Field trial results for vertical sectorization in LTE network using Active Antenna System

Fengyi Yang, Jianmin Zhang, Weiliang Xie, Xuetian Zhu

Abstract: Previous work has reported that vertical sectorization can efficiently improve the capacity of LTE network using Active Antenna System (AAS) based on simulation results, however, its performance in real-world scenario still needs to be evaluated and verified for future deployment. Thus, this study conducts an evaluation of vertical sectorization in LTE field trial with single user. The field trial results show that the average downlink throughput of the single user is reduced compared to the one of traditional network, which results in the deterioration of user experience. Furthermore, we examine field data and antenna parameters, and verify that the co-frequency interference between the inner and outer cells is the main reason for average downlink throughput decrease in field trial. Obviously, without proper interference suppression or can-celation mechanisms, the vertical sectorization can not improve the user experience. Therefore, some practical suggestions on the deployment of vertical sectorization in LTE network are proposed.