International Journal of Wireless & Mobile Networks (IJWMN) Vol. 7, No.

4, August 2015

SINR, RSRP, RSSI AND RSRQ

MEASUREMENTS IN LONG TERM
EVOLUTION NETWORKS
1

Farhana Afroz, 1Ramprasad Subramanian, 1Roshanak Heidary, 1Kumbesan

Sandrasegaran and 2Solaiman Ahmed
1

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology,

University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
2
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT
The four basic Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements in Long Term Evolution (LTE) system
are Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal
Received Quality (RSRQ), and Carrier Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). A measurement of
channel quality represented by Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) is used for link adaptation
along with packet scheduling, whereas RSRP and RSRQ are needed for making handover decision during
intra-eUTRAN (evolved Universal Terrestrial Random Access Network) handover in LTE. In this paper,
some practical measurement results recorded from a live LTE network of Australia using a commercial
measurement tool namely NEMO Handy are analysed to verify the possible relationships among SINR,
RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ as well as to evaluate the effects of SNR on throughput. In addition, the intraeUTRAN handover events occurred during the test period within the test area are studied. The analysis
yields some useful information such as: if the SINR is good for a measurement slot, higher throughput is
achieved; RSRP and SNR are proportional to each other on average; and lesser is the difference between
RSSI and RSRP, better is the RSRQ each of which is consistent with theory. All the measurement results
are evaluated using computer programs built on MATLAB platform.

KEYWORDS
RRM, SINR, RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, Link Adaptation, Packet Scheduling, Throughput, Handover

1.INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the demand of accessing high data rate applications on mobile device has
noticeably increased. LTE, commonly marketed as 4G, is the 3GPP-standardized OFDMA/SCFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access in downlink/ Single Carrier Frequency
Division Multiple Access in uplink) based wireless cellular system, which mainly focuses on
providing high peak data rates, high spectral efficiency, improved capacity and coverage, short
round trip time, and spectrum flexibility [1, 2, 3]. LTE radio access network, usually termed as eUTRAN, consists of eNodeBs only where all RRM-related functions are performed. RRM
ensures that the air interface resources are efficiently utilized so that network efficiency is
maximised, Quality of Service (QoS) required for each service/bearer/user be guaranteed, and
high capacity and planned coverage are maintained. The RRM functionalities comprise of a range
of algorithms employed for the optimal utilisation of radio resources. LTE RRM functions can be
categorized as network based functions and connection based functions [4]. The network based
DOI : 10.5121/ijwmn.2015.7409

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RRM functions, which are performed for a whole cell, include packet scheduling, admission
control and load control, whereas the connection based functions such as power control and
handover control are executed per connection basis. Among these RRM functions, packet
scheduling is the process by which available radio resources are allocated among active users in
order to satisfy their QoS requirements [5]. The smallest unit of radio resource that can be
allocated to a user for data transmission is called Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). The main
objectives of packet scheduling are to maximize the cell capacity, to satisfy the minimum QoS
needed for connections, and to maintain adequate resources for best-effort users with no strict
QoS requirements [6]. In channel dependent scheduling, scheduling decisions are made based on
channel conditions. The basic principle of channel dependent scheduling is to allocate PRBs to
the users with relatively better channel conditions, and to avoid PRB allocation to the users
experiencing deep fades. All users need to report the CQI computed by decoding the reference
signals to the eNodeB which selects the user for data transmission and determines MCS
(Modulation and Coding Scheme) based on instantaneous channel quality. CQI is a quantized and
scaled version of the experienced SINR. The process of adapting MCS depending on current
channel conditions is termed as Link Adaptation. If the SINR is good, higher order MCS (e.g.
64QAM) can be selected implying that more bits per modulation symbol can be transmitted and
higher throughput can be achieved. If the SINR is poor, lower order MCS (i.e. QPSK) should be
selected implying fewer bits per symbol are transmitted which in turn results in lower throughput.
Other important RRM function is making handover (HO) decision based on handover algorithms.
LTE supports break-before-make HO or hard HO only. In general, LTE HO process is divided
into three steps such as measurement, judgement, and execution among which measurement is a
crucial step that can directly affect HO performance [7]. Two measurement criteria such as RSRP
and RSRQ are used to make a cell reselection or HO decision. When the RSRP and/or RSRQ of
the serving cell fall(s) below the RSRP and/or RSRQ of the neighbor cell by a predefined HO
margin for certain period of time, handover occurs. Fig. 1 shows that when a RSRP of a neighbor
cell exceeds the signal strength of a serving cell by a predefined HO margin for certain duration,
handover triggers. This paper provides an experimental study on the LTE measurements such as
SINR, RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ to find the possible relationships among them as well as to
analyse the effects of SNR on throughput. Furthermore, the intra-eUTRAN handover events
occurred during the test period within the test area are studied. Some practical measurement
results recorded from a live LTE network of Australia using a commercial measurement tool
namely NEMO Handy are analysed for these purposes.
The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 illustrates an overview of each of these
four LTE measurements followed by the obtained results and discussion in Section 3. Finally,
Section 4 concludes the paper.

