Huawei Technologies
An analysis of radio
handover success ratio
Background
S
ince the 1990s, wireless com-
munication systems such as
GSM, CDMA, WLAN, and
WCDMA have burst upon the
telecommunications horizon,
one after the other. Recently, the research
and industrialization processes of radio
communication systems such as WiMAX
and OFDM, have been greatly expedited.
Wireless communication systems vary,
depending on their individual features and
development history, and they also have
their limitations and restrictions, based upon
various application conditions.
Realizing the need for network evolution
or service expansion, a number of operators
have constructed two or more wireless access
systems, which allows a greater degree of
mobility, while other operators are still
By Ouyang Congxing, Wang Bin,Wang Xiaoqi,
Network Technology Office, R&D Center, CMCC
researching the introduction of a second
wireless communication system. These
operators hope that each wireless system
shows excellent interoperability and
compatibility, which would help them to
achieve optimal subscriber satisfaction and
maximum investment benefits.
Inter-RAT interoperability includes the
following three aspects: First, it allows service
interworking among wireless systems.
Second, a dual-mode terminal subscriber can
perform automatic roaming among wireless
systems according to the planned network
selection strategy. Third, the ongoing service
of a dual-mode terminal subscriber can
implement the inter-RAT handover in
accordance with the planned strategy.
Inter-RAT handover performance is
considered to be crucial if one’s goal is to
achieve best subscriber satisfaction.
Handover performance includes such factors
Wei Bing, and Huang Yuhong
as, the handover success ration and service
quality in the handover procedure. This
paper’s purpose is to analyze the key factors
that may affect the handover success ratio
among wireless systems, while at the same
time offering a few viable methods or
solutions which will guarantee the success
of the handover success ratio.
Handover procedures
In order to support inter-RAT handover,
a terminal must first be able to support the
technologies of two wireless systems. That
is, it must be either a dual-mode or multi-
mode terminal. For example, the GSM/
WCDMA, WLAN/WCDMA, and WLAN/
GSM are all dual-mode terminals.
When a dual-mode terminal camping on
RAT A implements telecom services, it is
referred to as the connection between the
NOV 2005 ˙ ISSUE 19 34
 How to Operate
Radio handover
terminal and RAT A. Additionally, when the
subscriber holds on the ongoing telecom
service, but the system gets off of RAT A,
and hops onto or resides in RAT B, and then
the subscriber implements telecom services
through the connection with RAT B, it is
called a handover, from the source side of
system A, to the target side of RAT B.
The handover among wireless systems
includes the following three steps:
Step 1: Measurement
When the terminal resides in the source
side RAT, then the target side RAT should
be measured. The purpose of this procedure
is to learn more about the signal level, signal
quality, and synchronization information of
the target side RAT B.
The terminal automatically originates the
measurement. Alternatively, via the source
side system, a command can be sent to notify
the terminal to originate the measurement.
An algorithm measurement is also used to
measure two different aspects: when to
perform the measurement and how long the
measurement lasts.
However, if the measurement starts too
early or the measurement time is too long,
then wireless resources will be wasted, and
the terminal battery will be depleted.
Moreover, if the measurement starts too late,
then a call drop may occur before the
terminal handover. And if the measurement
time is too short, then the measurement
cannot be fully performed, and as a result,
the terminal cannot accurately obtain the
synchronization information of the target
side system, and the procedure involving the
handover to the target side system may fail.
Therefore, a proper algorithm measurement
is crucial for the inter-RAT handover success
ratio.
Step 2: Judgment
After the terminal performs the above
measurement for the target side system, these
measurement results may then be reported
to the source side system. The source side
system determines the target side wireless
system cell where the handover will occur.
However, the terminal may not report these
measurement results to the source side
system, so the terminal actually determines
whether or not to handover to the target side
wireless system cell.
35 NOV 2005 ˙ ISSUE 19
Step 3: Implemention
If the terminal determines the judgment
procedure, then the terminal will directly
establish the connection with the target side
wireless system cell, and then the source side
system transfers the ongoing tele-service of
the subscriber to the connection of the target
side wireless system.
If the network determines the judgment
procedure, then it is the source side wireless
system’s task to notify the target side wireless
system to prepare the corresponding channel
resource, and then the source side system
issues the handover command to notify the
terminal to transfer to the target side wireless
system. At the same time, the terminal
disconnects with the source side system. The
terminal establishes the connection with the
target side cell in order to complete the
handover according to the target side system
cell information obtained during the
measurement period and the information
contained when the source side system issues
the handover command.
Figure 1 shows the handover procedure
among wireless systems.
Analysis of handover
success ratio
From the above handover analysis we
have learned that handover measurement
The source side starts
the measurement
Measure the target side system
Not meet the
handover
The source side performs
condition
the judgments
The terminal, source side system, and target
side system implement together
The terminal implements
switchover
Figure 1 Wireless inter-RAT handover
and judgment occurs in the dual-mode
terminal and source side wireless system.
And further, an interaction between the
source side wireless system and target side
wireless system is required during the
handover execution phase.
For the handover to occur among various
wireless systems, an interaction between the
source side wireless system and target side
wireless system is conducted through the
standardized interface. Furthermore,
compatibility between the source side
wireless system and target side wireless
system determines whether the handover can
be i m p l e m e nt e d . I f t h e int e r f ace
compatibility problem is solved, then there
are several factors that affect the handover
success ratio, the first being, radio network
planning.
In the measurement and judgment phase,
because the source side signal fades quickly,
it is necessary to set the proper measurement
start threshold and handover judgment
threshold, otherwise, the measurement and
judgment time will be prolonged. As a result,
the connection between the terminal and
source will be invalid before the handover
operation and the call drop occurs.
In the handover implementation phase,
the handover may fail if signals fade too
quickly during the process of the terminal
receiving the handover command and
accessing the target cell. In order to resolve
this problem, it is necessary to set the proper
handover judgment threshold and handover
delay time, and this is accomplished at the
network planning level.
The WCDMA-GSM handover test
indicates that the terminal test time is
second-level. So, if the handover measure-
ment parameter is not set properly, the
measurement time may be prolonged. In the
event that this occurs, then the source side
signal will quickly fade, the signal strength
will not be able to meet the minimum
requirement, which will result in a call drop.
Most call drops occur during a test for this
reason.
Figure 2 shows the relation between the
handover success ratio and signal fading
speed.
The scenario illustrated in Figure 2
indicates that the signal of the target network
is good and the handover success ratio is
high. Accordingly, the inter-RAT handover
 Huawei Technologies

