Performance Design and Evaluation of 4G LTE and 5G NSA Networks for LTE Home

Abstract

The rapid evolution of cellular telecommunications has enabled high-speed network services, yet coverage in densely populated and geographically challenging areas remains a significant hurdle. This study proposes the implementation of 'LTE Home' using Software-Defined Radio (SDR) to mitigate issues such as weak signals, high interference, and limited sectoral antenna coverage. Performance was evaluated through drive tests in the Siteba area, comparing 4G LTE and 5G Non-standalone (NSA) networks across Radio Frequency (RF) parameters—including RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, and throughput—and Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. Initial measures indicated that while the 4G LTE network maintained relatively stable performance, with 38.81% of RSRP readings classified as 'good', the 5G NSA network underperformed. Specifically, 84.06% of 5G SINR readings were in the 'fair' category, and 68.58% of throughput readings were classified as 'poor'. The implementation of LTE Home technology yielded a substantial enhancement in network quality, particularly at measurement points initially exhibiting weak signals. On the 4G LTE network, RSRP improved from -88.9 dBm to -60 dBm, while RSRQ rose from -14.9 dB to -8 dB. Furthermore, the solution significantly optimised QoS, reducing latency to 16 milliseconds and jitter to 30 milliseconds. These findings demonstrate that SDR-based LTE Home implementation effectively addresses coverage gaps and enhances the consumer network experience in challenging environments.