Volte Optimization

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Huawei Confidential 1

Vo5G Standardized in R15, VoLTE is foundation

2017 2018 2019

R15: Reuse IMS for Vo5G R16: enhanced IMS extend to verticals

• Caller/called domain SA1: SA2: SA2:

Vo5G Standardization & Study on Study on
selection Study on
consensus enhanced IMS integrated
• 4/5G service continuity Architecture&

• Vo5G emergency call

8 use cases functional with 5GC

4G will become basic network to replace 2/3G No CSFB, VoLTE is foundation of 5G Voice
Source ： Huawei MI
Vo5G Key Challenges: 5G

X
• Voice continuous coverage vs. PS-HO
CSFB
5G hotspot coverage
23B$ LTE
• Complexity of 2/3/4/5G
coordination
SRVCC
GSM/UMTS

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VoLTE Introduction - Basic Structure Signaling

Media

Description
Terminal Access Bearer CS IMS AS
VoLTE is voice sessions set up over IP networks between the UE and the IMS.
That is, the calling and the called parties can use voice services within an LTE
network. VOLTE AS
eMGW eMSC IM-MGW MGCF
(Called) BTS/NodeB BSC/RNC

Voice & PS service continuity EPC HLR/HSS

SCP AS
• SRVCC （ Single-Radio Voice Call Continuity ） based on coverage CSCF
based inter-RAT mobility
MME PCRF
SMSC
• PS service handover to 2G/3G networks when DTM (Dual Transfer Mode)
SBC
is supported eNodeB
ENUM
(Caller
• PS service suspended when DTM is not supported. ) S-GW P-GW CRBT Platform

MME: Mobility Management Entity HSS ： Home Subscriber Server

Note: SRVCC is triggered if and only if the LTE UE is going out of the LTE coverage SCP ： Service Control Point SBC ： Session Border Controller
CRBT ： Color Ring Back Tone PCRF ： Policy and Charging Rule Function
Core Network Support MGCF: Media Gateway Control Function HSS ： Home Subscriber Server
Sv interface between MME and MSC enhanced CSCF ： Proxy Call Session Control Function SMSC ： Short Message Service Centre
for SRVCC.
EMSC MME
Benefits
 VoLTE provides UEs in the E-UTRAN with voice services, without the need of falling back to GERAN or UTRAN.
Terminal Support
 VoLTE features the following characteristics: Higher spectral efficiency, Better user experience, such as lower
• 3GPP SRVCC UE is needed to perform SRVCC
access delay and better voice quality
eSRVCC ： ATCF(Access Transfer Control Function)/ATGW(Access Transfer Gateway)

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VoLTE Challenge1: VoLTE is much different from Data Service

Different Different Different Devices

Different Sensitivity Different Handover
Sensitivity to Bandwidth Requirement
to packet Loss impact
delay and jitter requirement

MOS Declined Sharply with Interference Increase Data service throughput keep stable

Sharp decline in MOS Stable throughput

score

•Serious jitter leads to loss of •The VoLTE service is sensitive to call •The VoLTE service is sensitive to •The VoLTE service has the same
transmitted data packets and serious drops. handover. Frequent handover affects requirements for the uplink bandwidth
delay causes communication delays. •Data service is less sensitive to call the MOS score. and downlink bandwidth.
drops and can be re-established after •The data service has higher
call drops. requirements for downlink bandwidth
than uplink bandwidth due to its heavy
download traffic.
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Challenge2: Voice Quality Complaints “One-way Audio,
Discontinuity, Word Skipping”
50%

From Statistics of China Mobile

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Challenge3: Good KPIs, Hard to Identify & solve Voice
Quality Issues

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Challenge4: Wireless Coverage is Important

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VoLTE Optimization Challenges1
The VoLTE Service Brings Network Optimization Differentiation
IP-based VoLTE voice services raise new Application of unique VoLTE features requires
requirements on channel optimization. parameter optimization for optimization effect
enhancement.
• VoLTE voice services set up dedicated
bearers on the IMS. • Capacity improvement: ROHC, voice
• Compared with data services, the VoLTE characteristic awareness scheduling, and
voice services have requirements on semi-persistent scheduling
channels in terms of the packet loss rate • Coverage enhancement: TTI Bundling, RLC
and delay. segmentation, and ROHC
• The wireless and EPC networks set up • Voice quality assurance and assessment:
bearer channels, and the IMS network VQM and uplink compensation scheduling
handles voice services.

