Mentum Planet: Market leading, state-of-the-art planning and optimization software solution for wireless access networks

Who Needs Mentum Planet?

Network operators, system integrators and RF consultants RF coverage, capacity and performance engineers

Who Are Our Customers?

Mentum has more than 250 customers who: Employ all wireless technologies Utilize from 1-500+ software licenses Are located in 90 countries in every region of the world

Wireless network planning and optimization has evolved. Historically, RF planning software was used primarily for the design of new wireless networks targeting mobile communication. Today, in addition to wireless operators and the vendors that support them, Mentum Planet is increasingly used by utility operators, spectrum regulators, military, the aviation industry and broadcasters. Todays wireless operator must evolve its network to offer advanced data services cost-effectively and stay one step ahead of the competition. New technologies such as WiMAX and LTE present new opportunities, but their advanced features also provide challenges that need to be overcome through innovative design and optimization software. In the case of LTE, todays challenges for all but a handful of operators are investment case related: where and when to deploy to achieve maximum ROI. Accurate RF simulation software provides the basis for assessing various scenarios, including CAPEX implications, in order to develop the best achievable business strategy.

Mentum Planet is an industry-leading solution that delivers results. Mentum offers objective advice on how to optimally deploy advanced wireless networks using the Mentum Planet planning and optimization toolset. Mentum combines the focus, flexibility and responsiveness of a smaller company with the resources, experience and expertise of an industry leader. The result: our customers get the results they are looking for as quickly as they need them.

Expanding Opportunities
More than just a tool for traditional wireless operators, utilities are using Mentum Planet for planning AMR and private networks, regulators for spectrum auditing purposes, military for planning battlefield communications, aviation groups for planning air-to-ground communications and broadcasters for unicast operations

Building On Our Success

Building upon the worlds original planning solution, MSIs Planet, Mentum Planet is the result of over 15 years of feature development and several years of strategic and targeted R&D effort. Mentum Planet has evolved to become the worlds most innovative network planning, optimization and data management platform, utilizing the most advanced software architecture available.

Mentum Planet Supported Technologies

WCDMA and HSPA CDMA2000 and 1xEV-DO (Rel. O and Rev. A) WiMAX (mobile and fixed) and pre-WiMAX BWA technologies GSM/GPRS/EDGE AMPS/TDMA, iDEN, DAB, DVB-H 4G technologies (LTE/WiMAX)

Expanding Role For Planning Solutions

Planning Expansion Optimization Evolution

Traditional Role Greenfield network planning Site planning and acquisition CAPEX planning Coverage planning Traffic planning Manual optimization/scenario planning Frequency planning Visualization and reporting

Evolving Role New technology deployment/overlay Convergence, merging networks Optimization with ACP and measured data Enabler for operational efficiencies as a centrally integrated and open data management system

( The Mentum Planet Universal Model has proven extremely accurate, is easy to tune and delivers the industrys fastest predictions in built-up urban areas )

The Evolution Of Planet

MSI 1992: MSIs first RF planning software Planet 1999: Planet DMS, first enterprise-grade planning tool Marconi 2000: MSI acquired by Marconi 2001: Marconi acquires Northwood Technologies and deciBel Planner 2003: Marconi launches Planet EV with .NET Windows Platform Ericsson 2006: Ericsson acquires Marconi, including the Planet group 2006: Improved integration with other Ericsson TEMS tools 2006: Further development of nextgeneration technologies: HSPA, EV-DO and WiMAX Mentum 2007: CTS International acquires the Planet assets from Ericsson and creates its new identity: Mentum 2008: Mentum Planet 5 released targeting OFDMA requirements of WiMAX and LTE operators

Mentum Planet 5, the next generation platform released in 2009, addresses advanced OFDMA technologies including WiMAX and LTE. This is the latest demonstration of Mentums continuing investment in the product line and commitment to innovation.

areas that is extremely accurate and does not require substantial tuning. Where more survey data is available, the Mentum Planet General model is an excellent choice with a decade-long track record of proven accuracy. The Mentum Planet Universal Model has proven extremely accurate, is easy to tune and delivers the industrys fastest predictions in built-up urban areas and urban/suburban transition zones. Used in conjunction with Mentum Geodata and drive test data, it provides simulations with unparalleled accuracy, and models that can be confidently re-applied in areas with similar RF characteristics.

