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Inter-System Handover Parameter Optimization

Conference Paper · October 2006

DOI: 10.1109/VTCF.2006.232 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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Inter-System Handover Parameter Optimization
Christopher Brunner1, Andrea Garavaglia2 , Mukesh Mittal1, Mohit Narang1, Jose Vargas Bautista1
1 2
QUALCOMM Incorporate
5775 Morehouse Drive
San Diego - CA 92121 - USA
{chris, andrea, mmittal, mnarang, josev}@qualcomm.com
Abstract — With WCDMA networks being deployed in Europe
and throughout the world, one of the big challenges is to make
cell reselection and handover between WCDMA and GSM work
smoothly. In this paper, we highlight different strategies for
inter-system handover, discuss the impact of intra-frequency
handover parameters on inter-system handover performance,
and study inter-system handover parameter settings by
processing field measurement data collected in different
networks. Optimization trade-offs are illustrated with examples
and a recommended set of parameters that led to significant
reductions in call drop rates in commercial WCDMA networks is
provided.
Index Terms—inter-system handover, parameter optimization,
simulation, WCDMA, UMTS
I. INTRODUCTION
Initial deployment of 3G WCDMA is focusing mainly on city
centers and business districts where higher subscriber density
and concentration of demand for services beyond voice allow
an early return on investment. As a result, WCDMA coverage
is available only in islands as opposed to ubiquitous GSM
coverage. In addition, imperfections within WCDMA islands
result in coverage holes and limited indoor coverage which is
an on-going issue as load is increasing and HSDPA is being
deployed on the same carrier. This drives the need for
seamless transition between 3G and 2G networks, i.e.,
seamless inter-system handover for circuit switched (CS)
services and seamless inter-system cell changes for packet
switched (PS) services are required.
CS and PS calls may follow different strategies for WCDMA
to GSM (W-to-G) handover. Circuit switched (e.g. voice)
calls need to be handed over from WCDMA to GSM reliably
without link interruptions. Hence, the user equipment (UE) is
switched into compressed mode (CM) where gaps in
transmission and reception are created to tune away and
measure other frequencies 1 . GSM to WCDMA handover for
CS services may not be enabled in initial network
deployments to minimize call drops for voice services. For a
1 2
Approaches avoiding CM have disadvantages: A second RX chain would
remove the need for CM but negatively impact UE cost. In blind W-to-G HO,
one GSM cell is selected based on mapping active set combinations to GSM
cells. This GSM cell may not be strong enough to avoid a call drop.
1
QUALCOMM GmbH
Nordostpark 89
90411 Nuremberg - Germany
PS call, a blind handover can be configured to take place
shortly before the connection would drop. Alternatively, PS
calls can be allowed to drop in WCDMA at the coverage
boundary and to transition to the GPRS network automatically
via inter-system idle mode cell reselection. This is expected to
be acceptable for background services (web-browsing and ftp
are less sensitive to interruptions) and would avoid the
throughput degradation observed in CM while on a PS call in
poor WCDMA coverage. Field tests also indicate that
throughput in REL-99 is higher at the cell edge than GPRS
throughput. In PS, the G-to-W transition takes place via cell
reselection and should always be enabled to maximize
throughput rates. In case of multi-RAB calls (UE in call on
both CS and PS domain), HO strategy should follow CS
needs, voice being the most important service. The sequel of
this paper discusses inter-system HO parameters for CS as it is
challenging to time CM and inter-system HO to maximize
coverage and minimize call drops.
Previous publications have discussed intra-frequency and
inter-system 2 cell reselection parameter optimization, cf. [3],
[4], [5]. The need for CM triggering based on CPICH Ec/No
and RSCP measurement quantities is motivated in [1] and [2].
Section II discusses the W-to-G inter-system handover
mechanism for CS. Section III proposes intra-frequency HO
parameters to reduce call drops during CM. Tradeoffs and
recommendations for inter-system handover parameter
settings are discussed based on simulations driven by field
measurements of the RF channel.
II. INTER-SYSTEM HANDOVER MECHANISMS
A. CM and Inter-System HO Triggering
To trigger CM, a measurement report message (MRM) 2d or
6a is sent to the RNC. Measurement reporting is controlled by
a set of rules defined in the layer 3 RRC protocol [10]. If the
channel recovers before the GSM measurements are complete,
the UE sends MRM 2f or MRM 6b to the network which then
Idle mode coverage in WCDMA is controlled by inter-system cell
reselection parameter settings and should be as large as the largest connected
mode service coverage while maintaining excellent call setup performance in
the coverage area, cf. [1].

