Inter RAT Handover Description

RAN
Inter-RAT Handover Description
Issue
02
Date
2008-07-30
Huawei Proprietary and Confidential

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Copyright Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2008. All rights reserved.

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All other trademarks and trade names mentioned in this document are the property of their respective
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Notice
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made in the
preparation of this document to ensure accuracy of the contents, but all statements, information, and
recommendations in this document do not constitute the warranty of any kind, express or implied.

RAN
Contents
Contents
1 Inter-RAT Handover Change History ................................................................................1-1
2 Inter-RAT Handover Introduction......................................................................................2-1
3 Inter-RAT Handover Algorithms........................................................................................3-1
3.1 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Types............................................................................................................. 3-1
3.2 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure ...................................................................................................... 3-2
3.2.1 Coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure.................................................................... 3-3
3.2.2 QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure............................................................................ 3-4
3.2.3 Load-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure........................................................................... 3-5
3.2.4 Service-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure ....................................................................... 3-6
3.3 Preconditions for UMTS-to-GSM Handover ........................................................................................... 3-6
3.3.1 Service Handover Indicator............................................................................................................ 3-7
3.3.2 Capabilities of Deciding UMTS-to-GSM Handover...................................................................... 3-17
3.3.3 Rules for Enabling UMTS-to-GSM Handover .............................................................................. 3-17
3.4 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement............................................................................................... 3-20
3.4.1 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Switches ....................................................................... 3-20
3.4.2 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Report Modes................................................................ 3-21
3.4.3 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Events........................................................................... 3-22
3.4.4 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Neighboring Cell Combination Algorithm ........................................... 3-25
3.4.5 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Quantity........................................................................ 3-25
3.4.6 UMTS-to-GSM Handover L3 Filtering ........................................................................................ 3-25
3.4.7 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Compressed Mode .............................................................................. 3-25
3.4.8 BSIC Verification Requirements for GSM Cells ........................................................................... 3-25
3.5 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution ............................................................................... 3-25
3.5.1 Coverage-Based and QoS-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution .................... 3-25
3.5.2 Load-Based and Service-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution...................... 3-25
3.5.3 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Retry .................................................................................................. 3-25
3.5.4 UMTS-to-GSM Multimedia Fallback........................................................................................... 3-25
3.5.5 UMTS-to-GSM Handover in the PS Domain with NACC or PS Handover.................................... 3-25
3.6 Inter-RAT Handover of HSDPA ............................................................................................................ 3-25
3.7 Inter-RAT Handover of HSUPA ............................................................................................................ 3-25
3.8 GSM-to-UMTS Handover .................................................................................................................... 3-25
3.9 Interoperability Between Inter-RAT Handover and Inter-Frequency Handover ....................................... 3-25
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

RAN
Contents
3.10 Signaling Procedures for Inter-RAT Handover..................................................................................... 3-25

3.10.1 UMTS-to-GSM Handover in CS Domain ................................................................................... 3-25
3.10.2 UMTS to GSM Handover in PS Domain .................................................................................... 3-25
3.10.3 UMTS-to-GSM Handover in Both CS Domain and PS Domain .................................................. 3-25
3.10.4 GSM-to-UMTS Handover in CS Domain ................................................................................... 3-25
3.10.5 GSM-to-UMTS Handover in PS Domain ................................................................................... 3-25
4 Inter-RAT Handover Parameters ...................................................................................... 4-25

5 Reference Documents......................................................................................................... 5-25
ii

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
1 Inter-RAT Handover Change History
Inter-RAT Handover Change History
Inter-RAT Handover Change History provides information on the changes between different
document versions.
Document and Product Versions

Document Version RAN Version
RNC Version
NodeB Version
02 (2008-07-30)
V200R010C01B061
V100R010C01B050
10.0
V200R010C01B041
01 (2008-05-30)
10.0
V200R010C01B051
V100R010C01B049
V200R010C01B040
Draft (2008-03-20)
10.0
V200R010C01B050
V100R010C01B045
There are two types of changes, which are defined as follows:

l
Feature change: refers to the change in the feature of a specific product version.
Editorial change: refers to the change in information that has already been included, or
the addition of information that was not provided in the previous version.
02 (2008-07-30)
This is the document for the second commercial release of RAN10.0.
Compared with 01 (2008-05-30) of RAN10.0, issue 02 (2008-07-30) of RAN10.0
incorporates the changes described in the following table.
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

1-1
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Change Type
Change Description
Parameter Change
Feature change
None
The parameters that are changed to be

non-configurable are listed as follows:
Editorial
change
A parameter list is added. See

chapter 4 Inter-RAT Handover
Parameters.
Service Handover Indicator
Service parameter index
Required 2G Capability
Inter-RAT H handover decision

THD
None
01 (2008-05-30)
This is the document for the first commercial release of RAN10.0.
Compared with draft (2008-03-20) of RAN10.0, issue 01 (2008-05-30) of RAN10.0
Change Type
Change Description
Parameter Change
Feature change
None
None
Editorial
change
General documentation change:
None
The Inter-RAT Handover Parameters is

removed because of the creation of RAN10.0
parameter reference.
The structure is optimized.
Draft (2008-03-20)
This is a draft of the document for the first commercial release of RAN10.0.
Compared with issue 02 (2007-12-24) of RAN6.1, issue Draft (2008-03-20) of RAN10.0
1-2

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Change Type
Change Description
Parameter Change
Feature change
The description of inter-RAT

handover based on QoS is
added, as listed below:
Added parameters
3.1 UMTS-to-GSM
Handover Types
3.2 UMTS-to-GSM
Handover Procedure
"Triggering of Event 3A"
in 3.4.3 UMTS-to-GSM
Handover Measurement
Events
"Measurement Timer
Length" in 3.4.7
UMTS-to-GSM
Handover Compressed
Mode
The following
parameter is
described in 3.4.3
UMTS-to-GSM
Handover
Measurement
Events.
Down Link
RSCP
Used-Freq THD
Hyst
The following
parameters are
described in 3.4.7
UMTS-to-GSM
Handover
Compressed
Mode.
l
3.5.1 Coverage-Based
and QoS-Based
UMTS-to-GSM
Handover Decision and
Execution
Down Link QoS

Measure timer
length
Up Link Qos
Measure timer
length
The inter-RAT handover

measurement quantities are
changed, as described in
3.4.5 UMTS-to-GSM
Quantity.
Deleted parameter
2D2F Measure
Quantity
Added parameter
3A Used-Freq
Measure
Quantity for Qos
The cell individual offset of a

cell is used together with the
neighboring cell oriented
individual offset. For
detailed information, see
3.4.3 UMTS-to-GSM
Events.
Deleted parameter
Cell offset
Added parameters
Cell oriented
Cell Individual
Offset
Neigbhoring
cell oriented
CIO
UMTS-to-GSM Handover
Penalty algorithm is changed
to UMTS-to-GSM Handover
Retry algorithm, see 3.5.3
UMTS-to-GSM Handover
Retry
Added parameters
3A event retry
period
3A event retry
max times
3C event retry
period
3C event retry
max times
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

1-3
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Change Type
Change Description
Parameter Change
Interchanging Load
Information in
UMTS-to-GSM and
GSM-to-UMTS
Load/Service-Based
Handover, see
Added parameters
3.5.2 Load-Based and

Service-Based
UMTS-to-GSM
Handover Decision and
Execution
3.8 GSM-to-UMTS
Handover

handover of HSDPA is
moved from the HSDPA
feature document, see 3.6
Inter-RAT Handover of
HSDPA.
None.

handover of HSUPA is
moved from the HSUPA
feature document, see 3.7
Inter-RAT Handover of
HSUPA.
None.
Editorial change The default value of Service

Parameter Index is
changed.
1-4
Send Load Info

to GSM Ind
NCOV Reloc
Ind based on
GSM cell load
CS domain
Reloc GSM
load THD
PS domain
Reloc GSM
load THD
The default value of Service

Parameter Index is changed from 49
to 99.
The default value table of service

handover indicators is changed.
The default value of 3C

hysteresis is changed.
The default of 3C hysteresis is changed

from 4 to 0.
General documentation
change: Implementation
information has been moved
to a separate document.
None

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
2 Inter-RAT Handover Introduction
Inter-RAT Handover Introduction
Inter-RAT handover provides coverage expansion, load sharing, and layered services. It saves
cost by utilizing the existing GSM network resources.
Inter-RAT handover refers to the handover between UMTS and GSM. The reason for the
handover can be coverage limitation, link stability control or load limitation of the 3G system.
For detailed information on the relation to other handover types, see Intra-Frequency
Handover Introduction.
Inter-RAT handover can be UMTS-to-GSM or GSM-to-UMTS handover. As shown in the
following figure, for a UE in CELL_DCH state, the UMTS-to-GSM handover procedure is
triggered when the UMTS Radio Access Network (RAN) initiates handover or cell reselection
to the GSM.
Figure 2-1 Inter-RAT handover
In this handover, however, GSM and UMTS dual-mode mobile stations (MSs) are required,
and both the GSM MSC and the GSM BSS must be upgraded.
Impact
l
Impact on System Performance

Inter-RAT handover measurement may be implemented in compressed mode; therefore,
one of the impacts on the system is from the compressed mode. When too many UEs
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

2-1
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2 Inter-RAT Handover Introduction
stay at the cell edge, the downlink capacity and uplink coverage of the system may
decrease.
Another impact is from the QoS requirement for the delay-sensitive services, because
hard handover can introduce handover delay.
l
Impact on Other Features

This feature has no impact on other features.
Miscellaneous
A dual-mode UE is required to support inter-RAT handover. That is, the UE must support
both GSM and UMTS, and its network selection mode must be set to auto.
Network Elements Involved

Table 2-1 NEs involved in inter-RAT handover
UE
NodeB
RNC
MSC Server
MGW
SGSN
GGSN
HLR
NOTE
l = NE not involved
l
= NE involved
UE = User Equipment, RNC = Radio Network Controller, MSC Server = Mobile Service Switching
Center Server, MGW = Media Gateway, SGSN = Serving GPRS Support Node, GGSN = Gateway
GPRS Support Node, HLR = Home Location Register
2-2

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3 Inter-RAT Handover Algorithms
Inter-RAT Handover Algorithms
Inter-RAT Handover Algorithms covers the technical aspects of the feature

l
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Types
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure
Preconditions for UMTS-to-GSM Handover
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution
Inter-RAT Handover of HSDPA
Inter-RAT Handover of HSUPA
GSM-to-UMTS Handover
Interoperability Between Inter-RAT Handover and Inter-Frequency Handover
Signaling Procedures for Inter-RAT Handover
3.1 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Types

Based on the handover triggering causes, UMTS-to-GSM handover can be categorized into
five types: coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM handover, QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover,
load-based UMTS-to-GSM handover, service-based UMTS-to-GSM handover, and
speed-based UMTS-to-GSM handover.
The following table lists the five types of UMTS-to-GSM handovers.
Table 3-1 UMTS-to-GSM handover types
UMTS-to-GSM
handover Types
Description
Coverage-based
UMTS-to-GSM
handover
The coverage of the UMTS is incontinuous at the initial stage of the