What Sets Mentum Apart?

Focus
Mentum is dedicated specifically to developing wireless planning and optimization solutions. It does not use these products to sell network equipment or consulting services. We work directly for the customer

Exceptional Accuracy
The value of any simulation-based planning tool is its ability to emulate real-world conditions. Mentum Planet excels at accurately modeling changes prior to implementation so customers benefit from accurate budgeting, efficient planning and optimal return on investment in their deployed networks. In addition to industry-standard propagation models, Mentum Planet offers several remarkably accurate and unique models. CRC-Predict, developed in conjunction with strategic partner Communications Research Centre Canada, is the result of more than 15 years of research. It is a unique macro model for use in suburban and rural

Dependability
Mentum is committed to the long-term success of Mentum Planet through best-of-class services and after sales support

Superior Platform
Mentum Planet 5 builds on the products heritage as an enterprise-grade RF planning software that is a leader in propagation accuracy. The most recent version of Mentum Planet includes an improved platform capable of supporting larger networks with improved performance and support for advanced

Leadership
Mentum anticipates and participates in the evolution of wireless and software technologies to offer the most benefit to our customers both today and tomorrow

antenna modeling requirements found in wireless broadband networks. The software includes an improved simulation engine that can be adapted for new technologies, as well as improved propagation capabilities that take advantage of the latest in computer processor evolution. Finally, Mentum Planet 5 delivers an updated set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow the software, a critical component of a wireless service providers operations support system, to integrate more closely with other applications.

The Mentum Planet integrated data management system facilitates multi-user project collaboration and can provide a centralized database for all RF planning projects. Maintaining applications and data on central servers makes upgrades, redundancy and workflows easier to manage and helps customers to better plan and optimize their networks. Mentum Planet Data Manager is extremely flexible, fully supporting thinclient architecture deployments based on Citrix as well as standard client/server architecture. It has been successfully deployed to support more than 500 concurrent users and allows each to share key data and to pull down, edit and only check back in the data they need to a central database. Administrators can set access privileges for users, ensuring corporate design standards are maintained and the network database is not corrupted by an unauthorized user. Because data

can be easily pulled using a scriptable data import/export function in other applications (including Mentum Ellipse), Mentum Planet integrates easily within the complex OSS ecosystem of wireless operators.

Advanced Traffic Modeling

Precise modeling of subscriber distributions is the key to simulating both interference and actual network performance. Mentum Planets advanced modeling helps illustrate how different user types will impact the network and facilitates the delivery of detailed traffic maps for use in planning or other optimization activities, such as automatic frequency or cell planning. Mentum Planets unique approach to subscriber settings enables simulation of real-world end-user behaviour. It includes support for subscriber location, operating environment, mobility and services used (e.g., voice, e-mail, web browsing).

Enterprise-grade Database Management

While traditional RF planning tools have been independent solutions isolated from other important data sources such as operations support systems (OSS), Mentum Planet seamlessly integrates network solutions and enterprise IT environments. With this innovative solution, operators RF and performance engineers are able to manage, access and utilize data more effectively.

Integration With Operations Support Systems

API

Performance Tools Drive Test

Client

Mentum Planet

Data Exchange

Server

Data Manager
Site Configuration Frequency Plan Neighbour List Interference Matrix Etc.

