Transcript Nortel RF Final Design Review

4G Deployment Options
and Issues
May 5, 2012
Prepared by Russ Hamilton
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Agenda
• 4G Deployment Options
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eNodeB Radio Location
Backhaul Requirements
EPC Options and Considerations
Gateway Locations
• 4G Deployment Issues
– Lessons Learned
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Backhaul
Site Testing
Spectrum Clearing
Sweep Testing
Parameter Review
Toy Cell
• After Commercial Deployment
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eNode B Radio Locations
• The standard eNodeB model calls for Remote Radio Units
• These can be placed either at the tower top or base of the
tower
– Tower Top radios have a link budget improvement of up to several
dB depending on the frequency and the height of the tower
– Tower Top radios can also require a expensive tower crew to climb in
the event of an equipment issue
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Backhaul Requirements
• Under standard rural loading conditions a 5 MHz LTE
Sector typically carries a maximum of 9 Mbps Down and 4
Mbps Up
• A three sector site will need about 45 Mbps of backhaul to
each location to support this demand.
• This backhaul needs to be pure packet based
• Can be either Fiber or Microwave
– Some carriers have used ADSL 2+ to support a few of their smaller
site locations
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EPC Options
• A full EPC with media gateways, full IMS functionality,
Voice over LTE support, etc can be very costly for smaller
carriers
– Typical vendor pricing starts with capacity figures well above the
maximum growth that the carrier might achieve
• Some vendors are offering a Lite Core option that will only
support basic LTE data services with limited mobility
– Roaming may or may not be supported in the future
– This may be an attractive option initially however, if the network
grows or the carrier wishes to deploy voice there may be some
unexpected costs in the future
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EPC Options
• Due to the cost of the EPC, several companies are looking
at sharing options
– These allow the company to deliver a fuller suite of services to their
customers that would be too much of a burden on their own
– This approach also allows the carrier to focus on customer
acquisition and services and not on core operations and training
– In the Rural Market loss of control of the entire network is still an
obstacle that is difficult to overcome
– Due to the amount of backhaul that the eNodeB’s generate, a
distributed gateway model may make more sense for the carriers so
that they are not paying to transport Internet traffic across the
country
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Gateway Options
• The gateway is the anchor that ties the eNodeB’s to the
EPC
– This is the first point at which the signaling traffic and the customer
bearer traffic can be separated
– It is possible to offload data traffic at the gateway location to avoid
paying backhaul on email and video
• With the standard LTE network architecture, it is possible
to either place the gateway in the core or along the edges
of the network
– The tradeoff becomes balancing the cost of backhaul versus the
cost of the gateway
• Maintenance of the gateway with 24/7 technician access is also critical
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Lessons Learned
• Backhaul
– Stress Test all of the backhaul links to ensure that the expected
throughput and jitter values are verified
– Also verify IP connectivity to the MME before installing the eNodeB
– In Data troubleshooting ,the rule is always check the cables first,
with LTE a lot of the problems come back to insufficient backhaul or
unexpected data bottle necks.
• Site Testing
– Have a clear understanding of the type of testing that will be
completed and the expected results
– IPERF testing to a terminal server located next to the gateway is a
good repeatable benchmark
– Go to Speedtest.net – Your customers WILL.
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Lessons Learned
• Perform a Spectrum Study before turning up a new
network
– Even if you have already done one, but it was several years ago
– Especially in the 700 MHz network.
• Wireless Microphones
• Low Power TV Stations
• TV Stations that where supposed to relocated but have NOT
• When evaluating propagation plots, RSRP is much more
indicative of the actual coverage than RSSI
– RSRP – Reference Signal Receive Power
• Make sure that the Tower Crews perform sweep testing of
the lines before antenna installation and insist on photos
of the installation
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Lessons Learned
• Have a formal review of ALL of the parameters with the
Vendor before proceeding with the eNodeB scripting
process
– This often gets dropped because of difficultly in getting everyone in
a meeting
– Many potential problems can be solved at this step
• Have a toy cell connected directly to the gateway.
– This needs to only be a single sector eNodeB.
– Can use attenuators and a direct connection to a UE device
– This is important for testing at the gateway as well as verification
testing of the UE’s that are planed to be deployed
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After Commercial Deployment
• ADVERTISE
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AT&T and Verizon have spent Billions touting the advantages of LTE
Piggyback on that awareness
Focus on the local aspect of the Independent Rural Carrier
Focus on customer support and local touch
• Have a dedicated sales strategy and hold sales reps
accountable
– In today’s highly competitive environment, you can not just build it
and hope that they come.
• Make sure that the network is being monitored 24/7/365
– Try to know about a problem before the customer calls you
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Any Questions?
• Above All have FUN
• THIS STUFF IS COOL!
Russ Hamilton
Director – Wireless
CHR Solutions, Inc.
806-722-7709
[email protected]
© CHR Solutions. All Rights Reserved.