BSC6910 GSM Product Documentation

Product Version: V100R015C00

Library Version: 07
Date: 03/28/2014

For any question, please contact us.

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2014. All rights reserved.

Call Drops
Contents
1 Call Drops
1.1 Call Drop Rate
1.2 Locating Call Drops
1.2.1 Procedure for Locating Call Drops
1.2.2 Counters Related to Call Drops
1.2.3 Types of Call Drops
1.3 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Poor Um Interface Quality
1.4 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Equipment Faults
 1.5 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Transmission Faults
1.6 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Incorrect Parameter Settings

1 Call Drops
This chapter describes how to locate and troubleshoot call drops.

 Call Drop Rate

The call drop rate indicates the probability with which an MS will release ongoing calls
unexpectedly after accessing a TCH. A high call drop rate may significantly deteriorate user
experience.

 Locating Call Drops

This section describes how to locate call drops.

 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Poor Um Interface Quality

This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to poor Um interface quality.

 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Equipment Faults

This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to equipment faults.

 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Transmission Faults

This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to transmission faults.

 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Incorrect Parameter Settings

This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to incorrect parameter settings.

Parent topic: GBSS Troubleshooting Guide (BSC6910-Based)

1.1 Call Drop Rate

The call drop rate indicates the probability with which an MS will release ongoing calls
unexpectedly after accessing a TCH. A high call drop rate may significantly deteriorate user
experience.

Formula
See the online help for the formulas for calculating the following counters associated with call
drops:
 ZTR304A:Call Drop Rate on TCH per cell(Excluding Handover)
  ZTR304:Call Drop Rate on TCH per cell(including Handover)

Call Drop Rate on TCH per cell(Excluding Handover) indicates the call drop rate in the stable
state. With regard to the formulas for calculating the two counters, the numerators in both
formulas are the same, except that Successful TCH Seizures in TCH handovers (Traffic Channel)
is included in the denominator of ZTR304:Call Drop Rate on TCH per cell(including Handover)
but not in the denominator of ZTR304A:Call Drop Rate on TCH per cell(Excluding Handover).
Therefore, the value of the former is smaller than that of the latter.

Measurement Points and Signaling Procedure

See the online help for CM33:Call Drops on Traffic Channel.
According to the measurement points for the call drop rate, call drops are classified into two
types:
 Call drops in the stable state, as shown in Figure 1
 Call drops in the handover state, as shown in Figure 2
Figure 1 Procedure for Call drops in the stable state
 Figure 2 Procedure for call drops in the handover state

Parent topic: Call Drops

1.2 Locating Call Drops

This section describes how to locate call drops.

 Procedure for Locating Call Drops

Before locating call drops, determine the fault range.

 Counters Related to Call Drops

The counters related to call drops are classified according to call drop type for easy
troubleshooting.

 Types of Call Drops

Classifying call drops into different types helps troubleshoot call drops.

Parent topic: Call Drops

1.2.1 Procedure for Locating Call Drops

Before locating call drops, determine the fault range.

Principles
 Before locating call drops, determine whether the fault exists on the entire network or only in
certain cells by analyzing Counters Related to Call Drops.
 Analyze the proportion of the various types of call drops to determine whether call drops are
caused by poor Um interface quality.
  If the values of CM333:Call Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic Channel) and CM334:Call
Drops due to Equipment Failure (Traffic Channel) increase, call drops are not caused by poor Um
interface quality. In this case, check for equipment and transmission faults.
 If the counters indicating call drops due to poor Um interface quality increase, check for
inappropriate network parameter settings, interference, and coverage problems.

Location Procedure
Figure 1 shows the procedure for locating call drops.
Figure 1 Procedure for locating call drops

NOTE:
Collect the problem location information by referring to Table 1 before contacting Huawei for technical support.
Table 1 Call drop location information

No. Item Description Remarks

1 Symptom Provide the start time and end time of the problem, specific None
symptom, and impact range (whether the problem occurs in a
cell, a BTS, a BSC, or all BSCs under an MSC).

2 Operations Provide the operations before and after the problem occurs, None
before and such as board replacement, software upgrade, clock source
after the change, dynamic data configuration, BTS reset, BSC reset,
problem MSC swapping, and MSC data modification.
occurs

3 Faulty NE Obtain the BSC and BTS software versions that are used when For details about
version the problem occurs. how to obtain
the BSC and
BTS software
versions that are
used when the
problem occurs,
see Appendix:
How to Collect
Fault Information.

4 Configuration Obtain the configuration data script used when the problem For details about
data script occurs. how to obtain
the configuration
data script, see
Appendix: How to
Collect Fault
Information.

5 Historical Obtain the historical alarms generated within three days before For details about
alarms and after the problem occurs. how to obtain
the historical
alarms, see
Appendix: How to
Collect Fault
Information.

6 Original Obtain the original traffic statistics measured within two days For details about
traffic before and after the problem occurs. how to obtain
statistics the original
traffic statistics,
see Appendix:
How to Collect
Fault Information.
 Table 1 Call drop location information

No. Item Description Remarks

7 GCHR and Obtain the GCHR and GCSR logs generated within two hours For details about
GCSR logs before and after the problem occurs, including the logs how to obtain
generated for all subracks. the GCHR and
GCSR logs, see
Appendix: How to
Collect Fault
Information.

