Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

For internal use only

Document number Target audience Department

Product name Product version Document version

GSM RNP

V1.0

Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

(For internal use only)

Prepared by Reviewed by Reviewed by Approved by

Yang Xuzai GSM technical support team of radio network planning

Date Date Date Date

Dec. 20, 2006 Dec. 29, 2006

Huawei Techonologies Co., Ltd.

All rights reserved.
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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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Revision History
Date Dec. 20, 2006 Revision version V1.0 Description The first draft was completed. Author Yang Xuzai

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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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Table of Contents
1 Overview......................................................................................................................................... 5 2 Definition of Paging Success Rate .............................................................................................. 5 2.1 NSS Definition....................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 BSS Definition....................................................................................................................... 5 3 Application Strategy of Paging Success Rate ........................................................................... 6 3.1 Paging Success Rate of NSS and BSS................................................................................ 6 3.2 Difference Between Definitions of Different Operators and Vendors ................................... 6 3.3 Application Strategy.............................................................................................................. 6 4 Related Factor Analysis and Improvement Measures of BSS.................................................. 7 4.1 Related Factor Analysis of BSS............................................................................................ 7 4.2 Related Traffic Statistics Analysis of BSS ............................................................................ 7 4.3 BSS Measures of Improving Paging Success Rate ............................................................. 7 4.3.1 Properly Reducing "RACH Min. Access Level".......................................................... 7 4.3.2 Properly Setting Periodic Location Update Time of BSC and IMSI Implicit Detach Time of MSC ....................................................................................................................... 8 4.3.3 Properly Reducing "RXLEV-ACCESS-MIN" .............................................................. 8 4.3.4 Properly Increasing "MS Max Retrans"...................................................................... 8 4.3.5 Enabling BTS Function of Resending Paging Messages .......................................... 8 4.3.6 Network Coverage Effects on Paging Success Rate................................................. 9 4.3.7 Up-Down Link Balance Effects on Paging Success Rate.......................................... 9 4.3.8 LA Division Effects on Paging Success Rate............................................................. 9 4.3.9 Others......................................................................................................................... 9 5 Related Factor Analysis and Improvement Measures of NSS................................................ 10 5.1 Paging Times and Paging Intervals .................................................................................... 10 5.2 Paging Mode (TMSI Paging or IMSI Paging) ..................................................................... 11 5.3 Paging Scope (Paging by LAC or in the Whole Network) .................................................. 11 5.4 IMSI Implicit Detact Timer of MSC...................................................................................... 11 6 Appendix: Paging Signaling Flow Chart ................................................................................... 12

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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

Keywords GSM, paging success rate, application strategy, and optimization strategy Abstract This document describes several current definitions about the paging success rate, differences between the definitions, and calculation formula and meaning of each definition. Its content also includes the application strategy and optimization strategy of the paging success rate. Its appendix describes the paging process. Reference list SN Document name GSM Wireless Network Planning and Optimization Introduction to GSM and Its Network Optimization Traffic Statistics Manual of M900/M1800 BSC (V6.06) Data Configuration Reference 4 of M900/M1800 BSC Network Planning Parameters (V6.05) 5 Guide to Network Problem Solution of G-PCH Overload KPI Baseline of GSM Radio Network (V1.38) Huawei 2006 2006 Author Publisher People's Post and Huawei Telecommunication s Publishing House Han Binjie Huawei Mechanical Industry Publishing House August 2001 June 2004 Date

2006

Huawei

2006

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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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1 Overview
Paging is a basic function in the mobile communication system. The paging success rate is an important item of measuring wireless network quality. It is also an important appraisal item of operator. This document describes several current definitions about the paging success rate, differences between the definitions, and calculation formula and meaning of each definition. Its content also includes the application strategy and optimization strategy of the paging success rate. Its appendix describes the paging process. The descriptions in this document are based on the version of GSM BSC V300R002C13.

2 Definition of Paging Success Rate

2.1 NSS Definition
Paging success rate = Paging responses /Paging requests x 100% Paging responses Definition: refers to the total responses to the PAGING RES messages received by all the MSCs in this area, including the responses to repeated paging messages. The measurement point is MSC. Paging requests Definition: refers to the sum of initial PAGING messages (excluding repeated paging messages) sent by all the MSCs in this area. The measurement point is MSC.

2.2 BSS Definition

Circuit paging (A-interface) success rate (%) = Successful circuit pagings of Abis interface / Received circuit paging messages from MSC Successful circuit pagings of Abis interface

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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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Definition: After receiving an ESTABLISH INDICATION message with the cause value PAGING RESPONSE from an MS, the BSC measures this item, including the responses to repeated paging messages. Received circuit paging messages from MSC Definition: After receiving a circuit service PAGING message from A interface or Pb interface (Huawei BSC-PCU internal interface), the BSC measures this item, including repeated paging messages.

