4 lte small cells – plug and play or plug and pray

Cristiano H. Ferraz

Senior Consultant

[email protected]

Skype-id: ferrazch

Phone no.: +55 21 99552 2626

LTE Small Cells – Plug and Play or

Plug and Pray

mailto:[email protected]

© 2013 JDS Uniphase Corporation | JDSU CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 2

You Only Know For Sure What You Measure

Can you measure experience as customers feel it?

Can you prioritize, optimize and solve network issues to enhance you customer’s experience?

Can you provide sufficient coverage and capacity in a proven, assured way?


Mobile networks show an increased bandwidth consumption (LTE-A)

- Source: NGMN “Guidelines for LTE Backhaul Traffic Estimation”

Supposing a radio channel or 20 or 28 MHz, a tail cell has today a downlink peak demand of 135 Mbit/s and a downlink average demand of 86 Mbit/s during the busy hour

For up to 4 to 6 cells or two tri-cells (two eNodeBs with 3 sectors each), planning takes into account the peak demand; for more than that number, planning is based on average demand

• Therefore, for one or two tri-cells, demand is met by approximately 150 Mbps

• With 2.5 Gbps, up to 30 tri-cells may be served

Bandwidth consumption is likely to grow strongly over the next few years

Traffic and coverage issues Problems, options and considerations


Small Cell Plug and Play

It is not only a question of coverage or of capacity in the access.

To be able to plug and play means to have, readily available, the necessary telecom resources for the pre-aggregation, the aggregation and the backhaul and transport networks.

Proper engineering means not having to pray that the solution will work out, but rather knowing it will.


Residential broadband over GPON + VDSL 2 or LTE?

Old News

from 2011...


Residential broadband over GPON + VDSL 2 or LTE?

Old News

from April

2011...

Old news

from

November

2011...

News from

August

2013


Trends: HetNets / WiFi Offload / DAS / Small Cells

WiFi Offload / Small Cells /

Femtocells / Distributed

Antenna Systems

These concepts are a main concern of

all operators that provide mobile

broadband access and support new

apps and streaming services

Femtocells generally use tunneled

traffic in other (wired) broadband

networks

WiFi accesses via generic fixed

broadband access networks are

tunnelized to the IP cores of mobile

operators using IMS

Femtocells

allow access

using licensed

bands

Support of seamless intermodal handover

Mobile broadband requires ever more

capacity and coverage: MANY more

basestations, distributed antennas,

small cells, WiFi offload


Small cells (meant not femtocells for domestic use, but somewhat larger small cells) still represent a tiny fraction of the investment in cell sites

• They are, however, poised to grow steadily over a longer time

• Small cells are particularly attractive because of their ability to self-organize (to form SONs, Self-Organizing Networks)

Small cells are deployed mainly to:

• Optimize in-building coverage

• Cover high data usage areas

• Compensate for non-expandability of the macro network

However, there are some limitations:

• The number one barrier to deploying small cells is interference with the macro network

• DAS will remain a fundamental tool for large venues such as malls, airports, stadiums and the like.

Small Cell Issues


Most mobile operators believe that small cells are vital for the future of mobile networks.

• Examples include outdoor metro cells on utility poles or building facades.

• Also, indoor picocells improving the coverage in public transport hubs and such venues.

• Femtocells providing improved indoor mobile network experience in residences.

But the solution will also include distributed antenna systems (DASs) used in public venues like campuses and stadiums

• Fewer DASs, but very large ones (tens to hundreds of antennas)

• Active DASs improve coverage and capacity

• DASs are mobile network operator-neutral, and may be owned and operated by the venue’s operator.

Small cells and DASs will likely coexist (in different sites)..

Small Cells And DASs


The growing bandwidth consumption calls for more capacity per square foot, both outdoors and indoors.

The growing dependence on mobile apps also requires better coverage.

Two approaches are in line:

• Increased capacity and coverage by adopting smaller cells;

• Increased coverage and capacity by adopting distributed antenna systems (DAS);

- Active DAS solutions add wireless coverage and capacity to larger-sized buildings.

Although some people in the industry perceive DAS and picocells / femtocells to be competing solutions, they are actually complementary solutions.



In the future, with the advent of smart cities and smart grids, there will be an increased demand for coverage and bandwidth.

• Mobile networks will be essential to provide communication capacity to aggregated wireless sensor networks.

• The Internet of Things (IoT, MtoM, IoE or whatever you may call it), the foundation of the smart future, will rely heavily upon an extensive coverage of mobile networks.

• Access, aggregation and backhaul networks will have to assure QoS, low latency, real-time sync, immediately available capacity and resilience.

• Failures, however short, will stop the automated systems that rely upon wireless mobile networks for communication.

- Power grids, payment systems, transport systems present needs that go way beyond simple availability.


We often discuss the move towards smart grids and smart cities,

but are we ready to tackle the telecom problems that will arise?

Main Issues


Backhaul capacity:

• Choice of microwave or fiber;

• Carrier Ethernet over MPLS / MPLS-TE, Carrier Ethernet over PBB / PBB-TE.