3G network. On the border of the coverage, the poor signal quality of
UMTS triggers the UMTS-to-GSM measurement. If the signal
quality of GSM is good enough and all the services of the UE are
supported by the GSM, the coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM handover
is triggered.
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3-1
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UMTS-to-GSM
handover Types
Description
QoS-based
UMTS-to-GSM
handover
According to the Link Stability Control Algorithm, the RNC needs to

trigger the QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover to avoid call drops.
Load-based
UMTS-to-GSM
handover
If the load of the UMTS is heavy and all the RAB of the UE are
supported by the GSM, the load-based UMTS-to-GSM handover is
triggered.
Service-based
UMTS-to-GSM
handover
Based on layered services, the traffic of different classes is handed

over to different systems. For example, when an Adaptive Multi Rate
(AMR) speech service is requested, this service can be handed over
to the GSM.
Speed-based
UMTS-to-GSM
handover
When the Hierarchical Cell Structure (HCS) is used, the cells are
divided into different layers on the basis of coverage. Typically, a
marco cell has large coverage and low priority, whereas a micro cell
has small coverage and high priority.
UMTS-to-GSM handover can be triggered by the UE speed
estimation algorithm of the HCS. A UE moving at high speed is
handed over to a cell with larger coverage to reduce the times of
handover, whereas a UE moving at low speed is handed over to a cell
with smaller coverage.
For detailed information, see HCS Handover.
NOTE:
The principles of the UMTS-to-GSM handover based on HCS speed
estimation are similar to those of inter-frequency handover, which
will not be elaborated in this feature.
The coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM measurement and the QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM

measurement can coexist.
3.2 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure

The UMTS-to-GSM handover procedure is divided into four phases: handover triggering,
handover measurement, handover decision, and handover execution. The procedure varies
with handover types.
3-2
Coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure
QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure
Load-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure
Service-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
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3.2.1 Coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure

Figure 3-1 Coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM handover procedure
In the triggering phase

The RNC sends a MEASUREEMNT CONTROL message to the UE, notifying the UE to
measure the current carrier quality. This message defines the reporting rules and
thresholds of events 2D and 2F. If the quality of the pilot signal in the current cell
deteriorates, the CPICH Ec/No or CPICH RSCP of the UMTS cell that the UE accesses
is lower than the corresponding threshold and the UE reports event 2D.
In the measurement phase

If the RNC receives a report of event 2D, the RNC may request the NodeB and UE to
start the compressed mode to measure the qualities of GSM cells. Then, the RNC may
send an inter-RAT measurement control message that defines the neighboring cell
information, reporting period, and reporting rule.
In the measurement phase, either periodical measurement report mode or event-triggered measurement
report mode can be used.
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
In the decision phase

3-3
RAN
After the UE reports event 3A, the RNC makes a handover decision. Or, after the UE
periodically sends the measurement reports, the RNC evaluates the reports first and then
makes a handover decision.
l
In the execution phase

The RNC initiates a handover procedure.
3.2.2 QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure

Figure 3-2 QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover procedure

The Link Stability Control Algorithm makes a handover measurement decision.

The RNC requests the NodeB and the UE to start the compressed mode to measure the
qualities of inter-RAT neighboring cells. Then, the RNC sends an inter-RAT
measurement control message. This message defines neighboring cell information,
reporting period, and reporting rule.
In the measurement phase, the method of periodical measurement report or event-triggered measurement
report can be used.

After the UE reports event 3A, the RNC performs the handover. Otherwise, the UE
periodically generates measurement reports, and the RNC makes a decision after
evaluation.
3-4

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
l

The RNC executes the handover procedure.
3.2.3 Load-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure

Figure 3-3 Load-based UMTS-to-GSM handover procedure

When the load of the UMTS cell that the UE accesses is higher than the related threshold,
the Load Reshuffling (LDR) algorithm makes a handover decision.
For detailed information of the LDR, see Load Reshuffling.

The RNC enables the compressed mode and starts the inter-RAT handover measurement.

After the UE reports event 3C, the RNC makes a handover decision.

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

3-5
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3.2.4 Service-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Procedure

Figure 3-4 Phases of UMTS-to-GSM handover based on service

When a service is established, the RNC requests the handover to the GSM based on the
service type and service handover indicator assigned by the Core Network (CN).

The RNC enables the compressed mode and starts the inter-RAT handover measurement.

After the UE reports event 3C, the RNC makes a handover decision.

3.3 Preconditions for UMTS-to-GSM Handover

Before handover, the RNC checks whether the preconditions meet the triggering requirements
of the UMTS-to-GSM handover. The preconditions include the service handover indicator,
Capabilities of Deciding UMTS-to-GSM Handover, and Rules for Enabling UMTS-to-GSM
Handover.
3-6
Service Handover Indicator
Capabilities of Deciding UMTS-to-GSM Handover
Rules for Enabling UMTS-to-GSM Handover

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
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3.3.1 Service Handover Indicator

The IE Service handover indicator indicates the CN policy for the service handover to the
GSM. This IE is indicated in the Radio Access Bearer (RAB) assignment signaling assigned
by the CN, or in Table 3-2 provided by the RNC side.
The algorithm switch SERVICE_HO_BASED_ON_RNC_SWITCH of Handover
Algorithm Switch parameter decides whether the service attribute of inter-RAT handover is
based on the RNC or the CN.
l
If the switch is set to ON, the service attribute of inter-RAT handover is based on the
parameter configured on the RNC side.
If the switch is set to OFF, the service attribute of inter-RAT handover is first based on
the CN when the indicator is contained in the RAB assignment signaling assigned by the
CN. If the CN doesn't allocate service indicator, the service attribute of inter-RAT
handover is based on the RNC side.
Values of Service Handover Indicator

The service handover indicators are as follows:
l
HO_TO_GSM_SHOULD_BE_PERFORM: means that the handover to the 2G network

is performed when 2G signals are available.
HO_TO_GSM_SHOULD_NOT_BE_PERFORM: means that the handover to the 2G

network is performed when 3G signals are weak but 2G signals are strong.
HO_TO_GSM_SHALL_NOT_BE_PERFORM: means that the handover to the 2G

network is not performed even when 3G signals are weak but 2G signals are strong.
The following figure shows an example of rules for the indicator of the UMTS-to-GSM
handover based on load and service.
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

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Figure 3-5 Example of rules for indicator of UMTS-to-GSM handover based on load and service
Principles of Setting Service Handover Indicator

By default, the RNC does as follows:
l
For a UE with a single signaling RAB, the RNC supports the handover to the GSM. But
it is not recommended.
For the UE accessing combined services (with CS services), the RNC sets the service
handover indicator of the UE to that of the CS service, because the CS service has the
highest QoS priority.
For the UE accessing combined services (with only PS services), the RNC sets the
service handover indicator of the UE to that of the PS service, which has the highest QoS
priority.
Service Parameter Index

If service handover indicators are not configured by the CN, each indictor can be set to
Service parameter index of a service on the RNC.
Each Service parameter index is the index of one typical service RAB, which involves a set of
service type, source description, CN domain ID, and Max rate (bit/s).
The following table describes the relationship between the set and the service handover
indicators recommended by Huawei.
3-8

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
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Table 3-2 Service handover indicators (default values)

Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
CONVERSATIONAL SPEECH
CS_DOMAIN
12200
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GSM
CONVERSATIONAL UNKNOWN
CS_DOMAIN
23850
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GSM
CS_DOMAIN
28800
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
CS_DOMAIN
32000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
CS_DOMAIN
56000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
CS_DOMAIN
64000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
57600
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
EDGE
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
EDGE
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
GSM
10
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
EDGE
11
PS_DOMAIN
8000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
12
PS_DOMAIN
16000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
Source
Description

3-9
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Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
13
PS_DOMAIN
32000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
14
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
GSM
15
PS_DOMAIN
64000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
16
PS_DOMAIN
38800
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
17
PS_DOMAIN
39200
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
18
PS_DOMAIN
40000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
19
PS_DOMAIN
42800
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
20
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
21
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
8000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
22
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
16000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
23
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
32000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
24
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
64000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
3-10
N.A.

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
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Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
25
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
128000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
26
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
144000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
GSM
27
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
256000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
28
STREAMING
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
384000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
29
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
GPRS
30
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
EDGE
31
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
32
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
33
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
34
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
35
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
36
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
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Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
37
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
EDGE
38
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
GPRS
39
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
GPRS
40
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
41
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
8000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
42
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
16000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
43
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
32000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
44
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
64000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
45
INTERACTIVE
SPEECH
PS_DOMAIN
128000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
46
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
144000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
47
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
256000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
48
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
384000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
3-12

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
49
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
608000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
50
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
768000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
51
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
102400
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
52
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
145000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
53
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
153600
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
54
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
180000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
55
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
204800
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
56
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
289000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
57
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
364800
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
58
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
576000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

3-13
RAN
Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
59
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
720000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
60
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
101000
00
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
61
INTERACTIVE
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
144000
00
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
62
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
63
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
64
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
65
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
66
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
67
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
68
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
69
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
70
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
71
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
8000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
72
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
16000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
73
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
32000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
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Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
74
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
64000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
GPRS
75
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
128000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
76
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
144000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
77
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
256000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
78
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
384000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHOULD_N
OT_BE_PERF
ORM
EDGE
79
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
608000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
80
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
768000
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
81
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
102400
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
82
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
145000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
83
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
153600
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
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3-15
RAN
Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
84
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
180000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
85
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
204800
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
86
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
289000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
87
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
364800
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
88
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
576000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
89
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
720000
0
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
90
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
101000
00
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
91
BACKGROUND
UNKNOWN
PS_DOMAIN
144000
00
HO_TO_GSM
_SHALL_NO
T_BE_PERFO
RM
EDGE
92
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
93
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
94
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
95
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
96
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
97
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
98
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
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Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Service
Paramet
er Index
Traffic Class
Source
Description
CN Domain
ID
Max
Rate
(bit/s)
Service
Handover
Indicator
Required
2G
Capability
99
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
3.3.2 Capabilities of Deciding UMTS-to-GSM Handover

Before deciding UMTS-to-GSM handover, the RNC considers GSM cell capability, service
capability and UE capability.
GSM Cell Capability

GSM cell capability is configured through the parameter Inter-RAT cell type. This parameter
indicates whether the cell supports the GSM, GPRS, EDGE.
Service Capability
The Required 2G Capability specifies the capability of 2G cells required by inter-RAT
handover. This indicates whether the service is supported by the GSM, GPRS, or EDGE.The
default value provided by RNC see Table 3-2.
UE Capability
Upon the reception of the UE capability information message, the RNC decides whether to
start the inter-RAT measurement. The information indicates whether the UE supports the
GSM, GPRS, or EDGE.
3.3.3 Rules for Enabling UMTS-to-GSM Handover

The rules for enabling UMTS-to-GSM handover are based on the Service Handover Indicator
and the three types of capability (GSM cell capability, service capability, and
UE capability). The rules vary with different types of inter-RAT handover.
Rules for Enabling Coverage and QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover

The RNC initiates the coverage-based and QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover only when
Service Handover Indicator is set as follows:
l
HO_TO_GSM_SHOULD_BE_PERFORM
HO_TO_GSM_SHOULD_NOT_BE_PERFORM
In addition, the RNC initiates inter-RAT handover based on the following capabilities:
l
GSM cell capability
Service capability (required by 2G)
UE capability
The following tables describe the capability of the coverage-based and QoS-based
UMTS-to-GSM handover in the combination of the three "capabilities" listed above.
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Table 3-3 GSM neighboring cell with EDGE capability

