LTE Cell Coverage for
Various Modes of Operation
Winton Afri 1, Sonja Zentner Pilinsky 2
1
University of Split, University department of vocational study, Livanjska 5, 21000 Split Croatia
2
Polytechnic of Zagreb, Vrbik 8, 10000 Zagreb Croatia
wafric@oss.unist.hr, sonja.zentner@tvz.hr
Abstract - The transmission modes at the LTE Air Interface are
listed. The model for calculating relative cell area coverage for
various transmission modes is derived. Simulation results
obtained by usage of typical LTE system features at 800 MHz are
presented. Propagation properties that influence LTE signal
coverage for various propagation modes are emphasized.
Keywords - LTE, Relative Cell Size Calculation
I. INTRODUCTION
LTE (Long-Term Evolution), also known on market as 4G
LTE, is a standard for high-speed wireless communication. In
4G LTE system standardization, some new network
technologies were introduced, increasing the capacity and data
rates. These enhancements were achieved by the usage of a
different radio interface together with core network
improvements. The standard was developed by the 3GPP (3rd
Generation Partnership Project) and is today used in more than
20 different standard versions. Key technologies used in LTE
are OFDMA, SC-FDMA, MIMO, and adaptable modulation
scheme (4QAM, 16QAM, or 64 QAM together with different
types of redundancy coding) etc.
LTE is standardized in different frequency bands, i.e. 700,
800, 1800, 1900 and 2600 MHz. European LTE network
generally operates at 1800 and 2600 MHz. After the transition
from analogue to digital television so called digital dividend
(790 to 862 MHz) became available. Many European
countries have plans to build up LTE mobile networks in that
frequency range considering that lower frequency ranges
provide better propagation conditions [4], [5]. In Croatia,
licenses for two operators were issued at the end of October
2012. and at the end of October 2013. enabling operators to
have 15 MHz bandwidth each at LTE 800 MHz.
Considering these facts, we focused in this paper on LTE at
800 MHz, analyzing possible percentage of cell surface which
can be covered with various modes of operation (type of
modulation and redundancy coding).
Our previous work [1] included model for calculating
maximal possible cell size for LTE at 800 MHz. The model
was based on CCIR (now ITU-R) propagation model which
combines free-space path loss effects with terrain induced path
loss. Developed propagation model was also compared with
work of other authors using different approach [8]. Similar
results were obtained.
56th International Symposium ELMAR-2014, 10-12 September 2014, Zadar, Croatia
In this paper we use our already developed model for
calculating relative percentage of cell surface covered by
different modes of operation. At the basis of developed model
simulations in Matlab were performed.
II. TRANSMISSION MODES IN LTE AIR INTERFACE
LTE uses OFDM technology in the air interface. OFDM as
the technology consists of Sub-carriers. Each Sub-carrier can
be modulated by using BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM and 64QAM in
adaptive fashion. Redundancy coding ratio can be 1/2, 2/3 and
3/4. LTE specifies more levels of adaptive radio modulations;
mode o0 - BPSK1/2, mode o1 QPSK1/2, mode o2
QPSK3/4, mode o3 16QAM1/2, mode o4 16QAM3/4,
mode o5 64QAM2/3, and mode o6 64QAM3/4.
Signal modulation levels are changed as a function of the
signal to noise ratio. At small distances, with stable radio link
and good signal to noise ratio, system uses the most complex
type of radio modulation with minimum redundancy coding
(mode o6). When distance between base station and terminal
equipment is increased, stability of radio link decreases
causing signal to noise ratio degradation. At some given signal
to noise ratio limit, LTE system automatically changes
modulation type.
When one observes total LTE cell area, some percentage
of cell surface is covered with each mode of operation from
mode o0 up to mode o6. On the other hand, total cell surface
of LTE system can be increased if base station power or if
terminal antenna gain or base station antenna gain is
increased.
However, surface ratios covered with particular modulation
mode must remain the same regardless of increased cell surface
caused by raising the emitted power. Intuitively we can
conclude that relationship between relative surfaces occupied
by different types of signal (different modes of operation) must
be a function of propagation attenuation coefficient and
distinctions between the receiver sensitivity thresholds per
modulation type [2], [3].
III. RELATIVE FRACTIONAL CELL AREA CALCULATION FOR
SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION MODE
For calculating relative areas of the LTE cell occupied by
different modes of operation (type of modulation and
redundancy coding), we will start from model used in [1]
67
 PT  LT  LR  GT  GR  AT
S R modo 0  S R modo 6
d 10
79.9  6.55log  h1 
d max mod o 6 79.96.55log(h1 )
 18.9887  36.16log  f MHz  10 log TVP  %   S R 13.82log  h1   a  h2   B
10 (4b)
79.9  6.55log  h1  d max mod o 0
10 (1)

