Network Quality

Technology for executives,

Moscow - 13 September 2004
Author: Morten Raaum
Presenter: Hans Myhre

Network Quality,
as perceived by customer

Coverage
Capacity
Speech quality
Services quality
Customer care..

GSM in the field

BTS

To BSC / MSC

To BSC / MSC

BTS

Handover

Handover

BTS

To BSC / MSC

To BSC / MSC

BTS

Some practical experiences..

No network access (= no Telenor in the display)

Lack of coverage
Network overload situation (users barred from access)
Network failure.

3 beeps/3-tone beeps at call setup

Blocking/error situations somewhere in the network
User error (e.g. non-existent number)

Poor speech quality

Marginal coverage
Interference between base stations

Dropped call
Poor quality of radio link
Blocking in target cell (moving mobile, handover situation)
Network failure (transmission)

The mobile is the weakest link in the chain:

Mass production units Internal antenna Increased
software and processing complexity

GSM in the field

To BSC / MSC

BTS
To BSC / MSC

BTS

No traffic channels
available

Handover

Handover to
non-optimal cell

BTS

Poor speech
quality
To BSC / MSC

Dropped call
To BSC / MSC

BTS

How is Network Quality

monitored by the operator?

Coverage
Measurements by technical staff. Test telephone +
laptop.
Measurements by remotely controlled test systems
(installed in bus, taxi etc).
Customer complaints and performance stats as input.

Capacity
Network Maintenance Center / Operations center
The network counts # of events (pos./neg.)
Post processing in Performance Management tool.
Tools for prognosis on capacity needs vs. required
quality of the network (Grade of Service)

How is Network Quality

monitored by the operator?

Speech quality
The network counts Dropped calls and to some extent
report on speech quality
Measurements by remotely controlled test systems /
tech.staff.

Services quality
Services are built up by combining equipment and
software
External tools needed to ensure quality of delivery
Correct content / Response time
3rd party content delivery
3rd party Service Level Agreements (SLA)

Capacity and quality

a trade off at a given funding

Capacity in the GSM radio

network
Base station with antennas connected in a mast
BTS contains a number of TRX based on the need for capacity.

Tx
Rx

DOWNLINK

UPLINK
TRX

TRX

TRX

BTS cabinet

Rx
Tx

Radio network capacity

Building blocks for capacity at the base stations: TRX

Call duration -> Erlang

8 channels that are used for signalling (SMS, suppl.services etc) and speech/data.

1 Erlang = 1 hour of speech for 1 user

Call duration 90 sec: 90s / 3600s = 0,025 Erl = 25 mErl
I.e. 1 Erlang: 40 calls of 90 seconds each. (1 Erl = 40 x 25 mErl)

Theoretical capacity: Erlangs model and chosen Grade of Service.

GoS (%) Number of call attempts that may meet blocking in a busy hour.
Typical values used: 2-5%

Example, GoS=2%
1 TRX
7 speech channels
2 TRX
15 speech channels
3 TRX
22 speech channels
4 TRX
30 speech channels

2.9 Erlang 41%

9.0 Erlang
14.9 Erlang
21.9 Erlang

60%
68%
73%

Radio network capacity

Base station configuration example:

3 TRXes, Omni directional cell

1 cell with 3 TRX, GoS=2%:
Capacity = 14.9 Erl
90 sec call duration (25mErl)
14.9 / 0.025 = 596 calls in a busy hour
(theoretical max!)

TRX TRX TRX

BTS

If we accept higher blocking figures we can carry more

traffic with less customer satisfaction.
5% GoS used in this example => 17.1 Erl capacity => 684
calls (+15%)

Radio network capacity

Base station configuration

example:

3 TRXes, Sectorised 1/1/1.

3 cells with 1 TRX each:
Capacity = 3 x 2,9 Erl = 8,7 Erl
90 sec call duration
8,7 / 0,025 = 348 calls in a busy hour
TRX TRX TRX

BTS

If we accept higher blocking figures we can carry more traffic with

less customer satisfaction.
5% GoS used in this example => 11.1 Erl capacity => 444 calls
(+28%)

Frequency planning
Re-use of GSM channels is
necessary. In this example a
frequency is re-used in every
12th cell => reuse factor 12

Resource: Frequency
spectrum
Spectrum size strongly affect base station roll out.
Re-use of GSM channels is necessary. 1 TRX use 1 GSM channel

Example, Malaysia:

Example, Russia:

24.8 MHz => 124 GSM channels

# of TRX per cell: >6. Good capacity per base station (xx Erlang).
4 MHz => 20 GSM channels
Maximum ~1,5 TRX per cell = a denser base station network will be needed
for serving increasing traffic (xx Erlang)

Good radio/frequency planning and use of smart features enables a tight reuse of GSM channels

Power control
Mobile and BTS adjust their output power as low as possible, adjustment 2 times per sec.