deactivates CM 3 . Event 3a (The estimated quality of the
currently used UTRAN frequency is below a certain threshold
and the estimated quality of the other system’s frequency is
above a certain threshold) is the most commonly used event to
trigger inter-system HO.
The event 2d triggering condition [10] is fulfilled if
Q ≤T2d − H2d / 2
holds for the duration set by the event 2d time-to-trigger
parameter, where T denotes the threshold parameter, H the
hysteresis parameter for event 2d, and Q is defined as follows:
⎛ ⎞
NA
Q = W ⋅ 10 ⋅ Log ⎜⎜ ∑ M i ⎟⎟ + (1 − W ) ⋅ 10 ⋅ LogM Best (2)
⎝ i =1 ⎠ 4
The event 2d triggered state condition is cancelled [10] if
Q>T2d + H2d / 2
holds at any measurement instance, allowing for another
measurement report to be sent once (1) is fulfilled again. Here,
the parameter W denotes the weighting between the best
server in the active set and all cells in the active set.
Moreover, Mi is the measurement of the i-th cell. The
measurements M have been filtered with a single-pole IIR
filter. Different time constants can be configured. The
measurement quantity can either be pilot Ec/No or RSCP [8].
Two events can be configured to capture both [10]. Event 2f is
opposite to event 2d. Measurement reports are sent if Q
exceeds pre-configured thresholds. Otherwise, the same set of
parameters is defined for event 2f [10].
Event 6a is triggered if the filtered UE transmit power exceeds
a pre-defined threshold for a preconfigured duration (time-to-
trigger). The UE transmit power is filtered with a single-pole
IIR filter for which different time constants can be configured.
Event 6b is the opposite of event 6a. MRMs are sent if the UE
transmit power drops below a pre-configured threshold [10].
Triggering conditions for event 3a are equivalent to event 2d
except that in addition, the GSM cell has to be identified
(BSIC identification and reconfirmation) and GSM has to be
better than a pre-defined threshold [10]. Event 3a is triggered
as soon as the first GSM cell is re-confirmed, cf. Section B.
The inter-system HO decision or granting algorithm
(Handover UTRAN Command) is driven by MRMs (as is CM
activation and de-activation). Figure 1 shows a call flow
between the UE and the UTRAN/GERAN during CS inter-
system handover from WCDMA to GSM.
Events 6a and 6b are ideal to track a weak uplink (and trigger
CM), because they accurately reflect fast fading and noise rise
in the uplink. In general, however, events 2d and 2f based on
3
Instead of using events 2d and 2f to activate and de-activate CM, 1f and
1e can be used, respectively. The events differ since 2d and 2f apply to the
active set where as 1f and 1e apply to individual cells (in the active set) [10].
2
CPICH RSCP are used to track a weak uplink. For one, the
uplink is coverage limited and the downlink capacity limited
[1] and RSCP tracks the coverage. For two, the RSCP metric
is used in radio network planning tools to capture coverage, so
it is consistent to use this metric for CM triggering and inter-
system HO as well. Given that the downlink is capacity
limited, events 2d and 2f based on CPICH Ec/No can be used
(1) to trigger CM and inter-system HO.
UE Network
MCM: Configure Events 1E/1F/2D/2F/6A/6B
1
MRM: Measurement Report (Event 1F/2D/6A)
2 Configure (& Activate) CM*
3
MCM: Configure Events 3A/3C & include inter-RAT cell info (& Activate CM)
MRM: Measurement Report (Event 3A/3C)
Handover From UTRAN Command 5
(3)
Perform GSM Handover Sequence
Handover Complete (to GERAN)
6
Figure 1: W-to-G Handover Call Flow Diagram for CS
B. Measurements in Compressed Mode
For CS services, CM is based on the spreading factor
reduction method (“SF/2”). The spreading factor is halved
during the compressed radio frames and more transmit power
is used to keep quality targets [7]. To prevent hard blocking, a
second scrambling code tree can be used during CM at the
expense of increased downlink interference.
Measuring a GSM/GPRS cell may involve up to three
Transmission Gap Pattern Sequences (TGPS):
™ GSM Carrier RSSI Measurements
™ GSM Initial BSIC Identification
™ GSM BSIC Re-confirmation
The duration of the RSSI measurements depends on the
Transmission Gap Length (TGL), the frequency of the gaps,
and the size of the GSM Monitored Set List. RSSI
measurements are completed before starting BSIC
identification and re-confirmation. In a gap of TGL=7 slots,
the UE should obtain 6 GSM carrier RSSI measurements. To
meet the measurement accuracy requirements, each GSM
carrier is measured three times [9]. If the transmission gap
pattern length (TGPL) for RSSI measurements corresponds to
8, an RSSI measurement gap becomes available every
8*10ms. Here, the RSSI measurement duration corresponds
to:
TRSSI (N) = 8⋅10ms⋅ N⋅ 3/ 6 (4)
The number of GSM neighbors is denoted by N. So for 32
and 8 GSM neighbors, the measurement duration equals 1.28s
and 0.32s, respectively.