8 Common Obtain the common debugging logs generated within two days For details about
debugging before and after the problem occurs. how to obtain
logs the common
debugging logs,
see Appendix:
How to Collect
Fault Information.

9 Operation Obtain the operation logs generated within 10 days before and For details about
logs after the problem occurs. how to obtain
the operation
logs, see
Appendix: How to
Collect Fault
Information.

10 Faulty Obtain the signaling on the Abis and A interfaces and single- For details about
signaling user signaling of one or two faulty cells when the problem how to obtain
occurs. the faulty
signaling, see
Appendix: How to
Collect Fault
Information.

11 BTS logs Obtain all logs generated for one or two faulty BTSs. For details about
how to obtain
BTS logs, see
Appendix: How to
Collect Fault
Information.

Parent topic: Locating Call Drops

1.2.2 Counters Related to Call Drops

The counters related to call drops are classified according to call drop type for easy
troubleshooting.
Table 1 lists the counters related to call drops.

Table 1 Counters related to call drops

Counters related to call drops

CM33:Call Drops on Traffic Channel CM33C:Call Drops on Radio CM330:Call Drops on Radio Interface
Interface (Traffic Channel) in Stable State (Traffic Channel)

CM331:Call Drops on Radio Interface

in Handover State (Traffic Channel)

CM332:Call Drops Due to No MR /

from MS for a Long Time (Traffic
Channel)

CM333:Call Drops due to Abis /

Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic
Channel)

CM334:Call Drops due to Equipment /

Failure (Traffic Channel)

CM335:Call Drops due to Forced /

Handover (Traffic Channel)

CM33C:Call Drops on Radio Interface (Traffic Channel) indicates call drops due to poor Um
interface quality, which is the most common cause of call drops on a network. CM333:Call
Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic Channel) and CM334:Call Drops due to
Equipment Failure (Traffic Channel) indicate call drops due to transmission and equipment
faults, respectively. Pay attention to these two counters if their values are large.
Table 2 lists the counters related to call drops due to poor Um interface quality.

Table 2 Counters related to call drops due to poor Um interface quality

Counters related to call drops due to poor Um interface quality

CM33C:Call Drops on Radio CM330:Call Drops on Radio Interface CM3300:Call Drops on Traffic
Interface (Traffic Channel) in Stable State (Traffic Channel) Channel in Stable State (Error
Indication)

CM3301:Call Drops on Traffic

Channel in Stable State (Connection
Failure)

CM3302:Call Drops on Traffic

Channel in Stable State (Release
Indication)
 Table 2 Counters related to call drops due to poor Um interface quality

Counters related to call drops due to poor Um interface quality

CM331:Call Drops on Radio Interface H3027Ca:Failed Internal Intra-Cell

in Handover State (Traffic Channel) Handovers (Timer Expired) (TCHF)
(Traffic Channel)

H3028Ca:Failed Internal Intra-Cell

Handovers (Timer Expired) (TCHH)
(Traffic Channel)

H3127Ca:Number of Unsuccessful
Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell
Handovers (Timer Expired) (TCHF)
(Traffic Channel)

H3128Ca:Number of Unsuccessful
Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell
Handovers (Timer Expired) (TCHH)
(Traffic Channel)

H3327Ca:Failed Outgoing External

Inter-Cell Handovers (T8 Expiry)
(TCHF) (Traffic Channel)

H3328Ca:Failed Outgoing External

Inter-Cell Handovers (T8 Expiry)
(TCHH) (Traffic Channel)

 In the stable state, focus on CM3300:Call Drops on Traffic Channel in Stable State (Error
Indication) and CM3301:Call Drops on Traffic Channel in Stable State (Connection Failure).
Generally, call drops in the stable state as indicated by CM3301:Call Drops on Traffic
Channel in Stable State (Connection Failure) account for the largest proportion of call drops
due to poor Um interface quality.
 In the handover state, focus on H3127Ca:Number of Unsuccessful Outgoing Internal Inter-
Cell Handovers (Timer Expired) (TCHF) (Traffic Channel) and H3128Ca:Number of
Unsuccessful Outgoing Internal Inter-Cell Handovers (Timer Expired) (TCHH) (Traffic
Channel) because inter-cell handovers account for a large proportion.
 Analyzing the counters related to call drops helps determine the main cause of call drops. Call
drop types whose portion increases from a small value to a large value need special attention.
Parent topic: Locating Call Drops

1.2.3 Types of Call Drops

Classifying call drops into different types helps troubleshoot call drops.
 Figure 1 describes the types and common causes of call drops.
Figure 1 Procedure for locating call drops

