SpCell stands for Special Cell
A special cell (SpCell) in radio access networks is a cell that is used for specific purposes, such as network synchronization, positioning, or broadcasting. SpCell is a concept introduced in the 3GPP standards for 5G networks, and it is different from the normal cells (NCell) that are used for regular data transmission and reception.
SpCell can have different characteristics and configurations than NCell, such as frequency, bandwidth, numerology, frame structure, and reference signals. SpCell can also have different cell identities and cell selection criteria than NCell.
SpCell can be deployed in various scenarios, such as:
• Synchronization signal SpCell (SSS-Cell): A SpCell that is used to transmit synchronization signals (SS) for the initial cell search and synchronization of user equipment (UE). SSS-Cell can have a larger coverage area and a lower transmission power than NCell, and it can use a different frequency or numerology than NCell. SSS-Cell can also support multiple transmission points (TPs) for beamforming and diversity.
• Positioning reference signal SpCell (PRS-Cell): A SpCell that is used to transmit positioning reference signals (PRS) for the positioning and location services of UE. PRS-Cell can have a higher transmission power and a higher density of PRS than NCell, and it can use a different frequency or numerology than NCell. PRS-Cell can also support multiple TPs for beamforming and diversity.
• Broadcast channel SpCell (BCCH-Cell): A SpCell that is used to transmit broadcast channel (BCCH) information for the system information and configuration of UE. BCCH-Cell can have a larger coverage area and a lower transmission power than NCell, and it can use a different frequency or numerology than NCell. BCCH-Cell can also support multiple TPs for beamforming and diversity.
SpCell is a novel and flexible way of designing and deploying cells in radio access networks, and it can improve the performance and efficiency of 5G networks. SpCell can also enable new functionalities and applications, such as network slicing, edge computing, and ultra-reliable low-latency communication.