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Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Master Plan - Town of Morrisville, NC – Adopted July 23, 2013
B-9
The primary objective of the first phase of network development is to create coverage over a
large service area. When network coverage is achieved wireless service providers begin to
monitor the number of calls. Once the number of simultaneous calls reaches a predetermined
maximum number, and the facility cannot support the subscriber base, the wireless network
exceeds the capacity design of the system. Exceeding network capacity equates to overloading
the network which results in lost service, dropped calls, rapid busy signals, and the inability to
make calls.
To overcome problems caused by over-capacity challenges additional
facilities
antenna and
base
stations are required within the service area. The larger amounts of data being conveyed
through
high-speed broadband
(media, gaming, and wide varieties of wireless applications) demand a
higher level of
signal
density. Network capacity addresses the need for greater bandwidth by
providing signal density to the geographic area being served by the infrastructure. Antenna
mounting elevations for addressing network capacity vary by geographic area but are generally
lower compared to antenna mounted for initial network coverage.
As of June 2012,
there were approximately 320 million
mobile
subscriptions in the United States
representing a
penetration rate
of approximately 102 percent
(CTIA Wireless Association). In
the United States there will be a 66% increase in the number of smartphone users. This increase
will represent approximately 192.4 million smartphone users by the year 2016 (Statista
Statistical Data). Table 3 illustrates the projected growth of the smartphone.
Table 3: Smartphone growth