Sunday, April 19, 2020

Vodafone Ghana Spectrum Extension review


Vodafone has been given extended spectrum, an additional 5MHz on top of its current 10MHz in 4G. This brings it to a total of 15MHz. These are 1.5x the airwaves that may carry 4G, leading to a maximum speed of 112.5Mbps (14062.5KB/s) in common user equipment, compared to its previous maximum speed of 75Mbps (9375KB/s). Not only the max speed shall be taken into account, 4G has more resources overall, leading to a ~1.5x increase in speed wherever.

Refarm
Image showing the refarmed channel. 3043 is used in multiple locations, rather than picking a random channel in the spectrum.

Vodafone has been refarming long-range 2G (900MHz, PGSM, band 8) to 3G in more locations. This refers to 2G being replaced with 3G while losing some 2G, leaving 3/8 long-range 2G remaining. It is normally done on a case-by-case basis. 

The upsides are that:
-There is 1.3̅x more 3G spectrum available.
-3G is commonly more spectrally efficient, leading to extended capacity.
-3G is commonly faster.
-3G gains long-range spectrum.
-3G supports video calls.
-More 3G can be used by a mobile phone at a time, compared to 2G.

The downsides are that:
-2G is more likely to overlap with itself, this effect is worsened by it being long range spectrum. There are now 15/~2 long-range 2Gs available rather than 40/~2.
-2G is now more likely to be congested (unless enough mobile devices switch to 3G).

Spectrum

 All spectrum is not always used on every tower. Spectrum allocation is up to the NCA (National Communications Authority).

Example

A speed test from speedtest.net displays 45.4Mbps.



The speed being off 112.5Mbps can be attributed to:
-Having an above average signal, not a perfect signal
-Sharing resources with other subscribers in the same coverage

A good change from the ~30Mbps it would be, and the tower's connection to the network is very likely sufficient enough.

The signal shall be considered above average, even though an RSRP (4G/LTE signal strength) of -73 and 4 bars might be considered "excellent". A RSSI of -41 might be considered "excellent" but it collects more signal in 4G and shall not be compared to 2G RSSI (2G signal strength).

The signal is 'attacked' by another Vodafone 4G cell tower which can be seen in the "SINR", and is somewhat visible in the "RSRQ" and "RSSI". This is an unavoidable property of an electromagnetic wave, and can only be prevented by reducing coverage of other areas unfortunately.

"RSRQ" and "RSSI" additionally show that the coverage is in use by others (not during a speed test).

This image is a simple depiction of 2 cell towers, though quite accurate. Notice that the tower overlaps with itself.

The cell tower may adapt towards low signal:
-Tower 'talks' quickly.
-Mobile: What did you say?
-Tower 'talks' quickly.
-No reply from the mobile phone.
-Tower 'talks' 2x slower.
-Mobile phone: OK.
The tower would spend 2x more time 'talking' to the mobile phone, leading to a speed of 112.5/2 = 56.25Mbps. If 2 mobile phones operating at half the speed were taking a speed test, it would be split between them: 56.25/2= 28.125Mbps. A mobile phone is expected to reply OK 90% of the time, else the 'talking speed' will be lowered.

Before taking a speed test to give it a try, consider minimizing testing due to congestion.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

[AUG 2022] Online calculator for electricity bills in Ghana

Validity:

From: 1 October 2019
Until: 1 September 2022

The calculator is to be moved to /p/lightbill.html. For calculations of newer electricity bills, including bills from February 2023 onwards, see that page. 



Version 2021-05-01RC5











Kilowatt Hours:

Ghana Cedis:

Energy Charge:

Service Charge:

Public Lighting Levy:

National Electrification Scheme Levy:

GETFund Levy:

National Health Insurance Levy:

COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy:

Value Added Tax:


Calculate kWh (units) and money used by an electrical device per month





The electrical device uses ____W, according to its label or its box.


On average, the electrical device is active for ____ hours per day:


According to a yellow ENERGY GUIDE label or Certified Appliances, the Energy Consumption is ____ kWh/yr:



Kilowatt Hours(kWh):

Ghana Cedis(GHS):

Minimum Ghana Cedis to add after installation:

Maximum Ghana Cedis to add after installation:

Ghana Cedis already paid monthly (Total GHS):


IMPORTANT NOTICE

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

USER MANUAL: 


This calculator does not take into account free or partly paid electricity. Instead, it shows the value of the units, as if both or either you and the government have paid. Prices may vary. Adjusted for inflation. It should be compatible with the "ECG" price, "PDS" price, "VRA/NEDCo" price, "PURC" price, and so on; though it is not affiliated with a regulator or distributor. 

