Coverage and capacity dynamics in 4G-LTE deployment in India

Abstract

The deployment of the fourth generation (4G) of mobile services is gaining traction across the developed and the developing world. A host of Carrier Frequencies (CFs) are used for provisioning 4G services utilizing the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks. The cellular propagation characteristics of these CFs differ across the radio spectrum, leading to variations in their cellular coverage capabilities. Also, the capacity of such 4G-LTE networks depends on the service usage patterns and the volume of subscribers. This study explores the temporal (years 2016-2026) dynamics arising out of such coverage and capacity requirements of 4G-LTE network infrastructure, across CFs in sub 1 GHz and 1-3 GHz cohorts, by taking the case of the 22 Telecom Circles (TCs) in India. We evaluate, with the help of Okumura-Hata and Cost 231 radio propagation models, the 4G-LTE infrastructure required for ensuring coverage across these TCs and CFs. We also forecast the 4G-LTE subscriber adoption in these TCs and predict their data volume demands over the years. Finally, we calibrate the 4G-LTE coverage requirements, with the capacity requirements, across the TCs. We find that all the TCs in India would soon become 'capacity constrained' thereby leading to additional spectrum bandwidth requirements across the TCs.