Frequency Planning

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Module objectives
At the end of this module you will be able to

DESCRIBE FREQUENCY PLANNING CRITERIA CALCULATE THE FREQUENCY REUSE FACTOR DESCRIBE FREQUENCY ALLOCATION METHODS

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Content of Frequency Planning

GUIDELINES

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Frequency Planning
GUIDELINES

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Frequency Plan
Basics Tighter re-use of own frequencies
more capacity more interference

Target

to minimise interferences at an acceptable capacity level

First when a complete area has been finalised Automatic frequency planning tools
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Frequency Plan
Basics

Why frequency re-use ?

8 MHz = 40 channels 7 traffic timeslots = 280 users max. 280 simultaneous calls??! Re-use frequencies as often as possible Increased capacity Increased interferences

Limited bandwidth available

Trade-off between interference level and capacity Allocate frequency combination that creates least overall interference conditions in the network Interference is unavoidable minimise total interferences in network

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Frequency Planning Criteria

Frequency Plan

Criteria The frequency planning criteria include the configuration and frequency allocation aspects. The configuration aspects consider the:
Frequency band splitting between the macro and micro base stations,

Frequency band splitting between the BCCH and TCH layers, Frequency band grouping and Different frequency reuse factors for different TRX layers.

Frequency allocation aspects include frequency planning thresholds (QOS requirements)

C/I requirements Percentage of co-channel and adjacent channel interference

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Frequency Plan
Frequency Band Splitting

Macro - Micro
needed because of inaccurate coverage predictions between macro and micro layers not needed if accurate coverage predictions available in the future

BCCH - TCH
needed to ensure a good quality on BCCH frequency (in order to ensure signalling)

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Frequency Plan
Frequency Band Grouping

Frequency grouping
+ Frequency hopping (coherence bandwidth) + Intermodulation + Frequencies assigned to all TRX layers at one time + Frequencies evenly used - Limitations for automatic frequency planning algorithms - Fixed frequency reuse factor
BCCH 2. TRX 3. TRX f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6 f7 f8 f9 f10 f11 f12 f13 f14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

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Different Frequency Reuse Factors for Different TRX Layers

Frequency Plan

Frequency planning for different TRX layers

different freqency reuse factors for different TRX layers frequency planning for different layers

BCCH 2. TRX 1. Micro 2. Micro

f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6 f7 f8 f9 f10 f11 f12 f13 f14 f15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 37 38 39 40 41 42 37 38 39 40 41 42 37 38 39

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Frequency Allocation Thresholds

Frequency Plan

C/I requirements
- C/Ic = 15 dB, C/Ia = -6 dB (Note Overlay-Underlay concepts)

Interference probability
- 2% co-channel and 5% adjacent channel interference

Frequency separations
- cell/site separations - combiner limitations

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Frequency Plan
Best Method

Do not use

Hexagon cell patterns Regular grids Systematic frequency allocation

f2 f6 f3 f5 f7 f2 f3 f5 f4 f6 f5 f4 f7 f4 f6 f5 f2 f3 f7 R f4 f6 f5 f4 f5 f2 f3 D f4 f6 f5 f2 f3 f4 f3 f7 f2 f3

Use

Interference matrix calculation Calibrated propagation models Minimise total interference in network

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Frequency Plan
Re-Use-Factor

RuF

Average number of cells that have different frequencies Measure for effectiveness of frequency plan Trade-off: effectiveness vs. interferences Compromise between safe, interference free planning and effective resource usage

Multiple RuFs increase effectiveness of FP

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15

18

21

same frequency in every cell (spread spectrum)

tight re-use planning (IUO layer) normal planning (TCH macro layer)

safe planning (BCCH layer)

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Frequency Plan
Multiple Re-Use-Factor

Capacity increase with multiple RuFs

e.g. network with 300 cells Bandwidth : 8 MHz (40 radio channels)

Single RuF =12

NW capacity = 40/12 * 300 = 1000 TRX BCCH layer: re-use =14, (14 frq.) Normal TCH: re-use =10, (20 frq.) Tight TCH layer: re-use = 6, (6 frq.) NW cap. = (1 +2 +1)* 300 = 1200 TRX