Call Drops on Um Interface in the Stable State

When a call is in the stable state, call drops may occur after a BTS sends the BSC one of the
following messages:
  ERROR INDICATION
 When the BTS sends an I frame, the timer T200 starts. If the BTS does not receive an
acknowledgment message from the BSC before the timer expires, it resends the I frame for
a maximum of N200 times. If the BTS still does not receive an acknowledgment message,
the BTS sends the BSC an ERROR INDICATION message with a cause value of timer
T200 expired (N200+1) times (0x01).
 If the BTS detects that the serial numbers of the received I and S frames are out of order, it
sends the BSC an ERROR INDICATION message with a cause value of sequence error
(0x07).
 When the BTS receives an unexpected DM frame, the BTS sends the BSC an ERROR
INDICATION with a cause value of unsolicited DM response (0x05).
 The call drops indicated by the ERROR INDICATION message are generally caused by
interference or coverage problems, though they may also be caused by inappropriate
antenna installation, TRX faults, or incorrect data configurations.
 CONNECTION FAILURE INDICATION
 If the BTS detects that uplink SACCH decoding fails repeatedly within the value specified
by SACCH Multi-Frames, the BTS sends a CONNECTION FAILURE INDICATION
message to the BSC.
 The call drops indicated by the ERROR INDICATION message are generally caused by
interference or coverage problems, though they may also be caused by inappropriate
antenna installation, TRX faults, or incorrect data configurations.
 RELEASE INDICATION
 In the multi-frame link establishment state, when receiving a DISC frame from an MS, the
BTS sends a RELEASE INDICATION message to the BSC.
 The RELEASE INDICATION message is sent during normal release procedures.
Therefore, it does not always indicate a call drop. Call drops indicated by the RELEASE
INDICATION message seldom occur. They may be caused by inappropriate signaling
interaction problems between the MS and the BSS/NSS, not by poor Um interface quality.

Call Drops on Um Interface in the Handover State

This type of call drop occurs after a BSC delivers a handover command but does not receive an
acknowledgment message before the relevant timer expires.
 Intra-cell handovers
When Intracell HO Allowed is set to YES(YES) by using the MML command SET
GCELLHOBASIC, an interference handover or bad quality handover can be performed.
However, if the signal level of the neighboring cell is low, an intra-cell handover is easy to be
triggered, and a large number of intra-cell handovers may increase the call drop rate.
 Inter-cell handovers
 Call drops during inter-cell handovers are generally caused by interference or coverage
problems, though they may also be caused by inappropriate antenna installation, TRX faults,
incorrect neighboring cell configurations, or a large clock frequency offset.
 Inter-BSC handovers
The causes of call drops during inter-BSC handovers are similar to those of intra-BSC
handovers. The main causes are as follows: (1) The neighboring relationship configured on
the BSS is inconsistent with that configured on the NSS; (2) The clock frequency offset is
large. These two factors should also be considered for call drops during inter-RAT handovers.

Call Drops Due to No Measurement Report Submitted by the MS

This type of call drop seldom occurs. If a large number of call drops occur because the BSC does
not receive any measurement reports from an MS within a specified period (five minutes by
default), an exception occurs in the interaction between the BSS and the MS. In this case, check
the configuration data related to measurement reports as well as the signaling interaction
between the BSS and the MS. For example, check whether the BTS can decode the extended
measurement reports submitted by the MS.

Call Drops Due to Abis Terrestrial Link Faults

This type of call drop seldom occurs. If there are a large number of such call drops, the BSC
detects that radio signaling links (RSLs) are interrupted because the Abis transmission or the
BSC/BTS LAPD link transmission is faulty. In this case, check the relevant alarms, Abis
transmission, and BSC/BTS LAPD link transmission.

Call Drops Due to Equipment Faults

This type of call drop occurs in cases of abnormal transmission, BSS hardware faults, or
incorrect data configurations. It may also occur in cases of dynamic data configuration (such as
frequency modification or cell deletion). When this type of call drop occurs, check the relevant
alarms, Abis/A interface transmission, TRX boards, and BSC interface board.

Call Drops Due to Forced Handovers

This type of call drop may occur during handovers triggered by dynamic channel adjustment.
This type of call drop may also occur when MSC-triggered handovers or handovers triggered by
the following causes time out: TRX cooperation, channel preemption, cell/TRX/channel
blocking, or OM. Dynamic channel adjustment, TRX cooperation, and channel preemption are
the most common causes. If there are a large number of such call drops, check whether the data
configuration is correct and whether TRXs become faulty frequently.
Parent topic: Locating Call Drops
1.3 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to Poor
Um Interface Quality
This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to poor Um interface quality.

Symptom
Call drops due to poor Um interface quality consist of call drops for the Um interface in the
stable state and call drops for the Um interface in the handover state.
 With regard to the signaling on the Abis interface, call drops for the Um interface in the stable
state refer to the call drops that occur after the BTS sends an ERROR INDICATION,
CONNECTION FAILURE INDICATION, or RELEASE INDICATION message to the BSC.
 With regard to the signaling on the Abis interface, call drops for the Um interface in the
handover state refer to the call drops that occur when a handover times out after the BSC
issues a handover command to an MS.
CM33C:Call Drops on Radio Interface (Traffic Channel) indicates the number of call drops due to poor Um
interface quality.

