The students are able to implement the planning and design of mobile communication networks. They understand the different approaches of coverage and capacity planning methods and the execution as standardized working processes.
The students know how to determine and specify the parameters of cell towers (including RF power, antenna directivity and bandwidth) and to optimize them by measuring in the field.
The students are able to estimate the network coverage and required capacity of a given area (urban and rural) by hand but they are also familiar with a selection of commercial computer-aided planning tools with reporting capabilities.

Basic knowledge in Wireless Communication

The process of planning of public and private mobile networks starts with the comparison of the spatial user distribution and topographical conditions.
In addition to the frequency planning and the requirements based on capacity planning must be met. The planning itself is divided into different phases, from analysis through to commissioning, verification and optimization. Each phase can be worked out as a step by step process task with given input constraints and a site map with configuration details as output document:
• Link budget analysis
• Spectrum Planning
• Capacity & Coverage Planning
• Cell site selection & engineering
• Neighbours list for handover
• Interference Analyses
Students learn mobile networks based on predefined process steps to plan, where all the foundations of the current mobile communication systems (multiple access, 2G-5G) and antennas, wave propagation and multipath (interference) are considered. Advanced methods for increasing the capacity like beamforming and MIMO (multiple input multiple output) are covered.
The module contains also insights to satellite communication networks.

Lecture script as provided in the course (required)
A.R. Mishra: Advanced Cellular network Planning and Optimization - 2G/2.5G/3G...Evolution to 4G, John Wiley & Sons Ltd
A. Anpalagan, M. Bennis, R. Vannithamby (ed.): Design and Deployment of Small Cell Networks, Cambridge University Press, 2016
Indoor Radio Planning: A Practical Guide for 2G, 3G and 4G, Wiley, 2015

Integrated course - teaching & discussion, demonstration, exercises and practical examples in the lab, homework

presentations, assignment reports, written/oral exam