TCH Drop Analysis 1.

Radio Link Time-Out Every time a SACCH message can not be decoded the radio link timeout counter is decreased by 1. If the message can be decoded the counter is incremented by 2. Ho ever! the value can not e"ceed the initial value. #he initial value is set by the $arameter %&I'(# for radio link time-out in the mobile station and by %&I'()* for timeout in the +SC. If the mobile moves out of coverage and no measurement re$orts are received in the +SC! there ill be a radio link time-out and the message Channel %elease ,cause- abnormal release! uns$ecified. is sent to the mobile station and the SACCH is deactivated in the +#S. A Clear %e/uest message is sent to the 0SC. #o be sure that the mobile has sto$$ed transmitting! the +SC no aits %&I'(# SACCH $eriods before the timeslot is released and a ne call can be established on the channel. 2. Layer 2 Time-Out If the +#S never get an ackno ledge on a &ayer 2 message after the time #2112'211! the +#S ill send Error Indication ,cause- #211 e"$ired. to the +SC! hich ill send Channel %elease ,cause- abnormal release! timer e"$ired. to the mobile station and a Clear %e/uest to the 0SC. #he SACCH is deactivated and the +SC aits %&I'(# SACCH $eriods before the timeslot is released and a ne call can use the channel. #his is only valid if the call is in steady state! i.e. not during handover or assignment.

3. Release Indication 3hen the +#S received a layer 2 4ISC frame from the mobile it re$lies ith a &ayer 2 )A frame to the mobile station and a %elease Indication to the +SC. #he system does only react on %elease Indication if it is received during a normal disconnection situation. If such a message is received une"$ectedly this ill usually cause radio link time-out or timer #211 e"$iration as the mobile station sto$s the transmitting of measurement re$orts. It is also $ossible that the release ill be normal de$ending on hen the %elease Indication is received. 4. MSC Time-Out 'ormal %eleaseIf the 0SC never received a res$onse on a message ,e.g. Identity %e/uest. and there is no radio link time-out or layer 2 time-out! the 0SC ill send a Clear Command to the +SC. #he time-out is de$ending on the message. 3hen receiving Clear Command! the +SC ill send a Channel %elease ,cause- normal release. and then deactivates the SACCH. %e5ect ,only S4CCH.If the 0SC never receives a res$onse on the first message after Establish Indication! the 0SC ill send a re5ect message. If the connection as a &ocation )$date it ill be a &ocation )$date %e5ect ,cause- net ork failure. and if the connection as a mobile originating call ,C0 Service %e/uest. a C0 Service %e5ect ,cause- net ork failure. ill be sent. #he

0SC ill then send a Clear Command to the +SC and the call is cleared by Channel %elease ,cause- normal release.. 5. ssi!nment to TC"

+efore sending an Assignment Command from the +SC at #CH assignment! the follo ing t o criterion have to be fulfilleda. #here must be a #CH channel available! i.e. no congestion b. #he locating algorithm must have received at least one valid measurement re$ort. If either of the criterion is not fulfilled! Assignment Command ill not be sent and a Channel %elease ,cause- abnormal release! uns$ecified. ill be sent to the mobile station and a Clear %e/uest to the 0SC. TC" #ro$ reason %1& #he classification of #CH 4ro$ %easons are arranged in the order of $riority1.E"cessive#iming Advance 2.&o Signal Strength 6.+ad 7uality 8.Sudden &oss of Connection 9.:ther %easons '(cessi)e Timin! d)ance

#he #CH 4ro$ counters due to E"cessive #iming Advance ill $egged hen the during the time of disconnection! the last #iming Advance value recorded as higher than the #A&I0 *arameter. #his dro$ reason is commonly a$$arent to isolated or island sites ith a ide coverage area. ction* Check if the cell $arameter #A&I0 is ; <=6< Solution* Set #A&I0 to a value close to =6. #ilt antenna>reduce antenna height>out$ut $o er! etc. for co-channel cells. TC" #ro$ Reasons %2& Lo+ Si!nal Stren!t, on #o+n or -$link or .ot, Links

#he dro$s counters due to &o Signal Strength ill be $egged hen the Signal Strength during the last 0easurement %e$ort before the call dro$$ed is belo the &:3SS4& and>or &:3SS)& #hresholds. &:3SS4& and &:3SS)& are +SC E"change *ro$erty $arameters hich is used only for statistics $ur$oses and does not affect the behavior of calls. If both )& and 4& Signal Strength are belo the thresholds! only 4ro$ due to &o SS +& ill $egged. 'ormally a call is dro$$ed at the border of large rural cell ith insufficient coverage. +ad tunnel coverage cause many dro$$ed calls as ell as so called coverage holes. +ad indoor coverage ill result in dro$$ed calls. +uilding shado ing could be another reason. ction* Check coverage $lots. Check out$ut $o er. Check power balance and link budget. Check if :mni site. Check antenna configuration ? ty$e. Check antenna installation. *erform drive tests ? site survey. Check #%2>#S ith high C:'E%%C'#. Solution* Add a re$eater to increase coverage in for e"am$le a tunnel. Change to a better antenna , ith higher gain. for the base station. Add a ne base station if there are large coverage holes. +lock>4eblock #%2 TC" #ro$ Reasons %3& /oor 0uality on #o+n or -$link or .ot, Links #he dro$s counters due to +ad 7uality ill be $egged hen the Signal Strength during the last 0easurement %e$ort before the call dro$$ed is above the +A474& and>or +A47)& #hresholds. +A474& and +A47)& ,e"$ressed in 4#7). are +SC E"change *ro$erty $arameters hich is used only for statistics $ur$oses and does not affect the behavior of calls. If both )& and 4& 7uality are above the thresholds! only 4ro$ due to +A4 7uality +& ill $egged.

