RF Optimization

2012/4/18

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Introduction
Optimization Phases
RF Optimization
RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis Example

2012/4/18

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Introduction
This Slides introduces the various stages involved in

optimising a 3G radio network and focuses mainly on the

RF Optimisation phase.

Step-by-step approach for the analysis of drive survey

data collected using Agilent Scanner and test UE is
presented. The analysis is carried out using the post
processing tool Actix Analyzer.

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Introduction
RF optimisation will be an ongoing activity and will
need to be revisited as traffic increases in the network
and as new sites are deployed.

In addition, as the network matures, the optimisation

process should be enhanced to take into account

statistical data and key performance indicators
collected throughout the network.

2012/4/18

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Introduction
Optimization Phases
RF Optimization
RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis Example

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Optimization Phases
New Sites Integrated

Single Site Verification

Cluster of sites
ready?

No

Yes

RF Optimisation
Services Testing &
Parameter Optimisation

Regular Reference Route

Testing & Stats Analysis
Yes

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Re-optimisation
Needed?

No

Optimization Phases
[1] Single Site Verification:
To verify the functionality of every new site.
Objectives : To ensure there are no faults related to site
installation or parameter settings.

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Optimization Phases
[2] RF Optimization:
Once all the sites in a given area are integrated and
verified, RF (or Cluster) optimization could begin.

Objectives: To optimize coverage while in the same

time keeping interference and pilot pollution under
control over the target area. This phase also includes

the verification and optimization of the 3G neighbor lists.

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Optimization Phases
[3] Services Testing & Parameter Optimization:
To be conducted in areas of good RF conditions in

order to exclude any coverage issues. Such testing

does not need to be performed for each cell but the
drive route must include different clutter types and
environments.
Objectives: To assess the performance and identify
any need for specific parameter optimization.
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Optimization Phases
[4] Regular Reference Route Testing & Stats Analysis:
Constant monitoring and evaluation of the network
performance can be based on field testing as well as
network stats analysis.
Results of the regular analysis may necessitate re-visits
to the RF optimization and/or parameters tuning.
Objectives: To identify any new issues that could arise,
for example, as a result of increase in traffic or changes
in the environment.

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10

Introduction
Optimization Phases
RF Optimization
RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis Example

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RF Optimization
Optimisation Preparation

Clusters
RF optimisation should be carried out for groups
or clusters of sites rather than on single site basis.

Drive Routes
Cluster drive surveys should include the coverage
areas of each cell and all the major roads and
streets as well as any other important locations.

Tools
Agilent scanner

Qualcomm UE in continuous AMR call

Actix Analyzer
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RF Optimization
Optimisation Targets
Item
CPICH RSCP
CPICH Ec/Io
Active Set size
(estimated)

Requirements
Target
- 85 dBm
Minimum
-95 dBm
Target

-8 dB

Minimum

- 14 dB

Target

Max %

< 10 %

Pilot pollution
Threshold
UE Tx power
SHO Success rate

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Max
Target

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8 dB
<10 dBm
>95 %

Comments
Corresponds to outdoor
measurements.
Applicable for unloaded
network.
Based on scanner data.
% of time a cell is seen as a
pilot polluter.
Relative to best server when
cell in not in Active Set.
Assuming 21 dBm max.
For e1a, e1b & e1c

RF Optimization
Optimisation Solutions

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Antenna tilt

Antenna azimuth

Antenna location

Antenna height

Antenna type

Site location

New site

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RF Optimization

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15

Introduction
Optimization Phases
RF Optimization
RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis Example

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RF Analysis Approaches
Cell Dominance

16

Cells with no dominance at all:

1) A site was not radiating during the drive survey
2) Very poor dominance can also be caused by
blocking of the antenna. So a site visit must be made to
verify the antenna clearance.

Cells with either excessive or poor dominance:

1) This could be due to a high site or non-optimum
antenna tilts.
2) Cells with too large dominance will be causing
interference to adjacent cells resulting in poorer capacity.

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RF Analysis Approaches
Cell Dominance (cont.)

Areas of non-dominance:
Areas where there is not a single clear dominant cell
and where the best server changes too frequently.
Result: Excessive number of soft hand off events
reducing the system efficiency and increasing the
probability of call drops.

UE vs. Scanner Best Serving Cells:

Comparison between the UE and scanner SC plots.
Significant differences between the plots may
indicate a missing neighbor or failed soft handoff
problem.

