3G Optimisation Workshop

Missing Neighbours
London, 28th of April 2003
 Definition
 A missing neighbour is a cell (MISSING_N) not declared as
neighbour of the best active cell (BEST) although it could be
added in the active set.

EcNoMISSING _ N  EcNoBEST  M arg inMISSING _ N

 Practical rule: Margin_missing_n = 5 dB

 DL Quality Issues
 Low level: more DL power required to serve the UE = capacity
loss

 Medium level: DL power is maximum and BLER is degraded

 High level: Call is dropped

 DL Quality: UE
Ec_cell_B - Ec_cell_A (dB)
0.00
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25

-5.00
Fast degradation of
CPICH EcNo of cell_A

-10.00
Serving Cell
Missing neighbour

-15.00 Call Drop area

-20.00

-25.00
 DL Quality: UE
DL EcNo generated by a missing neighbour on 1 UE
0.0
-15.0 -10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

-5.0

1 UE - meas_2
-10.0 1 UE - meas_3

1 UE - theory

4 UE - meas_1

-15.0
Call Drop UE2
Call Drop UE1

-20.0

-25.0
Ec_missing - Ec_active (dB)
 UL Quality Issues
 UL interference:
– The missing neighbour cell receives an excessive UL Level from the UE, because the UE
power is not controlled by this cell
– Excessive power means UL interference: the cell “shrinks” and all users on the missing
neighbour are affected

 UL degradation is proportional to the number of UEs in the area

(e.g. transport)

 Typical values (from EN tests)

– 1 UE: 1 to 2 dB noise rise
– 4 UEs: 4 dB noise rise
 UL Quality: NodeB - from 1 UE
UL noise rise generated by 1 UE on a missing neighbour
3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1 UE - meas_2
1 UE - meas_1
1.5 1 UE - meas_3
1 UE - theory

1.0

0.5

0.0
-15.0 -10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

-0.5
Ec_missing - Ec_active (dB)
 UL Quality: NodeB - from 4 UEs
UL noise rise generated by 4 UEs on a missing neighbour

8.0

7.0

6.0
4 UE - meas_2

5.0
4 UE - meas_1

4.0 4 UEs - theory

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0
-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25
Ec_missing - Ec_active (dB)
 Identify missing neighbours: tools
 UMTS scanner (Agilent, Anritsu)
– Dedicated tool for this purpose
– Will list all necessary neighbour declarations
– One major argument why scanners are widely used in UMTS and not in GSM

 Trace Mobile:
– Useful but low efficiency to track the identity of the missing neighbour
– No way to distinguish missing neighbour from pilot pollution problems

 OMC Statistics:
– May inform if a cell has major missing neighbours (to be investigated)
– No possibility to obtain a missing neighbour identity
 Scanner versus Trace Mobile
 Number of scanned scrambling codes (SC):
- Scanner: 512 when using “Top N”, listed if using user_list, regardless of neighbours
declared
- Trace mobile: neighbour list only, up to 32 neighbours

 Number of simultaneously reported SC: rarely more than 5.

All SC being transmitted on the same frequency, most SC are too interfered to be decoded
 Method 1: scanner only
 Step 1: Use “Top N” functionality to report all decoded scrambling
codes levels
 Step2: post-process the data and list all necessary neighbour
declarations from the level differences
 Step 3: comparison between scanner list and declared neighbour
list gives the list of missing neighbours
 Method 2: trace mobile only
 Step 1: Identify areas where the call is dropped due to a poor
CPICH EcNo
 Step 2: Once back in idle mode the newly selected may be the
missing target neighbour
Or
 Filter events when just after adding a cell in the active set, a very
strong cell is reported in the monitored set (method similar to
GSM)
 Method 3: scanner + trace mobile
 Step 1: Merge two sources on a time basis

 Step 2: For each timestamp, edit all neighbours reported within

Margin_missing_n (5 dB) for both sources
 Step 3: Comparison gives the list of missing neighbours

Note that this method does not require any comparison with a list of
declared neighbours
 High probability
Missing neighbours will occur with a high probability
>Inaccuracy of a planning tool leads to unexpected neighbours
>Example from EN:
Source Cell Target Cell
AVN0100C AVN0009B
AVN0100C AVN0011A
AVN0100C AVN0011B
Recommendation
AVN0100C AVN0067B
AVN0100C AVN0073B >Preferably declare too many than too few
AVN0100C AVN0073C neighbours
AVN0100C AVN0100A
AVN0100C AVN0100B
AVN0100C AVN0112B
>Always perform drive tests to identify
AVN0100C AVN0151B missing neighbours
AVN0100C AVN5074F
AVN0100C AVN7023A
AVN0100C AVN7040A
AVN0100C AVN067A
AVN0100C AVN073A
AVN0100C AVN151C
Missing neighbours in Red
 Conclusion
Missing neighbours is a top priority for Quality in UMTS

>Huge quality problems (Call drops, cell shrinkage…)

>High occurrence
>Very easy to solve. The only difficulty is to identify cells.

First priority in terms of Quality, before any pilot pollution or SHO

optimisation.
Soft HO: mechanism
EcNo
Cell 1
Aw

1 3
Dw

2
4

Cell 2

Time

 1 : Cell 2 is added in the Active Set

 2: Cell 1 leaves the Active Set
 3: Cell 1 is added in the Active Set
 4: Cell 2 leaves the Active Set
 3G Optimisation Workshop

Missing Neighbours
London, 28th of April 2003