Discontinuous Transmission (DTX)

Mobile and BTS only transmit when user actually speak. (User benefit: less power consumption)

Frequency hopping
Mobile and BTS jump from GSM channel to GSM channel (480ms), less affected by interference.

Spectrum vs. investments

Capacity case

Malaysia case..
6TRX/cell= 34,6 Erl/cell
900TRX, 150 cells and 50 BTS needed

Area= 50km2
Population= 1 M
Subscribers= 346k
15 mErl/sub
Traffic= 5190 Erl

Russia case..
1,5 TRX/cell= 5,8 Erl/cell
1343TRX, 895 cells and 299 BTS needed

We need 6 times as many sites for

capacity reason!

For illustration purpose only the conclusions and calculations are simplified

Spectrum vs. investments

-basestation equipment cost only
Malaysia case..
Units

Capex

Russia c ase..
Units

Capex

BTS

50

2 100 000

300

9 000 000

TRX

750

4 500 000

150

900 000

Sum

6 600 000

9 900 000
50 %

Equipment prices, Malaysia

BTS 1/1/1 + ext.cab 42.000$

TRX
6.000$

Equipment prices, Russia

BTS 1/1/1
TRX

30.000$
6.000$

For illustration purpose only the conclusions and calculations are highly simplified
Transmission, BSC and software cost left out.

Area= 50km2
Population= 1 M
Subscribers= 346k
Traffic= 5190 Erl

Network Quality,
some KPIs

Minutes per dropped call

Summary of all traffic minutes divided by number of dropped calls
during a period of time (e.g. Week/month)
Typical values: 50-150 minutes.

Blocking/Congestion
Call attempts that meet blocking, all resources are occupied.
The network is dimensioned to meet a certain traffic level in the
busy hour.
Typical dimensioning values (GoS): 2 - 5 %
Typical values measured in the networks: 0 - 50+ %

Network Quality, some KPIs

Network Utilisation
Ce ll utilization
160

140

120

80

60

40

20

10
0

97

94

91

88

84

81

78

75

72

69

66

63

60

57

53

50

47

44

41

38

35

32

29

26

22

19

16

13

10

About 22% of the cells in the network are utilised > theoretical max =
Cell utilization
distribution
customers experience more blocking than acceptable
in these
cells!
4

0
1

Utilization (%)

100

Benchmarking
Report

Technical KPIs

..................
..................
..................

Technical
KPIs
Access network OSS

Financial
Market
HR
Technical

Core network OSS

Events
& alarms

Events
& alarms

MSC

BTS

BSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

PSTN

Network Quality,
challenges

How to measure customer perceived quality?

Unmanned active measurement units.

New and advanced services

Fast development and deployment of new services.
Increased complexity, both for network and mobile.

3.party content providers

Timeout... Not available...
Service Level Agreements. How do you know what is delivered?
New and advanced measurement systems for test&monitoring.

Roaming
How well are we able to keep foreign roamers in our network and how
are our roamers abroad doing?
Advanced measurement systems (signalling) for test&monitoring.

Environment

Base station location:

Aim to minimise the
effect of masts and
antennas on the local
environment.

Trndelag theatre

Tree-mounted
antenna..

Antenna

Vindern
Typical antennainstallation in a
city environment

Mini-BTS mounted
on a pole by the
fjord

Thank you for your attention!

Additional slides

Telenor Mobile, Operations&Technology

Morten Raaum

Base stations in Kaliningrad

500.000 inhabitants
19 base stations

Which cell covers where in

Kaliningrad?

CAPEX reporting,
Enterprise Reporting input
form

Form

Telenor mHorizon

CAPEX

Company Code

Company Name

Period
201

Transaction type Period

Budget
112

Currency

MH-CAPEX

Date
15.03.2002

Time
10:05:28

Capex GSM/GPRS (YTD)

CAPEX GSM/GPRS - BSS

K43201

CAPEX GSM/GPRS - Core Network

K43202

CAPEX GSM/GPRS - Transmission

K43203

Total Capex GSM/GPRS

K43200

Capex UMTS (YTD)

CAPEX UMTS - RAN

K43221

CAPEX UMTS - Core Network

K43222

CAPEX UMTS - Transmission

K43223

Total Capex UMTS

K43220

Other Capex related to mobile

operations (YTD)
CAPEX Services

K43231

CAPEX IT

K43232

CAPEX Misc. other mobile

K43233

Total other Capex related to mobile operations

K43230

Total Capex related to mobile

operations (YTD)

