Maximum user can LTE eNB support?

Question

How Many Maximum user can LTE eNB support (i.e. max user overall for enodeb or max users per cell)?

Comments

Each ENodeB can control 256 cell and how many each cell can control depends on the conditions, carrier frequency etc.

Answer 1

In Rel-10, theoretically there can be 5 Carriers. In each carrier, there can be 3 cells, and hence 15 cells in an eNB. In Rel-8, only 3 cells in an eNB.

1. Now lets calculate in each Cell. I am assuming only data call users and not voice calls. It means every frame a user does not need an RB and it can be given 1 RB may be once in xxx frames. Lets say this data speed is enough.

2. Theoretically, 001 to FFF3 = 65523 C-RNTI possible(Apart from Paging, SI and MBMS RNTI). Out of them some will be TEMP C-RNTI, RA-RNTI, TPC-PUCCH and TPC-PUSCH RNTI and that too for some time. Theoretically assuming lets say altogether they are not more than 523 at a time. Then I will be left with 65000 C-RNTI free to be allocated to users. Mind it, this is theoretical. Theoretically this is the number in a cell.

3. Practically, depends on speed required by each user. If I need to give 1 RB pair in each Frame, then I have Maximum 1000 RB Pair including PUCCH. So we can assume approximately 900 users. Again if 1 RB every 2 Frame then 1800 users, If 1 RB every N frames then N*900 users and so on until 65000 users as that is the RNTI limit in a cell.

4. Again in Rel-10 LTE-Adv that will be 15 times of a cell, in an eNB with 4+1=5 Carriers.

Comments

I found the main copy of Sandeep's answer in Linked In (from where Sandeep copied it). This answer btw seems incorrect.