Next, the UE identifies the BSIC of up to 8 GSM cells. The
UE shall use all the gaps in the pattern with purpose “GSM
Initial BSIC Identification” to identify the BSIC of a single
cell before attempting to decode the BSIC of the next cell.
The UE shall update the timing of up to 8 identified GSM
cells using the pattern with purpose “GSM BSIC re-
confirmation”. The BSIC of a cell is considered verified if the
BSIC is identified and re-confirmed. Although BSIC
verification is a lengthy process, it allows the UE to acquire
the timing of the GSM cells and increases the success rate of
inter-system HO.
The time between starting CM measurements and triggering
an Event 3a (triggering conditions are fulfilled) can be
computed as follows:
T(N) = TRSSI (N) +TID +TRE (5)
Because an event 3a can be sent after the first BSIC re-
confirmation has taken place which can take place before the
BSIC identification of other cells have been completed, only
the RSSI measurement duration depends on N. In the best
case, identification and reconfirmation can be completed in
one cycle (of 80ms if the TGPL corresponds to 8), in the
worst case, several cycles are required. Note that multiple
cycles are required if the information to identify and re-
confirm the BSIC is not being transmitted during the
WCDMA gap.
Figure 2: Potential Impact of Active Set Updates in CM
C. Impact of Active Set Updates in CM
At call setup time, the network sends an MCM to initially
configure inter-system measurements. Inter-system
measurements need to be re-configured if an active set update
takes place. This is done by sending an MCM to modify the
GSM neighbor list [10]. If an MRM 3a is sent before the
MCM (to modify) is received at the UE, the target GSM cell
index within the MRM 3a is based on the old GSM NL list
[10]. In REL-99, the network may issue a
“HandoverfromUTRAN” command to the wrong GSM cell
since the network is already using the new GSM NL list,
causing the call to likely drop, cf. Figure 2. This mismatch
3
should only occur if event 3a is received at the network after
the MCM (to modify) has been transmitted by the network but
has been transmitted by the UE before the MCM (to modify)
has been received at the UE. If bad channel conditions which
are not unusual at the coverage boundary delay RLC re-
transmissions, the mismatch becomes more probable. In REL-
5 and onwards, an optional field (“Inter-RAT cell info
indication”) has been added to the MRM and the cell info list
containing the GSM NL. The use of this field in MRM and
cell info list allows the network to identify a mismatch.
III. SIMULATIONS, TRADEOFFS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Intra-Frequency Handover Parameter Settings
To minimize call drops caused by ASET updates in CM, intra-
frequency HO parameters can be set to reduce ASET updates.
Events 1a (add cell to the active set), 1b (drop cell), and 1c
(swap into and out of the active set) are used in intra-
frequency handover. Triggering conditions are explained in
[10]. Four primary metrics are relevant in intra-frequency HO:
™ Mean measurement reporting rate: Related to mean active
set update rate. A reduction leads to fewer active set
updates, i.e., fewer call drops during inter-system HO due
to the mismatch of GSM cells previously outlined.
™ Mean active set size: if reduced, less risk of hard blocking
™ Call quality: Captured by the tail of the active set
combined pilot (CPICH) Ec/Io distribution. The lower
5%-tile relates to the transmit power exceeding its
maximum threshold (potentially causing call drops).
™ Air interface capacity: Downlink transmit power summed
over the active set cells is normalized with respect to the
transmit power that would be required if the active set
size were one and is then inverted 4 .
To illustrate the impact of different system parameter sets,
these metrics are determined for sets listed in Table 1 based on
a drive route which covers different scenarios (pilot pollution,
quickly changing best servers, good RF). The metrics have
been computed by passing RF measurements into a handoff
emulator, cf. [1], [5]. In addition, the following settings were
used: filter coefficient with a time constant of 458ms (K=3),
deactivation threshold of 2, replacement activation threshold
of 3, reporting amounts for event 1a and 1c of infinity,
reporting intervals of 1s for 1a and 1c, and time to trigger
(TTT) for 1c of 0.1s.
In Figure 3, call quality is plotted against capacity. For the
same TTT 1b parameter, call quality and capacity trade off. If
the TTT 1b is increased, the capacity is negatively impacted if
the call quality stays the same. Weak cells remain in the active
4
In the results shown below, a macro-diversity gain of zero (pure line-of-
sight scenario) is assumed. Therefore, macro-diversity gains are zero and the
capacity is lost, not gained (indicated by a normalized capacity below 1).
Transmit power increases if the path-loss differences between UE and active
set sites increases. Transmit power would decrease with increasing macro-
diversity gain.
 4

