SRG Travels: It's a Small Cell World After All!

The Indianapolis 795.1

01/24/2018 | 60 pages
Price: $1,550.00

SRG conducted its third benchmark study of small cells. For this round, we turned our attention to LAA (Licensed Assisted Access) and the AT&T network in Indianapolis, Indiana where Ericsson is the infrastructure supplier. This trip marked the third time we’ve been to the city – once before small cells (May 2017), once after AT&T had deployed a limited number of small cells (Sept 2017), and, most recently, after AT&T had deployed a significant number of small cells with LAA functionality.

Highlights of the Report include the following:

The Numbers:
450 GB (at least) of transferred data in the downlink direction
795.1 Mbps peak data rate
230 Mbps average data rate (overall, including non-small cell usage)
More than 60% of data transferred on unlicensed spectrum
Nine different UNII-1 and UNII-3 channels, including Channel 165, used at some point during the tests
Less than 5 hours required to transfer the data (user experience tests only)
1 square kilometer (approximate) test area

Our Thanks.  This study could not have been done without the support of Accuver Americas, who provided us with its XCAL-Solo drive test tool and XCAP post-processing software.

Our Methodology.  We used FTP downlink full buffer (1.6 Gbps FTP server) and various user experience tests (Google Play, Google Drive, etc.) to generate data traffic while walking and driving around the downtown area. We used both time-based and geo-binned data for our analysis of the network, comparing results for each test period, as well results between mobility and pedestrian testing.

Just Some of The Analysis:

PHY layer and RB normalized PHY layer throughput – macro, small cells,unlicensed versus licensed – distributions and geo plots
Throughput versus SINR and RSRP – by licensed and unlicensed radio carrier; mobility versus walking
Implied Spectral Efficiency – macro versus small cells
Relationships between licensed primary carrier and Band 46(5 GHz) for many key metrics (e.g., RSRP, SINR, etc.)
Comparisons of MIMO Rank, modulation schemes, and MCS by radio carrier
Impact of vehicular speed on SINR and data speeds – small cells and macro
Indoor Coverage Comparison – licensed versus Band 46
User Experience

A Must Read. This report is a “must read” for any organization interested in the incremental benefits that small cells, including small cells with LAA, have on the user experience and overall network efficiency.