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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Contents
1 Overview of the TCH Call Drop Rate....................................6
1.1 Meaning.................................................................................................................................................6 1.2 Recommended Formulas.......................................................................................................................6 1.3 Signaling Procedure and Measurement Points......................................................................................8
4 Test Methods....................................................................30 5 Remarks About the Signaling Analysis of the TCH Call Drop Rate....................................................................................30 6 Cases for TCH Call Drop Rate Optimization.........................33
6.1 Case 1: Call Drop Due to Interference................................................................................................33 6.2 Case 2: Call Drop Due to Imbalance Between Uplink and Downlink................................................34 6.3 Case 3: Call Drop Due to Repeater Problem.......................................................................................34 6.4 Case 4: Call Drop Due to Coverage....................................................................................................35
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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6.5 Case 5: Reduction of Call Drops by Optimizing Handover Parameters.............................................36 6.6 Case 6: Call Drop Due to Inappropriate Parameter Setting................................................................36 6.7 Case 7: Call Drop Due to TRX Board Fault........................................................................................37 6.8 Case 8: Call Drop Due to Antenna System Problem...........................................................................38 6.9 Case 9: Call Drop Due to Transmission Problem...............................................................................38 6.10 Case 10: Call Drop Rate Doubled in a CoBCCH Network After Upgrade from V9R1 to V9R3.....39 6.11 Case 11: Increase in Call Drop Rate Due to Inactivity of T305 and T308........................................40 6.12 Case 12: Increase in Call Drop Rate Due to Change of TR1N on the MSC Side.............................40
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Figures
Figure 1.1Immediate assignment procedure............................8 Figure 1.2Assignment procedure............................................8 Figure 1.3 Intra-BSC handover procedure................................9 Figure 1.4 Incoming BSC handover procedure..........................9 Figure 1.5Procedures for analyzing high TCH call drop rate....16
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Revision Record
Date 2008-6-28 2008-7-26 Revision Version 0.8 1.0 Change Description Draft completed. The document is modified according to review comments. Author Su Shi Su Shi
References
S N 1 2 3 4 5 Document Name G-Guide to Eliminating Interference - 20050311-A-1.0 GSM BSS Network KPI (Network Coverage) Optimization Manual GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Baseline GSM BSS Network KPI (Uplink and Downlink Balance) Optimization Manual Guide to Solving Call Drop Problems Author Chen Baolin Xie Haibin Wu Zhen Yang Jixiang Yang Bin Date 2005-3-11 2008-6-18 2007-6-22 2008-3-26 2002-3-7
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
Keywords: TCH call drop rate, KPI Abstract: This document provides the definition and describes the test method and optimization method of TCH call drop rate. Acronyms: The following table lists the acronyms and their expansion: Acronym TCH MS BSC KPI Expansion Traffic Channel Mobile Station Base Station Controller Key Performance Indicator
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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1.1 Meaning
The TCH call drop rate refers to the ratio of call drops to successful TCH seizures after the BSC successfully assigns TCHs to MSs. The TCH call drop rate can be measured from the following aspects: TCH call drop rate (including handover) TCH call drop rate (excluding handover)
The TCH call drop rate, one of the most significant KPIs for telecom operators, is related to retainability. It indicates the probability of call drops due to various reasons after MSs access TCHs. A too high TCH call drop rate adversely affects the user's experience.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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x 100% TCH call drop rate (excluding handover) = Number of call drops on TCH/Number of successful TCH seizures (TCH) x 100% Through the analysis of each pair of formulas, you can find out that the TCH call drop rate (including handover) is lower than the TCH call drop rate (excluding handover) irrespective of the BSC model (BSC32 or BSC6000). The following takes the formulas for the BSC32 as an example. The number of call drops on TCH is small during the very early assignment procedure. Therefore, the difference between the numerator of the formula for the TCH call drop rate (including handover) and that of the formula for the TCH call drop rate (excluding handover) can be omitted. Including the TCH seizures in the case of handovers, the denominator of the formula for the TCH call drop rate (including handover) is greater than the denominator of the formula for the TCH call drop rate (excluding handover). Therefore, the result of the formula for the TCH call drop rate (including handover) is smaller than that of the formula for the TCH call drop rate (excluding handover). For details, refer to the GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Baseline.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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The meanings of the measurement points in the these figures are as follows: TCH-SUCC-A: indicates the number of successful TCH seizures. TCH-SUCC-B: indicates the number of successful incoming internal inter-cell handovers plus the number of successful internal intra-cell handovers.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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TCH-SUCC-C: indicates the number of successful incoming external inter-cell handovers. TCH-SUCC: indicates the number of successful TCH seizures during the very early assignment procedure.
