Using RF Repeaters to Improve WCDMA HSDPA Coverage and Capacity Inside Buildings

The role of indoor coverage will be very important in WCDMA networks, both due to customer expectations and the introduction of high speed packet data services. General outdoor-to-indoor coverage is and will be the most common solution, but macro cells may not always be able to deliver adequate indoor coverage and capacity, suggesting the need for dedicated indoor solutions, such as RF repeaters. RF repeaters are typically deployed to extend the coverage of existing (macro) cells. They are characterized by low cost, ease of installation and low power consumption. The simulation results shown in this paper clearly indicate how the repeater deployment improves the HSDPA coverage throughout the building. The results also demonstrate how the repeater deployment off-loads the donor cell, resulting in increased cell capacity. However, this paper also discusses the trade-off between the repeater gain and the reduced uplink coverage and capacity within the donor cell, which eventually can limit the maximum achievable HSDPA performance