As operators are getting ready to deploy LTE, a good understanding of the considerations for its successful rollout is essential. This one day course presents, in a theoretical and practical way, the parameters necessary to plan an LTE network, from a RF coverage point of view.
The course begins with a quick reminder of LTE system architecture and air interface characteristics. It is then followed by a discussion of interference as applied to LTE, RF propagation models and antenna considerations. The course provides hands-on practice on Link budget calculations and associated formulations to analyze sensitivity impact across variables and to resolve specific case studies. It then provides an overview of parametrization to generate coverage predictions, using a commercial network planning prediction tool. The tool is then used to predict the effect of spectrum when overlaying LTE on 1x (at 850 MHZ) and UMTS (at 2100 MHz).