselection Hysteresis
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Frequency Diversity
Is used to overcome the effect of bad channel
Provides average channel conditions to all the mobiles
Improves the fading margin required
Interference Diversity
Removes the effect of co channel interferers
Reduces the interference level for all users
Improves the C/I
Facilitates tighter frequency reuse
Benefits Of Frequency Hopping
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0 4 3 2 1 5 6 7
RTSL
f1
f2
f3
f4
TRX-1
TRX-4
TRX-3
TRX-2
B
B = BCCH timeslot. It does
not hop
Time slots 17 of all TRXs
hop over (f1,f2,f3,f4).
Time slot 0 of TRX-2,3,4 hop over f2,f3,f4.
BB hopping on 4 TRXs. The BCCH TRX is hopping except on RTSL-0.
Baseband Hopping
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Baseband
Switching
Circuits
Hopping
Control
Baseband
Section 1
Baseband
Section 2
Baseband
Section 3
Baseband
Section 4
RF Section
1 (f1)
RF Section
2 (f2)
RF Section
2 (f3)
RF Section
2 (f4)
Baseband Hopping
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRX1 tuned to carrier
frequency f1
TDMA frame
TRX2 tuned to carrier
frequency f2
TRX3 tuned to carrier
frequency f3
Unassigned TCH
User 1 User 2
Idle
Baseband Hopping
BCCH
channel
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRX2
Transmitted on
carrier f2
TRX3
TRX4
User 1 User 2
Idle
Transmitted on
carrier f1
Transmitted on
carrier f3
Transmitted on
carrier f3
Transmitted on
carrier f2
Transmitted on
carrier f4
Transmitted on
carrier f4
Transmitted on
carrier f3
Transmitted on
carrier f1
RF Hopping
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B = BCCH timeslot. TRX1 does
not hop
Non-BCCH TRXs are hopping over the MA-list
(f1,f2,f3,.fn) attached to the cell
RF hopping in 3-TRX cell
TRX-2
TRX-1
TRX-3
B
f1,
f2,
f3,
fn
f1,
f2,
f3,
fn
. . . .
f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0
f0
RF Hopping
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Baseband + RF (BCCH
carrier tuned to f0)
TX1 Output
Baseband + RF
TX4 Output
Baseband + RF
TX2 Output
.
.
Synthesizer Hopping
Control (f1, f2, f3, fn)
Synthesizer Hopping
Control (f1, f2, f3, fn)
RF Hopping
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Hopping Sequence Number (0...63) (HSN) A parameter used in
randomising the hopping sequence. If HSN = 0, it means cyclic
hopping, 1...63 means random hopping. Each hopping group may
have an HSN of its own
Mobile Allocation (MA) List of Absolute Radio Frequency Channel
Numbers, which are used in a particular hopping sequence
MA-list Mobile allocation frequency list. This is an object in the
BSC's database. It defines the MA for a RF hopping cell
Mobile Allocation Index Offset (MAIO) Hopping sequence starting
point for each RTSL using the same MA. MAIO synchronises the
RTSLs, which use the same MA, to use different frequencies at a time
MAIO step (MS) MAIOs can be allocated every second or every
third value, for example. Range from 1 (the old management) to 62
Frequency Hopping Parameters
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Directed Retry
macro cell
micro cells
DR
congestion
DR
congestion
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Omni Directional Antenna
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Omni Directional Antenna
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Sectored Antenna
Gain of 11 to 19 dBi in the main direction
F/B ratio of 30 dB
Horizontal HPBW of 60
Mechanical tilt
Electrical tilt possible for fine tuning
Combined 3sector, dual polarized
antennas in one housing are available to
reduce optical impact
Equipped with six connectors.
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Antenna Tilts
Omni Antenna 0
o
tilt
Omni Antenna x
o
electrical tilt
x
o

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Antenna Tilts
Sector Antenna
0
o
tilt
Sector Antenna
x
o
mechanical tilt
x
o

x
o

Sector Antenna
x
o
electrical tilt
Sector Antenna x
o
electrical
tilt + y
o
mechanical tilt
y
o

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Mechanical Tilt
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System Information Type 3 broadcasts 2 values
Tx-integer
Max retrans
These values define the time interval between retransmissions and
also the number of retransmissions
Varying the values help to control the RACH congestion
When there is congestion, these values will be increased thereby
increasing the time between retransmissions and number of
retransmissions
Tx-integer (T) can take values from 0-15 and this defines the random
interval between tries (when RACH access has failed
Max retrans parameter specifies the max retransmissions this can
take values from 0 to 3 (corresponding to 1, 2, 4, 7 access attempts)
RACH Control Parameters
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MS in dedicated mode (TCH or SDCCH channel allocated) receives
information from BTS on SACCH channel
This is in addition to messages or voice received on the dedicated
channel
The information convey include TA (timing advance), Power Control,
System Information Message Type 5 & 6 messages about neighbour
list and other parameters
One message is received in SACCH frame of 480 msec (in case of
TCH)
RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT parameter transmitted by BTS in BCCH
helps MS to track the reception of SACCH messages
It also maintains a counter called Radio Link Counter (S) this is
set to RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT value initially
Radio Link Failure
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Radio Link Failure
4
Decoded
3
Not decoded
2
1
0
SACCH Blocks
Every time MS is able to decode SACCH, it increments this value
by 2 upto a maximum value of RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT
Whenever it is not able to decode (in error) S is decremented by 1
Radio Link is declared to have failed if S reaches 0
Once this happen the connection is released
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GSM Timers
Name of timer Used by What purpose Range of
values
Other details
Periodic
update
timer
T3212 MS For doing periodic updates 1-255 decihour
(value from 6
mts to 25.5
hours)
Timer value indicated
on BCCH through
Type 3 messages
Handover
timer
T3124 MS For timing out the
handover access request
Set to 675
msec for
SDCCH & 320
msec

