LTE Networks: how far are the achievable capacities from

the theoretical ones?

ICUMT 2012, October 3-5, Sankt Petersburg, Russia

Agenda

1.

Broadband LTE Radio Interface

2.

Method for Capacity Calculations

3.

Influence of Interference on Network Capacity

4.

Practical LTE Capacity

5.

LTE Capacity - Summary

6.

4G-Online.net Business Case Calculations

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Broadband LTE Radio Interface

Broadband LTE Radio Interface

3GPP Radio Access Networks Evolution

1992

1997

2000

2005

2009

GSM

GPRS

UMTS

HSPA

LTE

2G

2.5G

3G

3.5G

3.9G

2011

LTE-Advanced

4G

Phase 1
Phase 2

Rel. 96
Rel. 97
Rel. 98

Rel. 99
Rel. 4

Rel. 5
Rel. 6
Rel. 7

Rel. 8
Rel. 9

Rel. 10

3GPP
Release

Voice only

14.4kbps

UL: 128kbps
DL: 384kbps

UL: 11Mbps
DL: 28Mbps

UL: 75Mbps
DL: 325Mbps

UL: 500Mbps
DL: 1Gbps

Highest
Data Rate

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Broadband LTE Radio Interface

LTE Overview
Flat architecture and All-IP structure

eNB

IP

IP

High throughputs
Mobile internet
Low latencies

always-on concept
World-wide roaming

IP

IP

eNB

Radio Access Network

Theoretical Throughputs

MME

Core Network
LTE Services

Downlink

Uplink

10MHz

138Mbps (4x4)

37Mbps

20MHz

325Mbps (4x4)
172Mbps (2x2)

75Mbps

Channel BW

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Internet/ ...

IP

eNB

IP

Direction

SGW

IP

VoIP/video conferences
WWW
Video on Demand
Online Gaming
FTP

Broadband LTE Radio Interface

LTE Performance Requirements

The main targets / requirements for the LTE are (ref. TS 25.913):
Peak data rate: e.g. 100 Mbps (downlink) and 50 Mbps (uplink)
Scalable bandwidth: 1.4, 5, 10, 15, 20MHz

eNB

At least 200 VoIP users served in a 5MHz FDD bandwidth

(giving 800 VoIP users in 20MHz bandwidth)
Efficient support of the various types of services, especially from the PS domain
(e.g. Voice over IP)

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Method for Capacity Calculations

Method for Capacity Calculations

Example Calculations of Offered Capacity Calculation

1 sector
1 carrier

carrier

Ustawienia: BW_network = 30MHz

Frequency Reuse = 3

BW_sector = BW_network/3 = 10MHz

Each sector a different carrier

SE spectral efficiency for a certain SNIR

SNIR1 = 1.5dB

MCS = QPSK

SE1 = 2 * = 1bps/Hz

SNIR2 = 7dB

MCS = 16QAM

SE2 = 4 * = 2bps/Hz
From MCS curves

SNIR_usage percent of area on which a certain SNIR occurs

SNIR_usage1 = 50% of total area = 0.5

SNIR_usage2 = 50% of total area = 0.5
SE_average = SEi * SNIR_usagei

50% of total area

experienced SNIR = 7dB

SE_average = SE1*SNIR_usage1 + SE2*SNIR_usage2 = 1*0.5 + 2*0.5 = 1.5bps/Hz

50% of total area
experienced SNIR = 1.5dB

Offered sector capacity

R_sector = BW_sector *SE_average = 10MHz * 1.5bps/Hz = 15Mbps

This method is used to calculate average capacity (overhead neglected)

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Impact of Interference on Network Capacity

Impact of Interference on Network Capacity

A Model Network for Capacity Calculations
Radio interface: LTE or Mobile WiMAX

EIRP = 61dBm

Inter site distance = 2km

Average sector
capacity is calculated
in the presence of
interference

Reuse 1 each sector of a single BS is assigned full BW

Reuse 3 each sector of a signle BS is assigned 1/3 of the full BW
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Impact of Interference on Network Capacity

Downlink SNIR [dB] Distribution Snapshot Example
Frequency Reuse 1

Frequency Reuse 3

Considered Cell

Cell edge
(SNIR < 0dB)

Max SNIR = 16.9dB

Min SNIR = -4.7dB

SNIR range = ~21dB

Max SNIR = 65dB

Min SNIR = -3.3dB
Steep SNIR and
all resources per sector

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SNIR range = ~68dB

Best SNIR but

less resources per sector

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Practical LTE Capacity

Practical LTE Capacity

Sector Throughput
System

Peak
throughput

Average
throughput

Cell edge
throughtput

Peak / Cell edge

ratio

LTE Rel. 8
1x1, reuse 1

64.2 Mbit/s

27.0 Mbit/s

9.6 Mbit/s

6.6

LTE Rel. 8
1x1, reuse 3

29.3 Mbit/s

12.5 Mbit/s

3.8 Mbit/s

7.6

LTE Rel. 8
2x2, reuse 1

121.9 Mbit/s

27.0 Mbit/s

9.6 Mbit/s

12.6

LTE Rel. 8
2x2, reuse 3

55.7 Mbit/s

12.5 Mbit/s

3.8 Mbit/s

14.5

LTE Rel. 8
4x4, reuse 1

231.7 Mbit/s

27.0 Mbit/s

9.6 Mbit/s

24.1

LTE Rel. 8
4x4, reuse 3

107.9 Mbit/s

12.5 Mbit/s

3.8 Mbit/s

28.2

LTE-A (Rel. 10)

8x8, reuse 1

440.3 Mbit/s

27.0 Mbit/s

9.6 Mbit/s

45.8

LTE-A (Rel. 10)

8x8, reuse 3

199.4 Mbit/s

12.5 Mbit/s

3.8 Mbit/s

52.1

Assumptions:
Throughput is calculated for 1 UE (UE gets all resources)
For reuse 3 each sector is assigned 1/3 of 20MHz (6.67MHz)
MIMO increases throughput only near eNB (peak throughput increase)
Cell edge throughput is calculated for 5% of area with worst SNIR
Signalling resources not excluded

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LTE Capacity - Summary

LTE Capacity - Summary

Theoretical vs Practical Network Throughputs

Bandwidth / System Type

Theoretical sector data rate

Practical sector data rate

10MHz LTE FDD

50Mbit/s

11.6Mbit/s

100Mbit/s

20MHz LTE FDD

(325Mbit/s with MIMO)

20MHz LTE TDD

(3:2)

65Mbit/s

Comparable with fixed

lines (e.g. DSL)

23.3Mbit/s

12.7Mbit/s

Theoretical Throughputs

Practical Throughputs

Achievable in lab

Relate do the propagation conditions

Dont take into account signalling

Take into account real signalling

Calculated in real propagation conditions
(e.g. interference, channel distortions, noise, etc.)

Neglect propagation conditions

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4G-Online.net Business Case Calculations

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Platform for sharing practical knowledge on 4G

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