3 Application Strategy of Paging Success Rate

3.1 Paging Success Rate of NSS and BSS
The numerators of the two formulas are the same: paging responses. They differ in the denominators. The denominator in the formula of NSS paging success rate is initial paging messages excluding repeated ones while that of BSS paging success rate is all paging messages including repeated ones. Viewed from the two formulas, the NSS paging success rate is larger than the latter.

3.2 Difference Between Definitions of Different Operators and Vendors

Different operators and vendors define the same paging success rate.

3.3 Application Strategy

Generally, operators or vendors take the NSS paging success rate as a network appraisal item. The BSS paging success rate is just a network reference item.

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4 Related Factor Analysis and Improvement Measures of BSS

4.1 Related Factor Analysis of BSS
Improvement of paging success rate is a system-level problem, involving factors of many aspects: BTS coverage Signaling channels congested or not Rationality and up-down link balance of location area (LA) division Setting of paging related parameters such as up-down link access thresholds (RACH Min. Access Level and RX_LEV_ACCESS_MIN) and Periodical location updating timer (T3212) Mobile phone quality And so on .... The measures put forward in this guide are based on the supposition that the network items are normal and there are not the above problems in the network. For the analysis and solution of the above problems, see relevant guides.

4.2 Related Traffic Statistics Analysis of BSS

Generally, some BSC traffic statistic items are relative to the paging success rate. Random Access Measurement Function: Circuit paging PCH overloads of Abis interface and Circuit paging RACH overloads of Abis interface SDCCH Measurement Function: Attempted SDCCH seizures meeting SDCCH overflow (%) and SDCCH call drop rate (%)

4.3 BSS Measures of Improving Paging Success Rate

4.3.1 Properly Reducing "RACH Min. Access Level"
Setting suggestion: The parameter RACH min. access level is generally set to "1". The lowest value can be "0", denoting no limit to the uplink access level. The lower setting value is more favorable for improving the paging success rate. Note: Reducing the minimum RACH access level may cause the increase of TCH call drop rate. You can mitigate it by increasing the RXLEV-ACCESS-MIN or shortening
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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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the MSC timer T305/T308. Alternatively, you can reduce the call drop rate by increasing the Random access error thrsh.

4.3.2 Properly Setting Periodic Location Update Time of BSC and IMSI Implicit Detach Time of MSC
Setting suggestion: The periodic location update time of BSC must be between 54 minutes and 2 hours. The IMSI implicit detach time of MSC must be larger than that of BSC by 5 to 10 minutes. It is also a way of improving the paging success rate: properly reducing the IMSI implicit detach time of MSC and setting the periodic location update timer T3212 of BSC to be a little less than the IMSI implicit detach time of MSC. After the MSC detach timer expires, the VLR will set the MS in the coverage dead zone or in the power-off state to implicit power-off. At this time, the MSC does not send any paging message. When reducing the location update time of BSC and the IMSI implicit detach time of MSC, you must ensure that no signaling overload will occur.

4.3.3 Properly Reducing "RXLEV-ACCESS-MIN"

Setting suggestion: The parameter RXLEV-ACCESS-MIN denotes the minimum received signal level needed by the MS access system. The default value is "8". To improve the paging success rate, you can properly reduce this parameter. A too low value of this parameter will also cause the increase of call drop. Therefore, you need to take measures to optimize call drop.

4.3.4 Properly Increasing "MS Max Retrans"

Setting suggestion: The default value of MS MAX retrans is "4". To improve the paging success rate, you can set it to "7" but you need to pay close attention to the RACH load. The MS MAX retrans (in the System Information Table) denotes the upper limit of Channel Request messages that an MS is allowable to send in an immediate assignment process. The larger the value is set, the higher the success rate of call attempt is, but the heavier the RACH load becomes.

4.3.5 Enabling BTS Function of Resending Paging Messages

Setting suggestion: Change the Paging times in the Cell Attribute Table to enable the BTS function of resending paging messages. It is recommended to set the parameter to "4".
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Delivery Guide to Optimization of GSM Paging Success Rate

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To improve the paging success rate and paging efficiency, we add the function of resending paging messages to the BTS. Thus, we can solve some MS problems temporarily failing to receive paging messages correctly, which result from sporadic poor wireless link transmission. As for those result from constant poor wireless link transmission, however, the solution depends on the paging message resending of MSC. Anyway, the BTS actualization of resending paging messages reduces the resending load of MSC, and lessens the signaling load of the whole network to a certain extent.

4.3.6 Network Coverage Effects on Paging Success Rate

Poor network coverage may cause that some MSs fail to be paged in a dead zone and affect the paging success rate.

