As you can see that even if you make T305 & T308 = 1, according to the formulaN00!

T00" com#ination is still $

%&' timer values( )n this case *e should not get anyim+rovement( ,ut *e got some im+rovement as T305 is the
timer trigerred first, and if no res+onse isreceived for T305 *ith in N00 e-+iry time, T308 is initiated( Therefore, T305
is actually *hich has given us im+rovement( .or further im+rovement *e needto change &)/012 values to 2ong from
Normal( 3hich *ould make sure *e get im+rovement#y T308 as *ell( 4lease correct me if ) am *rong( 5egards,

3ith the ongoing e-ercise of changing system +arameters to gain our o#6ective of reducing the T'7 dro+ in the net*ork(

,elo* are the changes done in the %&'(

,efore the changes 8

T305 9 :T308 9 T310; $ !N0091":T00

30 9 <0 9 1 $!391" :0(=

;1 $ 0(;<
The parameter settings on the BSC side and MSC side may afect the TCH call drop rate.
You should check the settings of the following parameters for a cell with a high TCH call
drop rate. See Case 5: Reduction of Call Drops by Optimizing Handover Parameters and
Case 12: Increase in Call Drop Rate Due to Change of TR1N on the MSC Side.
1. SACCH Multi-Frames
This parameter determines whether an uplink radio link is faulty. Each time the BTS fails to
decode the measurement report on the SACCH from the MS, the counter decreases by 1.
Each time the BTS successfully decodes the measurement report on the SACCH, the
counter increases by 2. When the value of this counter is 0, the BTS regards the radio link
as faulty. In the trafc measurement, if there are many call drops (M3101A) related to radio
link failure, you can infer that the radio propagation conditions are poor. In this case, you
can set this parameter to a greater value.
2. Radio Link Timeout
This parameter determines whether a downlink radio link is faulty. Each time the BTS fails to
decode the measurement report sent over the SACCH by the MS, the counter decreases by
1. Each time the BTS successfully decodes the measurement report sent over the SACCH,
the counter increases by 2. When the value of this parameter is 0, the BTS regards the radio
link as faulty. In the trafc measurement, if there are many call drops (M3101A) related to
radio link failure, you can infer that the radio propagation conditions are poor. In this case,
you can set this parameter to a greater value.
3. RXLEV_ACCESS_MIN
This parameter specifes the minimum receive level of an MS to access the BSS. If this
parameter is set to a too small value, some MSs with low receive levels may access the
network and call drops are likely to occur. You can set this parameter to a great value to
reduce the TCH call drop rate. The counters such as call setup success rate and the
counters related to trafc volume, however, are accordingly afected.
4. RACH Min.Access Level
This parameter determines whether an MS can access the network over the RACH. If this
parameter is set to a too small value, some MSs with low signal levels may access the
network and call drops are likely to occur. You can set this parameter to a great value to
reduce the TCH call drop rate. The counters such as call setup success rate and paging
success rate, however, are afected.
5. Min DL Power on HO Candidate Cell and Min Access Level Ofset
The sum of the values of the two parameters specifes the minimum downlink receive level
of a candidate neighboring cell for a handover. If this parameter is set to a too great value,
some desired cells may be excluded from the candidate cells; if this parameter is set to a
too small value, an unwanted cell may become the candidate cell. Both conditions may lead
to the increase of call
drops.
6. Timer T3103 series
Timer T3101 series consists of T3103A, T3103C, and T8. These timers are started to wait
for a handover complete message. If the lengths of the timers are set to small values,
probably no message is received when timer T3103 series expires. In this case, the BSC
considers that the radio link in the originating cell is faulty. Then, the BSC releases the
channel in the originating cell. Thus, call drops occur. In the trafc measurement, if many
call drops are related to handovers (CM331: Call Drops on Radio Interface in Handover
State), you can set this parameter to a greater value. If this parameter is set to a too great
value, channel resources are wasted and
TCH congestion occurs.
7. Timer T3109
This parameter specifes the period for waiting for a Release Indication message after the
BSC sends a Channel Release message to the BTS. If this parameter is set to a too small
value, the link may be released before the Release Indication message is received. As a
result, a call drop occurs. You can set this parameter to a greater value to reduce the TCH
call drop rate. It is recommended that timer T3109 be set to 12 seconds longer than timer
Radio Link Timeout.
8. Timer T3111
This parameter specifes the interval between the time that the main signaling link is
disconnected and the time that a channel is deactivated. The purpose is to reserve a period
