Drive Testing Basics

2013

March 2013

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Your Contacts

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 azimuth

Sector in Cell
sites

Sector 3 Sector 2 Sector 1

o Each Site is divided into sectors

o Usually 3 sectors of 120 degree

o Azimuth - It is the range covered by each sector , typically 120 degree

for each sector

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 GSM 2G
2G EDGE

3G UMTS 4G

4G LTE
LTE

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 VOICE 2G
2G DATA EDGE

VOICE
3G DATA 4G

4G VOICE
LTE DATA
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 120 kbps
9.6 kbps

2G
2G EDGE

384 kbps 1.5 Mbps

3G 4G

10 Mbps
4G
LTE

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Spectrum and Frequency

Signal travels in the

form of
Electromagnetic Wave
or Frequency

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 Band Configurations

GSM 3G LTE

Make sure that the Band is correctly

configured

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 GSM
o Single Network for Both Voice and Data
o Edge gives the data components
o With GSM the speed was 9.6 Kbps
o With Edge the speed goes to max 384 kbps
o Practical Achievable speed is 120 Kbps

Core Network

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 UMTS (3G)
o Two Separate networks
o One provides Voice
o Another Provides Data
o Without HSPA upgrade the DL Speed is max up to 384 kbps
o With HSPA the DL speed is average speed is up to 2 Mbps and Max is 15
mbps in DL

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 LTE(4G)
o Currently it is a data only network
o Voice will come soon
o The Voice will be on Internet just like your Vonage
o Max Speed is 300 Mbps
o Practical Speed is 10 to 15 Mbps

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Currently

LTE

3G

GSM

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Single Set of Antennas used for UMTS and LTE

Shared Antennas

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LTE UMTS GSM

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DEDICATED MODE OR ON CALL MODE

You are surfing internet

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 IDLE MODE

When you are not making a call or

your phone is not updating
Any apps or retrieving an email

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 DEDICATED
IDLE MODE
MODE

RESELECTION REDIRECTION

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FALL BACK

LTE

3G

GSM

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 FALL BACK

LTE
CS FALL BACK

3G

For Voice Call on LTE Network

GSM

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 IRAT

LTE
IRAT

3G

For Data Call on LTE Network

GSM

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 RESELECTION

LTE
IDLE MODE
RESELECTION
TO 3G

3G

PHONE IS IDLE

GSM

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 RESELECTION

LTE
IDLE MODE
RESELECTION
TO 4G

3G

PHONE IS IDLE

GSM

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Scanner
Single Scanner for LTE , UMTS
and GSM
Separate Scanner for LTE and
UMTS
Acts independently of the
network
Scanner does not receive any
commands From network
UE
Data Cards
Mobile or Smart Phones
Always receives commands
from Network and acts
accordingly
Talks to the Network and tells
it what is happening and then
executes what network
Decides
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 SIGNAL STRENGTH
HOW STRONG THE SIGNAL IS

-50 dBm -60 dBm -70 dBm

-50 dBm -110 dBm

Away from the site

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SIGNAL QUALITY
HOW CLEAN THE SIGNAL IS

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 SIGNAL QUALITY

GOOD AVERAGE BAD

As you go very far away from site not only does the strength reduce
The quality also reduces

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 SIGNAL QUALITY

Quality Problems
Quality problems can occur close to the site or far away from the site

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 Telecom Terminology

Technology GSM UMTS(3G) LTE(4G)

Received Signal level Rxlevel RSCP RSRP

Received Signal quality RxQual Ec/Io RSRQ/SNR

Channels BCCH TCH PSC PCI

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 Good RF Condition

GOOD RF CONDITIONS ARE DEFINED BY GOOD SIGNAL

STRENGTH AND GOOD QUALITY

GSM
RSSI > -70dB

UMTS
RSCP > -70dB
Ec/Io > -7dB

LTE
RSRP > -70dB
SNR > 15dB

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30
HANDOVER

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 HANDOVER BETWEEN
SECTORS OF THE SAME
SITE THIS IS CALLED

INTRA SITE HANDOVER

1 2 3 4

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 HANDOVER BETWEEN
SECTORS OF THE DIFFERENT
SITE THIS IS CALLED

INTER SITE HANDOVER

1 3 4
2

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 Types of Drive Testing
o Site Shakedown
Single site based Drive and testing along the provided route
Coverage footprint
Each sector in the site is tested for throughput for uplink and downlink
frequencies
Hand overs intra/Inter Sites.
I-Rat Handovers

o Cluster Drive
Multiple sites belonging to same location combined as cluster
Provided drive routes that are supposed to be followed while driving and
testing the network
Additional tools used here would be MapInfo and Street Atlas

Precautions to be taken:
We need to ensure that the GPS is working
Verify if the phone is locked for UMTS or LTE(follow market guidelines)
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Drive Route

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Typical Drive Test setup

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