Network Monitoring and Optimization

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DECLARATION
I Fomagha Tatou Mohamed, with matricule number FE13A082 hereby declare that the
project work entitled “NETWORK MONITORING AND OPTIMISATION IN UMTS”
submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, is a record of an original work done
by me under the guidance of Mr Jacques Tevi Lawson Dropenou (technical director at
Telinno Consulting LTD) and Dr Pierre Tsafack (head of department, Electrical and
Electronics Engineering). This project work is submitted in the partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of the Bachelor Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
The results embodied in this thesis have not been submitted to any other University or
Institute for the award of any Degree or Diploma.
WRITTEN AND PRESENTED BY FOMAGHA TATOU MOHAMED

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I have taken efforts and devoted a lot of energy and time in this project. It will not
have been possible without the kind support of many individuals and organisations. I will like
to extend my sincere thanks to all of them.
My endless appreciations are given to the almighty God for the breath of life, health
and care he showed me in carrying out this mighty project by overcoming all difficulties that
came on the way.
I am highly indebted to the entire Engineering team of Telinno Consulting LTD for
their guidance and constant supervision as well as providing necessary information regarding
the project. Particularly to Mr Jack Tevi Lawson Dropenou who played a vital role in guiding
all my steps from the beginning till the end of this project.
I will gladly like to equally express my profound gratitude towards the entire
Academic team of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Most importantly to Dr Pierre
Tsafack who gave me all the academic material I have ever needed in the accomplishment of
this great and impactful work.
My thanks and kind appreciations go to my parents and my entire family who worked
tooth and nail to make sure I accomplished this project in the excellent way. This gave me a
positive momentum activated me to stay focus as never before.
My profound and sincere gratitude to all my classmates for the endless co-operative
network we have always established to keep up on the track of mutual success and bright
future.

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: FDD spectrum for UMTS....................................................................................... 25
Table 2: TDD spectrum for UMTS....................................................................................... 25
Table 3 : RSCP range for good communication.................................................................. 45
Table 4 : ECNO range for good communication................................................................. 46
Table 5 : Downlink throughput for all sectors .................................................................... 51
Table 6: Uplink throughput for all sectors .......................................................................... 52
Table 7 : Latency values for ping test................................................................................... 53
Table 8 : Downlink comparison after optimised network.................................................. 57
Table 9: Uplink comparison after optimised network........................................................ 58
LIST OF FIGURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS
Figure 1 : organigram of the company................................................................................. 14
Figure 2 : Location plan of the company ............................................................................. 15
Figure 3 : architecture of GSM network............................................................................. 19
Figure 4 : Architecture of UMTS network .......................................................................... 23
Figure 5 : Architecture of LTE network.............................................................................. 27
Figure 6 : Summary tree of the evolution of mobile networks........................................... 30
Figure 7 : Sony Erickson W 995 for drive test .................................................................... 35
Figure 8 : drive test tools ....................................................................................................... 36
Figure 9 :Scrambling code and legend in idle mode ........................................................... 43
Figure 10: RSCP plot and legend in idle mode.................................................................... 44
Figure 11: ECNO plot and legend in idle mode................................................................... 46
Figure 12: Active set count dedicated mode ........................................................................ 47

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Figure 13: Scrambling code and legend dedicated mode ................................................... 48
Figure 14: RSCP dedicate mode ........................................................................................... 49
Figure 15 :ECNO and legend dedicated mode .................................................................... 49
Figure 16: cell reselection and legend................................................................................... 50
Figure 17: HSDPA graph ...................................................................................................... 51
Figure 18: HSUPA plot.......................................................................................................... 52
Figure 19: Cross sector detection and correction................................................................ 55
Figure 20: Mechanical tilt adjustment ................................................................................. 56
Figure 21: Electrical tilt adjustment..................................................................................... 56
LIST OF APPENDIXES
APPENDIX I: DETAILED GSM FREQUENCY BAND
APPENDIX II: DETAILED UMTS FREQUENCY BAND (FDD)
APPENDIX III: DETAILED LTE FREQUENCY BAND (TDD)
GLOSSARY
 1G: First generation.
 2G: Second generation.
 3G: Third generation.
 4G: Fourth generation.
 5G: Fith generation.
 FDMA: Frequency division for multiple access.
 TDMA: Time division for multiple access.
 CDMA: Code division for multiple access.
 FDD: Frequency division duplexing.
 TDD: Time division duplexing.
 GSM: Global system for mobile.
 UMTS: Universal mobile telecommunication service.
 LTE: Long term evolution.
 WCDMA: Wideband code division for multiple access.

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 HSUPA: High speed uplink packet access.
 HSDPA: High speed downlink packet access.
 RF: Radio frequency.
 DT: Drive test.
 RSCP: Received signal code power.
 RSSI: Received signal strength indicator.
 SIR: Signal to interference ratio.
 BCCH: broadcast channel.
 EC/NO: Energy per chip divided by noise power.
 MS: Mobile station.
 UE: User equipment.
 DL/ UL: Downlink/ uplink
 EDGE: Enhanced data rate for GSM evolution.
 GPRS: Global packet radio services.
 HO: Hand over.
 CQI: Call quality index.
 UTRAN: Universal terrestrial radio access network.
 AMPS: Advanced mobile phone system.
 WIMAX: Worldwide interoperability for microwave access.
 MBPS: Megabit per second.
 GBPS: Gigabit per second.
 TCP: Transmission control protocol.
 OSI: Open system interconnect.
 WAN: Wide area network.
 LAN: Location area network.
 NOC: Network operation center.
 OMC: Operation and maintenance center.
 RNO: Radio network optimization.
 SC: Scrambling code.
 FTP: File transfer protocol.
 SSV: Single side verification.
 CPICH: Common pilot channel.
 USB: Universal serial bus.
 SMS: Small message service.
 LTE: Long term evolution.
 GPS: global positioning system.
 PP: post processing.
 DT: drive test.
 OP: optimization.

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ABSTRACT
Orange Cameroon will always like to offer the best data services possible to its subscribers.
Thus to lengthen and strengthen the client-customer relationship in a competitive business
such as the telecommunications industry. However, the UMTS (3G) network which is the
most accessed data network in Cameroon always undergoes through serious threats after
deployment. Thus leading to performance reduction and degradation of quality of service.
Something concrete and tangible must be done to redress this deficiency of network drop
down .This entails continuous monitoring and supervision of the behaviour of the entire
network. It is not all. Good engineering strategies must be adopted to enhance the
performance of the UMTS network. Given that this task is imperative, UMTS network
monitoring (drive test), post processing and final optimisation are the steps we take to
ensure the proper functioning of our UMTS network at all times. A good emphasis is also laid
on new methods proposed to enhance UMTS network performance. This piece of work is
therefore a record of the optimisation of the Orange Cameroon UMTS network. Single site
verification will be our main focus but we will explain other Procedures of network
optimisation.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION...................................................................................................................... 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT....................................................................................................... 2
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... 3
LIST OF FIGURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS........................................................................ 3
LIST OF APPENDIXES.......................................................................................................... 4
APPENDIX I: DETAILED GSM FREQUENCY BAND................................................. 4
APPENDIX II: DETAILED UMTS FREQUENCY BAND (FDD) ................................. 4
APPENDIX III: DETAILED LTE FREQUENCY BAND (TDD)................................... 4
GLOSSARY.............................................................................................................................. 4
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................... 7
CHAP I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION............................................................................. 11
1.1) INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 11
1.2) PRESENTATION OF THE COMPANY.............................................................. 12
1.3) ABOUT THE COMPANY...................................................................................... 12
1.4) DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES.................................................................................. 13
1.5) THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY ................................................................... 13
1.6) ORGANIGRAM ...................................................................................................... 14
1.7) LOCATION PLAN.................................................................................................. 15
1.8) CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 16
CHAP II: LITTERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 17

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2.1) INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 17
2.2) EVOLUTION OF MOBILE NETWORKS .......................................................... 17
2.2.1) FIRST GENERATION (1G)........................................................................... 17
2.2.2) SECOND GENERATION (2G) ...................................................................... 18
2.2.2.1) ARCHITECTURE OF GSM NETWORK.................................................. 19
2.2.2.2) FUNCTIONING OF GSM NETWORK................................................. 20
2.2.2.3) ADVANTAGES OF 2G TECHNOLOGIES .......................................... 21
2.2.2.4) DRAWBACKS OF 2G TECHNOLOGY ............................................... 22
2.2.3) THIRD GENERATION (3G).......................................................................... 22
2.2.3.1) ARCHITECTURE OF 3G (UMTS)........................................................ 22
2.2.3.2) FUNCTIONING OF UMTS NETWORK .............................................. 23
2.2.3.3) UMTS SPECTRUM.................................................................................. 25
2.2.3.4) ADAVANTAGES OF THE UMTS NETWORK................................... 26
2.2.3.5) DISAVANTAGES OF UMTS.................................................................. 26
2.2.4) FOURTH GENERATION (4G)...................................................................... 26
2.2.4.1) ARCHITECTURE OF LTE .................................................................... 27
2.2.4.2) FUNCTIONING OF LTE NETWORK.................................................. 27
2.2.4.3) SOME 4G TERMINOLOGIES............................................................... 29
2.2.4.4) ADVANTAGES OF USING LTE ........................................................... 29
2.2.4.5) DISADVANTAGES OF LTE .................................................................. 30
2.3) GRAPHICAL SUMMARY .................................................................................... 30
2.4) CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 31
CHAP III: UMTS NETWORK MONITORING AND ANALYSIS ................................. 32

