Case study LTE network design using Capesso LTE

Symena Software & Consulting GmbH Wiedner Hauptstrasse 24/15 A-1040 Vienna, Austria www.symena.com 2011, All rights reserved!

1. 2.

Executive Summary LTE and OFDMA basics 2.1. 2.2. Standardization and targets of LTE Radio access technology

3.

Key LTE parameters and design considerations 3.1. Increased flexibility = increased complexity Case study LTE network design 4.1. 4.2. Objectives and source data What if LTE business case analysis with Capesso Number of sites needed Effect of LTE frequency band Adaptive Modulation and Coding Scheme (AMC) MIMO Channel bandwidth Frequency domain scheduling gain Channel overhead Traffic growth Coverage requirements Inter-system interference

4.

4.2.1. 4.2.2. 4.2.3. 4.2.4. 4.2.5. 4.2.6. 4.2.7. 4.2.8. 4.2.9. 4.2.10. 4.3. 5. 6.

Summary operator case

Summary and conclusions Glossary

1.

Executive Summary

From the point of view of network design LTE is, perhaps, an order of magnitude more complex than 3G. In particular this complexity applies at the business case consideration stage. Some of the significant choices include: Carrier frequency with 15 different FDD bands ranging from 700MHz to 2.6GHz; Channel bandwidth from 1.4MHz to 20MHz; MIMO and various MIMO configurations; Varying adaptive modulation and codes schemes offered by different vendors; Channel overheads; and Deployment strategies.

Capesso LTE provides a fast and efficient solution for automatic LTE network design and business case analysis. What if questions for various considerations can be answered quickly and efficiently. This enables identification of the best model for LTE deployment. Because Capesso is integrated with Atoll, data that is already in Atoll can be used as the basis for the investigation. This is a major boost in efficiency compared to using an independent tool. A range of different LTE deployment scenarios are examined in this paper. These were originally conducted for a Tier 1 operator using Capesso LTE and Atoll. Each case isolates one important aspect of LTE while consistently treating all of the others. This is critical due to the impact of network design (antenna locations, azimuth tilt etc.) on LTE system performance. This level of consistency is not feasible with manual design approaches. Capesso allows detailed LTE analysis based on the existing 2G or 3G network data. Key advantages include: Capesso LTE provides a full range of LTE key parameters, including MIMO, frequency domain scheduling gain, adaptive modulation and coding and others; Capesso provides comprehensive business and efficiency analysis, prediction plots and statistical results for the individual deployment cases; Capesso is tightly integrated with Atoll.

Capesso LTE is in use by Tier 1 operators and vendors for LTE business case analysis and was released in March 2008. The key benefits of Capesso LTE can be summarized: Capesso LTE enables the effective LTE business case analysis, design and planning Capesso LTE saves an enormous amount of time Capesso LTE enables fast and efficient what if analysis for LTE business cases. Capesso LTE reduces investment costs for LTE deployment through better understanding and therefore better radio designs.

Capesso is the ideal tool to investigate the LTE options. A full understanding of the impact of each choice can be developed quickly and efficiently. Then choices can be made for the best LTE deployment strategy. Capesso LTE = faster, better, cheaper LTE network design

2. LTE and OFDMA basics

2.1. Standardization and targets of LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a project within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to improve mobile phone standards to cope with future technology evolutions. Work on LTE started in late 2004, where operators, manufacturers and research institutes proposed the evolution of the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). Today, LTE is the agreed next generation standard for both UMTS/W-CDMA and the CDMA2000 family. The key characteristics of LTE are1: Peak download rates of 326.4 Mbit/s for 4x4 antennas and 172.8 Mbit/s for 2x2 antennas and peak upload rates of 86.4 Mbit/s for every 20 MHz of spectrum allocated 2. Five terminal classes have been defined from a voice-centric class up to a high-end terminal that supports the peak data rates. All terminals will be able to process 20 MHz bandwidth. Support for at least 200 active users in every 5 MHz cell. That is >200 active data clients. Sub-5ms latency for small IP packets. Increased spectrum flexibility, with spectrum slices as small as 1.4 MHz and as large as 20 MHz supported. Optimal cell size of ~5 km with best performance, 30 km with reasonable performance and up to 100 km supported with acceptable performance. Co-existence with legacy standards so that users can start a call (voice or data) in using an LTE standard, and continue the call transparently using an earlier standard such as UMTS, CDMA2000 or even GSM. Supports MBSFN (Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network). This feature can deliver services such as Mobile TV using the LTE infrastructure. Support of advanced antenna and signal technologies such as MIMO (Mulitple Input Multiple Output) antenna systems. Support advanced capabilities to automatically optimize radio network configuration, For example automatic neighbor allocation performed by the LTE network.

