Self Organising Network Techniques to Maximise Traffic Offload onto a 3G/WCDMA Small Cell Network using MDT UE Measurement Reports

This paper presents a number of Self-Organising Network (SON) based methods using a 3GPP Minimisation of Drive Testing (MDT) approach or similar and the analysis of these geo-located UE measurements to maximise traffic offload onto lamppost mounted 3G/WCDMA microcells. Simulations have been performed for a real 3G/WCDMA microcell deployment in a busy area of central London and the results suggest that for the network studied a traffic increase on the microcell layer of up to 175% is achievable through the novel SON methods presented

Coexistence of Terrestrial and HAP 3G Networks during Disaster Scenarios

The aim of this paper is to show the possible coexistence of an HAP and a terrestrial component of 3G networks at a single carrier frequency. The main goal is to compare the basic parameters of terrestrial and HAP com-ponent 3G networks modeled in suburban (macrocell) and urban (macro/microcell) areas and to demonstrate the way they impact on each other. This study should present what we assume are the better capabilities of HAP 3G networks compared to their terrestrial counterparts. The parameters of the HAP and terrestrial component of 3G networks, were the terrestrial cells to be disabled during disasters, are also presented

Modeling and characterization of urban radio channels for mobile communications

Results of this thesis contribute in modeling and characterization of radio channels for future mobile communications. The results are presented mainly in three parts: a) modeling of propagation mechanisms, b) methodology of developing a propagation model, c) characterization of urban radio channel. One of the main propagation physical phenomena that have an important role in diverting signals to non line of sight scenarios is the diffraction process. This thesis proposes diffraction coefficients that have better agreement with finite difference time domain solution and rigorous diffraction theory than the coefficient commonly used in propagation predictions for mobile communications. The importance of diffuse scattering has also been investigated and showed that this physical process may have a key role in urban propagation, with a particular impact on the delay spread and angular spread of the signal at the receiver. This thesis proposes wideband propagation models for main and perpendicular streets of urban street grids. The propagation models are ray-based and are given in explicit mathematical expressions. Each ray is characterized in terms of its amplitude, delay, and angle of arrival, angle of departure for vertical and horizontal polarizations. Each of these characteristics is given in a closed mathematical form. Having wideband propagation model in explicit expression makes its implementation easy and computation fast. Secondary source modeling approach for perpendicular streets has also been introduced in this thesis. The last part of the thesis deals with characterization of urban radio channels for extracting parameters that help in successful design of mobile communication systems. Knowledge of channel characteristics enables reaching optimum trade off between system performance and complexity. This thesis analyzes measurement results at 2 GHz to extract channel parameters in terms of Rake finger characteristics in order to get information that helps to optimize Rake receiver design for enhanced-IMT2000 systems. Finger life distance has also been investigated for both micro- and small cell scenarios. This part of the thesis also presents orthogonality factor of radio channel for W-CDMA downlink at different bandwidths. Characterization of dispersion metrics in delay and angular domains for microcellular channels is also presented at different base station antenna heights. A measure of (dis-) similarity between multipath components in terms of separation distance in delay and angular domains is introduced by the concept of distance function, which is a step toward in development of algorithm extraction and analysis multipath clustering. In summary, the significant contributions of the thesis are in three parts. 1) Development of new diffraction coefficients and corrections of limitations of existing one for accurate propagation predictions for mobile communications. 2) Development of wideband propagation models for urban street grid. The novelty of the model is the development in explicit mathematical expressions. The developed models can be used to study propagation problem in microcellular urban street grids. 3) Presenting channel parameters that will help in the design of future mobile communication systems (enhanced-IMT2000), like number of active fingers, finger life distance, and orthogonality factors for different bandwidths. In addition, a technique based on multipath separation distance is proposed as a step toward in development of algorithms for extraction and analysis of multipath clusters.reviewe

Characterization of Propagation Path Loss at Vhf/Uhf Bands for Ilorin City, Nigeria

Path loss exponent, standard deviation and building penetration loss are used in all distance path loss models. Once these data are known for an environment, coverage planning and propagation analysis could be done easily. Many countries across the world, such as Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, and the USA have already published their propagation data, mostly, the path loss exponent for their various cities. However in Nigeria, these data are not available. In this work, measurements were conducted at 203.25 MHz and 583.25 MHz frequencies along ten routes in Ilorin City in Kwara State of Nigeria. Least squares regression method is used to fit the measured data with log-normal propagation path loss model to characterize the path loss parameters. Results of the experiment indicate that the path loss exponent for Ilorin City varies from 1.4 to 4.94 with an average value of 2.80. The work further investigates the behaviour of the TV signals in the same environment in terms of standard deviation and building penetration loss across the routes, and some selected building structures

