A centralized method for PCI assignment with common reference signal frequency shift control
Self-configuration of network parameters is a desired network management feature, especially in dense small cell deployments. One of the key parameters that requires such autonomous set up is the cell ID. Its configuration to a large extent influences the network performance affecting such mechanisms as network access, decoding, handover, and is therefore of a very high importance. In this paper a new centralised method for Physical Layer Cell Identity (PCI) assignment is presented. The proposal is based on the network information available via the TR-069 management protocol, which makes it applicable also to multi-vendor deployments. In contrast with the existing schemes, the proposed algorithm mitigates not only the colliding and confusing assignments but also prevents neighbours from using different PCIs but introducing overlap in their reference signal pattern, which has not been addressed before. The results show a significant reduction of assignment conflicts when compared with the baseline 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) approach.