Executive summary

GSM network is globally accepted standard for digital cellular system. The continuous performance evaluation of the network is a must for better quality service. Using the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), to judge network performance and evaluate the Quality of Service is a major task that has to be done for every GSM network. In this project, the main target is to evaluate the performance of the GSM network of BAHIR DAR city using KPI and drive test. The methodology used for this project starts with the study of the current operational GSM network of Bahir-Dar city. And then collection of data from nearby telecom station and from sites using drive test equipment. The analysis of the gathered data is the next step to be done for this project. At last possible solutions are suggested based on the on the result of KPI and drive test.

List of Tables:
Table 2.2 Bahir Dar city GSM network Sites Table 2.1 GSM Frequency Allocation

List of figures: Figure 2.1 Relation between areas in GSM Figure 2.2 Frequency Reuse Figure 2.3 Logical channel classifications Figure 2.4 GSM network system block diagram Figure 2.5 Mobile Station Figure 2.6 Site Sectorization Figure 2.7 Base Station Controllers Figure 2.8 Network plan of Bahir Dar city GSM network

Chapter 1 Introduction Background

In this day and age, many peoples need to be accessible everywhere, whether they're at work or play, in the office or at home. To meet this demand, the GSM standard (Global System for Mobile Communications) for mobile telephony was introduced in the mid-1980s. The actual development of GSM started in 1982, when the Conference of European Posts and Telegraphs (CEPT) formed a study group called Groupe Spcial Mobile. The group was to study and develop a pan-European public cellular system in the 900 MHz range (GSM-900), using spectrum that had been previously allocated. In 1989, the responsibility for GSM was transferred to the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Phase I recommendations were published in 1990. Commercial operation of GSM network was started in mid-1991 in European countries. By the beginning of 1995, there were 60 countries with operational or planned GSM networks in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia, Africa, and South America, with a total of over 5.4 million subscribers. Today, GSM is the most popular mobile radio standard in the world. To provide additional capacity and enable higher subscriber densities, two other systems were added later: GSM1800 and GSM1900. In 2011 it is estimated that technologies defined in the GSM standard serves 80% of the global mobile market, encompassing more than 6 billion people across more than 220 countries and territories.

Problem Statement
Ethio-Telecom is the only company that provides telecommunication services in Ethiopia which include GSM mobile communication. Bahir-Dar city Ethio-telecom is one of the branches of Ethio-telecom in north western region. The current GSM radio network of BahirDar city faces problems such as coverage, capacity and quality. Coverage, capacity and quality are the major points to be evaluated in this project. In order to investigate and ensure the achievement of acceptable efficiency of the network, this project is proposed to work on the performance evaluation indicators such as KPI and drive test.

Objective
Main Objectives To evaluate the current performance of the GSM network and then to propose on optimization techniques for quality improvement Specific Objectives To study and understand the radio part of GSM system in BAHIR-DAR city To evaluate the performance of this GSM network To propose techniques (ways) that is used to maximize the quality of services of the radio network

Literature Review
(Fatma HAMDI). In this paper after a description of network GSM/GPRS in terms of architecture and functionalities, a presentation of the principal indicators of quality of service GSM/GPRS as well as the various parameters which allow the management of this QoS is stated. The originality of this work comes from, the development of a methodology of performance evaluation and optimization of network GSM/GPRS. This methodology, also aids to locate the anomalies in the network and propose some recommendations.