VoLTE services involve various NEs in multiple domains,

VoLTE voice service continuity needs to be
expanding the interconnection performance optimization
guaranteed using high-performing eSRVCC.
dimension.
• VoLTE <-> VoLTE interconnection analysis
• GUL multi-network coordination strategy • VoLTE <-> GSM and UMTS interconnection
planning and design analysis
SRVCC LTE
• SRVCC signaling combination to
• VoLTE accessibility analysis (RAN-EPC-IMS-CS)
support problem location
• VoLTE retainability analysis (RAN-EPC-IMS-CS)
GSM / UMTS
• SRVCC KPI analysis and parameter and
• VoLTE voice analysis (RAN-EPC-IMS-CS)
neighboring cell check and optimization

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VoLTE Optimization Challenges2

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VoLTE Optimization Steps

Sample of optimization steps towards VoLTE cluster

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VoLTE Voice Experience Evaluation System
E2E VoLTE Voice Experience Evaluation
DT System IMS EPC eNodeB

Customer Smooth No Call

Experience Call Success Fast Call
Voice Drop
eSRVCC
VoLTE Call Setup VoLTE Call VoLTE MOS>3 VoLTE Call Drop eSRVCC Success
DT KQI Delay （ User+Contro
Success Rate Setup Delay Ratio Rate Rate
l Plane ）
eSRVCC
VoLTE Register VoLTE Call Setup VoLTE Call VoLTE MOS>3 VoLTE Call Drop eSRVCC Success
SEQ KQI Delay （ User
Success Rate Success Rate Setup Delay Ratio Rate Rate
Plane ）

ERAB SBC S1 S-CSCF ERAB SBC SBC UL E-RAB SBC eNB eMSC
Service Setup Uplink User
Setup SR Registra Connect MOC Packet Drop During- SRVCC SRVCC
(QCI=5) Request SR VQI IPMOS
tion SR ion SR Setup Loss Rate Call Drop Prep. SR Prep. SR
SR (QCI=1) Time Rate (QCI=1) Rate
IMS PDN ICSCF S-CSCF QCI1\2 eNB eMSC
VoLTE Paging Downlin
Connecti Network Packet Call SRVCC SRVCC
Registra RRC k VQI SBC DL
on SR Paging Connect Forward Loss Drop SBC Pre- Exec. SR Exec. SR
tion SR Connect Packet
SR ion SR ing SR Rate Rate Alerting
ion Loss eNB
S1 SCSCF due to Drop eMSC
Dedi. VOLTE S1 Delay E2E VQI Rate SRVCC
Attach Registra PGW Rate SRVCC
Bearer Connect Signalin Ratio
SR tion SR ERAB Complet
Setup ion g Call
Setup UL IPQOS SBC Pre- MME e Rate
SCSCF SR SR(CS) Connect Drop
Delay Packet MOS connect SRVCC
Initial ion SR Rate
Loss Drop Prep. SR SBC
Registra Dedi. VOLTE due to
Rate Rate SRVCC
tion SR Bearer Roaming VoLTE SGW MME Ratio
Modi. Connecti Paging
UL Call S-CSCF SRVCC
SCSCF SR on SR Delay
Packet During- Exec. SR
Re- Drop
Loss Call Drop
Registra Rate MME
Rate Rate
KPI tion SR due to SRVCC
MME Ratio

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VoLTE E2E KQI Demarcation & Optimization Based on SEQ
Service Quality Evaluation Demarcation and Troubleshooting Optimization to Closure

Demarcation Deep problems

SEQ Abnormal KQI in 5 Domains troubleshooting
Coverage and interference
• Feature
• Paging policy Neighbors and PCI
eNodeB • Mobility parameters
Pingpong Handover,
• Paging policy eSRVCC not in-time
• Procedure conflict
EPC • SRVCC configuration Procedure confiict

• Abnormal process eNB status and load

Association
of XDR and • Features
MR&CHR IMS&CS Feature and parameters
configuration

• Packet loss Packet loss, delay, jitter

eNodeB MR&CHR • Delay
Bearer • Jitter S/PGW packet loss and
IMS CHR EPC CHR alarm
• Coverage
• Interference OXX
• Neighbors…
Uu

3 Databases updated with

Rules for Demarcation and Troubleshooting Knowledge Case
projects experience

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Comprehensive VoLTE Enabling Tools
PCRF
eNodeB MR/CHR

