WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

THE CELLULAR CONCEPT- SYSTEM DESIGN

FUNDAMENTALS

LECTURE 4

Tanvir Ahmad Niazi

Tanvir.niazi@mail.au.edu.pk
Air University, Islamabad

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The Cellular Concept
1. Introduction
2. Frequency Reuse
3. Channel Assignment Strategies

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Early Mobile Telephone Systems

 One high-power transmitter was used to cover a large area---

approx. 50km. Located at a very high spot.
 The mobiles were
simultaneously connected
using different Frequency
channels.
 Capacity of such systems
was very limited.

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Basics
 Early mobile telephony systems were not cellular. Coverage over a large
area was provided by a high powered transmitter mounted on a tall tower.
Frequency reuse was not employed. That resulted in very low capacity.

 The cellular concept arose from the need to restructure the radio telephone
system with the increase in demand. The increase in demand could not be
satisfied just by additional spectrum allocations.

 Cellular Concept: Replace large transmitters with many smaller

transmitters. Neighboring base stations (BS) are assigned different sets of
channels. Capacity can be increased by additional partitions.

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 Cell – a geographical area covered by a BS.
 Frequency Reuse – the frequency channels allocation scheme.

 For convenience, the cells are shown with a hex pattern. A hex pattern is
the simplest pattern that can tessellate an area.
 In practice, cells are not hexagonal and BS are not exactly in the center of
the cell.

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An Example of a Cellular Cluster

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Capacity Computations
 Assume there are N cells, each allocated k different frequency channels.
These N cells are said to form a cluster. Total number of channels per
cluster is given by
S=kN

 Total capacity associated with M clusters:

C=MkN=MS
 A cluster may be replicated more times in a given area if the cells are made
smaller (note that power needs to be reduced accordingly).

 Capacity of cellular system is directly proportional to “M”, number of times a

cluster is replicated.

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Capacity versus interference for
same size cell
 Decrease N for More Capacity: If Cluster Size, N is decreased
while cell size remains fixed, more clusters are required to cover the
area (M increases). Therefore, Capacity increases.

 Increase N for Less Interference: On the other hand, if N is

increased (large cluster size) means that co-channels are now
farther than before, and hence we have will have less interference.

 Value of N is a function of how much interference a mobile or a base

station can tolerate.

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Frequency Reuse

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Frequency Reuse
 Geometry of the hexagonal cells is such that to cover adjacent areas
completely, N can have only some of the values.

 N should satisfy the relationship,

 where i and j are positive integers. Typical values of N are 4,7,12

etc.
 To draw the cell pattern given i and j:
1. Move i cells across hexagons.
2. Turn 60º CCW and move j cells.

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Frequency Reuse (N=7, i=2, j=1)

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Frequency Reuse (N=19, i=3, j=2)

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Example:
A total of 33 MHz are allocated to a system which uses 2x25 kHz for
full duplex (i.e., each channel is 50 kHz). What is the number of
channels per cell?
Number of channels per system

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Now assume 1 MHz of the 33 MHz is allocated to control channels.
Each control channel is still 50 kHz Total number of voice (traffic)
channels is now

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Channel Assignment
Strategies

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 Channel Allocation Techniques

 To satisfy the user, a channel needs to be available on request.

 Reasonable probability of call blockage (GOS) is 2%.
 GOS fluctuate with location and time.
 The goal is to keep a uniform GOS across the system.
 Reduction of variations in GOS allow more users – an increase in
capacity.
 Three types of algorithms for channel allocation:
 Fixed channel allocation (FCA)
 Channel Borrowing
 Dynamic channel allocation (DCA)

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Fixed Channel Allocation Techniques

 Available spectrum is W Hz and each channel is B Hz. Total number

of channels:
Nc = W/B

 For a cluster size N, the number of channels per cell:

Cc = Nc/N

 To minimize interference, assign adjacent channels to different cells.

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Features of Fixed Channel Allocation
Techniques
 FCA is the optimum allocation strategy for uniform traffic across the
cells.
 A non uniform FCA strategy, when it is possible to evaluate GOS in
real time and adjust the FCA accordingly. This requires a more
complex algorithm.

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Channel Borrowing

 Borrow frequencies from low traffic cells to high traffic cells.

 Temporary channel borrowing: channel is returned after call is
completed.
 If all the channels in a cell are occupied, channels are borrowed
from neighboring cells.
 The MSC supervises such borrowing procedures and ensures
disruption free service.

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Dynamic Channel Allocation

 All channels are placed in a pool, and are assigned to new calls
according to the reuse pattern. Signal is returned to the pool, when
call is completed.

 Issues related to channel allocation are still under research.

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Comparison of Channel Allocation
Techniques
 Fixed Channel Allocation
 Advantages:
 Less load on MSC
 Simple
 Disadvantages:
 Blocking may happen
 Dynamic Channel Allocation
 Advantages:
 Voice channels are not allocated permanently. That is shared on need-basis
 Disadvantages:
 Requires MSC for processing---burden on MSC
 May be very complicated

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Hand off

 HANDOFF: The process of transferring a call across the cell

boundaries.
 Handoffs are prioritized over new calls.
 Handoffs need to be performed infrequently.

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Assignment # 1:
Due date – 02 February, 2012

Problems: 1.3, 1.9, 1.10, 1.13, and 1.18,

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