(Bilal Haider, M. Zafrullah and M. K. Islam). In this paper, a well-established real GSM radio frequency (RF) network performance evaluation is presented on the basis of four major KPIs i.e., Call set up success rate (CSSR), Call Drop Rate (CDR), Handover Success Rate (HSR) and Radio traffic channel (TCH) congestion rate. Different issues, findings, trials and improvements have been summarized and observations/recommendations have been listed to correlate the practical aspects of RF optimization, which affect the performance, and QoS of an operational cellular network. (Rami Ertimo). The main contribution of this paper is to clarify issues related to visualization of complex data associated to configuration and performance management of the network. This requires many different visualization channels. Logical network structure requires a treelike view to be able to visualize relationships between different network elements. A view to present geographical information and performance data related to the network elements on map is also needed. The last visualization channel required needs to present configuration and performance attribute related information in a table like form. The needs and functions of all these views are derived from the user needs related to capacity analysis in different domains. The main emphasis of different views is in the inter-working functions to support the overall workflow of capacity optimization. The expandability of the solution should also be stressed to allow future capacity network analysis domains like core network, WCDMA and WiMax and even other vendors besides Nokia Siemens Networks.

Methodology of work
The methodology to be used for this project starts from study of the current operational GSM network of Bahir-Dar city. To evaluate the network, data need to be collected and analyzed in order to identify its problem. Finally possible solutions are suggested for each problem. Figure 1 shows block diagram of the methodology used under this study.

Study of Bahir-Dar GSM network

Data collection and analysis

Network evaluation

KPI Parameter

Derive Test

Problem Description

Solution Suggestion

End of study Study the Overall GSM System of Bahir-Dar city This is the first step of our project. In this step we study about GSM network system specifically the Bahir-Dar one. Since our project mainly concerned on the radio part of the GSM network, our study focused on this part. Data Collection and Analysis Data of the network, which is record on the network management system (NMS), is collected from the main telecom office. The data collects the parameters information of the radio network part which can used to find the causes for the failure of the network. Network Evaluation After data collection, the next step is analyzing this data by comparing the network parameters with the key performance indicators (KPIs). Depending on the analysis result, the problems that occur on the network are identified which cause its failure. Solution Suggestion This is the final stage of the evaluation process. In this part we suggest solutions for the problems that are identified in the above step.

Assumptions
Peak hour NMS statics data are used in the evaluation 4 standard KPI parameters are used since they are more general and are benchmarking parameter to achieve remarkable QoS 7 day average percentage of KPIs are used in the evaluation Threshold values of KPI are compared with the average value that are used in the evaluation

Project organization
This project is organized in to three chapters. In chapter One, it provides general background information about GSM network. Chapter two gives general information about GSM network in terms of geographical network structure, frequency reuse concept, Frequency bands used and the radio channels. And it also provides overview of Bahir Dar city GSM network. Chapter three provides an insight into network performance management and quality of service (QoS) of GSM network. It identifies the components of QoS and the available mechanisms to analyze and evaluate them. This part also identifies important KPIs and drive test that need to be monitored and optimized.

Chapter Two
2.

GSM Systems Overview and Architecture

GSM Systems Overview

2.1.

2.1.1. GSM Geographical Network Structure

Every telephone network needs a specific structure to route incoming calls to the correct exchange and then on to the subscriber. In a mobile network, this structure is very important because the subscribers are mobile. As subscribers move through the network, these structures are used to monitor their location.
GSM Service Area: The GSM service area is the entire geographical area in which a

subscriber can gain access to a GSM network. The GSM service area increases as more operators sign contracts agreeing to work together.

Figure 2.1 Relation between areas in GSM

Figure 2.2 Frequency Reuse

Table 2.1 GSM Frequency Allocation

Cell: A cell is the basic unit of a cellular system and is defined as the area of radio

coverage given by one BS antenna system. Each cell is assigned a unique number called Cell Global Identity (CGI). In a complete network covering an entire country, the number of cells can be quite high.
Location Area (LA): A Location Area (LA) is defined as a group of cells. Several cells

can compose a location area that can be set by the network operator. Within the network a subscribers location is linked to the LA in which they are currently located. The identity of the current LA is stored in the VLR. A location area can be associated with one or more BSCs but belong to on MSC.
MSC Service Area: An MSC service area is made up of a number of LAs and

represents the geographical part of the network controlled by one MSC. In order to be able to route a call to an MS, the subscriber's MSC service area is also recorded and monitored. The subscriber's MSC service area is stored in the HLR.
PLMN Service Area: A Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) service area is the entire

set of cells served by one network operator and is defined as the area in which an operator offers radio coverage and access to its network. PLMN area is composed of one or multiple MSC service areas and each country may have one or several of them. 2.1.2. Frequency Reuse The concept of cellular systems is the use of low power transmitters in order to enables the efficient reuse of the frequencies. If the transmitters of high power are used, there will be