CS 域
Probe Data

·
eRAN S1-MME EPC IMS CHR

MME
Uu-interface S11

WAP GW
SAE-
S1-U

GW
SGi IP

IMS
UE eNodeB

MR/CHR/Traffic Statistics Probe data Probe data CHR 、 UFDR 、 Traffic Statistics CHR/Traffic Statistics

OMStar SEQ Discovery PS XDR Discovery IMS

KQI SEQ
Call Setup Handover Retainability Voice Quality
Monitoring,
Complaint
Handling
Evaluation CSSR Call Setup Time eSRVCC HOSR eSRVCC HO Latency VoLTE CDR MOS
Demarcatio
n
Demarcation RAN EPC IMS CS Device User Behavior
Root Cause
Analysis
OMStar Wireless domain (Only for Discovery PS EPC domain (Only for Discovery IMS IMS domain (Only for
Locating Huawei) Huawei) Huawei)
Optimizatio
n Execution Parameter Resource ERAB Voice
Coverage Interference Neighbor Parameter NE Locating ： CSC/ATS/SBC
Setup Quality

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VoLTE Optimization – Call Drop

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VoLTE Optimization – SRVCC

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VoLTE Optimization – Voice Quality

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VoLTE Related Features
To confirm which features will be used and corresponding license availability, also need to refer to the “ Feature
commercial use status” to confirm feature maturity.
(VoLTE basic function is enabled as default on eNodeB side, the following list is for some enhanced features)
Feature ID Feature Name Description
LOFD-001016 VoIP Semi-persistent Scheduling When UE is on a voice call, eNodeB use Semi-persistent Scheduling algorithm to save common
channel resources.
LOFD-001017 Robust Header Compression (ROHC) eNodeB compress the header of voice package to reduce air interface load

LOFD-001048 TTI Bundling eNodeB combines multiple TTIs to transmit same data for the UEs in poor coverage, thus can
improve data transmission successful rate.
LBFD-002017 DRX eNodeB force UE to DRX state when no data transferred, to save UE battery consumption.

LOFD-001022 SRVCC to UTRAN VoLTE handover to UMTS CS domain

LOFD-001023 SRVCC to GERAN VoLTE handover to GSM CS domain
LOFD-001087 SRVCC Flexible Steering to UTRAN Use SRVCC Flexible Steering to UTRAN if the UTRAN is a multi-frequency network and one or
some of the frequencies carry only CS services.
LOFD-081229 Voice Characteristic Awareness Scheduling Including Uplink Delay-based Dynamic Scheduling, Uplink VoLTE Volume Estimation for Dynamic
Scheduling and Independent Configurations for the UE Inactivity Timer for Voice Services. Used
for voice quality and delay improvement.

LBFD-081105 Voice-Specific AMC Independent iBLER target configuration for VoLTE.

LBFD-081104 UL Compensation Scheduling Uplink compensation scheduling can reduce the rate of uplink packet losses in heavy traffic
scenarios, shorten voice packet delays, and improve voice quality. However, this feature increases
RB and CCE overheads.
LOFD-111207 VoLTE Rate Control Whether to adjust VoLTE rate is determined by eNodeB based on UL channel quality and voice
quality.

LOFD-081219 Inter-eNodeB VoLTE CoMP Only effective for VoLTE users, through choosing suitable CoMP cell, implement joint receiving
combing serving cell and CoMP cell, reduce UL initial transmission TB failure count, improve voice
quality with less packet loss, and improve VoLTE cell edge coverage.

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VoLTE Related Features
To confirm which features will be used and corresponding license availability, also need to refer to the “
Feature commercial use status” to confirm feature maturity.

