Educational cellular radio network planning software tool

In this paper, an educational software tool (CELLPLAN) is presented. This tool is used to illustrate to telecommunications engineering students the different steps typically followed in the planning of cellular radio networks. The software tool described in this paper simulates the procedures and algorithms implemented in professional planning tools in a simplified way. The major difference being that no actual terrain information (Digital Terrain Model) is used in the simulations but rather a "generic" terrain configuration is assumed. The availability of this simulation tool in the classroom gives fifth-year telecommunications engineering students the opportunity to tackle realistic cellular network design cases as if they were in a real engineering office.