UE Capability

EDGE
GPRS
GSM
EDGE
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GPRS
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GSM
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Not supported by 2G
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
Table 3-4 GSM neighboring cell with GPRS capability

UE Capability

EDGE
GPRS
GSM
EDGE
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GPRS
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GSM
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Not supported by 2G
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
Table 3-5 GSM neighboring cell with GSM capability

UE Capability

EDGE
GPRS
GSM
EDGE
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
GPRS
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
GSM
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Not supported by 2G
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
If the capability of all the GSM neighboring cells is "No capability", the inter-RAT
measurement cannot be started.
Rules for Enabling Load and Service-based UMTS-to-GSM Handover

The RNC initiates the load-based UMTS-to-GSM handover only when Service Handover
Indicator is set as follows:
3-18
HO_TO_GSM_SHOULD_NOT_BE_PERFORM

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
The RNC initiates the service-based UMTS-to-GSM handover only when Service Handover
Indicator is set as follows:
l
In addition, the RNC initiates UMTS-to-GSM handover based on the following
capabilities:
GSM cell capability
UE capability
The following tables describe the capability of the load and service-based UMTS-to-GSM
handover in the combination of the three "capabilities" listed above.
Table 3-6 GSM neighboring cell with EDGE capability
UE Capability

EDGE
GPRS
GSM
EDGE
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GPRS
Not allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GSM
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Not supported by 2G
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
Table 3-7 GSM neighboring cell with GPRS capability

UE Capability

EDGE
GPRS
GSM
EDGE
Not allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GPRS
Not allowed
Allowed
Allowed
GSM
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Not supported by 2G
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
Table 3-8 GSM neighboring cell with GSM capability

UE Capability

EDGE
GPRS
GSM
EDGE
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
GPRS
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
GSM
Not allowed
Not allowed
Allowed
Not supported by 2G
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
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If the capability of all the GSM neighboring cells is "No capability", the inter-RAT
measurement cannot be started.
If the "Required 2G Capability" is "GPRS", "GSM", or "EDGE", the RNC does not consider whether the
UE supports the EDGE. Only when the "Required 2G Capability" is "EDGE", the RNC checks the UE
capability.
Switches for Service-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover

To perform the UMTS-to-GSM service-based handover, the RNC must turn on the related
switches for services in the CS and PS domains.
l
When a single CS service is initially set up by the UE, the RNC allows the
UMTS-to-GSM service-based handover if Inter-RAT CS handover switch is set to ON.
When a single PS service is initially set up by the UE, the RNC allows the
UMTS-to-GSM service-based handover if Inter-RAT PS handover switch is set to ON.
For the CS and PS combined services, no service-based handover is triggered.
3.4 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement

UMTS-to-GSM handover covers relevant switches, measurement report modes, measurement
quantity, L3 filtering, measurement events, measurement range, compressed mode, and BSIC
verification requirements for GSM cells.
l
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Switches
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Report Modes
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Events
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Neighboring Cell Combination Algorithm
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Quantity
UMTS-to-GSM Handover L3 Filtering
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Compressed Mode
BSIC Verification Requirements for GSM Cells
3.4.1 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Switches

Some switches are important for UMTS-to-GSM handover, because they decide whether the
handover can be performed successfully.
These switches are the parameter values of Handover algorithm switch in the command
SET CORRMALGOSWITCH, as described in the following table.
3-20

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
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Table 3-9 Switches of UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement

Switch
Description
Default
Value
SIGNAL_HO_SWITCH
The switch decides when the RNC

performs the
inter-frequency/inter-RAT
coverage-based handover
measurement.
OFF
If the switch is set to ON, the RNC

checks whether the inter-frequency or
inter-RAT coverage-based handover
measurement can be triggered after
the RRC connection setup is
completed (before the RB setup).
If the switch is set to OFF, the RNC
checks whether the inter-frequency or
inter-RAT coverage-based handover
measurement can be triggered after
the RB setup is completed.
ACT_SET_QUAL_SWITCH
The switch decides whether the RNC

enables the active set quality
measurement.
ON
If the switch is set to ON, the RNC

enables the signal quality
measurement to all the cells in active
set after the RRC setup is completed
(if the SIGNAL_HO_SWITCH is
set to ON), or after the RB
connection setup is completed (if the
SIGNAL_HO_SWITCH is set to
OFF).
If the switch is set to OFF, the RNC
does not initiate the active set quality
measurement.
The switch decides whether the RNC
will initiate inter-RAT measurement
to trigger inter-RAT handover of the
PS domain from the UTRAN.
ON
INTER_RAT_CS_OUT_SWITCH The switch decides whether the RNC

will initiate inter-RAT measurement
to trigger inter-RAT handover of the
CS domain from the UTRAN.
ON
INTER_RAT_PS_OUT_SWITCH
3.4.2 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Report Modes

For coverage or QoS based UMTS-to-GSM handover, there are two measurement report
modes: event-triggered measurement report mode and periodical measurement report mode.
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For load or service based UMTS-to-GSM handover, the measurement report is

event-triggered only.
The measurement report mode is configured through the parameter Inter-RAT report mode.
In periodical measurement report mode, the report interval also needs to be configured
through the parameter Inter-RAT period report interval. The UE sends measurement
reports periodically to the RNC according to the values of the report interval.
3.4.3 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Events

When the measurement thresholds are reached, the UE reports the events to the RNC to
trigger the related handover procedures.
Table 3-10 Events in inter-RAT handover
Event
Description
Event 2D
The estimated quality of the currently used frequency is below a certain

threshold.
Event 2F
The estimated quality of the currently used frequency is above a certain

threshold.
Event 3A
The estimated quality of the currently used UTRAN frequency is below a

certain threshold and the estimated quality of the other system is above a
certain threshold.
Event 3C
The estimated quality of other system is above a certain threshold.
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Frequency Quality Estimation

In UMTS-to-GSM handover, the report criteria of event 3A are based on the quality
estimation of the frequency. The parameter Weight for used frequency is the frequency
weighting factor used to calculate the quality of the current frequency. This parameter is used
for event 3A only.
For detailed information about the quality estimation formula, see section "Frequency Quality Estimate"
in 3GPP TS 25.331.
Triggering of Event 2D
Event 2D is triggered on the basis of the following formula:
QUsed <= TUsed2d - H2d/2
where
l
QUsed is the measurement value of the cell at the currently used frequency.
TUsed2d is the absolute quality threshold of the cell at the currently used frequency. Based
on the service type (CS , PS domain R99 service, or PS domain HSPA service) and
measurement quantity (CPICH Ec/No or RSCP), this threshold can be configured
through the following parameters:
3-22
Inter-RAT CS measure start Ec/No THD

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Inter-RAT R99 PS measure start Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT H measure start Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT CS measure start RSCP THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS measure start RSCP THD
Inter-RAT H measure start RSCP THD
H2d is 2D hysteresis, the hysteresis value of event 2D.
For the PS and CS combined services, the threshold(s) for CS services is (are) used.
When the conditions for event 2D are met and maintained in time-to-trigger specified by the
parameter 2D event trigger delay time, the UE sends the measurement report of event 2D.
Triggering of Event 2F
Event 2F is triggered on the basis of the following formula:
QUsed >= TUsed2f + H2f/2
where
l
TUsed2f is the absolute quality threshold of the cell at the currently used frequency. Based
on the service type (CS , PS domain R99 service, or PS domain HSPA service) and
measurement quantity (CPICH Ec/No or RSCP), this threshold can be configured
Inter-RAT CS measure stop Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS measure stop Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT H measure stop Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT CS measure stop RSCP THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS measure stop RSCP THD
Inter-RAT H measure stop RSCP THD
H2f is 2F hysteresis, the hysteresis value of event 2F.
When the conditions for event 2F are met and maintained in time-to-trigger specified by 2F
event trigger delay time, the UE sends the measurement report of event 2F.
Triggering of Event 3A
Event 3A is triggered on the basis of the following formula:
QUsed <= TUsed - H3a/2 and MOtherRAT + CIOOtherRAT >= TOtherRAT + H3a/2
where
l
TUsed is the absolute quality threshold of the cell that uses the current frequency.
Based on the service type (CS , PS domain R99 service, or PS domain HSPA service)
and measurement quantity (CPICH Ec/No or RSCP) in the coverage-based handover,
TUsed can be configured through the following parameters (These parameters are shared
by the inter-freq and inter-RAT handover.):
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
Inter-RAT CS Used frequency trigger Ec/No THD

3-23
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Inter-RAT R99 PS Used frequency trigger Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT H Used frequency trigger Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT CS Used frequency trigger RSCP THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS Used frequency trigger RSCP THD
Inter-RAT H Used frequency trigger RSCP THD
In the uplink QoS-based handover, based on the measurement quantity (CPICH Ec/No or
RSCP), TUsed is configured as the maximum value according to 3GPP specifications, as
described below:
If the measurement quantity is CPICH Ec/No, TUsed is configured as the maximum

value 0 dB.
If the measurement quantity is CPICH RSCP, TUsed is configured as the maximum

value -25 dBm.
In the downlink QoS-based handover:
If the measurement quantity is CPICH Ec/No, TUsed is configured as the maximum

value 0 dB.
If the measurement quantity is CPICH RSCP, based on the service type (CS, PS
domain R99 service, or PS domain HSPA service), TUsed can be configured as one of
the following sums:
Inter-RAT CS Used frequency trigger RSCP THD and Down Link RSCP
Used-Freq THD Hyst
Inter-RAT R99 PS Used frequency trigger RSCP THD and Down Link RSCP
Used-Freq THD Hyst
Inter-RAT H Used frequency trigger RSCP THD and Down Link RSCP
Used-Freq THD Hyst
MOtherRAT is the measurement value of the cell (in another RAT) in the reporting
range.
CIOOtherRAT is the cell individual offset value of the cell (in another RAT) in the
reporting range which is equal to the sum of Cell oriented Cell Individual Offset
and Neighboring cell oriented CIO.
TOtherRAT is the absolute inter-RAT handover threshold. Based on the service type (CS ,
PS domain R99 service, or PS domain HSPA service), this threshold can be
configured through the following parameters:
Inter-RAT CS handover decision THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS handover decision THD
Inter-RAT H handover decision THD

H3a is 3A hysteresis, the hysteresis value of event 3A.
When the conditions for event 3A are met and maintained in time-to-trigger specified by 3A
event trigger delay time the UE sends the measurement report of event 3A.
Triggering of Event 3C
Event 3C is triggered on the basis of the following formula:
MOtherRAT + CIOOtherRAT >= TOtherRAT + H3c/2
where
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MOtherRAT is the measurement value of the cell (in another RAT) in the reporting range.
CIOOtherRAT is the cell individual offset value of the cell (in another RAT) in the reporting
range, which is equal to the sum of Cell oriented Cell Individual Offset and
Neighboring cell oriented CIO.
TOtherRAT is the absolute inter-RAT handover threshold. Based on the service type (CS ,
PS domain R99 service, or PS domain HSPA service), this threshold can be configured
Inter-RAT PS handover decision THD

H3c is 3C hysteresis, the hysteresis value of event 3C.
When the conditions for event 3C are met and the delay requirement specified by the 3C
event trigger delay time parameter can be satisfied, the UE sends the measurement report of
event 3C.
3.4.4 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Neighboring Cell Combination