Feature ID Feature Name Description

LEOFD-121202 EVS Rate Control This feature adjusts the EVS-SWB rate for uplink voice services depending on the uplink channel quality
and voice quality, improving the quality of voice services.
LOFD-121214 VoLTE Coverage-based CSFB When identifying a UE in a weak-coverage area, the eNodeB refuses to set up a dedicated voice bearer
for the UE. The IMS then requests that the UE retry CSFB, helping ensure that the attempted voice call
will be successful.
LOFD-120204 VoLTE Coverage Enhancement Based This feature extends the tolerable air-interface delay for voice over LTE (VoLTE) UEs with limited uplink
on Extended Delay Budget coverage. It reduces the probability of uplink packet loss caused by congestion on the air interface .
LOFD-121202 VoLTE User Prior Access This feature increases the VoLTE service setup success rate in congestion scenarios.
without Feature ID Uplink RLC Segmentation Uplink RLC segmentation enhancement restricts the TBS in uplink dynamic scheduling to control the
Enhancement number of uplink RLC segments for VoLTE packets. This restriction improves voice quality when channel
quality is poor.
without Feature ID Preferential Access for Voice Service Newly accessed VoLTE UEs preempt resources allocated to low-priority data service UEs. The eNodeB
redirects those data service UEs to inter-frequency or inter-RAT cells or directly releases them. If the
preemption fails, these VoLTE UEs use the UE resources reserved for VoLTE UEs to access voice
services.
without Feature ID PUSCH RB Reservation for Voice Ues This function allows certain number of RBs at a specified position to be reserved for voice service UEs
on the PUSCH. Voice service UEs can preferentially use reserved RB resources. If the reserved RB
resources are used up, voice service UEs can use non-reserved RB resources. However, non-voice
service UEs cannot use reserved RB resources.
without Feature ID Uplink Voice Mute Recovery With this function, the eNodeB detects UEs with uplink voice mute and then initiates intra-cell handovers
or releases the RRC connections to try to restore voice communication.

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VoLTE Feature Strategy
VoLTE Overall Strategy Feature Recommendation Reason
ON as default, basic function has been verified
VoLTE basic function VoLTE function ON
on many projects
Basic and mature function. suggest to configure
Intra-Freq and Inter-Freq Handover ON VoLTE intra system handover parameters, QCI1
with highest handover priority

VoLTE Mobility Strategy L2U SRVCC CS Only-LOFD-001022 ON, target frequency is the coverage layer for Common strategy, verified on multiple projects
voice on UMTS side

L2U SRVCC CS+PS OFF No beta verification

L2G SRVCC-LOFD-001023 OFF If necessary, it can be activated.
SRVCC FR(UMTS Feature) -WRFD-171223 ON Successfully implemented in many projects.
Reduce the packet header overhead,
RObust Header Compression (ROHC)-LOFD-001017 ON recommend ON
TTI Bundling-LOFD-001048 ON Improve UL coverage, recommend ON
Improve cell edge coverage and user’s VoLTE
Uplink RLC Segmentation Enhancement ON
perception
Voice Characteristic Awareness Scheduling-LOFD- ON Uplink Scheduling based on latency switch on,
081229
VoLTE Associated Feature Reduce voice packet waiting delay and improve
Strategy UL Compensation Scheduling -LBFD-081104 ON
packet loss.
VoLTE Coverage Enhancement-LOFD-120204 ON Improve UL coverage, recommend ON
Some potential negative impact on voice
DRX-LBFD-002017 OFF quality
Very few capable commercial UE, no beta
VoIP Semi-persistent Scheduling-LOFD-001016 OFF
verification
Reduce UL VoLTE packet loss and delay, but
Voice-Specific AMC LBFD-081105 OFF
obvious gain not get in verification.
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VoLTE Feature - Robust Header Compression (RoHC)
• Robust header compression compresses the header of IP/UDP/RTP packets for the EPS bearer with QCI1 to avoid to
transfer high overheads across the air interface. IP/UDP/RTP headers size can be either 40 bytes for IPv4 or even 60 bytes
for IPv6.
• PDCP layer is able to compress the RTP/UDP/IP headers
• RoHC improves uplink link budget due to less bandwidth needed per user (i.e. lower MCS can be used) which translates to
greater cell range.
• Also more VoLTE users can be supported in terms of throughput capacity.

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VoLTE Feature Strategy - TTI Bundling
• TTI bundling is specified in 3GPP (TS 36.213, 36.321) to allow the improved uplink performance for cell border UEs (which
often hit the maximum transmission power) and for reduced PDCCH load.
• TTI bundling allows for transmitting the same transport block in 4 consecutive UL subframes (also known as bundle size),
which leads to increased energy per transmitted bit and therefore improved uplink link budget.
• When BLER increases and Link Adaptation has no more options for MCS/PRB reduction while radio conditions for
handover are not fulfilled, TTI Bundling can be triggered to sustain the voice call quality before UE will either change the
cell or RF conditions becomes better.
• UE must support TTI Bundling: TTI Bundling can be active according to radio link status adaptively by network, the
criterion for entering TTI Bundling is UE has VoLTE bearer(QCI1) only and UE has move to cell edge require improve uplink.

