EMPIRICAL DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF CALL TRAFFIC PERIODS ON GSM NETWORK SIGNAL RECEPTIONS

Abstract

Apart from environmental issues, one of the factors that seriously affect received radio signal level in a cell site is call traffic. From the reviewed literatures, it was stated that when there is high call rate the received power in a GSM network coverage area tends to go down due to power demand on the transmitter and that phenomenon tends to further lower the quality of service of GSM networks. To investigate that, several measurements of received signal strength were conducted at a
particular localized point (06.385005N, 007.400830E) in the MTN network base station located along Uzo Saba Road, Umuewashi, Nsude in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu state, Nigeria, at periods of low call traffic, light call traffic and heavy call traffic. Analysis of the data collected shows that as call traffic increases fluctuations of the received signal level increases also. The result is that quality of service of such network will greatly be impaired during heavy call periods.