Algorithm
The measurement range in the measurement control message sent to the UE is determined by
the range of neighboring cells. After the active set is updated, the RNC updates the
neighboring cell list by using the neighboring cell combination algorithm according to the
status of the active set. This list includes the new intra-frequency, inter-frequency and
inter-RAT neighboring cells.
Neighboring Cell Combination Switch

The NCELL_COMBINE_SWITCH parameter of Handover Algorithm Switch decides the
measurement range of neighboring cells.
l
If the switch is set to ON, measurement objects are chosen from the neighboring cells of
all the cells in the active set.
If the switch is set to OFF, measurement objects are chosen from the neighboring cells of
the best cell.
l
The maximum number of neighboring cells is 32, no matter whether the measurement range is the
neighboring cells of the active set or those of the monitored set.
In default, the NCELL_COMBINE_SWITCH is set to ON.
Triggering of the Neighboring Cell Combination Algorithm

After the active set update is complete, the RNC updates the neighboring cell list by using the
neighboring cell combination algorithm:
l
When receiving an event 1A or 1C report, the RNC uses this algorithm to update the
neighboring cell list. If the Radio Links (RLs) from the DRNC are added to the active set,
the SRNC buffers the intra-frequency, inter-frequency, and inter-RAT neighboring cells
list from the DRNC until the RLs from DRNC are removed from the active set.
When receiving an event 1B or 1D report or an RL OUT-OF-SYNCHRONIZATION

message from the NodeB, the RNC uses this algorithm to update the neighboring cell
list.
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Description of the Neighboring Cell Combination Algorithm

After obtaining the inter-RAT neighboring cells of each cell in the active set, the RNC
calculates the union neighboring cell set (referred to as Sall) of the active set by using the
following method:
Step 1 The intra-frequency, inter-frequency and inter-RAT neighboring cells of each cell in the
current active set are obtained.
Step 2 The RNC sequences the cells in the active set in descending order of CPICH Ec/No according
to the latest measurement report (event 1A, 1B, 1C, or 1D) from the UE. The best cell is
based on event 1D, whereas other cells are based on the latest measurement report.
Step 3 The cells in the active set are added to Sall.
Step 4 The neighboring cells of the best cell in the active set are added to Sall. The flag of the
priority and The priority of neighbor cell, which are set for each neighboring cell, are used
to change the order of adding the neighboring cells to Sall.
Step 5 The neighboring cells of other cells in the active set are added to Sall in descending order by
CPICH Ec/No values of these cells in the active set. The neighboring cells of the same cell in
the active set are added according to The priority of neighbor cell.
Step 6 If there are more than 32 neighboring cells in Sall, the top 32 neighboring cells are grouped
into the final Sall.
l
When The flag of the priority is switched to FALSE from TRUE, The priority of neighbor
cell is cleared.
When The flag of the priority is switched to TRUE from FALSE, the Priority of neighbor
cell is set simultaneously.
----End
3.4.5 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Quantity

There is a choice of multiple measurement quantities used to measure the CPICH quality.
l
In coverage-based UMTS-to-GSM handover,
Event 2D/2F or periodical measurement takes both CPICH Ec/No and RSCP as
measurement quantities.
Event 3A takes CPICH Ec/No, CPICH RSCP, and Auto as measurement quantities.
In QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover, event 3A takes CPICH Ec/No and CPICH

RSCP as measurement quantities.
The related parameter is 3A Measure Quantity and 3A Used-Freq Measure Quantity for
Qos.
3.4.6 UMTS-to-GSM Handover L3 Filtering

The UE performs the layer 3 (L3) filtering for the measurement value before it judges the
measurement event and sends the measurement report.
The inter-RAT measurement model is similar to the intra-frequency measurement model. For
detailed information, see L3 Filtering for Intra-Frequency Handover.
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The smoothed filter coefficient for layer 3 inter-RAT measurement is Inter-RAT filter coeff,
and the smoothed filter coefficient for events 2D and 2F is 2D2F filter coeff.
3.4.7 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Compressed Mode

Compressed mode is defined as the mechanism whereby certain idle periods are created in
radio frames so that the UE can perform measurements during these periods.
Compressed Mode Concept

Compressed Mode control is a mechanism whereby certain idle periods are created in radio
frames during which the UE can perform measurements on other frequencies. The UE can
carry out measurements in the neighbouring cell, such as GSM cell and FDD cell on other
frequency. If the UE needs to measure the pilot signal strength of an inter-frequency WCDMA
or GSM cell and has one frequency receiver only, the UE must use the compressed mode.
Each physical frame can provide 3 to 7 timeslots for the inter-frequency or inter-RAT cell
measurement, which enhances the transmit capability of physical channels but reduces the
volume of data traffic.
Therefore, the compressed mode is usually used in inter-frequency or inter-RAT handover.
When the corresponding handover algorithm decides a measurement in compressed mode
based on the UE capability, the RNC performs the following procedures:
Step 1 Sends parameters for the compressed mode to the NodeB and the UE.
Step 2 Sets parameters for inter-frequency or inter-RAT cell measurement control.
Step 3 Activates the compressed mode.
Step 4 Updates the measurement control information to the UE when required.
----End
Compressed Mode Types

The compressed mode is of the following two types:
l
Spreading factor reduction (SF/2)
High layer scheduling
Which type of the compressed mode to use is automatically decided by the RNC on the basis
of the spreading factor used in the uplink or the downlink.
l
When the downlink spreading factor is greater than or equal to the parameter DL SF
threshold, the SF/2 approach is preferred. Otherwise, the high layer scheduling is used.
When the uplink spreading factor is greater than or equal to the parameter UL SF
threshold, the SF/2 approach is preferred. Otherwise, the high layer scheduling is used.
To initiate the high layer scheduling, set the following two switches:
l
If the algorithm switch CMCF_DL_HLS_SWITCH of CMCF Algorithm Switch

parameter is set to ON, the DL high-layer scheduling for the compressed mode is
allowed.
If the algorithm switch CMCF_UL_HLS_SWITCH of CMCF Algorithm Switch

parameter is set to ON, the UL high-layer scheduling for the compressed mode is
allowed.
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Compressed Mode Switches

The parameter Dl SF limit CM ind decides whether to start the DL compressed mode
according to the parameter Dl SF threshold to limit CM.
In addition, there are two switches, CMCF_UL_PRECFG_TOLERANCE_SWITCH and
CMCF_WITHOUT_UE_CAP_REPORT_SWITCH, involved in starting the compressed
mode. Both of them are values of the parameter CMCF algorithm switch that is configured
through the command SET CORRMALGOSWITCH.
Switch
Description
Default
Value
CMCF_UL_PRECFG_TOLER
ANCE_SWITCH
When the uplink SF is 4 (UL SF = 4),

the compressed mode of reducing the SF
by half (SF/2) fails to be initiated
because the SF cannot be 2.
OFF
This switch is used to decide whether the

UL SF = 4 RB(s) is (are) allowed to be
set up when the RNC is in the
preconfigured state of the SF/2
compressed mode.
If the switch is set to ON, the UL SF = 4
RB(s) is (are) allowed to be set up when
the RNC is in the preconfigured state of
the SF/2 compressed mode. However, if
the compressed mode is triggered by
event 2D, the compressed mode cannot
be activated, that is, it cannot be initiated
to start the inter-frequency or inter-RAT
measurement.
If the switch is set to OFF, the UL SF =
4 RB(s) is (are) not allowed to be set up
when the RNC is in the preconfigured
state of the SF/2 compressed mode.
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Switch
Description
Default
Value
OFF
CMCF_WITHOUT_UE_CAP_R The UE can start the compressed mode
on some frequency ranges that are not in
EPORT_SWITCH
the reported measurement range.
Whether to start the compressed mode to
take measurements on the frequencies
within the frequency range depends on
the switch.
This switch is used to decide whether the
UE need initiate the compressed mode to
start the inter-frequency measurement
for such frequencies.
If the switch is set to ON for such
frequencies, the UE must initiate the
compressed mode to start the
inter-frequency measurement.
If the switch is set to OFF for such
frequencies, the compressed mode need
not be initiated before the
inter-frequency measurement. Thus, the
UE need not initiate the compressed
mode to start the inter-frequency
measurement.
Generally, it is recommended that the previously mentioned two switches are set to OFF.
Measurement Timer Length

When the UE takes a long time to perform the inter-RAT measurement in compressed mode,
the radio network will be affected. To avoid the influence, the system stops the inter-RAT
measurement and disables the compressed mode if no inter-RAT handover occurs upon expiry
of the inter-RAT measurement timer.
l
The timer is specified by Inter-RAT measure timer length in inter-RAT handover

based on coverage, load or service.
The timer is specified by Down Link Qos Measure timer length/Up Link Qos
Measure timer length in inter-RAT handover based on downlink/uplink QoS.
3.4.8 BSIC Verification Requirements for GSM Cells

During inter-RAT measurement, it is recommended that the UE reports the GSM cell after the
Base Transceiver Station Identity Code (BSIC) of the GSM cell is verified. This greatly
enhances the reliability of handover.
The related parameter is BSIC verify switch.
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3.5 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution

The UMTS-to-GSM handover decision and execution vary with different types of inter-RAT
handover.
l
Coverage-Based and QoS-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution
Load-Based and Service-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover Decision and Execution
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Retry
UMTS-to-GSM Multimedia Fallback
UMTS-to-GSM Handover in the PS Domain with NACC or PS Handover
3.5.1 Coverage-Based and QoS-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover

Decision and Execution
The coverage-based and QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover is categorized into two types
according to the following two measurement report modes: periodical measurement report
mode and event-triggered measurement report mode. Each mode corresponds to a different
decision and execution procedure.
Coverage-Based and QoS-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover in Periodical

Measurement Report Mode
After receiving the periodical measurement report of GSM cells, the RNC performs the
following decision and execution procedures:
Step 1 Decide whether the quality of GSM cells meets the conditions of inter-RAT handover.
The evaluation formula is listed below:
Mother_RAT + CIOother_RAT Tother_RAT + H/2
where
l
Mother_RAT is the measurement result of inter-RAT handover received by the RNC.
CIOother_RAT is the cell individual offset value of the target cell. It is equal to the sum of
Cell oriented Cell Individual Offset and Neighboring cell oriented CIO.
Neigbhoring cell oriented CIO indicates the offset of the measurement cell relative to
the best cell.
Tother_RAT is the decision threshold of inter-RAT hard handover.

