UMTS WCDMA Network Planning with Smart Antennas

The issue of UMTS WCDMA radio network planning with smart antennas is presented in this paper. First the complexity of 3G network planning is discussed in the context of 2G and smart antennas. Then the impact that smart antennas can have on key WCDMA network parameters, such as capacity and coverage probability is demonstrated with the help of a radio network planning tool. Results from a typical urban operational scenario show that a limited deployment of smart antennas can help significantly the performance of the overall network. Nevertheless, it is also shown that careful planning is required in order to reach an improved network solution.