Choice of DAS or small cell strategy:

• Large buildings and campuses: DAS;

• Fragmented access: femtocells;

• Spot coverage: small cells, both indoor and outdoor.

Adoption of HetNet strategy.

Choice of pre-aggregation technology:

• Use of BSoD (Business Services over DOCSIS);

• Use of GPON / 10GPON / 10GEPON;

• Use of metro / carrier Ethernet;

• Use of own microwave.

How to plan for success?

Main Issues


Recent focus was on business strategies.

• Engineering was left largely to vendors.

Now, the situation clearly calls for an orchestrated solution.

• The choice of a technology clearly determines the business.

• Master plans for technology are clearly necessary again.

• Piecemeal engineering will not solve the quality of experience (QoE) issues.

• Cross-vendor strategies are clearly in order.

You only know what you measure!

• But quality relies on three things:

- Tools for collecting data;

- Means for collating, parsing and consolidating data and generating meaningful reports;

- Methods, criteria and procedures for dealing with the problems identified;

The more standardized, the better.

Main Issues

Operators need to gather

intelligence and take over the

engineering tasks directly


All this demands real engineering capacity and an integrated approach.

• Integrated OSS based on inventory (integrated view of the heterogeneous network systems to identify traffic routing, bottlenecks, capacity problems, resources wasted).

• Measurement systems that provide real-time, content rich, relevant information for the context:

Main steps:

• Refocus on technology problems;

• Plan for coverage and capacity;

• Get to know traffic patterns and growth trends in detail, both outdoors and indoors;

• Readily identify capacity and coverage issues;

• Get solution palette ready for typical case;

- Create readymade engineering solutions that may immediately be applied to the problems identified.

Main Issues

Know thyself and take

heed!


A new engineering approach is necessary

• No longer individual musicians improvising themes, but a well directed orchestra

- Engineering needs to act as the main director of the orchestra, vendors as the musicians or groups of musicians and the directors thereof

• Integrated, cross-system engineering

• Very clear plans for solutions for real cases of coverage and capacity in the access

• Very clear plans for alternatives in the pre-aggregation, aggregation and backhaul networks

• Systems that measure coverage, capacity, QoE from the access through the backhaul and to the core

• Powerful engineering analysis to solve issues encountered

• And remember Dr, House: “Everybody lies” – but test results do not.

Summing up

Alternatives Available


Trends for the Backbone

ASON / 40 G / 100 G

The backbone requires very high capacity…

New technological approaches redefine the use of

fiber and allow much higher capacity to be reached

ASON renders the formerly static physical layer

flexible


Trends In The Tail And Pre-aggregation

In the tail Pre-aggregation

135 Mbit/s in LTE 2013

1 Gbit/s in LTE-A

2018

1,5 Gbit/s in LTE 2013

10 Gbit/s in LTE-A

2018


How to satisfy the current and the future demands?

• GPON

- Current generation (2,5 Gbps down): satisfies the demand until 2015/2016 of 32 eNodeBs

- After 2016-2018, split rate reduction to 1:16

- NGPON (4 λ at 10 Gbps), until 2018-2020, for 32 LTE-A eNodeBs

• Microwave radio

- Today, 250 to 300 Mbit/s over 28-30 MHz channels

- Future generations, much more capacity

Same progress as access radio (MIMO, etc.)

Dual-pol, 1024 QAM, 2048 QAM

New spectra, 32 GHz, 40 GHz, with 50 MHz radio channels

E-Band (60-80 GHz), 56 MHz, 112 MHz channels and Nx250 MHz, multi-carrier

Mobility and Backhaul


New optical technologies for transport networks

• CWDM in the metro network

• DWDM in the C-band (1550 nm) and in the L-band (1625 nm):

- 80 channels in each, with 50 GHz bandwidth

With 10 Gbps deployed today

With 100 Gbps being deployed

• 100 Gbps technology

- Dual pol, multistate

- Generally, less expensive if deployed with 4 12.5 GBd carriers, 2 bits per symbol (QPSK), dual-pol, with 2 carriers in each 25 GHz sub-channel

- Coherent demodulation: makes the signal robust in face of polarization mode dispersion (PMD)

- Capacity of up to 8 Tbps in the C-band and another 80 Tbps in the L-band

After Aggregation, Convergence


Standardized services

• Standards by the MEF

• Implementation agreements (MEF) ensure vendor support

• QoS support (guaranteed bandwidth and delay / delay variation)

• Wide-area LAN concept (extended LANs)

Inherent support by layer 2 switches

• PB (Q-in-Q) and PBB (MAC-in-MAC)

• Industry support

• Simple, flat networks at a lower cost

Carrier Ethernet Over Layer 2 Networks


Carefully elaborated projects for the passive optical fiber network in all environments

• Careful planning of the GPON networks

• Careful planning in the metro and long-haul fiber networks

• All investment will yield dividends over the next 20-30 years!!!

- The new technologies will be able to be served by the same fiber networks: the technical horizon for the next 10 to 15 years is already known!