set longer, contribute less to the received CPICH Ec/No
combined across the ASET, and interfere more with other
users. Note as well that the performance of sets 1 and 3 as
well as 2 and 5 is similar. In both cases, the parameter W has
been lowered to 0 and the reporting ranges, R, have been
reduced.
UE from unnecessary CM activations and fast fades, hence
improving call retention and WCDMA coverage. The
downside is a small hit on capacity because weak cells that
remain in the active set contribute marginally to the user of
interest but increase interference levels seen by other uesrs, cf.
Figure 3.

TABLE 1: PARAMETER SETS Since signal strength drops logarithmically over distance, pilot
set # W
R, 1a R, 1b H, 1c TTT, TTT, pollution is more likely to occur at the WCDMA network
[dB] [dB] [dB] 1a [s] 1b [s]
boundary (and in outdoor coverage holes within WCDMA)
1 1 5.0 7.0 3 0 0.1
than at outdoor-to-indoor coverage boundaries. To further
2 1 4.0 6.0 3 0 0.1
minimize the risk of call drops during CM, appropriate site
3 0 4.0 6.0 3 0 0.1 choice and RF configuration help. For instance, a road cutting
4 0.5 4.0 6.0 3 0 0.1 through the WCDMA boundary should be covered by a
5 0 3.0 5.0 3 0 0.1 dominant cell.
6 0 2.5 4.0 2 0.1 0.64
7 0.5 2.5 4.0 2 0.1 0.64
8 0 3.0 4.5 2 0.1 0.64
9 0 2.5 4.0 2 0 0.64 W=1
10 0 2.5 4.0 1 0.1 0.64
11 0 2.5 4.0 2 0.1 0.32
12 0 3.0 4.5 3 0.0 0.64
W=0
Figure 4 depicts mean MRM rate versus mean active set size. TTT 1b = 0.1s
Contrary to Figure 3, the metrics for parameter sets 1 and 3 as
well as 2 and 5 differ strongly. The MRM rate is significantly TTT 1b = 0.64s
higher for sets 1 and 2 which are characterized by W=1 at the
benefit of a slightly reduced mean active set size. Moreover, a
large TTT 1b significantly reduces the MRM rate.
Figure 4: Mean MRM rate versus mean active set size
B. CM and Inter-System HO Parameter Settings
TTT 1b = 0.1s
Parameters for CM activation and inter-system HO from
WCDMA to GSM for CS services should be set such that:
™ Call drops (see appendix for model) are minimized.
™ WCDMA coverage is maximized.
™ Signaling to activate/de-activate CM is minimized.
™ Hard blocking related to CM (SF/2 mode) is minimized.
TTT 1b = 0.64s ™ Loss in air interface capacity related to CM in minimized.

In the simulations, WCDMA coverage is captured by

Figure 3: Call quality (tail of the active set Ec/Io
distribution) versus capacity
Hence, our recommendation is to choose a large TTT 1b and
W=0 to minimize the active set update rate (in CM). In
addition, cells fluctuate in pilot polluted areas. If the TTT 1b
is small, they are dropped and cannot be added again
immediately 5 . So a larger TTT 1b will also help protect the
5
The delay between sending MRMs and receiving ASET update messages
corresponds to 300-600ms.
additional time spent on the drive route. Since CM related
hard blocking and loss in air interface capacity due to CM is
related to time in CM, the latter is logged in the simulations.
The following tradeoff is fundamental for inter-system HO:
™ To maximize coverage, the CM threshold is set higher
than the inter-system HO threshold.
™ To minimize time in CM, the CM threshold is set lower
than the inter-system HO threshold leading to immediate
inter-system HO after completing the CM measurements.
To better illustrate this tradeoff, simulation results are shown
for different parameter sets, cf. Table 2, applied to a WCDMA
RF channel measured in the field (crossing the WCDMA
 5