It is intended to work on effectively all browsers with JavaScript enabled, including:
Internet Explorer 6 or newer
Firefox 0.8 or newer
Safari 3.0 (522.11.3) or newer
Chrome 0.2.149.27 or newer
Android Browser 1.6 (3.1.2) or newer
Opera Mini 4.5 or newer

Actual compatibility will differ due to the use of https.

To obtain the cost of electricity, first obtain the wattage of the electrical device. It is located on its box, a label, a mark stamped on, its instruction manual, or its manufacturer's website.

60W is located on an incandescent bulb. Such bulbs have been replaced with more efficient technologies and shall no longer be used.


55W is located on a CFL bulb. This bulb would be brighter, though generally with a different color temperature, if it were to have the same amount of watts as the incandescent bulb.


9W is located on a LED bulb. This bulb would be brighter if it were to have the same amount of watts as the CFL bulb.

Then take note of how many hours per day it is used on average. For example:

1) 5 hours for the 9W bulb (switched on at 6PM - 11PM;

2) 5 hours for the 55W bulb (switched on at 6PM - 11PM).

Use the calculator provided.

For a 31-day month it is 1.395kWh+8.525kWh. A total of 9.92 kWh (Kilowatt Hours) can now be converted to its cost in Ghana Cedis. But it is only valid if nothing other than these 2 bulbs are connected to the meter in the month (1-31), and a margin should be given.

All calculations are approximate. The approximation can cause 0.999999 to be displayed instead of 1.000000.

Update

Perform the calculation, intended for compatibility if it does not automatically refresh.

End-User Tariff (EUT)

Residential
Residential tariff. Non-"End-User Tariffs" are excluded.
Non-Residential
Non-Residential. Non-"End-User Tariffs" are excluded. SLT-LV, SLT-MV, SLT-HV, and SLT-HV MINES tariffs are excluded.

Mode

Monthly (1 to 31)
The first purchase made in a month or the total of all purchases made in a month, such as January. It is not necessarily a 31-day month.
Shared Meter
The cost per unit for you depends on the total money spent in the month. It can also be used to obtain the energy cost of a machine taking a portion of the total.
More Than Once A Month
For example January 1 then it wasn't enough, once more at January 10. Enter the previous purchase(s) in Total and the new purchase(s) in Next. The initial service charge is excluded.

Service Charge

Auto
Automatically set the service charge. The service charged is billed monthly.
Normal SC
Normal SC, for testing purposes.
Lifeline SC
Lifeline SC, users that don't use much electricity don't pay much. For testing purposes.
None
No service charge, for testing purposes.

Tax

These are applied to the non-residential tariff. Select it according to what appears in bills/receipts. Example: 12.5% to VAT; no CHRL. Subject to change, so the highest is selected by default.

Total KWH

Total energy use of all electrical devices connected to a meter, or the amount bought this month.

Total GHS

Total Ghana Cedis of all electrical devices connected to a meter, or the amount bought this month.

Your KWH

Your power consumption (a part of the total); intended for use with a meter being shared with others, or the power consumption of a specific electrical device only.

Your GHS

Your GHS (a part of the total); intended for use with a meter being shared with others, or the GHS of a specific electrical device only.

Next kWh

Target this kWh in the next purchase.

Next GHS

Target this GHS in the next purchase.

Kilowatt Hours

It is sometimes referred to as units or credit. It's the units displayed on meters that's not Ghana Cedis.

Ghana Cedis

Ghana Cedis (currency). There are 6 digits after the decimal point, because that's determined by the tariffs. Total tax inclusive value.

Energy Charge

Cost of the electricity bought, but it doesn't include the Service Charge or taxes.

A simple explanation: every month, there's 50 of something sold by a shop for 0.326060 Ghana Cedis each. Once you buy all 50, it'll be out of stock and you can only buy it from another shop for 0.654161 Ghana Cedis each, until that other shop runs out of stock. 

'Going to another shop' is done automatically. You do not need to buy units from another location.

'Shops' run out of stock per-meter. The actual cost can differ from what's given by this example.

'Shops' will restock on the first day of each month.

