> EVOLVING TO 3G AND BEYOND
WITH A SINGLE BTS
Product Brief
The Nortel GSM-UMTS BTS 18000 Indoor and Outdoor
With more than 1.3 billion GSM
subscribers in 200 countries and growing
voice and data services demands, opera-
tors still need to optimize their GSM
networks. Meanwhile, they are answering
to 3G data services requests by imple-
menting UMTS networks and planning
to deploy HSDPA (High Speed Down-
link Packet Access).
More and more, operators are deploying
both EDGE and UMTS networks to
deliver 3G services for national coverage
with a rapid time to market. Therefore,
2G to 3G migration and mobility are key
drivers for operators. They face huge wire-
less investments so optimized products
and solutions that reduce capital and
operational expenditures are essential.
In order to help address these challenges,
Nortel has introduced the GSM-UMTS
BTS 18000.
The GSM-UMTS BTS 18000 —
Indoor and Outdoor versions —
provides operators with high capacity
in a reduced footprint and the evolution
to UMTS and HSDPA, enabling the
network for mobile broadband.
Operators can also deploy BTS 18000
to cope with explosive voice growth and
rapid speed of deployment. The BTS
18000 improves operational effectiveness
by reducing site constraints.
High capacity in a
reduced footprint
Nortel addresses the growing needs of
sites by increasing GSM capacity and
adding UMTS capacity while reducing
site constraints.
BTS 18000 is one of the highest capacity
true dual mode GSM/UMTS base stations
on the market that can be used in GSM
or UMTS single mode, or in GSM/UMTS
dual mode.
BTS 18000 can support up to 18 GSM
radio units per cabinet, allowing very
high density GSM three-sector sites up
to S18 18 18. When configured in dual
mode, BTS 18000 can support up to
nine GSM radio units and two UMTS
carriers over a three-sector UMTS
configuration in the same cabinet.
The BTS 18000 is fully compatible
with the BTS S8000 and S12000 so
it is possible to extend existing BTS
S8000 and BTS S12000 sites through
synchronization with the BTS 18000.
The BTS 18000 is a key component
to delivering more capacity within 2G
and 3G networks while driving down
network costs. The BTS 18000 offers
up to 125 percent more GSM capacity
compared to the BTS S8000, providing
a more compact site and improved oper-
ational efficiency. The high density and
enhanced RF performance of the BTS
18000 enables fewer sites to be required.
Finally, the BTS 18000 supports a
greater number of users and offers
higher-speed data access and quality.
These benefits increase the opportunities
for additional voice and data revenues.
Lowering the cost
of ownership
The BTS 18000 brings considerable
savings in CAPEX and OPEX to the
operator (based on Nortel business case
analysis), thanks to a highly-integrated
technology. GSM radio modules
include the equivalent of three radio
units and three Power Amplifiers,
leading to a high-density platform
with excellent radio performance.
UMTS modules are identical to the
UMTS modules currently used in
the Nortel UMTS BTS portfolio.
Additionally, the BTS 18000 supports
HSDPA with only a software upgrade.
All the modules of the UMTS BTS
family are interoperable and can
be shared with its family members,
enabling enhanced scalability and
infrastructure evolution, along with
common spare parts, similar mainte-
nance and reduced training needs.
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BTS 18010 Indoor BTS 18020 Outdoor
These GSM and UMTS enhanced
modules enable reduced power
consumption and maintenance costs,
helping operators with an optimized
business case.
Low introduction costs are invaluable
when facing the financial pressures
of network enhancements such as
EDGE/GERAN or network migration
to UMTS/HSDPA. The deployment
of the BTS 18000 puts the operator
in a position to make efficient use of
all resources and to reduce network
complexity that relieves pressure on
their investment.
GSM and UMTS
deployment flexibility
The BTS 18000 enables high flexibility
in a wireless deployment as migrations
from GSM to UMTS can be performed
on-site when needed. This eases opera-
tors’ investments by allowing a site-by-
site implementation. Operators do not
need to plan craning operations when
they want to implement UMTS on an
existing GSM site.
The possibility to choose between
multiple RF-combining options allows
the operator to deploy the BTS 18000
solution in a number of different
scenarios such as high-capacity solu-
tions in cities or wide coverage with a
minimal number of sites in rural areas.
