GSM timeslot detection and switching for power amplifier duty cycling in community cellular networks

Despite the widespread adoption of mobile phones, some remote, rural areas still lack cellular connectivity primarily due to the high cost of traditional base station deployments. Software-defined base station implementations have recently been able to drastically reduce the cost of hardware. However, covering the operating costs remains an issue, particularly in small communities. In this paper, we present a front end system exploiting significant idle times in a rural GSM network in order to reduce the overall power consumption of the base station, thereby reducing operating costs. The front end utilizes precisely timed switching signals from the downlink transmission of a base station. The switching signals are then used for automatic, on-demand power amplifier duty cycling at the GSM timeslot level to provide virtual coverage to subscribers. An implementation using a software-defined GSM-900 base station demonstrated potential power savings of at least 80% during idle periods. The reduced power consumption is foreseen to further lower capital and operating costs, allowing more rural communities to gain access to cellular communications.