where When analyzing equation (4b), one can conclude that

relative ratio between percentages of maximal possible
PT[dBm] is transmitted power, distance at LTE cell with maximal complex type of modulation
LT[dB] are transmit feeder losses, (mode o6) and total cell distance (mode o0) depend only on
LR [dB] are receiver feeder losses, difference between threshold levels and attenuation
GR [dBi] is receiver antenna gain, propagation coefficient (or height of base station).
GT [dBi] is transmit antenna gain,
AT [dB] is attenuation tolerance (usually 1 to2 dB), Let us calculate relative ratio between coverage area of
SR [dBm] is sensitivity of receiver, mode o6 and mode o0 and designate this ratio Nmodo6. Mode o0
fMHz [MHz] is carrier frequency, coverage is used here as a reference value i.e. we will
h1 [m] is base station antenna height, normalize all coverage areas to mode o0 coverage. In
h2 [m] is mobile station antenna height calculations we assumed that coverage area is a circle around
B [dB] is building density correction factor from base station antenna with radius dmax. We obtained
CCIR propagation model, derivation of
HATA model
a(h2) [dB] is correction factor from from CCIR model,
Pmax  mod o 6 S d 2 max  mod o 6
N mod o 6
TVP(%) possible year time percentage of Pmax  mod o 0 S d 2 max  mod o 0
unavailability
Generally, equation (1) is used for calculating maximal
possible cell size for corresponding mode of operation. It can S R modo 0  S R modo 6
be expressed also as N mod o 6 102 10J (5)

K  S R mod
(2) For any mode of operation the same procedure can be
10J
d max  mod ox 10 applied. Signal with some mode of operation is assumed to
have coverage area of a circle with radius dmodox - dmodo(x-1).
where K is Thus, to calculate coverage area of some mode of operation,
one uses normalized value of Nmodox

K PT  LT  L R  GT  G R  A 
(3a) Pmax  mod ox Pmax  mod o ( x 1)
>18.988736.16log f MHz 10logTVP % 13.82logh1 a ( h2 ) B @ N mod ox  (6)
Pmax  mod o 0 Pmax  mod o 0
and J attenuation propagation coefficient
S R modo 0
 S R modox  S R modo ( x1)

J
1
10

79.96.55log(h1 )  (3b) N mod ox 102 79.96.55log(h1 ) 102 79.96.55log(h1 )  102 79.96.55log(h1 )

Mode o0 realizes maximum cell radius. All other modes of
operation can reach smaller cell radius than mode o0 radius. If IV. SIMULATION RESULTS
we observe relative ratio dmax-modo6/dmax-modo0 we can also
Equations (5) and (6) describe percentage of relative LTE
calculate the ratio between areas covered with 64QAM3/4
cell surface occupied by some mode of the signal with a mode
signal and maximum possible cell size described with o0 coverage as a reference i.e. total cell coverage area. By
maximum radius for BPSK1/2 signal. Equation (4) describes using Matlab program we simulated these two equations and
the ratio between maximum radius of mode o6 and maximum observed changes in relative surface occupied by some mode
cell size radius (defined with mode o0). of signal as a function of the base station antenna height.

