Neighboring checks

1. Overall
principles for setting neighbor cells:

Do not configure too many neighbor cells to reduce the complexity of neighbor ranking algorithm complexity
and reduce HO duration. The proper number is 15-25 (considering the mature experience of the radio network
optimization).

2. Neighboring audit principals

The optimization of neighbor cells consists of the following:

 Configuration of initial neighbor cells

 Optimization of incorrectly configured neighbor cells
 Optimization of unnecessary neighbor cells
 Optimization of missing neighbor cells

Configuring neighbor cells incorrectly is a problem frequently encountered on-site, which has great influence
on network performance. The most common problem is a large amount of Call drop. The on-site engineers
mainly depend on drive tests and signal tracing to find and locate these problems, which results in complicated
solutions and low efficiency.

The first cause of incorrect configuration of neighbor cells is inaccurate engineering parameter. The symptom
of incorrect configuration of neighbor cells is that, at handover, call drop occurs caused by HO failures.

2.1 Analyzing unneeded neighbors

As a network is swapped, expanded, or created, the GSM neighbor cell relationship changes constantly.
Therefore, unnecessary neighbor cell relationships or full neighbor cell relationships occur frequently. In this
case, part of the GSM neighbor cells needs be deleted.

In order to check the number of occurrence of handover relation, you can use GCELL-GCELL counters in
Huawei. Remove relations that represent less than 1% of all occurrences for the cell handover relations.

After deletion, observe the call drop of the cells whose neighbor cells are deleted. If the number of call drops
increases and the call drop ratio increases significantly, recover the deleted neighbor cells, and delete other
neighbor cells. Otherwise, do not recover the deleted neighbor cells.

2.2 Analyzing Missing Neighbor Cells Problems

Missing neighbors can be checked with DT or replanning. Missing neighbors lead to increase in CDR, but also to
traffic concentration, resources over-usage and congestions. Use Asset in order to make a new plan. However,
a visual representation of neighboring with specific tool such as MapInfo is required in order to finalize the plan
and make sure that all needed neighbors are present.

2.3 Checking One-Way Neighbor Cell

In the optimization of neighbor cells, if the neighbor cell relationship of one direction is added only according to
the first-layer neighbor relationship or the number of handovers and handover probability, that corresponding
reverse neighbor cell relationships are missed frequently. Therefore, the one-way neighbor cells need be
checked and the missing neighbor cells need to be added.

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 2.4 Optimizing Inter-System Neighbor Cells

In the case of co-siting WCDMA cells, the co-siting WCDMA cell and all the WCDMA neighbor cells of this GSM
cell can be regarded as neighbor cells of this cell. All neighbor cell relationships with this cell should be updated
synchronously.

Do as follows to optimize missing inter-system neighbor cells:

1. Convert the general engineering parameter lists of GSM to different MapInfo layers through the
MapInfo plug-in unit.
2. Mark the sector azimuth charts of WCDMA and GSM on the MapInfo layer with different colors. Judge
which WCDMA cells are first-layer inter-system neighbor cells of this cell according to these charts.
3. Compare the neighbor cell relationships configured in existing networks to judge whether there are
missing WCDMA cells. If yes, configure them.

You can also use quick mapping of WCDMA intrafrequency relations in order to configure. For this part, map
the 3G cells definitions (CI and Cell name) to corresponding cosector GSM Cells. A visual check with MapInfo is
required to check relevance of this conversion and add missing neighbors later on.

3. Check of external cells

3.1 External 2G Cells

In each RNC, 2G cells must be defined correctly in order to have inter BSC handover performed correctly. If this
configuration is missing, the inter BSC neighbors can’t be added. If this configuration is wrong, inter BSC HO
Success Rate will be low.

Parameters to be check are the following:

Parameter name Signification

MCC The code of the country to which the BSC belongs.
MNC The code of the mobile communication network to which the BSC belongs.
Location Area Code (LAC) of the GSM cell.
LAC Note: H'0000 and H'FFFE are reserved values.
This parameter defines a routing area within a location area for the PLMN of GSM-MAP type.
RAC Routing Area Code (RAC) is defined by the operator.
CI Identifying a GSM cell.
NCC Uniquely identifying the different network in the neighboring area.
BCC Uniquely identifying a neighboring base station with the same carrier.
BCCH Identifying BCCH frequency number of the inter-RAT cell.
Make sure that definition parameters correspond to the real configuration of 2G cells.

3.2 External 3G Cells

In each RNC, 3G cells belonging to 3G RNCs and involved in reselection with 2G cells from current BSC must be
declared in order to make IRAT reselection feasible. If declaration is missing, relations to cells in the RNC can’t
be declared. If declaration is wrong, reselection may not occur.

Parameters to be check are the following:

Parameter ID Meaning

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CI Uniquely identifying a neighboring RNC cell.
MCC The code of the country to which the BSC belongs.

MNC The code of the mobile communication network to which the BSC belongs.
SCRAMBLE Primary downlink scrambling code.
RNC ID of a 3G external cell. The value of this parameter must be consistent with the data
RNCID configuration at the RNC.

DL UARFCN This parameter indicates the DL frequency of a cell.

LAC This parameter identifies a location area code.
RA This parameter indicates the routing area code.
3.3 External LTE Cells

In each RNC, LTE cells involved in reselection and HO with cells of the current RNC must be correctly declared. If
declaration is missing, HO relation can’t be declared. If external LTE cell has a wrong declaration in the RNC, this
leads to 3G to LTE HO failure.

Parameters to be check are the following:

Parameter ID Meaning
MCC The code of the country to which the BSC belongs.
MNC The code of the mobile communication network to which the BSC belongs.

EUTRANCELLID This parameter is used to uniquely identify an LTE cell in the PLMN. EutranCellId consists of
eNodeBID of 20 bits and CellID of 8 bits, that is EutranCellId=eNodeBID x 256 + CellID.

This parameter specifies Tracking Area Code (TAC) of a cell. In principle, base stations in a certain
TAC area are managed by an MME in specialized charge of the area. The TAC of each cell under these
base stations is recorded in the MME. TAC in this area should be configured within the value
range.
CnOpGrpIndex This parameter specifies the index of the operator group that serves the cell.
CELLPHYID This parameter specifies the physical cell identity of an LTE cell.
LTEBAND This parameter specifies the frequency band that an LTE cell is on.
LTEARFCN This parameter specifies the downlink frequency used by an LTE cell.

This parameter specifies whether an LTE cell supports PS handover.

When this parameter is set to SUPPORT, the RNC support the PS handover from UMTS to LTE.
SUPPPSHOFLAG Before selection, it must be confirmed that CN NEs, and the LTE cell both support the handover
flow.
When this parameter is set to NOT SUPPORT, not all of the RNC, CN NEs, and the LTE cell support
the PS handover from UMTS to LTE.

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4. Diagrams

Start

Check one way neighbors

Check too many neighbors Check too few neighbors for interRAT
Check too many neighbors for interRAT Check external 3G cells config
Check too few neighbors Check external 2G cells config

Cell has too many neighbors?

False Cell has too many neighbors?
False

True True

SPU load
relief
Check redundancy interRAT neighbors
Check redundancy intrafreqCheck intrafreq missingCheck
neighbors neighbors
interRAT missing neighbors

End

Problem
solved

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