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3.1) INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 32
3.2) WHAT IS DRIVE TEST?....................................................................................... 32
3.2.1) TYPES OF DRIVE TEST ............................................................................... 32
3.2.2) SSV DRIVE TEST TOOLS IN UMTS........................................................... 34
3.2.3) UMTS DRIVE TEST PROCEDURE............................................................ 36
3.2.3.1) COVERAGE TEST...................................................................................... 37
3.2.3.2) INTRA HANDOVER TEST .................................................................... 37
3.2.3.3) INTER HANDOVER TEST .................................................................... 38
3.2.3.4) CELL RESELECTION TEST................................................................. 38
3.2.3.5) SMS TEST ................................................................................................. 39
3.2.3.6) FTP DOWNLAOD.................................................................................... 39
3.2.3.7) FTP UPLOAD ........................................................................................... 39
3.2.3.8) LATENCY TEST...................................................................................... 39
3.2.3.9) PDP TEST.................................................................................................. 40
3.2.4) PROBLEMS ENCOUNTRED IN DRIVE TESTING.................................. 40
3.3) POST PROCESSING.............................................................................................. 41
3.3.1) POST PROCESSING TOOLS ........................................................................... 41
3.4) ANALYSIS............................................................................................................... 42
3.4.1) SITE PRESENTATION .................................................................................. 42
3.4.2) MOBILITY IDLE MODE............................................................................... 43
3.4.3) MOBILITY CONNECTED OR DEDICATED MODE............................... 47
3.4.4) CELL RESELECTION ....................................................................................... 50
3.4.5) DATA THROUGHPUT....................................................................................... 50

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3.4.6) LATENCY ........................................................................................................ 52
3.5) CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 53
CHAP IV: UMTS NETWORK OPTIMISATION ............................................................ 54
4.1) INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 54
4.2) OPTIMISATION OF ISSUES NOTICED IN THE FIELD................................ 54
4.2.1) DEAD SITE ...................................................................................................... 54
4.2.2) CROSS SECTOR............................................................................................. 54
4.2.3) BAD COVERAGE ........................................................................................... 55
4.2.4) MISSING NEIGHBOR.................................................................................... 57
4.2.5) PILOT POLLUTION ...................................................................................... 57
4.2.6) THROUGHPUT............................................................................................... 57
4.3) NEW SOLUTIONS FOR OPTIMISATION ........................................................ 58
4.3.1) OPTIMISATION AT A DISTANCE: ................................................................ 58
4.3.2) OPTIMISATING USING DIVERSITY TECHNIQUES ................................. 59
4.3.2.1) TIME DIVERSITY ........................................................................................... 59
4.3.2.2) FREQUENCY DIVERSITY............................................................................. 59
4.3.2.3) SPATIAL DIVERSITY..................................................................................... 59
4.4) GENERAL CONCLUSION....................................................................................... 60
REFERENCES....................................................................................................................... 61
APPENDIXES ........................................................................................................................ 61
APPENDIX I: DETAILED GSM FREQUENCY BAND............................................... 61
APPENDIX II: DETAILED UMTS FREQUENCY BAND (FDD) ............................... 62
APPENDIX III: DETAILED LTE FREQUENCY BAND (TDD)................................. 63

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CHAP I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1) INTRODUCTION
Since the invention of cellular communications in the years 1980’s, the mobile
communication industry has always witness a very rapid growth and evolved from generation
to generation. We can name the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third
generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) which are the most prominent. The fifth generation
(5G) has also been introduced and is already functional in some western countries. Each of
these generations overcome the drawbacks encountered in its previous generation and equally
bring some additional functionality. Data technologies are of exponential demands today and
because of this, mobile operators are investing on them to satisfy the thirst of their
subscribers. However, the first generation which is best used for calls, SMS and some value
added services is still of high utility.
UMTS (WCDMA) been a data technology, it is of no doubt that it is today the first
data technology that is mostly used. Since Orange Cameroon bought the license in 2013, they
continue to deploy it everyday in all parts of the country. This is to make sure that their
subscribers also have access to high speed data transfers for up to 25Mbps in downlink. The
4G LTE is also prominent but is not yet deployed in all parts of the national territory.
Therefore UMTS is our preference since it was also our focus point while carrying internship.
This report is divided into 4 main chapters. Chapter I focused on the importance of our
internship project and equally give a clue of the general functioning of the company.
Chapter II is the literature review and give a wide knowledge on the evolution of
mobile networks till date. Here we study in details the various phases in which the entire field
of mobile communication has gone through till date.
Chapter III shows details on the methodology used in carrying out all the tasks that
were at our disposal in the company. Since we are working in network monitoring and
optimisation in UMTS, it gives us the step by step procedures that are taken in monitoring and
improving the performance of the UMTS network.

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Chapter IV brings the entire work to an end by giving justification on results obtained
and how it can be improved on the existing system.
1.2) PRESENTATION OF THE COMPANY
In order to carry out an internship in a company, it’s necessary to know at least the
structure of the company. This is why we present Telinno Consulting LTD where the
internship was carried out. It was necessary for the company to partner with Orange
Cameroon and gives us the opportunity to work on the Orange network. Particularly in the
field on network optimisation.
1.3) ABOUT THE COMPANY
Telinno Consulting LTD is a multinational structure with headquarters in Nigeria. It
was created in 2007 and act as a service provider in almost all sectors of mobile network. It is
currently a subcontractor of Orange Cameroon and is in charge of network optimisation in
2G, 3G and 4G. Telinno Consulting LTD opens its door in Cameroon in 2011 and is located
in the city of Douala. It has not yet extended to any other part of the country but the Yaoundé
agency is in perspective. Telinno Consulting LTD equally offers a wide variety of services in
the field of telecommunications and sometimes expands beyond the boundary of mobile
communication. Among others, we can name:
 Radio network design and planning in 2G, 3G and 4G.
 Transmission planning and optimization.
 Telecommunication installation and commissioning.
 Network performance monitoring and troubleshooting.
 Fiber optics services.
 Private network and enterprise solution.
 Training and the transfer of competence.
 Procurement tools and materials.
 Mobile network consulting.
 Service provider for all mobile communication technology.
As a multinational company, Telinno Consulting LTD has many branches in different
countries of Africa such as: Nigeria, Gabon, Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Senegal,
and Ivory Coast. They still offer the above mentioned services to their customers. Their main

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slogan is “giving you the edge”. Therefore they work everyday to give their customers the
real edge that they need for optimum performance of their systems.
Telinno Consulting LTD is looking forward to extend its boundaries to other African
countries and out of Africa. As a service and solution provider Telinno Consulting LTD is
affiliated to so many telecommunications companies such as: MTN Cameroon, Airtel, Glo,
Etisalat, True position, NEC, Ericson, Tigo, Huawei, ZTE, Poynting, Nokia, Orange, Etc.
1.4) DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES
Telinno Consulting LTD is current working on the optimisation of the Orange network
in 2G, 3G and 4G. They carry all the activities that are required for the optimisation of the
network. That is, outdoor drive test, indoor tests, post processing and optimisation. They
perform these activities in all the above mentioned technologies. Since they were granted the
project, they have completed all sites in Yaoundé, Douala and are currently in the Northern
region (Maroua, Garoua, Ngaoundere).
These Drive Test activities are carried out by DT Engineers in the field. The results
from the field are thus transferred to the Post Processing Engineers for analysis and reports.
The results obtained from the analysis and reports are then used to know which parameters to
be tuned to improve the quality of the network.
To enable their engineers, to be well grounded on network performance, rotation of the
teams is necessary from time to time.
1.5) THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY
Telinno Consulting LTD is working day after day to enhance mutual cooperation with
all its affiliates and equally respond to the high demand of services. As a matter of fact, they
are always solicited to handle top projects in any aspect of mobile communications.
As technology is growing everyday, Telinno Consulting LTD is doing the best to
synchronize with the current trend of industrial growth and to further expands its services in
other fields of telecommunications. They equally look forward to increase their staff so as to
remain a leader in providing services in the telecommunications industry.

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However, we cannot directly say the company is looking forward to become a mobile
network operator but when we look at the horizon, it is promising.
1.6) ORGANIGRAM
At Telinno, people are innovative, passionate, and curious. The entire team is broad
and deep in knowledge and skills. Telinno Consulting’s key management team consists of
industry-experienced professionals with over 80 years combined work experience. Among
some prominent members of Telinno Cameroon, we can name:
 The general manager, Cameroon: Mr. Festus Irivboje.
 The human resource manager: Mme Stella Achuba.
 The technical director: Mr. Jack Tevi Lawson Dropenou.
 The Team Lead for Post Processing: Engr. Nnadi Osita C.
The organigram below helps us to throw more light on all the constituent members of the
Telinno staff.
Figure 1 : organigram of the company

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1.7) LOCATION PLAN
Telinno Consulting LTD is located in the city of Douala. The plan below is a guide for
us.
Rond-
point
Bessengue
Fromécole
publique
Deido
Total
Bessengue
SCB
BAN
From Ndokoti
Gare de
Bessengue
VALLEE
BESSENGUE
From rond-point
Deido
LEWAT
Hôtel
BICEC
BANK
TELINNO
Consulting
MOBILE
BONAKOUAMOUANG
Figure 2 : Location plan of the company

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1.8) CONCLUSION
Telinno Consulting LTD is indeed a world class Telecommunication Service Provider
and a good training ground for Engineering Students on internship. In the subsequent
paragraphs, we are going to decode and decrypt network monitoring and optimisation
procedures in UMTS.