network boundary). Parameters that remain constant across updates reduces the probability of dropped calls due to the
the sets are W=0, TTT 2d = 0.32s, and TTT 2f = 1.28s. CM GSM neighbor mismatch issue outlined in Section II.C.
activation delay was set to 1.2s, inter-system HO delay
(between sending an MRM 3a and carrying out inter-system To better describe the impact of inter-system handover
HO) to 1.2s, and the CM measurement duration to 5s. For the thresholds (especially the event 2d threshold), the next plots
sake of simplicity, a constant minimum CM measurement show call drop ratio and coverage as a function of RSCP and
duration has been assumed instead of more accurately Ec/No threshold settings. Here, we assume that the
modeling the varying CM measurement durations according to infrastructure supports the configuration of both measurement
(5). If only one measurement quantity can be configured (a quantities. The other parameters are chosen as above. To
limitation still seen in infrastructure implementations), the obtain these results, RF measurements captured during drive
CPICH Ec/No should be selected because it better represents testing leaving WCDMA coverage were passed on to an
both up- and downlink channels. The CPICH RSCP metric emulator. The loading conditions in the network were low.
mainly captures coverage, i.e., the uplink, and is less versatile. The call drop ratio is computed by passing multiple series of
RF measurements on to the emulator and applying the call
TABLE 2: PARAMETER SETS
drop model outlined in the appendix. In all call drops
T, 2d T, 2f H, 2d H, 2f T, 3a TTT, observed below, the uplink break first which is expected given
set #
[dB] [dB] [dB] [dB] [s] 3a [s]
A -11 -9 0 0 -13 0.1
the low loading conditions.
B -11 -10 2 2 -9 0.0 100
EcNo Th 2d = -9 dB
90 EcNo Th 2d = -11 dB
80 EcNo Th 2d = -13 dB
EcNo Th 2d = -15 dB
70
call drop ratio [%] 60

50

40

30

20

10

0
-120 -115 -110 -105 -100
RSCP threshold Event 2d [dBm]

Figure 7: Call drop ratio as a function of Event 2d RSCP

and Ec/Io thresholds and a minimum CM measurement
duration of 5s (no load, coverage boundary)
Figure 5: Inter-System HO Event Triggering with Set A
A dditional W CDMA Distance compared to E2d, E3a = -97 dBm, -93 dBm [m/call] (Scenario = IRA THO FGR dge - GSM T = 5, Th3a - Th2d = 4 [dB])
V E M
1600

E cIo Th2d = -9 [dB]

E cIo Th2d = -11 [dB ]
E cIo Th2d = -13 [dB ]
E cIo Th2d = -15 [dB ]
1500

1400
Additional WCDMA Distance [m]

1300

1200

1100

1000

900
-118 -116 -114 -112 -110 -108 -106 -104 -102 -100 -98
RSCP Threshold for starting CM (event 2d) [dBm]

Figure 8: Gain in coverage measured in distance along the

Figure 6: Inter-System HO Event Triggering with Set B
The comparison between Figure 5 and Figure 6 shows a
significant reduction of unnecessary CM activations. In
addition to reduced signaling, the probability of hard blocking
is reduced and air interface capacity is increased. Most
importantly, a significant reduction of number of active set
drive route as a function of Event 2d RSCP and Ec/No
thresholds for a minimum CM measurement duration of
5s (no load, coverage boundary)
Figure 7 and Figure 8 indicate that the best parameter setting
for this scenario would be an Ec/No threshold of -15 dB and
an RSCP threshold of -109 dBm. The next two plots are based
on a load of 60%. Here, to achieve a call drop ratio of zero,
 6

the Ec/Io threshold can be set to -15dB and the RSCP coverage limited scenario)
threshold to -113 dBm. The RSCP threshold can be relaxed ™ per link DCH TX power exceeding threshold (downlink –
because now the downlink breaks first (no link imbalance). typical for capacity limited scenario)
™ channel estimation failing because of too weak common
100
EcNo Th 2d = -9 dB pilot (downlink – typical for pilot polluted scenario)
90 EcNo Th 2d = -11 dB
80 EcNo Th 2d = -13 dB
EcNo Th 2d = -15 dB
What is the impact of ASET size on call drop probability?
70 Since macro-diversity gain is small on the uplink, a larger
ASET does not significantly reduce the probability of dropped
call drop ratio [%]