Figure 1: A typical handover scenario [8]

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2.OVERVIEW OF LTE MEASUREMENTS

In this section, the UE-related measurements in LTE such as SINR, RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ are
illustrated as follows.
Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) is measured by UE on Resource Block (RB) basis.
UE computes SINR on each RB, converts it to CQI and reports it to eNodeB where it is used to
select the most suitable MCS for user data transmission in particular RB. SINR value defines the
MCS to be used for a RB i.e. the number of bits per modulation symbol to be sent i.e. throughput
to be achieved for that particular RB as well as the number of RBs to be allocated by eNodeB to
user [9]. SINR can be defined as the ratio of the signal power to the summation of the average
interference power from the other cells and the background noise.
Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) is a cell-specific signal strength related metric that is
used as an input for cell resection and handover decisions. For a particular cell, RSRP is defined
as the average power (in Watts) of the Resource Elements (REs) that carry cell-specific Reference
Signals (RSs) within the considered bandwidth [10].
RSRP measurement, normally expressed in dBm, is utilized mainly to make ranking among
different candidate cells in accordance with their signal strength. Generally, the reference signals
on the first antenna port are used to determine RSRP, however, the reference signals sent on the
second port can also be used in addition to the RSs on the first port if UE can detect that they are
being transmitted [10, 11].
Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) measurement is a cell-specific signal quality metric.
Similar to the RSRP measurement, this metric is used mainly to provide ranking among different
candidate cells in accordance with their signal quality. This metric can be employed as an input in
making cell reselection and handover decisions in scenarios (for example) in which the RSRP
measurements are not sufficient to make reliable cell-reselection/handover decisions. It is defined
as [10]:


 =

(.

)
(
 
)

(1)

where, N is the number of Resource Blocks (RBs) of the LTE carrier Received Signal Strength
Indicator (RSSI) measurement bandwidth.
Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is the linear average of the total received power
observed only in OFDM symbols carrying reference symbols by UE from all sources, including
co-channel non-serving and serving cells, adjacent channel interference and thermal noise, within
the measurement bandwidth over N RBs [10, 11]. RSSI is used as an input to compute the LTE
RSRQ measurement discussed above.
From the above Eq. (1), it is seen that due to the inclusion of RSSI, RSRQ considers the
combined effect of signal strength and interference. It can also be observed that mathematically
RSRQ is proportional to RSRP.
RSRP, RSRQ and RSSI measurements are defined by 3GPP, however SINR is not defined in
3GPP specifications; it is specified by UE vendors.

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3.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this section, some practical measurement results recorded from a live LTE network of
Australia using a commercial measurement tool namely NEMO Handy are analysed to verify the
possible relationships among LTE measurement parameters such as SINR, RSRP, RSSI and
RSRQ as well as to evaluate the effects of SNR on throughput (Case 1). Furthermore, the intraeUTRAN handover events occurred during the test period within the test area are studied (Case
2). All the measurements results are analysed using computer programs built on MATLAB
platform. The mobility scenarios along with the discussion of the obtained results are reported in
following subsections.

3.1.Case 1: Study of LTE Measurements

In Case 1, a mobility scenario with the NEMO handset moving at a pedestrian speed from an area
with good signal quality to the cell boundary where there is no adjacent cell to make HO to (i.e.
death spot), is considered. The measurement results were recorded while the handset was
downloading a file. The considered LTE network was an LTE FDD network with a bandwidth of
10MHz that corresponds to 50 PRBs. The measurement was taken over 188 measurement slots.
Unlike scheduling slot, the term measurement slot refers to the time scale when the NEMO
handset could record the data.
3.1.1. Relationship between SNR and RSRP
In this subsection, the SNR and RSRP graphs are compared to observe the possible relationship
between them. Comparing the SNR and RSRP graphs in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 respectively, it can be
observed that as a whole both SNR and RSRP show a decreasing trend with increasing
measurement slots. As mentioned earlier the measurements were conducted while the handset
was moving from an area with good signal quality to the cell boundary where there is no adjacent
cell to handover. As a consequence, theoretically the SNR should be higher at the starting
measurement slot and progressively should be lower as the handset is moving toward cell edge. In
addition to this, if SNR is higher, channel quality is better i.e. RSRP will be better. It can be
noticed from the figures that the RSRP and SNR graphs follow this trend on average implying
that RSRP and SNR are proportional to each other on average.