10

interference between the users at the boundaries of the cells. However, the set of available frequencies is limited and that is why there is a need for the reuse of the frequencies.

Figure 2.2 Frequency Reuse A frequency reuse pattern is a configuration of N cells, N being the reuse factor, in which each cell uses a unique set of frequencies. When the pattern is repeated, the frequencies can be reused. A group of cells called cluster. No channels are reused within a cluster. The distance between the cells using the same frequency must be sufficient to avoid interference. The frequency reuse increases the capacity in the number of users of a service provider.
2.1.3. GSM Frequency Bands

As GSM has grown worldwide, it has expanded to operate at four main frequency bands: 900, 1800, 1900 and 800. For best efficiency, GSM uses two multiple access methods, Time Division

Multiple Access (TDMA) and Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systematically. FDMA divides the allocated spectrum for each band up into individual carrier frequencies. The carrier separation is 200 kHz. TDMA divided up the frequency into blocks of time and only

11

certain logical channels are transmitted at certain times. The time divisions in TDMA are known as Time Slots. GSM allows for use of duplex operation. Each band has a frequency range for the uplink (cell phone to tower) and a separate range for the downlink (tower to the cell phone). A channel number assigned to a pair of frequencies, one uplink and one downlink, is known as an Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN). GSM Frequency Allocation is shown in table 2.1.

Table 2.1 GSM Frequency Allocation

2.1.4. GSM Radio Channels Physical Channels: Each timeslot on a TDMA frame is called a physical channel. Therefore, there are eight physical channels per carrier frequency in GSM. Physical channels can be used to transmit speech, data or signaling information. A physical channel may transmit different messages, depending on the information that is to be sent. Logical Channels: The different information carried on the physical channel is classified as logical channel. Logical channels can also be divided into two types: traffic channels (TCH) and control channels (CCH). There are a total of 12 logical channels in the system. Two are used for traffic, nine for control signaling and one for message delivery. Figure 2.3 shows the relationship between logical channels.

12

Figure 2.3 Logical channel classifications Traffic Channels: The TCHs transmit voice and data service .According to the switching mode, the TCH can be divided in to circuit switched channel and data switched channel. There are two types of TCH: Full rate (TCH): transmits full rate speech (13kbits/s). Half rate transmits half rate speech (6.5kbits/s). Control Channels Broadcast Channels (BCH) It transfer broadcast message from BTS to MS. The BCH includes:
Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH): It is used for transmission information about

frequency correction of MS.

Synchronization Channel (SCH): It is used to transmit synchronization information

on the TDMA frame number and the Base Station Identity Code (BSIC) of the BTS.

13

 Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH): It Broadcasts general information to BTSs. For

example, broadcast the local cell and neighboring cell information, and synchronization (time and frequency) information on this channel. Common Control Channels (CCCH). The common control channel point to point bi-directional channel between the base station and mobile station including:
Paging Channel (PCH): It is used on the down-link to broadcast the paging message

from the base station to the MS.

Random Access Channel (RACH): It is used on the up-link by the MS to reallocation

of an SDCCH, either as a Page request response or an access at MS calls origination or registration.

