Indoor dimensioning and planning

process

1-Repeaters

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 Repeaters in GSM system
Usage

Expand Coverage in low capacity area

Tunnels or other obstructed low capacity areas.
Low capacity indoors
Pros & Cons
Less equipment Cost Adds additional noise in UL.
No TX needed Tuning and optimization more demanding than BTS
No extra BSC resources tied up Ineffective as a capacity solution.
No HO with parent cell No continuous monitoring system for alarms as BTS
Cheaper civil works and commissioning Limited coverage due to isolation condition.
Fast deployment

Application
A need for a
coverage solution
has been identified

Implement a
Is transmission Rapid solution
NO YES repeater
available ? required ?
solution ?

YES NO

Demand for NO
extra capacity

YES

Implement a
base station
solution ?

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 Basic Repeater type
Transmission
Frequency repeaters
Frequency shifting repeaters
Fiber optic repeaters.
Signal processing

Gain
Broadband repeaters

Noise
RF filtering band selective and
Channel selective repeaters.

Isolation = G + 15dB
Deployment Output signal BTC
Antenna

Output signal repeater

system

Coverage Antenna

Input signal repeater

system

Repeater
Donor Antenna

Coverage Cell foot

BTS Cell foot print
print

SAME LOGICAL CELL

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 Donor antenna & Coverage antenna
Donor antenna
Highly directional, YAGI
Position to maximize level, choose the required cell, and
limit interference

Coverage antenna
Position must achieve isolation condition.
Homogonous distribution to fulfil uplink power budget

Repeaters Antennas:

Coverage
Donor Antenna
Antenna

Used to provide In-building coverage with low capacity demands (Small

hotels).

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 2-Indoors planning

Indoor coverage definition

Indoor coverage can be achieved through of the
following solutions
1-Macro sites 2-Micro sites

Depending on the penetration of the macro
sites indoor coverage can be achieved
Bad coverage; especially for dense area.
Very hard to tune traffic to be dedicated for a
certain indoor.
Depending on the penetration of the micro
sites indoor coverage can be achieved
Bad coverage; but better than macro sites
Hard to tune traffic to be dedicated for a
certain indoor.

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 Indoor coverage definition
3-Dedicated indoor
solution (DAS)

Pico
Micro
Size

Distrusted antenna
system (DAS)

Macro

Femto

Indoor planning process

1-Demand

2-Capacity Dimensioning

3-Choice of antenna
and RBS system

4-Antenna distribution

5-Freq plan

6-Tuning and Traffic

control

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 1-Need for indoor sites (Demand)
1-Capacity
A certain potential building for traffic; can have a dedicated indoor solution;
though it might experience a good coverage level.
The solution in addition to adding a new traffic (profit); provide a relaxation in
the capacity for the outdoor macro sites (capacity hot spots)
2-Coverage
For dense area; and due to building high density; indoor coverage may be lost though
the site to site distance may reach; the only solution to provide an (every where
coverage) is to dedicate an indoor solution.
Needed for also complicated buildings (mega hotels; international air ports .etc).
Very critical for roaming excepted areas.
The demand for indoors is increase as the power budget equation became more
critical (higher technologies GPRS, EDGE etc).

1-Need for indoor sites (Demand)

3-Quality
A dedicated solution for overcoming quality problem (lack of dominance)
Practically proven to add new traffic to the network.

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 2-Capacity dimensioning
Capacity figure per user is assumed for the indoor dimensioning
High assumption for the in public building.
Very high assumption for the in business building with lower GOS (0.5-1%)
Very High figures is assumed for the signalling dimensioning.
Cell splitting for the high capacity building.

Very common solutions for the tall building.

Typical value is 4 floors for splitting.

3-Choice of antenna and RBS system

1-Distrubted antenna

Omni
Directional
Antenna Bi-Directional
Antenna
Antenna

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 3-Choice of antenna and RBS system
2-Integrated antenna

One antenna is integrated in the Cab (special case of the disturbed antenna )

3-Choice of antenna and RBS system

3-Radiating cable (leaky feeder)

Special cable that act as a series of consecutive antennas.

More expensive; yet more flexible in design than normal antenna.

Suitable for special pattern of coverage (tunnels; elevators.etc).
Two types of losses associated with this type of feeders.
Longitudinal loss (similar as normal feeder loss).
Coupling loss (similar as normal antenna loss).

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 4-Antenna distribution
1-Determine the design level of the signal strength
Same as the coverage dimensioning of the macro sites.
Practically depending on the level of the macro sites interference.
Taking into consideration the expected data usage (C/I higher for a better
through put).
Practical values.

4-Antenna distribution
2-Antenna distribution.
Strategy for antenna distribution

1-Few antennas with high power 2-Many antennas with low power

+ Less expensive. + Better capacity situation.

+Obtain a uniform coverage pattern.
+Reduce interference to outdoor
network.

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 4-Antenna distribution
2-Antenna distribution.
Strategy for connecting antennas for the RBS
1-Passive system 2-Active system

Splitters
tappers

Using normal cables; splitters (equally
losses disturbed) and tappers (un-equally
losses distributed)
+less expensive
- Adding big losses for the system (suitable
for small and medium indoors)
Fibre cables; repeater or Ethernet system
may be used
+more expensive
- Adding low losses for the system (suitable
for big and huge indoors)

4-Antenna distribution
2-Antenna distribution.
3-Hybrid solution where active & passive system may be used together

Get initial value for

each antenna
output power

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 4-Antenna distribution
3-Antenna positioning

Use a modified version of Hata model to get the initial positioning of the antenna
(Keenan-Motley model).

4-Antenna distribution
3-Antenna positioning

Use practical survey measurement to fine tune the antenna positioning

Tools used
Tems transmitter.
Tems Receiver.

Assumption may be verified to achieve the target signal strength (tappers instead
of splitters.active distribution instead of passive.high output power RBS
etc).

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 4-Antenna distribution
3-Antenna positioning guidelines
Antennas to be placed in a zigzag
manner for single cell indoors to achieve
even coverage distribution

Antennas to be placed over each other

in multiple cells indoors to avoid
interference

More antennas needed in high floors to

overcome strong Macro interferes

Avoid spill over with the outdoor macros

No diversity in the uplink is needed.

5-Freq plan
1-Dedicated freqs for indoors

Better for quality

Efficient when the network contains many indoors
Freqs can be used directly providing that avoiding spill over.
For multiple indoor cells the dedicated freqs may be used for the high floors

2-reuse with macro sites freqs

Avoid the neighbours sites freqs
Scanning surveys is preferred for choosing freqs.

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