Figure 2: RS SNR versus measurement slots

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Figure 3: RSRP versus measurement slots

3.1.2. Relationship among RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ

A comparative analysis among RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ is reported in this subsection. Comparing
the RSRP, RSRQ and RSSI graphs in Fig. 3, 4 and 5 respectively, it can be observed that both
RSRP and RSSI follow the similar declining trend with increasing measurement slots. It is also
observed that at a specific measurement slot RSRP is always less than RSSI. To find the possible
relationship among RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ, a more elaborative study is made in which the
difference between RSRP and RSSI are calculated for each measurement slot. It is noticed that
lesser the difference between RSSI and RSRP, better the RSRQ. This is due to the fact that since
RSRP is always less than RSSI, lesser difference between RSRP and RSSI implies lesser
interference which in turn leads to better received signal quality. As an example, comparing the
measurement values between measurement slot 3 and measurement slot 4, it is observed that the
difference between RSRP and RSSI for port- 1 (22.8) is lesser and the RSRQ is better (-5.8dB) at
measurement slot 3 as compared with those for measurement slot 4 in which the difference value
and RSRQ are 23.4 and -6.4dB respectively. The same conclusion could be made both for port-1
and port-2 for all cases which is consistent with the theoretical analysis of Eq. 1.

Figure 4: RSRQ versus measurement slots

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Figure 5: RSSI versus measurement slots

3.1.3. SNR versus Throughput

In this subsection, the effects of SNR on throughput is thoroughly studied. A comparison between
the SNR vs measurement slots and throughput vs measurement slots is made as shown in Fig. 6.
It is observed that the throughput is maximum (27231319 bps) at measurement slot 70 and
minimum (1832937 bps) at measurement slot 146. It can also be observed that at SNR value of
5.6dB (at measurement slot 137) the throughput starts degrading lower than 10 Mbps for more
than 10 measurement slots. It is noticed that the throughput is lower than 10Mbps from
measurement slot 137 to measurement slot 178.
To study the possible relationship between SNR and PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared
Channel) throughput, the average amount of allocated PRBs has been calculated and found to be
32 PRBs approximately and then the throughput is computed for each measurement slot for
respective maximum SNR using the following equation.
C = . W. log2(1+ .snr)

(2)

Where, C is the throughput in bps, W is the bandwidth of one RB (i.e. 180 KHz), snr is the signal
to noise ratio expressed as a linear power ratio, and the typical value of is between 0.1 to 1.
The graphical representation of the maximum SNR versus corresponding throughput computed
using Eq. 2 is shown in Fig. 7. It is seen that if the SNR is good for a measurement slot, higher
throughput is achieved which is consistent with link adaptation theory.
Furthermore, the PRB percentage and modulation percentage graphs for tmax = 70 at which peak
throughput occurs and tmin = 146 at which lowest throughput occurs are depicted in Fig. 8 and
Fig. 9. Comparing Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, it is seen that for measurement slot, tmax= 70 at which
maximum throughput occurs, the percentage of 64QAM (6 bits/symbol) modulation scheme is
higher than other two lower order modulation schemes, whereas for measurement slot, tmin= 146
at which lowest throughput occurs, the percentage of QPSK (2 bits/symbol) modulation scheme
dominates, and higher order modulation scheme such as 16QAM or 64QAM has not been
selected for signal transmission at all. It is also observed that at measurement slot, tmax= 70, the
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probability of allocating 50 PRBs to the UEs by the eNB is highest (73.4%), whereas at tmin=146,
the probability of allocating 0 PRB is highest (52%). It can be predicted that at tmax, more PRBs
are allocated to the UE by eNB due to the good channel condition (i.e. good CQI report or good
SNR). The higher value of SNR causes higher order modulation scheme (64QAM) to be selected
for data transmission which implies more bits per symbol are transmitted and thus higher
throughput is achieved at tmax. At measurement slot, tmin, the channel condition seems to be worse
i.e. SNR is poor and thats why lower order modulation scheme (QPSK) is selected as well as the
probability of allocating more PRBs is decreased. As fewer number of bits per symbol are
transmitted in QPSK, the achieved throughput is lower at tmin. This process of selecting MCS
based on channel condition is called link adaptation in LTE.