OSS System

( Mentum can quickly perform advanced traffic modeling on single or multi-technology networks )

Mentum Planet Product Structure

3GPP 3GPP2 Mentum Planet HSPA WCDMA LTE Measurement Data Package Universal Model Indoor/Outdoor Integration iBwave RF-vu Renaissance Network-based Frequency Optimizer Capesso Greenfield AURAD Rollout Planner
* ACP modules are purchased by technology

WiMAX Core Package

EV-DO CDMA WiMAX Network Simulation

Extensions to Core Package

Automated Frequency Planning

Automated Cell Planning*

For nominal analysis, or where known or estimated traffic loads are available, Mentum Planet can quickly perform advanced traffic modeling on single or multi-technology networks. For the latter, the software models off-loading traffic from one layer to the other.

With detailed traffic input, Mentum Planet uses sophisticated network parameter modeling and algorithms to replicate actual network behaviour. The analysis provides detailed reports and maps illustrating how the radio network will perform under various configurations and

loading scenarios, helping operators to understand how to cope with the increase in demand and how to spend wisely to address it.

Mentum Planet Deployment Scenarios

1. Stand-alone Thick-client Workstation
Mentum Planet Workstations Mentum Planet Server Region B Database Servers (Oracle or MS SQL)

Region A

Mentum Planet Server

3. Enterprise, Centrally Hosted Client-server Solution

2. Thick-client Workgroup With Centralized Data

Mentum Planet Workstations

Mentum Planet Server

Mentum Planet Clients

MapInfo Location Intelligence

A network operators primary asset is its network coverage and capacity. Mentum Planet offers unparalleled Geographic Information System (GIS) features through its OEM version of MapInfo Professional. As the only RF planning and optimization tool with native MapInfo file support, Mentum Planet users have easy access to worldwide data and an advanced GIS toolset that provides a foundation for managing all geographic data in the planning environment. Widely used throughout the telecom sector, MapInfo Professional allows users to easily import and map data such as traffic patterns, measurement data and site locations and share outputs with other MapInfo users without laborious import/export translation procedures. Mentum Planet data formats are open and based on GIS standards, making them easily created and accessed through other applications. The ability to pull in marketing data and share engineering data using MapBasic scripts across the operators organization

promotes the full potential of Mentum Planet. The MapInfo GIS foundation facilitates map data creation and editing, spatial data visualization, query and analysis, map plotting, Google Earth exports, access to web-enabled GIS data repositories and reporting.

Full Support For Advanced GSM/GPRS/EDGE Networks

Mentum Planet provides comprehensive support for 2G+ technology and supports advanced GSM features such as adaptive multi-rate coding (AMR) and advanced frequency-hopping planning methods. It also generates advanced interference matrices (IMs) based on histograms and provides an interference matrix manager to merge IMs from multiple sources (e.g., network measured, survey, modeled coverage and local knowledge). Mentum offers two frequency planning solutions. The optional Renaissance automatic frequency planning (AFP) solution is a simulation-based bestin-class frequency planning solution that lets the user optimize spectrum utilization. The optional Network-based Frequency Optimizer uses mobile measurements (real-time data generated from subscribers`handsets) to improve an existing frequency plan. Mentum Planet provides a GSM/GPRS/ EDGE performance analysis tool based on powerful and rapid simulation techniques. It allows engineers to predict not only

Flexible Deployment Models

Mentum Planet supports a variety of deployment models through its unique software design and licensing system. A network administrator can opt for standalone workstation deployments, with or without a Data Manager to share project data. Or, alternatively, they can employ a centralized model supported through Citrix or Windows Terminal Services or some combination of both.
Mentum Planet also offers a flexible licensing system that allows software licenses to be acquired on a named enduser basis or a pool shared for multiple users. The licensing system also offers a cost-effective commuter license option that supports disconnected operation of the software for use when away from the office.

