DRIVE TESTING

Introduction

by: RJPLaurente
What is Drive Testing (DT)?
• Drive testing is a method of measuring and assessing a mobile radio network’s coverage, capacity, and quality of service
(QoS)
• Drive testing is the most commonly used measurement tool of operators to probe the network quality status and is an
aid in solving network problems
• This method requires a mobile vehicle outfitted with drive testing measurement equipment. The equipment are usually
highly specialized electronic devices that interface to OEM mobile handsets. This is a way to ensure that the
measurements are realistic and comparable to actual user experiences.

Why do we perform Drive Testing?

• To check and verify the deployment of new network sites in order to meet KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators): usually
the coverage, capacity, and quality requirements
• Optimization and improvement of the network
• Network performance benchmarking
• Site troubleshooting
• To verify the performance impact after a network upgrade and/or reconfiguration
Drive Testing:
• It is an activity performed to check the RF environment within a defined test area thru the use of RF drive test tools
• Data collected and recorded by the drive test tools are in the form of “logfiles”, which are then assessed to evaluate the
various RF parameters of the network
• This is done by the use of a motor vehicle containing the mobile radio network air interface measurement equipment
that can detect and record a wide variety of the physical and virtual parameters of mobile cellular service in a given
geographical area

What are the collected data during Drive Testing? What information do these “logfiles” contain?
• Signal Strength
• Signal Quality
• Interference
• QoS information
• Handover Information
• Dropped Call events
• Blocked Call events
• Call statistics
• Neighbor Cell information
• GPS location (Coordinates)
Important Considerations prior to Drive Testing:
Tool Preparedness
• All drive test tools must be fully functional and calibrated prior to drive testing. Ensuring these will result to a more
efficient activity and reliable results.

Site Status Checking

• Site/s due for testing should be checked before proceeding with the activity. Site “health check” can be confirmed
remotely from the NOC team. Testing is unlikely to proceed if site has an active service affecting alarm.

Vehicle and Driver Condition

• The road safety of every personnel will rely mainly on the driver and the vehicle. Driver should have enough rest and is
free from illness to ensure safety. Test vehicle should also have undergone proper care and maintenance before being
deployed for the activity.
 Typical Drive Test (in-vehicle) Tool Setup
Below are the usual DT tools found on
common DT setups including its functions:
1) Laptop – it is where the DT software is
installed and executed 2
2) GPS – device interfaced with the DT 4
software to update geographical
location
3) Dongle license – the device needed to
run the authentic DT software
4) Power Inverter – converts 12V DC to 3 1 5
220V AC
5) MS1 – it is the main measuring tool 6
used in DT (via radio air interface) and
used to simulate end-user experience 7
6) MS2 – same as the MS1 (function may
vary depending on the required DT
scenario)
7) MS3 - same as the MS1 (function may
vary depending on the required DT
scenario)
 Common Drive Test (in-vehicle) Tool Setup
Inside the motor vehicle, the tool setup is
prepared prior to the actual drive test. Tool
preparation is very important to ensure
the integrity of data to be collected. Every
tool should be functional before starting
the test.
 Drive Test Location and Route
Drive tests are done on specified areas
where newly integrated, reconfigured, or
upgraded site/s are located.

At the right is a provided snapshot of a

sample planned Drive test map.

Drive Testing Scope

Single Site Testing
Testing which is intended only for a site
which may also include the immediate
neighbor site.

Cluster Testing
Testing intended for a group of sites
pre-defined as a “cluster”: all sites of
which are bounded by a polygon called
the cluster boundary.
Radio Access Technologies (RAT)

2G (GSM) – Global System for Mobile communications

Network services catered:
• Digital Voice Calls
• SMS (Short Message Service)
• MMS (Multimedia Message Service)

3G (UMTS) – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

Network services catered:
• Digital Voice Calls
• Video Calls
• Packet based SMS (Short Message Service)
• Data rates upto 2Mbps

4G (LTE) – Long Term Evolution

Network services catered:
• High Speed Data usage
• Voice over IP (VoIP) services
Drive Test KPI’s
A radio network is being assessed and evaluated through KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators). These KPI’s determine whether
a certain tested network qualifies to the standards and targets set by the network operators.
Below are the common DT KPI’s:
• Coverage (Signal Strength %)
• Quality (Signal Quality %)
• Accessibility (Call Setup Success Rate %)
• Retainability (Call Drop Rate %)
• Integrity (Ave. Data throughput)
• Mobility (Handover Success Rate %)
 Drive Test KPI’s
RF Coverage
Relates to the geographical footprint within the system that has sufficient RF signal strength to provide for a call/data session.

Rx Quality
In measuring voice quality, samples on a scale from 0 to 7 for GSM operators are measured. Rx Quality between 0-5 is considered
to be good, whereas RxQual beyond this benchmark is considered poor.

Accessibility
Is the ability of a service to be obtained within specific tolerances and other given conditions, when requested by the user. It is
monitored by measuring Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) which is defined as the ratio of Call Success to Call Attempts.

Retainability
The ability of the network to sustain the obtained service under conditions for a requested duration. Retainability is monitored by
measuring Call Drop rate defined by the ratio of Call Drop Events to the Call Attempts.

Integrity
Are used to measure the character or honesty of network to its user, such as what is the throughput, latency which users were
served.

Mobility
In a cellular system, a base station has only a limited coverage area. Hence, it is possible for a moving subscriber to be out of range
while on service. The process by which a phone call is transferred from one base station to another as the subscriber passes the
boundary of a cell is called Handover. Handover success rate (HOSR) is measured by the ratio of Handover Success to Handover
Attempts.
Signal Strength Signal Quality
2G: RxLev (Received Signal Level) - dBm 2G: RxQual (Received Signal Quality) - dB
Upper threshold Upper threshold
KPI Target (>= 5 dB) *
Lower threshold
KPI Target (>= -75 dBm) *

Lower threshold

3G: RSCP (Received Signal Code Power) - dBm 3G: Ec/Io (Energy to Interference Ratio) - dB
Upper threshold Upper threshold
KPI Target (>= -10 dB) *
KPI Target (>= -80 dBm) *

Lower threshold
Lower threshold

4G: RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) - dBm 4G: SINR (Signal to Interference Noise Ratio) - dB
Lower threshold
Lower threshold
KPI Target (>= 15 dBm) *
KPI Target (>= -85 dBm) *
Upper threshold
Upper threshold

*KPI targets may vary per project requirement *KPI targets may vary per project requirement
 DT Tool Workspace Overview (Sample)
1. Map window
• This is a part of the workspace
where you may view the
vicinity map, DT route, site
locations, real time geo
location, and DT events 1
encountered. 2
2. Legend window
• A reference and modification
window for drive test plot
legends. Colors and ranges may
vary depending on the
requirement of the project.
 DT Tool Workspace Overview (Sample)
3. Line Chart window
• A line chart visual of the actual
measured Radio parameter.
3 4
4. Current Channel window
• Displays essential information
and details on the current
serving cell’s channel.
5. Radio Parameter window
• Displays the real time
measured radio parameters of
the current serving cell, which
includes legend oriented color
display as a visual aide.
6. GPS Information window 7
• Window displays the realtime
5 6
coordinates, bearing, and
altitude as measured by the
GPS.
7. Serving + Neighbor window
• Simultaneously displays
combined information of the
current serving cell and the
measured neighbor cells.