Deployment of a cellular network in the TVWS: a case study in a challenging environment

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the potential of TV whitespaces for secondary cellular use. We study the situation where a single cellular operator improves the performance of its network by upgrading its existing cell-sites to opportunistically and cost-efficiently utilize secondary spectrum resources. We determine the available capacity for such networks under interference-margin constraint rules and use terrain-based propagation models to retrieve realistic coverage predictions. We report on our findings from a particularly challenging environment in Western Germany, where border and geographical conditions impose significant limitations on the efficient use of whitespaces. However, our methodology and use-case scenarios are generic, and the specific geographical study can be seen as a blend of worst-case approximation of spectrum diversity and best-case scenario for coexistence between secondary systems.