( It is clear that the level of technology improvements and flexibility offered by LTE makes an accurate network planning tool essential )

QoS for mixed voice/data networks, but also establishes benchmarks for various frequency plans and their relative QoS impact on the network. Finally, Mentum Planet offers full multitechnology support. A single network can be composed of WCDMA, HSPA and LTE, along with GSM/GPRS/EDGE allowing engineers to analyze the interaction between these layers and performance of one layer against another. Mentum Planet is the ideal solution to meet the engineering and marketing requirements of a 3G/4G network overlay over an existing 2G network.

new and existing networks with accurate modeling characteristics that add value, minimize interference and enable the use of high throughput TFRCs. Mentum Planet has HSPA capabilities supporting all deployment configurations including Rel. 99, HSDPA and HSUPA, and HSPA or Rel. 99 exclusively. With ongoing development in support of future 3GPP release evolution such as HSPA+ and LTE, Mentum continues its commitment to leading-edge support for the most advanced wireless technologies.

A Leader in LTE
Key to the anticipated success of LTE are two major and entirely new components on the radio access network: the OFDM air interface of the evolved UTRAN (eUTRAN) and the introduction of multiple antenna techniques. Both components are major departures from GSM/UMTS and CDMA network architectures. While the use of RF planning tools for overlaying a new wireless technology is nothing new, it is clear that the level of technology improvements and flexibility offered by LTE makes an accurate network planning tool essential.

Full Support for WCDMA/HSPA

Mentum Planet offers comprehensive analysis capabilities for WCDMA and HSPA. Detailed inputs are possible through the Subscriber Settings plus a fast, efficient Monte Carlo engine, while quick analyses can be generated through a unique rapid planning analysis engine. Mentum Planet allows operators to predict network performance by using all data available, whether collected through drive test or gathered in the form of OSS statistics. Its interactive planning features, including the CPICH pollution analysis tool, a spatial statistics engine and extensive reporting capabilities, provide a comprehensive toolset for all RF engineering tasks. The intelligent system capabilities of the HSPA radio access layer are mainly implemented through adaptive scheduling and selection of Transport Format and Resource Combinations (TFRCs) as a function of radio conditions and resource usage. Mentum Planet can help improve the performance levels of

Mentum Software Portfolio

Automatic Channel Assignment Transport Data Management Interference Analysis

4G LTE WiMAX

ACP Renaissance AFP Network-based Frequency Optimizer

to find the optimal balance of coverage, quality and capacity. The EV-DO modeling and simulation capabilities are fully integrated in the Mentum Planet 3G Monte Carlo engine, thus allowing users to analyze data-only carriers in concert with other non-EV-DO-based carriers. Several reports and statistical analyses provide insight into the network performance, allowing assessment of capacity challenges (e.g., reasons for blocked calls), network coverage (e.g., pilot coverage) and network quality (e.g., EV-DO data rates) all in the same project and all using todays network or tomorrows forecasted traffic and expected network configuration.

End-user data rate analysis for an LTE network which utilizes spatial multiplexing (MIMO) within Mentum Planet 5.
From an operators perspective today, LTE introduces both business planning and RF engineering challenges. Armed with advanced simulation software that can accurately reproduce the operating access network, RF engineers can provide their corporate strategists with the best information to build their LTE business case and deployment plan. Once a budget is assigned, RF engineers can use the application for its traditional RF engineering role. Mentum Planet for LTE, including the network simulation module as well as advanced urban propagation model and ACPs, provides the critical toolset required for RF engineers tasked with network dimensioning exercises (e.g., number of sites, required spectrum) and nominal designs. As the first major planning tool to demonstrate LTE capabilities in 2008 and as a leader in WiMAX, users can confidently select Mentum Planet 5 knowing it will evolve with their own requirements and the technologys roadmap. 7

Comprehensive 3GPP2 Capabilities

In interference-limited CDMA environments, it is important to understand the performance of every cell in the network and its interaction with other cells. With advanced traffic modeling, detailed PN analysis planning and PN conflict analysis, plus pilot pollution inspection and support for repeaters, Mentum Planet continues to lead the way in planning capabilities for CDMA2000 networks. With the optional CDMA2000 module, Mentum Planet delivers high accuracy in a comprehensive yet easy to-use feature set, making it the top choice of CDMA operators around the world. Planning and managing high-speed data services poses unique challenges to RF engineers. The optional Mentum Planet EV-DO extension allows users to define and analyze EV-DO carriers in detail, providing a variety of outputs to assess achievable forward/reverse link data rates and coverage probability, and

