LTE Air Interface

BY: MOHAMED SAYED IBRAHIM

December 2017
Upon completion of this course, you will
be able to:
I. LTE Cell Planning
II. LTE Radio Network Capacity Dimensioning
III. LTE Radio Network Coverage Dimensioning

LTE Optimization BootCamp 2

 Procedure of LTE Radio Planning
Information Collection
System dimensioning
Nominal planning
Pre-Planning
Model tuning
Coverage & Capacity planning
Detailed Planning Site selection

Cell configuration and

Cell Planning parameters planning

Frequency TA PCI PRACH

Planning Planning Planning Planning

LTE Optimization BootCamp 3

LTE Frequency Planning

N×S×K

N: eNodeB, S : cells per eNodeB, K: different frequencies.

• When selecting the frequency reuse mode, consider comprehensively the influence
of frequency resources and interference.
LTE Optimization BootCamp 4
Intra-Frequency Networking
• Advantages:
1 1 • All frequency band can be used in
2 each cell, achieve high frequency
2
efficiency.
3 F1 3
• Easy schedule mechanism
1
• Easy implementation of handover
2
3 • Disadvantage:
• Large interference on the edge
cell
• Difficult for consecutive coverage

LTE Optimization BootCamp 5

Intra-Frequency Networking with ICIC
• Type of ICIC
• Dynamic ICIC: the edge
frequency allocation is dynamic
adjustment
• Static ICIC: the edge frequency
allocation is fixed setting
• Advantage: Balance the
system performance and
frequency efficiency
• Disadvantage: Very
complicated scheduling
mechanism

LTE Optimization BootCamp 6

LTE TAC Planning
MME

TAC2 TAC3
TAC1

TA list 1 TA list 2

LTE Optimization BootCamp 7

Neighbor Cell Planning
• The configuration is different from GSM, WCDMA or
CDMA. There is no BSC/RNC in the LTE system.
• When an eNB cell is configured as neighbor cells of other
eNBs, external cells must be added first, which is similar
to the scenario where inter-BSC/RNC neighbor cells are
configured on the BSC. That is, neighbor cells can be
configured only after the corresponding cell information is
added.
• ANR is not recommended in initial phase of network
construction.
• After initial neighbor relations configured and the number
of UEs increasing, ANR can be used to detect missing
neighbor cells and add neighbor relations, to improve
handover and other performance

LTE Optimization BootCamp 8

 LTE PCI Planning
Scrambling Overview
Less
Interference
F1 F1
PCI
specific
scrambling
PRB PRB
eNB eNB

• PCI (Physical Cell ID) value is transmitted on PSS and SSS (Primary and
Secondary Synchronization Signals) according to following following
formula: PCI = 3*SSS + PSS;
• SSS values ranges from 0 to 167,
• PSS value ranges from 0 to 2,
• therefore PCI can have values from 0 to 503

LTE Optimization BootCamp 9

PCI Planning Principle
 PCI parameter planning is similar to any other planning of radio
parameter, i.e., the reuse distance shall be as large as possible.

 However there are several constrains arising from the fact that
PCI determines Reference Signal position in frequency domain.

 Reference signal position in frequency domain is based on

PCI mod 6 calculation. Normal CP Extended CP
R R R R

R R R R

R R R R

R R R R
Antenna Port 0 Antenna Port 0
LTE Optimization BootCamp 10
 PCI Planning Principle - Reference
Signals Constrains, Single Antenna
 Since Reference Signal power is usually boosted by 3dB
(max 6dB) to improve channel estimation. It is advised to
distribute PCIs in adjacent cells such that Reference
Signals does not occupy same subcarrier position.

 Therefore cell can have up to 5 different neighbors without

interfering in frequency domain, i.e., Modulo6 problem.
Physical Cell ID = 0 Physical Cell ID = 8
RS position is R R

R R based on Physical
R R
Cell ID (Physical
R R
Cell ID mod 6) R R
eNB R R
eNB
R R

R R
LTE Optimization BootCamp 11
PCI Planning Principle - Reference
Signals Constrains, 2x2 MIMO
 However LTE is usually implemented in 2x2, where the other
antenna reference signals are positioned in between first
antenna, therefore Modulo6, becomes Modulo3 problem.

