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4G Network Planning
10.1
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4G NETWORK PLANNING
3G networks
4G networks
Data rate
Frequency band
Bandwidth
Switching technique
4G system must be capable of providing highly efficient and cost-effective solutions for
wireless network users.
Table 10.1 gives a comparison of few key features of 3G and 4G technologies.
10.2
Although there are a few technologies vying for the top stop for fourth-generation networks,
OFDM and MC-CDMA may turn out to be the key competitors for the physical interface,
and All-IP and WLAN for the upper layers. This section introduces OFDM (orthogonal
frequency-division multiplexing) for the air-interface and All-IP for the upper layer. Later
in the chapter, an overview of WLAN systems and network planning is given.
10.2.1 Orthogonal Frequency-division Multiplexing
OFDM is a frequency-division multiplexing technique that is used to transmit large amounts
of data on a radio signal. Basically, a 'big' radio signal is subdivided into smaller signals
and then transmitted to the receiver using different frequencies.
It is thought that OFDM will be able to fulfil the three most important requirements
of 4G mobile networks: higher coverage and capacity, with desired QoS at minimum
cost.
The biggest advantage of the OFDM technique is the mutual orthogonality of its carriers,
which provides a high spectral efficiency. This is possible because there is no guard band
and carriers can be packed very close together. Most of the alternative techniques require
guard bands. In OFDM, even without a guard band, there is no interference because the
carriers are orthogonal. The spectrum for OFDM lies between 200 MHz and about 3.5 GHz,
with a spectral efficiency of about 1 bit/s/Hz.
Coverage in CDMA systems is limited by the phenomenon of cell breathing (described
elsewhere in this book), as an increasing number of users decreases the area covered owing
to an increase in interference. In an OFDM system, the cell overlay technique is used (similar
to that in GSM), thereby reducing co-channel interference.
Network planning for an OFMD system is quite similar to that for GSM/GPRS. This is
because frequency re-use is reintroduced (unlike in WCDMA, where the frequency re-use
factor was 1, theoretically). For this reason, the power control feature in OFDM networks is
NETWORKS
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4G NETWORK PLANNING
IP-BTS: The functionality of the IP base station in this network is more than the functionality of base stations seen in earlier chapters. This base station performs also as a
mini-RNC/BSC, generally capable of performing layer 1, 2 and 3 functions. There are
two types: serving BTS and drift BTS (equivalent to serving RNC and drift RNC in a
WCDMA radio network).
(IP) servers: The IP base station is not capable of performing all the RNC/BSC functions,
which are of network level. These servers handle the signalling between the network
elements. They are capable also of auto-tuning the parameters of the radio network,
leading to better utilization of radio resources. As there are multiple technologies to be
handled, a common server improves the performance and efficiency of the network in
comparison with separate servers for each of the radio interfaces.
Gateways (GW): These are responsible for the interaction of the IP-RAN and IP-Core
networks. They are usually of two types, CS-GW and PS-GW, based on the type of call
(circuit-switched or packet-switched) it is capable of handling.
Network Planning for the All-IP Network
Network planning covers the access (transmission) network and the packet core network.
Figure 10.3 shows a small box with the core network as a subset of the packet core network,
indicating that voice traffic will still be a part of mobile communications, but it will travel
on the packet core network (as opposed to the circuit core in 2G and 3G networks).
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4G NETWORK PLANNING
10.3