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CHAP II: LITTERATURE REVIEW
2.1) INTRODUCTION
Since the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, the
telecommunication industry has never stopped from expanding day after day. The invention
of the cellular system in the 1980’s was a turning point in the field of mobile communication.
This positive impactful momentum has been exponentially increased and today, data
technology is of very high demand. UMTS been the most used data technology in Cameroon,
is of high priority to mobile operators and proper care is always taken to monitor it every time
and make sure good quality of services are provided to subscribers. However, we need to first
revisit the evolution of mobile networks till date.
2.2) EVOLUTION OF MOBILE NETWORKS
WHAT ARE MOBILE NETWOKRS?
Nowadays, people have the capability to communicate everywhere, and at any time.
Location is no more a barrier to communication provided a subscriber is within the coverage
area of a mobile network. Therefore, a mobile network is a technology that can support voice
and data services using wireless, via a radio transmission solution and enabling users to stay
connected with each other as long as they find themselves in the coverage area of the network.
Mobile networks have evolved from generation to generation. There are first generation (1G),
the second generation (2G), the third generation (3G), the fourth generation (4G). All of these
generations are deployed in various parts of Cameroon.
However, the fifth generation (5G) is already operational in some advanced countries
but are yet to be deployed in Cameroon.
In this Chapter, a carefully analysis of each generation are given and its advantages
and drawbacks highlighted but our main focus is on UMTS Network Monitoring and
Optimisation.
2.2.1) FIRST GENERATION (1G)
The first generation mobile networks started in the years 1980’s after the introduction
of the cellular system in the early years of 1973. It used analog transmission techniques and
the access technology was FDMA. The 1G had different conceptions around the world and

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many countries adopted their own terminologies regarding this technology. Some
technologies of 1G were:
 NMT
 AMPS
 TACS
 ETACS
The 1G presented a quite number of advantages since it was the first cellular
communication standard. With AMPS introduced in 1976, this analog network saw adoption
around the world and brought different cell phone service providers together under a single
network, allowing for shared cost of network development and maintenance. The idea of a
universal network that started with 1G persists in today's worldwide digital networks.
Mobility was possible for the first time since the 1G was wireless and users were no more
connected with wires. The cost of 1G phone sets were considerable and many people could
afford them.
However, the 1G had so many advantages. There was incompatibility between the
existing systems since they were configured differently. International roaming was not
possible. There was very poor spectrum utilization since the only transmission technique was
FDMA. More to that, the 1G offered voice services only and the handset that were too large
consumed much energy. Engineers and technicians had to get to work to overcome these
difficulties. The 2G came overnight like mushroom. This was to be an all-digital network
offering higher-quality calls, more bandwidth to accommodate more users and a greater
coverage area. 2G cell phones began appearing in the early-1990s. The 2G solved almost all
the problems encountered in the 1G [6].
2.2.2) SECOND GENERATION (2G)
The 2G technology came in the early 1990’s to solve the drawbacks brought in the 1G.
It was digital and the transmission techniques were FDMA and TDMA. Spectrum space
increased. It equally brought about value added services such as SMS, conference calls, call
waiting, call forwarding, email, etc.
Many 2G standards were adopted such as:

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 GSM.
 IS-95 (CDMA-1)
 PDC (Japanese digital cellular),
 D-AMPS…
GSM that was adopted in Europe spread rapidly throughout of the world and was the
most used [7]. It is still the most used today and will be our 2G reference standard in this
project.
2.2.2.1) ARCHITECTURE OF GSM NETWORK.
The architecture of the 2G network showed below enables us to see the way the
various elements that make up the network are connected with respect to each other. It equally
enables us to explain the functioning of the various parameters and how they co-operate with
one another in the day to day functioning of the network.
Figure 3 : architecture of GSM network

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2.2.2.2) FUNCTIONING OF GSM NETWORK
From the above architecture, we can see that the GSM network is made up of many
subsections. Each of these subsections is made up of entities that perform specific tasks in the
general functioning of the network. The GSM network is made up of four main parts:
 The mobile station subsystem (MSS): it is made up of the handset and the SIM. The
handset or mobile station is identified in the GSM network by the international mobile
equipment identity (IMEI). This unique code is always stored in the equipment
identity register (EIR). The mobile station is private and owned by a subscriber and
can be used to have access to the GSM network with an updated SIM card inserted.
On the other hand, the SIM is used to store permanent and temporal data about the
mobile including the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), the MSISDN of
the subscriber, the authentication key and other algorithms for authentication checks.
 The base station subsystem (BSS): it is made of the base stations and the base station
controller. One base station controller can control a large number of BTS’s, depending
on the configuration of the network. The main function of the base station is to
provide and manage radio access to mobile stations. It contains equipment such as
radio transmitters/receivers (TRX), signal processing and control equipment, antenna
and feeder cables. The base station controller plays the role of allocating channels for
a call, power control mechanism, handover utility, switching between the Abis link
and the Ater link…
 The network subsystem (NSS): The NSS combines the call routing switches (MSCs
and GMSC) with database registers required to keep track of subscribers’ movements
and use of the system. Call routing between MSCs is taken via existing PSTN or
ISDN networks. The MSC is the brain of the system and plays a large number of
functions such as Switching calls, controlling calls and logging calls. It is the interface
with PSTN, ISDN, and PSPDN. The MSC facilitates mobility management over the
radio network and other networks. It equally does billing. We equally have the visitor
location register (VLR) which is responsible for storing the information of all MS’s
situated in the coverage area of one MSC. The home location register (HLR) is a
database that stores subscription and set of functions needed to manage subscriber data
in one PLMN area. Changes made by the operator or the network provider is first
carried in the HLR and then updated in the VLR. The authentication centre is used to
store data needed for subscriber’s authentication. Among others, we can name the

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IMSI and the authentication key. EIR is a database that stores a unique International
Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number for each item of mobile equipment.
 The operation and maintenance center (OMC): It is the office where the
monitoring and the behavior of the network are visualized. Once a fault is detected in
the network, it can equally be maintained. A fault can be a link cut, a dead zone, or
failure in the system [4].
2.2.2.3) ADVANTAGES OF 2G TECHNOLOGIES
The GSM been the most prominent 2G standard, it is to note that 2G in its entirety
offers a wide variety of advantages such as:
 Improved spectrum efficiency: two transmitting bands that is the 900MHz band and
the 1800MHz band. With these 2 bands, it is possible for the mobile operator to
manage many users with a single cell. (Refer to APPENDIX I to see more about the
GSM spectrum)
 International roaming: Anywhere in the GSM network, the subscriber can enjoy the
services.
 High quality speech: with modulation techniques such as GMSK, and speech coding
techniques such as linear predictive coding, it is possible to have very good quality
speech.
 High capacity: using digital signal from the mobile set to the BTS and vice-versa
greatly increases the capacity of the network and enable many users to be connected at
the same time.
 Compatibility with Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and other telephone
company services.
 since data services became needed, the GPRS and EDGE were developed and provide
some facilities that GSM could not offer such as email, fax, low rate data transfer…
they are refer to as 2.5G and offer data transfer up to the rate of 200Kbps.
However, since any human endeavor has never been perfect, 2G equally presents some
disadvantages.

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2.2.2.4) DRAWBACKS OF 2G TECHNOLOGY
The 2G technology came to solve the problems encountered in 1G but equally has
some loop holes.
 Very complex network planning: with the notion of frequency reuse, the planning of
2G networks is not always easy. Even with sophisticated software, interference is still
the major challenge in the deployment of 2G networks.
 Very low data traffic capability: the data rate in GSM is very low and cannot meet the
high demand of data services we have today. Therefore 2G is considered as outdated
and is best used only for calls since the data trafficking rate of calls is always very
small as compared to data.
 Since it is a digital technology, we can sometimes experience drop calls in bad radio
environment.
2.2.3) THIRD GENERATION (3G)
The third generation of mobile networks was developed to offer high speed data
transmission and multimedia connectivity of subscribers. The standardization work for the 3G
is the 3GPP. With 3G, mobile operators can offer services such as high speed data transfer
and multimedia connectivity, online gaming, video conferencing, online learning, fast and
efficient scientific research. The most prominent 3G standards that were developed are
CDMA-2000 and WCDMA (UMTS) [3]. CDMA-2000 is the evolution of IS-95 meanwhile
UMTS is the evolution of GSM. UMTS is the focus topic of our research and will be our
reference.
UMTS is the evolution of GSM through GPRS and EDGE. It is developed to offer
voice over internet protocol services (VOIP) and has played a major role in the revolution of
packet data technology. UMTS is the 3G data technology in Cameroon used by Orange
operator. It is equally adopted by MTN Cameroon but Camtel’s 3G is CDMA-2000.
2.2.3.1) ARCHITECTURE OF 3G (UMTS)
The figure below is the architecture of the UMTS network. It enables us to view the
constituent elements that make up the UMTS network and how they are interconnected to
each other.

23
Figure 4 : Architecture of UMTS network
2.2.3.2) FUNCTIONING OF UMTS NETWORK
From the above architecture, we can see that the UMTS network is made up of 4 main
parts. Even thou the various parts are interrelated, each of them have a specific function in the
overall performance of the network.
 The UE subsystem: it is made up of the USIM and the mobile equipment (ME). The
USER Equipment or UE is a major element of the overall 3G UMTS network
architecture. It forms the final interface with the user. In view of the far greater
number of applications and facilities that it can perform, the decision was made to call
it user equipment rather than a mobile. However it is essentially the handset (in the
broadest terminology), although having access to much higher speed data
communications, it can be much more versatile, containing many more applications. It
consists of a variety of different elements including RF circuitry, processing, antenna,
battery, etc. The UE also contains a SIM card, although in the case of UMTS it is
termed a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module). This is a more advanced
version of the SIM card used in GSM and other systems, but embodies the same types
of information. It contains the International Mobile Subscriber Identity number (IMSI)
as well as the Mobile Station International ISDN Number (MSISDN). Other
information that the USIM holds includes the preferred language to enable the correct
language information to be displayed, especially when roaming, and a list of preferred

24
and prohibited Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMN). The USIM also contains a
short message storage area that allows messages to stay with the user even when the
phone is changed. Similarly "phone book" numbers and call information of the
numbers of incoming and outgoing calls are stored.
 The UTRAN: The universal terrestrial radio access network is made up of the Node
B’s and the radio network controllers. One RNC can control many Node B’s,
depending on the configuration of the network. The Node-B is the term used within
UMTS to denote the base station transceiver. This part of the UTRAN contains the
transmitter and receiver to communicate with the UEs within the cell. It participates
with the RNC in the resource management. Node-B is the 3GPP term for base station,
and often the terms are used interchangeably. On the other hand, The RNC undertakes
the radio resource management and some of the mobility management functions,
although not all. It is also the point at which the data encryption / decryption is
performed to protect the user data from eavesdropping. In order to facilitate effective
handover between Node-Bs under the control of different RNCs, the RNC not only
communicates with the Core Network, but also with neighbouring RNCs.
 The CORE NETWORK: we can notice that two elements are added to core network
in UMTS. There are the SGSN and the GGSN. Since UMTS is a data technology, the
SGSN is responsible for delivery of data packets to mobile subscribers in its service
area. It equally ensures mobility management, logical link management and
authentication. It is equally serves as interface between the core network and radio
networks. The SGSN is also responsible billing. It achieves this by monitoring the
flow of user data across the GPRS network. CDRs (Call Detail Records) are generated
by the SGSN before being transferred to the charging entities (Charging Gateway
Function, CGF). On the other hand, we have the gateway GPRS support node. The
GGSN is acting as an interface between GPRS networks and PDN’s. It converts
packets from SGSN into appropriate PDP (packet data protocol) format and send them
out to the corresponding PDN (packet data network). The Gateway GPRS Support
Node (GGSN) is the central element within the UMTS packet switched network. It
handles inter-working between the UMTS packet switched network and external
packet switched networks, and can be considered as a very sophisticated router. In
operation, when the GGSN receives data addressed to a specific user, it checks if the
user is active and then forwards the data to the SGSN serving the particular UE.