 This limits makes planning difficult because there are only two
options how to plan adjacent cells.
 Even thought inter-eNB LTE cells x R x R R x R x

are not time synchronized, there is R x R x x R x R

33% chance of reference signal to x R x R R x R x

reference signal time alignment. R x R x x R x R

Antenna Port 0 Antenna Port 1

LTE Optimization BootCamp 12

 PCI Planning Principle - Reference
Signals Constrains, 4x4 MIMO
 Reference signals of third and fourth antenna are located on
second and fifth ODFM symbol in resource block, so the
planning principle remains same as with 2x2 MIMO, i.e.,
Modulo3 principle. R RS symbol for antenna port 0
R RS symbol for antenna port 1
R RS symbol for antenna port 2
R RS symbol for antenna port 3

x x R x x R Rx x Rx x x x x x R x x R x x x x

Rx x Rx x x x R x x R x R x x x x x x x x R x

x x R x x R Rx x Rx x x x x x R x x R x x x x

Rx x Rx x x x R x x R x R x x x x x x x x R x
Antenna Port 0 Antenna Port 1 Antenna Port 2 Antenna Port 3
LTE Optimization BootCamp 13
PCI Planning Principle – Modulo3
 Modulo3 planning principle reduces all PCIs into 3 groups.
Groups for which PCI mod 3 equals to 0, 1 or 2, respectively.
Such a limitation comply with typical planning configuration into
3 sector sites.
1
2
1
0 2 2

 In 4 sector configuration, cells with same

mod3 must point opposite directions
LTE Optimization BootCamp 14
PCI Planning – PCFICH Collisions
k
• For PCIs with same PCI mod
(2*N_RB^DL) result, the location of
PCFICH in frequency domain is the
same, which may cause improper
decoding of CFI information in intra
eNB inter sector scenario.
NRBDL
• Example (BW=5MHz):
• PCI = 0: k = (12/2)*(0 mod 2*25)=0; Cell DL
k = (NRB
sc /2)∙(NID mod 2NRB)
• PCI = 50: k = (12/2)*(50 mod 2*25) = 0
k=k
DL
k = k + NRB)/2 ∙ NRB
sc /2

DL RB
k = k + 2NRB)/2 ∙ Nsc /2
RB
k = k + 3NDL
RB)/2 ∙ Nsc /2

LTE Optimization BootCamp 15

 Random Access Preamble Format
Decision Subframe 1ms Subframe 1ms

Format 3

Format 2

Format 1

6
Format 0 TGT
PRB

CP Zadoff Chu Sequence

Preamble Allocated TSEQ TCP TCP (µs) TGT TGT Max. Max Cell
Format Subframes (Ts) (Ts) (Ts) (µs) Delay Radius
Spread (km)
(µs)

0 1 24576 3168 103.125 2976 96.875 5.208 14.531

1 2 24576 21024 684.375 15840 515.625 16.666 77.344
2 2 49152 6240 203.125 6048 196.875 5.208 29.531
3 3 49152 21024 684.375 21984 715.625 16.666 102.65
4 (TDD) Special 4096 448 14.583 576 18.75 16.666 4.375
Frame LTE Optimization BootCamp 16
Random Access Preamble Format
Decision – Cont.

LTE Optimization BootCamp 17

PRACH Configuration Index
PRACH Preamble System Subframe
Configuration Format Frame Number
With different Preamble Format, PRACH Index Number

Configuration Index must be reconfigured 0 0 Even 1

accordingly. 1 0 Even 4
2 0 Even 7
Table below shows range of indexes for
3 0 Any 1
different Preamble Formats, while the table in 4 0 Any 4
the notes specifies time distribution of PRACH. 5 0 Any 7
6 0 Any 1, 6
7 0 Any 2 ,7
8 0 Any 3, 8
Preamble Format PRACH Configuration Index
9 0 Any 1, 4, 7
0 0~15 10 0 Any 2, 5, 8

1 16~31 11 0 Any 3, 6, 9
12 0 Any 0, 2, 4, 6, 8
2 32~47
13 0 Any 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
3 48~63
14 0 Any 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
15 0 Even 9
. . . .
. . . .
63 3 Even 9
LTE Optimization BootCamp 18
PRACH Frequency Offset
Subframe Subframe Subframe
0 1 2
RB 24

839
Subcarriers
1.25kHz
(6RBs) PRACH Frequency
C Offset (0 to 94
ZC
P Resource Blocks)

RB 0

LTE Optimization BootCamp 19

Root Sequence Index Planning
• Root Sequence Index planning is in principle
similar to any other planning of radio parameter,
i.e., reuse distance between similar
configurations shall be as large as possible.
• However, with Root Sequence Index we assign
several consequent values per cell - not only one*.
The range is proportional to the maximum cell
access radius.