2.2. Radio access technology OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) radio access technology is used in the downlink, i.e. from the base station to the user. OFDMA provides the most flexible technology compared to previous systems and hence is best suited for wireless broadband systems. A schematic comparison is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Evolution of radio access technologies from FDMA, TDMA, CDMA to OFDMA.

While OFDMA is used in the downlink, providing high resistance to multipath interference and flexible support for a wide range of frequency bandwidths by changing the number of subcarriers, the uplink uses single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA). This technology has the advantage of low power consumption by decreasing the peak-toaverage power ratio (PAPR) of user equipment (UE) and reducing interference from other users by maintaining orthogonality in the frequency domain3.

3. Key LTE parameters and design considerations

The key advantage of LTE is the flexibility to address the different needs of users across the globe in a single wireless radio access technology. But flexibility brings complexity in the wide range of operating parameters such as: Carrier frequency: A wide range of spectrum options is defined for both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) bands for LTE. The standard considers 15 different FDD and 8 different TDD frequency bands for LTE operations, ranging from 700MHz up to 2.6GHz bands. Flexible bandwidth options: LTE can operate with bandwidths as small 1.4MHz up to as much as 20MHz. Based on the available bandwidth, key technologies such as the frequency domain scheduling have different efficiencies4. Adaptive modulation and coding: LTE supports QPSK, 16QAM and 64QAM modulation formats in the downlink, as well as QPSK and 16QAM in the uplink. Turbo coding is applied for both links. Hence, depending on the actual network conditions, such as the signal energy per symbol to noise power spectrum density (Es/No), different throughputs and peak data rates can be achieved maximizing total throughput for the given radio conditions. Channel overhead: The channel overhead directly influences the efficiency of the LTE system. This depends on the vendor specific implementation as well as the available bandwidth for the LTE transmission. Advanced antenna technologies: LTE can use several advanced antenna technologies. Besides standard LTE antennas there will be enhanced broadband antennas with individual electrical tilts for 2G, 3G and LTE technologies combined in a single physical antenna. Furthermore there will be advanced antenna systems for LTE supporting remote azimuth and remote beamwidth capabilities.

MIMO application: Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiplexing transmission achieves high-speed transmission by using multiple transmit and receive antennas to transmit and receive different signals on the same frequency at the same time. Depending on actual channel conditions, different MIMO modes are applied. They range from diversity to beamforming and then to spatial multiplexing. MIMO transmission can significantly enhance the system performance of LTE. Traffic growth: All radio systems need to be built for a specific traffic demand. This traffic demand will change and grow significantly, particularly with the greater use of the mobile phone network for wireless broadband. On introduction LTE will be about more than signal coverage. To accommodate the traffic the right level of the right resources will be required in the right place. Complementary deployment and inter-system interference: In most cases Symena predicts that LTE will be deployed as a complementary system to existing 2G and 3G networks. Hence, the complementary coverage and capacity aspects of those systems need to be considered. Interference from the legacy 2G, 3G and other systems onto LTE also need to be minimized. Radio parameter configurations: The correct configuration of the radio parameters is essential for the effective deployment of LTE. Since both the adaptive modulation and coding schemes (AMC) as well as the MIMO applications depend on the actual signal to interference ratios, the radio configuration (tilt, azimuth, power, beamwidth, etc.) heavily impacts overall system performance

3.1. Increased flexibility = increased complexity The increased flexibility offered by LTE means significantly increased complexity in planning for LTE deployments. To put it another way: the range of business cases to investigate has exploded. Capesso is the ideal tool to investigate the LTE options. A full understanding of the impact of each choice can be developed quickly and efficiently. Then choices can be made for the best LTE deployment strategy. Because Capesso is integrated with Atoll data that is already in Atoll can be used as the basis for the investigation. This is a major boost in efficiency compared to using an independent tool. This is schematically shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Capesso LTE to investigate the various LTE deployment and business case options. The source data is directly extracted from the existing 2G or 3G networks, which is available in Atoll. Capesso can automatically answer a wide range of What if LTE deployment questions.