4.3.7 Up-Down Link Balance Effects on Paging Success Rate

Serious up-down link imbalance may also affect the paging success rate. If the downlink is poor, MSs may not receive any Paging Request message. If the uplink is poor, the BTS may not receive any Paging Response message from an MS. You can identify whether some cells suffer the problem of serious up-down link imbalance from the traffic statistic items of Up-Down Link Balance Measurement Function.

4.3.8 LA Division Effects on Paging Success Rate

Unreasonable LA division may also affect the paging success rate. Suggestions on LA division: The scope of LAC must be under an MSC. Cross-MSC is not allowable. The LAC size must be rational to avoid paging overload. Pay attention to the balance between paging messages and location updates. Avoid dividing LACs along main roads and railways. Otherwise, this will cause frequent location update of MS. Try to allocate even paging messages to each LAC. Decide LAC borders by combining with handovers, traffic, and BSC home.

4.3.9 Others
The parameters BS_AG_BLKS_RES and BS_PA_MFRAMES also affect the paging success rate. Please set them rationally pursuant to data configuration specifications.

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BS_PA_MFRAMES: For BTS3X, set it to "2". At this time, the air interface of equipment sends paging messages most efficiently and the paging capacity is the largest. For BTS2X, set it to "5" or "6". BS_AG_BLKS_RES: Generally, set it to "1". If paging messages are quite a lot, set it to "0". Note: When setting this parameter to "0" or "1", you must enable the priority function of immediate assignment. That is, change parameter 18 in the BTS software parameter table into "252". If the system is sending a system message on the extended BCH or configuring a CBCH or NCH (GSM-R), it is not allowable to set this parameter to "0".

5 Related Factor Analysis and Improvement Measures of NSS

Generally, you can optimize the paging success rate of NSS by adjusting the paging strategy through the following parameters: Paging times Paging intervals Paging mode Paging scope IMSI implicit detach timer

5.1 Paging Times and Paging Intervals

Setting suggestion: Set the Paging times to "3". For urban areas, set the Paging intervals to "6 s, 5 s, and 5 s", and "6 s, 8 s, and 6 s" for suburb areas. For an LA with a large capacity, a paging message should not be resent for too many times and the resending interval should not be too short. Otherwise, this may cause BTS overload, BSC CPU overload, and then discarding of many paging messages. As a result, the paging success rate falls sharply. In addition, if you set a too short paging resending interval, the MSC may regard it as pre-paging failure and clear paging information when failing to receive a paging response within the specified paging times. After that, even if the paging response arrives, the MSC sends a CLEAR_COMMAND to release the called party's wireless channel because the paging information is cleared.

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5.2 Paging Mode (TMSI Paging or IMSI Paging)

Setting suggestion: Use TMSI paging for the first time but IMSI paging for the second and third times. In theory, the efficiency of TMSI paging is twice as much as that of IMSI paging. Therefore, using TMSI paging can increase the paging capacity of PCH. For a network with its PCH nearly or already overloaded, using TMSI paging can mitigate PCH overload. TMSI paging may cause some temporarily errors that result in MS response failure. Therefore, use TMSI paging for the first time but IMSI paging for the second and third times. Note: When using TMSI paging, you must enable the authentication for location update.

5.3 Paging Scope (Paging by LAC or in the Whole Network)

Setting suggestion: Generally, the first paging and second paging are performed by LAC. The last paging should be set according to facts. Paging in the whole network has great impact on the system load of BSC and easily causes PCH overload. In dense urban areas, the coverage area of each LA is relatively smaller and cross-LA location update occurs to users more easily. Therefore, the last paging in the whole network would have an obvious effect. In boundary networks, the coverage area of each LA is larger and cross-LA location update seldom occurs to users who are usually in the same LA. In this case, paging in the whole network would not have an obvious effect. If the PCH is nearly or already overloaded, use paging by LAC for the second and third times.

5.4 IMSI Implicit Detact Timer of MSC

Setting suggestion: This parameter must be larger than that of BSC by 5 to 10 minutes. It is a helpful way of improving the paging success rate: properly reducing the IMSI implicit detach time of MSC and setting the periodic location update timer T3212 of BSC to be a little less than the IMSI implicit detach time of MSC. After the MSC detach timer expires, the VLR will set the MS in the coverage dead zone or in the power-off state to implicit power-off. At this time, the MSC does not send any paging message. When reducing the location update time of BSC and the IMSI implicit detach time of MSC, you must ensure that no signaling overload will occur.
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6 Appendix: Paging Signaling Flow Chart

The figure below shows the signaling flow of GSM paging process. The paging process involves multiple network elements (NEs) such as MSC, BSS, and MS. Therefore, the optimization of paging success rate needs the cooperation of multiple NEs.

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