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The transmission quality on the A or Abis interface is poor for various reasons. Transmission links are unstable.
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10. The parameter Call Reestablishment Forbidden is set to Yes. 11. The parameters related to edge handover are inappropriately set. 12. The parameters related to BQ handover are inappropriately set. 13. The parameters related to interference handover are inappropriately set. 14. The parameters related to concentric cell handover are inappropriately set. 15. The parameters related to power control are inappropriately set. 16. T200 and N200 are set to too small values. 17. Some neighboring cell relations are not configured. 18. The parameter MAIO is inappropriately set. 19. The parameter Disconnect Handover Protect Timer is set to a too small value. 20. The parameter TR1N is set to a too small value. 21. The parameters Software Parameter 13 and MAX TA are set to too small values. 22. If a repeater is used, the parameter Directly Magnifier Site Flag is set
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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to No.
The voice quality at the edge of an isolated BTS is poor and calls cannot be handed over to other cells. In this case, call drops may occur. In complex terrains such as mountainous regions, the signals are blocked and thus the transmission is discontinuous, leading to call drops. 2. Poor indoor coverage
Densely distributed buildings and thick walls cause great attenuation and low indoor signal level, which causes call drops. 3. Cross coverage (isolated BTS)
The serving cell causes cross coverage due to various reasons (such as excess power). An MS cannot be handed over to another cell due to no suitable neighboring cells. In this case, the signal level becomes low and the voice quality of the MS deteriorates. Thus, call drops occur. 4. Insufficient coverage
If the signal from an antenna is blocked or the BCCH TRX is faulty, call drops may occur because of discontinuous coverage.
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2.
3.
As a result, call drops may occur at the edge of the BTS coverage area.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Figure 1.5 Procedures for analyzing high TCH call drop rate
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Start
Yes
No Adjust parameters related to handover and power control No Yes Solve inter-network interference problem
Yes
No Intra-network interference?
Interference?
Yes Imbalance between uplink and downlink ? No Yes Faulty repeater? No Normal TCH call drop rate? Yes End
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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The following sections describe the solutions to high TCH call drop rates. The traffic measurement counters and KPIs in this document are the same as those in the BSC6000V9R8C01B051 version.
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In addition, you can locate the fault by checking the traffic measurement related to hardware failures.
