Mobile Systems International

VOLTE Optimization Process

VOLTE Optimization
 VoLTE Optimization Challenge (1/3)
The VoLTE Service Brings Network Optimization Differentiation
IP-based VoLTE voice services raise new Application of unique VoLTE features requires
requirements on channel optimization. parameter optimization for optimization effect
enhancement.
• VoLTE voice services set up
• Capacity improvement: ROHC, voice
dedicated bearers on the IMS.
characteristic awareness scheduling,
• Compared with data services, the
and semi-persistent scheduling
VoLTE voice services have
• Coverage enhancement: TTI Bundling,
requirements on channels in terms of
RLC segmentation, and ROHC
the packet loss rate and delay.
• Voice quality assurance and
• The wireless and EPC networks set
assessment: VQM and uplink
up bearer channels, and the IMS
compensation scheduling
network handles voice services.

VoLTE services involve various NEs in multiple domains,

The VoLTE voice service continuity needs to be
expanding the interconnection performance optimization
guaranteed using high-performing eSRVCC. dimension.

• GUL multi-network coordination • VoLTE <-> VoLTE interconnection analysis

strategy planning and design • VoLTE <-> GSM and UMTS interconnection
SRVCC LTE • SRVCC signaling combination to analysis
support problem location • VoLTE accessibility analysis (RAN-EPC-IMS-CS)
• SRVCC KPI analysis and parameter • VoLTE retainability analysis (RAN-EPC-IMS-CS)
GSM / UMTS • VoLTE voice analysis (RAN-EPC-IMS-CS)
and neighboring cell check and
optimization
VoLTE Optimization Challenge (2/3)
Immature UEs Affect VoLTE Service Experience
VoLTE VIP Complaints Causes in City H VoLTE VIP Complaints about UEs

UE-related problems
 Weak UE compatibility
UE-related problems rank the first,
 Low UE maturity affecting VoLTE experience in multiple
 Difficult UE problem location with a long handling dimensions.
period
VoLTE Optimization Challenge (3/3)

• VoLTE UE identification and FGI

capability analysis • DT data
• Associated analysis of VoLTE UE data • Alarm and performance parameters
and KPIs UE problem • Traffic statistics, and internal and external
• Associated analysis of VoLTE UE data, detection Data source CHRs
MRs, and CHRs capability capability • Signaling trace and interface data
• Wireless/EPC/IMS/CS CN/ transmission
data

• Associated analysis of wireless,

Voice In-depth
• Periodic report of voice quality Cross-domain CN, and transmission data
quality understanding • Locating of CN and transmission
data through signaling associated analysis
assurance of NEs problems using wireless counters
• Periodic update of common capability
problem counters, including • Locating of wireless problems using
packet loss, delay, and jitter CN counters
• Subjective and objective MOS
test and analysis for users to
better analyze voice quality
problems • ROHC
• TTI bundling
Preferential feature • Semi-persistent scheduling
• Load control policies application policies • DRX
• Handover and domain selection Preferential
policies eSRVCC policies
• Inter-RAT neighboring cell policies
• GSM and UMTS cooperation
parameter policies
 VoLTE Optimization Solution Overview

User behavior based network evaluation Network optimization based on user experience

A subscriber initiates a call. Effective Perceived E2E connection Perceived call

Average MOS
improvement connection rate duration drop rate

"Is the call set up successfully?"

Service
accessibility LTE wireless network EPC network IMS/CS network
"Is the duration between dialup optimization optimization optimization
and call setup short?" • Accessibility: QCI1/5 • Accessibility: bearer • Accessibility: registration
setup success rate setup success rate success rate/call
The called party picks up the • Retainability: QCI1/5 call • Retainability: call drop completion rate
phone, and the call starts. NE drop rate rate • Retainability: call drop rate
cooperation • Mobility: SRVCC • Mobility: SRVCC • Mobility: SRVCC handover
"Is the month-to-ear delay large?" handover success rate at handover success rate at success rate
Service the wireless side the EPC side • Integrity: average MOS for
integrity • Integrity: poor VQI ratio of • Integrity: average voice IP QoS on the access
"Is the voice clear?" cells quality value network/Trunk network

The subscriber moves from one

place to another during the call.
Problem Access failure Handover failure Voice quality
Call drop analysis
"Is the call interrupted suddenly?" Service analysis analysis analysis analysis
retainability
"Does the subscriber perceive Multiple- Configuration Traffic
voice interruption?" data-source DT/CQT CHRs/MRs Probe Data
data statistics
association
RAN Optimization Implementation Plan
The third and
The first week The second week The second week
fourth weeks
Data Collect PM/CM,
collection alarm data, UE
Tracing

Network Assess the call drop Assess the voice access

rate. success rate.
performance
Assess the SRVCC
assessment Assess voice quality.
success rate.

