LTE Radio Network Planning and Design

Duration: 3 days or 18 hours Level: Level 4

LTE Radio Network Planning and Design

Course Outline
Divided into 8 sections, the topics covered will include:

Section 1: LTE Radio Network Design (1 hour)

Processes Involved in LTE Radio Planning and Design. Initial Planning - Network Dimensioning, Initial Coverage, Capacity and Traffic Density Estimation. Detailed Planning - Coverage, Capacity, Frequency and Configuration Planning. Optimization - RAN and Radio Optimization Process. Financial and Regulatory Requirements.

Section 2: LTE Traffic Requirements (1.5 hours)

Comparing Existing GSM / UMTS Services to LTE Based Services. Implementation Options - Impact of Service Offering. QoS Considerations - IP DiffServ Model. Business Model Requirements. LTE System Capabilities. FDD vs TDD Issues. Requirements for Service Mobility. Interworking Services with GSM and UMTS Networks.

Section 3: Radio Propagation for LTE (4 hours)

LTE Spectrum Requirements. Radio Propagation Principles - Free Space Loss, Radio Propagation Effects and Multipath Propagation. Interference Issues in OFDMA and SC-FDMA Systems. Propagation Models - Empirical (COST, SUI, etc.) and Deterministic Models. Model Tuning Process. UE and eNB Transmitter and Receiver Requirements. Impact of Modulation and Coding on Performance. Regulatory RF Requirements. Gains and Losses for eNB Implementation. Uplink and Downlink E-UTRA Link Budgets. Macro, Micro, Pico and Femto Hierarchical Cells. LTE Frequency Re-use Options - Benefits of Soft Frequency Reuse. Cell Interference Mitigation Techniques.

X2 Interface Implementation Benefits.

Section 4: Antenna Considerations (1 hour)

Antenna Selection Options. Antenna Properties - Antenna Gain, Size, Beamwidth, Polarization Options, Front-to-Back Ratios, Ports. LTE Diversity Options - Transmission Modes and Feedback. SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO. MIMO Implementation Considerations. Smart Antennas. Practical Antennas - eNB Options. Impact to LTE Link Budget and Capacity. Multi band and Multi Mode Antenna.

Section 5: LTE Capacity Planning (3 hours)

Cell Planning for Capacity Limited Networks. Effects of Modulation and Coding Schemes on Site and Sector Capacity. Factors Affecting Cell Capacity. Effects of Bandwidth and Implementation Options. Capacity Planning with MIMO Systems. Planning for Subscribed Services and Oversubscription. Planning Tool Inputs - Service Configurations, Device Capabilities, eNB Configuration Options. Impact of Antenna Configuration. Planning Tool Simulations - Key Plots and Results.

Section 6: LTE Coverage Planning (4 hours)

Example Scenarios - 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100 and 2500MHz Implementations. Link Budgets for Different Bands and MCS Schemes. Frequency Re-Farming. Comparing LTE Coverage to GSM and UMTS. Key Coverage Plots - Relating Coverage, Capacity and Interference. Reference Signal Planning Options. Combining Capacity and Coverage Planning. Impact of Antenna Configuration - Type, Tilt, Azimuth, Height and Power Changes. Impact of Normal and Extended Cyclic Prefix. Key Measurements - RSSI and RSRP. Planning Tool Configuration - Defining LTE Parameters. Configuring and Optimizing the Handover Region. Factors Relating to LTE Power Control and Timing. LTE Indoor Planning Methods. Physical Layer 1 Reporting. Drive Testing LTE Networks. KPIs for LTE Planning.

Section 7: Site Selection and Integration (1.5 hours)

Site Selection Criteria. Site Re-use Options. Design Rules - Clipping Distances, Site to Site Distances, Antenna Tilts, Gaps in Coverage, Relation to Clutter Height. Site Sharing. eNB to eNB Integration. eNB to EPC Integration. Cluster Testing - Use of Drive Test Software.

Section 8: RAN Parameter Configuration and Optimization (2 hours)

Self Optimization Systems. Interworking with GSM and UMTS - Parameter Configuration. Cell Selection / Re-selection Optimization. Handover Parameter Optimization - RRC Event Configuration. Power Control Optimization - PUCCH, PRACH and PUSCH. Paging Optimization. Cell Access - PRACH Optimization. Feedback Configuration - CQI, PMI and RI. The LTE system includes a new E-UTRA physical layer based on OFDMA and SC-FDMA, as well as defining various frequency bands and bandwidth options. The course details the radio network design process, incorporating the available options in LTE. As such, it examines the requirements and considerations a planner needs when designing LTE coverage and capacity. Those attending should have a good understanding of LTE operation and the LTE air interface ie mpiricals LTE System Engineering and LTE Air Interface courses.

Who Should Attend

Technical Staff who will be involved in LTE radio network planning and design. Research and Development Staff who need a detailed understanding of LTE planning issues.

2012 Mpirical Limited