Network Quality

Technology for executives, Moscow - 13 September 2004 Author: Morten Raaum Presenter: Hans Myhre

Network Quality, as perceived by customer

Coverage Capacity Speech quality Services quality Customer care..

GSM in the field

BTS
To BSC / MSC To BSC / MSC

BTS

Handover

Handover

BTS

To BSC / MSC

To BSC / MSC

BTS

Some practical experiences..

No network access (= no Telenor in the display)

Lack of coverage Network overload situation (users barred from access) Network failure.

3 beeps/3-tone beeps at call setup

Blocking/error situations somewhere in the network User error (e.g. non-existent number)

Poor speech quality

Marginal coverage Interference between base stations

Dropped call
Poor quality of radio link Blocking in target cell (moving mobile, handover situation) Network failure (transmission)

The mobile is the weakest link in the chain: Mass production units Internal antenna Increased software and processing complexity (WAP/GPRS/HSCSD/games&features)

GSM in the field

BTS
To BSC / MSC To BSC / MSC

BTS

No traffic channels available

Handover

Handover to non-optimal cell Poor speech quality

BTS

To BSC / MSC

Dropped call
To BSC / MSC

BTS

How is Network Quality monitored by the operator?

Coverage
Measurements by technical staff. Test telephone + laptop. Measurements by remotely controlled test systems (installed in bus, taxi etc). Customer complaints and performance stats as input.

Capacity
Network Maintenance Center / Operations center The network counts # of events (pos./neg.) Post processing in Performance Management tool. Tools for prognosis on capacity needs vs. required quality of the network (Grade of Service)

How is Network Quality monitored by the operator?

Speech quality
The network counts Dropped calls and to some extent report on speech quality Measurements by remotely controlled test systems / tech.staff.

Services quality
Services are built up by combining equipment and software External tools needed to ensure quality of delivery
Correct content / Response time 3rd party content delivery 3rd party Service Level Agreements (SLA)

Capacity and quality a trade off at a given funding

Capacity in the GSM radio network

Base station with antennas connected in a mast

BTS contains a number of TRX based on the need for capacity.

Tx Rx
DOWNLINK

UPLINK

Rx Tx

TRX TRX

TRX

BTS cabinet

Radio network capacity

Building blocks for capacity at the base stations: TRX

8 channels that are used for signalling (SMS, suppl.services etc) and speech/data.

Call duration -> Erlang

1 Erlang = 1 hour of speech for 1 user Call duration 90 sec: 90s / 3600s = 0,025 Erl = 25 mErl I.e. 1 Erlang: 40 calls of 90 seconds each. (1 Erl = 40 x 25 mErl)

Theoretical capacity: Erlangs model and chosen Grade of Service.

GoS (%) Number of call attempts that may meet blocking in a busy hour.
Typical values used: 2-5%

Example, GoS=2% 1 TRX 7 speech channels 2 TRX 15 speech channels 3 TRX 22 speech channels 4 TRX 30 speech channels

2.9 Erlang 9.0 Erlang 14.9 Erlang 21.9 Erlang

41% 60% 68% 73%

Radio network capacity

Base station configuration example:

3 TRXes, Omni directional cell

1 cell with 3 TRX, GoS=2%:
Capacity = 14.9 Erl 90 sec call duration (25mErl) 14.9 / 0.025 = 596 calls in a busy hour (theoretical max!)
TRX TRX TRX

BTS

If we accept higher blocking figures we can carry more traffic with less customer satisfaction. 5% GoS used in this example => 17.1 Erl capacity => 684 calls (+15%)

Radio network capacity

Base station configuration example:

3 TRXes, Sectorised 1/1/1.

3 cells with 1 TRX each:
Capacity = 3 x 2,9 Erl = 8,7 Erl 90 sec call duration 8,7 / 0,025 = 348 calls in a busy hour

TRX TRX TRX

BTS

If we accept higher blocking figures we can carry more traffic with less customer satisfaction. 5% GoS used in this example => 11.1 Erl capacity => 444 calls (+28%)

Frequency planning
Re-use of GSM channels is necessary. In this example a frequency is re-used in every 12th cell => reuse factor 12

Resource: Frequency spectrum

Spectrum size strongly affect base station roll out. Re-use of GSM channels is necessary. 1 TRX use 1 GSM channel
Example, Malaysia:
24.8 MHz => 124 GSM channels # of TRX per cell: >6. Good capacity per base station (xx Erlang).

Example, Russia:
4 MHz => 20 GSM channels Maximum ~1,5 TRX per cell = a denser base station network will be needed for serving increasing traffic (xx Erlang)

Good radio/frequency planning and use of smart features enables a tight re-use of GSM channels
Power control
Mobile and BTS adjust their output power as low as possible, adjustment 2 times per sec.

Discontinuous Transmission (DTX)

Mobile and BTS only transmit when user actually speak. (User benefit: less power consumption)

Frequency hopping
Mobile and BTS jump from GSM channel to GSM channel (480ms), less affected by interference.

Spectrum vs. investments Capacity case

Malaysia case..
6TRX/cell= 34,6 Erl/cell 900TRX, 150 cells and 50 BTS needed

Area= 50km2 Population= 1 M Subscribers= 346k 15 mErl/sub Traffic= 5190 Erl

Russia case..
1,5 TRX/cell= 5,8 Erl/cell 1343TRX, 895 cells and 299 BTS needed

We need 6 times as many sites for capacity reason!

For illustration purpose only the conclusions and calculations are simplified

Network Quality, some KPIs

Minutes per dropped call

Summary of all traffic minutes divided by number of dropped calls during a period of time (e.g. Week/month) Typical values: 50-150 minutes.

Blocking/Congestion
Call attempts that meet blocking, all resources are occupied. The network is dimensioned to meet a certain traffic level in the busy hour. Typical dimensioning values (GoS): 2 - 5 % Typical values measured in the networks: 0 - 50+ %

Network Quality, some KPIs Network Utilisation

Cell utilization
160 140

120

Utilization (%)

100

80

60

40

20

0
% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % 97 10 13 16 19 22 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47 50 53 57 60 63 66 69 72 75 78 81 84 88 91 94 1 4 7 10 0 %

Cell utilization distribution

About 22% of the cells in the network are utilised > theoretical max = customers experience more blocking than acceptable in these cells!

Benchmarking Report

Technical KPIs

.................. .................. ..................

Technical KPIs

Financial Market HR Technical

Access network OSS

Events & alarms

Core network OSS

Events & alarms

MSC

BTS

BSC

MSC

MSC

PSTN

MSC

Network Quality, challenges

How to measure customer perceived quality?

Unmanned active measurement units.

New and advanced services

Fast development and deployment of new services. Increased complexity, both for network and mobile.

3.party content providers

Timeout... Not available... Service Level Agreements. How do you know what is delivered? New and advanced measurement systems for test&monitoring.

Roaming
How well are we able to keep foreign roamers in our network and how are our roamers abroad doing? Advanced measurement systems (signalling) for test&monitoring.

Environment

Base station location:

Aim to minimise the effect of masts and antennas on the local environment.

Trndelag theatre

Tree-mounted antenna..

Antenna

Vindern Typical antennainstallation in a city environment

Mini-BTS mounted on a pole by the fjord