Demarcate, locate,
and analyze network Design a network performance
problems. optimization solution.

Implement a network
Network performance optimization
performance solution.

optimization
Compare and verify KPIs.

The site scale is 30-40 sites used as an example.

VoLTE Optimization in DT Scenarios
Problem Check Root Cause Locating
Scenario External events and and Optimization
DT Problem DT KPIs:
operations
Analysis
Low MOS Faults and alarms • Voice call completion
CN auxiliary
Packet loss on air Scenario Core parameters for voice optimization rate
interfaces confirmation services
• Voice quality (MOS)
Voice Quality Parameter optimization
One-way audio •
DT specification Analysis of voice coding Call connection delay
Call setup failures check Feature optimization
Analysis of transmission • Call drop rate
impact
Large call setup delay Capacity optimization
Analysis of signaling events
Unexpected interruption RF optimization
Analysis of packet loss
Analysis of RF channels
Data sources: traffic statistics, DT
Call Setup logs, transmission signaling, DT
Analysis of traffic statistics data of cells, alarm information,
and logs and UE Trace...
Analysis of MTU and ping

Check of the 3 types of Accurate locating of root

Identification of the
problems and implementation causes based on multiple-
6 problems in DTs
of 10 key actions data-source association
 RAN Optimization Based on Data Association

Performance assessment
Performance problem demarcation and location Optimization and issue closure
and analysis

Determine the assessment range.  Coverage problems  Interference PCI optimization

(Is the problem is a network-wide or
 Air interface problems
 Intensive weak problems
top N problem) coverage  Mod 3
RLC retransmission, uplink
synchronization, reestablishment
 Weak coverage in interference Neighboring cell
the cell edge  Pilot pollution
failure, scheduling problem, packet  Overlapping  Overshoot optimization
Determine the main assessment discarding... coverage coverage
object based on traffic statistics  No serving cell interference on Simulation antenna
analysis.  Handover problems dominance neighboring adjustment
 Power control cells
problem  Inter-RAT (downtilt and azimuth)
 QCI1/QCI5 call drop rate
 Link failure interference
 QCI1 access success rate Target cell access failure, handover  Missing  Intra-RAT Modification of
 SRVCC handover success cancellation, admission timeout, configuration of interference incorrect parameter
rate incorrect parameter setting... neighboring cells  Missing
 Uplink and downlink bad VQI  Handover configuration of
configuration
rate hysteresis neighboring
 ……… cells Refined parameter
 Transmission problems  Handover optimization for
Data source: hysteresis
 … different cells
Alarms, configuration
data, traffic statistics,  Resource problems
and external and …………….
internal CHR data
 CN problems
Associated analysis
Step-by-step, quick, and detailed Refined optimization
based on multiple data
analysis suggestions
sources
RAN Optimization Based on Data Association -
Call Drop Analysis
Coverage optimization Handover optimization
 Inappropriate PCI planning  Missing configuration of neighboring cells
 Interference check  Incorrect configuration of neighboring cells
 Weak uplink coverage  Call drops occur after handover because
of incorrect handover threshold
configuration.
 Inappropriate mobility policy

Device problem Parameter optimization

 RF channel problem  Incorrect parameter
 Packet loss due to incorrect configuration (such as the
transmission configuration or
inactivity timer and
intermittent transmission interruption
number of retransmission
 Base station fault
 High air interface load times)
 Board CPU overload  Incorrect sharing policy
 The number of subscribers in a cell
exceeds the upper limit.
RAN Optimization Based on Data Association -
eSRVCC Optimization

Load control policy Handover policy

 Obtain the network load of each
 Obtain LTE network coverage and
RAT at each frequency 87%
85% capacity.
 Design the inter-RAT mobility load 90% 50%
75% 89%  Design the policy for eSRVCC in
balancing policy and determine
connected mode.
the inter-RAT handover threshold.  Design the service policy (CS only or
 Design the access control policy
CS+PS)
for different congestion levels
(basic congestion/congestion).

Inter-RAT neighboring cell policy Parameter policy in the 2G/3G network

 Obtain the coverage and load of the
 Analyze and determine cell
2G/3G network.
reselection priority.
 Determine the interworking principle
 Analyze and determine cell
of CSFB and SRVCC.
reselecction threshold. 4G
 Determine the optimal inter-RAT
 Analyze and determine the
neighboring cell configuration policy. 2G
FastReturn frequency.
 Design an inter-RAT neighboring cell 3G
 CS parameter configuration
from 4G to 2G/3G.
supports eSRVCC handovers.
 Design an inter-RAT neighboring cell
from 2G/3G to 4G.
RAN Optimization Based on Data Association -
Voice Quality Optimization (VQI)

Feature optimization policy Handover policy

 Design the VoIP feature.
 The S1 handover duration is 50 to
 Improve coverage in the cell edge using
80 ms. The ping-pong handover
the TTI Bundling feature.
affects voice quality. 3. Handover
 Improve coverage using ROHC. The 5. Handover request
command
ROHC reduces the VoIP rate in the cell  Design the eSRVCC policy for UEs 4. Handover
request ACK
edge, lowers UE power requirements, in the connected state.
and improves coverage (up by 2 dB) in The service interruption
the cell edge. 3 dB duration is 50 to 80 ms.

