MBMS Performance with Single Frequency Network Operation on WCDMA Network

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the system level performance of point-to-multipoint (p-t-m) multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) using single frequency network (SFN) operation on WCDMA network. This scheme is denoted as MBSFN within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In MBSFN all Node Bs are using common scrambling code and transmissions are tightly synchronized between different Node Bs on dedicated carrier. Due to common scrambling and usage of same channelization code transmissions from different Node Bs seems like a transmissions from single source through highly dispersive channel. Usage of common scrambling code removes inter-cell interference and only intra-cell interference is present, which can be effectively mitigated by, e.g., chip level equalization. In this paper transmit power requirement for 95 % coverage with MBSFN is evaluated with dynamic system simulations. Fmphasis is put on the receiver performance and effect of different non- idealities are evaluated, e.g., practical channel estimation.