The more you buy, the less you get. If kilowatt hours are sold directly, it can be best to only buy enough for 1 month, not 2 months.

Service Charge

For each meter, the service charge is billed monthly. There is a "lifeline" service charge applied to people who use 50kWh or less per month. If this is exceeded, the normal service charge is billed, minus the lifeline service charge if already billed.

Public Lighting Levy

The Public Lighting Levy. It may also appear in bills or receipts as "Street Light Levy".

National Electrification Scheme Levy

The National Electrification Scheme Levy.

GETFund Levy

The Ghana Education Trust Fund Levy.

National Health Insurance Levy

The National Health Insurance Levy.

COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy

This is not necessarily applied to Non-Residential. Select taxes to calculate according to what appears in bills/receipts. Example: 12.5% to VAT; no CHRL. Subject to change, so the highest is selected by default.

Value Added Tax

It may be calculated in an unconventional way for Non-Residential. Select taxes to calculate according to what appears in bills/receipts. Example: 12.5% to VAT; no CHRL. Subject to change, so the highest is selected by default.

Update (2)

Perform the calculation.

Days

Days in a month.

Mode (2)

Don't calculate GHS
Only calculate the kWh.
How much does it use?
An electrical device that's in use was connected to the meter for a month or more, how much does it use? Remember to specify the amount currently paid every month.
How much will it use?
A new electrical device is going to be bought, how much will it use? The initial service charge is excluded.

How to estimate

According to watts and hours
According to watts and hours.
According to ENERGY GUIDE
Look for an ENERGY GUIDE label or use the Certified Appliances app.

Kilowatt Hours(kWh)

Result of how much the electrical device may use every month. It's the units displayed on meters that's not Ghana Cedis.

Ghana Cedis(GHS)

If the watts and hours or ENERGY GUIDE is accurate, it's the calculated result of how much the electrical device may use every month. The "Ghana Cedis already paid monthly" must also be accurate.

Minimum Ghana Cedis to add after installation

If the watts and hours or ENERGY GUIDE is accurate, this is the minimum anyone will pay after connecting the electrical device to the meter.

Maximum Ghana Cedis to add after installation

If the watts and hours or ENERGY GUIDE is accurate, this is the maximum anyone will pay after connecting the electrical device to the meter.

Ghana Cedis already paid monthly (Total GHS):

Verify that it is correct.

Examples of other electrical devices:

PC or Computer or Laptop.
Its power use depends on what you're doing.
The screen's brightness could be lowered. LCD screens should replace CRT (long screens). Displaying black in common screens does not lower the brightness, the lamp inside remains bright.
Fan.
A common fan uses 50-75W. 
If the regulator that changes the speed of the fan becomes hot at low speeds it should be considered that electricity is sent to a 'heater' instead of a fan to lower its speed, and that the 'heater' uses some electricity. Consider the new type of regulator. Usage also varies with the voltage and while starting.
ECM/BLDC fans save even more power, but its board may fail, and those fans are rarely sold in Ghana.
Air conditioner or fridge.
Air conditioners and refrigerators transfer heat from the inside to the outside. The air conditioner has a larger inside (house room), so it uses more power.
When a common air conditioner or fridge detects that the inside has reached the temperature you have chosen, it automatically switches off (stops humming), then the power consumption is minimal or comparable with a tower fan. You will very likely find its wattage on a label.
Microwave oven.
Check its settings (and efficiency). 300W+
Blender or food processor.
The blender or food processor, though it may have a high wattage, is only on for a minute, so it does not have much time to use much power.
TV.
It depends on the size (affecting its interior lamps) and then the processing circuitry. Types that aren't long (CRT) generally consume less.

The daily partial shutdown of Vodafone GH 2G


(Video) A partial shutdown of 2G DCS/1800MHz/Band 3 begins at 0:05 (12 am).



(Video) It is fully returned at 6:05 (6am).

Comparing DCS to PGSM/900MHz/Band 8,

•More of the signal strength is blocked when it passes through obstacles (including air).

•It is better at fitting through gaps in obstacles, such as between trees.

•The mobile's maximum transmit power is halved.

•It is less likely to overlap and conflict with other towers or itself.

•Additionally, the signal is 25%* less likely to overlap and conflict with another tower.

•It is separate, calls made on DCS do not use resources of PGSM.

At night, due to low usage, the PGSM should be adequate for calls(and low speed data, though 62.5%* of 2G PGSM might be used for 3G in some cases), and 3G/4G should be adequate for data; so DCS won't be of much benefit.