25
 External networks such as the internet, PLMN, PSTN enable subscribers to
universally connect with others end users. These outer networks enable users around
the world to interconnect. With these new communication technologies, the world is
regarded upon as a global village. Distance is no more a barrier for communication
[5].
NB: with the rapid growth of the technology, others flavors such as HSDPA and HSUPA
came out. They are considered as 3.5G and provide data rate up to 35MBPS for downlink and
more than 10MBPS for uplink.
2.2.3.3) UMTS SPECTRUM
The UMTS network uses two transmission modes: TDD (time division duplexing) and
FDD (frequency division duplexing). These 2 transmission account for the increase of spectral
efficiency and increase in capacity for the UMTS network. In FDD, the table below can help
us to better understand the frequency band:
Common
name
Uplink frequency
range(MHZ)
Downlink
frequency
range (MHZ)
Duplex gap
(MHZ)
DLUARFCHN
2100 IMT 1920-1980 2110-2170 190 10562-10838
Table 1: FDD spectrum for UMTS
For TDD, it is shown in the figure below:
Operating
band
Frequency
(MHZ)
Frequency
(MHZ)
UARFCN Channel
number
A(lower) IMT 1900-1920 9504-9596
A (upper) IMT 2010-2025 10054-10121
Table 2: TDD spectrum for UMTS
The TDD and FDD are used simultaneously in UMTS. Failure to follow the above
prescribed frequency parameters can lead to interference and poor performance of the
network. Refer to APPENDIX I to know more about the UMTS spectrum.

26
2.2.3.4) ADAVANTAGES OF THE UMTS NETWORK
 As mobile network penetration increases, it allows CDMA networks to carry greater
share of voice and data services. Voice capacity offered is very high due to
interference control mechanisms, frequency reuse, fast power control and soft
handover.
 In addition to the spectral efficiency, UMTS provides more dramatic change in
capacity of the Node-B and efficiency of the equipment. A large number of users
supported by the carrier and less radio frequency carriers are required to provide the
same capacity.
 Useful number of data services including navigation, video calls, sports and live
events…
 Simultaneous voice and data which allows, for example, browsing or email when
voice conferencing or video sharing in real time during voice calls.
 Communication with data network is very cheap since the volume of data consumed
determines the billing and not the time connected.
 Benefit of automatic international roaming plus integral security and billing functions,
enabling operators to migrate from 2G to 3G while retaining most of their existing
back office equipment.
2.2.3.5) DISAVANTAGES OF UMTS
The UMTS network equally present some disadvantages:
 The cost of cellular infrastructure is very high. The mobile operator has to invest a lot
of resources in the deployment of the UMTS network.
 Power consumption by both the user equipment and the system is high.
 Needs different handsets
2.2.4) FOURTH GENERATION (4G)
After the introduction of the 3rd
generation, the desire for more multimedia services
increased exponentially and the 4th
generation was launched. Among other 4G standards that
were introduced, they can name the WIMAX and LTE. In Cameroon, LTE is the most
popular.
LTE stands for long term evolution; it is an evolution of UMTS. The main goal of
LTE is to provide a high speed data rate, low latency and packet optimized radio access
technology supporting flexible bandwidth deployments. Same time its network architecture
has been designed with the goal to support packet-switched traffic with seamless mobility and

27
great quality of service. LTE provides downlink peak rates of at least 100Mbit/s, 50 Mbit/s in
the uplink and RAN (Radio Access Network) round-trip times of less than 10ms. The main
goal of LTE is to increase network capacity; data transfer rates and reduce latency [9].
2.2.4.1) ARCHITECTURE OF LTE
The architecture of LTE is an evolution of the UMTS. It presents new equipment such as HSS
(home subscriber server), MME (mobile mobility equipment), and PDN GW (packet data
network gateway)… The detail architecture is given below:
Figure 5 : Architecture of LTE network
2.2.4.2) FUNCTIONING OF LTE NETWORK
In LTE, main function of EPS is to provide the user with IP connectivity to a PDN for
accessing the Internet, as well as for running service such as Voice over IP (VoIP). An EPS
bearer is typically associated with a QOS. Multiple bearers can be established for a user in
order to provide different QOS streams or connectivity to different PDNs. Figure above
shows the overall network architecture, including the network elements and the standardized
interfaces. At a high level, the network is comprised of the CN (EPC) and the access network

28
E-UTRAN. While the CN consists of many logical nodes, the access network is made up of
essentially just one node, the evolved Node-B (eNode-B), which connects to the UEs. Each of
these network elements is interconnected by means of interfaces that are standardized in order
to allow multi-vendor interoperability. This gives network operators the possibility to source
different network elements from different vendors. In fact, network operators may choose in
their physical implementations to split or merge these logical network elements depending on
commercial considerations.
The E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRAN) consists of eNBs, providing the E-UTRA user
plane (PDCP/RLC/MAC/PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocol terminations towards the
UE. The E-Node-Bs are interconnected with each other by means of the X2 interface. The E-
Node-Bs are also connected by means of the S1 interface to the EPC (Evolved Packet Core),
more specifically to the MME (Mobility Management Entity) by means of the S1-MME and
to the Serving Gateway (S-GW) by means of the S1-U.
ENode-B: The eNB interfaces with the UE and hosts the Physical (PHY), Medium
Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), and Packet Data Control Protocol
(PDCP) layers. It also hosts Radio Resource Control (RRC) functionality corresponding to the
control plane. It performs many functions including radio resource management, admission
control, scheduling, enforcement of negotiated UL QOS, cell information broadcast,
ciphering/deciphering of user and control plane data, and compression/decompression of
DL/UL user plane packet headers.
Mobility Management Entity: Manages and stores UE context (for idle state: UE/user
identities, UE mobility state, user security parameters). It generates temporary identities and
allocates them to UEs. It checks the authorization whether the UE may camp on the TA or on
the PLMN. It also authenticates the user.
Serving Gateway: The SGW routes and forwards user data packets, while also acting
as the mobility anchor for the user plane during inter-eNB handovers and as the anchor for
mobility between LTE and other 3GPP technologies (terminating S4 interface and relaying
the traffic between 2G/3G systems and PDN GW).
Packet Data Network Gateway: The PDN GW provides connectivity to the UE to
external packet data networks by being the point of exit and entry of traffic for the UE. A UE
may have simultaneous connectivity with more than one PDN GW for accessing multiple
PDNs. The PDN GW performs policy enforcement, packet filtering for each user, charging
support, lawful Interception and packet screening [4].

29
2.2.4.3) SOME 4G TERMINOLOGIES
In LTE, there are some specifications such as VOLGA (voice over LTE via generic
access). The GAN provides an overlay access between the terminal and the CS core without
requiring specific enhancements or support in the network it traverses. This provides a
terminal with 'virtual' connection to the core network already deployed by an operator. The
terminal and network thus reuse most of the existing mechanisms, deployment and
operational aspects.
We can equally talk about the circuit switched fall back. LTE technology supports
packet based services only; however 3GPP does specifies fallback for circuit switched
services as well. To achieve this, LTE architecture and network nodes require additional
functionality, this blog is an attempt to provide overview for same. In LTE architecture, the
circuit switched (CS) fallback in EPS enables the provisioning of voice and traditional CS -
domain services (e.g. CS UDI video/ SMS/ LCS/ USSD). To provide these services LTE
reuses CS infrastructure when the UE is served by E UTRAN.
2.2.4.4) ADVANTAGES OF USING LTE
4G LTE is the hub of data technology in Cameroon. It is the most desired data
technology since it presents a quite number of advantages.
 LTE introduced to get higher data rates, 300Mbps peak downlink and 75 Mbps peak
uplink. In a 20MHz carrier, data rates beyond 300Mbps can be achieved under very
good signal conditions.
 LTE is an ideal technology to support high date rates for the services such as voice
over LTE (VOLTE), streaming multimedia, videoconferencing or even a high-speed
cellular modem.
 LTE uses both Time Division Duplex (TDD) and Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)
mode. In FDD uplink and downlink transmission used different frequency, while in
TDD both uplink and downlink use the same carrier and are separated in Time. Refer
to APPENDIX III to see more about LTE FDD spectrum.
 All LTE devices have to support (MIMO) Multiple Input Multiple Output
transmissions, which allow the base station to transmit several data streams over the
same carrier simultaneously.
 Seamless Connection: LTE will also support seamless connection to existing
networks such as GSM, CDMA and WCDMA.

30
 The latency of LTE is very small as compared to its predecessor, UMTS. With LTE,
users can communicate as is they are seated near to each other. With sophisticated
coding mechanisms, data travels very fast.
2.2.4.5) DISADVANTAGES OF LTE
 New frequencies means new components in cell towers. The mobile operator must
change equipment.
 Higher data prices for consumers
 Consumer is forced to buy a new device to support the 4G. It is impossible to make
your current equipment compatible with the 4G network
 High energy consumption as the user equipment is capable of performing many tasks
at the same time.
NB: in some countries in the world today such as North Korea, USA… we talk of 5G but it is
not yet the case in Cameroon. Reason why we will not mention it in this project.
2.3) GRAPHICAL SUMMARY
. AMPS
. TACS
. NMT
.GSM
.IS-95(CDMA)
.PDC
GPRS
EDGE
.UMTS
.CDMA-
2000
.HSDPA
.EVDO
LTE
1G
2G
2.5G
2.75G
3G
3G+
4G
Voice only
Voice and
SMS
Voice and SMS,
Low speed Data
Voice and SMS,
medium speed
Data and
multimedia
Voice and SMS,
high speed Data
and multimedia
3G enhanced
services
MBB, More
applications,
3G
enhanced
services
Figure 6 : Summary tree of the evolution of
mobile networks

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2.4) CONCLUSION
We just studied how mobile networks have evolved from the 1G to the current data
technologies that are in exponential demands. However, it is just a single step we have just
taken. We are required to focus on the behavior of the UMTS networks and how it is
enhanced in case of any faults noticed. This will our driving force in the topics ahead.