60
calls if due to insufficient UE TX power. A larger ASET size
50
reduces the call drop probability if the cause is insufficient
40
DCH power per link on the downlink 6 . Since downlink
30 channel estimation takes place separately for each cell, a
20 larger ASET size does not prevent a dropped call caused by
10 CPICH channel estimation failure.
0
-120 -115 -110 -105 -100 A radio link failure takes place, according to the standard [10],
RSCP threshold Event 2d [dBm]
if, in CELL_DCH state, the timer T313 expires. T313 starts if
Figure 9: Call drop ratio as a function of Event 2d RSCP the last N313 consecutive CRCs of the received transport
and Ec/Io thresholds and a minimum CM measurement blocks are incorrect and were incorrect for the last 160ms. The
duration of 5s (load, coverage boundary) N313 and T313 default settings are 20 and 3s, respectively.
Additional WCDMA Distance compared to E2d, E3a = -97 dBm, -93 dBm [m/call] (Scenario = IRATHOV FGREdge - GSMMT = 5, Th3a - Th2d = 4
1400 For simplicity, the emulator assumes a call drop if, for a
duration of 3s, path-loss forces the max. UE TX power to
1200 exceed 24 dBm, CPICH Ec/No combined across the ASET
drops below -18 dB, or the strongest ASET CPICH Ec/No
1000
drops below -20 dB. Operation at -20dB is required [9].
Additional WCDMA Distance [m]

800

REFERENCES
600
[1] WCDMA Compressed Mode Triggering Method for IRAT Handover,
EcIo Th2d =
EcIo Th2d =
-9 [dB]
-11 [dB]
Zhang Zhang, WCNC 2004, March 2004
400 EcIo Th2d =
EcIo Th2d =
-13 [dB]
-15 [dB]
[2] D.Lugara, J.Tartiere, L.Girard, “Performance of UMTS to GSM
handover algorithms”, proceedings of PIMRC 2004
200 [3] Dino Flore, Christopher Brunner, Francesco Grilli, and Vieri Vanghi,
“Intra-Frequency Cell Reselection Parameter Optimization in UMTS”,
proceedings of ISWCS 2005
0
-118 -116 -114 -112 -110 -108 -106 -104 -102 -100 -98
RSCP Threshold for starting CM (event 2d) [dBm] [4] Andrea Garavaglia, Christopher Brunner, Dino Flore, Ming Yang, and
Figure 10: Gain in coverage measured in distance along Francesco Pica, “Inter-System Cell Reselection Parameter Optimization
in UMTS”, proceedings of PIMRC 2005
the drive route as a function of Event 2d RSCP and Ec/No
[5] WCDMA (UMTS) Deployment Handbook, Christophe Chevallier,
thresholds for a minimum CM measurement duration of Christopher Brunner, Andrea Garavaglia, Kevin Murray, Kenneth Baker,
5s (load, coverage boundary) John Wiley & Sons Ltd, estimated publication date: July 2006.
The investigation above was limited to the WCDMA coverage [6] 3GPP TS 25.211 “Physical channels and mapping of transport channels
onto physical channels (FDD)”
boundary. Two more scenarios need to be kept in mind:
[7] 3GPP TS 25.212 “Multiplexing and channel coding (FDD)”
outdoor to indoor transition and coverage hole. [8] 3GPP TS 25.215 “Physical layer; Measurements (FDD)”
[9] 3GPP TS 25.133 “RRC Requirements for support of radio resource
IV. CONCLUSIONS management (FDD)”
We have proposed intra-frequency HO parameters as well as [10] 3GPP TS 25.331 “RRC Protocol Specification”
inter-system HO parameter settings designed to optimize
inter-system HO performance. These recommendations helped
to significantly reduce call drop rates in commercial networks.

APPENDIX A: CALL DROP MODEL

Call drops are due to either the up- or the downlink breaking
(in addition to the GSM NL mismatch explained in Section
II.C which is not taken into account here). More specifically,
6
call drops occur because of While the uplink can be affected if additional power required in
compressed mode (SF/2) is not available, the DL DCH power cap is doubled
™ UE TX power exceeding threshold (uplink – typical for for the compressed frames.

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