GSM Coverage problem &

Solution
ZTE university
Objectives

 To know different kinds of coverage problem,

their causes and solutions.
Contents

 Overview of Coverage Problem

 Main Causes of Coverage Problem & Solutions
 Procedures of Handling Coverage Problem
 Typical Cases
 Overview of coverage problem

Too small coverage range will cause

Weak high call drop rate and a large
Weakcoverage
coverage number of customer complaints.

Too large coverage will result in

frequent handovers, and mutual
Over interference as well, if it’s rather
Overcoverage
coverage serious, and network indicators will
also be affected.

When cell reselection parameters and

handover scenarios are similar, or
No-serving there are 2 or more cells with similar
No-servingcell
cellcoverage
coverage signal strength ,Pingpong handover
is easy to be caused during calls.

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Contents

 Overview of Coverage Problem

 Main Causes of Coverage Problem &
Solutions
 Procedures of Handling Coverage Problem
 Typical Cases
 Main causes of weak coverage
too
toosmall
smallBTS
BTSpower
power

too
toolow
lowantenna
antennaheight
height

too
toosmall
smalldown-tilt
down-tilt

hardware
hardwareproblem
problem

Weak
Weak coverage
coverage
Obstruction
Obstructionof
ofbuildings
buildings

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 Main causes of over coverage

poor antenna
performance

inappropriate down-tilt

too high antenna height

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 Causes of no-serving cell coverage
unreasonable
unreasonableplanning
planning
of
ofantenna
antennaparameters
parameters

inappropriate
inappropriatetype
typeof
ofantenna
antenna

too
toolarge
largeor
ortoo
toosmall
small
carrier
carriertransmission
transmissionpower
power
shrunk
shrunkcoverage
coveragecaused
caused
by
byequipment
equipmentproblem
problem
influence
influenceof
ofchanges
changes
in
inradio
radioenvironment
environment

no-serving
no-servingcell
cellcoverage
coverage unreasonable
unreasonablesetting
setting
of
ofhandover
handoverparameters
parameters
unreasonable
unreasonablesetting
settingof
of
cell
cellreselection
reselectionparameters
parameters

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Contents

 Overview of Coverage Problem

 Main Causes of Coverage Problem & Solutions
 Procedures of Handling Coverage Problem
 Typical Cases
 Procedures of Handling Coverage Problem
Check
Checksetting
settingof
ofproblem
problemBTS’
BTS’radio
radioparameters
parameters

Check
Checkififstrong
stronginterference
interferencesource
sourceexists
exists

Check
Checkhardware
hardware

Check
Checkantenna
antennasystem
system

Analyze
Analyzethe thelocal
localgeographical
geographicalenvironment
environmenttoto
see
seeififsite
sitelocation
locationand
andtype
typeof
ofsite
siteare
areappropriate
appropriate

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Contents

 Overview of Coverage Problem

 Main Causes of Coverage Problem & Solutions
 Procedures of Handling Coverage Problem
 Typical Cases
 Case 1 : Poor coverage at cold storage
warehouse
 【 Problem description 】
 Subscribers complained about the poor coverage around a cold storage warehouse of
animal foodstuff; it was difficult to detect signal even when they were not far from the
warehouse.

 【 Problem analysis 】
 According to subscriber’s complaint, we confirmed there was problem with coverage
around the warehouse. We found all radio parameters of the site were set correct at
OMCR. Statistical report showed that idle data of interference band and UL/DL quality
data distribution were normal. Hardware operated normally, as shown in OMCR warning
report.
 Hardware engineers went to the site and checked the system of the BTS, tested power
amplifier's power and VSWR, they were all shown normal. Connection between
equipment was correct. Antenna azimuth and down-tilt were all set reasonable.
 Through DT on site, network engineers found that the signal strength of the antenna
main lobe was weak, while that of the side lobes was stronger, so they tentatively
confirmed the problem was due to antenna fault.

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 Case 1 : Poor coverage at cold storage
warehouse

 【 Problem handling 】
 After the antenna was replaced with a new one, the coverage improved
greatly, so did the speech quality.

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 Case 2 : Poor coverage of a BTS

 【 Problem description 】
 Subscribers complained about weak signal strength around a Food Bureau (near a BTS).

 【 Problem analysis 】
 According to subscriber’s complaint, we confirmed there was problem with the BTS'
coverage. We found all radio parameters of the site were set correct at OMCR. Statistical
report showed that idle data of interference band and UL/DL quality distribution were
normal. Hardware operated normally, as shown in OMCR warning report.
 Hardware engineers went to the site and checked the system of the BTS, tested
amplifier's power and VSWR, they were all shown normal. Connection between
equipment was correct. Antenna azimuth and down-tilt were all set reasonable.
 Through DT on site, network optimization engineers found that the BTS’ coverage was
in normal condition. While the Food Bureau, where subscribers complained about the
signal, was 4km away from the BTS, and only indoor signal was weak (covered by Cell2).

 The problem was confirmed to be : weak indoor coverage

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 Case 3 : Coverage shrinking after BTS starts
operation
 【 Problem description 】
 After Cell3 of a BTS started to operate, its coverage range was found shrunk.
On highway 3km away from the BTS, where the BTS tower was visible, MS
could not detect Cell3’s signal. MS could receive signal when it’s around
the BTS, and the signal level was about -60dBm.

 【 Problem analysis 】
 We checked in radio resource management centre and found Cell3’s static
power class was set 2, which meant its static power was reduced by 4dB, so
we reset it to be 0. The next day, MS on highway 3km away from the BTS
could receive Cell3’s signal, and its level was -60— -70; and the signal level
around the BTS was strong, which was about -40dBm.
 we concluded that the cell’s coverage shrinking was caused by wrong
setting of static power control at OMCR.

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 Case 4 : High handover failure rate due to skip-
zone coverage
 【 Problem description 】
 Configuration of a mountain site was S11, and the local network was single band
GSM900. From indicator statistics of the past week, we found handover success rate of
Cell2 under the BTS kept very low, which was around 80%, while TCH allocation failure
rate was completely normal.

 【 Problem analysis 】
 First, we could exclude the possibility of hardware problem and interference, because
there were no TCH assignment failures, which explained that MS could successfully
occupy TCHs assigned to it by BSC; from DT analysis, we could see when signal level was
above -90dbm, no call drops happened to MS, and speech quality was good, which
could prove that no serious interference existed. Through further analysis, we found the
target cell for handover was a bit far from Cell2; and probably adjacent cell relations
were not set right during assignment planning, which resulted in isolated-island effect.
 we could make area A and area B become adjacent cells to Cell2; while Cell2 coverage at
A and B was already very weak, so Cell2 should not be adjacent cell to A and B .
 After adjustment, handover success rate of Cell2 increased greatly, from 80% to 96%.

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 High handover failure rate due to skip-zone
coverage

Cell1

Cell2

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 Questions for thinking

 Which parameters can be adjusted to improve coverage?

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