K43250

Capex related to non-mobile business areas (YTD)

K43260

Total CAPEX (YTD)

K43240

Technical indicators,
Enterprise Reporting input
form
Telenor mHorizon

Form

MH-NETTRAF_01

Network & Traffic

Company Code
Company Name
31

VimpelCom

Period

TransactionCurrency
type

203

GS M CORE NETWORK
Number of MSC (cum.)
MSC CPU load > 65 %
Availability, IN
Availability, VMS
Availability, SMSC
GS M RADIO ACCESS NETWORK
Number of Cell Sites (cum.)
Total number of cells
Total number of TRX
Call Setup Success Rate
Congestion, number of cells with > 5% congestion
Call minutes per dropped call (MDP)
Theoretical capacity of radio network
Busy hour traffic, for all cells accumulated
TRANS MISS ION
BSC-BTS transmission lines, % own lines
Core network transmission lines, % own lines
COVERAGE
Coverage population GSM/G PRS (%)
Coverage geography GSM/G PRS (%)
Coverage population UMTS(%)
Coverage geography UMTS (%)

Actual

USD 000s

Last periodDate
202

Time

23.04.2002 11:49:25

Technical information as
defined in
Enterprise Reporting (1)

GSM CORE NETWORK

Number of MSC (cum.)
MSC CPU load > 65 %

Availability, IN
Availability, VMS
Availability, SMSC
TRANSMISSION
BSC-BTS transmission lines,
% own lines
Core network transmission lines,
% own lines

COVERAGE
Coverage population GSM/GPRS
(%)
Coverage geography GSM/GPRS
(%)
Coverage population UMTS(%)
Coverage geography UMTS (%)

No. of mobile switches in the network

% of MSCs in the network with CPU load > 65% in Busy Hour. (Central
Processing Unit)
% Up-time vs max possible time pr period (Intelligent Network nodes)
% Up-time vs max possible time pr period (Voice Mail System)
% Up-time vs max possible time pr period (SMS Centre)
Relationship between: Number of own transmission links/legs used for
BSC-BTS connections vs. total no of transmission links BSC-BTS (own
+leased lines).
Relationship between: Number of own transmission links/legs used for core
network connections vs. total no of transmission links in the core network
(own +leased lines).
Core network transmission links:
BSC - Core, Inter-Core, Core POI (Point of Interconnect)
Percentage of population in the licensed area that is covered by the carriers
network
Geographical area covered by the network as a percentage of the licensed
area
Percentage of population in the licensed area that is covered by the carriers
network
Geographical area covered by the network as a percentage of the licensed
area

Technical information as
defined in
Enterprise Reporting (2)

GSM RADIO ACCESS NETWORK

Number of Cell Sites (cum.)
Total number of sites with GSM radio equipment at the end of the period. A
site location with 900 and 1800 equipment counts as one.
Total number of cells
Total number of cells in the GSM network.
Total number of TRX
Call Setup Success Rate

Congestion, number of cells with >

5% congestion
Call minutes per dropped call
(MDP)
Theoretical capacity of radio
network

Busy hour traffic, for all cells

accumulated

Total number of TRX in the GSM network

Using data for 3 busiest hours of last week of period (as for K41240):
(Call setup attempts Unsuccessful setups) / Call setup attempts.
Calculation based on counters from the BSS network (i.e. Successful call
setup = TCH seizure. TCH->TCH handovers excluded). Unsuccessful
setups => RF-failures, network failures, blocking
Number of cells reporting >5% congestion on traffic channels during last
week of period.
Using data for whole last week of period:
= (Accumulated Erlang traffic per cell)*60/ No. of dropped calls
OR = (Accumulated call minutes for all cells)/No. of dropped calls
Using Erlang B formula:
Calculate the theoretical capacity of the total radio network by summing
Erlang figures (theoretical capacity at planned GoS) of each cell. Capacity
figure to be calculated at end of last week of period. (E.g. 1 cell with 2 TRX
= 14 TCH at 3%GoS=> 8.8 Erlang)
Using last week of period:
Sum of individual Busy Hour traffic (Erlang) for each cell in the radio
network.
Use mean value of 3 busiest hours as Busy Hour traffic per cell (3 different
days in the week).

GSM network overview

TRX
TRX
TRX
TRX

RF

TRX
TRX
TRX

BTS

MW
CW

BTS
TRX

TRX
TRX
TRX

BTS

BTS

LL
TRX
TRX

BTS
GSM
Access
network

BSC
TCE

BSC

MSC

VLR
BSC

Fixed
network

HLR
PSTN

POI

VLR
MSC
GSM Core network

MSC
VLR

BSC