Measurement Based Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Correlation of Base Station Load

For the revolution way from the current networks to the 5G era and beyond a set of stringent requirements and key performances should be meet. These define the need for more efficient procedures of designing and upgrading the Radio Access Network. In this paper we assess large scale measurements from an existing LTE network of a dense urban area (city) by focusing on the user load. In particular, we examine the spatial correlation of two clusters with different location characteristics by using a mathematical measure based on majorization. Finally we consider the temporal auto- and cross-correlation of the base stations in different locations. The assessment explains certain user and mobility behavior representative for this type of urban environment.