BSC Level Access Measurement per BSC in BSC Measurement: Available TCHs per BSC Configured TCHs per BSC Available TCHs per BSC
Cell Level KPI Measurement per Cell: TCH Availability Available TCHs Configured TCHs TRX Measurement per Cell: Number of configured TRXs in a cell Number of available TRXs in a cell Call Drop Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Call Drops due to Equipment Failure (TCH)
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In addition, you can locate the fault by checking the traffic measurement related to transmission failures. Cause Transmission failure BSC Level LAPD Measurement in BSC Measurement Cell Level Channel Activation Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: CHAN ACTIV NACK Messages Sent by BTS Channel Activation Timeouts Call Drop Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Measurement of Call Drops Due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure
This parameter determines whether an uplink radio link is faulty. Each time the BTS fails to decode the measurement report on the SACCH from the MS, the counter decreases by 1. Each time the BTS successfully decodes the measurement report on the SACCH, the counter increases by 2. When the
value of this counter is 0, the BTS regards the radio link as faulty. In the
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traffic measurement, if there are many call drops (M3101A) related to radio link failure, you can infer that the radio propagation conditions are poor. In this case, you can set this parameter to a greater value. 2. Radio Link Timeout
This parameter determines whether a downlink radio link is faulty. Each time the BTS fails to decode the measurement report sent over the SACCH by the MS, the counter decreases by 1. Each time the BTS successfully decodes the measurement report sent over the SACCH, the counter increases by 2. When the value of this parameter is 0, the BTS regards the radio link as faulty. In the traffic measurement, if there are many call drops (M3101A) related to radio link failure, you can infer that the radio propagation conditions are poor. In this case, you can set this parameter to a greater value. 3. RXLEV_ACCESS_MIN
This parameter specifies the minimum receive level of an MS to access the BSS. If this parameter is set to a too small value, some MSs with low receive levels may access the network and call drops are likely to occur. You can set this parameter to a great value to reduce the TCH call drop rate. The counters such as call setup success rate and the counters related to traffic volume, however, are accordingly affected. 4. RACH Min.Access Level
This parameter determines whether an MS can access the network over the RACH. If this parameter is set to a too small value, some MSs with low signal levels may access the network and call drops are likely to occur. You can set this parameter to a great value to reduce the TCH call drop rate. The counters such as call setup success rate and paging success rate, however, are affected. 5. Min DL Power on HO Candidate Cell and Min Access Level Offset
The sum of the values of the two parameters specifies the minimum downlink receive level of a candidate neighboring cell for a handover. If this parameter is set to a too great value, some desired cells may be excluded from the candidate cells; if this parameter is set to a too small value, an unwanted cell may become the candidate cell. Both conditions may lead to the increase of call drops. 6. Timer T3103 series
Timer T3101 series consists of T3103A, T3103C, and T8. These timers are started to wait for a handover complete message. If the lengths of the timers are set to small values, probably no message is received when timer T3103 series expires. In this case, the BSC considers that the radio link in the originating cell is faulty. Then, the BSC releases the channel in the originating cell. Thus, call drops occur. In the traffic measurement, if many call drops are related to handovers (CM331: Call Drops on Radio Interface in Handover State), you can set this parameter to a greater value. If this parameter is set to a too great value, channel resources are wasted and TCH congestion occurs.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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7.
Timer T3109
This parameter specifies the period for waiting for a Release Indication message after the BSC sends a Channel Release message to the BTS. If this parameter is set to a too small value, the link may be released before the Release Indication message is received. As a result, a call drop occurs. You can set this parameter to a greater value to reduce the TCH call drop rate. It is recommended that timer T3109 be set to 12 seconds longer than timer Radio Link Timeout. 8. Timer T3111
This parameter specifies the interval between the time that the main signaling link is disconnected and the time that a channel is deactivated. The purpose is to reserve a period of time for repeated link disconnections. If this timer is set to a too small value, a channel may be deactivated too early. Thus, call drops increase. 9. Timers T305 and T308
Timers T305 and T308 are used on the MSC side. Timer T305 specifies the period during which the MSC monitors the on-hook procedure. Timer T308 specifies the period during which the MSC monitors the resource release procedure. You should set the two parameters when adding BSC data. Note that the modification of the data in the timer table does not take effect. If timers T305 and T308 are set to invalid or great values, the MSC clears the call a long time after the MS hangs up. After the T3103 and Radio Link Timeout timers expire, the number of call drops is increased and thus the TCH call drop rate is significantly affected. 10. TCH Traffic Busy Threshold If the current channel seizure ratio exceeds the value of this parameter, the BSC preferentially assigns a half-rate channel to a dualrate-enabled call. Otherwise, the BSC assigns a full-rate channel to the dualrate-enabled call. Compared with a full-rate channel, a half-rate channel has weak antiinterference capabilities. Therefore, if a large number of half-rate channels are assigned, the TCH call drop rate increases. It is recommended that this parameter should not be set to a too small value if congestion is unlikely to occur. 11. Call Reestablishment Forbidden
