Frequency Reuse :

Why frequency reuse

The spectrum allocated for a cellular network is limited. As a result there is

a limit to the number of frequencies or channels that can be used. A cellular
network can only provide service to a large number of subscribers, if the channels
allocated to it can be reused. Channel reuse is implemented by using the same
channels within cells located at different positions in the cellular network service
area.
Cell clustering

Radio channels can be reused provided the separation between cells containing the
same channel set is far enough apart so that co-channel interference can be kept below
acceptable levels most of the time. Cells using the same channel set are called co-channel cells.

The figure on the opposite page shows an example. Within the service area (PLMN), specific
channel sets are reused at a different location (another cell). In the example, there are 7
channel sets: A through G. Neighboring cells are not allowed to use the same frequencies. For
this reason all channel sets are used in a cluster of neighboring cells. As there are 7 channel
sets, the PLMN can be divided into clusters of 7 cells each. The figure shows three clusters.

The number of channel sets is called K. K is also called the reuse factor. In the figure, K=7. Valid
values of K can be found using equation (where i and j are integers):

K=i+j+I*j

Explaining this equation is beyond the scope of this course. Some constraints to K
are provided later in this chapter.

Note that in the example:

Cells are shaped ideally (hexagons).

The distance between cells using the same channel set is always the same.

Other cell clusters

The figure on the opposite page shows some examples of possible clusters. The more cells in a
cluster, the greater the separation between co-channel cells when Other clusters are deployed.
The idea is to keep co-channel cell separation the same throughout the system area for cells of
the same size. Some valid cluster sizes that allow this are: 1, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 12.
It is always possible to find cells using the same channel set, if only the value of K is known. The
following procedure is used.

In the figure on the opposite page an example is shown with K = 19.

Procedure for locating co-channel cells

Step
1

Action
Use the integer values i and j from the equation, and start

With the upper left cell. Through this cell, draw the j-axis.
2

Draw the i-axis. To find the starting point for the i-axis, count j cells down the jaxis. In the example, one has to count 2 cells down (j=2). The positive direction
of the i-axis is always two cell faces (120 degrees) relative to the positive
direction of the j-axis.

Find the first co-channel cell. It is found by counting i cells in the positive i-axis

direction. In the example, i = 3.

Find the other co-locating cells by repeating the previous steps. The
Starting point is again at the upper left cell, but now choose another

Direction for the j-axis (e.g. rotate the j-axis with 60 degrees, which is one cell
face). As each cell has 6 faces, one will find 6 co-channel cells around the
starting cells. These are the nearest located co-channel cells.

Signal attenuation With distance

Frequencies can be reused throughout a service area because radio signals typically attenuate
with distance to the base station (or mobile station). When the distance between cells using the
same frequencies becomes too small, co-channel
Interference might occur and lead to service interruption or unacceptable quality of service.

As long as the ratio

Frequency reuse distance = D

Cell radius

Is greater than some specified value, the ratio

Received radio carrier power

= C

Received interferer radio carrier power

Will be greater than some given amount for small as well as large cell sizes when
all signals are transmitted at the same power level. The average attenuation of
radio signals with distance in most cellular systems is a reduction to about 1/16 of
the received power for every doubling of distance (1/10000 per decade).
The frequency reuse distance is also known as separation distance. is also known as the signalto-noise ratio.

The figure on the opposite page shows the situation. At the base station, both signals from
subscribers within the cell covered by this base station and signals from subscribers covered by
other cells are received. Interference is caused by cells using the same channel set.

The ratio D/R needs to be large enough in order for the base station to be able to cope with the
interference.

Relationship between K and D/R

There is a relationship between K and ratio D/R, shown by the following equation:

___
D/R= 3K

Explaining this equation is beyond the scope of this course.

Note that there is a direct relationship between K and ratio D/R. The result is that when the
reuse factor K, and so the shape of the cluster is chosen, ratio D/R is fixed.

Capacity/performance trade-offs
When engineering a cellular network, the most important trade-off to make is the one
between call capacity and performance:

 Relationship between K and Performance

The performance of a cellular network can be expressed in quality of service. An acceptable
quality of service means a low (co-channel) interference level in the network.

The relationship between the reuse factor K and the network performance is: if K increases,
then the co-channel interference decreases, and so the performance increases (note that
there is a fixed relationship between K
and ratio D/R).

Relationship between K and Cell Capacity

The other key relationship in cellular networks is the one between the reuse factor K and call
capacity. First of all, call capacity depends on the number of available channels. In GSM, a limited
number of frequencies is available (for GSM: 124 frequencies, and for GSM-1800: 374 frequencies).
The frequencies are grouped into frequency sets. If K increases, the number of frequencies per set
(and so per cell) decreases, and so the call capacity per cell.

The value of K in GSM cellular networks varies between 4 and 21. Note that in real networks, K is
not constant within the whole PLMN area, but varies depending on the traffic capacity needed in
certain regions. Typically, K is high in urban regions and low in rural regions.

Capacity/Performance Trade-offs :

If K increases, then performance increases

If K increases, then call capacity decreases per cell

The number of sites to cover a given area with a given high traffic density, and hence the
cost of the infrastructure, is determined directly by the reuse factor and the number of traffic
channels that can be extracted from the available spectrum. These two factors are
compounded in what is called spectral efficiency of the system. Not all systems allow the same
performance in this domain: they depend in particular on the robustness of the radio
transmission scheme against interference, but also on the use of a number of technical tricks,
such as reducing transmission during the silences of a speech communication. The spectral
efficiency, together with the constraints on the cell size, determines also the possible
compromises between the capacity and the cost of the infrastructure. All this explains the
importance given to spectral efficiency.

Many technical tricks to improve spectral efficiency were conceived during the system
design and have been introduced in GSM. They increase the complexity, but this is balanced by
the economical advantages of a better efficiency. The major points are the following:

The control of the transmitted power on the radio path aims at minimizing the
average power broadcast by mobile stations as well as by base stations, whilst
keeping transmission quality above a given threshold. This reduces the level of
interference caused to the other communications;

Frequency hopping improves transmission quality at slow speeds through

frequency diversity, and improves spectral efficiency through interferer diversity;

Discontinuous transmission, where by transmission is suppressed when

possible, allows a reduction in the interference level of other communications.
Depending on the type of user information transmitted, it is possible to derive
the need for effective transmission. In the case of speech, the mechanism called
VAD (Voice Activity Detection) allows transmission requirements to be reduced
by an important factor (typically, reduced by half);

The mobile assisted handover, whereby the mobile station provides

measurements concerning neighboring cells, enables efficient handover decision
algorithms aimed at minimizing the interference generated by the cell (whilst
keeping the transmission quality above some threshold).