Principles of Cellular Communication
Cellular Terminology
Cell Structure and Cluster
Frequency Reuse Concept
Cluster Size and System Capacity
Method of Locating Co-channel Cells
Frequency Reuse Distance
Co-channel Interference and Signal Quality
Co-channel Interference Reduction Methods
Cellular Terminology - A Cell
A cell is the basic geographic unit of a cellular system
It is also called a footprint
A cell is the radio area covered by a cell-site that is
located at its center
A large geographical area is divided into a number of
contiguous smaller geographical coverage areas called
cells
Cell Structure (Cell Shape)
Determined by the desired received signal level by the
mobile subscribers from its base station transmitter in
its operating area.
Ideal, actual and fictitious cell models
A Cell with a CS and Mobile
Cell Structure
Geometric Cellular Structures
Hexagonal Cellular Geometry
Offers best possible non-overlapped cell radio
coverage
Multiple Hexagons can be arranged next to each other
For a givn radius (largest possible distance between
the polygon center and its edge). The hexagon has the
largest area
Simplifies the planning and design of a cellular system
A Cellular Cluster
A group of cells that use a different set of frequencies
in each cell
Only selected number of cells can from a cluster
Can be repeated any number of times in a systematic
manner
The cluster size is the number of cells within it, and
designated by K
Hexagonal Cluster Patterns
Conventional Mobile Communication
Conventional mobile communication service was structured in a
fashion similar to television broadcasting:
One very powerful transmitter located at the highest spot in an area
would broadcast in a radius of up to 50 kilometers
Limitations:
High power consumption
Low capacity
Large size of the mobile
System Design problem?
Main limitation of a conventional mobile wireless communication
system is:
Limited availability of FREQUENCY SPECTRUM
So the big challenge is….
to serve large number of mobile users…
within limited allocated frequency spectrum
with a specified system quality
System Capacity & Spectrum Utilization?
The need:
1. Optimum spectrum usage 2. More capacity 3. High quality of
service (QOS) 4. Low cost
Problem Solution – Frequency Reuse
Reuse allocated RF spectrum or a given set of
frequencies (frequency channels) in a given large
geographical service area without increasing the
interference
Divide the service area into a number of small areas
called cells
Allocate a subset of frequencies to each cell
Use low power transmitters with lower height antennas
at the base stations
Frequency Reuse Concept
Large coverage area, efficient spectrum utilization and
enhanced system capacity are the major attributes of
cellular communication
Frequency reuse is the core concept of cellular
communications
The design process of selecting and allocating
channel groups for all the cellular base stations within a
system is called frequency reuse
Illustration of Frequency Reuse
Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Cells
Cells, which use the same set of frequences are
referred to as cochannel cells
Co-channel cells are located sufficiently physically
apart so as to not to cause cochannel interference
The space between adjacent cochannel cells is filled
with other cells that use different frequencies to provide
frequency isolation
Frequency Reuse & Spectrum Efficiency
Technical Issues
Technical issues for proper design and planning of a
cellular network:
Selection of suitable frequency reuse pattern
Physical deployment and radio coverage modelling
Plans to account for the expansion of the cellular
network
Analysis of the relationship between the capacity, cell
size and the cost of the Infrastructure.
Principles of Cellular Communications
