Cell Size

The number of cells in any geographic area is determined by the number of MS subscribers who will be operating in that area, and the geographic layout of the area (hills, lakes, buildings etc).

Large Cells: If the cell site is on top of a hill, with no obstructions for miles, then the radio waves will travel much further than if the cell site was in the middle of a city, with many high rise buildings blocking the path of the radio waves.

Generally large cells are employed in:

• Remote areas.
• Coastal regions.
• Areas with few subscribers.
• Large areas which need to be covered with the minimum number of cell sites.

Small Cells: Small cells are used where there is a requirement to support a large number of MSs, in a small geographic region, or where a low transmission power may be required to reduce the effects of interference. Typical uses of small cells:

• Urban areas.
• Low transmission power required.
• High number of MSs.

The Trade Off – Large vs Small: There is no right answer when choosing the type of cell to use. Network providers would like to use large cells to reduce installation and maintenance cost, but realize that to provide a quality service to their customers, they have to consider many factors, such as terrain, transmission power required, number of MSs etc. This inevitably leads to a mixture of both large and small cells.