Cell Capacity from SINR Calculator
Use the Shannon limit with realistic efficiency to size a cell.
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Cell Capacity from SINR Calculator by TheCalcTools
How the Cell Capacity from SINR Calculator works
Enter the bandwidth, average SINR and the number of spatial layers.
The Shannon capacity B log₂(1 + SINR) is scaled by an efficiency factor and control overhead.
Divide by the demand per user to see how many concurrent users the cell can serve.
The formula
Worked example
Using the default values shown in the calculator:
| Bandwidth (MHz) | 20 |
|---|---|
| Average SINR (dB) | 12 |
| MIMO layers | 2 |
| Implementation efficiency vs Shannon (%) | 60 % |
| Control overhead (%) | 25 % |
| Average demand per active user (Mbps) | 5 |
- Shannon: 20 MHz × 2 × log₂(1 + 15.85) = 163.0 Mbps.
- With 60% efficiency and 25% overhead the cell delivers 73.3 Mbps (3.67 bit/s/Hz), enough for about 14 users at 5 Mbps.
Result:
| Cell throughput (Mbps) | 73.3 |
|---|---|
| Spectral efficiency (bit/s/Hz) | 3.67 |
| Concurrent users at the demand | 14 |
| Raw Shannon capacity (Mbps) | 163.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Why 60% of Shannon?
Practical LTE and NR links reach roughly 50–75% of Shannon capacity because of finite modulation and coding sets, pilot overhead and imperfect channel estimates.
Is SINR the same everywhere?
No. SINR varies across the cell. Use a cell-average, or compute capacity per SINR band and weight by area.
Sources and further reading
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This calculator gives estimates for information only. Check important results independently before you rely on them. See our disclaimer.