This parameter specifies whether to allow call reestablishment. In case of burst interference or radio link failure due to blind areas caused by high buildings, call drops occur. In this case, MSs can initiate the call reestablishment procedure to restore communication. To reduce the TCH call drop rate, you can set this parameter to No to allow call reestablishment. In certain conditions, allowing call reestablishment greatly reduces the TCH call drop rate. Call reestablishment lasts for a long time, and therefore some subscribers cannot wait and hang up. This affects user experience. 12. Parameters related to edge handover
When the receive level drops greatly, an edge handover cannot be performed in time in any of the following conditions: The parameter Edge
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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HO UL RX_LEV Threshold or Edge HO DL RX_LEV Threshold is set to a small value; the parameter Inter-cell HO Hysteresis is set to a great value; the parameters Edge HO Watch Time and Edge HO AdjCell Watch Time are set to great values; the parameters Edge HO Valid Time and Edge HO AdjCell Valid Time are set to great values. As a result, a call drop occurs. To reduce the TCH call drop rate, you can appropriately set these parameters so that edge handovers can be performed in time to avoid call drops. 13. Parameters related to BQ handover When the signal quality deteriorates, a BQ handover cannot be performed in time in any of the following conditions: The parameters ULQuaLimitAMRFR, ULQuaLimitAMRHR, UL Qual. Threshold, DLQuaLimitAMRFR, DLQuaLimitAMRHR, and DL Qual. Threshold are set to great values; the parameter BQ HO Margin is set to a small value; the parameter Inter-cell HO Hysteresis is set to a great value. As a result, call drops occur. To reduce the TCH call drop rate, you should appropriately set these parameters so that BQ handovers can be performed in time to avoid call drops. 14. Parameters related to interference handover If the parameters RXQUAL1 to RXQUAL12 are set to great values or if the RXLEVOff parameter is set to a great value, strong interference may occur. In this case, if interference handovers are not performed in time, call drops occur. To reduce the TCH call drop rate, you can appropriately set these parameters so that interference handovers can be performed in time to avoid call drops. If the parameters RXQUAL1 to RXQUAL12 are set to small values, the number of handovers due to other causes increases greatly, thus affecting the handover success rate. 15. Parameters related to concentric cell handover A call at the edge of the overlaid subcell cannot be handed over to the underlaid subcell in any of the following conditions: In the case of a normal concentric cell, the parameters RX_LEV Threshold and RX_LEV Hysteresis are set to great values; in the case of an enhanced concentric cell, the parameter OtoU HO Received Level Threshold is set to a great value. As a result, a call drop is likely to occur. If the Call Drop Ratio on TCH on the TRX in the OverLaid Subcell (RM330a) is high, you can appropriately set these parameters so that calls at the edge of the overlaid subcell can be handed over to the underlaid subcell in time. When a call in the underlaid subcell has interference, the call cannot be handed over to the overlaid subcell if the RX_QUAL for UO HO Allowed parameter is set to Yes and the RX_QUAL Threshold parameter is set to a great value. Thus, a call drop occurs. If the Call Drop Ratio on TCH on the TRX in the Underlaid Subcell (RM330) is high, you can set these parameters properly so that the call can be handed over to the overlaid subcell at the earliest. 16. Parameters related to power control
If the power control level and quality threshold are set to small values, call drops are likely to occur because of low signal level or bad voice quality.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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17. T200 and N200 If the parameters T200 FACCH/F, T200 FACCH/H, N200 of FACCH/Full rate, and N200 of FACCH/Half rate are set to small values, data links are disconnected too early. Thus, all drops are likely to occur. If call drops occur because of T200 expiry, you can increase the values of T200 and N200 properly. 18. Neighboring cell relations If the neighboring cells configured in the BA2 table are incomplete, call drops are likely to occur in the case of no suitable neighboring cell for handover and progressive deterioration in the voice quality. Neighboring cell relations should be configured completely on the basis of the drive test data and electronic map (for example, Nastar) to minimize the call drops due to no available neighboring cells. 19. MAIO If frequency hopping (FH) is applied in a cell and the MAIO is set inappropriately (for example, different TRXs serving the same cell have the same MAIO), frequency collision may occur during FH. Thus, the TCH call drop rate increases. 20. Disconnect Handover Protect Timer This parameter is a software parameter of the BSC. After receiving a DISCONNECT message from an MS, the BSC cannot hand over the MS within the period specified by this parameter. Therefore, the following case can be avoided: After being handed over to the target cell, the MS cannot be put on hook because it does not receive a release acknowledgement message. You are advised to set this parameter properly. 