Access Grant Channel (AGCH): It is used on the down-link to allocate an SDCCH or

a TCH to an MS. Dedicated Control Channels (DCCH) Dedicated channels are the traffic channels that transmit voice and data. Some dedicated channels are used for the purpose of control. The DCCH includes:
Stand alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH): It is dedicated point to point

signaling channel used for system signaling during call setup or registration. During the establishment of call, the SDCCH support bi-directional data transmission and the transfer of short text messages in idle mode.
Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH): Control channel always assigned and

used with a TCH or an SDCCH. Measurement Reports from the MS to the BTS are sent on the up-link. On the downlink the MS receives information from the BTS what transmitting power to use and also instructions on Timing Advance (TA). Through this channel, the base station send power control message and frame adjustment message to the MS, and receive signal report and link quality report from the MS.
Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH): Control through channel associated

with a TCH. Also referred to as Fast Associated Signaling (FAS), the FACCH works

14

in stealing mode. That is, 20ms of speech is replaced by a control message. It is used during inter-cell handover signaling message between base station and MS. [5]
2.2.

GSM System Architecture

A GSM network is made up of multiple components and interfaces that facilitate sending and receiving of signaling and traffic messages. Figure 2.4 shows the general architectural description of GSM network. It includes the following components and equipment:

Figure 2.4 GSM network system block diagram Figure 2.5 Mobile Station Figure 2.6 Site Sectorization Figure 2.7 Base Station Controllers Figure 2.8 Network plan of Bahir Dar city GSM network
Table 2.2 Bahir Dar city GSM network Sites

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2.2.1. Mobile Station (MS)

Mobile station is a station in the cellular radio service intended for use while in motion at unspecified locations. It is made up of two parts, the handset and the subscriber identity module (SIM). The SIM is a small smart card that is inserted into the phone and carries information specific to the subscriber, such as, Service Provider Name (SPN), and Local Area Identity (LAI). [5]

Figure 2.5 Mobile Station

2.2.2. Radio Station Subsystem (RSS) Base Transceiver Station (BTS): Base Transceiver Station is a fixed station in a mobile

radio system used for radio communication with the mobile stations. It provides the physical connection to the mobile station through the air interface. They are located at the center or edge of a coverage region, consists of transmitter and receiver antennas mounted on top of towers. It handles speech encoding, encryption, multiplexing and modulation/demodulation of the radio signals. It is also capable of frequency hopping. It coordinates handoff and control functions. One BTS usually covers a single 120 degree sector of an area. Usually a tower with 3 BTSs will accommodate all 360 degrees around the tower. [5]

16

Figure 2.6 Site Sectorization

Base Station Controller (BSC): The BSC controls multiple BTSs. It handles allocation

of radio channels, frequency administration, power and signal measurements from the MS, and handovers from one BTS to another (if both BTSs are controlled by the same BSC). It reduces the number of connections to the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and allows for higher capacity connections to the MSC. [5]

Figure 2.7 Base Station Controllers 2.2.3. Network Switching Subsystem

17

 Mobile services Switching Center (MSC): The MSC performs the telephony switching functions, that is, accomplishes the communication between the PLMN subscribers and subscribers in the other networks. It implement the function such as the paging access of PLMN subscribers, call connection, traffic control, billing and base station management. Home Location Register (HLR): The HLR is a large database that permanently stores data about subscribers. The HLR maintains subscriber-specific information such as the MSISDN, IMSI, current location of the MS, roaming restrictions, and subscriber supplemental features. Visitor Location Register (VLR): The VLR is a database that contains a subset of the information located on the HLR. It contains similar information as the HLR, but only for subscribers currently in its Location Area. There is a VLR for every Location Area. Authentication Center (AUC): The AUC database is connected to the HLR. The AUC provides the HLR with authentication parameters; it is used to protect network operators against fraud. 2.2.4. Operation and Support System (OSS) Operation and Maintenance Subsystem (OMS): The Operations and Maintenance Center

(OMC) are the centralized maintenance and diagnostic heart of the Radio Station Subsystem (RSS). It allows the network provider to operate, administer, and monitor the functioning of the RSS. An OMS consists of one or more Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC). The operations and maintenance center (OMC) is connected to all equipment in the switching system and to the BSC. The implementation of OMC is called the Operation and Support System (OSS). The OSS also called Network Management Center (NMC) is the functional entity from which network operators monitors and controls the system.

