Cellular Planning of GSM Network in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Global system for mobile communication has witnessed tremendous growth. This is due largely to the fact that it enables people to make quality calls, send messages, browse the internet etc. at any time and for any period. The huge number of GSM subscribers has resulted in the system being over-loaded. This research work is aimed at optimizing Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network in Rivers State. The behavior of GSM network under four different conditions were examined. The work also aimed to determine the number of base stations required to provide adequate GSM network coverage in Rivers State. Erlang B technique was employed to achieve the aim of this research work. This research work found that when the traffic load is greater than, or too close to, the voice channels (in magnitude), the system denied many callers access from making calls. However, when the voice channels are greater than traffic load, the system performed well. But voice channels must not be far greater than traffic load and should not be too close to it, to avoid under-utilization or over-utilization of the channels. The work also revealed that the number of base stations required in any given place varies inversely proportional to the square of the cell radius. Hence, for Rivers State, the number of base stations to provide 100% network coverage for a cell radius of 3km was found to be 474.