On the modeling of WCDMA system performance with propagation data

The aim of this study was to develop calculation methods for estimating the most important system level performance characteristics of the WCDMA radio network (i.e. network capacity and coverage) in the presence of interference from various sources. The calculation methods described in this work enable the fast design of radio systems with a reasonable degree of accuracy, where different system parameters, propagation conditions and networks as well as frequency scenarios can be easily tested. The work also includes the development and verification of a propagation model for a microcellular environment. Traditionally, system level performance figures have been retrieved using system simulations where the radio network has been modeled as accurately as possible. This has included base stations and mobile stations, propagation models, traffic models and mobility models. Various radio resource management (RRM) algorithms, such as power controls and handovers have also been modeled. However, these system simulations are very complex and time consuming and typically the models are difficult to modify. The idea behind this work is to use the main statistical parameters retrieved from accurate, case specific propagation models and to use these statistics as input for the developed analytical radio network models. When used as output from these analytical models we are able to obtain the performance measures of the network. The specific application area for the developed methods is the evaluation of the effect of the interference from the adjacent frequency channels. Adjacent channel interference decreases the efficiency of the usage of the electromagnetic spectrum i.e. the spectral efficiency. The aim of a radio system design is to ensure that the reduction in the spectral efficiency is as low as possible. This interference may originate from the same or a different radio system and from the same or another operator's network. The strength of this interference is dependent on the system parameters and the network layout. The standard questions regarding adjacent system interference between different operators' network are what guard band is needed between the radio carriers in order to maintain the quality of the network or what are the main mobile and network parameters, such as adjacent channel emission levels or adjacent channel selectivity, required in order to achieve satisfactory network performance. With the developed method proposed here it is possible to answer these questions with reasonable accuracy. One important aspect of network performance is the radio wave propagation environment for which the radio systems are designed. This thesis presents methods evaluating radio wave propagation, especially for cases where the base station antenna is below the rooftops, i.e. in the case of microcellular network environments. The developed microcellular propagation model has been developed for network planning purposes and it has been verified using numerous field propagation measurements. The model can be used in cases where the mobile station is located either indoors or outdoors.reviewe

Study on 3GPP Rural Macrocell Path Loss Models for Millimeter Wave Wireless Communications

Little research has been done to reliably model millimeter wave (mmWave) path loss in rural macrocell settings, yet, models have been hastily adopted without substantial empirical evidence. This paper studies past rural macrocell (RMa) path loss models and exposes concerns with the current 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TR 38.900 (Release 14) RMa path loss models adopted from the International Telecommunications Union - Radiocommunications (ITU-R) Sector. This paper shows how the 3GPP RMa large-scale path loss models were derived for frequencies below 6 GHz, yet they are being asserted for use up to 30 GHz, even though there has not been sufficient work or published data to support their validity at frequencies above 6 GHz or in the mmWave bands. We present the background of the 3GPP RMa path loss models and their use of odd correction factors not suitable for rural scenarios, and show that the multi-frequency close-in free space reference distance (CI) path loss model is more accurate and reliable than current 3GPP and ITU-R RMa models. Using field data and simulations, we introduce a new close-in free space reference distance with height dependent path loss exponent model (CIH), that predicts rural macrocell path loss using an effective path loss exponent that is a function of base station antenna height. This work shows the CI and CIH models can be used from 500 MHz to 100 GHz for rural mmWave coverage and interference analysis, without any discontinuity at 6 GHz as exists in today's 3GPP and ITU-R RMa models.Comment: To be published in 2017 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Paris, France, May 201

Cognitive radio systems in LTE networks

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London.The most important fact in the mobile industry at the moment is that demand for wireless services will continue to expand in the coming years. Therefore, it is vital to find more spectrums through cognitive radios for the growing numbers of services and users. However, the spectrum reallocations, enhanced receivers, shared use, or secondary markets-will not likely, by themselves or in combination, meet the real exponential increases in demand for wireless resources. Network operators will also need to re-examine network architecture, and consider integrating the fibre and wireless networks to address this issue. This thesis involves driving fibre deeper into cognitive networks, deploying microcells connected through fibre infrastructure to the backbone LTE networks, and developing the algorithms for diverting calls between the wireless and fibre systems, introducing new coexistence models, and mobility management. This research addresses the network deployment scenarios to a microcell-aided cognitive network, specifically slicing the spectrum spatially and providing reliable coverage at either tier. The goal of this research is to propose new method of decentralized-to-distributed management techniques that overcomes the spectrum unavailability barrier overhead in ongoing and future deployments of multi-tiered cognitive network architectures. Such adjustments will propose new opportunities in cognitive radio-to-fibre systematic investment strategies. Specific contributions include: 1) Identifying the radio access technologies and radio over fibre solution for cognitive network infrastructure to increase the uplink capacity analysis in two-tier networks. 2) Coexistence of macro and microcells are studied to propose a roadmap for optimising the deployment of cognitive microcells inside LTE macrocells in the case of considering radio over fibre access systems. 3) New method for roaming mobiles moving between microcells and macrocell coverage areas is proposed for managing spectrum handover, operator database, authentication and accounting by introducing the channel assigning agent entity. The ultimate goal is to reduce unnecessary channel adaptation