of time for repeated link disconnections. If this timer is set to a too small value, a channel
may be deactivated too early. Thus, call drops increase.
9. Timers T305 and T308
Timers T305 and T308 are used on the MSC side. Timer T305 specifes the period during
which the MSC monitors the on-hook procedure. Timer T308 specifes the period during
which the MSC monitors the resource release procedure. You should set the two
parameters when adding BSC data. Note that the modifcation of the data in the timer table
does not take efect. If timers T305 and T308 are set to invalid or great values, the MSC
clears the call a long time after the MS hangs up. After the T3103 and Radio Link
Timeout timers expire, the number of call drops is increased and thus the TCH call drop rate
is signifcantly afected.
10. TCH Trafc Busy Threshold
If the current channel seizure ratio exceeds the value of this parameter, the BSC
preferentially assigns a half-rate channel to a dualrate-enabled call. Otherwise, the BSC
assigns a full-rate channel to the dualrate-enabled call. Compared with a full-rate channel, a
half-rate channel has weak antiinterference capabilities. Therefore, if a large number of half-
rate channels are assigned, the TCH call drop rate increases. It is recommended that this
parameter should not be set to a too small value if congestion is unlikely to
occur.
11. Call Reestablishment Forbidden
This parameter specifes whether to allow call reestablishment. In case of burst interference
or radio link failure due to blind areas caused by high buildings, call drops occur. In this
case, MSs can initiate the call reestablishment procedure to restore communication. To
reduce the TCH call drop rate, you can set this parameter to No to allow call
reestablishment. In certain conditions, allowing call reestablishment greatly reduces the
TCH call drop rate. Call reestablishment lasts for a long time, and therefore some
subscribers cannot wait and hang up. This afects user experience.
12. Parameters related to edge handover
When the receive level drops greatly, an edge handover cannot be performed in time in any
of the following conditions: The parameter Edge HO UL RX_LEV Threshold or Edge HO DL
RX_LEV Threshold is set to a small value; the parameter Inter-cell HO Hysteresis is set to a
great value; the parameters Edge HO Watch Time and Edge HO AdjCell Watch Time
are set to great values; the parameters Edge HO Valid Time and Edge HO AdjCell Valid
Time are set to great values. As a result, a call drop occurs. To reduce the TCH call drop
rate, you can appropriately set these parameters so that edge handovers can be performed
in time to avoid call drops.
13. Parameters related to BQ handover
When the signal quality deteriorates, a BQ handover cannot be performed in time in any of
the following conditions: The parameters
ULQuaLimitAMRFR, ULQuaLimitAMRHR, UL Qual. Threshold, DLQuaLimitAMRFR,
DLQuaLimitAMRHR, and DL Qual. Threshold are
set to great values; the parameter BQ HO Margin is set to a small value; the parameter
Inter-cell HO Hysteresis is set to a great value. As a result, call drops occur. To reduce the
TCH call drop rate, you should appropriately set these parameters so that BQ handovers
can be performed in time to avoid call drops.
14. Parameters related to interference handover
If the parameters RXQUAL1 to RXQUAL12 are set to great values or if the RXLEVOf
parameter is set to a great value, strong interference may occur. In this case, if interference
handovers are not performed in time, call drops occur. To reduce the TCH call drop rate, you
can appropriately set these parameters so that interference handovers can be performed in
time to avoid call drops. If the parameters RXQUAL1 to RXQUAL12 are set to small values,
the number of handovers due to other causes increases greatly, thus afecting the handover
success rate.
15. Parameters related to concentric cell handover
A call at the edge of the overlaid subcell cannot be handed over to the underlaid subcell in
any of the following conditions: In the case of a normal concentric cell, the parameters
RX_LEV Threshold and RX_LEV Hysteresis are set to great values; in the case of an
enhanced concentric cell, the parameter OtoU HO Received Level Threshold is set to a
great value. As a result, a call drop is likely to occur. If the Call Drop Ratio on TCH on the
TRX in the OverLaid Subcell (RM330a) is high, you can appropriately set these parameters
so that calls at the edge of the overlaid subcell can be handed over to the underlaid subcell
in time. When a call in the underlaid subcell has interference, the call cannot be handed
over to the overlaid subcell if the RX_QUAL for UO HO Allowed parameter is set to Yes and
the RX_QUAL Threshold parameter is set to a great value. Thus, a call drop occurs. If the
Call Drop Ratio on TCH on the TRX in the Underlaid Subcell (RM330) is high, you can set
these parameters properly so that the call can be handed over to the overlaid
subcell at the earliest.
