Method for planning cellular communication networks, corresponding network and computer program product therefor

A method of planning a cellular communication network, implemented using a computer, comprising steps of:

• defining a joint cost function to be optimized, the joint cost function being indicative of a quality of service of location-based services and at least one additional class of services rendered by the cellular communication network, the at least one additional class of services being selected from a group of voice services and data services;
• and
• optimizing, by the computer, the joint cost function,
• wherein said joint cost function is optimized by using as input data a location of at least one radiating system associated with one base station in said cellular communication network,
• wherein the method is for planning the cellular communication network over a given area, the method further comprising:
• subdividing said given area into sub-areas, one of said sub-areas corresponding to a destination sub-area of a new base station in said cellular communication network, the remaining sub-areas being expected to be affected by the introduction of said new base station;
• planning said destination sub-area of the new base station also by evaluating effects on said remaining sub-areas;
• and
• evaluating the quality of service resulting from said planning while ascertaining whether such a level of quality of service is satisfactory,
• wherein, if said quality of service is found not to be satisfactory, the method further comprises a step of re-planning a position of at least one radiating system associated with one base station in said cellular communication network.