What is this?
The signal strength of nearby towers.


What's an ARFCN?

Similar to the MHz on a FM radio. The ones here carry phone settings to all phones such as this list of nearby towers, calls are carried out on a separate unlisted ARFCN.

What's an rxlev?
Signal strength (signal bars).

What is PGSM and DCS?
It is a type of mobile phone signal.

Is it connected to many towers?
No, it is only communicating with 1 side of a tower at most (and not both PGSM and DCS at the same time).

Why are all phones sent a list of nearby towers?
So that when the signal strength is low, it changes to another tower or side of the tower; before the phone reaches "no signal", and to improve the experience.

What is its relevance?
That a phone should not be set to 1800 only overnight, set the phone to dual band 900/1800 or quad band.

Which one's DCS, which one's PGSM?
Shorter ones are PGSM.

Why do the ARFCNs differ from the channel numbers in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands?
The ones linked is the decimal format, the ones here is the hexadecimal format, convert from hex to decimal.

What if nearby towers had the same ARFCN?
The signals would conflict with eachother. There is an identifier that separates it, though the signal is damaged.

What is a neighbouring cell? 
Coverage of sides of the tower the phone is not communicating with. The one the phone is communicating with is the serving cell. These are not nearby cell phones.

What is GSM?
It is 2G, though a 3G network may be called "GSM" if not related to CDMA (CDMA, not WCDMA).

Does it cost credit just to keep the phone on past 12am?
No.

*Depends on operator and country. Valid at time of posting.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The MTN Ghana Bandwidth Upgrade (1.5x)

MTN Ghana now has 15MHz of bandwidth on Band 20, compared to 10MHz from a short while ago, up to its launch. Bandwidth in this context does not refer to 15Mbps or 15MBps or 15000KB/s. Instead, it's the maximum difference between the highest frequency wave and the lowest frequency wave, as shown below. Spectrum is allocated by the country, rather than operators themselves.





The 4G cyclic prefix, modulation (waves being bent every 0.0000714 seconds to communicate), the actual maximum distance being 13.5, Discontinuous Transmission, there being a distance of 0.015MHz between different waves rather than 1 Mhz shown in the illustration; are not taken into account in the illustration for simplicity.

If it were to be given a maximum speed, it would be 112.5Mbps (downloads would show 14.0625 MBps which is divided by 8), 3 per tower, as shown below. It is not possible to use 2 at once.





The up to 150Mbps 4G exists (256QAM) but devices would have to explicitly support it on MTN, so there wouldn't be much of a benefit for it to be common. Such information is not available on the specs of mobile phones, though these may show "150Mbps" which refers to 20MHz of bandwidth instead, give it a try on Band 7.

On top of that, it could be up to 300Mbps by attempting to separate the signal of 4 (instead of 2) antennas on the phone and the tower, but the device would have to be large for this frequency.

Though it is very commonly supported on both ends, 112.5 Mbps is not to be expected. It implies a perfect signal and no 'hiccups' somewhere along the line to the website. If 112.5 were to be shared among 2 users it would be around 56.25, and so on. It is not 112.5 per user.

The cell tower may adapt towards low signal:
-Tower 'talks' quickly.
-Mobile: What did you say?
-Tower 'talks' quickly.
-No reply from the mobile phone.
-Tower 'talks' 2x slower.
-Mobile phone: OK.
The tower would spend 2x more time 'talking' to the mobile phone, leading to a speed of 112.5/2 = 56.25Mbps. If 2 mobile phones operating at half the speed were taking a speed test, it would be split between them: 56.25/2= 28.125Mbps. A mobile phone is expected to reply OK 90% of the time, else the 'talking speed' will be lowered.

While downloading, and the phone is advertised as up to 300Mbps (applies to most), and the phone displays 4G+ or LTE+, and the tower uses both bands on the same direction, it may be possible to download from both bands for a total of up to 262.5Mbps (112.5 + 150); an improvement from the previous 225Mbps!

Band 7's characteristics fits urban and fixed coverage (the signal from other radios aren't as likely to damage the signal as much, 5 more MHz, line of sight)

Band 20's characteristics fits rural/extended coverage (goes further).

It is not necessary that a 4G tower has both.

So, it's a 1.5x boost in the speed of rural/extended coverage (or 1.3x with 4G+).

This page is not provided by MTN Ghana.


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