21. TR1N This parameter should be set on the MSC side. It is used to avoid the retransmission of short messages. When this parameter is set to a too great value, the MSC does not send a CLEAR CMD message if the MS receives a short message during link disconnection. As a result, the MS sends the BTS a DISC message to disconnect layer 2 connection. After receiving the DISC message, the BTS sends a REL_IND message to the BSC. Then, the BSC sends a CLEAR REQ message to the MSC and the number of call drops is incremented by one. 22. Software Parameter 13 and MAX TA When the parameter Software Parameter 13 is enabled and the parameter MAX TA is set to a too small value, the channel is released when the TA of a call exceeds the MAX TA. In this case, call drops occur. It is recommended that the parameter Software Parameter 13 should not be enabled. 23. Directly Magnifier Site Flag If a BTS is installed with repeaters, the handover between repeaters can only be asynchronous because the distance between repeaters is long. If synchronous handovers are performed, the handovers may fail and thus many call drops occur. Therefore, when a BTS is installed with repeaters, the
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parameter Directly Magnifier Site Flag should be set to Yes to avoid synchronous handovers between cells under the same BTS.
You can check whether the data configuration is correct by viewing the traffic measurement results. The following table lists the traffic measurement counters related to repeaters. Cause Parameters Cell Level Call Drop Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Call Drops on TCH in Stable State (Error Indication) Call Drops on TCH in Stable State (Connection Failure) Call Drops on TCH in Stable State (Release Indication) Call Drop Ratio on TCH on the TRX in the Underlaid Subcell Call Drop Ratio on TCH on the TRX in the Overlaid Subcell KPI Measurement per Cell: Call Drops in TCH Handovers (Traffic Channel) Call Drops on TCH in Stable State (Traffic Channel) TRX Level Measurement of Power Control Messages in MR Measurement Radio Link Failure Measurement in MR Measurement
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addition, the handover success rate decreases and the handovers due to bad quality account for a large proportion of all handovers.) Cause Interference Cell Level Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell Handover Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Number of Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Signal Quality) Number of Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Other Causes) TRX Level Interference Band Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement Mean Number of TCHs in Interference Band 1 Mean Number of TCHs in Interference Band 2 Mean Number of TCHs in Interference Band 3 Mean Number of TCHs in Interference Band 4 Mean Number of TCHs in Interference Band 5 Measurement of Receive Quality in MR Measurement
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Cause Coverage
Cell Level Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell Handover Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Number of Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Signal Strength) Outgoing External Inter-Cell Handover Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Outgoing External Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Uplink Strength) Outgoing External Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Downlink Strength)
TRX Level TCHF Receive Level Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement TCHH Receive Level Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement
If a coverage problem exists, you can solve the problem through the following methods: adjusting the tilt of the antenna, increasing the transmit power, adding repeaters, or changing the combining mode. For details, refer to the GSM BSS Network Performance KPI (Coverage) Optimization Manual.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Cell Level KPI Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Success Rate of Radio Handover Outgoing External Inter-Cell Handover Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Outgoing External Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Uplink Strength) Outgoing External Inter-Cell Handover Requests (Downlink Strength)
TRX Level Measurement of Receive Quality in MR Measurement Uplink-and-Downlink Balance Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement
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Cell Level Assignment Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: TCH Assignment Success Ratio Success Rate of Call Establishment Immediate Assignment Measurement per Cell in Call Measurement: Success Rate of Immediate Assignments
TRX Level Uplink-and-Downlink Balance Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement TCHF Receive Level Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement TCHH Receive Level Measurement per TRX in MR Measurement
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Test Methods
The TCH call drop rate is one of retainability KPIs, which can be obtained through registration of or reporting of the related traffic measurement counters. In addition, the TCH call drop rate is one of key drive test counters and it can be obtained through drive tests. At present, the formula for the TCH call drop rate varies with device manufacturer and with telecom operator, thus affecting the value of the TCH call drop rate. During actual tests, you should register the specific counters and use an appropriate formula to calculate the value of the TCH call drop rate.