K  S R modo 6 In order to obtain realistic simulations we used real

79.96.55log(h1 ) (typical) values of system parameters for receiver sensitivity
d max mod o 6 10
(4a) thresholds [7] and heights of the base station antenna above
K  S R modo 0
d max mod o 0 ground [8].
10 79.96.55log(h1 )

56th International Symposium ELMAR-2014, 10-12 September 2014, Zadar, Croatia

68
 Typical LTE threshold levels for BER 10-6 taken from [7]
are: 30.5

SR(BPSK1/2) = -99 [dBm] 30

Covering percentage with modo6 of cell total cell surface

SR(QPSK1/2) = -96[dBm] 29.5

SR(QPSK3/4) = -94 [dBm] 29

SR(16QAM1/2) = -90 [dBm]

28.5
SR(16QAM3/4) = -87 [dBm] mo
do
28 6
SR(64QAM2/3) = -82 [dBm]
27.5
SR(64QAM3/4) = -80 [dBm]
27
In Fig. 1 is shown how relative percentage of covering area of
each particular mode of operation changes with increase of 26.5
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
base station antenna height. One can see that relative coverage h1 [m] - base station antenna height

area of mode o6 (modulation type 64QAM3/4) is the largest Fig. 2. The percentage of coverage of LTE cell surface
one, but it decreases as the height of the base antenna calculated for maximal complex type of modulation, mode o6, in
dependence of base station antenna height
increases. Also, for mode o5 (another complex type of
modulation 64QAM2/3) relative coverage area is decreased
with the increase in base station antenna height. On the other 35

hand, for less complicated modes of operation, relative 34

Covering percentage with modo6 of cell total cell surface

coverage is increased as the base station antenna height is
33
increased. mod
o6 +
mod
32 o5

In Fig.2 calculation of just mode o6 is given in detail showing

31
detailed decrease of relative cell coverage with the increase of
base station antenna height. In Fig.3 relative coverage area for 30
most complicated modes of operation (modulation 64QAM3/4
29
and 64QAM2/3) is calculated together. Also, relative coverage 1
+ modo
areas for the simplest modes of operation with biggest 28 modo0

coverage areas (BPSK1/2 and QPSK1/2) are calculated

27
together. In Fig.3 one can easily see that relative coverage area
for the more complicated types of modulation is decreased 26
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
with the increase of base station antenna height. A good h1 [m] - base station antenna height
compromise of both cases has to be found. Fig. 3. The percentage of coverage of LTE cell surface calculated
for complex types of modulation (mode o5 and mode o6taken into
account together) versus simply types of modulation (mode o1 and
35 mode o0 taken into account together), in dependence of base
station antenna height
Covering percentage with modo6 of cell total cell surface

30
modo6
V. CONCLUSIONS
25
Percentage of a cell occupied by particular mode of signal
20 modulation against the total cell area is an exponential
modo0
function of receiver threshold for each mode, and propagation
modo2
15 attenuation coefficient.
modo4

10
modo1 In our calculations we used CCITT propagation model for
modo3
calculating maximal possible cell size [1]. Thus, the
5 modo5
attenuation coefficient is dependent on the base station
antenna height. When considering that fact we can conclude
0 that relative area of LTE cell occupied by particular mode of
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
signal modulation is an exponential function of receiver
h1 [m] - base station antenna height
threshold for each mode, and base station antenna highest.
Fig. 1. The percentage of coverage of LTE cell surface calculated It is well known that the maximum cell distance is greater
for different types of modulation in dependence of base station with higher base station antennas, due to the reduced signal
antenna height
propagation attenuation. On the contrary, with LTE

56th International Symposium ELMAR-2014, 10-12 September 2014, Zadar, Croatia

69
technology it is the most attractive to cover users with most
complex modes of operation (mode o6 and mode o5) for their
superior modulation effectiveness.
When analyzing our simulation results and graphs obtained
from them, we may conclude that greater fraction of a cell is
covered with better quality signal if base station antenna is not
hoisted too far from the ground. Therefore, it is a good
practice in fixed wireless access to mount base station
antennas only slightly above the urban surrounding.
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56th International Symposium ELMAR-2014, 10-12 September 2014, Zadar, Croatia
70
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