Today, the quest for stronger signal strength – or for some, any signal strength at all – and fast downloads has become a routine part of our daily lives. When your reception is good but you have slow download speed and dropped calls, this is the result of limited network capacity, high levels of interference, or both.
One way to solve the capacity problem is through the use of sector sculpting, which along with antennas is vital to achieving an optimal wireless network. All antennas share a common link -- they are the key to how well and how far communications can be shared. This functional distance around an antenna is referred to as the cell, and multiple cells make up the cellular network.
What makes cellular networks different from other types of communications is the principle of cell reuse. Cell reuse is a way of increasing network capacity by “reusing,” or reassigning, individual frequencies on the fly within a particular cell. Typically, cells are represented as interlocking hexagons which, depending on the density of the area served, can be miles across or just a few hundred feet.
As a result of this flexibility of distance, channel sensitivity is limited by external interference. The specialized pattern shaping of sector sculpting, available with directional antennas, both in azimuth (horizontal direction) and elevation (vertical space), allows precise coverage with minimal interference with neighboring cells.
A critical performance metric considers the relationship from one cell to its neighboring cell. This metric defines the overlap of energy between the cells and between the sectors that make up the cells. Known as sector power ratio, this is a comparison of signal power registered outside and inside a desired receiving area as a consequence of an antenna’s radiation pattern. The lower the ratio, the better the antenna’s interference performance.
Higher sector power ratios indicate a higher amount of interference between antennas in adjacent coverage areas. When competing signals overlap, interference can increase and reduce performance – such as dropping a cell phone call while moving from one cell to another. Cellular networks require precise sectorized planning to prevent this kind of problem.