Background Information
 The cause of call drops on the Um interface can be identified from the aspects of interference,
uplink and downlink level balance, coverage, antenna system, BTS hardware, BSC handover
parameters, and the neighboring cell configuration for handover. If the call drops are caused
by incorrect BSC handover parameter settings or incorrect neighboring cell configuration for
handover, analyze the problem by referring to Handover Problems. The relevant descriptions are
not included in this section.
 To locate the interference, perform the following operations:
1. Query Receive Quality Measurement Distribution per TRX(MR.RecvQualOrig.TRX) . If the receive
quality is poor, for example, if the proportion of uplink receive quality in receive quality
bands 5, 6, and 7 exceeds 20%, there is a high probability that call drops will occur.
2. Analyze Interference Band Measurement per TRX(MR.Iterf.TRX). If interference levels occur in the
higher-level interference bands, for example, the proportion of interference levels in
interference bands 4 and 5 exceeds 10%, the call drops are caused by uplink interference.
3. Use either of the following methods to determine whether call drops are caused by
interference. One method is to analyze the signaling on the Abis interface. If the
measurement reports (MRs) before call drops show that both the uplink and downlink
levels are satisfactory but the receive quality is poor, call drops are caused by
interference. The other method is to analyze the TEMS signaling collected when call
drops occur. If the downlink level is satisfactory but the carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR)
is small before call drops occur, the call drops are caused by interference.
Location Procedure
Figure 1 shows the procedure for locating call drops due to poor Um interface quality.
Figure 1 Procedure for locating call drops due to poor Um interface quality

Troubleshooting Procedure
1. Check whether there is any interference. For details, see Background Information.
 If the call drops are caused by interference, check whether there are any interference
sources exist onsite or perform drive tests (DTs) to locate the interference source. In
 addition, check whether repeaters have been installed or whether installed repeaters are
faulty by referring to the following description. If any interference source is found,
eliminate it by referring to Interference Problems. Then, go to Step 2.
a. Run the LST GCELLSOFT command to check whether Directly Magnifier BTS Flag is
set to Yes. If Directly Magnifier BTS Flag is set to Yes, the cell is configured with
repeaters. If Directly Magnifier BTS Flag is set to No, check whether other
operators' repeaters are installed near the cell or whether any repeaters are installed
without permission.
b. If repeaters are installed, check whether they are wideband repeaters. If they are
wideband repeaters, check whether the uplink or downlink gain is large. If the uplink
or downlink gain is large, reduce it as required. Shut down the repeaters if they have
great impact on the call drop rate.
c. Check whether repeaters are faulty or whether the uplink or downlink gain is beyond
the normal range. If repeaters are faulty or the uplink or downlink gain is beyond the
normal range, the actual BTS coverage may change, which increases the call drop
rate. If any repeater problem occurs in the cell, the number of MRs with a large
timing advance (TA) value measured for Number of MRs based on TA per
TRX(MR.TaDistribOrig.TRX) is great.

 If call drops are not caused by interference, go to Step 3.

2. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 3.
3. Check whether the uplink and downlink levels are balanced.
Query Uplink-and-Downlink Balance Measurement per TRX(MR.BalanceOrig.TRX). With regard to TRXs,
if the proportion of the uplink and downlink level balance class 1 or 11 to all uplink and
downlink level balance classes exceeds 30%, the uplink and downlink levels are unbalanced.

NOTE:
Uplink-and-Downlink Balance Measurement per TRX(MR.BalanceOrig.TRX) indicates the statistical result of
MRs. If the MRs before call drops show that the uplink and downlink levels are unbalanced, then this is the
cause of the call drops.

 If yes, go to Step 5.
 If no, check whether the equipment transmission and TRX cable connections onsite are
proper, and whether there are any potential risks on the antenna system by referring to the
following description. After the preceding items are checked and the faults are rectified,
go to Step 4.
 If dual-transmit antennas are configured, ensure that the tilt and azimuth of the
antennas are the same.
 Check whether the jumpers are misconnected by analyzing DT data. If the jumpers are
misconnected, the uplink signal level in the cell is significantly lower than the
 downlink signal level, and call drops are likely to occur in a cell far away from the
BTS. In this situation, reconnect the jumpers.
 If the feeders are damaged, wet, or distorted, or if the connectors are in poor contact,
both the transmit power and receive sensitivity are reduced. As a result, call drops
occur with a high probability. Locate these kinds of problems by referring to ALM-4144
TRX VSWR alarm, ALM-2156 TRX VSWR Alarm, or ALM-26529 RF Unit VSWR Threshold Crossed. If
any feeder is faulty, immediately replace it. If the antenna system is faulty, both the
call drop rate and handover failure rate are high, and the uplink and downlink receive
quality is totally different or both the uplink and downlink receive quality is poor.
4. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 5.
5. Check whether there are any coverage problems.
a. Query TCHF Receive Level Measurement per TRX(MR.RecvLevlOrigFullRate.TRX) or TCHH Receive
Level Measurement per TRX(MR.RecvLevlOrigHalfRate.TRX) to analyze the mapping between the
receive quality and receive levels. If poor receive quality mainly maps to low receive
levels, call drops in the cell may be caused by poor receive quality, which results from
coverage problems.
b. Analyze Number of MRs based on TA per TRX(MR.TaDistribOrig.TRX). If there are many MRs
with a large TA value, the call drops are caused by too-wide coverage or coverage
overlaps. Otherwise, the call drops are caused by weak coverage.
c. Analyze the signaling to locate the cause of the call drops. If the TA value is large when
an MS accesses the network and if the signal level is low when call drops occur, the call
drops are caused by too-wide coverage or coverage overlaps. If the TA value is small
when an MS accesses the network, the call drops are caused by weak coverage. If the
proportion of the sum of TA values 0 through 5 to the sum of all the values is less than
90%, check for a coverage problem in the cell based on the coverage scenario and DT
result.
 If yes, resolve the problem and go to Step 6.Contact network optimization engineers to
resolve the cell coverage problem. Then, go to Step 6
 If no, go to Step 7.
6. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 7.
7. Check the Um interface quality.
Query TCHF Receive Level Measurement per TRX(MR.RecvLevlOrigFullRate.TRX) or TCHH Receive Level
Measurement per TRX(MR.RecvLevlOrigHalfRate.TRX) . If the proportion of receive quality bands 6
and 7 to all receive quality bands exceeds 10%, the uplink or downlink receive quality is
poor.
  If the Um interface quality is poor, request network optimization engineers to optimize
frequency data. Then, go to Step 8.
 If the Um interface quality is satisfactory, go to Step 9.

8. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.

 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 9.
9. Perform DTs to check whether either of the following problems occur: high receive level
and poor receive quality; low receive level and poor receive quality.
 If yes, request network optimization engineers to analyze and resolve the problem. Then,
go to Step 10.
 If no, return to Procedure for Locating Call Drops to continue the processing.
10. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, return to Procedure for Locating Call Drops to continue the processing.

Typical Case
Symptom
The call drop rate of CELL3 under a BTS reaches 10%, but the call drop rate and congestion rate
of CELL1 and CELL2 are normal.
Cause Analysis
There is external interference or the coverage is weak.
Troubleshooting Procedure
1. View the traffic statistics. Calls in the cell are dropped because of poor Um interface quality.
2. View and analyze the traffic statistics. The distribution of interference levels in interference
bands is regular, specifically, the interference is strong during peak hours and weak during
off-peak hours.
3. Change the frequencies of CELL3 to ensure that the frequency spacing is 1 MHz or more.
The problem persists, and therefore there is no co-channel or adjacent-channel interference.
4. Perform a frequency scan test to locate the external interference source by using a spectrum
analyzer. The test result shows that there is a constant signal with a center frequency of
904.14 MHz and a spectrum bandwidth of 300 kHz, which is similar to the signal from an
analog spectrum. The signal strength at the divider ports for CELL3, CELL2, and CELL1 is
-27 dBm, -40 dBm, and -60 dBm respectively. The higher the signal strength, the greater the
interference. The traffic volume in the daytime is greater than that at night, and therefore
intermodulation probably occurs. The root cause of the problem appears to be an external
interference source with a center frequency of 904 MHz. The interference source cannot be
located after DTs are performed by using the spectrum analyzer. Therefore, all tests must be
 performed on the rooftop. The test result shows that the interference source is an antenna on
a repeater. Interrupt the signal and perform the test again. The test result verifies that the
antenna is the source of interference signals.
5. Shut down the repeater. The call drop rate of CELL3 is restored to normal.
Parent topic: Call Drops

1.4 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to

Equipment Faults
This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to equipment faults.

Symptom
On the BSC side, call drops due to BSC hardware faults, abnormal internal software processing,
or configuration errors are considered as call drops due to equipment faults. These call drops are
indicated by the cause value equipment failure (0x20) carried in the CLEAR REQ message in
the base station subsystem application part (BSSAP) messages traced on the A interface.
CM334:Call Drops due to Equipment Failure (Traffic Channel) indicates the number of call drops due to
equipment faults on the BSC side.
Call drops due to BTS hardware faults are also considered as call drops due to equipment faults.
BTS hardware faults may deteriorate the Um interface quality or cause coverage problems. This
leads to an increase in the call drop rate.

Background Information
Call drops due to equipment faults are classified into the following types:
 Call drops due to faults in the MSC
 Call drops due to BSC or BTS software defects
 Call drops due to BSC or BTS hardware faults
 Call drops due to dynamic configuration
 Call drops due to transmission faults
 Call drops due to insufficient BSC resources
The following alarms are associated with call drops due to equipment faults.
 ALM-21807 OML Fault

 ALM-2204 TRX Communication Alarm

 ALM-2156 TRX VSWR Alarm

  ALM-4144 TRX VSWR alarm

 ALM-26529 RF Unit VSWR Threshold Crossed

 ALM-3606 DRU Hardware alarm

 ALM-20241 Board Unavailable

 ALM-20243 Board Hardware Fault

Location Procedure
Figure 1 shows the procedure for locating call drops due to equipment faults.
Figure 1 Procedure for locating call drops due to equipment faults

Troubleshooting Procedure
1. Check whether any of the alarms listed in Background Information are reported.
 If yes, clear the alarms by referring to the Alarm Reference. Then, go to Step 2.

 If no, go to Step 3.
2. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 3.
3. Check whether the operations, such as dynamically deleting cells or TRXs and modifying
channel attributes or base station identity codes (BSICs), are performed when call drops
occur.
  If yes, check whether there are no call drops when the relevant operations are not
performed. If there are no call drops, no further action is required. Otherwise, go to Step 4.
 If no, go to Step 4.
4. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, return to Procedure for Troubleshooting Call Drops to continue the processing.