GSM network of Bahir Dar city

GSM network of Bahir Dar city is currently operating with 23 BTSs. In some sites GSM 900 and GSM 1800 are being used in the same place to increase the capacity of the system. Typically two antennas are used per sector, at spacing of ten or more wavelengths apart. This

18

allows the operator to overcome the effects of fading due to physical phenomena such as multipath reception. The location each BTS and the detailed map of the system are shown in Figure 2.8. Each BTS station has a unique name, a unique identity numbers called LAC (location Area Code) so as to be identified by the central office. The BSC and MSC are located at the central office. The BSC is in charge of controlling and providing the resources used by both the BTS and MS. It does Handover control, channel assignments, collection of cell configuration data. NMS (Network Management System) is used to control traffic and locate various faults during the live performance of the GSM radio network. NMS is used basically for network maintenance.

Figure 2.8 Network plan of Bahir Dar city GSM network The dots with the identity numbers signify the base transceiver station. The interconnection of the distributed BTSs is either by optical fiber or by microwave link. The microwave link interconnect will use small microwave antenna installed on each of BTS. The main aim of

19

interconnection with the base station controller is to monitor the status of each base transceiver stations from the controller office. The tabulation below shows the sites with their antenna frequency range that means 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. As we know that the higher the frequency, the smaller will be the Wavelength ( = C/ f ,where c is speed of light i.e. 3*108 & f is the operating frequency ).Therefore the propagation distance traveled by the Signal in GSM 1800 will always be less as compared to that in GSM 900. Hence, for similar propagation conditions and clutter scenario the losses (Propagation losses & Building penetration losses) experienced in GSM 1800 will be more than in GSM 900.Due to this reason the number of sites planned to cover similar Area will be more in GSM 1800 as compared to the number of sites in GSM 900. The lists of Bahir Dar city GSM network sites are shown in table 2.2.
Site number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Yibab B.Academy B. Airport B. Finance and Economy B. Azwa Hotel B.Kebele B.Kidanemihret B. Kobel B. Medhanialem School B.Kidane B.oss B.Peda B.SelamQIW Church B.tele B.Univeristy Bahnrabdl Site name 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 Frequency Band (in MHz) 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800

20

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Bahgrdmgb B.Gion school Bahwassch B.Textile Bahdbnter Bahir dar new4 Bahir dar new 5

900 900 900 900 900 900 900

1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 -

Table 2.2 Bahir Dar city GSM network Sites

Chapter Three
Performance Evaluation of GSM Radio Network of Bahir Dar City With the rapid growth of the GSM networks, providing high quality of service is a competitive advantage for a service provider. Quality of service is a measure of the reliability and usability of the telecommunications network. Quality of service can be characterized by such factors as contiguity of coverage, accessibility to the network, speech quality. To provide QoS Network operators must evaluate the performance of the existing network regularly against the threshold standard and take appropriate measure for improvement if they want to keep customers. In these project two Quality of Service (QoS) determinant tools mainly the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and drive test are used for parameters related to voice and data to evaluate the existing GSM radio network performance of Bahir Dar city. The performance of the radio network is measured in terms of KPIs and drive test related to voice quality, based on the statistics generated from the radio network. Key Performance Indicators Key Performance Indicators (KPI) describes the key system performance of the network. The operator provides the threshold KPIs through Network Management System (NMS). For radio network optimization, it is necessary to have decided on key performance indicators. These KPIs are parameters that are to be observed closely when the network monitoring