LTE Optimization BootCamp 20

ZERO CORRELATION ZONE

LTE Optimization BootCamp 21

PRACH Planning Process

Determine the Ncs value

Calculate the available preamble number

for each root index

Calculate the necessary root sequence

number for each cell

Determine all the root sequence and

assign it to the cell

LTE Optimization BootCamp 22

Ncs Selection Example
• Assume: Preamble Format 0, Maximum Cell Radius of
4.5km and High Speed Flag = FALSE.
• For cell radius = 4.5km, the closest higher Ncs is 46;
• therefore from one Root Sequence we can create
floor(839/46) = 18 Random Access Preambles;
• so in order the have 64 different preambles per cell,
we need to reserve ceil(64/18) = 4 Root Sequences.
• Final equation: # of Root Sequences per cell =
ceil(64/floor(839/Ncs)).
• Consequently we have floor(838/4) = 209 unique
configurations in network.

LTE Optimization BootCamp 23

LTE Radio Network Capacity
Dimensioning

• The basic procedure of calculate cell average throughput based on SINR

distribution is:
• SINR distribution  MCS distribution Throughput distribution

SINR(dB) SINR Probability MCS ThroughputMCS

a1~a2 a% MCSa Throughputa
b1~b2 b% MCSb Throughputb
c1~c2 c% MCSc Throughputc
d1~d2 d% MCSd Throughputd
…… …… …… ……
• Cell average throughput(MAC) = Throughputa × a%+ Throughputb × b%+
Throughputc × c%+ Throughputd × d%+……

LTE Optimization BootCamp 24

 LTE Radio Network Coverage Dimensioning
Process of LTE Coverage Dimensioning
Start

Input Calculate EIRP and minimum

data receiver sensitivity Link budget

Calculate uplink MAPL Calculate downlink MAPL

and cell radius and cell radius

Effective cell radius = Min (uplink

cell radius, downlink cell radius) R 9
Area  3R 2
8

Calculate site number

3-sector site

End R 3
Area  3R 2
2
MAPL: Maximum Allowed Path Loss
Omni site
EIRP: Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power
LTE Optimization BootCamp 25
 Link Budget and Propagation Model
• Link budget is performed to calculate the MAPL
(Maximum Allowed Path Loss). Then the maximum
allowed path loss is used to calculate the cell
radius by propagation model.

MAPL Cell radius

Propagation
model

LTE Optimization BootCamp 26

Link Budget and Propagation Model
Cont.
• The following are some typical propagation model:
Propagation Model Application Condition
1. Frequency: 150MHz to 1500MHz
2. Cell radius: 1km to 20km
Okumura-Hata
3. BS antenna height: 30m to 200m
4. Terminal antenna height: 1m to 10m
Okumura-Hata
Modification of Okumura-Hata (Cm)
(Huawei)
1. Frequency: 1500MHz to 2000MHz
2. Cell radius: 1km to 20km
Cost231-Hata
3. BS antenna height: 30m to 200m
4. Terminal antenna height: 1m to 10m
Cost231-Hata
Modification of Cost231-Hata (Cm)
(Huawei)
SPM Confirm model parameters by model tuning
LTE Optimization BootCamp 27
 Downlink Link Budget Model
Signal Level in Downlink

Other Gain Shadow Fading Margin

eNodeB Transmit
Power Gain
Interference Margin Margin
Cable Loss eNodeB Antenna
Loss
Gain

Antenna Gain Path Loss

The purpose is to
calculate the path loss.

Cable Loss Penetration Loss

Penetration Loss UE Receive
Sensitivity
Body Loss
UE Antenna Gain
eNodeB Transmit Power UE Receive Sensitivity

LTE Optimization BootCamp 28

 Uplink Link Budget Model
Signal Level in Uplink

Other Gain Shadow Fading Margin

Gain
UE Antenna Gain Margin
Interference margin
Loss
UE Transmit Body Loss
Power

Antenna Gain Penetration Loss

The purpose is to
calculate the path loss.

Path Loss
Cable Loss Penetration Loss

eNodeB Cable Loss

eNodeB
Antenna Gain eNodeB Receive
eNodeB Receive Sensitivity UE Transmit Power Sensitivity
LTE Optimization BootCamp 29
THANKS!