2/21/2022

The Handoff

Lecture# 04

By: Dr. Shahzad Ashraf

Handoff Cont…
• As a mobile travels beyond the coverage region of its serving BSC, it
must be transferred to better BSC. If the average received power drops
too low prior to handoff, the call is dropped. Therefore, this minimum
average received power, below which a call cannot be received is denoted
by
Pr , minimum usable

• In-order to initiate a handoff prior to this point, it is crucial setting the a

higher threshold

Pr , handoff

• The sudden change in the power may occurs due to the multipath fading.
The time-averaged received power will be less variable, but will still vary
due to changes in the path length and due to the shadowing.
• Regardless, at high mobile speeds, this handoff needs to happen quickly.

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Handoff Cont…
• In GSM, the handoff is typically within 1-2 seconds. Whereas, in
Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), this was 10 seconds (higher
potential for dropped calls!).

The handoff margin can be given as ∆

∆ = Pr , handoff - Pr , minimum usable

• This cannot be too large or too small in either case.

• If the ∆ is too large, the unnecessary handsoff which might burden the
MSC may be the case.
• While if this ∆ is too small, there might be no substantial time to
complete a handoff before a call is lost due to the weak signals.
• It is imperative choosing the ∆ very carefully, to meet the conflicting
requirements.

Handoff Cont…
Example: The speed of a typical mobile set is considered as v = 35 meters/sec.
For n = 4, a cell radius of 500 meters (the distance at which the power is at the
threshold), and a 2 second handoff, what ∆ is needed?

Sol: When the mobile travels away from the BSC, the variation in the distance
d changes by 70 meters in two seconds. Consider the received power at the
two times.

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Handoff Cont…
How Handoff occurs...
• As the MSC moves away from the BSC of the cell, the signal strength
weakens and the radio connection of MSC is changed to the another
adjacent cell.

Handoff Cont…
How Handoff occurs...
• From initiation, looking for a new BSC, a decision must be made
X3 : start looking for a new BSC
X5 : Right time for switching

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Handoff Cont…
The Ping-Pong effect
• It happens when the MSC moves back and forth between the overlapped
area of two adjacent cells.

• To avoid this situation, the MSC should be allowed a continue maintaining

the radio link with the current BSi, until the signal strength from BSj
exceeds that of BSi by some pre-specified threshold value E (highlighted as
Xth)

Handoff Cont…
Handoff scenarios: Improper handoff

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Handoff Cont…
Handoff scenarios: Improper handoff

• In this scenario, the handoff is not made and the signal drops below a
minimum acceptance level just to keep the channel alive.
• This dropped call event can happen when there is an excessive delay by
the MSC in assigning a handoff or when the threshold ∆ is set too small
for the handoff time.
• Such excessive delay might occur during the high traffic conditions due
to the computational loading at the MSC or due to the lack of channel
availability on any of the nearby BSC.

Handoff Cont…
Handoff scenarios: Proper handoff

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Challenges to the Handoff …

The strategies used for Handoff detection

Mobile-controlled handoff (MCHO): Mobile decide for itself

In this strategy, the MSC continuously monitors the radio signal
strength and quality of the surrounding BSCs. When predefined
criteria are met, then the MSC checks for the best candidate BSC
for an available traffic channel and requests the handoff to occur.
In this strategy, most of the work is done by the mobile itself
because it knows

who it can hear

how well it can hear
and can even consider its battery level

Used in Telepoint (CT-2 and AMPS)

Challenges to the Handoff …

The strategies used for Handoff detection
Network-controlled handoff (NCHO): Network makes the decision
In the surrounding of BSCs, the MSC or both monitor the radio
signal. When the signal’s strength and quality deteriorate below a
predefined threshold, the network arranges for a handoff to another
channel.

Forward: the mobile initiates the handoff and sends the request to the new access point

Backward: the mobile initiates the handoff and sends the request to the old access point

Major drawback: The heavy network signaling traffic and confined

radio resources at the BSCs prevent frequent measurements of the
neighboring links. The long handoff time exceeds up tp 10 seconds
or even more...
Such decisions are used in Digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT),
Personal Access Communication System (PACS) and Mobile IP

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Challenges to the Handoff …

The strategies used for Handoff detection

Mobile-Assisted handoff (MAHO): Initially, mobile provides the

data for the network to make the decision. The network directs the
MSC to measure the signal from the surrounding BSCs and to
report those measurements back to the network. The network then
uses these measurements to determine where a handoff is required
and to which channel.

Further, If the network is unable to notify the mobile about the new
channel and time slot in both NCHO and MAHO, the call may be
terminated before the link quality has degraded too far.

It happens mostly in GSM and IS-95 CDMA.

Type of Handoff with reference to the network

Intra-system handoff or Inter-BSC handoff

In the intra-system handoff, the new and the old BSCs are connected to
the same MSC.

• The MSC momentarily suspends conversation and initiates the handoff procedure by
signaling on an idle (currently free) channel in the new BSC. Then it resumes the
conversation on the old BSC.

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Type of Handoff with reference to the network

Intra-system handoff or Inter-
BSC handoff

• Upon receipt of the signal, the MSC

transfers the encryption information to the
selected idle channel of the new BSC and
sets up the new conversation path to the
MSC through that channel. The switch
bridges the new path with the old path and
informs the MSC to transfer from the old
channel to the new channel.

• After the MSC has been transferred to the

new BSC, it signals the network and
resumes conversation using the new
channel.

Type of Handoff with reference to the network

Intra-system handoff or Inter-BSC handoff

• Upon the receipt of the handoff completion signal, the network removes the bridge,
from the path and releases resources associated with the old channel.

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Type of Handoff with reference to the network

Inter-system handoff or Inter-MSC handoff
In this system, the new and the old BSCs are connected to
different MSCs.

Type of Handoff with reference to the Link

transfer
This handoff falls into two categories as

• The hard handoff: The MSC connects with only one BSC at a
time, and there is usually some interruption in the conversation
during the link transition.

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Type of Handoff with reference to the Link

transfer
This handoff falls into two categories as

• The soft handoff: The two BSCs are briefly simultaneously

connected to the MSC while crossing the cell boundary. As soon
as the mobile's link with the new BSC is acceptable, the
initial BSC disengages from the MSC.

The handoff goals

Limiting the impact on the traffic
• Making a handoff at the right time

Tolerance/ adaptation for the congestion and the capacity

• The new and the old cells may have different levels of utilization and can avail the available
bandwidth at the current time.

Efficiency
• The handoff should result in improved efficiency, such as improvement in traffic, the energy
consumption and the reduced interference etc.
• Further, the handoff process should be intelligent enough trying to minimize the resources it
consumes.

Improve availability
• The handoff should result in using a BSC which provides better bandwidth, the lower cost,
lower delay and the low delay variance etc.

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The End

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