Typical Case
Symptom
A large number of call drops due to equipment faults occur within a measurement period after
cell BSICs are modified after absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) information is
imported during peak hours.
Cause Analysis
Dynamically deleting cells or TRXs and modifying channel attributes or BSICs may cause call
drops due to equipment faults.
Troubleshooting Procedure
1. Check the traffic statistics measured when call drops occur. Call drops due to equipment
faults occur only in some cells controlled by the BSC.
2. Check for alarms reported on the BSC when the call drops occur. There are no hardware
alarms.
3. Check the BSC operation logs. The cell BSICs are modified when call drops occur. When a
cell BSIC is dynamically modified on the BSC, calls in the cell are released automatically
and measured as call drops due to equipment faults. In conclusion, call drops are caused by
dynamic BSIC modification.
4. You are advised to dynamically delete cells or TRXs and modify channel attributes or BSICs
during off-peak hours.
Parent topic: Call Drops

1.5 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to

Transmission Faults
This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to transmission faults.

Symptom
 The relevant alarms are reported, and the values of CM333:Call Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure
(Traffic Channel) or CM334:Call Drops due to Equipment Failure (Traffic Channel) increase. For the relevant
alarms, see Background Information.

Background Information
 Generally, Abis interface transmission faults may lead to an increase in the value of
CM333:Call Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic Channel), and the A interface
transmission faults may lead to an increase in the value of CM334:Call Drops due to
Equipment Failure (Traffic Channel).
 Abis/A transmission link instability may increase the call drop rate. Check the relevant alarms
to determine the link transmission status. If there are a large number of relevant alarms,
contact the transmission engineers. The relevant BSC alarms are as follows:
 OML fault alarms
ALM-21807 OML Fault

 BTS LAPD alarms

ALM-4102 TRX LAPD Link Interrupt Alarm
ALM-2114 TRX LAPD Link Interrupt Alarm
ALM-3052 LAPD alarm
ALM-3572 LAPD alarm

 BSC LAPD alarms

ALM-21511 LAPD Link Congestion

 Optical interface MSP alarms

ALM-21311 MSP Multiplex Section K1/K2 Mismatch
ALM-21312 MSP Multiplex Section K2 Mismatch
ALM-21313 MSP Port Protection Mode Mismatch

 Optical Interface Transmission Alarms (ALM-21251 to ALM-21291)

 IP transmission alarms
ALM-21345 Ethernet Link Fault
ALM-21346 IP Connectivity Check Failure
ALM-21541 SCTP Link Fault

Location Procedure
None

Troubleshooting Procedure
1. Clear the alarms listed in Background Information by referring to the relevant alarm help or IP
Transmission Faults.
 2. Check whether CM333:Call Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic Channel) , CM334:Call Drops
due to Equipment Failure (Traffic Channel) or M3330A:Call Drops Due to Abis Link Failures in Stable Local
Switch State return to normal.

 If yes, no further action is required.

 If no, return to Procedure for Locating Call Drops.

Typical Case
Symptom
The value of CM333:Call Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic Channel) is high.
Cause Analysis
Abis transmission links are interrupted intermittently.
Troubleshooting Procedure
1. View the traffic statistics. Call drops due to equipment faults occur mainly on BTS 17.
2. Check the alarms that are generated when the fault occurs. The E1/T1 Remote Alarm and a
large number of TRX LAPD Link Interrupt Alarms are generated. As a result, transmission
is interrupted intermittently, LAPD links are interrupted, and the cell is out of service,
leading to call drops.
3. Rectify the transmission faults, and clear the relevant alarms. The value of CM333:Call
Drops due to Abis Terrestrial Link Failure (Traffic Channel) returns to normal.
Parent topic: Call Drops

1.6 Troubleshooting Call Drops Due to

Incorrect Parameter Settings
This section describes how to troubleshoot call drops due to incorrect parameter settings.

Symptom
The call drop rate increases significantly if MSC- or BSC-level parameters are set incorrectly. If
some MSC-level parameters are set incorrectly, for example, some parameters are set to different
values before and after an MSC cutover, call drops may occur under all BSCs connected to the
MSC. In addition, if the BSC-level parameters are set incorrectly, call drops may occur in some
or all of the cells under the BSC.

