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How to reduce Call Drops In a

GSM Network
posted Oct 13, 2009, 12:53 AM by Gulzar Singh [ updated May 9,
2011, 1:13 PM ]

Meaning
The TCH call drop rate refers to the ratio of call drops to
successful TCH seizures after the BSC successfully
assigns TCHs to MSs. The TCH call drop rate can be
measured from the following aspects:

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TCH

call drop rate (including handover)

TCH

call drop rate (excluding handover)

The TCH call drop rate, one of the most significant KPIs
for telecom operators, is related to retainability. It
indicates the probability of call drops due to various
reasons after MSs access TCHs. A too high TCH call drop
rate adversely affects the user's experience.

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Handover Success Rate KPI
Improvement
How to Improve TCH
Assignment Success Rate

Recommended Formulas

How to reduce Call Drops In

a GSM Network
GSM Optimization
Important KPI's for GSM
Network Performance
KPI Optimization Cases
Radio Network Planning
Principle

TCH call drop rate (including handover) = Number of

call drops on TCH/(Number of successful TCH seizures
(signaling channel) + Number of successful TCH
seizures (TCH) + Number of successful TCH Seizures in
TCH handovers (TCH)) x 100%

Frequency & Neighbor

Planning
Telecom Technologies
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TCH call drop rate (excluding handover) = Number of

call drops on TCH/Number of successful TCH seizures
(TCH) x 100%

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FactorsThatAffecttheTCH

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Accordingtousercomplaintsandnetworkoptimization
experience,themajorfactorsthataffecttheTCHcalldroprate
areasfollows:
Hardwarefailure
Transmissionproblem
Versionupgrade
Parametersetting
Intranetworkandinternetworkinterference
Coverageproblem
Antennasystemproblem
Imbalancebetweenuplinkanddownlink
Repeaterproblem

1.1 HardwareFailure
WhenaTRXoracombinerisfaulty,seizingtheTCH
becomesdifficult,andthustheTCHcalldroprateincreases.

1.2 Transmission
Problem
TheTCHcalldroprateincreasesinthefollowingconditions:
The

transmission quality on the A or Abis interface is

poor for various reasons.
Transmission

links are unstable.

1.3 VersionUpgrade
AftertheBTSversionorBSCversionisupgraded,theBTS
versionmaybeincompatiblewiththeBSCversion,andthe
parametersandalgorithmsinthenewversionmaybechanged.
Inthiscase,theTCHcalldroprateincreases.

1.4 ParameterSetting
ThesettingsofsomeparametersontheBSCandMSCsides
mayaffecttheTCHcalldroprate.Ifthefollowingsituations
occur,theTCHcalldropratemayincrease:
1.The parameters SACCH Multi-Frames and Radio
Link Timeout are set to too small values.
2.TheparameterRXLEV_ACCESS_MIN is set to a too
small value.
3.The parameter RACH Min.Access Level is set to
a too small value.
4.TheparametersMin DL Power on HO Candidate Cell
and MinAccessLevelOffsetareinappropriatelyset.
5.ThelengthoftimerT3103(thistimerissettowaitfora
HandoverCompletemessage)issettoatoosmallvalue.
6.ThelengthoftimerT3109(thistimerissettowaitfora
ReleaseIndicationmessage)issettoatoosmallvalue.
7.ThelengthoftimerT3111(thistimerspecifiesthe
connectionreleasedelay)issettoatoosmallvalue.
8.ThelengthoftimerT305/T308issettoaninvalidortoo
greatvalue.
9.TheparameterTCH Traffic Busy Threshold issettoa
toosmallvalue.
10.TheparameterCall Reestablishment Forbidden is
set to Yes.
11.Theparametersrelatedtoedgehandoverare
inappropriatelyset.
12.TheparametersrelatedtoBQhandoverare
inappropriatelyset.

13.Theparametersrelatedtointerferencehandoverare
inappropriatelyset.
14.Theparametersrelatedtoconcentriccellhandoverare
inappropriatelyset.
15.Theparametersrelatedtopowercontrolare
inappropriatelyset.
16.T200andN200aresettotoosmallvalues.
17.Someneighboringcellrelationsarenotconfigured.
18.TheparameterMAIOisinappropriatelyset.
19.TheparameterDisconnect Handover Protect Timer
is set to a too small value.
20.TheparameterTR1N is set to a too small value.
21.TheparametersSoftware
Parameter13 and MAX TA are set
to too small values.
22.Ifarepeaterisused,theparameterDirectly Magnifier
Site FlagissettoNo.