Based on the service type (CS or PS service) and measurement quantity (CPICH Ec/No
or RSCP), this threshold can be configured through the following parameters:
Inter-RAT R99 PS handover decision THD
Inter-RAT H handover decision THD
These thresholds are the same as the quality threshold of event 3A. For detailed information, see 3.4.3
UMTS-to-GSM Handover Measurement Events.
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H is the inter-frequency hard handover hysteresis value Inter-RAT hysteresis.
For the PS and CS combined services, one or more handover thresholds for CS
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Step 2 Start the evaluation of the cells that meet the quality requirement and start the time-to-trigger
timer. If the measurement report meet the following formula and time-to-trigger timer doesn't
expire, stop the time-to-trigger timer.
Mother_RAT + CIOother_RAT < Tother_RAT - H/2
Where the parameters are the same as those previously described.
Step 3 Select the cells in sequence, that is, from high quality cells to low quality ones, to initiate
UMTS-to-GSM handover in the cells where the handover time-to-trigger timer expires.
The length of the time-to-trigger timer is configured through the parameter Time to trigger
for verified GSM cell (with BSIC acknowledged) or the parameter Time to trigger for
non-verified GSM cell (with BSIC unacknowledged).
----End
Coverage-Based and QoS-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover in Event-Triggered

Measurement Report Mode
After receiving the event 3A measurement report of GSM cells, the RNC performs the
following decision and execution procedures:
Step 1 Put all the GSM cells that trigger event 3A into a cell set and arrange the cells according to
the measurement quality in descending order.
Step 2 Select the cells in sequence from the cell set to perform inter-RAT handover.
----End
3.5.2 Load-Based and Service-Based UMTS-to-GSM Handover

Decision and Execution
The load status between the source cell and the target cell can be acquired by interchanging
load information between a UMTS cell and a GSM cell during the load-based and
service-based UMTS-to-GSM handover. Thus, whether to further conduct the handover can
be determined to avoid the 2G cell overload and possible handover to the congested cell.
Decision and Execution Procedure of Load or Service-Based UMTS-to-GSM

Handover
After receiving the event 3C measurement report of GSM cells, the RNC performs the
following handover decision and execution procedure:
Step 1 Put all the GSM cells that trigger event 3C into a cell set and arrange the cells according to the
measurement quality in descending order.
Step 2 Select the cells in sequence from the cell set.
To avoid the impact of the UE (in long-term measurement of compressed mode) on the radio
network, the parameter Inter-RAT handover max attempt times is set to restrict the
maximum attempts of the UMTS-to-GSM load-based or service-based handover. The
parameter indicates the handover attempts made to the same cell or different cells. If the
number of attempts exceeds the parameter value, the RNC does not initiate the handover.
----End
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Interchanging Load Information in Load or Service-Based UMTS-to-GSM

Handover
The procedure of load information interchanging between the 3G source cell and 2G target
cell is described as follows:
Step 1 When the RNC sends a RELOCATION REQUIRED message to the 3G CN,
l
If the switch Send Load Info to GSM Ind is set to ON, the RELOCATION
REQUIRED message includes the Information Element, Old BSS To New BSS
Information that includes the load information of the 3G source cell.
If the switch Send Load Info to GSM Ind is set to OFF, then the RELOCATION
REQUIRED message does not include the Information Element, Old BSS To New BSS
Information.
Step 2 When the RNC receives the RELOCATION COMMAND message from the 2G CN,
l
If the switch NCOV Reloc Ind based on GSM cell load is set to ON, the RNC obtains
the load information of the 2G target cell by reading the Information Element,
Inter-System Information Transparent Container, which is included in the
RELOCATION COMMAND message.
If the 2G load is lower than CS domain Reloc GSM load THD (for CS service), or
if the 2G load is lower than PS domain Reloc GSM load THD (for PS service), the
RNC continues the inter-RAT handover procedure; otherwise, the RNC returns the
Relocation Cancel message to the CN to cancel this inter-RAT handover and makes
another handover attempt to the next candidate cell generated in the cell list based on
inter-RAT measurement.
If the Information Element, Inter-System Information Transparent Container, is not

included in the RELOCATION COMMAND message, the load information of the 2G
target cell is not considered and this inter-RAT handover is continued.
If the switch NCOV Reloc Ind based on GSM cell load is set to OFF, the RNC
continues the inter-RAT handover procedure without considering the thresholds.
----End
3.5.3 UMTS-to-GSM Handover Retry

In case of inter-RAT handover failure, if the cause of the failure is not a configuration failure
and the retry timer expires, the UE makes handover attempts to the cell again until the retry
number exceeds the maximum retry number.
The inter-RAT handover retry algorithm works in the following two signaling procedures:
Signaling Procedure for Iu Relocation

Step 1 The RELOCATION REQUIRED message is initiated on the Iu interface.
Step 2 If the RNC receives the RELOCATION PREPARATION FAILURE message, the inter-RAT
handover fails.
If the cause of the failure is one of the following configuration failure, the RNC does not
make a handover retry to the cell.
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Relocation Failure in Target CN/RNC or Target System, or
Relocation not supported in Target RNC or Target System, or

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l
Relocation Target not allowed
Otherwise, the related retry timer for the cell is started. After the retry timer expires, the UE
makes handover attempts to the cell again until the retry number exceeds the maximum retry
number.
Step 3 If the RNC receives the RELOCATION COMMAND message, the handover on the Uu
interface continues.
Step 4 If the handover succeeds or the new event 3A or 3C report is received, the periodical retry is
stopped.
----End
Signaling Procedure for Service-Based Handover on the Uu Interface

l
For CS services or CS and PS combined services, the HANDOVER FROM UTRAN

signaling procedure on the Uu interface is performed only when the handover based on
CS services is made.
For a PS service or combined PS services, the CELL CHANGE ORDER FROM

UTRAN or HANDOVER FROM UTRAN signaling procedure on the Uu interface is
performed.
If the HANDOVER FROM UTRAN FAILURE or CELL CHANGE ORDER FROM

UTRAN FAILURE message is received, the handover on the Uu interface fails.
If the "Inter-RAT handover failure cause" in HANDOVER FROM UTRAN FAILURE

message is "Configuration unacceptable", or if the "Inter-RAT change failure cause" in CELL
CHANGE ORDER FROM UTRAN FAILURE message is "Configuration unacceptable", the
RNC does not make a handover retry to the cell.
Otherwise, the related retry timer for the cell is started. After the retry timer expires, the UE
makes a handover attempt to the cell again until the retry number exceeds the maximum
number.
If the handover succeeds or the new event 3A or 3C report is received, the periodical retry is
stopped.
The retry timer and maximum retry number for coverage-based and QoS-based inter-RAT
handover are:
l
3A event retry period
3A event retry max times
The retry timer and maximum retry number for load-based and service-based inter-RAT
handover are:
l
3C event retry period
3C event retry max times
3.5.4 UMTS-to-GSM Multimedia Fallback

Before the RNC performs handover for the UE that subscribes to the video phone (VP)
service, the RNC initiates multimedia fallback to change the VP service to the Adaptive Multi
Rate (AMR) speech service, that is, to perform the UMTS-to-GSM handover based on the CS
AMR speech service.
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Overview of Fallback Service

Compared with the traditional speech service of the GSM, the VP service of the UMTS can
transmit not only speech services between the calling party and the called party, but also the
images and videos captured by both parties. Since the actual implementation is limited by
terminals and networks, the VP service sometimes carries only speech and may fail to
transmit images or videos. In this scenario, the Service Change and Unrestricted Digital
Information Fallback (SCUDIF) provides the fallback mechanism that changes a video call to
a common speech call.
As specified in 3GPP TS 23.172, the fallback service of the VP is categorized into the
following two types:
l
Fallback: the process of changing multimedia services back to speech services during
call setup. The RNC doesn't take part in the process. Therefore the detailed description of
Fall back process is not given hereinafter.
Service change: the process of changing multimedia services back to speech services
during the call.
The two types are both referred to as multimedia fallback in this feature.
Triggering of Fallback Service

Currently, the network-initiated multimedia fallback is performed only for the UMTS-to-GSM
handover. RAN 6.1 and later releases do not support service changes caused by the UEs.
Fallback is initiated on the following occasions:
l
The RNC decides to send an inter-RAT handover request after receiving periodical
measurement reports of event 1F, 3A, or 3C.
The service is combined with a VP, and the "Alternative RAB Para" in the RAB
ASSIGNMENT message is a valid AMR speech format.
Procedure of Fallback Service

The following figure shows the service change procedure of UMTS-to-GSM handover. The
network initiates the service change, that is, the RNC initiates the change from the VP service
to the speech service during the call.
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Figure 3-6 UMTS-to-GSM handover in the CS domain
The procedure for the fallback service is described as follows:

Step 1 The CN sends the SRNC a RANAP RAB ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENT message to set
up the VP service. The message includes the "Alternative RAB Para" that has QoS parameters
required for setting up the speech service.
Step 2 During UMTS-to-GSM handover, the SRNC sends a RANAP MODIFY REQUEST message
to change the VP service to the AMR speech service. In the 3GPP R6 protocol, the
Alternative RAB Configuration is also added to the RAB MODIFY REQUEST message,
which enables the RNC to request the CN to change the VP service to the AMR speech
service.
Step 3 The MSC initiates the Bearer Capability (BC) negotiation with the UE.
Step 4 After the negotiation is modified, the RNC is informed of performing service change. The
multimedia fallback ends when the service change is completed.
When the multimedia fallback ends, the RNC decides whether to perform the UMTS-to-GSM
handover according to the current measurements reported by the UE.
At the beginning of the service setup, the RNC saves the RAB Para and "Alternative RAB
Para" in the RAB ASSIGNMENT or REQUEST RELOCATION REQUEST message. This
makes preparations for notifying the CN of changing the VP service to the AMR speech
service.
The CN initiates the RAB reconfiguration to inform the two calling parties of performing the
multimedia fallback. The multimedia fallback of the calling party is consistent with that of the
called party. The single VP service falls back to the single AMR speech service. The
multi-RAB service combined with VP falls back to the multi-RAB service combined with
AMR. If the multimedia fallback succeeds, that is, the video phone in the service falls back to
speech successfully, the inter-RAT handover is initiated. Otherwise, the inter-RAT handover
fails.
----End
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3.5.5 UMTS-to-GSM Handover in the PS Domain with NACC or

PS Handover
The Network Assisted Cell Change (NACC) function can efficiently reduce the delay of
UMTS-to-GSM handover. PS handover is similar to the inter-system handover in CS
domains.
UMTS-to-GSM Handover in the PS Domain with NACC

Some services have requirements for the delay. If the handover takes too long, TCP may start
slowly or data transmission of the stream service may be interrupted due to the overflow of
the UE buffer. The introduction of NACC enables the system information exchange between
different BSSs, or between BSS and RAN. Thus the inter-system delay, especially
inter-system delay in PS domains, can be reduced. With NACC, the RNC sends the cell
change order to the UE, which contains the GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN)
system information, when the UMTS-to-GSM handover in the PS domain is triggered.
Figure 3-7 NACC procedure
The procedure is as follows:

Step 1 After the SRNC receives a measurement report from the UE, the UE is reselected to the
GERAN cell according to the decision.
Step 2 The SRNC sends a RAN INFORMATION REQUEST message to the SGSN.
Step 3 The SGSN forwards the message to the corresponding BSS.
Step 4 The BSS sends a GERAN SI/PSI message to the SRNC via the SGSN. RAN
INFORMATION message can either be On-demand (single report) or On-modification
(multiple reports).
Step 5 The SGSN forwards the report message to the SRNC through Iu interface.
Step 6 If there are several report messages, the SRNC terminates reporting by the
TERMINATION/END message.
To enable the NACC function, do as follows:
l
3-36
Run the SET CORRMALGOSWITCH command to set

PS_3G2G_CELLCHG_NACC_SWITCH of Handover Algorithm switch to ON.