Neighboring cell and parameter optimization policy Interference optimization policy

 Missing configuration of neighboring cells  Mod 3 interference

 PUCCH optimization (codeword allocation) optimization
 PUSCH optimization (such as pre-  Uplink interference check
scheduling and RLC segmentation control) and optimization
 Other parameters (such as scheduling and  Overshoot coverage
retransmission) optimization
 RAN Optimization Case 1 - Call Drop
Improvement
Problem Analysis: The MRs of the air interfaces are
1 Problem Description: The call drop rate of the voice 3 combined to analyze the following interference and coverage
service in cells 1 and 2 of site H is greater than the rates in problems to locate the call drops:
other sites from October 21 to October 26.  Downlink PCI mod 3 interference
 Uplink power control
Symptom: The cause value for the abnormal release in
cells 1 and 3 indicates that the problem is related to counter
2 L.E- RAB.AbnormRel.Radio.VoIP.
This counter is abnormal due to following errors at the
wireless network layer:
• The uplink resynchronization fails.
• The number of RLC retransmissions reaches the maximum value. Call Drop Rate Decreases: Based on the site conditions,
4 the optimization suggestions are recommended. The average
Problem Percentag Problem Type Number Percentage
Type Number e UL resynchronization fails 3 50.00% call drop rate is decreased from 0.090% to 0.067% after the
All Problems 6 100.00% SRB RLC retransmission optimization suggestions are implemented.
Air Interface 6 100.00% number reaches the
maximum value. 2 33.33%
Resource 0 0.00% Other of air interface 1 16.67%
CN 0 0.00% Other of Resource 0 0.00%
Others 0 0.00% Radio resource overload 0 0.00%
Bearer 0 0.00% Radio resource occupation 0 0.00%
 RAN Optimization Case 2 - Access Improvement
Cause analysis:
Problem Analysis: For problem cells, the air interfaces related to the problem are
1. The top-10 problem cells are filtered out based on the abnormal
access release rate and quantity. filtered out and the MRs of the air interfaces are combined to
2. The cause values for access failures are collected, and the statistics analyze the following coverage and interference counters:
indicate that: • Uplink and downlink interference
• More than 95% of the cause values for RRC connection setup failures
are related to wireless-side problems. • Uplink weak coverage counters: include uplink power control
• More than 90% of the cause values for E-RAB connection setup and uplink intensive weak coverage
failures are related to CN problems and nearly 10% of the cause • Downlink weak coverage
values are related to wireless-side problems and other problems.

Solution Implementation and The access success rate is increased by 3% The access success rate is increased from 98.83% to
in the DT. 99.49% in traffic statistics.
Result:
1. Parameter adjustment 91.59% 94.62%
83
2. Configuration of missing
neighboring cells
3. PCI mod 3 interference
optimization
 RAN Optimization case 3 - Voice Quality
Optimization
Problem Analysis: Cause analysis:
1. The top-5 cells with poor downlink and uplink VQI are filtered
out. • UE loss and the other problems are caused by uplink weak
2. The packet loss of the top-5 cells occurs on the air interfaces in coverage, missing neighboring cells, and incorrect parameter
the downlink and uplink directions. The packet loss is related to settings.
UE loss, DTX, handover, and rebuild problems.

Solution Implementation and Result: Percentage of cells with poor VQI

highly decreased.
1. Parameter adjustment, such as adjustment

16.2
of RLC fragmentation
2. Configuration of missing neighboring cells
3. Optimization of PCI mod 3 interference 3.8
4. RF adjustment
RAN Optimization Case 4 - eSRVCC Handover
Success Rate Improvement

eSRVCC preparation success rate improvement Improvement of the eSRVCC execution success rate
97% 98.2%
93.7% 90.7%

Before After Before After

Problem Analysis: Problem Analysis: The execution failures are caused by
uplink and downlink weak coverage and missing configuration
The preparation failures are
of neighboring cells.
caused by response failures
from GSM networks. Optimization suggestion: Adjust the handover threshold
and configure more neighboring cells.
Solution Implementation:
1. The parameters and
measurement thresholds
are changed.
2. The problem is analyzed
and located based on LTE,
CN, EPC, and IMS data.