Patent ID: 8219124
Filing Date: 2012-07-10
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for planning a cellular mobile telecommunications network comprising at least one network cell intended to provide network services to user equipment located in said network cell, wherein the network services comprise at least one network service deliverable at a plurality of provisioning rates, comprising evaluating an uplink coverage of the network in a predetermined service area of said network cell, said evaluating comprising: a) forecasting a number of user equipment located in said service area; b) setting a current provisioning rate to the highest of said provisioning rates; c) estimating a power required for each user equipment for accessing the at least one network service at the current provisioning rate; d) comparing the estimated required power to a maximum power deliverable by each user equipment and, if the estimated required power exceeds the maximum deliverable power; e) determining a reduced service area wherein an estimated power required for each user equipment of a reduced number of user equipment for accessing the at least one network service at the current provisioning rate does not exceed the maximum deliverable power; f) updating the current provisioning rate to the immediately lower provisioning rate of said plurality of provisioning rates; g) repeating steps c) and d) and, if required, steps e) and f) until a predetermined criterion is met; and h) forming, within the predetermined service area, a plurality of service sub-areas, wherein each service sub-area corresponds to one of the plurality of provisioning rates.