21

process is going on. The following KPIs are more important parameters for GSM radio network evaluation & benchmarking to achieve remarkable QoS: 1. CSSR (Call Set up Success Rate). 2. CDR (Call Drop Rate). 3. HSR (Handover Success Rate). 4. TCH (Traffic Channel) Congestion Rate. 5. SDCCH (Standalone Dedicated Control Channel) congestion rate. Call Set up Success Rate (CSSR) The Call Setup success rate measures successful TCH assignments of total number of TCH assignment attempts. This indicator measures the ease in which calls are established or set up. The higher the value of CSSR, the easier it is to set up a call. For instance a CSSR of 71% means that out of every 100 call attempts, only 71 are successful while the remaining 29 are unsuccessful. CSSR can be calculated as: CSSR= Number of unblocked call attempts Total number of call attempts

Call Drop Rate (CD R) A dropped call can be defined as one that gets terminated on its own after being established. A value of 7% of CDR means that, out of every 100 calls established or set up, 7 will drop before any of the calling parties voluntarily terminate the set up call. CDR is calculated using the expression: CDR= Number of dropped call Total number of call attempt

Handover Success Rate (HSR) The handover success rate shows the percentage of successful handovers of all handover attempts. HSR can be calculated as:

22

HSR=[(CT07+CT08)/(CT09+CT10)]*100% Where CT07 counts no. of incoming successful handovers CT08 counts no. of outgoing successful handovers. CT09 counts no. of outgoing HO requests CT10 counts no. of incoming HO requests. TCH Congestion Rate (TCHCR)

[ ]

Rate of calls blocked due to resource unavailability. The higher this value, the relative difficulty it is in making a call. TCH congestion rate can be calculated as:

TCHCR = Number of TCH blocks *100% No. of TCH attempt [ ]

SDCCH Congestion Rate SDCCH congestion rate provides the ratio of failed SDCCH seizures due to busy SDCCH to the total requests for the SDCCH. SDCCH congestion rate indicates the failed requests for the SDCCH for various reasons. SDCCH congestion rate also indicates the status of the SDCCH resource utilization.

SDCCH congestion rate = Failed SDCCH seizures due to busy SDCCH x 100% Total requests for the SDCCH All cells report different measurement statistics about all relevant information, but the most significant key performance indicators threshold values that this project used in evaluating the network are tabulated in table.
KPI parameter Call drops rate Threshold 2%

23

TCH congestion rate SDCCH congestion rate Handoff success rate Call Set up Success Rate

2% 0.5% 95 % 90%

3.3 Derive Test (DT) Drive test allow the mobile network to be tested and take the quality of service measures to judge the quality of service of the network. The testing process starts with selection of the live region of the network where the testing needs to be performed, and drive testing path. A test mobile system (TEMS) is a testing tool used to read and control the information sent over the air interface between the BTS and the MS. It can be used to measure radio coverage, RXQUAL, RXLEV and other parameters. Drive test equipment used: MS: a mobile supporting GSM with special software which is called trace mobile. GPS (Global Positioning System): satellite system which provides users with location of the measurement point. PC (portable personal computer): It is a computer equipped with interface carte RS 232 in order to make the link between the serial output of the MS and the serial port of the PC.

Equipment used for this project are:

Test terminal: Sony Ericsson Analysis software: TEMS 11.0.4

24

Drive test measurement

Drive test tool offers the measurement of many indicators. Some of them are:

Time: It is system time of computer. Cell name: It displays the name of the sector which is serving according to the cell file that is loaded in TEMS. CGI: It stands for the Cell Global Identity which is unique for every sector of the site. It consists of MCC, MNC, LAC, and CI. MCC: Mobile Country Code 0 999 MNC: Mobile Network Code 0 99 LAC : Location Area Code 0 -65535 CI: Cell Identity 0 65535 Band: It tells in which Freq. Band mobile is operating e.g. GSM 900/ 1800. BSIC (Base Station Identity Code): It is combination of Network Color Code (NCC) (0-7) & Base Station Color Code (BCC) (0 7). Mode: It is shows in which state is mobile operating, Idle, Dedicated & Packet. Hopping Channel: It shows that current sector is having hopping feature or not. Values are Yes or No.

