Cell Shape

• The hexagonal shape representing a cell is conceptual and simplistic model of

coverage.
• The actual radio coverage is known as the footprint and is determined from
field measurement, propagation prediction models
• However a regular shape is needed for systematic system design and adaptation to future
growth.
• It might be natural to choose a circle to represent coverage but adjacent circles
cannot be overlaid upon a map without leaving gaps or creating overlapping.
Gaps

Overlapping
• Three possible choices of shapes: square, equilateral triangle and
hexagon.
• For a give distance between the center of a polygon and its farthest
perimeter points, the hexagon has the largest area of the three

• Thus by using hexagon geometry, the fewest number of cells can

cover a geographic region and it closely approximates circle.
Capacity of System
• When using hexagon to model coverage areas
• Center-excited Cell: BS depicted as being either in the center of the cell
• Omni-directional antenna is used
• Edge-excited Cell: on three of the six cell vertices
• Sectored direction antenna is used
• Consider a cellular system
• which has S duplex channels available for reuse.
• Each cell allocated group of k channels (k < S)
• S channels divided among N cells (unique and disjoint) then
S = kN
• Cluster: N cells, which collectively use the complete set of available
frequencies
• If a cluster is replicated M times in the system, the number of duplex
channels C as a measure of capacity is
C = MkN = MS
• So capacity is directly proportional to the replication factor in a fixed
area.
• Factor N is called cluster size and is typically equal to 4, 7, 12.
• If cluster size N is reduced while cell size is kept constant
• more clusters are required
• More capacity is achieved
• Large cluster size indicates that co-channel cells are far from each other
• Conversely, small cluster size means co-channel cells are located much closer
together
• The value of N is a function of how much interference a mobile or BS can tolerate
• Clusters are inversely proportion to N
• Capacity is directly proportional to Clusters
• Thus frequency reuse factor is given by 1/N.
• In last fig, each hexagon has exactly six equidistant neighbors and that
the lines joining the centers of any cell and its neighbors are
separated by multiple of 60 degrees.
• There are only certain cluster sizes and layouts possible
Locating co-channel neighbors
• To connect hexagons without gaps,
• The geometry of hexagon is such that the number of cells per cluster N can only have values
N = i2 + ij + j2
where i and j are non-negative integers.
• To find out the nearest co-channel neighbors of a particular cell, do the following
• Move I cells along any chain of hexagon
• Then turn 60 degree counter clockwise and move j cells
 Example: Locating co-
channel cells