High GSM and UMTS
performance
The BTS 18000 has been designed to
support both GSM and UMTS tech-
nologies, allowing Nortel to introduce
a true dual mode BTS. Operators use
the same engineering rules independent
of whether the BTS is in GSM-only
mode or GSM-UMTS mode.
The Nortel family of BTSs holds a
high market position for reliability,
operability and service quality. The BTS
18000 provides superior data services
and voice quality, maximized coverage
and building penetration and smooth
call handovers. It has been designed
with many advanced RF features to
improve spectral usage and optimiza-
tion that increases available capacity.
These high performance qualities are
extremely important in order to deliver
enhanced end-user services.
BTS18020
Three-cabinet site
The exceptional radio performance and
advanced digital processing of the BTS
18000 provide one of the highest GSM
receive sensitivities in the market today,
typically offering –117 dBm without the
need for masthead amplifiers. Combined
with enhanced spectral efficiency and
EDGE/GERAN features support, the
superior radio performance enhances the
resistance to interference and improves
voice quality, data throughput, cell
coverage and service availability.
The BTS 18000 supports a GSM
60W high power amplifier that enables
increased coverage in rural areas to
fill in coverage holes and improve
indoor penetration.
Technical specifications: Nortel GSM-UMTS BTS 18000 – Indoor and Outdoor versions
Frequency range
Receive sensitivity
(guaranteed)
Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth
Weight
Empty cabinet
Fully equipped
Capacity
Amplifier output power
Standard
Optional
Transmission coupling
Space for customer equipment
Supported vo-coders
Power supply
Nominal
Operational temperature range
Backhaul
The BTS 18000 also provides high Deliver mobile broad-
UMTS receiver sensitivity (-127.5 dBm band services
typical). To maximize the offered
UMTS capacity in order to increase The BTS 18000 gives operators the
the number of subscribers and traffic ability to evolve their wireless network
supported per cell, a 45W Multi- due to its high capacity, high density
Carrier Power Amplifier (MCPA) has and the support of enhanced solutions
been developed on the downlink path. like HSDPA. These advantages enable
The Nortel solution has been designed operators to improve their business
to maximize the use of the spectrum case by supporting new revenue oppor-
bandwidth. This is implemented in tunities and helping them increase
the UMTS BTS link budget. Power profitability as their networks grow.
control algorithms (benefiting from
Nortel’s CDMA expertise) deliver
higher efficiency to provide more
users per carrier.
Indoor Outdoor
GSM 900/850/1800/1900 MHz
GSM dual-band
UMTS 2100/1900 MHz, future 900 MHz
UMTS dual-band (future)
GSM: -110 dBm (without diversity); -115 dBm guaranteed (with diversity; without TMA)
UMTS: -122.7 dBm (without diversity) as defined by 3GPP 25.104; -125.7 dBm (with diversity)
1750 x 600 x 600 mm 1500 x 1350 x 735 mm
68.9 x 23.7 x 23.7 in. 59.1 x 53.2 x 29.96 in.
120 kg/260 lbs 191 kg/422 lbs
325 kg/717 lbs 505 kg/1113 lbs
18 GSM TRX per radio cabinet, Up to 3 radio cabinets
9 GSM TRX and STSR-2 UMTS per cabinet
GSM: 30W-40W GMSK/30W-40W 8-PSK EDGE
UMTS: 30 or 45W MCPA
GSM: 60W GMSK/45W 8-PSK EDGE
GSM: duplexers, Tx Filter, Hybrid Coupling
UMTS: duplexers
NA 4U x 19 in.
Full Rate (FR), Enhanced Full Rate (EFR), Adaptive Multi Rate (AMR Full Rate and AMR Half Rate)
UMTS: AMR
DC -48 V Single, single-split or tri-phase 230V
(50/60Hz) AC, -48V DC (future)
Integrated battery backup
Optional ancillary battery cabinet
-5°C to +45°C -40°C to +50°C
+23°F to +113°F -40°F to +122°F
GSM: Standard: 6 E1/T1 links, Optional: 8 E1/T1 links
Dual mode: GSM 4 E1/T1 - UMTS: 8 E1/T1
3
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