1.5 IntraNetworkand
InterNetwork
Interference
Ifinternetworkinterferenceandrepeaterinterferenceexist,or
ifsevereintranetworkinterferenceoccursbecauseoftight
frequencyreuse,calldropsmayoccuronTCHsbecauseof
poorQoS.ThisadverselyaffectstheTCHcalldroprate.
Thefollowingtypesofinterferencemayoccur:
1.Internetworkinterferencefromscramblersorprivately
installedantennas
2.InterferencefromtheCDMAnetworkofChinaUnicom
3.Repeaterinterference
4.IntermodulationinterferencefromBTSs
5.Intranetworkcochannelandadjacentchannel

interference

1.6 CoverageProblem
ThefollowingcoverageproblemsmayaffecttheTCHcalldrop
rate.
1.Discontinuouscoverage(blindareas)
Thevoicequalityattheedgeofanisolated
BTSispoorandcallscannotbehanded
overtoothercells.Inthiscase,calldrops
mayoccur.
In complex terrains such as
mountainous regions, the signals are
blocked and thus the transmission is
discontinuous, leading to call drops.
2.Poorindoorcoverage
Densely distributed buildings and thick
walls cause great attenuation and low
indoor signal level, which causes call
drops.
3.Crosscoverage(isolatedBTS)
Theservingcellcausescrosscoveragedue
tovariousreasons(suchasexcesspower).
AnMScannotbehandedovertoanother
cellduetonosuitableneighboringcells.In
thiscase,thesignallevelbecomeslowand
thevoicequalityoftheMSdeteriorates.
Thus,calldropsoccur.
4.Insufficientcoverage
If the signal from an antenna is blocked
or the BCCH TRX is faulty, call drops
may occur because of discontinuous
coverage.

1.7 AntennaSystem
Problem

ThefollowingantennasystemproblemsmayaffecttheTCH
calldroprate
1.Ifthetransmitantennasoftwocellsareimproperly
connected,theuplinksignallevelineachcellismuchlower
thanthedownlinksignallevelinthecell.Therefore,calldrops
arelikelytooccuratplacesfarawayfromtheBTS.
2.Ifadirectionalcellhasmainanddiversityantennas,the
BCCHandSDCCHofthecellmaybetransmittedfrom
differentantennas.Ifthetwoantennashavedifferentpitch
anglesorazimuths,thecoverageareasofthetwoantennas
aredifferent.Inthiscase,thefollowingresultmayoccur:An
MScanreceivetheBCCHsignalsfromoneantennawhena
callismade,theMScannotseizetheSDCCHtransmittedby
theotherantennaandthusacalldropoccurs.
3.Ifthefeederisdamaged,waterleaksinthefeeder,orthe
feederandtheconnectorarenotsecurelyconnected,boththe
transmitpowerandreceiversensitivityoftheantennaare
reduced.Thus,calldropsmayoccur.

1.8 ImbalanceBetween
UplinkandDownlink
Thedifferencebetweentheuplinksignallevelandthedownlink
signallevelmaybegreatinthefollowingconditions:

ThetransmitpoweroftheBTSis
high.

Thetowermountedamplifier(TMA)or
BTSamplifierdoesnotworkproperly.

Theantennaandtheconnectorare
notsecurelyconnected.

Asaresult,calldropsmayoccurattheedgeoftheBTS
coveragearea.

1.9 RepeaterProblem
Ifacellisinstalledwitharepeater,BTScoverageproblems
mayoccurinthecasethattherepeaterisfaultyorthatthe
uplinkanddownlinkgainisinappropriatelyset.Therefore,the
TCHcalldroprateincreases.

Ifawidefrequencyrepeaterisusedandthegainissettoa
greatvalue,stronginterferencemaybecaused.Asaresult,
thenetworkqualityisadverselyaffectedandtheTCHcalldrop
rateincreases.

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