WCDMA Network Planning & Practice

Along with the development of the 3G, WCDMA has started commercial applications in some European countries and Asian countries. WCDMA network is substantially different to the GSM network. Much higher requirements are demanded on the planning of WCDMA. The planning of WCDMA network is a systemic engineering which includes wireless communications, switching, signaling, synchronization, tolling, network management, etc. A good planning of network can be a good support for the investment and can be a right start for a network with high quality and high efficiency. Therefore a good network planning is investors’strong base for the competitiveness on the market. Whatever and however mobile networks develop in the future, network planning is forever a research subject.The characteristics of the planning of WCDMA network is subject to the characteristics of the WCDMA wireless network. This paper firstly introduced the wireless technologies, then introduced the WCDMA features, then introduced the characteristics of WCDMA networks and introduced the characteristics of networking planning. The main planning method and KPI targets were also pointed out.Then this paper in detail discussed network planning for WCDMA, including coverage &capacity planning,link budgeting,system emulating, analyzing and optimizing.Engineering design includes targeting, information sourcing,preliminary design,station investigating and final design.City plan is top concern to 3G network constructon planning. The planning of WCDMA network shall mind the network coverage vs capacity, the influence of network development on stations, various coverage demands on various environments like indoor or outdoor.Then an experimental WCDMA city network was in detail introduced, analyzed and planned. This experiment tested and proved the features of WCDMA and Wireless network. This experiment aims to explore and acquire experiences on the planning and optimizing of WCDMA wireless network, and to also test the capability of co-existance with other wireless systems. Finally the paper concluded some limitations on the designing and planning of WCDMA network. The feasibility on how to upgrade and improve the network to WCDMA integral seamless coverage comprehensive scheme was studied.