4. Case study LTE network design

4.1. Objectives and source data The local objective of this case study is to find a design for an LTE overlay. The design must satisfy strict coverage and performance requirements including maximum throughput, peak data rates and service quality levels. Naturally the total cost of ownership (TCO) is to be minimized. The general objective is to investigate different spectrum options to guide spectrum bidding for LTE. Three different frequency bands available for LTE a) Below 1GHz; b) >1GHz but < 2GHz; and c) Above 2GHz.

Figure 3: Target cluster for the LTE business case analysis using Capesso.

The source data for this case study is a cluster of an existing 2G/3G radio network of a Tier 1 operator. It is not possible to provide more details. The area of interest is shown in Figure 3. Within this target area, 72 existing 2G/3G sites are candidates for the LTE deployment. Furthermore, the area of interest has a wide range of clutters, traffic and conditions. 4.2. What if LTE business case analysis with Capesso 4.2.1. Number of sites needed A key question is the number of sites to achieve a specific LTE performance level (land coverage, population coverage, peak data rate and service grade, system capacity, etc.). This was investigated using existing sites as candidates. Situation: As shown in Figure 3, 72 sites are available for LTE deployment. density map as shown in the upper left side in Figure 4 is available. A traffic

Challenge: Plan the most effective LTE deployment to maximize captured traffic at minimum deployment cost and thereby maximize early LTE revenue. Solution: Capesso was used to identify the best sites to capture the offered traffic.

Capesso also provides an integrated efficiency analysis to investigate the value of each LTE site. This is shown in Figure 4. Using the efficiency analysis those sites generating the best value can be deployed first. These are identified on the left of the curve. While the sites on the right provide some value, they are significantly less effective in terms of return on investment. Therefore, Capesso directly helps the user to make a solid decision on the most effective cost-performance trade-off for this LTE business case. Value: Capesso can be used to determine the most effective candidate sites based on serving offered traffic using existing sites as candidates. This can be used to quickly dimension an LTE overlay based on existing networks.

Figure 4: Capesso LTE used for automatic site selection and parameter optimization to determine most cost effective sites based on serving offered traffic.

4.2.2. Effect of LTE frequency band In most markets there are multiple options for the LTE frequency band. These options are complicated by such factors as by the need to continue service to 2G and 3G customers, and the presence of other technologies in nearby bands, such as TV. Accurate analysis of frequency deployment scenarios means that an operator can bid on spectrum with confidence in what can be done with that spectrum and how much that deployment will cost. Situation: Three different frequency bands were examined in this scenario: a) below 1GHz; b) above 1GHz but below 2GHz; and c) above 2GHz. Challenge: Analyze the impact of frequency on the performance of LTE. Solution: Capesso was used to investigate the impact of frequency on the coverage for LTE. The propagation predictions were performed for the respective bands in

Atoll using appropriately tuned models. To make a fair comparison, the same number of sites was assumed deployed in all three cases. While more than 72% of the target area is covered with 10 sites in the frequency band below 1GHz, only 32% of the area is covered at the same level with the same number of sites for the band above 2GHz. This confirms the expected coverage impact of the considered spectrum options for LTE. The results are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Comparison of the coverage probability in the investigated area of interest. The actual values for f can not be disclosed.