32
CHAP III: UMTS NETWORK MONITORING AND ANALYSIS
3.1) INTRODUCTION
Since orange Cameroon bought the license to deploy its 3G network in the entire
country, they have close to 800 3G sites in the entire country as of now. Since their primary
mission is to provide best quality of services to their subscribers, they must make sure the
performance network is constantly been monitored. This is to detect any fault and correct it to
continue building their trust in their subscribers. This process is divided into 3 parts: Drive
test, post processing and network optimisation. We will discuss drive test and post processing
in this chapter and in the next chapter we will talk on optimisation and the way it is performed
in UMTS.
3.2) WHAT IS DRIVE TEST?
Drive test is simply the procedure of monitoring and recording the behavior and
performance of a mobile network while driving. It is the first and most important step to take
when investigating the behavior of a mobile network. In UMTS, the most important
parameters to observe while doing drive test are the coverage, the data throughput, the data
latency, the hand over and cell reselection parameters… whenever any of the above
mentioned parameters is below the expected value, then optimisation must be quickly done so
as to correct it or improve the general performance of the network [1].
3.2.1) TYPES OF DRIVE TEST
There are many types of drives testing as far as mobile networks are concerned:
 Benchmarking: This test is done in a particular area to compare the performance of
two or more networks. The telecommunication business is very competitive and the
operator always makes sure it provides the best services possible. For this reason,
Orange Cameroon will always perform the bench marking test to see whether it is
providing the best coverage, throughput… to subscribers in a particular locality.
Benchmarking is done by all mobile operators and they used the results obtained to
enhance the performance of their network in a given area else they will lose their
customers [2].
The figure below shows MTN and Orange 4G Cluster Benchmarking snapshot:

33
Figure 7 : MTN and Orange 4G benchmarking.
 Cluster drive: we recall that a cluster is group of sites (3,5,7,12…). For UMTS, a
site is a Node-B. Cluster drive is therefore the monitoring of the general behavior of
a cluster. Since the UMTS network is hierarchical, cluster drive is very necessary to
test and record the general behavior of each and every cluster. The protocol
procedure is different for all the technologies (2G, 3G, and 4G). We should note that
the cluster drive is very lengthy since we have to drive is a very large areas. In
metropolitan cities like Douala and Yaoundé, it is more complicated with traffic [2].
The figure below illustrates better the outcome of cluster drive in Yaoundé.

34
Figure 8: cluster drive in Yaoundé.
 Indoor test: We recall that with the complexity of the mobile networks, operators
always install some sites in indoor environment such as hotels, inns, conference
halls… thus to enable subscribers to have access to the same services. Indoor test is
thus performed to see whether the performance of an indoor site meets the required
target. The engineer does not necessarily need a car or a driving element since
mobility is easy and short in indoor environment. It is also called a walk test [2].
 Single site verification (SSV): This is the most widely performed type of drive test
since most sites are installed in outdoor environment. In UMTS, single site
verification is an audit method to test the key performance indicators (KPI) of a
single Node-B such as coverage, throughput, handover… [2].
NB: Single site verification is thus very important since it enables us to record all the
performance of a particular site. In this report, we are going to focus on single site verification
and our case study site (Node-B) will be Makepe-Nodal.
3.2.2) SSV DRIVE TEST TOOLS IN UMTS
In carrying out a Drive Test activities, a number of Drive Test Tools are required.
These tools include:

35
 A laptop with a software called TEMS Investigation installed on it. TEMS
Investigation is software that is use by Mobile Telecommunication Operators for
recording the parameters of any cellular network and save them for future analysis. All
other devices are connected to the laptop and must be detected by the TEMS
investigation software before the engineer can begin any relevant test. Important
software such as Google earth can as well be installed in the laptop.
 A dongle: It is a license key use to launch the TEMS Investigation Software.
 TEMS Phones: These are special phones for carrying out the Drive Test activities. It
is normally connected to the TEMS software installed on a Laptop. The number of
connected phones depends on the type of test to be performed. The types of mobile
phones used for drive testing are Sony Ericsson’s W995s.
 MTC Phones: Mobile Terminating Call (MTC) is used for receiving calls and SMS
from the TEMS phone. The figure below is a typical example of TEMS Phones used
to perform Drive Test.
Figure 9 : Sony Erickson W 995 for drive test
 Data Card: to carry out Uplink and Downlink Throughput Test.
 USB hub: to expand the ports of the computer and connect all equipment
 The GPS: It is a Global Positioning System that helps the Drive Test Engineer to
locate a particular Site, record all the positions (latitude and longitude) taken around a
Node-b and navigate the drive test routs on the TEMS Map.
 USB cables: to connect devices such as phones, GPS etc to the laptop or the USB
hub.

36
 Inverter: it is an Electronic device that converts the Direct Current (DC) from the Car
Battery to Alternative Current (AC) for charging the Laptop during the Drive Test
activities.
The figure below shows the way the various components are connected on the laptop:
Figure 10 : drive test tools
3.2.3) UMTS DRIVE TEST PROCEDURE
In UMTS, there are many tests that are needed to test the performance of the network. These
tests can be classified into mobile and static modes. Simply because in mobile tests, the car is
moving while the test is carried and in static mode, the car is on one spot and the test is
carried. For mobile test, we have the coverage, the handover (intra handover, inter handover),
the cell reselection… The static tests include the throughput (uplink and downlink), the SMS
and the latency test (ping). The engineer must first use the GPS to locate the site before any
test can be performed [8].

37
3.2.3.1) COVERAGE TEST
The coverage test is done to know the entire area covered by a particular Node-B. The
procedure for the coverage is described as follows:
 Once you are at the site, you will be receiving the scrambling code of a particular
sector. Then make sure all your devices are connected following the protocol given by
Orange for UMTS drive test (MS2 in dedicated mode and MS3 in idle mode). In
dedicated mode, the test phone (user equipment) is on and is calling while in idle
mode, the second user equipment is on but is not making any call. After connecting all
the devices, upload vector Cameroons to show all the roads on your map.
 Upload the Cell ref to show the site you are working on. The cell ref is a text
document that contains all the sites that are found in the network.
 Start recording to create new log files.
 Launch the script and the script will automatically launch the call to the mobile
terminating call (MTC). Then pick the call.
 Start driving and make sure you take all the possible roads needed to cover all the
sectors of the site.
 It is ensured that all the possible roads the car can pass around the Sites are covered.
The normal driving distance is at least 1km but in urban environment, sites are so
closed to each other and when there is handover, you can stop the script and the
record. The script is an algorithm configured in the TEMS investigation software that
describes how each and every test is performed. The MS2 and MS3 are the main
element taking part in the coverage.
3.2.3.2) INTRA HANDOVER TEST
The intra handover is the handover between two sectors of the same site. This test is
done to check whether a call launched from one sector can be handed over to the next sector
when the user is moving from one sector of the same site to another. This test is done in both
clockwise and anticlockwise direction. Below is the procedure:

38
 Deactivate or disconnect MS3 which is the idle and make sure MS2 (dedicated) and
the MS4 (GPS) are connected. The GPS is there to record all the different positions
that you are taking.
 Then start the record.
 Launch the intra handover script and answer the call.
 Drive around the site in the clockwise direction and make sure you come back to the
starting point. The starting sector can be any of the three.
 While driving, you will see the way the call is been handed over from one sector to the
other of the three sectors.
 When you reach back at the starting point, stop the record and the script.
 Since the intra handover test is in both directions, simply follow the same procedure in
the anticlockwise direction.
3.2.3.3) INTER HANDOVER TEST
This test is done to check whether the current site can communicate with other sites
around it.
The procedure is the same as intra handover. With the difference that we are driving away
from the site and not around. When there is handover with the neighboring site, we stop the
script and the record. It is done for all the three sectors.
3.2.3.4) CELL RESELECTION TEST
Cell reselection is the ability of the mobile terminal in idle mode to successfully switch from
to 3G to 2G technology and vice versa. It is very important to carry a CR test in order to find
out whether a site can perform this functionality in order to avoid ‘’no service’’ When a 3G
terminal is approaching a 2G site. The test is performed as follows:
 MS2 (dedicate) is deactivated or removed. Only MS3 (idle) and GPS are connected.
 Lock mobile on WCDMA and GSM mode.
 Start record and start driving until mobile drops to 2G. You will receive the cell Id
(CI) of the neighbouring 2G site you are driving to.
 Stop the record.
 Do the same for all the sectors of the site.