Background Information
 On the MSC side, the following parameters (mainly referring to timers here) affect the call
drop rate:
 T305, T306, T308, and T338
The MSC uses the timers T305, T306, and T338 to monitor on-hook procedures. T308 is
used to monitor the resource release procedure. All of these timers must be set during BSC
data configuration. If any is set to an invalid value or too large a value, the MSC takes a
long time to clear a call after the subscriber hangs up. Then, timers such as Radio Link
Timeout and T3103 on the BSC side expire, and the call is measured as dropped, and the
call drop rate increases.
 Terminate Short Message Timer
This timer prevents the MSC from repeatedly sending a short message. If this timer is set
to too large a value, the MSC does not clear any short messages received during a link
release. Instead, the MS sends a release message to the BTS, which then sends a Release
Indication message to the BSC. The BSC then sends the MSC a Clear Request message,
requesting the MSC to release the call. As a result, the call drop rate increases.
 T310
The MSC uses this timer to monitor incoming calls. The MSC starts this timer upon
receiving a Call Confirm message and stops it upon receiving an Alerting, Connect, or
Disconnect message. If this timer is set to too large a value, the value of the timer SACCH
Multi-Frames or Radio Link Timeout on the BSS side may decrease to 0 in a poor radio
environment. As a result, the MSC releases the call and the call drop rate increases.
 T313
The MSC uses this timer to monitor the call connection procedure. The MSC starts this
timer upon sending a Connect message and stops it upon receiving a Connect ACK
message. If the MSC does not receive a Connect ACK message before the timer expires,
the MSC clears the call. If this timer is set to too large a value, the BSS sends a Clear
Request message to the MSC after the value of the timer SACCH Multi-Frames or Radio
Link Timeout on the BSS side decreases to 0 in the following scenario: The MSC sends
the BSS a Connect message and waits for a Connect ACK message, but the BSS does not
receive the Connect message in a poor radio environment or cannot correctly decode the
message. As a result, the call is dropped and the call drop rate increases.
 T301
This timer specifies the period during which a phone is ringing. The MSC starts this timer
upon receiving an Alerting message and stops it upon receiving a Connect or Disconnect
message. If this timer expires before the MSC receives either message, the MSC sends the
calling MS a Disconnect message containing the cause value #19 user alerting, no
answer, instructing the calling MS to clear the current call. In addition, the MSC sends the
called MS a Disconnect message, containing the cause value #102 recovery on timer
expiry or cause value #31 normal, unspecified, instructing the called MS to clear the
current call. If this timer is set to too large a value, the BSC sends the MSC a Clear
 Request message before this timer expires due to poor radio environment or link failures,
requesting the MSC to release the current call. As a result, the call drop rate increases.
 T303
The MSC uses this timer to wait for a mobility management (MM) connection. The MSC
starts this timer upon sending a SETUP message and stops it upon receiving a Call
Confirm or Release Complete message. If this timer expires before the MSC receives
either message, the MSC clears the current call. If this timer is set to too large a value, the
BSS sends the MSC a Clear Request message after the value of the timer SACCH Multi-
Frames or Radio Link Timeout on the BSS side decreases to 0 in a poor radio
environment. As a result, the call is dropped and the call drop rate increases.
 Short Message ACK Timer
The MSC starts this timer when the network side sends a short message to an MS. If the
MS does not respond with a CP_ACK message before the timer expires, the MSC sends
the BSC a Clear Command message, instructing the BSC to release radio resources. If this
timer is set to too large a value, the MSC does not release the current call or clear
terrestrial resources and TCH resources over the Um interface after the Disconnect
message is issued. Because the MS does not receive a short message from the network, the
MS sends the BTS a Disconnect message, requesting the BTS to release layer-2 links. In
this case, the BTS sends a Release Indication to the BSC, and then the BSC sends a Clear
Request message to release the current call. As a result, the call drop rate increases.
 On the BSC side, the following parameters affect the call drop rate:
 SACCH Multi-Frames
This parameter determines whether an uplink radio link is faulty. Each time the BTS fails
to decode measurement reports sent by the MS over the SACCH, the value of this
parameter decreases by 1. Each time the BTS successfully decodes measurement reports
sent by the MS over the SACCH, the value of this parameter increases by 2. If the value of
this parameter is 0, the BTS assumes that the uplink radio link is faulty. If the value of
M3101A:Call Drops due to CONN FAIL Received on TCHF (Traffic Channel) in Stable State (Radio Link
Failure) is large, a large number of calls drop due to poor radio environment. In this case, set
this parameter to a larger value.
 Radio Link Timeout
This parameter determines the time for disconnecting a call when an MS fails to decode
the messages over the SACCH. Once a dedicated channel is allocated to an MS, the
counter S is enabled and the initial value is set to the value of this parameter. Each time the
MS fails to decode an SACCH message, the counter S decreases by 1. Each time the MS
correctly decodes an SACCH message, the counter S increases by 2. When the counter S is
equal to 0, the downlink radio link is considered as failed. Therefore, when the voice or
data quality deteriorates to an unacceptable situation and cannot be improved using power
control or channel handover, the connection is re-established or released. If the value of
M3101A:Call Drops due to CONN FAIL Received on TCHF (Traffic Channel) in Stable State (Radio Link
Failure) is large, a large number of calls drop due to poor radio environment. In this case, set
this parameter to a larger value.
 Minimum Access RXLEV
This parameter specifies the minimum receive level for an MS to access the BSS. If this
parameter is set to a small value, some MSs with low signal levels may attempt to access
the network and call drops are likely to occur. To reduce the call drop rate, set this
parameter to a large value. A large value, however, may affect the call setup success rate
and traffic volume.
 CS RACH Min. Access Level
This parameter specifies the signal level threshold for an MS to access the network over
the RACH. If this parameter is set to a small value, some MSs with low signal levels may
attempt to access the network and call drops are likely to occur. To reduce the call drop
rate, set this parameter to a large value. A large value, however, may decrease the call
setup success rate and paging success rate.
 Handover Completion Message Timers
Handover completion message timers consist of T3103A, T3103C, and T8. If any of these
timers is set to a small value, the BSC may receive no message after timers T3103A and
T3103C expire. Therefore, the BSC assumes that a radio link fails in the source cell. Then,
the BSC releases channels in the source cell. As a result, call drops occur. If the value of
CM331:Call Drops on Radio Interface in Handover State (Traffic Channel) is large, set this parameter to
a large value. A large value, however, may lead to TCH congestion.
 T3109
This parameter specifies the period during which a BSC waits for a Release Indication
message after issuing a Channel Release message. If this parameter is set to a small value,
the BSC may release the link before receiving a Release Indication message, resulting a
call drop. To reduce the call drop rate, set this parameter to a value 2s longer than the value
of Radio Link Timeout.
 T3111
This parameter specifies the period during which channel deactivation is delayed when the
main signaling link is disconnected. Delaying channel deactivation allows for a period of
time for link reconnection. If this parameter is set to a small value, a channel may be
deactivated before the link has had a chance to reconnect, resulting a call drop.
 Call Reestablishment Forbidden
Blind spots caused by tall buildings or abrupt interference may lead to radio link failures
and call drops. This parameter specifies whether an MS can initiate a call re-establishment
procedure to re-establish a dropped call in such a scenario. To reduce the call drop rate, set
this parameter to No to allow call re-establishment. In some scenarios, allowing call re-
establishment greatly reduces the call drop rate. However, call re-establishment generally
takes a long time, and therefore some subscribers may hang up before the call is re-
established successfully.
 Handover-related Parameters
 If handover-related parameters are not set correctly, handovers may not be performed in
time, leading to call drops. To reduce the call drop rate, modify the handover-related
parameters so that handovers can be performed in time. For details, see Troubleshooting
Handovers.

