Nominal Cell Planning

Cell Planning Process

Traffic & Coverage
Analysis
Nominal Cell
Planning

SYSTEM
TUNING

Surveys

IMPLEMENTATION

System design

Nominal Cell Plan (NCP)

The Nominal Cell Plan (NCP) gives an estimate
about the number of sites needed. The nominal cell
plan is usually used as the starting point in the
rollout of a GSM network
INPUT
A minimum coverage level of 90dBm
Probability 95%
C/I greater than 12dB

Site Count According to Traffic

Calculation of required number of BTSs
If the following data exists for a network:
Number of subscribers: 10,000
Available frequencies: 24
3/
Cell pattern: 4/12 or can be 3/9 ( frequency reuse4/1
pattern)
9
2
Grade of Service (GOS): 2%
Traffic per subscriber: 25mE ( According Average 90 Sec Call )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frequencies per cell = 24 / 12 = 2
Traffic channels per cell = 2 x 8 - 2 (control channels) = 14 TCH
Traffic per cell = 14 TCH with a 2% GOS implies 8.2 Erlangs per cell
( Erlang B Table)
The number of subscribers per cell = 8.2E / 25mE = 328 subscribers per
cell
If there
10,000
subscribers
number of cells needed is 10,000
TEMSare
CELL
PLANNER
, NETthen
ACTthe
PLANNER
/ 328 = 30 cells.

Nominal Cell planning Process.

STEP 1

STEP 2

CW Measurement on field
Out Put : Tuned Propagation Model
LINK BUDGET
CALCULATIONS
Output : path loss

STEP 3

Use propagation model to

calculate ms - cell distance

STEP 4

With MS CELL distance

Calculate no of cells required
for total geographical area
PLANNED

NOMINAL CELL PLANNING

Budget to be planned for minimum site required for roll out
with specified grade of service

Continuous wave measurement

The test equipment required for the CW drive testing
Receiver with fast scanner
Example : HP7475A, EXP2000 (LCC) etc.
The receiver scanner rate should conform to the Lee Criteria of36 to 50
sample per 40 wavelength
CW Transmitter
Example : Gator Transmitter (BVS), LMW Series Transmitter(CHASE), TX1500 (LCC) etc.
Base Station test antenna
DB806Y (Decibel-GSM900), 7640 (Jaybeam-GSM1800) etc.
Accessories
Including flexible coaxial cable/jumper, Power meter, extended power cord,
GPS, compass, altimeter
Output we will get Received Signal Strength in Different Clutters
from where we can calculate Maximum Path Loss from Link Budget

LINK BUDGET CALCULATION UL

LINK BUDGET CALCULATION DL

Use propagation model to calculate

ms - cell distance
Okumura Hata Model

INPUT

OUTPUT

RESULTS

Example we have Area of Delhi as 2400 Km Square

And we can Cell range as 2 km
So No of Cells required will be 1200 Cells
So we Require Approx. 400 Sites With 3 Sectors
This will give a operator a rough Idea of Budget and Capital Planning
This is process of complete nominal cell plan for wireless network