Source network signal Source network signal Target network signal

Target network signal

The measurement and judgment

procedure are too long. The
measurement procedure does not
end, when the call drop occurs.

Figure 2 Stable fading of source network Figure 3 Fast fading of source network signal and stable
signal and target network signal fading of the target network signal

Source network signal

Source network signal Target network signal

Target network signal

Use the fast measurement and

judgment algorithm to improve the
handover success ratio

Figure 4 Fast fading of source network signal and Figure 5 Stable fading of source network signal and
stable fading of the target network signal fast fading of the target network signal

area should be configured in this type of
wireless environment.
The scenario shown in Figure 3 indicates
that the source network signal fades quickly.
If the handover parameter is not set properly,
then the handover success ratio will be low
when the target network signal is good.
The scenario illustrated in Figure 4
indicates that the source network signal fades
quickly. However, by conducting an
optimization measurement and algorithm
judgment, the handover success ratio can be
improved. In order to solve this problem,
radio network optimization is required in
order to prevent the source network signal
from fading quickly.
The illustration in Figure 5 indicates
that there is a stable fading of the source
network signal. However, when the target
network signal fades quickly during the
handover, then the handover success ratio
will be lower. Hence, this kind of scenario
does not create a suitable environment for
the handover area.
Thus, according to the above analysis,
handover performance can be improved if
t h e f o l l ow i ng t w o g u i d e l i ne s a re
implemented. Firstly, an optimization
measurement and algorithm judgment needs
to be conducted at the source side, according
to th e s pe cif ic s ce nario, with th e
configuration of an appropriate handover
threshold. Then according to the previous
information, a fast measurement and
algorithm judgment can be performed to
hand over the service to the target side,
before the source side signal fades, by failing
to maintain the current connection.
Secondly, to optimize wireless coverage at
the source side, and pay more attention to
the fast fading signal scenario. For example,
the handover area should not be configured
in a scenario like, the blocking area of a high
building, or in an indoor/outdoor entrance.
Take WCDMA and GSM as an example,
if an operator possessing high-quality GSM
coverage builds the WCDMA network, then
whole network coverage is not required in
the preliminary stage, but only the coverage
of large cities.
In this event, then the operator would
only need to ensure service continuity and
im prove th e q u al ity of inte r- R AT
handover. In order to improve WCDMA-
GSM handover performance, it is very
important to optimize WCDMA wireless
coverage in big cities, in order to avoid
the WCDMA signal from fading quickly,
and the success ratio of the inter-RAT
handover being low.
Conclusion
Operators should be more concerned
about the interoperability and provision of
continuous services and high-quality
services. Among these procedures, the most
difficult technology is the handover from
one wireless system, to another wireless
system. According to the above analysis, a
fast fading signal is the primary reason for
handover failure. Thus, we conclude that the
best solution is to properly complete radio
network planning and optimization at the
source side.

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