WCDMA downlink capacity estimation

A simple estimation for the WCDMA downlink capacity is presented. A general approximation is derived from the basic CDMA theory, and is then adapted to the scenario in question with the help of results from a number of reference system simulations. Comparison with the simulations shows that the obtained approximation is valid for a variety of system scenarios and services. Furthermore, it holds also in case of multiple simultaneous services. However, unless the effect of the receiver noise is taken into account, the applicability area of the approximation seems to be limited only to quite small cells.