Multiple RuF

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Frequency Plan
Constraints

Co-cell separation

e.g. 3 (4 for GSM1800) 600 (800 ) kHz spacing between frequencies in the same cell e.g. 2 400 kHz spacing between frequencies on the same site

Co-site separation

Co-channel interferences from neighbouring sites Adjacent channel interferences from neighbouring sites

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Frequency Plan
Manual Allocation
With Frequency Groups: 8 groups, 6 ARCFN each
A1 BCCH 1 TCH 25 E2 BCCH 13 TCH 37 B1 26 2 F2 38 14 C1 3 27 G2 15 39 D1 28 4 H2 40 16 E1 5 29 A3 17 41 F1 30 6 B3 42 18 G1 7 31 C3 19 43 H1 32 8 D3 44 20 A2 9 33 E3 21 45 B2 34 10 F3 46 22 C2 11 35 G3 23 47 D2 36 12 H3 48 24

With Separated Bands: 10 groups BCCH, 6 TCH, 3 ARCFN each

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 1 2 3 4 5 G2 H2 I2 17 18 19 F1 6 BCCH G1 H1 I1 7 8 9 BCCH C3 D3 E3 23 24 25 TCH O4 P4 Q4 39 40 41 L1 A2 B2 C2 D2 E2 F2 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 TCH F3 G3 H3 I3 L3 M3 N3 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 R4 M5 N5 O5 P5 Q1 R5 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

L2 A3 B3 20 21 22

O3 P3 Q3 R3 M4 N4 33 34 35 36 37 38
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Frequency Plan
Manual Allocation

Allocation Criteria

Conclusion

Take into account both: Starting point:

theoretical dominance area and planner's knowledge of the site critical site or critical area

Method 1 is simpler than method 2 Method 2 is more accurate (RuFBCCH > RuFTCH, intracell HO)

"cluster approach"? "dynamic" BCCH allocation No more than 60-70 sites!!!

BCCH TCH simplicity C/I C/A C/I C/A groups x x x x sub-bands x

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Frequency Plan
Automatic Allocation

Frequency allocation algorithms implemented in planning tools

Compute compatibility matrix across total cell area (heavy computing!) Allocate same frequencies in sufficiently separated cells Allocate frequencies until traffic needs of all cells are satisfied Boundary condition: minimise total network interferences

No closed solution available for this problem Iterative procedure

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Frequency Plan
Automatic Allocation

Choose the following parameters for all network layers

Co-cell separation Co-site separation Target level for co-channel + adj channel interference Frequency band allowed

Algohorithm:
Interference parameters setting Separation parameters setting Interference matrix calculation Separation matrix calculation Frequency allocation
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Analyze results

Frequency Plan
Automatic Allocation

Interference matrix

Element (i,j) = amount of interference caused on cell i by cell j Comparison parameter = co-channel (adj channel) C/I Element (i,j) = minimum channel separation between cell i and cell j Comparison parameter = maximum C/I (C/A) probability Co-site, co-cell and adj-cell separations manually set

Separation matrix

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Frequency Plan
Automatic Allocation

Evaluation criteria

Check the avg co-channel interference parameter Check the channel distribution Check the contraints violation list Use the Interference Analisys tool

Automatic frequency plan Manual analysis and error correction

Final result

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Frequency Plan
Frequency Coordination

Regulations for international boundaries

18 dB V/m at borderline 18 dB V/m at 15km distance from border for preferential frequencies

Set of preferential and reserved frequencies must be mutually agreed between operators

A
international borderline

15km

C B

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Frequency Plan
Intermodulation

Intermodulation interference can be avoided by

Ensuring that the base station site equipment quality is such high that the intermodulation does not exist, Grouping the frequencies such that the intermodulation products do not cause interference or Allocating the frequencies such that the intermodulation products do not cause interference or

its complex influence on the frequency planning can be made easier by

Preventing the power control (only for the downlink intermodulation products) or Directing the intermodulation products to the BCCH frequencies (there is no downlink power control on the BCCH).

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Exercises / Questions
Is the frequency grouping of the reuse factor 15 enough to maximise the performance of the frequency hopping? Does the 1800 MHz GSM network cause interference to the 900 MHz networks? Why does the frequency band have to be split?

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References
1. J. Lempiinen, M. Manninen, Radio Interface System Planning for GSM/GPRS/UMTS, Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001.

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