1. Drive Testing Basics
2013
March 2013 1

2. Your Contacts

3. Sector in Cell sites azimuth Sector 2 Sector 3 Sector 1
Each Site is divided into sectors
Usually 3 sectors of 120 degree
Azimuth - It is the range covered by each sector , typically 120 degree for each sector

4. 2G
GSM 2G
EDGE
UMTS 3G 4G 4G
LTE
LTE

5. VOICE
DATA 2G 2G
EDGE
VOICE
DATA 3G 4G
VOICE
DATA 4G
LTE

6. 120 kbps
9.6 kbps 2G 2G
EDGE
384 kbps
1.5 Mbps 3G 4G
10 Mbps 4G
LTE

7. Spectrum and Frequency
Signal travels in the form of
Electromagnetic Wave or Frequency

8. Make sure that the Band is correctly configured
Band Configurations
GSM
LTE 3G
Make sure that the Band is correctly configured

9. GSM Single Network for Both Voice and Data
Edge gives the data components
With GSM the speed was 9.6 Kbps
With Edge the speed goes to max 384 kbps
Practical Achievable speed is 120 Kbps
Core Network

10. UMTS (3G) Two Separate networks One provides Voice
Another Provides Data
Without HSPA upgrade the DL Speed is max up to 384 kbps
With HSPA the DL speed is average speed is up to 2 Mbps and Max is 15 mbps in DL

11. LTE(4G) Currently it is a data only network Voice will come soon
The Voice will be on Internet just like your Vonage
Max Speed is 300 Mbps
Practical Speed is 10 to 15 Mbps

12. Currently
LTE 3G
GSM

13. Single Set of Antennas used for UMTS and LTE
Shared Antennas

14. LTE
UMTS
GSM

15. DEDICATED MODE OR ON CALL MODE
You are surfing internet

16. When you are not making a call or your phone is not updating
IDLE MODE
When you are not making a call or your phone is not updating
Any apps or retrieving an

17. DEDICATED
MODE
IDLE MODE
REDIRECTION
RESELECTION

18. FALL BACK
LTE 3G
GSM

19. FALL BACK
LTE
CS FALL BACK 3G
For Voice Call on LTE Network
GSM

20. IRAT
LTE
IRAT 3G
For Data Call on LTE Network
GSM

21. RESELECTION
LTE
IDLE MODE RESELECTION
TO 3G 3G
PHONE IS IDLE
GSM

22. RESELECTION
LTE
IDLE MODE RESELECTION
TO 4G 3G
PHONE IS IDLE
GSM

23. UE Scanner Data Cards Mobile or Smart Phones
Always receives commands from Network and acts accordingly
Talks to the Network and tells it what is happening and then executes what network Decides
Single Scanner for LTE , UMTS and GSM
Separate Scanner for LTE and UMTS
Acts independently of the network
Scanner does not receive any commands From network

24. SIGNAL STRENGTH HOW STRONG THE SIGNAL IS -50 dBm -60 dBm -70 dBm
Away from the site

25. SIGNAL QUALITY
HOW CLEAN THE SIGNAL IS

26. SIGNAL QUALITY BAD GOOD AVERAGE
As you go very far away from site not only does the strength reduce
The quality also reduces

27. SIGNAL QUALITY Quality Problems
Quality problems can occur close to the site or far away from the site

28. Telecom Terminology Technology Received Signal level
Received Signal quality
Channels
GSM
Rxlevel
RxQual
BCCH TCH
UMTS(3G)
RSCP
Ec/Io
PSC
LTE(4G)
RSRP
RSRQ/SNR
PCI

29. Good RF Condition
GOOD RF CONDITIONS ARE DEFINED BY GOOD SIGNAL STRENGTH AND GOOD QUALITY
GSM
RSSI > -70dB
UMTS
RSCP > -70dB
Ec/Io > -7dB
LTE
RSRP > -70dB
SNR > 15dB

31. HANDOVER

32. HANDOVER BETWEEN
SECTORS OF THE SAME SITE THIS IS CALLED INTRA SITE HANDOVER 1 2 3 4

33. HANDOVER BETWEEN
SECTORS OF THE DIFFERENT SITE THIS IS CALLED INTER SITE HANDOVER 1 3 4 2

34. Types of Drive Testing Site Shakedown
Single site based Drive and testing along the provided route
Coverage footprint
Each sector in the site is tested for throughput for uplink and downlink frequencies
Hand overs intra/Inter Sites.
I-Rat Handovers
Cluster Drive
Multiple sites belonging to same location combined as cluster
Provided drive routes that are supposed to be followed while driving and testing the network
Additional tools used here would be MapInfo and Street Atlas
Precautions to be taken:
We need to ensure that the GPS is working
Verify if the phone is locked for UMTS or LTE(follow market guidelines)

35. Drive Route

36. Typical Drive Test setup