Alternatively, Capesso can directly be used to compute the number of sites required to achieve the same coverage probability by using the various LTE spectrum options. In this example, to achieve the same coverage probability as in the lowest frequency band (f<1GHz) with ten sites, 19 and 28 of the available candidate sites are needed for the respective higher frequency spectrum options, i.e. 1GHz<f<2GHz and f>2GHz! Value: Capesso can be used to find the best trade-off between frequency band and cost. While its well know that lower frequency means fewer base stations for ubiquitous coverage Capesso can be used to quickly determine the cost of the tradeoff and therefore the value to be ascribed to bandwidth based on frequency. 4.2.3. Adaptive Modulation and Coding Scheme (AMC) Adaptive modulation and coding schemes deliver many of the benefits of LTE by adapting the maximum data rates used to the actual propagation channel and interference conditions. However this is considerably more difficult to model than radio technologies that use a single or only a couple of AMCs. Situation: This analysis is now being done with a fixed frequency band. Adaptive modulation and coding schemes vary with vendor implementations. Results from trials such as from NTT DoCoMo shown in Figure 6 show also some deviation between simulation and measured performance. Hence, it is of high interest to investigate the impact of the AMC mapping variations onto the system performance. Details of the AMC mapping values cannot be disclosed for confidentiality reasons. Capesso can accommodate a wide range of AMC mappings in the same format as they are described by the

Figure 6: Automatic Modulation and Coding values from trials of NTT DoCoMo, comparing simulated and measured mapping curves.

vendors. Challenge: Analyze the impact of the different AMC values on system (downlink) throughputs and thereby maximize throughputs in the LTE network5. Solution: Capesso was used to investigate the impact of various AMC mapping functions. Based on the different mapping curves Capesso optimized the radio network configuration to achieve maximum system performance each curve. Result plots for the peak downlink throughput, for the same number of sites, as a function of the different AMC mapping functions are shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Distribution of the peak (downlink) LTE through-put as a function of the different AMCs.

Note: since the peak data rates depend heavily on the interference situation, the network configuration (tilts and azimuth, etc.) is critical in this analysis. Capesso jointly considers and optimizes these settings for the different AMC mappings to ensure the best possible business case comparison. Value: The value generated by Capesso is to identify the best network configuration and hence the minimum number of sites needed as a function of the particular adaptive modulation and coding scheme and mapping values. 4.2.4. MIMO Multiple Input/Multiple output (MIMO) can significantly enhance the system capacity of LTE. MIMO systems come with several options, such as 1x2, 2x2, 4x2 or 4x4, which can have massive cost effects on the associated antenna systems. Hence, it is important to understand what the potential benefits against those costs in an operating network. Situation: MIMO antenna systems are standardized for LTE networks. The performance of the MIMO system depends on the actual channel characteristic, which is described by the channel quality indicators (CQI). Based on the CQI, the eNodeB selects the MIMO mode used. The rules for this selection are vendor specific. Challenge: Cut through the vendor marketing hype and realistically compare the performance of 2x2 versus 4x2 or 4x4 MIMO so that the right MIMO choice is made.

Figure 8: Comparison of the peak downlink throughput with No MIMO and 2x2 MIMO. The same colour codes are used. The statistics show that the peak data rate can be boosted dramatically in some areas. However a significant proportion of the target area does not see major data rate improvements.

Solution:

Capesso was used to investigate the impact of MIMO on LTE system performance and capacity using information about a) the actual antenna systems and b) the MIMO modes including the switching points. In each case the radio configuration was optimized by Capesso to achieve best performance so that the MIMO effect could be isolated. Sample results for the peak data rate distribution depending on MIMO (2x2 with X-Pol antennas) and no-MIMO (standard broadband antennas) are shown in Figure 8. Symena has a deep understanding and long history in the analysis of MIMO and other advanced antenna techniques. Capesso can be used to isolate the effects of MIMO on the system so that the right techniques can be used in the right places while vendor hype is eliminated.

Value:

4.2.5. Channel bandwidth LTE is the first radio standard that allows flexibility in channel bandwidth with deployments in the range from 1.4MHz to 20MHz. This significantly increases the range of deployment options. Since the maximum system throughput is a direct function of the channel bandwidth it is important to understand the effects on the maximum system capacity and peak data rates. Situation: Understanding the effects of the different channel bandwidth options is essential to understanding LTE business cases. For example the impact of new spectrum can be compared to squeezing LTE into shared spectrum with GSM can be examined. Challenge: Analyze the impact of the available LTE channel bandwidths and optimize the network configuration to ensure best performance for each. Solution: Capesso was used to investigate and optimize the impact of channel bandwidth on the coverage performance. Results for the distribution of the peak downlink data rate as a function of the available channel bandwidth are shown in Figure 9. The obvious result is that with a significantly higher channel bandwidth, the system throughput is boosted massively. However, it is much more interesting to use the same analysis for investigating the LTE business case perspectives such as where it would make sense to deploy which modulation formats?