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l
Run the ADD GSMCELL/MOD GSMCELL command to set Inter-RAT cell support
RIM indicator to TRUE.
----End
UMTS-to-GSM Handover in the PS Domain with PS Handover

To enable the PS HO function, do as follows:
l
Run the SET CORRMALGOSWITCH command to set

PS_3G2G_RELOCATION_SWITCH of Handover Algorithm switch parameter to
ON.
Run the ADD GSMCELL/MOD GSMCELL command to set Inter-RAT cell support
PS HO indicator to TRUE.
3.6 Inter-RAT Handover of HSDPA

The introduction of HSDPA does not affect the inter-RAT handover algorithms.
The switch CM permission ind on HSDPA decides whether the Compressed Mode (CM)
can be used on HSDPA. For detailed information about the switch, see Inter-Frequency
Handover of HSDPA.
When the UE is handed over to a cell supporting the F-DPCH from another system and a UL
or DL event 4A is reported, the RNC decides whether to change the bearing mode of TRB and
SRB.
If the TPC command is carried on the F-DPCH between the UE and the UTRAN, the SRB
and the TRB are carried on the HS-DSCH. If a cell not supporting the F-DPCH is added to the
active set, all the F-DPCHs are deleted. In addition, new DPCHs between the UE and all the
cells in the active set are set up to carry the SRB and TPC commands. In this case, the TRB is
still carried on the HS-DSCH.
3.7 Inter-RAT Handover of HSUPA

The introduction of HSUPA does not affect the inter-RAT handover algorithms.
The switch CM permission ind on HSUPA decides whether the Compressed Mode (CM)
can be used on HSUPA. For detailed information about the switch, see Inter-Frequency
Handover of HSUPA.
3.8 GSM-to-UMTS Handover

The GSM-to-UMTS handover is initiated by the GSM network, where the dual-mode (GSM
and WCDMA) MSs are required. To support the GSM-to-UMTS handover, both the GSM
MSC and the GSM BSS must be upgraded.
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GSM-to-UMTS Handover Penalty Algorithm

For the GSM-to-UMTS handover, the measurement control message is delivered through a
system information broadcast of 2G when the GSM cell has a WCDMA neighboring cell. The
dual-mode MS performs the inter-RAT measurement in idle timeslots and reports the
measurement results. Based on the reported measurement values, the BSC decides whether to
perform the handover to the WCDMA network. If the decision is made, the BSC begins to
perform the handover.
To avoid the ping-pong handover between GSM and UMTS, the GSM-to-UMTS handover
penalty alogrithm is used.
When the UE is handed over from GSM to UMTS and if any CS domain service exists, the
system increases the hysteresis of event 3A through the parameter Inter-RAT PingPong Hyst
to prevent the UE from the ping-pong handover between GSM and UMTS in the period
specified by the parameter Inter-RAT PingPong timer.
Interchanging Load Information in GSM-to-UMTS Load or Service-Based

Handover
In GSM-to-UMTS handover based on load or service, RNC can make a decision about access
admission considering the load information of the 3G target cell. This can avoid the
worsening of the 3G system performance caused by GSM-to-UMTS handover based on load
or service if the 3G system load is high.
The procedure is described as follows:
Step 1 When the RNC sends a Relocation Request Acknowledge message to the 3G CN,
l
If the switch Send Load Info to GSM Ind is set to ON, the Relocation Request
Acknowledge message includes the Information Element, New BSS To Old BSS
Information, which includes the load information of the 3G target cell.
If the switch Send Load Info to GSM Ind is set to OFF, the Relocation Request
Acknowledge message does not include the Information Element, New BSS To Old BSS
Information.
Depending on the network requirement, GSM decides whether to use the load information
sent to 3G for judgement.
Step 2 When the RNC receives the RELOCATION REQUEST message from the 3G CN,
l
If the 3G cell is not in the basic congestion state, the RNC continues the inter-RAT
handover procedure.
If the 3G cell is in the basic congestion state, the RNC returns RELOCATION FAILURE
message to the CN to cancel the inter-RAT handover.
For the concept of "basic congestion", see Basic Congestion Triggering.
----End
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3.9 Interoperability Between Inter-RAT Handover and

Inter-Frequency Handover
During the coverage-based and QoS-based UMTS-to-GSM handover, the measurements on
both inter-frequency and inter-RAT neighboring cells can be made, which enables the cells to
provide continuous coverage and high quality.
The preconditions for the measurements are as follows:
l
Both inter-frequency and inter-RAT neighboring cells are available.
Inter-freq and Inter-RAT coexist switch is set to SIMINTERFREQRAT.
If Inter-freq and Inter-RAT coexist switch is set as follows:

l
Inter-frequency measurement, which means that the RNC allows the UE to perform only
this type of measurement.
Inter-RAT measurement, which means that the RNC allows the UE to perform only this
type of measurement.
Concurrent inter-frequency and inter-RAT measurement, which means that the RNC
allows the UE to perform both types of measurement in compressed mode at the same
time.
During the concurrent inter-frequency and inter-RAT measurement, the values of the
parameter InterFreq and InterRat coexist measure threshold choice for events 2D and 2F
are chosen as follows:
l
When the value COEXIST_MEAS_THD_CHOICE_INTERFREQ is chosen, the

inter-frequency measurement threshold for event 2D is used.
When the value COEXIST_MEAS_THD_CHOICE_INTERRAT is chosen, the

inter-RAT measurement threshold for event 2D is used.
3.10 Signaling Procedures for Inter-RAT Handover

There are five types of signaling procedures for inter-RAT handover.
l
UMTS-to-GSM Handover in CS Domain
UMTS to GSM Handover in PS Domain
UMTS-to-GSM Handover in Both CS Domain and PS Domain
GSM-to-UMTS Handover in CS Domain
GSM-to-UMTS Handover in PS Domain
3.10.1 UMTS-to-GSM Handover in CS Domain

This describes the UMTS-to-GSM handover in the CS domain.
The following figure shows the signaling procedures for the UMTS-to-GSM handover in the
CS domain.
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Figure 3-8 UMTS-to-GSM handover in the CS domain
The signaling procedures are described as follows:

Step 1 The SRNC sends the 3G MSC a RANAP message RELOCATION REQUIRED if the
condition of inter-RAT outgoing handover is met.
Step 2 As indicated in the received message, the 3G MSC forwards this request to the 2G MSC on
the MAP/E interface through a MAP message PREPARE HANDOVER.
Step 3 The 2G MSC forwards the request to the BSC. The message shown in the figure is for
reference only and is subject to the actual condition of the GSM.
Step 4 The BSC responds to this request. The message shown in the figure is for reference only and
is subject to the actual condition of the GSM.
Step 5 Once the initial procedures are completed in the 2G MSC/BSS, the 2G MSC returns a MAP/E
message PREPARE HANDOVER RESPONSE.
Step 6 The 3G MSC sends the SRNC a RANAP message RELOCATION COMMAND.
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Step 7 The SRNC sends the UE an RRC message HANDOVER FROM UTRAN through the
existing RRC connection. This message may include information from one or several other
systems.
Step 8 The BSC performs handover detection. The figure does not show such procedures as GSM
BSS synchronization. The message shown in the figure is for reference only and is subject to
the actual condition of the GSM.
Step 9 The UE sends the BSC a HANDOVER COMPLETE message.
Step 10 The BSC sends the MSC a HANDOVER COMPLETE message. The message shown in the
figure is for reference only and is subject to the actual condition of the GSM.
Step 11 After detecting the UE in the coverage area of the GSM, the MSC sends the CN a MAP/E
message SEND END SIGNAL REQUEST.
Step 12 The CN sends the former SRNC an IU RELEASE COMMAND message, requesting the
former SRNC to release the allocated resource.
Step 13 After the bearer resource is released in the UMTS, the former SRNC sends the CN an IU
RELEASE COMPLETE message.
Step 14 After the call ends, the CN sends the MSC a MAP/E message SEND END SIGNAL
RESPONSE.
----End
3.10.2 UMTS to GSM Handover in PS Domain

For a UE in idle mode or connected mode, if the SGSN changes with the shift of the system
that the UE accesses from UMTS to GSM, the inter-SGSN handover will be performed.
Handover for the UE in Connected Mode

The handover procedures are different in the following two cases:
l
When the UE is in CELL_DCH state

The UMTS-to-GSM handover in the PS domain is triggered after the UTRAN sends a
CELL CHANGE ORDER FROM UTRAN message.
When the UE is in CELL_FACH, CELL_PCH, or URA_PCH state

The UMTS-to-GSM handover in the PS domain is triggered through the cell reselection.
The following figure shows an example of handover for the UE in CELL_FACH, CELL_PCH,
or URA_PCH state.
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Figure 3-9 Example of the UMTS-to-GSM handover in the PS domain

Step 1 The UE in CELL_DCH state or the UTRAN (when the UE is in CELL_FACH state) decides
to initiate an inter-RAT handover in the PS domain to hand over the UE to a new GSM cell
and stop the data transmission between the UE and the network.
Step 2 The UE sends a ROUTING AREA UPDATE REQUEST message to the 2G SGSN. The
Update Type in the message indicates RA update, combined RA/LA update, or combined
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RA/LA update with IMSI attach. The BSS adds the CGI including the RAC and LAC of the
cell to the received message before forwarding the message to a new 2G SGSN.
Step 3 The new 2G SGSN sends an SGSN CONTEXT REQUEST message to the old 3G SGSN to
obtain the MM and PDP contexts. The old 3G SGSN validates the old P-TMSI Signature. If
the old P-TMSI Signature is valid, the old 3G SGSN starts a timer. Otherwise, the old 3G
SGSN responds with an error cause.
Step 4 If the UE stays in connected mode before handover, the old 3G SGSN sends an SRNS
CONTEXT REQUEST message. After receiving this message, the SRNS buffers the PDUs,
stops sending the PDUs to the UE, and sends an SRNS CONTEXT RESPONSE message to
the old 3G SGSN.
Step 5 The old 3G SGSN sends an SGSN CONTEXT RESPONSE message to the 2G SGSN,
including the MM and PDP contexts.
Step 6 The security functions can be executed.
Step 7 The new 2G SGSN sends an SGSN CONTEXT ACKNOWLEDGE message to the old 3G
SGSN. This informs the old 3G SGSN that the new 2G SGSN is ready to receive the PDUs
belonging to the activated PDP contexts.
Step 8 The old 3G SGSN sends a DATA FORWARD COMMAND message to the SRNS. The
SRNS starts a data-forwarding timer and sends the buffered PDUs to the old 3G SGSN.
Step 9 The old 3G SGSN tunnels the GTP PDUs to the new 2G SGSN. In the PDUs, the sequence
numbers in the GTP header remain unchanged.
Step 10 The new 2G SGSN sends an UPDATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message to each related
GGSN. Each GGSN sends an UPDATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message after updating
its PDP context fields.
Step 11 The new 2G SGSN sends an UPDATE GPRS LOCATION message, requesting the HLR to
modify the SGSN number.
Step 12 The HLR sends a CANCEL LOCATION message to the old 3G SGSN. The old 3G SGSN
responds with a CANCEL LOCATION ACK message. After the timer expires, the old 3G
SGSN removes the MM and PDP contexts.
Step 13 The old 3G SGSN sends an IU RELEASE COMMAND message to the SRNS. After the
data-forwarding timer expires, the SRNS responds with an IU RELEASE COMPLETE
message.
Step 14 The HLR sends an INSERT SUBSCRIBER DATA message to the new 2G SGSN. The 2G
SGSN constructs an MM context and PDP contexts for the UE and returns an INSERT
SUBSCRIBER DATA ACK message to the HLR.
Step 15 The HLR sends an UPDATE GPRS LOCATION ACK message to the new 2G SGSN.
Step 16 If the association has to be established, the new 2G SGSN sends a LOCATION UPDATE
REQUEST message to the VLR. The VLR stores the SGSN number for creating or updating
the association.
Step 17 If the subscriber data in the VLR is marked as not confirmed by the HLR, the new VLR
informs the HLR. The HLR cancels the old VLR and inserts subscriber data in the new VLR.
1.
The new VLR sends an UPDATE LOCATION message to the HLR.
2.
The HLR cancels the data in the old VLR by sending a CANCEL LOCATION message
to the old VLR.
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3.
The old VLR acknowledges the message by responding with a CANCEL LOCATION
ACK message.
4.
The HLR sends an INSERT SUBSCRIBER DATA message to the new VLR.
5.
The new VLR acknowledges the message by responding with an INSERT