Worldwide WiMAX Leader

Mentum Planet is the leading WiMAX planning solution used by the largest operators employing this technology. This means the solutions feature set for WiMAX planning and optimization has been tested like no other. It also ensures compatibility with leading equipment vendors in the WiMAX technology ecosystem. Mentum Planet 5 delivers comprehensive modeling of WiMAX radio technology, including, OFDM/OFDMA and multiple antenna systems. OFDM/ OFDMA modeling is achieved through detailed modeling of sub-carriers, sub-channelization and other specific technology parameters. It includes innovative algorithms that can evaluate the impact of collision-based interference, power control, adaptive modulations and other advanced parameters on the performance of the network all while accounting for radio propagation and traffic loading.

( Mentum Planet also supports all the performance-enhancement options of WiMAX )

Mentum Planet also supports all the performance-enhancement options of WiMAX when it comes to the antenna system. MIMO-A and MIMO-B are supported within the product, as well as special multiplexing and beamforming antennas. Fixed and mobile subscribers are equally supported together through the flexible subscriber equipment modeling. Users can investigate mobility by assessing handoff areas and neighbour lists for different sectors. Mentum Planet can automatically optimize network uplink/downlink resource allocations taking coverage, interference, traffic distribution and availability of various adaptive modulation schemes into consideration resulting in maximization of ARPU/deployment. Mentum Planet also includes an automated frequency and preamble planning capability for WiMAX, allowing engineers to manage the integration of new sites without being limited to simple patterns which are sub-optimal. Mentum Planet continues to invest in its WiMAX capabilities through custom developments for operators, algorithm design and feature implementations in conjunction with leading vendors and operators as it continues to pave the way to 4G.

Offered solutions include: Capesso a fully featured ACP that addresses all wireless technologies AURAD a cost-effective ACP that solves single-technology problems Greenfield a network overlay dimensioning application for all major wireless technologies Rollout Planner an ACP for GSM/ WCDMA/HSPA with unique interactive optimization to make minor adjustments after an optimization run Mentum ACPs build on the workflows and information available from Mentum Planet, including geodata, traffic maps and propagation predictions. Optimization criteria are mathematically balanced against the cost, feasibility and value of potential changes to the network and the recommended plan is seamlessly used within Mentum Planet for analysis and further action. While Mentum offers a series of options for automated cell planning, integrations also exist with other vendors products. Plans developed with Mentum ACP applications are demonstrably better, delivered faster, and are more useful than plans developed any other way. These optimized plans deliver significantly improved coverage, capacity and quality over manually-developed plans with production-time reduced by up to 90%. based activities, Mentum Planet provides solutions addressing all aspects of this continuum, including support of CW, scanner, test mobile, as well as OSS data in the optional Measurement Data Package. Users can calibrate predictions using Mentum Planets Automated Model Tuning features in combination with measurement data. Processing and analysis of measurement data is provided through the extensive survey management features. With the Test Mobile Tool, users can import, analyze and post-process test mobile and scanner data to better leverage its value. CW and drive test data can be used within Mentum Planet to augment predictions through merged predictions functionality. This feature inserts measured path-loss values where they are available (e.g., on a survey route) and interpolates neighboring values based on specialized algorithms. The result is startlingly accurate predictions for Mentum Planet analyses rendered even more accurate by the efficient reuse of collected data.

Automatic Cell Planning

Mentum offers customers a series of automatic cell planning (ACP) applications developed in conjunction with partners Symena and Orange Labs, which address optimization problems related to site numbers required for targeted coverage/QoS/capacity, antenna configurations and power settings.

Incorporating Measurement Data

All wireless operators base their planning processes on a range of prediction and network-derived data. In addition to a series of features related to simulation-

Predictions

Integrated Indoor/Outdoor Planning

Mentum Planet is integrated with the global leader in indoor planning solutions, iBwaves RF-vu. The combined offering enables visualization of indoor systems (distributed antenna systems or others) from within Mentum Planet in order to understand the possible challenges to the outdoor radio access network.