Figure 9: Comparison of the peak downlink data rate as a function of the available channel bandwidth for LTE. Having only a small proportion of the channel bandwidth (right hand side), the peak data rates are reduced significantly, as expected.

Note: Depending on the different channel bandwidth, the interference distribution will be different in LTE. Hence, Capesso automatically also optimizes the network configuration for each of the considered cases. This makes sure that the maximum performance for each investigated case can be achieved. Value: Capesso can be used to analyze the true value of variable bandwidth strategies by isolating the effect of the bandwidth from the other variables of LTE. 4.2.6. Frequency domain scheduling gain The key effect of the frequency domain scheduling in LTE is that the packets are assigned to the user that has instantaneously the best fading characteristics (see also Figure 10). This results in significantly better, instantaneous signal quality. That delivers a higher spectrum efficiency for LTE. Frequency domain scheduling is a unique capability of LTE delivered by OFDMA technology.6 The actual gain of the frequency domain scheduling depends on the fading characteristics, i.e. coherence bandwidth of the propagation channel and the actual channel bandwidth of LTE. For example, no gain can be achieved by frequency domain scheduling if the propagation channel is flat fading within the channel bandwidth.7 According to analysis conducted by the leading vendors involved in the LTE standardization, frequency domain scheduling can increase the spectrum efficiency by up to 40% compared to previous technologies. Therefore, the utilization of the resources and hence the impact of the frequency domain scheduling has to be considered depending on the associated channel bandwidth. Higher spectrum efficiency will lead to a significantly

Figure 10: Frequency domain scheduling gains are a key advantage in LTE. Capesso considers these channel dependent characteristics to plan for best LTE network deployment.

reduced number of sites needed to achieve the same system capacity. Capesso LTE fully supports such techniques and therefore enables the consideration and optimization of this critical technology for the LTE business case decisions. 4.2.7. Channel overhead The number of resource elements (RE) within an LTE system is defined by the channel bandwidth. The number of overhead channels however does not increase linearly with the channel bandwidth as they are only required for each band. Hence, the channel overhead can significantly influence the spectral efficiency particularly in the case that a small channel bandwidth is used. Capesso LTE fully supports the consideration and optimization of the LTE business cases depending on the proportional channel overhead. 4.2.8. Traffic growth Traffic is not static in any dimension. It varies intra-day, between days, with special events and with the introduction of new offers. All of the indications are that traffic will continue to grow with the introduction of LTE. Hence, operators must investigate the impact of the traffic increases on system performance. In the above scenario, Capesso was used to optimize for a range of traffic scenarios. This knowledge was then used to minimize the TCO for the LTE network by deploying additional resources in some areas sooner rather than later. Figure 11 shows examples for traffic growth for the different business cases for the LTE deployment.

Figure 11: Expected traffic growth for the investigated LTE business cases.

4.2.9. Coverage requirements For the LTE business case investigations described in this paper the operator considered various coverage requirements for the initial LTE rollout. This is to consider multiple options with focus on indoor users, deep indoor users, outdoor users, vehicular users, etc. 4.2.10. Inter-system interference Part of this LTE business case investigation was the potential LTE deployment in the frequency bands used by the existing legacy 2G/3G network. Besides complementary coverage and capacity requirements, the effect of the interference between the legacy system and LTE was computed and optimized by Capesso to ensure best performance. Capesso LTE fully supports the consideration and optimization of the LTE networks and legacy 2G/3G systems. 4.3. Summary operator case LTE business case investigations were performed by a Tier 1 operator using Capesso LTE and Atoll. A number of cases investigated by the operator were presented in this paper.

It can be seen that the very high flexibility of LTE deployment significantly increases the complexity for the business case investigations. This makes it extremely time consuming and difficult to manually investigate the different options particularly when system performance depends so strongly on network design. By the use of advanced mathematical techniques Capesso LTE can radically reduce the time it takes to analyze the large number of options and business cases for LTE, as indicated in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Capesso to compute individual options and wide r ange of business cases for LTE deployments.

