Advanced Network Planning for Time Frequency Slicing (TFS) Toward Enhanced Efficiency of the Next-Generation Terrestrial Broadcast Networks

The allocation of frequencies traditionally used by terrestrial broadcasting (digital dividend) to International Mobile Telecommunication is limiting the evolution of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) networks for enhanced service offering. Next-generation DTT standards are called to provide increased capacity within the reduced spectrum. Time Frequency Slicing (TFS) has been proposed as one of the key technologies for the future DTT networks. Beyond a coverage gain due to additional frequency diversity, and a virtual capacity gain due to a more efficient statistical multiplexing, TFS also provides an increased interference immunity which may allow for a tighter frequency reuse enabling more RF channels per transmitter station, within a given spectrum. Moreover, the implementation of advanced network planning (ANP) strategies together with next-generation DTT standards may result in additional spectral efficiency gains linked to network planning. This paper evaluates the potential spectral efficiency by TFS and ANP strategies in multiple frequency networks as well as in regional and large area single frequency networks. Different network configurations have been analyzed using single polarization, the systematic use of horizontal and vertical polarizations in different stations, or the use of multiple frequency reuse patterns for different frequencies of the TFS-Mux. Results indicate high potential network spectral efficiency gains compared to the existing network deployments with DVB-T2 (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial 2nd Generation).