39
Cell reselection in technically known as the IRAT (inter radio frequency access technology).
3.2.3.5) SMS TEST
This test is to verify whether an SMS can be sent if the network. The procedure is as follows:
 Disconnect MS3 (idle) and make sure MS2 and GPS are connected.
 Start record.
 Upload and run the SMS script and when is the SMS is sent, stop the record.
3.2.3.6) FTP DOWNLAOD
3G UMTS been a data technology, the throughput (data rate) is a very important
parameter in determining the performance of the network. To perform the download
throughput test, the engineer must be very close to the particular sector in which the test is
performed. The procedure is as follows:
 Activate MS1 which is the data card and the GPS.
 Lock on the scrambling code of sector 1.
 Start the record.
 Upload and run the 3G downlink script
 Check Net per sec and stop recording when the value is equal to or above 35Mbps
 Do same for the other 2 sectors.
3.2.3.7) FTP UPLOAD
The procedure for FTP UL is the same as that of FTP DL but the target is 15Mpbs for UL and
the UL script is run instead.
3.2.3.8) LATENCY TEST
This test is done to enable the mobile subscriber to determine the average response
time of the UMTS network. It is done by sending a ping command to the Orange server
(10.150.2.244) for different quantities of data (0, 32 and 1436 bytes).
n

40
3.2.3.9) PDP TEST
The packet data protocol test is done to simply check if the user equipment can
connect to any data network. Here you start your record on TEMS and you connect yourself
through the data card then after you use command prompt to ping anything for example ping
google.com.
3.2.4) PROBLEMS ENCOUNTRED IN DRIVE TESTING
Drive test is a very important and fascinating activity but quite a number of problems
always arise while carrying out the various tests. We will just outnumber these problems here
and we will give the solutions in the optimisation part of our work. Among the problems
always encountered, we have:
 Dead site: dead site is when we drive and reach at the foot of the site and we are not
receiving any signal from the site. The site is may be down and not trafficking. Or the
site is up but the radiating power is so low that our drive test equipment cannot sense
it. This is a very problem that is always resolved immediately or else subscribers in
that area will be out of network.
 Cross sector: As the name implies, this happens when the feeder cables of two or
more sectors of the same site were interchanged in the process of installation. As a
result, the engineer will be receiving the scrambling code of a different sector while
standing at the targeted sector. for example, in the case of Makepe-Nodal which is our
case study site, you can stand in front of sector which has a scrambling code of 346
and you are receiving 347 which is that of sector 3. Cross sector presents a threat to
site performance and can lead to interference, drop calls, poor traffic...
 Bad coverage: Coverage is one of the key factors in determining the performance of
a site. It is always of very high priority in the design and implementation of a site.
However, as the number of users’ increases, the available resources will be quickly
exhausted and some users will no more have access to the network; even when
standing on the coverage area. We will discuss in the optimisation part the procedure
taken by the network optimizer to solve this problem.
 Missing neighbor: Sometimes it is noticed that a good handover candidate in the
neighbor list but handover will not take place and call will drop. Although that
neighboring cell with a very good signal level appears to be a neighbor. This is

41
because neighbor relations were not well defined in the planning of the network.
Correct adjacency definitions are the basic requirement for mobility. When you are
carrying out a DT ,you will get voice tone from the TEMS saying “WCDMA MISSING
NEIGHBOR”
 Pilot pollution: The presence of more than a pilot of approximately equivalent signal
strength covers an area without primary pilot. That is when a sector at a far site is
serving in the sector of the targeted site. That is, 2 sectors of different sites competing
in one place. This results to bad EC/NO and causes severe interference.
3.3) POST PROCESSING
What is post processing? It is simply the detail and statistical analysis of the log files
recorded during drive testing. It is in post processing that we know the exact behavior of the
entire network. Using the appropriate software’s, we analyze this collected data and prepare it
for better usage in network optimization. Therefore, it is necessary that this data collected be
studied to know the behavior of the network and know where to improve in case of need. The
studied data is then transferred into excel sheet called reports. These reports are now
facilitating the work of network optimization since they contain all information of what was
done in the field. For Makepe-Nodal which is our case study, we will clearly show how the
results of the analysis [10].
3.3.1) POST PROCESSING TOOLS
As well as drive test, a quite number of tools must be put in place for proper analysis
of log files. These tools enable us to achieve high accuracy which is needed for proper
network optimisation. As a matter of fact, the tools listed below are needed:
 A good laptop.
 Two software’s are mostly used in the post processing procedure. These are the
ACTIX ANALYSER or TEMS DISCOVERY. All of these software’s perform the
same the task but TEMS DISCOVERY is a bit sophisticated than ACTIX
ANALYSER. Any of them should be installed on a good laptop and well configured
to suit the technology in which the drive was performed.
 The cell ref: it is notepad document that contains all the Node-bs of Orange Cameroon
and is loaded into ACTIX or TEMS DISCOVERY to enable us view how the different

42
node-bs are positioned in the network. The cell ref contains data such as node-b name,
the latitude and longitudes, the azimuths…
 The map file: It is a data base that contains the parameters of all Node-Ns of the
orange network. It differs from the cell ref in the sense that it cannot be loaded into ac
ACTIX or TEMS DISCOVERY. It is used but the post processing engineer to fill the
data necessary in the completion of a report.
 Microsoft excel: the data harvested from any drive test using actix is always saved in
excel sheets to make a report. A normal report has about eight excel sheets.
3.4) ANALYSIS
After any of the above mentioned software’s is installed and well configured, then log
files recorded in the field during drive test are loaded for proper analysis.
3.4.1) SITE PRESENTATION
The presentation site is the first page of the report and carries the data taken from the
map file. It contains some information such as the date, the site name, the site code, the radio
network controller, the cluster, the location area code, the cell name, the cell identity, the
scrambling code, the downlink frequency… The figure below is that captured in the
presentation site sheet. For Makepe-Nodal, the following data taken from the map file and
database enable us to better present the site:
 Node-B: Makepe-Nodal.
 Town: Douala.
 RNC: Douala_Franqueville2.
 Site code: LIT_103.
 GPS coordinates: (Latitude is 9.752944 and longitude is 4.085936).
 Azimuth in degree: (S1 = 40, S2 = 170, S3=270).
 Cell ID per sector :(u1= 30571 , u6= 30572 , u11= 30573 , u2 = 30574 ,u7= 30575 ,u12=
30576 , u3= 36389, u8= 36391 , u13= 36392).
 DLUARFCHN :( U1= U2 = U3 = 10712, U6 = U7 = U8 = 10737, U11=U12=U13=
10762).
 LAC:1002
 SC: S1=345, S2 =346, S3=347

43
The above data is filled in the first page of the report. Since the sites are many in the
network, it enables the engineer to know all the details about each site before optimisation.
3.4.2) MOBILITY IDLE MODE
While during the coverage drive, we remember that we use two mobile equipment.
MS2 for dedicate and MS3 for idle. The mobility idle mode presents the behavior of the entire
coverage when the device was in idle mode. So after loading the coverage logs, we configure
MS3 to idle and MS2 to dedicate. There are four important parameters to be studied:
 The scrambling code: we plot the scrambling to verify if all the sectors are serving in
their respective azimuths and to verify whether there was no cross sector. When
plotted we have the figure below.
Figure 11 :Scrambling code and legend in
idle mode
The figure above shows the various paths that were taken during the test and how the
various sectors were serving. This can be justified by their respective scrambling codes. The
legend to the right equally shows all the scrambling codes of different 3G sites recorded
during the test but the scrambling codes of the test site is the main objective to have in the
legend. We can see clearly how sector 1 with scrambling code of 346 is yellow and serving in
its respective azimuth. Sector 2 with scrambling code of 345 is red and serving too in its
azimuth. Sector 3 too is green and serving in its appropriate azimuth. Hence we can conclude
IDLE-Uu_ActiveSet_SC_0 (Scrambling Code)
 343 (89) 4.1%
 381 (20) 0.9%
 168 (13) 0.6%
 169 (17) 0.8%
 170 (100) 4.6%
 172 (68) 3.1%
 201 (77) 3.6%
 208 (23) 1.1%
 342 (91) 4.2%
 345 (793) 36.7%
 346 (515) 23.8%
 347 (302) 14.0%
 453 (52) 2.4%

44
that there was no cross sector. The legend enables us to see the various percentages by which
all the sector were serving. We equally notice that the legend equally presents the scrambling
codes of some neighboring sites around Makepe-Nodal. This legend is thus captured and
pasted on the map above.
 The calculated received signal code power(RSCP)
It is the power level the user equipment can receive while located in the coverage area
of a Node-B. Since it is power attached to a particular scrambling code, it is called received
signal code power. With this parameter, different cells using the same carrier can be
compared and handover or cell reselection decisions can be taken. The RSCP is always
expressed in dBm and ranges from -114dBm to – 86dBm. In GSM, the RSCP is called the
Rxlev (received signal level). It is called RSRP (reference signal received power). In a
nutshell, the RSCP stands for the quantity of the measured signal by the user equipment.
When plotted in the idle mode, we have the plot below:
Figure 12: RSCP plot and legend in idle mode
The blue color is the most dominating around the site but it is well interpreted with the
legend displayed to the right. The interpretation of the legend helps us to determine how good
IDLE-Uu_ActiveSet_CalculatedRSCP_0(dBm)
Below-114.00(0)0.0%
>=-114.00to<-105.00(0)0.0%
>=-105.00to<-96.00(0)0.0%
>=-96.00to<-86.00(144)6.7%
Above-86.00(2016)93.3%

45
or poor in the level signal received around the node-b. Each colour has a symbolic meaning as
we can describe in the table below:
Colour Range (dbm) Meaning
Blue Above -86 Excellent
Green >= -96 to <-86 Very good
Yellow >= -105 to <-96 Good
Light pink >= -114 to <-105 Accepted
Red Below -114 Bad
Table 3 : RSCP range for good communication.
Therefore, we can conclude that is excellent power received in all the sectors around the site
since the blue colour is dominating all others colours. It is 93.3% of all colours.
 RSSI (received signal strength indicator): It is the total signal power over the
complete 5MHZ carrier. It includes components of both the serving cell and the
neighbour cells. In other words, the RSSI is the power received by the user equipment
from the serving cell and that from all neighbour cells in a particular area. We need to
note that environmental effects such as thermal noise can equally affect the value of
the RSSI. In such cases, the thermal noise increases the value of the RSSI. The RSSI is
not plotted in post processing.
 EC/NO: The EC/NO is the energy per chip (EC) of the pilot channel divided by the
total noise power density (NO). In other words, the EC/NO is the ratio of the RSCP to
the RSSI. The better the value of the EC/NO, the better the signal of a cell can be
distinguished from the overall noise. Let us label mathematically how the EC/NO is
calculated: .The
EC/NO is always measured in dB and ranges from -16dB to -6dB. Any value within
this range is acceptable for communication. In GSM, the EC/NO is called the rxqual
and in LTE, it is referred to as the RSRQ (reference signal received quality).
Therefore, we can look at the EC/NO as the quality of the signal received by the user
equipment. The plot of the EC/NO in idle mode is shown in the figure below:

