Growing megacities need voice capacity in densely populated areas while rural life needs improved coverage. Modernized GSM delivers on coverage and capacity with spectral efficiency features. Direct energy savings from green equipment and fewer sites typically pay back investments in under two years.
GSM carries eighty percent of voice traffic
Worldwide, GSM carries eighty percent of voice traffic and despite the fast growing data traffic, voice continues to account for a major part of the bills. A modernized GSM network quadruples its energy and spectral efficiency – carrying up to twice the calls at half the energy. The benefits can be used to add subscribers or to re-farm frequencies for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).
The high data rate of High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) has made mobile broadband devices popular. A good user experience, however, still depends on the fallback technology mode, which in most parts of the world is GSM/EDGE.
Modernization opens strategic options and connects to the future
Modernization is green hardware and software optimized radio. It is also a decision point for network sharing. Base stations now support up to four operators – ideal for rural expansions in low Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) regions. Compact, zero-footprint design means more sites become suitable for passive sharing in suburban settings. Introducing the OSC feature may also free up antennas when another radio technology needs to share the same site.
Secondly, it is a starting point for evolving the backhaul; introducing native all-IP, packet backhaul and Timing over Packet. Zero footprint microwave access and common backhaul for 2G/3G/LTE co-located sites translate into more cost savings.
Finally, new GSM base stations are often based on “Single RAN”, supporting multiple radio standards out of the box – the sites can later be upgraded with software to UMTS, HSPA or LTE. Currently, GSM modernization connects to the future with zero additional investment. Operators who introduce Flexi EDGE Base Station Controllers (BSCs) get a full functional match for their BTSplus base stations.
Modernization is a major project and needs early planning
New base stations have higher output power that changes their radio footprint. With better signal quality, base stations pick up and deliver more calls. This changes the number of sites, antennas and backhaul. Fewer modern base station controllers also transform the transport network.
From a radio planning and network optimization point of view, GSM modernization with new hardware and spectral efficiency features requires radio redesign and complete network optimization.
Since, in many cases, base stations are based on “Single RAN”, supporting GSM, UMTS and LTE, voice and data are more closely coupled. Common backhaul solutions increase the integration. A holistic network optimization can be achieved by simultaneously considering GSM, UMTS, LTE, backhaul and network sharing.
In 2010, Nokia Siemens Networks undertook more than 31 GSM network modernizations and five competitor swaps. Since 2009, Nokia Siemens Networks has migrated more than 100 networks to radio IP transport and has 46 Timing over Packet references. Presently, more than 70 customers are connecting BTSplus base stations to Flexi BSCs with more than 53,000 BTSplus Transceivers (TRX) in commercial service at Flexi BSC. Spectral efficiency features like AMR are used by 175 customers.
Print