In this example N=19, i=3, j=2

Example
• BW = 33 MHz allocated to particular FDD cellular system, where two 25 KHz
simplex channel to provide full-duplex for voice/data.
• Compute the number of channels per cell if a system uses
• Four-cell reuse
• Seven-cell reuse
• Twelve-cell reuse.
• If 1 MHz is dedicated to control channels, determine equitable distribution of
control and voice channels per cell for above three systems?
Solution: Part I
TotalBW = 33 MHz,
ChannelBW = 25 KHz x 2 = 50 KHz/duplex channel
S = 33,000 / 50 = 660 channels
For N = 4
k = 660 / 4 ≈ 165 channels
For N = 7
k = 660 / 7 ≈ 95 channels
For N = 12
k = 660 / 12 ≈ 55 channels
Solution: Part II
Sc = 1000 / 50 = 20 channels
Sv = S – Sc = 660 – 20 = 640 channels
For N=4,
5 control channels + 160 voice channel.
For N=7,
4 cells with 3 control + 92 voice channels
2 cells with 3 control + 90 voice channels
1 cell with 2 control + 92 voice channels
In practice, 1 control/cell and 4x91 + 3x92 voice channels
For N = 12,
8 cells with 2 control + 53 voice channels
4 cells with 1 control + 54 voice channels
In practice, 1 control and 8x53 + 4x54 voice channels
 Analog Cellular Systems
Cellular system in the united states:
 there are 150 major market areas in the united states where licenses for cellular systems can
be granted by the FCC.
 They have been classified by their populations into five groups.
 Each group has 30 cities.
top 30 markets ------ very large cities
Top 31 to 60 markets ---------------- large sized cities.
Top 61 to 90 markets ----------------- medium sized cities
Top 91 to 120 markets ----------------- below medium sized cities
Top 121 to 150 markets ---------------- small sized cities.
 each market area is planned to have two systems.
 The status of each system in each area of groups 1 to 3 as of December 1985.
There are 305 MSAs ( Metropolitan statistical areas) and 482 RSAs (rural statistical areas).6
 Analog Cellular Systems
Cellular system outside the united states:
• Japan:
“Nippon telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT)” developed an 800 MHz
land mobile telephone system and put it into service in the Tokyo area in 1979.
The general system operation is similar to the AMPS system.
It accesses approximately 40,000 subscribers in 500 cities.
It covers 75 percent of all Japanese cities, 25 percent of inhabitable areas, and 60
percent of the population.
In Japan , 9 automobile switching centers (ASCs), 51 mobile control stations
(MCSs), 465 mobile base stations (MBSs), and 39,000 mobile subscriber stations
(MSSs) where in operation as Feb. 1985.
The Japanese mobile telephone service network configuration is shown in
following figure.
In metropolitan Tokyo area, about 30,000 subscribers are being served.
 Analog Cellular Systems
Cellular system outside the united states
 Analog Cellular Systems
The 1985 system operated over a spectrum of 30 MHz.
The total number of channels was 600 , and the channel bandwidth was 25kHz.
This system comprised an automobile switching center (ASC), a mobile control station (MSC), a
mobile base station (MBS) , and a mobile setup buy the government.
However, the Japanese ministry of post and telecommunication (MFT) is considering providing a
dual competative situation similar to that in the united state.
• United Kingdom:
In 1982 June the government of UK announced two competing national cellular radio networks.
The UK system is called TACS (Total Access Communications Systems).
The total number of channels was 1000, with a channel bandwidth of 25kHz per channel.
Among them , 600 channels are assigned and 400 are reserved.
Two competing cellular network operators, Cellnet and Vodafone, are operating in the UK.
The cellnet system started operating in Jan 1985.
Cellnet has over 200 cell sites, convering 82 percent of the UK.
Vodafone, through , which started operations late, has served the same areas as Cellnet.
 Analog Cellular Systems
• Canadian system:
In 1978, a system called AURORA was designed for the Alberta government telephone
(AGT).
The system provides province wide mobile telephone service at 400 MHz. ongoing
developmental work on the AURORA is underway at 800MHz.
• AURORA 400 system:
It is aimed at 40,000 subscriber living in an area approximately 1920 km X 960 km.
The AURORA 400 system initially has 40 channels and is expected to add an additional 20
channels with frequency reuse and a seven – cell cluster plan.
A fully implemented system has 120 cells. The 400-Mhz system does not have a handoff
capability.
• AURORA 800 system:
The AURORA 800 system is truly frequency transparent.
By repackaging the RF sections on the cell site, the mobile unit can be operated on any
mobile RF band up to 800 Mhz.
The handoff capability will be implemented in this system.
 Analog Cellular Systems
• Nordic system:
Built mostly by Scandinavian countries ( Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland) in
cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Spain and is called the NMT network.
It is currently a 450-MHz system , but an 800-MHz system will be implemented soon
since the frequency – transparent concept as the AURORA-800 system is used to
convert the 450-MHz system to the 800 MHz system.
The total bandwidth is 10MHz, which has 200 channels with a bandwidth of 25kHz
per channel.
This system does have handoff and roaming capabilities.
It also uses repeaters to increase the coverage in a low traffic area.
The total no.of subscribers is around 1,00,000.
• European cellular system:
All the present generation of European cellular networks is totally lacking in cross-
border compatibility . Besides the united kingdom and NMT networks, the others
include the following.
 Digital Cellular Systems

• In 1992 the digital first cellular system , GSM (Special mobile group) ,
was developed in Germany.
• GSM is a European standard system.
• In united states , an NA-TDMA system (IS-54) and a CDMA system (IS-
95) has been developed.
• NA-TDMA was developed in 1993 and CDMA is planned for
deployment in 1995.
• A Japanese system , PDC (Personal Digital Cellular ) , was developed in
Osaka in June 1994.