Macro-cell antenna down-tilt to field data study in Ghana

Antenna downtilt technique is used by network planners for coverage and capacity optimization in cellular networks. It also aims at reducing the adjacent cell relative interference to a serving cell. This study investigates a seminal empirical model of optimum down-tilt selection and introduces a novel theory on coverage sensitivity in mobile cluttered environment. The theoretical results using the seminal model have shown satisfactory agreement in the study area with field measurement. A smaller mechanical antenna downtilt angle of the order in the range of 3 to 5 degrees provides effective coverage. In addition, the coverage sensitivity has been investigated as experienced by a mobile user. Its criterion has illustrated a perfect view of beam division from the mobile user´s end. The results comply with the seminal model with little deviation which may be explained by the weather condition in Ghana.