 Power Control Parameters

If the power control level and quality thresholds are set to small values, call drops are
likely to occur because of low signal level and poor signal quality.
 T200 and N200
If T200 FACCH/F, T200 FACCH/H, N200 of FACCH/Full Rate, or N200 of
FACCH/Half Rate is set to a small value, the BSC may release data links before a call is
terminated, resulting a call drop. If the value of M3100A:Call Drops due to ERR IND Received on
TCHF (Traffic Channel) in Stable State (T200 Expired) is large, set T200 and N200 to large values.

 Neighboring Relationship
If only some neighboring cells are configured in the BA2 list, no neighboring cells may be
suitable for handovers and signal levels may deteriorate, resulting in call drops. Therefore,
add suitable neighboring cells to the BA2 list based on the drive test data and electronic
map to prevent call drops due to unavailability of neighboring cells.
 MAIO
In a cell configured with frequency hopping (FH), if MAIO is set to an incorrect value, for
example, if MAIOs for different TRXs in a cell are set to the same value, frequency
collision can occur during FH, resulting call drops.
 Disconnect Handover Protect Timer
This is a BSC soft parameter. After receiving a Disconnect message from an MS, the BSC
cannot hand over the MS within the period specified by this parameter. When this
parameter is not configured, after being handed over to a target cell, an MS cannot hang up
because it does not receive a release acknowledgment message, leading to call drops.
Configuring this parameter enables the MS to hang up in this scenario. Do not set this
parameter to a small value.
 Directly Magnifier BTS Flag
If repeaters are installed under a BTS, handovers between repeaters can only be
asynchronous because the repeaters are far apart. If synchronous handovers are performed,
the handovers may fail, resulting in call drops. Therefore, when repeaters are installed
under a BTS, set Directly Magnifier BTS Flag to Yes to prevent synchronous handovers
between cells under the same BTS.

Location Procedure
Figure 1 shows the procedure for locating call drops due to incorrect parameter settings.
 Figure 1 Procedure for locating call drops due to incorrect parameter settings

Troubleshooting Procedure
1. View the traffic statistics and operation logs to check whether the call drop rate significantly
increases when an MSC cutover is performed or when the related parameters are modified
on the MSC or the BSC.
 If yes, go to Step 2.
 If no, Contact Huawei Customer Service Center.
2. Check whether an MSC cutover is performed.
 If yes, ensure that the parameters are set to the same values. Then, go to Step 3.

 If no, go to Step 4.
3. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 4.
4. Check whether related parameter settings were modified on the MSC.
  If yes, view the parameter description to check whether parameter setting modification
may cause call drops. If the parameter setting modification causes any call drops, undo
the parameter setting modification. Then, go to Step 5.
 If no, go to Step 6.
5. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, go to Step 6.
6. Check whether any of the relevant parameter settings are modified on the BSC.
 If yes, view the parameter description to check whether parameter setting modification
may cause call drops. If the parameter setting modification causes any call drops, undo
the parameter setting modification. Then, go to Step 7.
 If no, Contact Huawei Customer Service Center.
7. Check whether the call drop problem is resolved.
 If yes, no further action is required.
 If no, Contact Huawei Customer Service Center.

Typical Case
Symptom
After an MSC cutover is performed, the call drop rate increases from 0.4% to 0.7%.
Cause Analysis
Some timers are set to different values before and after the MSC cutover.
Troubleshooting Procedure
1. Analyze the signaling, traffic statistics, and parameter settings. The values of the timers
T310, T313, Short Message ACK Timer, and Terminate Short Message Timer after the
MSC cutover are larger than those before the MSC cutover. Therefore, there is a high
probability that the BSS will release the links. After timers such as Radio Link Timeout and
T3103 on the BSC side expire, the BSC sends a Clear Request message to the MSC. As a
result, the call is dropped and a call drop is measured. Table 1 lists the parameter values
before and after the MSC cutover.

Table 1 Parameter values before and after the MSC cutover

Timer Value Before the MSC Cutover Value After the MSC Cutover (s)
(s)

T310 20 30

T313 10 30
 Table 1 Parameter values before and after the MSC cutover

Timer Value Before the MSC Cutover Value After the MSC Cutover (s)
(s)

Short Message ACK Timer 15 20

Terminate Short Message Timer 30 42

2. Set the preceding timers to the values before the MSC cutover.