Idle Mode Behavior

UMTS on 2nd Carrier

Idle Mode - Cell Selection

In the initial cell selection procedure

UE scans all WCDMA radio frequency
channels to find a suitable cell. On
each carrier, the UE searches for the
cell with the highest signal level,
according to the cell search
procedure, and reads the system
information on the BCCH.
UMTS F2

In a dual carrier environment, UEs

will tend to select onto f1 first an
then move onto f2 via idle mode
reselection.

UMTS F1

Idle Mode - Cell Selection

Background Information for Cell Selection

Cell Selection occurs if

Squal > 0 and Srxlev > 0

With the att baseline parameters

Squal = Qqualmeas qQualMin
= Qqualmeas (-19)
Srxlev

= Qrxlevmeas qRxLevMin Pcompensation

= Qrxlevmeas (-115) max (maxTxPowerUl - P, 0)
= Qrxlevmeas (-115) max(24 21, 0)
= Qrxlevmeas + 115 3

P is the output power class of the UE

Thus, Cell Selection occurs when

Qqualmeas
Qrxlevmeas

> -19 dB
-> CPICH Ec/No measured by UE
> -112 dBm -> CPICH RSCP measured by UE

Idle Mode - Cell Reselection

The UE performs the cell reselection

procedure in the following cases:

When the cell on which it is camping is no longer

suitable
When the UE, in "camped normally" state, has
found a neighboring cell better than the cell on
which it is camping
When the UE is in "limited service" state on an
acceptable cell

The UE reselects the new cell if it is better

ranked than the serving cell during a time
interval treSelection.

Idle Mode - Cell Reselection

Background Information for Cell Reselection
Ranking for UMTS neighbors will only occur if:
Squal > 0 and Srxlev > 0
Ranking with qualMeasQuantity = 1 (RSCP)
R(serving)

= Qmeas(serving) + qHyst1
= Qmeas(serving) + 2

R(neighbor)

= Qmeas(neighbor) - qOffset1sn
= Qmeas(neighbor) - 0

-> used in AT&T

Ranking with qualMeasQuantity = 2 (Quality)

R(serving)

= Qmeas(serving) + qHyst2
= Qmeas(serving) + 2

R(neighbor)

= Qmeas(neighbor) - qOffset2sn
= Qmeas(neighbor) 0

The parameters make the serving cell stronger and the neighboring cell weaker.
This is done to prevent continuous cell reselections along the cell border.

Idle
Mode
Measurement
UE measures and evaluates the neighbour cells listed in system SIB11.
Intra-frequency:
Squal > Sintrasearch (12dB), No measurement
Squal <= Sintrasearch, perform measurement (QualMeas <=-7)
Sintrasearch = 0, parameter is not sent and measurements are performed all the time.

Inter-frequency:
Squal > Sintersearch(10dB), No measurement
Squal <= Sintersearch, perform measurement (QualMeas <=-9)
Sintersearch = 0, parameter is not sent and measurements are performed all the time.

Inter-RAT:
Squal > SRatsearch(4dB) AND SRxlev >
sHcsRat (-105 taken as 0 by the UE), No
measurement
Squal <= SRATsearch (QualMeas <=-15) OR
SRxlev <= sHcsRAT (RxLevMeas<=-115),
perform measurement

Idle Mode Cell_Fach Measurements

The parameters fachMeasOccaCycLenCoeff and interFreqFddMeasIndicator

are used to control the UE measurement activities for inter-frequency and
inter-RAT neighbors.
fachMeasOccaCycLenCoeff > 0, perform inter-frequency and inter-RAT
measurements.
If fachMeasOccaCycLenCoeffis = 0 (at&t) the parameter is not sent in system
information and the UE is not allowed to perform measurements on other
frequencies and RATs.
If interFreqFddMeasIndicator = TRUE, the UE will evaluate cell reselection
criteria on inter-frequency cells in state CELL_FACH.
If interFreqFddMeasIndicator = FALSE, the UE will neither perform
measurements nor evaluate cell reselection criteria on inter-frequency cells in
state CELL_FACH

Idle Mode Parameters

Parameter

Level

at&t Default

qQualMin

Cell

-19

Cell selection/reselection in idle mode. Minimum required (acceptable) quality level in

the cell (dB).

qRxLevMin

Cell

-115

Cell selection/reselection in idle mode. Minimum required (acceptable) quality level in

the cell (dBm).

sInterSearch

Cell

22(10dB)

qOffset1sn

qOffset2sn

treSelection

Nbr

Nbr

Cell

Comment

Trigger measurements of F2. Higher the value, quicker it is.

Signal strength offset between source and target cell to be used for cell ranking based
on CPICH RSCP. The parameter is defined per WCDMA neighbor relation and per
GSM neighbor relation (dB). Lower the value, the quicker it is

Signal strength offset between source and target cell to be used for cell ranking based
on CPICH Ec/No (dB). The parameter is defined per WCDMA neighbor relation.
Lower the value, the quicker it is

Time to reselect.

interFreqFddMeas
Indicator

Cell

Indicates if the UE is required to perform measurements and evaluate the cell

reselection criteria for Interfrequency neighbors in state CELL_FACH. The parameter is
defined per cell (CELL_FACH not used by AT&T currently).

fachMeasOccaCy
cLenCoeff

Cell

Used by the UE to calculate the FACH measurement occasions

(CELL_FACH not used by AT&T currently).

Idle Mode Scenario Overlay

Adding the second carrier where capacity increase is most needed.

As the traffic in the network increases, the second carrier coverage is then
expanded gradually.

Service continuity for call

origination while in idle mode is
provided through interfrequency cell reselection.

UMTS F2

UMTS F1

Idle Mode Scenario Overlay

B
UMTS F2

B
B
B

B
UMTS F1

F1

F2

F2

F2

F1

F1

F1

F1

qOffsetsn =0, all cells are treated equally in idle mode.

qRxLevMin is set to -107 for

border cells. Similar to f1 and
irat border.
Sintersearch on f2 border
cells should be 0. So UEs
camped on these border
cells are always searching
for better f1 cells. Interior
F1/F2 cells can have the
sintersearch = 21 (8dB) so
UEs start searching when
EcIo is below -11.

Two-way neighbour relations

are defined only between the
underlaying f1 cell and
overlaying f2 cell.

One-way neighbour cell relations are

defined from the f2 cell to all
surrounding f1 cells

Idle Mode Scenario Infill sites

A F2 cell is added where there is a coverage hole.

Scenario is only caused when F1 cell cannot be built in the area.
Requires the spectrum to be cleared for both band!

Long term plan should be to either

convert the F2 cell into F1 or dual
banding the infill site
UMTS F2
UMTS F1

Idle Mode Scenario Infill sites

UMTS F2
UMTS F1

F1

F1

F1

qOffsetsn =0, all cells are treated equally in idle mode.

qRxLevMin is set to -107 for

F2. qRXLevMin remains at 115 for F1 cells but can be
set to -107 if the coverage
hole is large.

Sintersearch on F2 cell
should be 0. So UEs
camped on the cell are
always searching for better
f1 cells.

Two-way neighbour relations

are defined between the first
tier F1 and F2 cells

One way nbrs are defined to

second tier F1 cells.

F2

F1