5. Summary and conclusions

Capesso LTE provides a fast and efficient solution for LTE network design and business case analysis. What if questions for the wide range of considerations can be answered very quickly. This enables operators and vendors to identify the best business model for the deployment of LTE. LTE introduces many technologies that have a direct impact on the scale and complexity of the radio network planning problem. Symena has modelled those new technologies in Capesso LTE so that they can be explored using existing network planning data in a familiar Atoll environment. This paper works through a number of use cases for Capesso LTE including: Finding the number of sites required to support a particular LTE overlay deployment using existing sites as candidates; Investigating the impact on performance of the frequency band and frequency bandwidth available; Examining the impact of vendor specific adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) schemes; Appropriate modelling of the impact and benefits of different MIMO approaches; and Exploring the effect of the frequency domain scheduling gain.

With each major choice offered by the standard comes a new batch of business cases. For example to examine three potential channel bandwidths and three potential bands requires nine business cases. Add one MIMO option (no MIMO or 2x2) and there are now 18 cases! Manuel planning for multiple business cases is difficult and time consuming. There are virtually no economies of scale. The 18th plan will take as long as the 5th. Most manual planning processes result in a single plan. With Capesso each plan for each business case can be produced simply by varying the appropriate parameter and rerunning the software. The computer does the heavy lifting. By using Capesso each plan is better and more consistent than manual plans. Capesso has been shown to generate plans that deliver more with fewer resources than any manual plan. For example, when Capesso was used on a well optimized but manually designed network, Capesso delivered an increase in capacity of about 20%. The result was verified by measurement. There is every indication that the gain will be similar or better for LTE. There is consistency because the plans are generated mathematically rather than by rule-ofthumb. Capesso lets you isolate all of the major choices for LTE planning so that the impact of each parameter can be understood quickly and comprehensively. In essence Capesso LTE takes a very difficult planning problem and makes it simple. Capesso LTE has been in use by Tier 1 operators and vendors for LTE business case analysis since March 2008. Capesso LTE = faster, better, cheaper LTE network design and deployment

6. Glossary
3GPP AMC CDMA2000 3 Generation Partnership Project Adaptive Modulation and Coding CDMA2000 is a hybrid 2.5G / 3G technology of mobile telecommunications standards that use CDMA Channel Quality Indicator Enhanced Node B; name of the base station in LTE Energy per symbol to noise power spectrum density Frequency Division Duplex Frequency Division Multiple Access Global System for Mobile communications Internet Protocol Long Term Evolution Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network Multiple Input Multiple Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access Peak to Average Power Ratio Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (modulation format) Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (modulation format) Resource Block Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access Total Cost of Ownership Time Division Duplex Time Division Multiple Access User Equipment Universal Mobile Telecommunications Standard; 3 Communications Standard Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
rd rd

CQI eNodeB Es/No FDD FDMA GSM IP LTE MBSFN MIMO OFDMA PAPR QAM QPSK RB SC-FDMA TCO TDD TDMA UE UMTS

Generation Mobile

UTRAN WCDMA

About Symena Symena is the leading supplier of Automatic Cell Planning (ACP). Capesso is the proven, fully-featured, tightly integrated ACP tool. Capesso delivers measurably better results faster. This is proven in extensive, daily operational use by Tier 1 operators and OEMs. Capesso is routinely recognised as the smart solution for ACP. Greenfield is the verified, super fast, radio network dimensioning/design tool. Its ideal where information is scarce and time tight. Capesso and Greenfield are widely used for planning LTE networks. Symenas ACP tools are available for all major radio standards including GSM, CDMA, UMTS/HSPA, WiMAX and LTE. Symena. Smart Up Your Network!

SYMENA Software & Consulting GmbH Wiedner Hauptstrasse 24/15 1040 Vienna AUSTRIA Europe: +43 1 5855 1010 Americas: +1 972 535 8582 office@symena.com www.symena.com

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SYMENA MAKES NO WARRANTY CONCERNING THIS REPORT, THIS STATEMENT IS MADE EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT; OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR OTHERWISE.