Interference Analysis for a Hierarchical GSM Network with Picocells using Total Frequency Hopping with Adaptive Frequency

Allocation
Jrgen Deissner, Gerhard Fettweis Endowed Chair for Mobile Communications Systems Dresden University of Technology, D-01062 Dresden, Germany e-mail: {deissner | fettweis}@ifn.et.tu-dresden.de WWW: http://www.ifn.et.tu-dresden.de/~deissner/

Abstract - In todays cellular networks it becomes harder to provide the resources exactly in the place and at the time where and when they are needed. Frequency planning for a hierarchical cellular network, especially to cover hot-spots and indoor areas is a complicated and expensive task. We propose the use of Total Frequency Hopping in combination with Adaptive Frequency Allocation for picocells in a hierarchical GSM network and present an interference analysis that indicates a considerable interference reduction gain by AFA. Moreover, we investigate the optimal number of frequencies to be reused by the picocells in the considered network congurations. Thereby, solely by reusing frequencies that are already allocated to the macro- and microcell layers, an existing network can carry an additional indoor trafc of more than 300 Erlang/km2 in picocells while achieving the same performance like in the macro- and microcells without frequency planning. I . INTRODUCTION The provision of capacity for the increasing trafc demand in mobile radio networks comes along with the reduction of the cell size and, hence, stronger trafc uctuations between the cells. Moreover, improved indoor coverage is required. It becomes harder to provide the resources exactly in the place and at the time where and when they are needed. Hierarchical cellular networks can be designed to serve indoor users and hot spots by pico- and microcell layers, respectively, while providing coverage in the area by the macrocell layer. Moreover, hierarchical cellular networks can compensate trafc uctuations e.g. by shifting overow trafc from lower to higher layers. In order to avoid interference between the layers, their frequency allocations have to be coordinated. However, due to the heterogeneous cell sizes and propagation conditions, frequency planning for a hierarchical cellular network is a complicated and expensive task. This problem is even worse if picocells have to be deployed suddenly or only for short periods, e.g. at fairs, conferences, ad-hoc events, for which it is not

worth or even not possible to go through the frequency planning cycle. In this paper, we propose Total Frequency Hopping (T-FH) in combination with Adaptive Frequency Allocation (AFA) for the picocells of a hierarchical GSM network. This technique is already a part of the GSM extension for Cordless Telephony Systems (CTS). We present a comparative simulation study that aims at network congurations for achieving a high additional trafc capacity in the picocell layer solely by reusing the microand/or macrocell frequencies. II. DISCUSSION OF PREVIOUS WORK ON HIERARCHICAL GSM NETWORKS Interference reduction techniques like power control (PC), frequency hopping (FH), discontinuous transmission (DTX), adaptive antennas, and partial loading improve the performance of hierarchical GSM networks. And, especially, partial loading in combination with FH can compensate trafc uctuations to some extent [1]. In the macro- and microcell layer usually different frequencies are used to avoid the coordination effort between the layers. However, in order to not decrease the outdoor capacity of those layers it is not desirable to dedicate a large part of the scarce frequency band of a network operator to the indoor picocell layer. Facing this requirement, a strategy to combat interference between the picocell and the other layers is to use wideband synthesized FH for the trafc channels (TCH) [2]. Basically, T-FH/AFA in picocells is such a solution. Total Frequency Hopping (T-FH) is a slow FH technique which uses more frequencies for FH than typically chosen per base station, e.g. up to the whole frequency band of a network operator [3]. The performance of T-FH can be much improved by excluding the strongestly interfered frequencies by AFA. AFA comprises periodical measurements of the frequencies of a candidate list which, e.g., excludes the BCCH and possibly the TCH frequencies of the local macro- and microcells. For each observed frequency, the measurements are averaged on the basis of a

low-pass lter and put into a sorted list. A set of the lowestly interfered frequencies is used for T-FH [4]. Thus, AFA eliminates fast variations of the eld strength and of the channel occupation, but reacts on fundamental changes in the environment (frequency plan, new base stations, increased average load). In contrast to dynamic channel allocation schemes, AFA requires less measurement effort and has an intended longer response time. Previous simulation studies on GSM Cordless Telephony Systems (CTS) [5, 6, 7] show the feasibility of the T-FH/AFA technique for uncoordinated CTS systems within the coverage area of a dense urban GSM network. However, some network operators may be interested in using the revealed capacity reserves for the optimization of their own network. Beside the capacity-relevant advantages of the T-FH/AFA technique, they can benefit from an uncomplicated fast deployment of small and inexpensive picocell base stations in the place where they are needed without frequeny planning. III. SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT A. Radio network model

