HSPA+ Throughput Improvement Solution and Implementation

Abstract：This article presents a solution to improve HSPA+ throughput which is consisted of

RTWP optimization, Radio Resource Allocation and Adoption of New Features. Compared with the
historical optimization practice, the solution herein outruns the improvement by more than 10 times for
UL throughput and doubles the DL throughput at the same time. The solution in this article already
applied in the other project and it is worthy of transplanting into more mobile networks for similar
optimization purpose.
Keywords：HSPA+, Throughput Improvement, RTWP, Radio Resource Allocation

1. Preface

HSPA+ supports UL 5.76Mbps/ DL 21Mbps and above throughput theoretically which is rather high
for the actual application requirement currently. But the throughput in field test in many countries is far
below the theoretical peak throughput, esp. for HSUPA. For instance, UL HSPA+ throughput remains at
70kbps or so in I country, similar as the performance in TD network in China Mobile. In the past there’re
few optimization cases in this field in our company. One case in country M achieved 15% improvement
for UL throughput to reach about 100kbps or so. In summary, HSPA+ throughput field test result is only
close to 1% of the theoretical peak throughput. It makes the operator undervalue the investment for
HSPA+; and the end user expect to enjoy better perception for HSPA+ service. The author combines many
technical methods to improve the UL throughput by 2 times to even more than 10 times, and doubles the
DL throughput during optimization solution bidding for a large scale network. Finally we get the PO and
implement the solution in whole network. The solution also transplanted into the other network in
country P. I am honored to share my ideas herein first and expect everyone share better ideas to all.

2. Ideas of HSPA+ Throughput Improvement

The solution is consisted of three parts:

• RTWP Optimization
• Radio Resource Allocation
• Adoption of New Features
RTWP is consisted of UL payload, UL Signal and various of UL interference. In UMTS, RTWP is tightly
impacted the network KPI and UL/DL throughput: the lower RTWP, the lower interference to network,
and accordingly the higher throughput. After reduces the RTWP, it provides the space to relieve the
negative impact upon KPI accompanied by the throughput. For the operator, the higher UL Payload, the
more income for them in most of the cases; and it’s hard to eliminate various of interference esp. for a
large network. So it seems only one relatively simple way to decrease the RTWP through decreasing the
UL signal traffic. We integrate some methods with this idea based on the practice in other UMTS
networks.
Radio Resource Allocation is to optimize the associated threshold and priority of radio resource
allocation between HSPA+ and other services to enable HSPA+ subscriber utilize more radio resource and
own high priority than R99 PS under the prerequisite that the user of other service perception maintains
including KPIs. Considered HSPA+ is of higher efficiency to consume the radio resource than that of R99
PS, it is therefore reasonable and profitable.
Some new features have positive gains for both UL and DL throughput theoretically. Considered the
request of presales team to package the solution to make it complex and valuable, we introduce some
new features into the solution:
• TTI Switch on BE Service Based on Coverage License
• Adaptive Configuration of Traffic Channel Power Offset for HSUPA
• CQI Adjustment Based on Dynamic BLER Target
 • CE Overbooking
• HSDPA Scheduling Based on UE Location
• HSDPA Scheduling Based on UE Location
During field test, after activates the new features above, UL throughput slightly degrades, but UL
throughput is more stable than ever before; and DL throughput improves. Two new features are available
starting from RAN 14. Considers the network will upgrade to RAN14 in the near future, we integrate them
into the solution:

3．Implementation of HSPA+ Throughput Improvement

3．1 Solution Details[1],[2]

 RTWP Optimization[1],[5]
RTWP Optimization herein is to modify CQIFbCk, CQIFbCkforSHO,
CONSTANTVALUE,PREAMBLERETRANSMAX and POWERRAMPSTEP to decrease the UL signal traffic but
not produce negative impact upon network performance. These methods are verified in other two
large scale network in the past with positive results, esp. for the cells in hot spot:
MOD UCELLHSDPCCH: CELLID=xxx,CQIFbCk=D8,CQIFbCkforSHO=D8;
MOD UPRACHUUPARAS: CELLID=xxx, PHYCHID=4,CONSTANTVALUE=-30,PREAMBLERETRANSMAX=30,
POWERRAMPSTEP=1;
Several reserved parameters below are profitable to maintain the KPI[5] hence we integrate them
into the solution as well:
SET UCORRMALGOSWITCH:ReservedSwitch0=RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT3-1;
SET UCORRMALGOSWITCH:ReservedSwitch0=RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT23-1;
SET URRCTRLSWITCH: RsvdPara1=RsvdBit1_BIT25-0;
SET UCORRMALGOSWITCH: PcSwitch=PC_HSUPA_DATA_CH_PO_ADAPTIVE_ADJ_SWITCH-1;

 Radio Resource Allocation[1],[3],[4]

