RSRP(Reference Signal Recieved Power)

RSRP is the linear average of reference singal power (in Watts) accorss the specified
bandwidth (in number of REs). This is the most important item UE has to measure for cell
selection, reselection and handover. You can think of this as the one similar to CPICH RSCP
in WCDMA.
Following is an example of one downlink radio frame. The red part is the resource elements
in which reference signal is being transmitted. RSRP is the linear average of all the red part
power.

Since this measures only the reference power, we can say this is the strength of the wanted
signal. But it does not gives any information about signal quality. RSRP gives us the signal
strenth of the desired signal, not the quality of the signal. For quality of the signal
information another parameter called 'RSSQ' is used in some case.

UE usually measures RSRP or RSRQ based on the direction (RRC message) from the
network and report the value. When it report this value, it does use the real RSRP value. It
sends a non-negative value ranging from 0 to 97 and each of these values are mapped to a
specific range of real RSRP value as shown in the following table from 36.133.

For practical calculation example, refer to RSRQ Calculator (YouTube)

Just to relieve a little of headache to figure out the mapping between the reported RSRP and
measured value in dBm, I just made precalculated table as shown below.
RSRP

From

00

To

Unit

-140

dBm

01

-140

-139

dBm

02

-139

-138

dBm

03

-138

-137

dBm

04

-137

-136

dBm

05

-136

-135

dBm

06

-135

-134

dBm

07

-134

-133

dBm

08

-133

-132

dBm

09

-132

-131

dBm

10

-131

-130

dBm

11

-130

-129

dBm

12

-129

-128

dBm

13

-128

-127

dBm

14

-127

-126

dBm

15

-126

-125

dBm

16

-125

-124

dBm

17

-124

-123

dBm

18

-123

-122

dBm

19

-122

-121

dBm

20

-121

-120

dBm

21

-120

-119

dBm

22

-119

-118

dBm

23

-118

-117

dBm

24

-117

-116

dBm

25

-116

-115

dBm

26

-115

-114

dBm

27

-114

-113

dBm

28

-113

-112

dBm

29

-112

-111

dBm

30

-111

-110

dBm

31

-110

-109

dBm

32

-109

-108

dBm

33

-108

-107

dBm

34

-107

-106

dBm

35

-106

-105

dBm

36

-105

-104

dBm

37

-104

-103

dBm

38

-103

-102

dBm

39

-102

-101

dBm

40

-101

-100

dBm

41

-100

-99

dBm

42

-99

-98

dBm

43

-98

-97

dBm

44

-97

-96

dBm

45

-96

-95

dBm

46

-95

-94

dBm

47

-94

-93

dBm

48

-93

-92

dBm

49

-92

-91

dBm

50

-91

-90

dBm

51

-90

-89

dBm

52

-89

-88

dBm

53

-88

-87

dBm

54

-87

-86

dBm

55

-86

-85

dBm

56

-85

-84

dBm

57

-84

-83

dBm

58

-83

-82

dBm

59

-82

-81

dBm

60

-81

-80

dBm

61

-80

-79

dBm

62

-79

-78

dBm

63

-78

-77

dBm

64

-77

-76

dBm

65

-76

-75

dBm

66

-75

-74

dBm

67

-74

-73

dBm

68

-73

-72

dBm

69

-72

-71

dBm

70

-71

-70

dBm

71

-70

-69

dBm

72

-69

-68

dBm

73

-68

-67

dBm

74

-67

-66

dBm

75

-66

-65

dBm

76

-65

-64

dBm

77

-64

-63

dBm

78

-63

-62

dBm

79

-62

-61

dBm

80

-61

-60

dBm

81

-60

-59

dBm

82

-59

-58

dBm

83

-58

-57

dBm

84

-57

-56

dBm

85

-56

-55

dBm

86

-55

-54

dBm

87

-54

-53

dBm

88

-53

-52

dBm

89

-52

-51

dBm

90

-51

-50

dBm

91

-50

-49

dBm

92

-49

-48

dBm

93

-48

-47

dBm

94

-47

-46

dBm

95

-46

-45

dBm

96

-45

-44

dBm

97

-44

RSRQ(Reference Signal Recieved Quality)

dBm

RSRQ=Nx RSRP / RSSI

RSRQ is defined as (N x RSRP)/RSSI, where N is the number of RBs over the measurement
bandwidth. As you see from the definition of RSSI, RSSI contains all sorts of power including

power from co-channel serving & non-serving cells, adjacent channel interference, thermal
noise, etc. Therefore, (N x RSRP)/RSSI indicates "What is the portion of pure RS power over the
whole E-UTRA power recived by the UE".
As you see, this is not the direct measurement, it is a kind of derived value from RSRP and RSSI. By
deviding RSRP by RSSI, it could give some information about interference as well in addition to the
strength of the wanted signal.

Since this is the ratio of two different power value, the unit of RSRQ is dB and the value
would be always negative (because RSSI value will aways be larger than N x RSRP)
UE usually measures RSRP or RSRQ based on the direction (RRC message) from the
network and report the value. When it report this value, it does use the real RSRQ value. It
sends a non-negative value ranging from 0 to 34 and each of these values are mapped to a
specific range of real RSRQ value as shown in the following table from 36.133.

Just to save a little bit of time for readers, I expanded the table to show all the possible
RSRQ value and mapping absolute power.

RSRQ

From

00

To

Unit

-19.5

dBm

01

-19.5

-19.0

dBm

02

-19.0

-18.5

dBm

03

-18.5

-18.0

dBm

04

-18.0

-17.5

dBm

05

-17.5

-17.0

dBm

06

-17.0

-16.5

dBm

07

-16.5

-16.0

dBm

08

-16.0

-15.5

dBm

09

-15.5

-15.0

dBm

10

-15.0

-14.5

dBm

11

-14.5

-14.0

dBm

12

-14.0

-13.5

dBm

13

-13.5

-13.0

dBm

14

-13.0

-12.5

dBm

15

-12.5

-12.0

dBm

16

-12.0

-11.5

dBm

17

-11.5

-11.0

dBm

18

-11.0

-10.5

dBm

19

-10.5

-10.0

dBm

20

-10.0

-9.5

dBm

21

-9.5

-9.0

dBm

22

-9.0

-8.5

dBm

23

-8.5

-8.0

dBm

24

-8.0

-7.5

dBm

25

-7.5

-7.0

dBm

26

-7.0

-6.5

dBm

27

-6.5

-6.0

dBm

28

-6.0

-5.5

dBm

29

-5.5

-5.0

dBm

30

-5.0

-4.5

dBm

31

-4.5

-4.0

dBm

32

-4.0

-3.5

dBm

33

-3.5

-3.0

dBm

34

-3.0

dBm

For practical calculation example, refer to RSRQ Calculator (YouTube)