Mentum Geodata includes: Landscapes designed for large area planning or bid preparation. These data sets cover entire countries or large regions and are typically supplied at a 30-100 meter pixel resolution Cityscapes used for planning metropolitan areas. Data sets range in resolutions from 20 to 30 meters and include high-resolution satellite derived clutter and high-resolution DTM (Digital Terrain Models) Skylines 3D building models used for dense urban planning. These data sets are typically used with sophisticated urban models and offer better than five meter resolution with vector accuracy of 1-2 meters on the horizontal plane and 1-3 meters on the vertical plane As the single point of contact for the customer, Mentum can provide technical advice on the most appropriate data for the customers proposed application and minimize costs through subscription offers. Mentum also has a substantial inventory that includes hundreds of Cityscapes databases with 2007 vintage data or better and overall geodata products covering 90% of the worlds land masses.

Measurements

Merged Predictions

The integrated solution also provides operators with new ways to identify, understand and manage the business case for indoor systems. For buildings where the return on investment makes sense, the joint solution enables the calculation of indoor/outdoor interference and allows users to analyze the impact of indoor systems on reverse-link interference as well as the impact of outdoor cells on indoor network performance. Integrated with Mentum Planets Data Manager, the joint solution also supports enterprise-level data management of indoor layouts, plans and coverage that enable complete data editing, versioning and data reporting.

Optimized Mentum Geodata

Mentum Geodata offers a suite of geodata products including clutter (land use), terrain, and vectors tailored for use in Mentum Planet. Mentums distinct product lines address the niche requirements of todays wireless operators.

Specialized Services and Differentiated Customer Care

The services Mentum delivers are focused exclusively around Mentum products, where the companys in-depth knowledge provides unique and distinct advantages. Our team of highly trained professionals have years of experience delivering specialized solutions to the wireless industry.

Mentum Planet allows for a combination of predictive data with real-world measurements to provide network planners and optimization engineers with the most accurate representation of their network.
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( Mentum is at the forefront of the RF planning and optimization software industry, and with Mentum Planet 5 has cemented its leadership position in advanced OFDMA technologies )

Services offered include: Education services: Tool or technology-based courses delivered on customer premises, at Mentum training centers, or through the Mentum Online Education Program Implementation services: Project planning, system integration and data migration delivered by on-site consultants or remotely with client access provided to internal IT systems Technology or Mentum Planet mentoring: Mentum engineers stay on site with an operators engineers to improve operational efficiency through applied RF and tool knowledge transfer Custom integration: Integration of Mentum Planet within service providers operational support systems or development of specific features to tackle key workflows Mentum delivers support to its global customer base through regional support centers. Support staff blend a myriad of skill sets, including IT, RF planning and software programming, to help ensure customer productivity on Mentum products. Mentum prides itself on after-sales support and uses leading technologies including a self-service portal for customers to provide the best support in the RF planning software industry.

Proven Leader
Mentum is at the forefront of the RF planning and optimization software industry, and with Mentum Planet 5 has cemented its leadership position in advanced OFDMA technologies. Mentum continues to win new customers across a broad spectrum of innovative as well as tried-and-true technologies. Mentum currently serves over 250 customers around the world. The accuracy and technical depth of its software, combined with ongoing investment in new technologies make Mentum a safe investment that will benefit customers today, tomorrow and well into the future.

Mentums Capabilities Include:

Worldwide sales, support and customer care Offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Ott d Dallas Specialized products/services around Mentum Planet and Mentum Ellipse Implementation services Training and mentoring Mentum Geodata A corporate commitment to deliver well beyond software Mentum delivers results

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www.mentum.com [email protected]
2008-09 Mentum S.A. Mentum, Mentum Planet and Mentum Ellipse are registered trademarks owned by Mentum S.A. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Rev. 2/09