How people's habit of posting photos from concerts has changed the life of mobile operators
Mass New Year's events are coming. And this means that mobile operators will have to work hard to ensure good communication in areas of large crowds of people (squares, stadiums, concert halls). For example, on the Day of Popular Unity, about 130 thousand spectators were present at the Luzhniki Stadium. To provide them with mobile communication, 44 coverage sectors were deployed in the stadium bowl and under the stands, and 688 antennas were installed and 90 kilometers of RF cable were installed. In this post I will talk about how we usually prepare our network for working out public events.
I introduce myself first. My name is Peter Gore, I am an expert of the radio access network architecture department of the MTS radio access network department.
So, the habits of modern people are such that if you visited a mass event (concert, football) and did not post a photo on instagram from there or did not post a single story, then consider that you were not there. Such habits force operators to place additional requirements on their networks serving mass events.
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The fact is that the basis of building modern mobile networks is the principle of random multiple access to network resources, designed for a certain number of users. The bandwidth, depending on the time, frequency, and hardware resources available for each carrier, is fixed. A sharp increase in the number of subscribers in excess of the calculated values ​​leads to the fact that the system capacity does not allow to process all user requests (this is when 130 thousand people gather at the stadium and start uploading photos to instagram). As a result, there are failures in the provision of service, degradation of voice quality and data transmission, up to the complete inoperability of the system (the pictures suddenly cease to be sent).
The need to expand the system is determined by the operator according to the results of the analysis of statistical data. This task is being solved in a planned manner by strengthening the network: building new base stations, adding capacity at existing sites, optimizing system settings, expanding traffic flows, introducing new technologies, etc.
In places where tens of thousands of subscribers gather from time to time in a limited area, the telecom operator should immediately put the necessary capacity into the system, solving the following tasks:
Fig. 1. Typical scheme for stadium bowl sectorization
The next important step is the implementation of the system, taking into account the developed solution and the location of the object. This includes the search for sites for the location of the BS and antenna supports (AO), the conclusion of lease agreements with the owners of the sites and buildings, the provision of power supply, equipment protection and personnel access for installation and repair of equipment. At this stage, operators often face serious problems. For example, in the territory where communication is required, there may be no buildings to house AO and BS, or not enough existing capacity to provide power to the equipment.
In such cases, non-standard approaches and techniques help out:
a) in the absence of sites for BS placement, mobile base stations (MBS) are used - similar to conventional BS mounted on a vehicle chassis with a kung for equipment and a telescopic mast for antenna installation (Fig. 2). The height of the mast determines the surface area of ​​the MBS and the ability to “snap” receive a transport channel from the nearest fixed base station. The height of the mast is within 12-30 meters, which allows you to create coverage in a radius of 300-1500 meters from MBS. If there is no direct visibility from a fixed base station, it is possible to use a satellite terminal with an antenna located on the same vehicle;
Fig. 2 Mobile base station on truck chassis
b) It is also possible to use specialized multi-beam antennas, which allow to “cut” the required coverage area into the required number of sectors from one point (Fig. 3). The main difference between these antennas and conventional antennas lies in the minimal influence of neighboring sectors on each other;
Fig. 3., Application of multi-beam antennas
c) Use of additional functionality of BS equipment manufacturers - C-RAN (centralized RAN), when the signal from user terminals can be processed by equipment from several sectors;
d) Sharing of infrastructure and active equipment by communication operators. This approach is used when one of the telecom operators is already present at the facility, while others use its resources.
The most difficult mass events are sports competitions, concerts and various performances in stadiums. Here, the maximum concentration of subscribers per unit area is reached, and the most stringent requirements are put forward for network design. Considering that the architecture of each stadium is unique, it was necessary to develop an individual project for each arena. For example, as already mentioned, such a project was prepared to celebrate the Day of Popular Unity at the Luzhniki Stadium this year and to hold the FIFA World Cup 2018.
An important aspect in organizing communications for mass events is the return on investment. Investing millions of dollars in network power on an ongoing basis in places of mass, but single events, is not always economically justified. The optimal technical solution is a compromise between the pledged capacity, the necessary investments, the expected profit, the social importance of the events held and their regularity.