Figure 6: Finding SNR at which the throughput starts to degrade (i.e. when the throughput is lower than 10
Mbps for more than 10 measurement slots)

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Figure 7: SNR versus throughput

Figure 8: Modulation percentage and PRB percentage at measurement slot, tmax=70 at which maximum
throughput occurs

Figure 9: Modulation percentage and PRB percentage at measurement slot, tmin=146 at which lowest
throughput occurs
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3.2. Case 2: Study of intra-eUTRAN Handover Events

In Case 2, the intra-eUTRAN handover test was performed using NEMO Handy in a handover
scenario where total three FTP download sessions were run downloading the file of 100MB while
the UE was travelling on a train from Redfern to Petersham. Similar to Case 1, the network with
which the test was performed was an LTE FDD network with a bandwidth of 10MHz. Total 13
cells served the UE during the test period, with 13 successful handover events occurred within
LTE eUTRAN at 100% HO success rate. In this subsection, the intra-eUTRAN handover events
occurred during the test are analysed.
A graphical analysis of RSRP and RSRQ of the serving cells during the test period is made using
Fig. 10. Since RSRP and RSRQ values are negative, the closer the value to 0, the better is the
RSRP/RSRQ. Hence, the maximum and minimum RSRP values are found to be -66.1dBm and 125dBm respectively, whereas the maximum and minimum RSRQ values are seen to be -1.9dB
and -15dB respectively. The average RSRP and RSRQ values are calculated and found as 92.8435dBm and -7.86949dB respectively which is an indication of average quality LTE FDD
network.

Figure 10: RSRP and RSRQ plot of the serving cells

A pictorial representation of RSRP and RSRQ for one successful handover event is depicted in
Fig. 11. In this figure, the handover event made from PCI (Physical Cell Identity) 210 to PCI 212
is considered and the corresponding RSRP and RSRQ graph for the old cell (i.e. PCI 210) and the
new cell (i.e. PCI 212) is shown. From Fig. 11, it is seen that the HO has occurred at slot 50, and
the HO process triggers exactly at time 32:03.1. This successful HO was made with delay 0.044s.
As seen from the figure, the HO takes place due to the fact that both the RSRP and RSRQ of the
neighbor cell 212 exceed compared with those of the serving cell 210 for certain period of time.
At slot 50, the RSRP values of PCI 210 and PCI 212 are -89.9dBm and -81.1dBm respectively,
and the RSRQ values of PCI 210 and PCI 212 are -13.7dB and -9.2dB respectively, implying that
the RSRP/RSRQ of PCI 210 drops below the RSRP/RSRQ values of PCI 212. Consequently,
handover occurs from cell 210 to cell 212 to maintain the quality of ongoing data session.
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Figure 11: RSRP and RSRQ plot for one successful handover from PCI 210 to PCI 212

A repeated back and forth HO event between two base stations (eNodeBs) namely ping-pong HO
is also observed and shown in Fig. 12. It is noticed that during the test, ping pong handover was
encountered between PCI 210 and PCI 212. The ping-pong HO might happen due to the frequent
movement of the terminal between the source and the target eNodeB, passing trees, buildings or
other obstacles, or due to the high fluctuation of the signal at the overlapped boundary of the
eNodeBs. The location area of users, their movement and speed as well as the coverage
parameters are the key considerations that can lead ping-pong HO.

Figure 12: RSRP plot to show ping-pong handover

4.CONCLUSION
In this work, an analysis of some practical measurement results recorded from a live LTE FDD
network of Australia are presented to verify the possible relationships among LTE measurements
such as SINR, RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ as well as to evaluate the effects of SNR on throughput.
Furthermore, the handover events occurred within LTE-eUTRAN during the test period are
studied. It is observed that RSRP and SNR are proportional to each other on average, and lesser
the difference between RSSI and RSRP, better is the RSRQ, and if the SINR is better for a
measurement slot, higher throughput is achieved. It is also noticed that when the RSRP and/or
RSRQ of a serving cell drops below the RSRP/RSRQ of neighbor cell, the handover event occurs
to maintain the ongoing call or data session. All of these observations are found to be consistent
with theory. Our future work includes the performance analysis of a live LTE TDD network
based on practical measurement results.
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