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Then, right-click the signaling of a call and choose Show Chart from the shortcut menu, as shown in the following figure.
From the following figure, you can view such information as the uplink and downlink receive level of the serving cell, uplink and downlink signal quality of the serving cell, downlink receive level of neighboring cells, TA, MS power, and BTS power. Based on the information, you can find out the causes of call drops, such as insufficient downlink coverage and interference.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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6.2 Case 2: Call Drop Due to Imbalance Between Uplink and Downlink
Symptom description: The following symptoms occurred during drive tests: After the test MS camped on a cell, it could not make calls; the MS can only receive calls; call drops occurred frequently at a certain distance from the antenna; a call drop occurred after frequent handovers. Cause analysis and handling: The cause may be the uplink signal level is much lower than downlink signal level. During drive tests, move the test MS towards the edge of the cell, and use the MA10 signaling analysis tool to trace the signaling on the BTS side.
The tracing result (as shown in the previous figure) shows that the uplink signal level is much lower than the downlink signal level. Therefore, call drops occur.
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port of cell 3, cell 2, and cell 1 is 27 dBm, 40 dBm, and 60 dBm respectively, and the signal strength is consistent with the interference level. The traffic volume in daytime is greater than that at night, and thus the probability of intermodulation is high. It can be concluded that the 904.14 MHz frequency is the interference source. When a spectrum analyzer is used to perform drive tests, the interference source cannot be located. When tests are performed on a rooftop, it is found that the interference is generated by a small antenna of a repeater. If the signal from the antenna is blocked, all the test results are normal. Therefore, the interference signal is generated by the antenna.
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You can adjust the handover parameters to reduce call drops in the following ways: 1. If there is no frequent audio discontinuity or ping-pong handover, set the parameters properly so that PBGT handovers can be easily performed, thus minimizing the interference and reducing the call drop rate. 2. Set the emergency handover threshold properly so that emergency handovers are triggered before call drops occur.
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the BTS hardware was not faulty. Cause analysis and handling: Check the data configuration, frequency planning, BSIC planning, and traffic measurement results. All the interference bands are normal and no interference exists. The handover success rate is over 93% and thus handovers are performed normally. Check the versions of each TRX and FPU. It is found that the TRX version is inconsistent with the FPU version. Upgrade the TRX and FPU to ensure that their versions are compatible, but the problem persists. Check the data configuration again. It is found that the BTS after capacity expansion adopts the 15:1 multiplexing mode, and that the measurement report preprocessing function is enabled for the BTS2X. The BTS2X in some versions, however, do not support the measurement report preprocessing function. Therefore, the TCH call drop rate is too high. After a large-scale adjustment is performed on the system, for example, BTS cutover, BTS capacity expansion, frequency replanning, upgrade, patch installation, the related system parameters should be checked completely and adjusted if required. The following parameters should be checked: neighboring cell relations, frequency interference conditions, FH parameters, and cell parameters. Special attention should be paid to the BTS version.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
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Cause analysis and handling: Check the hardware on site. It is found that making a call is difficult on site. In addition, some subscribers complained that it was difficult to make calls after the replacement. After obtaining the consent from the customer, the onsite engineers power off the BTS and load the data again. During the initialization of the BTS, a message is displayed, indicating that the process is disrupted and that the communication is timed out. Some parameters of the BTS cannot be initialized. The BTS hardware is normal and the cable connections are proper. Before the replacement, the transmission is normal. After the replacement, most of the transmission cables are the original ones. Huawei engineers replace only the transmission cable between the transmission equipment room and the Huawei BSC and use a new E1 connector to fix the DDF transmission cable to the E1 port on top of the BTS cabinet. Therefore, the E1 connector may be made improperly so that the transmission bit error rate is high and that the BTS cannot be completely initialized. As a result, when a subscriber makes a call, assigning a TCH is difficult. A detailed check shows that the E1 connector on top of the BTS cabinet is made improperly. After a proper E1 connector is used, the problem is solved.
