ePMP Elevate Field Report (Network 2)

 This article describes the experiences of two communications operators in Ukraine who opted to use ePMP Elevate to increase performance without replacing the installed subscriber base.

Network No2 “BEFORE”

  • Non-cambium base station, output capacity is 17 dBm, frequency is 5300 MHz, channel bandwidth is 20 MHz, sector 90 degree antenna  with gain factor 17 dBi.
  • User stations - non-Cambium (44 items in total) – located at a distance of 2 to 7 km. The service plans are: 2 Mbit/sec (6% of the clients), 4 Mbit/sec (74%), 8 Mbit/sec (20%). Speed limit is not enforced for the test client “TEST” MAC ***95:C9.
  • RSSI signals on all clients are good, lower than -70 dBm on a few, modulations are high, throughput capacity (data rate) in general is 130/130, 130/117.
  • The average daily workload of the non-Cambium sector (20 MHz ch. bandwidth), servicing 44 clients equals 15.5 Mbit/sec, maximum is 32.65 Mbit/sec.

Figures 20, 21 show values for delay between non-Cambium base station and user station “TEST” and a screenshot of the OOKLA speedtest with the user station “TEST” MAC ***95:C9 during the busy hours (at the moment of the sector maximum workload during the evening hours), measured with the Ping utility at the maximum workload of the base station on 1500-byte long packages.

Fig.20 Delay in the non-Cambium network when servicing 44 user stations on the sector, channel bandwidth is 20 MHz

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Fig.21 Speed test of the test client (distance from the base station is 7 km) OOKLAspeedtest

As we can see, the most distant client (working with the data rate of 104/117 Mbit/sec) during peak hours get access speed equal to 4 Mbit/sec. It’s impossible to provide a 8 Mbit/sec service plan.

Thus, the initial data is the following

  • Maximum daily workload of the non-Cambium sector with 44 clients is 32.5 Mbit/sec in 20 MHz;
  • During the peak hours clients’ speed is no higher than 4 Mbit/sec.

 

Network No.2 “AFTER”

  • 45 user modules of were upgraded with ePMP Elevate and connected to the ePMP1000 GPSSync base station with 50 Elevate licenses.
  • The base station parameters are: ePMP1000GPS Sync, sector antenna ePMP 15 dBi, frequency is 5450 MHz, the channel bandwidth is 20/40 MHz, output capacity is 21 dBm, the frame length is 5 mc, TDD UL/DL Frame Ratio is Flexible.
  • The base station Software version: v3.2.2RC2, the user station Software version: v.3.2.1, v.3.2.2 RC2.

An additional 37 Cambium ("native") user modules were connected to the base station (mixture of ePMP ISM and Force180). The total number of users reached 82: non-Cambium subscribers with ePMPElevate Software, 45 items in total (distance 2… 7 km) and ePMPISM/Force 180 user stations, 37 items in total (distance 2… 4 km).

Service plans: 2 Mbit/sec (8% of clients), 4 Mbit/sec (67%), 8 Mbit/sec (25%). The speed limit is taken off from the tested device.

Figure 22 provides a screenshot of the ePMP 1000 GPS Sync base station configuration and connection parameters of clients.

Fig.22 Parameters of connection to the ePMPGPSSync base station 82, ePMP user station and Elevated subscribers

Figures 23, 24 provide graphs of the daily workload for the ePMPс base station sector with 82 clients on the frequency bands 20 MHz and 40 MHz.

Fig.23 Graph of the daily workload for the ePMP GPS Sync sector, frequency bandwidth 20 MHz with traffic of 82 user stations, max workload 52 Mbps

Fig.24 Graph of daily workflow for the ePMP GPS Sync sector, frequency bandwidth 40 MHz with traffic of 82 user stations, max workload 83 Mbps

Figures 25, 26 provide screenshots of delay of the ping utility of the test client, frequency bandwidth of 20 and 40 MHz.

Fig.25 Delay in the channel of 20 MHz, 82 user stations are served on the sector

Fig.26 Delay in the channel of 40 MHz, 82 user stations are served on the sector

Figure 27 provides screenshots of the signal parameters, LinkTest and OOKLA speed test client in the channel of 20 MHz, figure 28 shows the same data in the channel of 40 MHz.

Fig.27 LinkTest, OOKLA speed test, channel of 20 MHz

 

Fig.28 OOKLA speed test, channel of 40 MHz

Modernization Effect

  • in spite of the growing number of subscribers almost by two times (from 44 to 82), the maximum capacity of the sector increased as well: from 32.5 Mbit/sec (20 MHz, 44 clients) up to 52.8 Mbit/sec (20 MHz, 82 clients), 83 Mbit/sec (40 MHz, 82 clients)
  • maximum access speed during peak hours for subscribers increased from 3.5 up to 13 Mbit/sec. Clients with 8 Mbit/sec service plan started to receive service during peak hours. Service plans remained unchanged, but the number of serviced clients doubled.
  • delay in the network reduced to acceptable values: from avg/max82/230 ms to avg/max 77/189 ms although the number of serviced clients became twice bigger
  • clients have become able to watch HD videos online
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