25

Hopping Frequencies: It displays number of frequencies on which mobile is allowed to hop. RxLev: Receiving level in terms of dBm that mobile is receiving from the site. Range of -30 dBm to -110dBm. RxQual: Quality of voice which is measured on basis of BER. Range of RxQual 0 -7. FER: Frame Erasure Rate it represents the percentage of frames being dropped due to high number of non-corrected bit errors in the frame. It is indication of voice quality in network. BER Actual: Ratio of the number of bit errors to the total number of bits transmitted in a given time interval. BER is a measure for the voice quality in network. Depending on BER RxQual is measured. E,g, BER 0 to 0.2 % corresponds to RxQual 0. Max. BER countable and useful is up to 12.8 % which corresponds to RxQual of max. 7. SQI: SQI is a more sophisticated measure which is dedicated to reflecting the quality of the speech (as opposed to radio environment conditions). SQI is updated at 0.5 s intervals. It is computed on basis of BER and FER. C/I: The carrier-over-interference ratio is the ratio between the signal strength of the current serving cell and the signal strength of undesired (interfering) signal components. It should be at least > 9. TA: Value that the base station calculates from access bursts and sends to the mobile station (MS) enabling the MS to advance the timing of its transmissions to the BS so as to compensate for propagation delay. Value of 0 means MS in radius of 550m from BS.

Result and Analysis

Since it is correspondence to the time of heavy operation of network resources, the peak hour traffic is useful. So the first step in the analysis is that selecting the peak hour of the day. From the basic traffic measurement of Bahir-Dar TEL.NWR statistics the peak hour of the day is selected as shown in figurexxx.

26

From the figure xxx1 there is one peak that corresponds to 21:00 pm. All performance evaluation of this project is done based on this average peak hour network statistic data , since it is used to examine the performance of the radio network.by taking this consideration the 7 day average percentage of the KPIs are plotted and analyzed. TCH Congestion represents the percentage of time that a TCH has not been used due to the lack of resources and restricts initiation of a call. TCH congestion increases as traffic request increases, which results in making the available number of TCH channel insufficient for meeting the required demand and prevents a new user to establish a call and increases blocked calls. Figure xxx2 shows the 7 day average percentage of cells with TCH congestion rate greater than the threshold value. From this 8 cells have TCH congestion rate greater than the threshold value.

27

Figure sites with TCH congestion rate greater than 2% The percentage of sites whose TCH congestion rate values deviated from the recommended value is tabulated in Table xxx.

Site name LAC20005 CI 14606 LAC20005 CI 14618 LAC20005 CI 14619 LAC20005 CI 24607 LAC20070 CI 24626 LAC20005 CI 24627 LAC20005 CI 34048 LAC20005 CI 34465 LAC20005 CI 14606
Table cells TCH congestion rate

TCH congestion rate 7.84% 12.89% 5.95% 8.43% 5.36% 2.16% 2.73% 2.32% 7.84%

28

Handover success rate indicates the success of hand over when the mobile station moves from one cell to another cell while a conversation is in progress. There are a total of 14 cells whose 7 day average percentage Handover success rate deviates from the threshold. The plot is shown in figure

Figure Handover success rate of cells less than 95% The percentage of sites whose hand off success rate values deviated from the recommended value is tabulated in Table

Site name
LAC20005 CI 34624 LAC20005 CI 34605 LAC20005 CI 34056 LAC20005 CI 34054 LAC20005 CI 34048 LAC20005 CI 24624 LAC20005 CI 24056 LAC20005 CI 24054

Handover success rate

71.42% 90.82% 93.32% 91.18% 90.86% 65.13% 94.37% 93.53%

Table cells handover success rate

In the network under study there are no cell sectors whose call drop rate, SDCCH congestion rate and Call Set up Success Rate values which deviated from the recommended value.