• RoI of access and metro networks within 3-5 years

- After that, all is profit.

Special Care


Fiber in the access to small cells with GPON

Tail and pre-aggregation of mobile networks:

• The same passive optical network supporting GPON today, NGPON tomorrow

• With microwave radio, current technologies in the tail, new technologies required for the pre-aggregation for today

• New frequency bands and new radio technologies in the tail and in the pre-aggregation for tomorrow

Aggregation with optical networks

• 80 10 Gbps today and 100 Gbps tomorrow over the same passive fiber network (and possibly the same amplifiers)

Conclusions

An Approach to Planning


Radio planning tools determine the most effective location, configuration and parameters for base stations and antennas

• Planning tools must be deployed by teams of trained engineers to provide effective service by small cells and DASs.

• The planning tools need to work alongside automated SON (Self Organising Networks) technology which the small cells and supporting servers have.

Deployments of small cells and of DASs must be verified by means of walk tests and the results must be used by the engineering team to correct any problems in coverage or capacity.

This needs a co-ordinated view across both indoor and outdoor environments, and this must be dealt with by the planning tool used.

Engineering skills must be honed to this new challenge.

In-building RF planning tools for small cells and DAS


LTE at 2.6 GHz has a very different coverage footprint from 900 MHz or 1800 MHz or 2100 MHz.

• Indoor penetration is much worse and handover time for LTE is shorter, which puts strain on the error and sync performance.

• It is required that MIMO (Multiple Input/Multiple Output) be modelled.

• Traditional interference co-ordination won't work

- eICIC (enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Co-ordination) was developed to deal with this.

Due to the existence of many small cells in a given area, mobility management is very complex.

• Dropped calls during handover may occur if the system design is flawed.

Planning Tools

An Approach to Measurements


Requires surgical placement of small cells

Requires mastering the interaction between the small cells and the macro network.

Small cell site locations based on actual, localized data traffic demand.

Geo-locating customer experience is important

• It reveals data hot spots and customer experience “black holes”.

Efficient planning leads to a significant improvement in customer experience and better RoI.

Roll-out Planning

Network testing, data collection procedures,

identification of usage patterns, coverage tests

and a very efficient engineering support team help

ensure that the cells will be placed correctly to

address coverage and capacity issues.


Small cells cost very little

• May be deployed in large numbers

• Testing their effectiveness becomes a cost problem.

• It’s expensive to send out a field technician to troubleshoot each cell when there’s a problem

• Remote testing strategies become a crucial part of small cell engineering.

• Carriers will have to start increasing the degree of automation for turn up, ongoing performance monitoring, and network optimization.

Additionally, Software-Defined Networking, which shifts the brains of networking to central software systems from hardware, will also become more prominent.

Remote Testing

A Small Cell Assurance solution addresses the

complete range of lifecycle demands starting with

small cell backhaul service activation, performance

assurance, monitoring, and optimization.


Since testing is becoming more software-based and allows providers to see much deeper into networks, content-aware testing is the next logical step.

New solutions allow providers to see what the customer is experiencing.

Understanding of the customer experience ensures successful service delivery.

Carriers can know exactly which systems (small or macro cells) are handling the heaviest load.

Application Testing

Data capture and analysis allows for

troubleshooting the network. It consists of a smart,

high-speed packet capture appliance with real-time

network monitoring & diagnostics.


Use of IP-based Ethernet is increasing for small-cells backhaul.

Ethernet can now deliver service quality and can be carried over many physical media such as fiber, cable, and microwave.

Ethernet is scalable to handle traffic, it can also lower backhaul costs.

Ethernet allows for rapid activation of each small cell.

Ethernet increases the need for remote service testing and performance validation.

Ethernet Backhaul

A Cloud based approach allows for

embedding data-capture technology

throughout the network, delivering in-line

intelligence to any monitoring,

management or business application.


With small cells, it’s probably even more important to perform tests to ensure quality.

The use of smart instruments to emulate end-user behavior such as generating voice call, connecting to websites, and uploading and downloading files will provide instant Pass/Fail indication.

• This allows installers to feel confident that services are being delivered.

Effective testing of small cell networks during the installation phase must reveal radio frequency (RF) measurements for the current cell and for all of neighbor cells

• The upload/download test shows the throughput.

Installation test allows operators to verify the service coverage and capacity during the planning phase.

Installation tests


A tool to obtain Location Intelligence from trace data has the power to transform the business

Managing customer generated, geolocated intelligence, an intellignet engine locates, stores and analyzes data from billions of mobile connection events.

Parsing and collating the huge amount of trace information gives operators a rich source of intelligence to help boost network performance and enrich user experience.

This intelligence transforms the effectiveness of network performance engineering; enables customer-centric self-optimizing networks; creates true understanding of customer experience and enables monetization of unique insights.

Not only the tools to collect and process information are important; a well trained, insightful team of analysts is essential in bringing the intelligence to full fruition.

Network Intelligence


Thank you for your

attention!


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