Radio Resource Allocation is dedicated to change the thresholds associated with resource allocation
to enable HSPA+ subscriber utilize more radio resource when in use; and use the resource with a
higher priority than that of the R99 PS user. Considered HSPA+ is of higher efficiency to consume the
radio resource than that of R99 PS, it is reasonable and profitable to bear the data payload with
HSPA+, instead of R99. After HSPA+ subscriber completes the transmission, the resource is free for
use by other services. So the negative impact is acceptable in general which is supported by the
stable evolution of RNC level KPI. Associated settings are listed below:

SET FRCCHLTYPEPARA: SrbChlType=HSUPA, SrbChlTypeRrcEffectFlag=FALSE;

 ADD USPG:SPGID=2, PRIORITYSERVICEFORR99RT=1, PRIORITYSERVICEFORR99NRT=2,
PRIORITYSERVICEFOREXTRAB=1, PRIORITYSERVICEFORHSDPA=1, PRIORITYSERVICEFORHSUPA=1;
MOD UCELLSETUP:CELLID=xx, SPGID=2;
SET UEDCHRATEADJUSTSET:EDCHRATEADJUSTSET= RATE_8KBPS-0&RATE_16KBPS-0&RATE_32KBPS-
0&RATE_64KBPS-1&RATE_128KBPS-0&RATE_144KBPS-0&RATE_256KBPS-0&RATE_384KBPS-
1&RATE_608KBPS-1&RATE_1280KBPS-1&RATE_2048KBPS-1&RATE_2720KBPS-0&RATE_5440KBPS-
1&RATE_11480KBPS-0;
ADD UCELLALGOSWITCH: CellId=xxx, NBMLdcAlgoSwitch=UL_UU_LDR-1;
MOD UCELLLDM: CellId=xxx, UlLdrTrigThd=50, UlLdrRelThd=45;
MOD UCELLLDR: CellId=xxx, UlLdrFirstAction=BERateRed;

MOD UCELLCAC: CELLID=xxxx, ULCELLTOTALTHD=83;

DEA UCELLHSUPA: CELLID=xxx;

MOD UCELLHSUPA:CELLID=xxx, EAGCHCODENUM=2, ERGCHEHICHCODENUM=2,
MAXTARGETULLOADFACTOR=85;
ACT UCELLHSUPA: CELLID=xxx;
When transplanting the solution, we can retune the above settings to adapt the requirement and
condition of each network, and not force to strictly follow the settings listed above.
All associated parameters are summarized below：

Description Parameters
Basic
SrbChlTy`pe
Requirement
for HS SrbChlTypeRrcEffectFlag
PRIORITYSERVICEFORR99NRT
Radio
PRIORITYSERVICEFORR99RT
resource
allocation PRIORITYSERVICEFORHSDPA
PRIORITYSERVICEFORHSUPA
EDCHRATEADJUSTSET
CQIFbCk
Decrease
CQIFbCkforSHO
RTWP
CONSTANTVALUE
PREAMBLERETRANSMAX
NBMLdcAlgoSwitch
Traffic UlLdrTrigThd
Balance UlLdrRelThd
UlLdrFirstAction
Assign more ULCELLTOTALTHD
resource for EAGCHCODENUM
HS Service to ERGCHEHICHCODENUM
improve HS MAXTARGETULLOADFACTOR
throughput
DraSwitch
RetryCapability
ReservedSwitch0:RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT5
ReservedSwitch0:RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT7
Maintain KPI ReservedSwitch0:RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT3
ReservedSwitch0:RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT23
RsvdPara1
PcSwitch
 Adoption of New Features[1],[2],[3]
E2D is applied in the current network and produces slightly negative impact to throughput. After
activates TTI Switch for BE Services Based on Coverage License, we can deactivate E2D solution because
the two solutions cannot co-exist in an RNC and the gains of E2D can be achieved by the previous feature:
SET UFRC: RetryCapability=TTI_2MS-0;
SET UCORRMALGOSWITCH: ReservedSwitch0=RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT5-0;
SET UCORRMALGOSWITCH: ReservedSwitch0=RESERVED_SWITCH_0_BIT7-0;

The detailed configuration of these features are documented in [3] SingleRAN Features Activation
Guideline (V900R013C00_09)(PDF)-EN, [4] SingleRAN Configuration Guideline(V900R013C00_04)(PDF)-
EN。

3．2 Impact upon Network

During implementation of the solution, KPI doesn’t degrade that is worried by team previously
because usually throughput increment will produce negative impacts to KPI. It shows the adoption of
RTWP and other KPI optimization methods is profitable in the solution. CS Call Drop Rate evolution can
partially explain it that is given below:

Unfortunately some cells emerges high UL power congestion appears in hot spot. After compares
the parameter settings, an RNC-level parameter differs from the settings of normal functioned RNC:
BEHSUPA2MSTTIRATETHS.
After unified it (SET UFRC: BEHSUPA2MSTTIRATETHS=D1280；), UL power congestion recovers to
normal case. As for the slight UL power congestion, CE congestion and Code congestion in few cells in hot
spot, we can take it for granted considers the HSPA+ throughput improves tremendously. Some other
actions can be applied to relieve the congestion issue such as adding a new micro site, decreasing the
power of PCPICH, CE expansion, etc.