Positioning of a Next Generation Mobile Cell to Maximise Aggregate Network Capacity

Abstract

In wireless communications, the need to cover operation areas, such as seaports, is at the forefront of discussion, especially regarding network capacity provisioning. Radio network planning typically involves determining the number of fixed cells, considering link budgets and deploying them geometrically centered across targeted areas. This paper proposes a solution to determine the optimal position for a mobile cell, considering 3GPP path loss models. The optimal position for the mobile cell maximises the aggregate network capacity offered to a set of User Equipments (UEs), with gains up to 187% compared to the positioning of the mobile cell at the UEs geometrical center. The proposed solution can be used by network planners and integrated into network optimisation tools. This has the potential to reduce costs associated with the Radio Access Network (RAN) planning by enhancing flexibility for on-demand deployments.