TABLE 1: RADIO NETWORK CONFIGURATION Macrocell layer hexagonal layout inter-BS-distance: DM = 500 m 3 sectors per BS site 1/3 reuse with FH over 12 freq. or 3/9 reuse with FH over 4 frequencies per sector sector antenna diagram: 3dB-beamwidth of 60 degrees, max. gain of 21 dBi, and front-to-back ratio of 40 dB BS transmit power: 49 dBm EIRP (i.e. at least 37 dBm within the sector) MS transmit power: 33 dBm EIRP Microcell layer Manhattan grid layout BSs at the intersections of the grid; inter-BS-distance: Dm = 200 m 5-reuse scheme with FH over 2 freq. per cell omnidirectional BS antennas BS and MS transmit power: 27 dBm EIRP
2 1 3 DM 6

8 7 9 5 4

3/9 reuse cluster

3 4 1 5
Dm

5 reuse cluster Picocell layer

As a worst case for the capacity that is reusable for picocells, we investigate several network congurations in a very dense urban environment with busy hour trafc load. Furthermore, in contrast to real networks, we assume relatively high macro- and microcell transmit powers without modeling power control and DTX for interference reduction, additionally challenging the picocell frequency reuse scheme. All base stations (BS) of the macro- and microcells are assumed to be outdoor, also all the macrocell mobile stations (MS) and 50 % of the microcell MSs. The remaining microcell MSs as well as all picocell BSs and MSs are assumed to be indoor. Although a real radio network layout does not have a regular hexagonal cell layout, we may assume that a real reuse factor averaged over a couple of urban cells is worse, i.e. higher, than in a 1/3 or 3/9 reuse scheme with an additional microcell layer with a reuse factor of 5. Since a reasonable FH gain occurs beginning at 4 FH frequencies, we assign each sector cell in the 3/9 reuse scheme with 4 frequencies. The resulting total number of frequencies of 36 is a possible set a network operator may have available for a cell cluster. In the case of 1/3 reuse, we assign the 36 frequencies to only 3 sector cells per cluster and assume synthesized FH as well as partial loading. TABLE 1 summarizes the assumed network conguration. Each layer is modeled with an independent Poisson call arrival process. However, macrocells are usually intended to carry overow trafc from the microcells. We assume that the microcells have a busy hour load of 80 % and that the blocked calls (16 %) are served by the macrocells. With

picocells, i.e. circles with 40 m diameter, at arbitrary positions, uniformly distributed over the investigation area BS and MS at arbitrary positions, which are determined from a uniform distribution over the picocell area BS and MS transmit power: 17 dBm EIRP

respect to the cell areas, the macrocells have to serve 4.6 Erlang overow trafc, accordingly. For the picocells we do not consider such an overow, because they should serve indoor areas with bad macro- and microcell coverage. For our interference analysis, the logical channels BCCH and SDCCH are not separately modeled. For representing their interference, we load them in the macro- and microcells like a TCH channel. The continuous transmission on all time slots of the BCCH frequency (with dummy bursts if not occupied by a TCH) is not modeled, however, without power control (PC) and at the high average load values of 72 % and 80 % we expect no considerable difference. Nevertheless, for the capacity calculation we considered that 2 and, in case of 6 transceivers (TRX) per cell, 3 time slots in a macro- or microcell are reserved for BCCH and SDCCH signalling. Each picocell in our model can serve one user at a time, so that the assumed trafc value of 0.1 Erlang per user leads to 10 % average load in such a single-TCH picocell. For our investigation, mainly the average TCH load is of interest, which directly causes the interference to be analysed. How this load is generated in the picocell layer can also be interpreted in other ways. For example, a group of 8 closely situated picocells, which use the same frequencies,

cause similar interference in our model like one picocell that can allocate up to 8 time slots of a single transceiver according to the GSM CTS specication [8]. Handover (due to the best server criterion) within the macro- and microcell layers is modeled, but not between different layers. Under those considerations, the simulated load is equivalent to a carried trafc per layer as in TABLE 2. B. Propagation models For the macrocell path loss calculation we use the Walsh-Ikegami model [9] with hBS = 25 m, hroof = 15 m: LMM = 7.7 + 38 lg( d / m ) . (1) In the microcell propagation we distinguish the line-ofsight case with a two-slope model [9] LmmLOS =