*roblem on +ad 7uality is usually associated ith Co-channel Interference on +CCH or #CH. @aulty 0AI: assignment can cause fre/uency collisions on co-sited cells es$ecially on 1"1 %euse. E"ternal interference is also one $ossible cause of $roblem on /uality. ction* Check C>I and C>A $lots. Check @re/uency *lan ,Co-+CCH or Co-+SIC *roblem.. Check 0AI:! H:*! HS' $arameters. Check @H:* if correctly configured ,++ or SA.. Check for E"ternal Interference. *erform drive tests. Solution* Change +CCH fre/uency. Change +SIC. Change 0AI:! H:*! HS'. Change @H:*. %ecord %I% or on-site @re/uency Scanning to identify source of interference. )se available radio features. TC" #ro$ Reasons %4& Sudden Loss o1 Connection 4ro$s due to Sudden &oss are dro$s that have not been registered as lo signal strength! e"cessive timing advance! bad /uality or hard are ,other. reasons! and the locating $rocedure indicates missing measurement results from the 0S. #here are some common scenarios that could lead to Sudden &oss of connections such as very sudden and severe dro$s in signal strength! such as hen subscribers enter into buildings! elevators! $arking garages! etc.! very sudden and severe occurrence of interference! 0S runs out of battery during conversation! Handover &ost! +#S H3 faults! SynchroniBation or A-bis link fault ,transmission faults.! and 0S @aults. ction* Check +#S Error &ogs! Alarms and @ault Codes.

Check C:'E%%C'# $er #%2 and #S. Check #ransmission &ink ,A-bis.. Check for 4I* Sli$s. Check &A*4 Congestion. Correlate Handover &ost to 4ro$s due to Sudden &oss Solution* @i" Hard are @aults and Alarms. %eset #%2 ith high C:'E%%C'#. Ensure that SynchroniBation and A-bis &ink are stable. Change %+&# ith high 4I* Sli$s. Change C:'@AC# or increase #ransmission Ca$acity Investigate H: &ost *roblem TC" #ro$ Reasons %5& TC" #ro$s due to Ot,er Reasons #CH dro$s due to :ther %easons are com$uted by subtracting the sum of dro$s due to E"cessive #A! &o SS! +ad 7uality and Sudden &oss from the #otal #CH 4ro$ Counts. 4ro$s due to :ther %easons are generally associated ith hard are $roblems! transmission link $roblems on A-bis! Ater or Ainterfaces! and sometimes Handover &ost. ction* Check +#S Error &ogs. Check Alarms and @ault Codes. Check C:'E%%C'# $er #%2 and #S. Check #ransmission &ink ,A-bis.. Check for 4I* Sli$s. Correlate Handover &ost to 4ro$s due to :ther %easons Solution* @i" Hard are @aults and Alarms. %eset #%2 ith high C:'E%%C'#. Ensure that SynchroniBation and A-bis &ink are stable. Change %+&# ith high 4I* Sli$s. Investigate H: &ost *roblem

Other reason drop is mostly due to media related issues. Some are given below. Transcoder synchronization fault hen T!A sync fault is reported on any TS of a T" Chec# the counter T!AS$%CCO&%T. Correlate the T!AS$%CCO&%T with T'%D!O(.

)aulty T!A devices. Congestion in the vocoders use T'%!*+CO%" to chec# this. ,loc#ed !A+T and !,+T devices Chec# Alarms on the !A+T and !,+T. +A(D problems usual high ,*! +A(D problems can normally be pic#ed up during DT as T-.. /%-..0 e'piry1 then give reset to the D2& on T" that is showing +A(D problems. High e'ternal interference leading to issues in the D3(. Chec# alarms on dip1 chec# slip1 and ,*!. 3nappropriate power control settings leading to high C( load. 3nappropriate AC+C settings. 4ery high +AC update load in the ,SC The 5other reasons6 drop than would be on multiple cells in the ,SC or may be entire region will be affected by it.

/ro2lem reason o1 dro$ in S#CC" Lo+ Si!nal Stren!t, on #o+n or -$link #he reason for $oor coverage could be too fe sites! rong out$ut $o er! shado ing! no indoor coverage or net ork e/ui$ment failure. ction- Check coverage $lots.Check out$ut $o er. *erform drive tests. Check +#S error log Solution- Add ne sites. Increase out$ut $o er. %e$air faulty e/ui$ment. /oor 0uality on #o+n or -$link ction- Check C>I and C>A $lots. Check fre/uency $lan. *erform drive tests. Solution- Change fre/uency. )se available radio features. Too "i!, Timin! d)ance ction- Check if the cell $arameter #A&I0 is ; styleC<font- eightboldD<ESolution- Set #A&I0 to a value close to =6. #ilt antenna>reduce antenna height>out$ut $o er! etc. for cochannel cells.

Mo2ile 'rror Some old mobiles may cause dro$$ed calls if certain radio net ork features are used. Another reason is that the 0S is damaged and not orking $ro$erly. ction- Check 0S fleet. Solution- Inform o$erator. Su2scri2er .e,a)ior *oorly educated subscribers could use their handsets incorrectly by not raising antennas! choosing illadvised locations to attem$t calls! etc. ction- Check customer com$laints and their 0S. .attery 3la+ 3hen a subscriber runs out of battery during a conversation! the call ill be registered as dro$$ed call due to lo signal strength or others. ction- Check if 0S $o er regulation is used. Check if 4#2 u$link is used. Con!estion on TC" #he S4CCH is dro$$ed hen congestion on #CH. ction- Check #CH congestion Solution- Increase ca$acity on #CH or using features like Assignment to another cell! Cell &oad Sharing! HCS! 4ynamic Half-%ate Allocation and @%-H% 0ode Ada$tation etc