Technical officers and engineers may apply the skills and knowledge in the unit. They undertake mobile network performance measurements and report on mobile capacity enhancement to senior management.
Not applicable.
1. Monitor the capacity of the cellular mobile network | 1.1 Monitor traffic levels from the network management system 1.2 Use approved enterprise plans to identify planned network growth 1.3 Obtain customer forecast data from marketing 1.4 Apply identified data against capacity trigger criteria 1.5 Determine coverage and cell parameters |
2. Make recommendations relating to capacity changes | 2.1 Identify requirements for additional capacity 2.2 Recommend changes or additions to frequency parameters and submit to planning personnel 2.3 Assess capacity of transmission path and switch resources and recommend improvements noting transmission medium 2.4 Manipulate traffic through switch parameter settings as a means of relieving traffic congestion 2.5 Determine cost of proposed changes and undertake studies of appropriate return on investment (RoI) |
3. Assess capacity changes | 3.1 Organise tests and studies to ensure that increased capacity adequately caters for traffic flow 3.2 Make recommendations for further change to network should the increase capacity not meet need |
Required skills
analytic skills to interpret capacity requirements
communication skills to:
liaise with internal and external personnel on technical and operational matters
relate to work associates, supervisors, team members and clients
literacy skills to:
interpret technical documentation, such as equipment manuals, specifications and service orders
write reports using standard formats
numeracy skills to estimate costs and calculate return on investments
planning and organisational skills to plan, prioritise and monitor own work and coordinate the capacity measurement process in liaison with others
problem solving and ability to convey solutions to others
task management skills to work systematically with required attention to detail
technical skills to:
select and use appropriate tests to measure cell capacity usage
use teletraffic statistical data.
Required knowledge
blocking, non-blocking and grade of service
Erlang B measurements
features and operating requirements of test equipment
field measurements for cell traffic capacity
information required to:
analyse and interpret statistical data as applied to teletraffic measurement
prepare and conduct a capacity measurement
legislation, codes of practice and other formal agreements that directly impact on radio communications site transmission
overview knowledge of:
transmission lines
transmitter and receiver architecture and their impact on radio communications traffic
switching architecture and in particular space and time switching
types of adjustments that need to be made to procedures to meet the requirements of particular sites and environmental conditions
typical issues and challenges that occur in telecommunications cellular capacity design and how these may be addressed
workplace and industry environment.
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the ability to: source and analyse relevant data to prepare a plan indicating growth potential and recommendations for meeting growth within timeframes use tools and software packages for forecasting and measurement identify site or channel capacity, relevant network growth and forecasting growth. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: access to sites with cellular mobile network capacity monitoring data and equipment. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct observation of the candidate undertaking a practical monitoring exercise evaluation of report prepared by the candidate outlining recommendations relating to capacity changes oral or written questioning to assess required knowledge. |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplaces and job role is recommended, for example: ICTRFN5148A Test and measure cellular phone and network equipment performance ICTTEN6169A Produce and evaluate architecture designs for convergent cellular mobile networks ICTPMG8149B Evaluate and use telecommunications management networks. Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues. Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required. Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed. In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs. |
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Traffic levels may be found in: | Erlang or centum call seconds (CCS) form per site: circuit switching or packet switching networks hardware units network management tools. |
Customer forecast may include: | simulate decrease in traffic requirement simulate increase in traffic requirement. |
Capacity trigger may include: | ’no service‘ complaints business plan targets or forecast method decisions to target certain clients decisions to target certain sites geographical considerations industry status investigation for improvement of service. |
Coverage includes: | radio base station capacity parameters: available channels per cell available channels per sector. |
Requirements may include: | frequencies hardware requirement radio channels transmission availability. |
Frequency parameters may include: | degree of separation frequencies frequency reuse interference levels signal levels. |
Transmission path and switch resources may include: | transmission capacities: between switching elements on radio path group switch resources. |
Transmission medium may include: | coaxial cable copper cable microwave link optical fibre cable satellite. |
Switch parameter settings may include: | switching architecture for arrangements: routing tables switching routing time-space-time (TST). |
Telecommunications - Radio frequency networks
This unit contains employability skills.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement but users should confirm requirements with the relevant federal, state or territory authority.