16. Parameters related to power control
If the power control level and quality threshold are set to small values, call drops are likely to
occur because of low signal level or bad voice quality.
17. T200 and N200
If the parameters T200 FACCH/F, T200 FACCH/H, N200 of FACCH/Full rate, and N200 of
FACCH/Half rate are set to small values, data links are disconnected too early. Thus, all
drops are likely to occur. If call drops occur because of T200 expiry, you can increase the
values of T200 and N200 properly.
18. Neighboring cell relations
If the neighboring cells confgured in the BA2 table are incomplete, call drops are likely to
occur in the case of no suitable neighboring cell for handover and progressive deterioration
in the voice quality. Neighboring cell relations should be confgured completely on the basis
of the drive test data and electronic map (for example, Nastar) to minimize the call drops
due to no available neighboring cells.
19. MAIO
If frequency hopping (FH) is applied in a cell and the MAIO is set inappropriately (for
example, diferent TRXs serving the same cell have the same MAIO), frequency collision
may occur during FH. Thus, the TCH call drop rate increases.
20. Disconnect Handover Protect Timer
This parameter is a software parameter of the BSC. After receiving a DISCONNECT
message from an MS, the BSC cannot hand over the MS within the period specifed by this
parameter. Therefore, the following case can be avoided: After being handed over to the
target cell, the MS cannot be put on hook because it does not receive a release
acknowledgement message. You are advised to set this parameter properly.
21. TR1N
This parameter should be set on the MSC side. It is used to avoid the retransmission of
short messages. When this parameter is set to a too great value, the MSC does not send a
CLEAR CMD message if the MS receives a short message during link disconnection. As a
result, the MS sends the BTS a DISC message to disconnect layer 2 connection. After
receiving the DISC message, the BTS sends a REL_IND message to the BSC. Then, the
BSC sends a CLEAR REQ message to the MSC and the number of call drops is
incremented by one.
22. Software Parameter 13 and MAX TA
When the parameter Software Parameter 13 is enabled and the parameter MAX TA is set to
a too small value, the channel is released when the TA of a call exceeds the MAX TA. In this
case, call drops occur. It is recommended that the parameter Software Parameter 13 should
not be enabled.
23. Directly Magnifer Site Flag
If a BTS is installed with repeaters, the handover between repeaters can only be
asynchronous because the distance between repeaters is long. If synchronous handovers
are performed, the handovers may fail and thus many call drops occur. Therefore, when a
BTS is installed with repeaters, the parameter Directly Magnifer Site Flag should be set to
Yes to avoid asynchronous handovers between cells under the same BTS.
Cv a
I assume that your coleague changed the MSC side timer T305 and T308, your coleague did a "clever" trick
to let the MSC clear the call early beore the !SS side "eg the dro" call statistics# In long run, your coleague
$ust "lays around these timer "arameters and doesn%t im"rove the net&ork 'uality# I sa& similar actions
beore#
(ere are the e)"lanation &hat these * timers are used or#
T305 timer is started at the MSC+MS &hen ,T-. message ,ISC/001CT is sent, this &ill guard the
,ISC/001CT "rocedure run correctly in T305 "eriod#
T308 timer is started at the MSC+MS &hen ,T-. message 2131-S1 is sent ater the ,ISC/001CT
"rocedure, this timer guards ho& long the 2131-S1 "rocedure runs#
45SM 06#08 section 5#6 call clearing7
T305 and T308 at MSC should be set to no less than 88 seconds to guarantee that the layer * T*00 is timing
out 0*00 times on the air interace, reducing these timers to less than 88 seconds &ill "ull them belo& the
related !SS timers9T*00:40*00;87 in this case< at the air
interace that are used to ensure a successul transmission o a message 4,ISC/001CT and 2131-S1 in this
case7 to+rom the mobile over the air interace# 0ormally the higher level MSC timers &ould be set longer
than the related lo&er level times in the !SS, using a strategy that lo&er level timers should e)"ire irst#
Setting T305 and T308 to less than 88 seconds here is orced the higher level MSC timers to e)"ire beore
the !SS timers9T*00:40*00;87 and link=ail4only or MSC issuing ,ISC/001CT+2131-S1 irst7< &hen there
are air interace transmission "roblems 42> intererence7 or ,ISC/001CT and 2131-S1 signalling, and as a
result the !SS statistics S,+TC( dro" doesn%t get a chance to "eg or T*00:40*00;87#
The end user e)"erience is "robably not that relevant here as they &ere trying to clear the call any&ay# The
end user &ould see no dierence#
(o&ever the net&ork o"erator could be ooled here though thinking that he has a clean 2> interace &ith a
lo&er dro" call rate, &hen in act there could be 2> intererence issues to be resolved# The lo& MSC timers
are $ust masking it#