333m

evaluated macrocell cluster interfering tiers microcell and picocell evaluation area microcell interference area picocell interference area

Fig. 1. Investigation area for 1/3 macrocell reuse

Log-normal shadowing is considered with = 6 dB for indoor and microcell propagation and = 8 dB otherwise. The complete denition of the applied propagation models can be found in [11]. C. Adaptive Frequency Allocation

27 + 26 lg( d / m ) -10.8 + 40 lg( d / m )

for d 500 m for d > 500 m

(2) In our model we determine for each frequency of the candidate list the mean value of the uplink and the downlink power levels of all time slots within the TDMA frame. The measurements include the path loss value only. According to our simulated time of 500 s, we measure only once at the simulation setup. For each picocell user, the N least interfered frequencies are used for T-FH. D. Interference analysis We assume that all BSs and MSs are slot-synchronous and we evaluate co-channel interference only. For 1/3 reuse, we investigate 3 tiers of interfering macrocells (Fig. 1), for 3/9 reuse one interfering tier. In both cases, the microcell area is a square with a side length of 1667 m and the picocell area a circle with a diameter of 1667 m. However, for the macrocell layer, the carrier-toco-channel-interference ratio (C/I) samples are only taken

from the non-line-of-sight case. In the latter and for the relations between the picocell-BS and the macro- or microcell-MS as well as between the microcell-BS and picocellMS we apply the Walsh-Ikegami model with hBS = 4 m LmmNLOS = LpM = Lmp = Lpm = -7.5 + 49 lg( d / m ) + 0.0176 min( d / m , 500 ). (3)

If a picocell is involved Lindoor = 12 dB is added, which represents a relatively low average for different penetration depths and materials in order not to over-estimate the isolation of indoor picocells within buildings. For the picocells we use within the same building (d 40 m) a linear attenuation model [10] Lpp = 31.5 + 20 lg( d / m ) + 0.9 ( d / m ) and to other buildings equation (3) plus 2 Lindoor . (4)

TABLE 2: TRAFFIC THAT CAN BE CARRIED PER LAYER macrocells: 1/3 reuse #TCH per cell #frequencies per layer planning criterion offered trafc average call duration average load carried trafc per area carried trafc per area and spectrum
a.

macrocells: 3/9 reuse 30 (4 TRXs) 36 2% blocking probability 21.9 Erlanga per cell 90 s 72 % 258 Erlang/km2 36 Erlang/km2/MHz

microcells 14 (2 TRXs) 10 80% average load 13.4 Erlang per cell 90 s 80 % 280 Erlang/km2 140 Erlang/km2/MHz

picocells 1 (like an MS hardware) 3 to 18 out of 46 or all 46 3000 users / km2 0.1 Erlang per user 120 s 10 % 300 Erlang/km2 46 freq.: 33 Erlang/km2/MHz

45 (6 TRXs) 36 50 % partial loading 22.5 Erlanga per cell 90 s 50 % 270 Erlang/km2 37 Erlang/km2/MHz

including 4.6 Erlang which is blocked in the microcells and carried as overow trafc by the macrocells

within the central cluster and for the micro- and picocell layers within a circle with a diameter of 500 m. From the simulated C/I samples we derive the C/I distributions and apply as performance criterion the outage probability, which we dene as:
P outage = P [ C I < 9dB ] .

(5)