SUBSCRIBER DATA ACK message.
6.
The HLR responds with a UPDATE LOCATION ACK message to the new VLR.
Step 18 The new VLR allocates a new TMSI and responds with a LOCATION UPDATE ACCEPT
message to the 2G SGSN.
Step 19 The new 2G SGSN checks the presence of the MS in the new RA. If all checks are successful,
the new 2G SGSN constructs the MM and PDP contexts for the MS. A logical link is
established between the new 2G SGSN and the UE. The 2G SGSN responds to the UE with a
ROUTING AREA UPDATE ACCEPT message.
Step 20 The UE acknowledges the new P-TMSI by returning a ROUTING AREA UPDATE
COMPLETE message, including all PDUs successfully sent to the UE before the routing area
update procedure.
Step 21 The new 2G SGSN sends a TMSI REALLOCATION COMPLETE message to the new VLR
if the UE confirms the VLR TMSI.
Step 22 The 2G SGSN and the BSS perform the BSS PACKET FLOW CONTEXT procedure.
----End
Handover for the UE in Idle Mode

When the UE is in idle mode, the cell reselection procedure does not include the subprocedure
marked with "UE CONNECTED".
3.10.3 UMTS-to-GSM Handover in Both CS Domain and PS

Domain
UMTS-to-GSM Handover in Both CS Domain and PS Domain describes the UMTS-to-GSM
handover in both CS domain and PS domain.
Inter-RAT Handover in Both CS Domain and PS Domain

For a UE in CELL_DCH state using both CS and PS domain services, the inter-RAT handover
procedure is based on the measurement reports from the UE but is initiated from the UTRAN.
The UE performs the inter-RAT handover from UTRA RRC Connected Mode to GSM
Connected Mode first. After the UE sends a handover complete message to the GSM/BSS, the
UE initiates a temporary block flow towards the GPRS to suspend the GPRS services. After
the CS domain services are released on the GSM side, the inter-RAT handover in the PS
domain resumes, which indicates that the handover is completed.
If the inter-RAT handover from UTRA RRC Connected Mode to GSM Connected Mode
succeeds, the handover is regarded as successful, no matter whether the UE initiates a
temporary block flow towards the GPRS.
In case of inter-RAT handover failure, the UE may go back to the UTRA RRC Connected
Mode and re-establish the connection in the original state.
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Intra-SGSN Service Suspend and Resume

Figure 3-10 Intra-SGSN PS service suspend and resume

Step 1 The UE in connection with both CS and PS domains performs the UMTS-to-GSM handover,
during which the CS service is handed over to the GSM.
Step 2 The UE sends a SUSPEND message to the BSS.
Step 3 The BSS forwards the SUSPEND message to the SGSN. The SGSN sends an SRNS
CONTEXT REQUEST message to the SRNS, requesting the SRNS to stop sending downlink
PDUs. After receiving the message, the SRNS buffers downlink PDUs and responds to the
SGSN with an SRNS CONTEXT RESPONSE message. The SGSN returns a SUSPEND
ACK message to the BSS.
Step 4 When the CS connection is terminated, the BSS may send a RESUME message to the SGSN.
However, resume is impossible since the radio access system has changed. Therefore, the
SGSN acknowledges the resume through a RESUME NACK message.
Step 5 The BSS sends an RR message CHANNEL RELEASE to the UE, indicating that the BSS
fails to request the SGSN to resume the GPRS service for the UE.
Step 6 The UE sends a ROUTING AREA UPDATE REQUEST message to the SGSN to resume the
GPRS service. The update mode depends on the network operation mode in use.
----End
Inter-SGSN Service Suspend and Resume

The UE performs inter-RAT handover from UMTS to GSM during the CS connection, and the
SGSN handling GSM cells is different from the SGSN handling UMTS cells, that is, the 2G
and 3G SGSNs are separated.
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Figure 3-11 Inter-SGSN service suspend and resume

Step 1 The UE in connection with both CS and PS domains performs the UMTS-to-GSM handover,
during which the CS service is handed over to the GSM.
Step 2 The UE sends a SUSPEND message to the BSS.
Step 3 The BSS forwards the SUSPEND message to the 2G SGSN. The 2G SGSN sends a
SUSPEND ACK message to the BSS.
Step 4 After the CS connection is terminated, the BSS may send a RESUME message to the 2G
SGSN. Since the resume is not required for the 3G SGSN, the 2G SGSN acknowledges the
resume through a RESUME NACK message.
Step 5 The BSS sends an RR message CHANNEL RELEASE to the UE, indicating that the BSS
fails to request the SGSN to resume the GPRS service for the UE.
Step 6 The UE sends a ROUTING AREA UPDATE REQUEST message to the SGSN to resume the
GPRS service. The update mode depends on the network operation mode in use.
----End
3.10.4 GSM-to-UMTS Handover in CS Domain

When a GSM cell has a neighboring UMTS cell, the measurement control information is
contained in the system information. The dual-mode UE performs the inter-RAT measurement
in idle timeslots and reports the measurement result. The BSC decides whether to start the
inter-RAT handover according to the measurement result.
The GSM system uses time division multiple access technology, and the inter-RAT
measurement is performed in idle timeslots. Therefore, the GSM need not support the
compressed mode.
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Figure 3-12 GSM-to-UMTS handover in the CS domain

Step 1 The GSM decides to hand over the UE to the UMTS based on the measurement. The BSC
sends a HANDOVER REQUIRED message to the 2G MSC, requesting the UMTS to prepare
for handover.
Step 2 The 2G MSC forwards a MAP/E message PREPARE HANDOVER to the 3G MSC.
Step 3 The 3G MSC sends a RELOCATION REQUEST message to the RNC.
Step 4 After preparation, the RNC sends a RELOCATION REQUEST ACK message to 3G MSC.
Step 5 The 3G MSC sends a MAP/E message PREPARE HANDOVER RESPONSE to the 2G
MSC.
Step 6 The 2G MSC sends a HANDOVER COMMAND message as a response to the initial request
of the BSC.
Step 7 If the radio link exists, the BSC sends an INTER-SYSTEM TO UTRAN HANDOVER
COMMAND message to the UE, instructing the GSM-to-UMTS handover.
Step 8 When detecting the UE, the RNC sends a RELOCATION DETECT message to the 3G MSC.
Step 9 After the handover, the UE sends a HANDOVER COMPLETE message to the RNC.
Step 10 The RNC sends a RELOCATION COMPLETE message to the 3G MSC.
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Step 11 When detecting that the UE is in the coverage area of the UMTS, the 3G MSC sends a SEND
END SIGNAL REQUEST message to the 2G MSC, indicating that the handover is completed
and the GSM resources occupied by the UE can be released.
Step 12 The 2G MSC sends a CLEAR COMMAND message to the BSC, requesting the BSC to
release related resources.
Step 13 After the release, the GSM BSC sends a CLEAR COMPLETE message to the 2G MSC.
Step 14 The 2G MSC sends a SEND END SIGNAL RESPONSE message to the 3G MSC.
----End
3.10.5 GSM-to-UMTS Handover in PS Domain

GSM-to-UMTS Handover in PS Domain describes the GSM-to-UMTS handover in the PS
domain.
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Figure 3-13 GSM-to-UMTS handover in the PS domain

Step 1 The GSM decides to perform an inter-RAT handover in the PS domain and stops the data
transmission between the UE and the network.
Step 2 The UE sends a ROUTING AREA UPDATE REQUEST message to the 3G SGSN. The
Update Type parameter indicates RA update, combined RA/LA update, or combined RA/LA
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update with IMSI attach. The SRNC adds the RAC and LAC of the cell to the received
message before forwarding the message to the new 3G SGSN.
Step 3 The 3G SGSN obtains the address of the old 2G SGSN, and then sends an SGSN CONTEXT
REQUEST message to the old 2G SGSN to construct the MM and PDP contexts for the UE.
The old 2G SGSN validates the P-TMSI signature of the UE.
If the signature is valid or is validated by the 3G SGSN, the 2G SGSN starts a timer.
Step 4 The old 2G SGSN responds with an SGSN CONTEXT RESPONSE message, including the
MM and PDP contexts.
Step 5 The security functions can be executed.
Step 6 The 3G SGSN sends an SGSN CONTEXT ACKNOWLEDGE message to the 2G SGSN. The
message informs the 2G SGSN that the 3G SGSN is ready to receive the PDUs belonging to
the activated PDP contexts.
Step 7 The 2G SGSN copies and buffers N-PDUs, and then sends them to the 3G SGSN. Before the
timer expires, if there are other N-PDUs from the GGSN, the 2G SGSN copies and sends
them to the 3G SGSN. After the timer expires, the 2G SGSN does not send N-PDUs to the 3G
SGSN any more.
Step 8 The 3G SGSN sends an UPDATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message to each related
GGSN. Each GGSN updates its PDP context and responds with an UPDATE PDP
CONTEXT RESPONSE message.
Step 9 The 3G SGSN sends an UPDATE GPRS LOCATION message to the HLR.
Step 10 The HLR sends a CANCEL LOCATION message to the 2G SGSN. After the timer expires,
the 2G SGSN removes the MM and PDP contexts. The 2G SGSN responds with a CANCEL
LOCATION ACK message.
Step 11 The HLR sends an INSERT SUBSCRIBER DATA message to the 3G SGSN. The 3G SGSN
constructs an MM context and sends an INSERT SUBSCRIBER DATA ACK message to the
HLR.
Step 12 The HLR sends an UPDATE GPRS LOCATION BY RETURNING AN UPDATE GPRS
LOCATION ACK message to the 3G SGSN.
Step 13 If the association has to be established, that is, if the Update Type parameter indicates a
combined RA/LA update with IMSI attach requested, or if the LA changed with the RA
update, the 2G SGSN sends a LOCATION UPDATE REQUEST message to the VLR. The
VLR stores the SGSN number for creating or updating the association.
Step 14 If the subscriber data in the VLR is marked as not confirmed by the HLR, the new VLR
informs the HLR. The HLR cancels the old VLR and inserts subscriber data in the new VLR.
3-50
1.
The new VLR sends an UPDATE LOCATION message to the HLR.
2.
The HLR cancels the data in the old VLR by sending a CANCEL LOCATION message
to the old VLR.
3.
The old VLR acknowledges the message by responding with a CANCEL LOCATION
ACK message.
4.
The HLR sends an INSERT SUBSCRIBER DATA message to the new VLR.
5.
The new VLR acknowledges the message by responding with an INSERT

SUBSCRIBER DATA ACK message.
6.
The HLR responds with an UPDATE LOCATION ACK message to the new VLR.