I introduce myself first. My name is Peter Gore, I am an expert of the radio access network architecture department of the MTS radio access network department.
So, the habits of modern people are such that if you visited a mass event (concert, football) and did not post a photo on instagram from there or did not post a single story, then consider that you were not there. Such habits force operators to place additional requirements on their networks serving mass events.
')
The fact is that the basis of building modern mobile networks is the principle of random multiple access to network resources, designed for a certain number of users. The bandwidth, depending on the time, frequency, and hardware resources available for each carrier, is fixed. A sharp increase in the number of subscribers in excess of the calculated values ​​leads to the fact that the system capacity does not allow to process all user requests (this is when 130 thousand people gather at the stadium and start uploading photos to instagram). As a result, there are failures in the provision of service, degradation of voice quality and data transmission, up to the complete inoperability of the system (the pictures suddenly cease to be sent).
The need to expand the system is determined by the operator according to the results of the analysis of statistical data. This task is being solved in a planned manner by strengthening the network: building new base stations, adding capacity at existing sites, optimizing system settings, expanding traffic flows, introducing new technologies, etc.
In places where tens of thousands of subscribers gather from time to time in a limited area, the telecom operator should immediately put the necessary capacity into the system, solving the following tasks:
- determining the number of active subscribers (initial data are the total number of viewers, the scale of the operator’s presence in a given region, the share of terminal penetration for various communication technologies);
- selection of the necessary technologies and communication standards, which will achieve the necessary indicators of communication quality for radio coverage, subscriber availability and data transfer rates;
- calculation of the required capacity of the system based on the data obtained in the first two points to determine the amount of required equipment of base stations (BS) and sectors (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Typical scheme for stadium bowl sectorization
The next important step is the implementation of the system, taking into account the developed solution and the location of the object. This includes the search for sites for the location of the BS and antenna supports (AO), the conclusion of lease agreements with the owners of the sites and buildings, the provision of power supply, equipment protection and personnel access for installation and repair of equipment. At this stage, operators often face serious problems. For example, in the territory where communication is required, there may be no buildings to house AO and BS, or not enough existing capacity to provide power to the equipment.
In such cases, non-standard approaches and techniques help out:
a) in the absence of sites for BS placement, mobile base stations (MBS) are used - similar to conventional BS mounted on a vehicle chassis with a kung for equipment and a telescopic mast for antenna installation (Fig. 2). The height of the mast determines the surface area of ​​the MBS and the ability to “snap” receive a transport channel from the nearest fixed base station. The height of the mast is within 12-30 meters, which allows you to create coverage in a radius of 300-1500 meters from MBS. If there is no direct visibility from a fixed base station, it is possible to use a satellite terminal with an antenna located on the same vehicle;
Fig. 2 Mobile base station on truck chassis
b) It is also possible to use specialized multi-beam antennas, which allow to “cut” the required coverage area into the required number of sectors from one point (Fig. 3). The main difference between these antennas and conventional antennas lies in the minimal influence of neighboring sectors on each other;
Fig. 3., Application of multi-beam antennas
c) Use of additional functionality of BS equipment manufacturers - C-RAN (centralized RAN), when the signal from user terminals can be processed by equipment from several sectors;
d) Sharing of infrastructure and active equipment by communication operators. This approach is used when one of the telecom operators is already present at the facility, while others use its resources.
The most difficult mass events are sports competitions, concerts and various performances in stadiums. Here, the maximum concentration of subscribers per unit area is reached, and the most stringent requirements are put forward for network design. Considering that the architecture of each stadium is unique, it was necessary to develop an individual project for each arena. For example, as already mentioned, such a project was prepared to celebrate the Day of Popular Unity at the Luzhniki Stadium this year and to hold the FIFA World Cup 2018.
An important aspect in organizing communications for mass events is the return on investment. Investing millions of dollars in network power on an ongoing basis in places of mass, but single events, is not always economically justified. The optimal technical solution is a compromise between the pledged capacity, the necessary investments, the expected profit, the social importance of the events held and their regularity.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/345636/
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