Each simulation setup we run with 5 different random generator seeds. This results in a 95 % condence interval of 0.5 % at 1 % outage probability up to 2 % at outage probabilities of 8 %. On this basis we present a comparative study for a highdensity hierarchical GSM network with worst case assumptions with respect to the capacity of the picocells. IV. SIMULATION RESULTS A. The optimal number of reused picocell frequencies For both macrocell reuse factors, 3/9 with hard blocking and 1/3 with partial loading, we analyze the mutual interference between the picocells and the other layers in several scenarios, where the picocells reuse: all 46 frequencies of both the macro- and the microcell layer without AFA and b) - g) 18 down to 3 frequencies determined out of all 46 frequencies by the AFA algorithm. Fig. 2 and 3 show the respective outage probabilities in the macro- and microcell uplink (UL) and downlink (DL), respectively. The reasons for the considerably higher macrocell outage probabilities for 1/3 reuse, which are mainly caused by the macrocell layer itself, are the denser cell layout and the use of 6 (instead of 4) transceivers per macrocell-BS. The benet from partial loading would only be able to surface by additionally considering PC and DTX, which was not modeled, and by a more moderate load. The large difference in the microcell up- and downlink is due to the positions of the micro-BSs at the crossings of the Manhattan grid and the propagation model that assumes a considerably smaller path loss within the street corridors (grid lines) than around the corners and across the built-up area between the streets. So, in our simulated setup, a microcell-BS sees possible interfering microcellMSs in four directions, whereas vice versa only in two directions. The impact on the macrocells from the frequency reuse in the picocells is negligible if AFA determines for T-FH 18 frequencies or less in the 3/9 reuse case, Fig. 2, and 10 frequencies or less in the 1/3 reuse case, Fig. 3, respectively. These results reveal a real capacity reserve, which should be exploited for the picocells. In the 1/3 reuse case, the picocells obviously make more a)

use of the less interfered microcell frequencies which leads in comparison to the 3/9 reuse case to an increased picocell-caused outage probability in the microcells, especially in case c. Nevertheless, these outages in the 1/3 reuse case can still be decreased, e.g. on the uplink from 1.7 % in case c to 0.3 % in cases f, g. At low numbers of frequencies the picocell-caused outage probability in the microcells even reach similar values like in the 3/9 reuse case. In the picocells the use of AFA considerably decreases the outage probability, see Fig. 4, 5. According to the transmission characteristics in the macrocells and the interference conditions in the microcells, up- and downlink reach their minimal outage probability at different numbers of frequencies. On the uplink (left pillar of each pair) we nd the minimum at 18 frequencies for 3/9 reuse and at 10 frequencies for 1/3 reuse, respectively. In both cases, the downlink (right pillar of each pair) outage probability reaches its minimum at 6 frequencies. This minimum is due to an optimal combination of excluding frequencies and of interference averaging. For less frequencies, the interference averaging gain decreases, because the probability of hits from other picocell users hopping over 5 or less frequencies increases. The resulting increase of the frame erasure rate will additionally be inuenced by the limited frequency diversity, which slow moving or quasi-stationary picocell users encounter for very few hopping frequencies. If we consider up- and downlink together, the optimal number of frequencies selected by the AFA algorithm for T-FH is for the considered hierarchical network congurations at approximately 6 frequencies for 3/9 reuse and is
Interference on 7 outage probability [ % ] 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 a) all 46f b) 18f AFA c) 10f AFA d) 8f AFA e) 6f AFA f) 4f AFA cases - with the number of frequencies reused by the picocells g) 3f AFA macro-UL, -DL, micro-UL, -DL Interference from pico micro macro

Fig. 2. Outage probability in the macro- and microcell layers for 3/9 reuse
pico micro macro

Interference on 10 9 8 outage probability [ % ] 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 a) all 46f

macro-UL, -DL, micro-UL, -DL

Interference from

b) 18f AFA c) 10f AFA d) 8f AFA e) 6f AFA f) 4f AFA cases - with no. of frequencies reused by the picocells

g) 3f AFA

Fig. 3. Outage probability in the macro- and microcell layers for 1/3 reuse

16 15 14 10 outage probability [ % ] 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Interference on

