Method of dimensioning a transport network for a radio access network of a mobile radio network

1. A method of dimensioning a transport network for a radio access network of a mobile radio network implemented in a mobile radio network operation and maintenance center comprising means for executing said method which comprises:

determining transport traffic capacity requirements; and dynamically adapting a transport configuration as a function of the determined transport traffic capacity requirements which comprises:

expressing requirements of users in terms of radio traffic capacity in a cell attached to a logical link of a transport network by a traffic descriptor for a corresponding cell,

expressing traffic capacity requirements on a corresponding logical link of the transport network by a traffic profile, based on traffic descriptors for all of the cells attached to said corresponding logical link, and

choosing a transport configuration template for the corresponding logical link of the transport network, based on the traffic profile for said corresponding logical link; and

dynamically adapting a transport configuration as a function of the determined transport traffic capacity requirements.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport configuration template is chosen based on one or more criteria from a set of criteria including: radio traffic capacity requirements of users, a capacity of the transport network to handle radio traffic, and a transport quality of service.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising determining the radio traffic capacity requirements of users, based at least on one of: radio traffic forecasts during initial dimensioning of the transport network, and observations of the radio traffic of the transport network, subsequently, after commissioning of the transport network.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising determining the capacity of the transport network to handle the radio traffic, based on: forecasts of cellular radio dimensions and a capacity of network nodes to process the radio traffic, during initial dimensioning of the transport network, and at least one of changes in the cellular radio dimensions and the capacity of the network nodes to process the radio traffic subsequently, after commissioning of the transport network.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the cellular radio dimensions are based on at least a number of cells and a number of carriers, and

the capacity of the network nodes to process the radio traffic is based at least on a number of equipment cards.

6. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising includes determining the capacity of the transport network to handle radio traffic, based on forecasts of cellular radio dimensions and a capacity of network nodes to process the radio traffic, during initial dimensioning of the transport network, and at least one of changes in the cellular radio dimensions and the capacity of the network nodes to process the radio traffic subsequently, after commissioning of the transport network.

7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising determining the capacity of the transport network to handle radio traffic, based on: forecasts of cellular radio dimensions that are based on at least a number of cells and a number of carriers, and a capacity of network nodes to process the radio traffic that is based at least on a number of equipment cards.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining includes:

determining the transport traffic capacity requirements during initial dimensioning of transport network based on forecasts of the radio traffic capacity requirements of users and a capacity of the transport network to handle the radio traffic.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further including:

determining the transport traffic capacity requirements after commissioning of the transport network based on at least one of radio traffic capacity requirements of users, a capacity of the network to handle the radio traffic, and a transport quality of service.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the traffic descriptor is defined by one or more parameters including, for each of uplink and downlink directions: a number of users active simultaneously in said cell, a type of service required by said users, wherein the service includes a circuit or a packet service, and a bit rate for the services required by said users.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport traffic profile of the corresponding logical link is defined by one or more parameters including: a minimum bandwidth required for dimensioning a user plane for communications protocols used on said corresponding logical link, and a maximum number of users for dimensioning a control plane for the communications protocols used on said corresponding logical link.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport configuration template for the corresponding logical link is defined by one or more parameters including: a bandwidth required for said corresponding logical link, and, an assignment of said bandwidth to a logical link traffic to be transmitted on said corresponding logical link, the logical link traffic including user data traffic, signaling traffic related to a radio network layer, and signaling traffic related to a transport network layer, in accordance with communications protocols used on said corresponding logical link.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining includes:

determining the transport traffic capacity requirements on a respective logical link of the transport network based on the transport traffic capacity requirements on one or more other logical links of the transport network.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further including:

determining the transport traffic capacity requirements on the respective logical link in proportion to the transport traffic capacity requirements on the other logical links.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein choosing the transport configuration template comprises: choosing the transport configuration template based on a sum of the traffic descriptors for the cells attached to the corresponding logical link as:

T=f (Sum c 1)

in which:

T is the transport configuration template,

Sum c1 represents the sum of the traffic descriptors ci for all of the cells attached to said corresponding logical link, and

f represents a function for deducing the transport configuration template T from the traffic descriptors ci of the cells attached to said corresponding logical link.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein expressing the traffic capacity requirements and choosing the transport configuration template are based on an aggregate traffic of all of the cells attached to said corresponding logical link.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said transport configuration template is chosen from a set of predetermined transport configuration templates or reference templates.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further including dynamic adaptation of the reference templates as a function of the transport traffic capacity requirements.

19. A mobile radio network operation and maintenance center configured to dimension a transport network of a radio access network of a mobile radio network by;

determining transport traffic capacity requirements which comprises:

expressing requirements of users in terms of radio traffic capacity in a cell attached to a logical link of a transport network by a traffic descriptor for a corresponding cell,

expressing traffic capacity requirements on a corresponding logical link of the transport network by a traffic profile, based on traffic descriptors for all of the cells attached to said corresponding logical link, and

choosing a transport configuration template for the corresponding logical link of the transport network, based on the traffic profile for said corresponding logical link; and

dynamically adapting a transport configuration as a function of the determined transport traffic capacity requirements.