s evaluated, as in the single case, according to a 6 dB noise rise over the thermal noise in the UL. We run a simulation with a predefined number of users, and measure it at the end of the average noise rise (over the thermal noise). If lower than 6 dB, we in- crease the number of users until we reach the 6 dB noise rise. Thus, here we also define the number of users corresponding to a 6 dB noise rise as N_UL_multi. Then, for a given value of ACIR, the obtained N_UL_multi gets compared to N_UL_single to evaluate the capacity loss due to the presence of a second operator [5]. 5.5.5.1.2 Multi-Operator Scenario with Macro to Micro Cellular Environment In general, the noise rise does not change by the same amount for micro and macro cell layers if the number of users do change in the system. Thus, [5] proposes that loading in this case takes the following steps with two different numbers of input of users included in the simulator, i.e. N_users_UL_macro and N_users_UL_micro. Then the steps are: 0. selection of an ACIR value; begin a simulation (made of several snapshots) with an arbitrary number of N_users_UL_micro and N_users_UL_macro; system loading measurement; run a 2nd simulation (made of several snapshots) by increasing the number of users (i.e. N_users_UL_macro or micro) in the cell layer having lower noise rise than the layer-specific threshold, and decreasing number of users ((i.e. N_users_UL_micro or macro) in the cell layer in which noise rise is higher than the layer-specific threshold, etc.; 4. redo phases 1 and 2 until noise rise is equal to the specific threshold for both layers; when each layer reaches on average the noise rise threshold, the input values of N_UL_users_UL_macro and micro are taken as an output and compared to the val- ues obtained in the single operator case for the ACIR value chosen at step 0. The UMTS Network and Radio Access Technology We investigate two options (e.g. Option A and Option B) in relation to the noise rise threshold. In the first option, the noise rise threshold for t