pico-UL, pico-DL

Interference from pico micro macro

If we double the picocell user density to 6000/km2 in the 1/3 reuse case with 4 AFA frequencies, the macrocell performance is not affected. The picocell-caused increase of the microcell outage probability is 0.7 % on the downlink and even less on the uplink. The increase of the picocell outage probability by approximately 1 % on both, up- and downlink, is mainly due to the higher interference within the picocell layer. Hence, these results indicate that also higher picocell user densities than 3000/km2 are possible and even 6000/km2 is not yet critical. Moreover, we expect that the considerable AFA gain will still improve under consideration of PC and DTX. A further simulation with 6 dB lower macrocell-BS and -MS power levels was expected to have a similar effect in the reduction of interference like the application fo PC and DTX. The respective results for case b (not in the gures), exhibit a further decrease in the macrocell-caused outage probability at the picocell downlink by 2 %. The picocellcaused interference in the macro- or microcells is not affected. Finally, among the propagation modeling assumptions, the building penetration loss has a strong inuence on the results. For example, a 3 dB stronger isolation of picocells within buildings, i.e. Lindoor = 15 dB, would further decrease the outage probability on the picocell downlink in the 3/9 reuse cases b, c, and e by ca. 3 %, 2 %, and 1 %, respectively. V. SUMMARY Under worst-case conditions with respect to the interference from other layers to picocells in a dense urban environment, the presented results indicate that AFA provides a considerable interference reduction gain in both reuse scenarios (at most a reduction of the outage probability on the sensitive picocell downlink by 12 % and 11 %, respectively) and can achieve approximately the same picocell outage probability values like in the macro- and microcell layers, which are however frequency-planned. Since a real network with irregular cell layout is less tight than the 3/9 reuse case or at most within the range of 3/9 and 1/3 reuse, each overlayed with a 5-reuse microcell layer, we may assume that the performance results are a lower bound for the capacity of the indoor picocells. Hence, solely by reusing existing macro- and microcell frequencies, an additional indoor and hot-spot trafc of more than 300 Erlang/ km2 can be carried by the picocells. The inuence of the picocells on the macrocells is in both reuse scenarios for less than 10 frequencies negligible. The outage probability in the microcells is increased by the picocells at most by 1.7 %, in the cases, which are optimal for the picocells, only by 0.5 %.

a) all 46f b) 18f AFA c) 10f AFA d) 8f AFA e) 6f AFA f) 4f AFA g) 3f AFA cases - with no. of frequencies reused by the picocells

Fig. 4. Outage probability in the picocell layer for 3/9 reuse

15 14 13 10 outage probability [ % ] 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Interference on

pico-UL, pico-DL

Interference from pico micro macro

a) all 46f b) 18f AFA c) 10f AFA d) 8f AFA e) 6f AFA f) 4f AFA g) 3f AFA cases - with no. of frequencies reused by the picocells

Fig. 5. Outage probability in the picocell layer for 1/3 reuse

shifted towards 4 frequencies for 1/3 reuse. Obviously, in the denser cell layout, less frequencies meet the low interference level, which is required for an effective reuse in the picocells. It is remarkable that, although the macro- and microcellcaused interference is in the cases a-c much higher for the denser 1/3 reuse, approximately the same picocell performance like in the 3/9 reuse can be reached in the cases d-g, especially for 4-6 frequencies. From these results we can see, that it is more efcient to exclude the strongest interferers than to achieve a higher interference averaging gain by using as much frequencies as possible for T-FH. B. The inuence of other characteristics than the number of frequencies In order to better assess the previous results, we want to discuss the inuence of some other characteristics than the number of frequencies in the following, namely the picocell user density, the use of power control and DTX, and the building penetration loss.

In joint consideration of up- and downlink, the optimal number of frequencies selected by the AFA algorithm for T-FH is for the considered hierarchical network congurations at approximately 6 frequencies for 3/9 reuse and is shifted towards 4 frequencies for 1/3 reuse. The results also show, that it is more efcient to exclude the strongest interferers than to achieve a higher interference averaging gain by using as much frequencies for T-FH as possible. Moreover, higher picocell user densities than 3000/km2 are possible and even 6000/km2 is not yet critical. And if we assume 6 dB smaller transmit powers at the macrocellBSs and -MSs, which can be compared with the case of power control and DTX, the macrocell-caused outage probability at the picocell downlink can be further decreased by 2 % (for 18 reused frequencies) without increase of the picocell-caused interference in the macroor microcells. VI. CONCLUSIONS AFA in combination with T-FH is a powerful optimization technique for hierarchical cellular networks without additional frequency planning. Adaptive and intelligent channel allocation techniques like AFA for GSM-like systems can transform capacity reserves into a considerable additional trafc capacity solely by the reuse of spectrum already allocated to that system. Though the xed FDD offset of the GSM system prevents different frequency sets in uplink and downlink, adaptive channel allocation techniques in future cellular systems should be able to handle uplink and downlink separately.
A CKNOW LEDGM ENTS The simulation software was developed within a project at Dresden University of Technology that was sponsored by the Alcatel Corporate Research Center, Stuttgart. Here, we wish to thank Ulrich Barth and Charles Skelton for providing us with the software version that was extended afterwards by Alcatel and the support. We would also like to thank Dr. Michael Hartmann, Mannesmann Mobilfunk GmbH, Dresden, for the fruitful discussion on the setup for this simulation study.

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