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RF Analysis Approaches
Cell Dominance Example

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RF Analysis Approaches
CPICH Coverage (RSCP)
1) Check areas of poor coverage:
Good: RSCP -85 dBm
Fair:

-95 dBm RSCP < -85 dBm

Poor: RSCP < - 95 dBm

2) Examine the RSCP coverage on per cell bases
in order to highlight any cells that have too large a
footprint.

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RF Analysis Approaches
CPICH Coverage (RSCP) Example

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RF Analysis Approaches
Interference (CPICH Ec/Io)
Ec/Io plot:
Good: Ec/Io -8 dB
Fair: -14 dB Ec/Io < -8 dB
Poor: Ec/Io < - 14 dB

The -8 dB threshold takes into account the

expected future interference increase as a
result of increased traffic.

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RF Analysis Approaches
Interference (CPICH Ec/Io)
Areas of poor Ec/Io should be checked against RSCP levels as
follows:
If RSCP levels are also POOR, then the fundamental cause of
low Ec/Io is poor coverage
If RSCP levels are GOOD, this will imply strong system
interference.

Areas where UE Ec/Io is significantly lower than that of the scanner

may imply a problem of missing neighbour or delayed soft handoff
which can be associated with call drops.
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RF Analysis Approaches
Interference (CPICH Ec/Io)

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RF Analysis Approaches
Uplink Coverage (UE Tx Power)
High UE Tx power means possible poor uplink coverage.

Areas of high Tx power should be compared to the

CPICH plots to verify if the problem only exists on the
uplink.

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RF Analysis Approaches
Uplink Coverage Example

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RF Analysis Approaches
Pilot Pollution
All points not in the active set
Within a certain margin of the best server( the margin is set to 8dB)

Cells which are frequently seen as polluters (e.g. >10% time) should
be marked and investigated.

Pilot Pollution results should be used in conjunction with the

Estimated Active Set Size

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RF Analysis Approaches
Pilot Pollution Example
SC
8
9
10
11
12
13
16
17
18
19
20
21
32
35
37
43
48
53
67
80
130

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Count
206
165
157
156
148
135
95
94
76
74
73
56
54
39
33
19
8
7
3
2
2

% in Pollution Set
12.9%
10.3%
9.8%
9.7%
9.2%
8.4%
5.9%
5.9%
4.7%
4.6%
4.6%
3.5%
3.4%
2.4%
2.1%
1.2%
0.5%
0.4%
0.2%
0.1%
0.1%

RF Analysis Approaches
Estimated Active Set Size
Another useful measure of pilot pollution is by looking at the
estimated active set based on the scanner data. This plot is
obtained by modelling the network soft handoff parameters within
Actix.

In order to see areas of excessive SHO candidates, the estimated

active set size is allowed to exceed maximum of 3.

This can be done in conjunction with the Pilot pollution analysis.

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RF Analysis Approaches
Estimated Active Set Size Example

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RF Analysis Approaches
Neighbour List Verification
The neighbour list could be verified and optimised using the
Neighbour List Verification tool within Actix.
Recommendations for Each Cell:
Retain: This indicates that those neighbours have been
confirmed from the drive survey data.
Add:
Missing neighbours
Remove: These neighbours that were not measured but are in
the neighbour list.
Careful consideration is needed prior to removing neighbours since the Actix
results are drive route dependent.

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RF Analysis Approaches
Neighbour List Verification Example

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SC

Cell

Site

Latitude

Longitude

009

70548

Ajman Central

25.41204

55.447

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Sample
Sample
Action Nbr SC
Count
Count
576

Retain
Retain
Retain
Retain
Retain
Add
Retain
Retain
Retain
Retain
Retain
Remove
Remove
Remove
Remove
Remove
Remove

018
010
016
032
011
130
021
008
020
012
017
053
019
034
037
013
051

82
46
31
20
18
17
17
12
6
5
2
0
0
0
0
0
0

%
14.2%
8.0%
5.4%
3.5%
3.1%
3.0%
3.0%
2.1%
1.0%
0.9%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%

RF Analysis Approaches
UE SHO Performance
The success rates for event 1a, 1b & 1c and can be obtained from Actix
Number of Active Set Updates
Event
Count
Event 1a - Cell Addition
328
Event 1b - Cell Removal
306
Event 1c - Cell Replacement
64