46
Figure 13: ECNO plot and legend in idle mode
The legend attached to the right can help us to better understand the impact of the
EC/NO to quality of the signal. The interpretation of this legend is optimal in understanding
the signal quality around the site in question. The table below can help us to understand what
we are talking about.
Colour Range (dB) Meaning
Blue Above -6 Excellent
Green >= -9 to <-6 Very good
Yellow >= -12 to <-9 Good
Light pink >= -16 to <-12 Accepted
Red Below -16 Bad
Table 4 : ECNO range for good communication
We can notice that green signal is dominating around the site with a percentage of
44.7% of all colours. Therefore, it is the quality of the signal received around the site very
IDLE-Uu_ActiveSet_EcNo_0(dB)
Below-16.00(10)0.5%
>=-16.00to<-12.00(87)4.0%
>=-12.00to<-9.00(428)19.8%
>=-9.00to<-6.00(965)44.7%
Above-6.00(670)31.0%

47
good meanwhile the signal level was excellent. Therefore, the RSCP and the EC/NO are very
good parameters in determining the radio performance of a Node-B.
NB: The information in this idle mode is loaded in the second page of the report.
3.4.3) MOBILITY CONNECTED OR DEDICATED MODE
After using the coverage log file to study the idle mode, we now configure the MS2 to
dedicate mode to study and we do the necessary analysis that are needed. In this mode, four
important parameters are studied:
 The active set count:
Active set: the set of cells in which the user equipment is actually connected or
communicating with. In drive testing, these cells are shown as scrambling codes or pilots but
they are actually cells. In the active set, there is always one cell that has full dominance. The
figure below shows how the active set count is plotted is Actix:
Figure 14: Active set count dedicated mode
The legend to the right shows the different percentages of the active sets monitored around the
site. It is clear that 75.9% of all sample with one cell in the active set showing good
dominance around the site. We can equally note the monitored set which is the set of cells that
the user equipment is monitoring and are known to the network. They either don’t meet the
DEDICATE-Uu_ActiveSet_Count(Count)
3(111)7.7%
1(1101)75.9%
2(236)16.3%
0(2)0.1%

48
criteria or the active set is full. In UMTS, we equally have the detected set. These are cells
that the user equipment has detected but are not known to the network as yet missing
neighbor.
 The scrambling code
Just like in the connected or dedicated mode, there is equally the need to plot the scrambling
code to show how the different sectors serve in their respective azimuths. For the case of
Makepe Nodal, the figure below helps us to better understand this. We can see how each
sector identified with a distinct colour is serving in a specific azimuth. The legend below is a
clear indicator. We can see all the scrambling codes of Makepe Nodal with the scrambling
code of other cells showing clearly how other cells are been detected by the user equipment.
Figure 15: Scrambling code and legend
dedicated mode
 The received signal code power.
Just like in the idle mode, it varies from -114dbm to -86dbm. It is plotted as shown
below:
DEDICATE-Uu_ActiveSet_SC_0 (Scrambling Code)
 321 (8) 0.6%
 343 (102) 7.0%
 381 (8) 0.6%
 169 (54) 3.7%
 170 (15) 1.0%
 172 (98) 6.8%
 201 (118) 8.1%
 208 (4) 0.3%
 342 (19) 1.3%
 345 (599) 41.3%
 346 (222) 15.3%
 347 (155) 10.7%
 453 (35) 2.4%
 455 (12) 0.8%

49
Figure 16: RSCP dedicate mode
The legend to the right is a good testimony that there is good power received around the
Node-b. In fact 91% of the power received around the site lies above -86dbm.
 The EC/NO
Just as in the dedicate mode, the quality of the signal received depends on the EC/NO. It
determines whether the signal is free from noise or not. It is always expressed in dB. For the
case of Makepe nodal, it is plotted below:
Figure 17 :ECNO and legend dedicated mode
DEDICATE-Uu_ActiveSet_CalculatedRSCP_0(dBm)
Below-114.00(0)0.0%
>=-114.00to<-105.00(0)0.0%
>=-105.00to<-96.00(0)0.0%
>=-96.00to<-86.00(130)9.0%
Above-86.00(1319)91.0%
DEDICATE-Uu_ActiveSet_EcNo_0(dB)
Below-16.00(1)0.1%
>=-16.00to<-12.00(52)3.6%
>=-12.00to<-9.00(316)21.8%
>=-9.00to<-6.00(641)44.2%
Above-6.00(439)30.3%

50
The legend to the right indicates the EC/NO performance of the site. We can see clearly that
44.2% of the EC/NO lies from -9dB to -6db. Therefore we conclude that the EC/NO quality
around the site is very good and not excellent which our first priority is.
NB: The information in this idle mode is loaded in the second page of the report.
3.4.4) CELL RESELECTION
Cell reselection is a mobility test that is done to with the purpose to see if the user
equipment can switch automatically from one technology to the other. In UMTS, it is done to
see if the user equipment can switch from 3G to 2G. In post processing, the recorded log
during drive test in load into the Actix software and plotted for all the three sectors. The
figure below shows how the automatic reselection was done.
Figure 18: cell reselection and legend
The legend attached to the right helps us to better understand this. We can see clearly
how the scrambling code of sector one (345) is switched to 110 which is the broadcasting
channel of a 2G cell in the neighborhood of Makepe-Nodal, in line with sector two.
NB: the cell reselection is always plotted for all the three sectors.
3.4.5) DATA THROUGHPUT
 High speed downlink packet access (HSDPA)
Since UMTS is a data technology, the data throughput is always of paramount importance. In
post processing, the log files recorded are always loaded in the Actix software and the graph
for each sector is plotted to see the variation of data download. The data recorded is equally
displayed on the same Actix software to determine the maximum and the minimum values of
3G-2Gs1_EricssonUMTSHandset(W995)(2)-MS2-Uu_ActiveSet_SC_0(ScramblingCode)
345(85)100.0%
3G-2Gs1_EricssonUMTSHandset(W995)(2)-MS2-ServBCCH(ARFCN)
110(8)100.0%
3G-2Gs1_EricssonUMTSHandset(W995)(2)-MS2-TEMSEventCellReselectionFromUTRAN(EVENT)
U 1(1)1.1%

51
data throughput during download. The figure below is the graph of the data download for
Makepe Nodal in sector one.
Figure 19: HSDPA graph
Statistics gave the result displayed in the table below:
Sectors Maximum (kbps) Average(kbps)
1 12261 6510
2 12005 8056
3 20990 13968
Table 5 : Downlink throughput for all sectors
 High speed uplink packet access (HSUPA)
The uplink throughput is equally of paramount importance. Just as the downlink, it is
loaded in the Actix software for the three sectors. Once loaded, the statistic graph can
be plotted and the maximum and minimum graph taken. The figure below is the
statistic graph taken for Makepe Nodal in sector 1.

52
Figure 20: HSUPA plot
The statistics gave the result displayed in the table below:
Sectors Maximum (kbps) Average(kbps)
1 1798 1656
2 3471 2261
3 3828 2350
Table 6: Uplink throughput for all sectors
We can see that the maximum uplink throughput is 3828kbps, at sector 3.
We see that the throughputs are good but do not meet the target of 35Mbps for downlink and
15Mbps for uplink. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration during optimisation.
3.4.6) LATENCY
The latency test is always done to check the average time a packet can stay in the network. Or
the time between the request and the access of data. It is done during drive test by sending the
ping command to the Orange server with address 10.150.2.244. 3 of these ping tests are done
per sector and each of them has a specific latency target. The 0 byte latency and the 32 byte
latency have a target of 50ms meanwhile the 1436 bytes test has a target of 70ms. Below are
the results we got in the various tests. For Makepe Nodal, the table below gives us the
different latency that was saved in the test.
Test Target Sector 1 Sector 2 Sector 3
Avg Ping Latency (0) 50ms 650ms 650ms 915ms

53
Table 7 : Latency values for ping test
We see clearly that none of the above latency met with the target. Therefore, it must be
taken into consideration during optimization.
3.5) CONCLUSION
We have seen all the procedures that are taken to perform drive test in UMTS. We
have equally seen the difficulties encountered while doing drive test. We finally seen post
processing which is very important in analyzing all the information we recorded during drive
test. However, this is just a step ahead. Optimisation which is enhancing the quality of the
network is our priority and will be the focal point of our next chapter.

54
CHAP IV: UMTS NETWORK OPTIMISATION
4.1) INTRODUCTION
We have just finished with drive test and post processing. We encountered a quite
number of problems in both drive test and post processing. Optimisation is coming to solve all
of these problems and propose new solutions that can boost up the efficiency of the network.
Therefore, this chapter is coming to complete and perfect the complete process of enhancing
UMTS network quality.
4.2) OPTIMISATION OF ISSUES NOTICED IN THE FIELD
We will start by first of all exposing the methods used to solve problems encountered
in the field before we propose new solutions for quick optimisation and better network
performance.
4.2.1) DEAD SITE
A dead site is not serving. The solution is simple. May be it was installed and was not
configured for trafficking with other sites in the network. In this case the radio network
optimizer simply needs to check the configuration parameters of the site [5].
4.2.2) CROSS SECTOR
The figure below illustrates cross sector in GSM 900 band and how it has been corrected:

55
Figure 21: Cross sector detection and correction
We can see that there was perfect cross and all the three sectors were serving in different
azimuths. To solve this problem, it is necessary to check the feeder cables between the sectors
can and connect them properly. Also check the feeder cables going to the BBU (Baseband
Unit) of the Node-B that they are properly connected.
For the case of Makepe-Nodal, we plotted the scrambling code and saw that there was no
cross sector.
4.2.3) BAD COVERAGE
The coverage and interference problems are mostly solved by adjusting the electrical and
mechanical tilt of the antenna. The tilt represents the inclination or angle of the antenna to its
axis.
 Mechanical tilt: The mechanical tilt is always changed through the adjust of
mechanical devices. The figure below illustrates well on how the mechanical tilt can
be adjusted to suit the desire of a network.

