Cell vs User throughput

• In simple words cell throughput is the packet bits sent by transport layer
per second to Ue, while user throughput is the received bits by ue per
second.

User throughput is always less than cell throughput because user

throughput includes 5-10% NACK ratio and includes re transmission as
well.
Integrity KPI pm counters and formulas
• PM Formulas:
• UserThroughputDl[mbps] = (pmPdcpVolDlDrb – pmPdcpVolDlDrbLastTTI )/
(pmUeThpTimeDl)

• PM Counters:
• pmPdcpVolDlDrb - the total volume (PDCP SDU) on Data Radio Bearers that has been
transferred (UM and AM) in the downlink direction.

• pmPdcpVolDlDrbLastTTI - the total volume (PDCP SDU) on Data Radio Bearers that
has been transferred (acknowledged by the UE) in the downlink direction in the last TTI
when a buffer is emptied.

• pmUeThpTimeDl - the effective DL transport time comprises those periods from when
the first part of the PDCP SDU of the DL buffer was transmitted on Uu until the buffer is
emptied, excluding the TTI emptying the buffer.
Integrity KPI pm counters and formulas
• PM Formulas:
• CellThroughputDl[mbps] = (pmPdcpVolDlDrb ) / (pmSchedActivityCellDl)

• PM Counters:
• pmPdcpVolDlDrb - the total volume (PDCP SDU) on Data Radio Bearers that has been
transferred (UM and AM) in the downlink direction.

• pmSchedActivityCellDl The aggregated number of ms in which DRB data was required

to be scheduled in the downlink.
Integrity KPI pm counters and formulas
• PM Formulas:
• UserThroughputUl[mbps] = (pmUeThpVolUl) / (pmUeThpTimeUl)

• PM Counters:
• pmUeThpVolUl - The UL DRB volume used for UL UE Throughput. It comprises of the
MAC SDU volume received on Uu, excluding the volume received in the first 4 data
receptions of an UL buffer transfer and the TTI emptying the UL buffer.

• pmUeThpTimeUl - the UL volume transfer time used for UL UE Throughput. It

comprises of time periods from when the 5th MAC SDU data reception of an UL buffer
transfer on Uu until the buffer is emptied, excluding the TTI emptying the buffer.
Integrity KPI pm counters and formulas
• PM Formulas:
• CellThroughputUl[mbps] = (pmPdcpVolUlDrb) / (pmSchedActivityCellUl)

• PM Counters:
• pmPdcpVolUlDrb - The total volume (PDCP SDU) on Data Radio Bearers that has
been received in the uplink direction and transmitted over the GTP-U.

• pmSchedActivityCellUl - The aggregated number of ms in which DRB data was

required to be scheduled in the uplink.
DL Why Removed Last TTI
› UserThroughputDl[mbps] = (pmPdcpVolDlDrb – pmPdcpVolDlDrbLastTTI )/
(pmUeThpTimeDl)
› CellThroughputDl[mbps] = (pmPdcpVolDlDrb ) / (pmSchedActivityCellDl)
continuous

interrupted

Throughput is defined to minimize the impact of

the traffic model.
For traffic, which uses small SDU (e.g. VoLTE),
the throughput may not be a good measurement
to evaluate performance, since most of the traffic
may only use a single TTI and may be counted in
pmPdcpVolDlDrbLastTti leaving minimal net
volume if any, on the numerator.
DL UE throughput Timer

pmUeThpTimeDl - the effective DL

transport time comprises those
periods from when the first part of
the PDCP SDU of the DL buffer was
transmitted on Uu until the buffer is
emptied, excluding the TTI
emptying the buffer.
DL/UL Schedule Activity Timer
• pmSchedActivityCellDl
• pmSchedActivityCellUl
……

Aggregation: DRB need to be scheduled ( Sampling rate : 1 ms)

• The aggregated number of sampling occurrences ( sampling rate 1ms) at

which DRB data was required to be scheduled in the downlink/uplink.
• Incremented for each TTI when there was a need to schedule DRB data in
the downlink or uplink
Pm-counter data

1 TTI Users

For cell , DRB Data need

to be scheduled
UL Why no last TTI
› CellThroughputUl[mbps] = (pmPdcpVolUlDrb) / (pmSchedActivityCellUl)
› UserThroughputUl[mbps] = (pmUeThpVolUl) / (pmUeThpTimeUl)

› pmUeThpVolUl - The UL DRB volume used for UL UE Throughput. It comprises of the

MAC SDU volume received on Uu, excluding the volume received in the first 4 data
receptions of an UL buffer transfer and the TTI emptying the UL buffer.
› Since 12A pmPdcpVolUlDrbLastTTL replaced by pmUeThpVolUl.
UL UE throughput Timer

The figure shows the method to decrease the

impact of the traffic model on the uplink
throughput metric (in addition to removing the
partially used last TTI, the first four TTI must
also be removed as they are used in HARQ
pre-processing and only the later TTI
propagate up to the RLC)
conclusion
• In many early deployments with a small number of simultaneous users (at
TTI granularity), it is likely that per-UE throughput will be greater than cell
throughput. However as the market matures and there are consequently
more simultaneous users (at TTI granularity), then it is likely that per-UE
throughput will reduce, while cell throughput will show minimal change
(or possibly slight increase) and thus cell throughput will exceed the per-
UE throughput.