29

Abbreviations
AGCH Access Grant Channel ARFCN Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number

AuC Authentication Center

BCCH Broadcast Control Channel

BSS Base Station Sub-System BTS Base Transceiver Station BSC Base Station Controller BSS Base Station Subsystem BCCH Broadcast Control Channel BSIC Base Station Identification Code Conference of European Posts and Telegraphs (CEPT) European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI)
Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH) Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH)

FDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access GSM Global System for Mobile Communication HLR Home Location Register ISDN Integrated Service Digital Network KPI Key Performance Indicators MS Mobile Station

30

MSC Mobile-service Switching Center NSS Network Sub System OMC Operation and Maintenance Center OSS Operating Sub-System

PLMN Public Land Mobile Network QoS Quality of Service

RACH Random Access Channel PCH Paging Channel SDCCH Stand alone Dedicated Control Channel SACCH Slow Associated Control Channel SCH Synchronization Channel

SMS Short Message Service TDMA Time Division Multiple Access

Traffic Channels (TCH)

TBF Temporary Block Flow VLR Visitor Location Register

31

Appendix A
M0MSCS23.ZTE..BDTEL.NWR-Basic Traffic Measurement(2011-12-30 00-0000_2011-12-30 23-59-59) Time Measurement Object Description All types of calls Times of Attempted Call 79672 Times of Call Occupancy

2011-1230 00:00:00 2011-1230 01:00:00 2011-1230 02:00:00 2011-1230 03:00:00 2011-1230 04:00:00 2011-1230 05:00:00 2011-1230 06:00:00 2011-1230 07:00:00 2011-1230

79672

All types of calls

37255

37255

All types of calls

22212

22212

All types of calls

18514

18514

All types of calls

26484

26484

All types of calls

64643

64643

All types of calls

261456

261456

All types of calls

516201

516201

All types of calls

626445

626445

32

08:00:00 2011-1230 09:00:00 2011-1230 10:00:00 2011-1230 11:00:00 2011-1230 12:00:00 2011-1230 13:00:00 2011-1230 14:00:00 2011-1230 15:00:00 2011-1230 16:00:00 2011-1230 17:00:00 2011-1230 18:00:00 2011-1230 19:00:00 All types of calls 671707 671707

All types of calls

714972

714972

All types of calls

735186

735186

All types of calls

743382

743382

All types of calls

784008

784008

All types of calls

797230

797230

All types of calls

792062

792062

All types of calls

803082

803082

All types of calls

858084

858084

All types of calls

1026009

1026009

All types of calls

1253587

1253587

33

2011-1230 20:00:00 2011-1230 21:00:00 2011-1230 22:00:00 2011-1230 23:00:00

All types of calls

1248551

1248551

All types of calls

1379074

1379074

All types of calls

563959

563959

All types of calls

171730

171730

References

[1] R. Mishra John Ajay. Fundamentals of Cellular Network Planning and Optimizations

2G/2.5G/3G... Evolution to 4G

34

[2] Kechagias, S.Papaoulakis, N.Nikitopoulos, D. Karambalis: A Comprehensive Study on Performance Evaluation of Operational GSM and GPRS Systems under Varying Traffic Conditions. IST Mobile and Wireless telecommunications Summit, 2002, Greece
[3] Jyri, H. (2007).Cellular Network Planning and Optimization. Helsinki University.

Retrieved
[4] [5]

November

2011

from

http://www.comlab.hut.fi/.../Cellular_network_planning_and_optimization.. GSM .Retrieved Nov 18, 2011 .from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM GSM Network Architecture .Retrieved November 14 from http://www.gsmfordummies.com/architecture/arch.shtml
[6] Region 4 Network Topology

[7] From Mr. Samson who is network assistance officer and Mr.Ephinos who is a BSC engineer in Ethio Telecom, Bahir Dar(NWR)

35