Patent ID: 7613464

Claim:
An apparatus for improving the coverage of a target area by a radio transmitter, the method comprising: one or more processors configured to create multiple potential alternative locations for a radio transmitter; one or more processors configured to analyze potential alternative locations, alternative classes alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels associated with a radio transmitter; one or more processors configured to test whether the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels or combinations thereof are feasible; and one or more processors configured to score the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels, wherein the scoring generates a numerical score that represents potential population and/or demographic coverage within a target area and potential implementation costs; wherein the numerical score comprises a net present value (NPV k ) of a radio transmitter j having the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels of a scenario k, wherein NPV k = ( ∏ j ⁢ P j , ⁢ k Success ) ⁢ ( V k - ∑ j ⁢ ⁢ C j , ⁢ k - C k Extract ) ( 1 + r ) n C j , k = C j , k Pops + C j , k NewTX comprises a cost attributed to the radio transmitter j for the scenario k and comprises a cost due to a change in population and/or demographic coverage for the radio transmitter j and a cost of a new transmission facility for the radio transmitter j in the scenario k, C k Extract = ∑ j ⁢ s j Extract ( V k - ∑ i ⁢ C i , k ) comprises a cost due to negotiations in the scenario k, p j,k Success comprises a probability of success for change to the radio transmitter j in the scenario k, R comprises a return on investment, and V j comprises a base value of the radio transmitter j.