Call
Queuing
T11 MS For releasing SDCCH
after non allocation of
TCH
MS waits for T11 to
expire and then
releases SDCCH
T3109 BTS Release of channel on
uplink failure. SACCH
message is not sent & MS
will time out (T100)
Channel released on
Radio Link Timeout
Wait
indication
T3122 MS on Immediate Assignment
Reject
0-255 seconds This ensures that
only on expiry of
T3122 another RACH
is sent
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Paging Channel (PCH) and Access Grant Channel (AGCH) are called
Common Control Channels (CCCH)
CCCH_CONF conveyed through BCCH messages indicates the
configuration
0 1 TS (0) not combined with SDCCHs
1 1 TS (0) combined with SDCCHs
2 2 TS (0, 2) not combined with SDCCHs
3 3 TS (0, 2, 4) not combined with SDCCHs
4 4 TS (0, 2, 4, 6) not combined with SDCCHs
Paging Groups
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Paging Groups
1 3 4 5 6 7 0

2

1 3 4 5 6 7 0

2

1 3 4 5 6 7 0

2

1 3 4 5 6 7 0

2

1 3 4 5 6 7 0

2

CCCH_CONF 0
CCCH_CONF 1
CCCH_CONF 2*
CCCH_CONF 3*
CCCH_CONF 4*


9 CCCH
Blocks
3 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
9 CCCH
Blocks
BCCH
Carrier
Frame
* Not widely used
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CCCHs are used for
Paging MSs
Immediate Assignment
Immediate Assignment Reject
In combined multiframe 0, 1 or 2 of the 3 CCCH blocks may be
reserved according to the parameter value BS_AG_BLKS_RES
In non combined multiframe 0, 1, 2 , 7 of the 9 CCCH blocks may be
reserved
MS does not listen to every block in every frame
Each CCCH block constitutes a paging sub channel and a mobile only
listens to one sub channel
Paging Groups
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In addition MS listens to only every 2, 3, 4 , 9 multiframes
This technique allows a number of paging subgroups to exist
MS calculates from the CCCH configuration, reserved blocks and
subgroup spreading (BS_PA_MFRMS) which subgroup it belongs to
MS uses its IMSI in this calculation
This is a trade off between conserving battery life and speed in
responding to paging
Paging Groups
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Intelligent Underlay Overlay
Super-reuse cell
Super-reuseTRX
Super-reuse frequency
Child cell (microcell)
Super-reuse TRX
Super-reuse frequency
Regular cell and parent cell for child cell
Regular TRX
Regular frequency
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Underlay Overlay Terms
Super layer A logical network layer consisting of TRXs with
tight frequency reuse
Regular layer A logical network layer consisting of TRXs with
normal frequency reuse
Super-TRX A TRX belonging to the super layer
Regular-TRX A TRX belonging to the regular layer
Super-reuse
factor
The average frequency reuse number for the
super layer
Good C/I
probability
The percentage of the total cell traffic having C/I
ratio above the defined threshold
Absorption Percentage of total cell traffic served by the super
layer
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Propagation Delay
MS
BTS
BTS-MS separated
by d kms.
BTS starts
transmission at t=0
t=0
MS receives this
after a delay of t
p
sec
MS starts
transmission
It takes d/c = t
p
sec for signal to
propagate from BTS to MS (and MS to
BTS)
Where c = 3 x 10
5
km / sec
t
p
BTS receives this after
further delay of t
p
sec
2t
p
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Timing Advance
Uplink frame
at BTS
Guard time of
8.25 bit duration
Time slots for
transmission by
MSs
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Propagation Delay
MS
BTS
BTS-MS separated
by d kms
BTS starts
transmission at t=0
t=0
MS receives this after a
delay of d/c sec
MS starts transmission
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Ideas
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In addition MS listens to only every 2, 3, 4 , 9 multiframes
This technique allows a number of paging subgroups to exist
MS calculates from the CCCH configuration, reserved blocks and
subgroup spreading (BS_PA_MFRMS) which subgroup it belongs to
MS uses its IMSI in this calculation
This is a trade off between conserving battery life and speed in
responding to paging
Paging Groups
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Ajay Misra