Comparison of Different Network Densification Alternatives from the LTE Downlink Performance Point of View

Abstract

This paper presents a novel comparison of different network densification alternatives from the LTE downlink point of view. The comparison is performed for the same environment considering, among other things, an advanced three-dimensional modeling of propagation and user distribution within the traffic hotspots. The obtained results indicate that various types of heterogeneous network deployments are realistic alternatives to the traditional way of deploying new macro sites. The downside of heterogeneous deployments is that the required number of new sites becomes considerably larger, which can cause problems from the backhaul availability and power supply point of view. Hence, based on these initial results, the heterogeneous deployments seem to be the most feasible for scenarios with a limited availability of new macro sites.