ge Plans Equipment Selection Capacity Plans Microwave Planning C/I Planning 2MB Planning Frequency Planning Synchronization Parameter Planning Management System Final Network Design Plans Figure 3.1 Transmission network planning process (along with radio network planning, or RNP) higher cost efficiency of the roll-out process. Master planning generally includes tasks to the preplanning phase, i.e. dimensioning, planning for protection, deciding topologies, etc. 3.1.2 Detail Planning A detail plan contains tasks that are related to the master plans but are in more concrete terms. These are the plans that are implemented with respect to the network. For example, a master plan can include a statement that 50% of the hops are to be connected in loops, but in detail planning all such hops need to be identified. Also, detail planning includes how these hops will be connected, how many PCM lines need Equipment Selection Site Selection Protection LOS Survey Dimensioning Topology Quality MW Radio Plan 2M Planning Synchronisation Timeslot Planning NW Management Figure 3.2 TNP tasks Fundamentals of Transmission to be connected to each site, timeslots that need to carry traffic for each site apart from synchronisation and management aspects related to the transmission equipment. 3.2 Fundamentals of Transmission 3.2.1 Modulations The term modulation means to take the message-bearing signal and superimpose it on the carrier signal for transmission. The characteristics of the carrier signal such as the amplitude, width, etc., are varied in accordance with the information-bearing signal. The carrier signals are usually of higher frequency than the message-bearing signal. Pulse modulation is a process in which the characteristics of the individual pulse are modulated on to a carrier channel. The radio carrier can be modulated in terms of amplitude, frequency and phase, thereby giving three major modulation techniques: amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM) and phase (or quadrature) modulation (PM). There are other m