56
Figure 22: Mechanical tilt adjustment
For Makepe-Nodal, the mechanical tilt is 0. This is to show that it is directly parallel to the
normal.
 Electrical tilt: The electrical tilt can be modified for example through rods or screws,
usually located at the bottom of the antenna, which when moved, apply some
corresponding tilt to the antenna. The figure below is an illustration.
Figure 23: Electrical tilt adjustment
For Makepe Nodal, the electrical tilt parameters for the three sectors are 7, 8, and 8
respectively. In case we reduce any of these parameters, we increase the coverage.

57
4.2.4) MISSING NEIGHBOR
The solution is simply to reconfigure the neighboring and make sure the neighbor relations
are well respected.
4.2.5) PILOT POLLUTION
Pilot pollution is equally related to the coverage of the network and is always solved by
adjusting the coverage parameters of the polluting site.
4.2.6) THROUGHPUT
In case the throughput is very low and users can no more have access to data networks with
ease, then there is surely high traffic carried by the site. The best solution in most cases is
simply to install a new site in that area. This is the main reason why new sites are growing
day by day particularly in urban areas. For Makepe-Nodal, after re-drive around the site, the
following figures were recorded for the three sectors:
sectors MAX Downlink Before
optimisation (kbps)
MAX Downlink after
optimisation (kbps)
1 12261 14551.9
2 12005 12324.8
3 20990 26307.4
Table 8 : Downlink comparison after optimised network
We notice that after re-drive, the maximum throughput for all the three sectors of Makepe-
Nodal increased.
The table below equally presents the uplink throughput before and after optimisation.
sectors MAX uplink Before
optimisation (kbps)
MAX uplink after
optimisation (kbps)
1 1798 5530

58
2 3471 5056
3 3828 5490
Table 9: Uplink comparison after optimised network
We can notice that the throughput increased for both uplink and downlink when the network
was optimized.
4.3) NEW SOLUTIONS FOR OPTIMISATION
As technology is growing faster, it is better for us to propose new methods that can be used to
optimize UMTS networks by using less number of resources.
4.3.1) OPTIMISATION AT A DISTANCE:
Remote optimisation is one of the key methods that can be used to optimize mobile networks.
That is the radio network optimizer at a distance can remotely adjust the coverage parameters
such as the electrical tilt. Thus either reducing or increasing the ranges of the RSCP and the
EC/NO. By so doing, the radio network optimizer uses a software and remotely control the
values of RSCP and EC/NO [2].
FUNCTIONING:
The Remote Electrical Tilt Unit (RET) allows for accurate control of antenna tilt
eliminating site-access requirement, allowing the tilt to be adjusted remotely from the Base
station/network control centre and only in a matter of minutes. This allows for timely and
accurate response to changing capacity requirements of the network.
The solution comprises of a Motor driven Antenna, with communication to the BTS
via RS-485 and a microprocessor that controls the communication and performs supervisory
functions. Most of the RET systems use the AISG protocol (Antenna Interface Standard
Group) which is an open specifications for the control interface for these systems.
The TI MSP430 processor family is the perfect choice of processor for performing all
monitoring and housekeeping functions. Integrated high performance analog blocks provide a
high degree of accuracy for applications requiring precise measurement and monitoring.

59
Featuring High Performance, Flexibility, and a variety of peripheral options, the MSP430
allows applications to get implemented faster, using lesser code and power at lower cost.
The Integrated Stepper Motor Driver solution has two H-bridge drivers, as well as
micro stepping indexer logic to control a stepper motor. The output driver block for each
consists of N-channel power MOSFETs configured as full H-bridges to drive the motor
windings. A simple step/direction interface allows easy interfacing to controller circuits. Pins
allow configuration of the motor in full-step, half-step, quarter-step, or eighth-step modes.
Decay mode and PWM off time are programmable. Internal shutdown functions are provided
for over current protection, short circuit protection, under-voltage lockout and over
temperature.
4.3.2) OPTIMISATING USING DIVERSITY TECHNIQUES
We recall that UMTS is a data technology and this service is of exponential need
today by many subscribers. Therefore by using diversity techniques, the throughput of data
can greatly increase. More to that, as the signal travels in free space, it undergoes through
degradation. Diversity techniques are coming to solve these problems and equally make sure
that the user has an acceptable data throughput.
4.3.2.1) TIME DIVERSITY
This consists of transmitting the same message at different time slots using the same
frequency.
4.3.2.2) FREQUENCY DIVERSITY
This technique consists of using different frequency to transmit the same messages.
The user receives all the copies of the transmitted message and with good algorithm, the best
message is selected.
4.3.2.3) SPATIAL DIVERSITY
It uses separate antennas which are located in different positions to take advantage of the
different radio paths, which exist in a typical terrestrial environment. By using spatial
diversity in UMTS, there is a high channel capacity and thus high throughput. The figure
below illustrates some common diversities that are mostly used in data networks but SISO is

60
the most used in UMTS. Therefore, extending to SIMO, MISO and MIMO will highly
upgrade system performance.
Figure 24 : spatial diversity systems
The advantage of using any of the above mentioned diversity techniques in 3G is that the
frequency band of UMTS is quite small as compared to that of 4G LTE. We recall that as
frequency increases, power reduces and thus coverage area equally reduces. Therefore, using
diversity techniques in UMTS, it might be far better in capacity and coverage than the
existing 4G LTE system.
4.4) GENERAL CONCLUSION
In this project, we talk about the evolution of mobile networks till date. We focused more how
the UMTS network is monitored and how it is optimized to offer best services to subscribers.
We went ahead to propose some few innovative methods that can be used to better optimize
the UMTS network. Therefore it is important for us to continue looking at solutions that can
enable people all over the world to communicate anywhere and at any time. Therefore our
quest to conquer telecommunications in general continues.

61
REFERENCES
[1] DRIVE TEST from A to Z by Ahmed Omar Abd EL-badea Mohamed
[2] Troubleshooting and Optimizing UMTS Network
[3] UMTS Signaling BY Ralf Kreher Tektronix, Inc., Germany Torsten Ruedebusch
Tektronix, Inc., Germany
[4] Fundamentals of cellular network planning and optimization by AJAR R.MISHRA
[5] UMTS NETWORKS 2nd edition by HEIKKI KAARANEN, ARI AHTIAINEN, LAURI
LAITINEN and VALTERRI NIEMI
[6] http://www.telecomhall.com
[7] http://www.ti.com/solution
[8] Drive Test Parameters GSM & CDMA by Khalid Mahmoud
[9] WCDMA (UMTS) DEPLOYMENT HANDBOOK BY All of QUALCOMM
Incorporated
California, USA
[10] WCDMA Radio Network Planning and Optimization BY Song Pengpeng
APPENDIXES
APPENDIX I: DETAILED GSM FREQUENCY BAND
GSM
band
ƒ (MHz) Uplink (MHz)
(Mobile to
Base)
Downlink (MHz)
(Base to Mobile)
Channel number
T-GSM-
380
380 380.2 – 389.8 390.2 – 399.8 Dynamic
T-GSM-
410
410 410.2 – 419.8 420.2 – 429.8 Dynamic
GSM-450 450 450.6 – 457.6 460.6 – 467.6 259 – 293
GSM-480 480 479.0 – 486.0 489.0 – 496.0 306 – 340
GSM-710 710 698.2 – 716.2 728.2 – 746.2 Dynamic

62
GSM-750 750 777.2 – 792.2 747.2 – 762.2 438 – 511
T-GSM-
810
810 806.2 – 821.2 851.2 – 866.2 Dynamic
GSM-850 850 824.2 – 848.8 869.2 – 893.8 128 – 251
P-GSM-
900
900 890.0 – 915.0 935.0 – 960.0 1 – 124
E-GSM-
900
900 880.0 – 915.0 925.0 – 960.0 975 – 1023, 0 – 124
R-GSM-
900
900 876.0 – 915.0 921.0 – 960.0 955 – 1023, 0 – 124
T-GSM-
900
900 870.4 – 876.0 915.4 – 921.0 Dynamic
DCS-1800 1800 1710.2 – 1784.8 1805.2 – 1879.8 512 – 885
PCS-1900 1900 1850.2 – 1909.8 1930.2 – 1989.8 512 – 810
APPENDIX II: DETAILED UMTS FREQUENCY BAND (FDD)
BAND
NUMBER
BAND COMMON
NAME
UL
FREQUENCIES
DL
FREQUENCUES
1 2100 IMT 1920 – 1980 2120 – 2170
2 1900 PCS A-F 1850 – 1910 1930 – 1990
3 1800 DCS 1710 – 1785 1805 – 1880
4 1700 AWS A-F 1710 – 1755 2110 – 2155
5 850 CLR 824 – 849 869 – 894
6 800 830 – 840 875 – 885
7 2600 IMT-E 2500 – 2570 2620 – 2690
8 900 E-GSM 880 – 915 925 – 960
9 1700 1749.9 - 1784.9 1844.9 - 1879.9
10 1700 EAWS A-G 1710 – 1770 2110 – 2170
11 1500 LPDC 1427.9 - 1447.9 1475.9 - 1495.9
12 700 LSMH 699 – 716 729 – 746
13 700 USMH C 777 – 787 746 – 756

63
14 700 USMH D 788 – 798 758 – 768
19 800 832.4 - 842.6 877.4 - 887.6
20 800 EUDD 832 – 862 791 – 821
21 1500 UPDC 1447.9 - 1462.9 1495 - 1510.9
22 3500 3410 – 3490 3510 – 3590
25 1900 EPCS A-G 1850 – 1915 1930 – 1995
26 850 ECLR 814 – 849 859 – 894
APPENDIX III: DETAILED LTE FREQUENCY BAND (TDD)
LTE BAND NUMBER ALLOCATION (MHZ) WIDTH OF BAND
(MHZ)
33 1900 – 1920 20
34 2010 – 2025 15
35 1850 – 1910 60
36 1930 – 1990 60
37 1910 – 1930 20
38 2570 – 2620 50
39 1880 – 1920 40
40 2300 – 2400 100
41 2496 – 2690 194
42 3400 – 3600 200
43 3600 – 3800 200
44 703 – 803 100
.

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