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Step 15 The new VLR allocates a new TMSI and notifies the 3G SGSN by sending a LOCATION
UPDATE ACCEPT message.
Step 16 The 3G SGSN checks the presence of the MS in the new RA. If all checks are successful, the
3G SGSN constructs MM and PDP contexts for the MS. The 3G SGSN sends a ROUTING
AREA UPDATE ACCEPT message to the UE.
Step 17 The UE sends a ROUTING AREA UPDATE COMPLETE message to confirm the allocated
P-TMSI.
Step 18 The 3G SGSN sends a TMSI REALLOCATION COMPLETE message to the new VLR.
Step 19 If the UE has uplink data or signaling to send, the UE sends a SERVICE REQUEST message
to the SGSN. The service type indicates the required service (data or signaling).
Step 20 The 3G SGSN sends a RAB ASSIGNMENT REQUEST message to the SRNS. The SRNS
sends a RADIO BEARER SETUP REQUEST message to the UE. The UE responds with a
RADIO BEARER SETUP COMPLETE message. The SRNS sends a RAB ASSIGNMENT
RESPONSE message to the SGSN. The SRNS sends N-PDUs to the UE.
----End
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4 Inter-RAT Handover Parameters
Inter-RAT Handover Parameters
Inter-RAT Handover Parameters provides information on the effective level and configuration
of the parameters related to the feature.
Table 4-1 Parameters related to Inter-RAT Handover
Parameter Name
Parameter ID
Effective Level
Configuration
on ...
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
2D event trigger
delay time
2D hysteresis
2D2F filter coeff
TrigTime2D
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
HystFor2D
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
FilterCoefOf2D2F
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
2F event trigger delay
time
2F hysteresis
3A event retry max
times
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TrigTime2F
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
HystFor2F
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
AmntOfRpt3A
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC

4-1
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Parameter Name
Parameter ID
Configuration
on ...
Effective Level
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
PeriodFor3A
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
TrigTime3A
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Hystfor3A
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
3A Measure Quantity
MeasQuantityOf3A
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
3A Used-Freq
Measure Quantity for
Qos
UsedFreqMeasQuantit
yForQos3A
Cell(ADD
CELLQOSHO)
RNC(SET QOSHO)
RNC
AmntOfRpt3C
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
PeriodFor3C
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
TrigTime3C
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Hystfor3C
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC
3A event retry period
3A event trigger
delay time
3A hysteresis
3C event retry max

times
3C event retry period
3C event trigger
delay time
3C hysteresis
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Parameter Name
Parameter ID
Effective Level
Configuration
on ...
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
BSICVerify
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Cell oriented Cell

Individual Offset
CIO
Cell(ADD
CELLSETUP)
RNC(ADD
NRNCCELL)
RNC
CM permission ind
on HSDPA
HsdpaCMPermissionIn
d
RNC(SET CMCF)
RNC
CmcfSwitch
RNC(SET
CORRMALGOSWIT
CH)
RNC
CS domain Reloc
GSM load THD
CSHOOut2GloadThd
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Dl SF limit CM ind
DlSFLimitCMInd
RNC(SET CMCF)
RNC
DL SF threshold
DlSFTurnPoint
Cell(ADD
CELLCMCF)
RNC(SET CMCF)
RNC
Dl SF threshold to
limit CM
LimitCMDlSFThd
RNC(SET CMCF)
RNC
DLQosMcTimerLen
Cell(ADD
CELLQOSHO)
RNC(SET QOSHO)
RNC
DlRscpQosHyst
Cell(ADD
CELLQOSHO)
RNC(SET QOSHO)
RNC
HoSwitch
RNC(SET
CORRMALGOSWIT
CH)
RNC
BSIC verify switch
CMCF Algorithm
Switch
Down Link Qos

Measure timer length
Down Link RSCP
Used-Freq THD Hyst
Handover Algorithm
Switch
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Parameter Name
Effective Level
InterFreq and
InterRat coexist
measure threshold
choice
CoexistMeasThdChoic
e
Cell(ADD
CELLHOCOMM)
RNC(SET
HOCOMM)
RNC
Inter-freq and
Inter-RAT coexist
switch
InterFreqRATSwitch
Cell(ADD
CELLHOCOMM)
RNC
UsedFreqCSThdEcN0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
UsedFreqCSThdRSCP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
UsedFreqHThdEcN0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
UsedFreqHThdRSCP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
UsedFreqR99PsThdEc
N0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Inter-RAT R99 PS
Used frequency
trigger RSCP THD
UsedFreqR99PsThdRS
CP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Inter-RAT cell
support PS HO
indicator
SuppPSHOFlag
Cell(ADD
GSMCELL)
RNC
Inter-RAT cell
support RIM
indicator
SuppRIMFlag
Cell(ADD
GSMCELL)
RNC
Inter-RAT cell type
RatCellType
Cell(ADD
GSMCELL)
RNC
Inter-RAT CS Used
frequency trigger
Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT CS Used
frequency trigger
RSCP THD
Inter-RAT H Used
frequency trigger
Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT H Used
frequency trigger
RSCP THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS
Used frequency
trigger Ec/No THD
4-4
Configuration
on ...
Parameter ID

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Parameter Name
Inter-RAT CS
handover decision
THD
Parameter ID
Effective Level
Configuration
on ...
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
TargetRatCsThd
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Inter-RAT CS
handover decision
THD
InterRATNCovHOCS
Thd
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Inter-RAT CS
handover switch
CSServiceHOSwitch
Cell(ADD
CELLHOCOMM)
RNC
InterRATCSThd2DEc
N0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATCSThd2DRS
CP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATCSThd2FEc
N0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATCSThd2FRS
CP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Inter-RAT filter coeff
InterRATFilterCoef
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Inter-RAT H
handover decision
TargetRatHThd
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
RNC
Inter-RAT CS
measure start Ec/No
THD
Inter-RAT CS
measure start RSCP
THD
Inter-RAT CS
measure stop Ec/No
THD
Inter-RAT CS
measure stop RSCP
THD
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

4-5
RAN
Parameter Name
Parameter ID
THD
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
InterRATHThd2DEcN
0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATHThd2DRSC
P
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATHThd2FEcN
0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATHThd2FRSC
P
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATHOAttempts
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
HystforInterRAT
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
Inter-RAT measure
timer length
InterRATMeasTime
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Inter-RAT PingPong
InterRATPingPongHys
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
RNC
Inter-RAT H measure
start Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT H measure
start RSCP THD
Inter-RAT H measure
stop Ec/No THD
Inter-RAT H measure
stop RSCP THD
Inter-RAT handover
max attempt times
Inter-RAT hysteresis
4-6
Configuration
on ...
Effective Level

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Parameter Name
Parameter ID
Effective Level
Hyst
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
Inter-RAT PingPong
timer
InterRATPingPongTim
er
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
Configuration
on ...
RNC
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
Inter-RAT PS
handover decision
THD
InterRATNCovHOPST
hd
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Inter-RAT PS
handover switch
PSServiceHOSwitch
Cell(ADD
CELLHOCOMM)
RNC
TargetRatR99PsThd
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATR99PsThd2D
EcN0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATR99PsThd2D
RSCP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATR99PsThd2F
EcN0
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRATR99PsThd2F
RSCP
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
InterRatReportMode
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
RNC
Inter-RAT R99 PS
handover decision
THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS
measure start Ec/No
THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS
measure start RSCP
THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS
measure stop Ec/No
THD
Inter-RAT R99 PS
measure stop RSCP
THD
Inter-RAT report
mode
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

4-7
RAN
Parameter Name
Parameter ID
Configuration
on ...
Effective Level
INTERRATHOCOV)
NCOV Reloc Ind

based on GSM cell
load
NcovHoOn2GldInd
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
Cell(ADD
INTERFREQNCELL
)
Cell(ADD
INTRAFREQNCELL
)
Neighboring cell
oriented CIO
PS domain Reloc
GSM load THD
Send Load Info to
GSM Ind
The flag of the

priority
The priority of
neighbor cell
CIOOffset
Cell(ADD
GSMNCELL)
RNC
PSHOOut2GloadThd
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
NCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
SndLdInfo2GsmInd
RNC(SET
INTERRATHONCO
V)
RNC
NPrioFlag
Cell(ADD
INTERFREQNCELL
)
Cell(ADD
INTRAFREQNCELL
)
Cell(ADD
GSMNCELL)
RNC
NPrio
Cell(ADD
INTRAFREQNCELL
)
RNC
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
Time to trigger for
non-verified GSM
cell
Time to trigger for

verified GSM cell
UL SF threshold
4-8
TimeToTrigForNonVe
rify
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC
TimeToTrigForVerify
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC
UlSFTurnPoint
Cell(ADD
CELLCMCF)
RNC(SET CMCF)
RNC

Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
RAN
Parameter Name
Up Link Qos
Measure timer length
Weight for Used

frequency
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)
Configuration
on ...
Parameter ID
Effective Level
ULQosMcTimerLen
Cell(ADD
CELLQOSHO)
RNC(SET QOSHO)
RNC
WeightForUsedFreq
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERFREQH
OCOV)
RNC(SET
INTERFREQHOCO
V)
Cell(ADD
CELLINTERRATHO
COV)
RNC(SET
INTERRATHOCOV)
RNC

4-9
RAN
5 Reference Documents
Reference Documents
Inter-RAT Handover Reference Documents lists the reference documents related to the
feature.
l
3GPP TS 23.122: Non Access Stratum functions related to Mobile Station (MS) in idle
mode
3GPP TS 24.008: Mobile radio interface layer 3 specification; Core Network Protocols Stage 3
3GPP TS 25.304: UE Procedures in Idle Mode and Procedures for Cell Reselection in
Connected Mode
3GPP TS 25.331: RRC Protocol Specification
3GPP TS 23.060: General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Service description
3GPP TS 25.931: UTRAN Functions, Examples on Signalling Procedures
Issue 02 (2008-07-30)

5-1

Inter RAT Handover Description

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Inter-RAT Handover Description

Huawei Proprietary and Confidential

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Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Huawei Industrial Base

Copyright Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2008. All rights reserved.

Trademarks and Permissions

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3.10 Signaling Procedures for Inter-RAT Handover..................................................................................... 3-25

4 Inter-RAT Handover Parameters ...................................................................................... 4-25

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1 Inter-RAT Handover Change History

Inter-RAT Handover Change History

Document and Product Versions

There are two types of changes, which are defined as follows:

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1 Inter-RAT Handover Change History

The parameters that are changed to be

A parameter list is added. See

Service Handover Indicator

Service parameter index

Inter-RAT H handover decision

General documentation change:

The Inter-RAT Handover Parameters is

The structure is optimized.

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1 Inter-RAT Handover Change History

The description of inter-RAT

Down Link QoS

The inter-RAT handover

The cell individual offset of a

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1 Inter-RAT Handover Change History

3.5.2 Load-Based and

The description of inter-RAT

The description of inter-RAT

Editorial change The default value of Service

Send Load Info

The default value of Service

The default value table of service

The default value of 3C

The default of 3C hysteresis is changed

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2 Inter-RAT Handover Introduction

Inter-RAT Handover Introduction

Impact on System Performance

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2 Inter-RAT Handover Introduction

Impact on Other Features

Network Elements Involved

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3 Inter-RAT Handover Algorithms