This paper studies the different uses of repeaters and remote radioheads (fiber repeaters) in cellular networks. Traditional uses include coverage extension and eliminating points of pilot pollution (three-way handoff). In addition, we find that careful placement of repeaters can improve capacity substantially. We also find that in layouts where some sectors are much more heavily loaded than others, remote radioheads can be used to transfer load from heavily loaded to lightly loaded sectors, thereby improving network capacity. Therefore, repeaters can enhance network performance without changing either the software or the hardware of existing layouts.
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