Number of Active Set Update Completes

Event
Count
Event 1a - Cell Addition
326
Event 1b - Cell Removal
305
Event 1c - Cell Replacement
62

Soft-Handover Success Rate

Event
Rate
Event 1a - Cell Addition
99.4
Event 1b - Cell Removal
99.7
Event 1c - Cell Replacement
96.9

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RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis
RF related issues :
Poor coverage (RSCP & Ec/Io)
High interference and hence poor Ec/Io
Poor uplink coverage (insufficient UE Tx power)
Poor dominance (best cell changes too frequently resulting in too
many SHO events)
Pilot pollution (too many cells present)
Missing neighbours

Fast change of RF conditions (e.g. turning a corner)

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RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis (Cont.)
Drop Call Analysis Steps:
1) If RSCP & Ec/Io degrades before drop for BOTH scanner and
UE then check for coverage problems
2) If prior to the drop, the Ec/Io (and RSCP) degrades for UE ONLY
while scanner shows no degradation, then the following checks
should be made:
a. Is the best server for the UE is the same as that of the
scanner? (If not, its possible that the UE failed to perform soft
handoff)
b. Does UE camp on new cell immediately after drop?
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RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis (Cont.)
c. If the UE camps on a new cell after the drop, was that cell
neighboured to the previous cell? (if not, consider adding this
neighbour)
d. Was the UE measuring this neighbour?
e. Were there too many and too quick changes of best server
making it difficult for UE to perform measurements and SHO in

time. (if this is the case: improve cell dominance through antenna
optimisation)

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RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis (Cont.)
3) Does the UE Tx power increase to max prior to dropping call
while Ec/Io level remains good?
a) If the Tx power increase is gradual and UE is far from site the
failure is due to uplink coverage limitation
b) If the increase is sudden and UE may be not be too far from
site - Check uplink load from SIB7 following drop call is it
unusually high?
i. If uplink load is reported to be high, confirm from network

stats that the high load is due to genuine traffic otherwise

check for a possible site fault
ii. If uplink load is not high, problem could be due to possible
power control failure.
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RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis (Cont.)
If the above steps do not reveal the causes of the drop calls then
analysis of the messages should be carried out to determine the
sequence of events prior to the drop call.
If the drop call does not appear to be RF related and the RF
conditions at the location of the drop appear to be goods then no

further work is needed as part of the RF Optimisation. However,

exact location of the drop should be marked for later comparisons
with future drive surveys

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38

Introduction
Optimization Phases
RF Optimization
RF Analysis Approaches
Drop Call Analysis Example

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Drop Call Analysis Example

Drop Call 1

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Drop Call Analysis Example

There are total 5 drop calls in the plot. The example of
drop call 1 is analyzed to show the process of analysis in
the following.

Drop call 1 occurred at an area of frequent change of

best server as shown by the scanner scrambling code

plot

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Drop Call Analysis Example

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Drop Call Analysis Example

Compare Ec/Io from both scanner and UE at the time of

the drop as shown in Figure. This clearly shows the UE

Ec/Io to drop to < -21 dB while the scanner remained
above -11 dB.

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Drop Call Analysis Example

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Drop Call Analysis Example

Comparing the best servers from the UE and the scanner at the time

of drop:
Drop Call 1 (UE vs. scanner best server) shows that for the scanner
and UE SC008 is the best server prior to the drop. However, about

30 seconds before the drop, the scanner selected SC018 as the

best server while the UE continued to have only SC009 in its active
set resulting in the drop call. Immediately after the drop, the UE

camps on SC018.

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Drop Call Analysis Example

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Drop Call Analysis Example

Examining the UE Active and Monitored set, Figure does

not show SC018 to be measured by the UE prior to the
drop.

This scenario resembles a missing neighbour problem

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Drop Call Analysis Example

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Drop Call Analysis Example

Looking at drop call Figure clearly shows that at the location of the

drop, SC018 should not be the best server.

Cell SC018 clearly requires some down tilting to control its

interference into the area of Drop 1. To illustrate this, RSCP
coverage of SC018 shows clearly that the cells is extending into a
large area. E.g. around the location of drop call, SC018 RSCP is > -

75dBm.

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Drop Call Analysis Example

Drop Call 1 Summary:
The drop call appears to be associated with unnecessary
change of best servers caused by excessive dominance

of SC018.
To improve the dominance in the affected area, SC018
should be considered for downtilting.

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