6.10 Case 10: Call Drop Rate Doubled in a CoBCCH Network After Upgrade from V9R1 to V9R3
Symptom description: In the Egypt 3rd license project, after the BSC was upgraded from V9R1 to V9R3, the number of call drops in the CoBCCH network doubled. Cause analysis and handling: Compare V9R1 with V9R3. It is found that the function of configuring the BCCH in the overlaid subcell is added to V9R3 and that a new TRX-level parameter HW_Concentric Attribute (with the default value None) is add. Check the code. It is found that if the parameter HW_Concentric Attribute is set to None, the operating frequency band of the MS may be wrongly determined. As a consequence, power control may be performed improperly. For example, the 900 MHz frequency band may be mistakenly regarded as the 1800 MHz frequency band. In this case, if power control is performed, the power control amplitude becomes large and the signal level is adjusted to a low level. Thus, call drops increase. Manually set the HW_Concentric Attribute of the main BCCH to Underlay cell. The problem is solved and the call drop rate becomes normal.
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6.11 Case 11: Increase in Call Drop Rate Due to Inactivity of T305 and T308
Symptom description: After a replacement was performed in Hainan Mobile project, the TCH call drop rate increased. In urban areas, the TCH call drop rate increased from 0.4% to 0.7%; in suburban areas, it increased from 0.7% to 1.1%. Cause analysis and handling: Analyze the A interface signaling and the version change. A version change is found, that is, timers T305 and T308 must be set during the addition of the BSC data, and the data modification in the timer table does not take effect. Timer T305 and T308 are inactive; therefore, the MSC does not initiate the call release procedure. As a result, the number of call drops increases greatly. After the settings of the two parameters are modified, the call drop rate becomes lower than that in the original network. The problem is solved.
6.12 Case 12: Increase in Call Drop Rate Due to Change of TR1N on the MSC Side
Symptom description: The value of the TR1N parameter was changed from 20s to 60s to avoid retransmission of short messages and to improve user experience. After the change, the number of call drops with the cause value Release Indication increased greatly. Cause analysis and handling: Analyze the signaling on the A interface. After the value of TR1N is changed, the following signaling flow takes place: After the MS sends a DISCONNECT message to the network, the MSC does not send a CLEAR CMD message to release the terrestrial resources and the TCH. In this case, the MS sends the BTS a DISC message to disconnect layer 2 connection. After receiving the DISC message, the BTS sends a REL_IND message to the BSC. Then, the BSC sends a CLEAR REQ message to the MSC and the number of call drops is incremented by one. After the TR1N parameter is set to 20s again, the TCH call drop rate decreases greatly and returns normal.
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
INTERNAL
Traffic measurement
Traffic measurement results related to the voice quality and the balance between uplink and downlink RSL signaling tracing data *.log (*.cell site) or *.ant file
GSM BSS Network KPI (TCH Call Drop Rate) Optimization Manual
INTERNAL
Description The NASTAR software can be used to import the electronic map to facilitate the geographical information check.