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Volte to Volte Voice Call (didn't pick up the phone until time out)

MO (Volte) MT (Volte)

UE wait time out while MO ringing,

After time out NW inform UE to finish Invite request
‘408 request timeout’

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Volte to Volte Voice Call (Called reject the call)

MT (Volte)

MO (Volte)

MS2 reject call by ‘603 Decline’ command

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Volte to Volte Voice Call Drop due to Poor LTE coverage

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Volte Call Drop Analysis
1. Problem description: At 16:41:22 RRC connection released by
eNodeb due to uplink synchronization lost from UE.
2. Problem handling: From below SEQ signaling Rab
released due to user-inactivity because there was no
uplink synchronization.
Call drop happened because UE couldn’t transfer ‘BYE’
Serving cell RSRP level -130 dBm
and no any detected eUtran or Geran message to NW and get BYE: 200 ok confirmation from
cells in current Location NW.

After RRC connection released by eNodeb, Eps:5 Eps:6 Eps:7 bearers

released as well.

3. Suggestion: Volte Voice call is more sensitive than LTE data

packet transmission over Radio signal. To ensure Volte Voice call
continuity LTE coverage should be improved.

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VOLTE Voice quality problem
1. Problem description: User complained about poor 4G voice quality.
According to SEQ analysis founded that MOS quality was lower during
the call, MO downlink MOS mean 3.55, MT uplink MOS mean 3.82. Also
IP MOS mean all less than 3.9 points
Uplink Downlink
encoding encoding
Uplink Downl ink
ringing response call and and Uplink Downlink
IPMOS IPMOS
no start time finish time MO/MT latency latency duration call type code type decoding decoding MOS mea n MOS mean
mean mean
(ms) (ms) (s) resources resources val ue value
value value
and code and code
rate(kbps) rate(kbps)
93 2017-02-08 17:06:45:147 2017-02-08 17:10:33:251 MO 2380 5125 228 VoLTE AMR-WB 23.85 23.85 4.2274 3.5502 3.8803 3.5216
94 2017-02-08 17:06:45:147 2017-02-08 17:10:33:252 MT 1826 4536 228 VoLTE AMR-WB 23.85 23.85 3.8211 4.2274 3.4749 3.879

2. Problem handling:
• Check the voice codec
• Check the packet loss rate
• Analyze the probe test logs
Upli nk Downlink
encoding encoding
ringing response call and and
start time finish time MO/MT latency latency duration call type code type decoding decoding
(ms) (ms) (s) resources resources
and code and code
rate(kbps) rate(kbps)
2017-02-08 17:06:45:147 2017-02-08 17:10:33:251 MO 2380 5125 228 VoLTE AMR-WB 23.85 23.85
2017-02-08 17:06:45:147 2017-02-08 17:10:33:252 MT 1826 4536 228 VoLTE AMR-WB 23.85 23.85

Uplink RTP Uplink RTP

Downlink
Downlink Uplink RTP
Downlink 3. Solution: At this point the root cause of the problem
start time finish time MO/MT call type code type
packets. packet
Expectatio loss rate
RTP
packets.
RTP packet packets.
loss rate Expectatio
Uplink RTP
packet
RTP Downlink
packets. RTP packet caused by the weak coverage of air interface packet loss
Expectatio loss rate Expectatio loss rate
ns (RTCP) (RTCP)
ns (RTCP)
(RTCP) ns
ns caused by the poor voice quality.
2017-02-08 17:06:45:147 2017-02-08 17:10:33:251 MO VoLTE AMR-WB 8479 893 7860 2519 8894 455 8030 959
2017-02-08 17:06:45:147 2017-02-08 17:10:33:252 MT VoLTE AMR-WB 7860 2519 8479 893 8030 959 8894 455

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 VOLTE Call Drop Improvement
Problem Description: The call drop rate of the voice Problem Analysis: The MRs of the air interfaces are
1 service in cells 1 and 2 of site H is greater than the rates in 3 combined to analyze the following interference and coverage
other sites from October 21 to October 26. problems to locate the call drops:
 Downlink PCI mod 3 interference
 Uplink power control
Symptom: The cause value for the abnormal release in
2 cells 1 and 3 indicates that the problem is related to counter
L.E- RAB.AbnormRel.Radio.VoIP.
This counter is abnormal due to following errors at the
wireless network layer :
• The uplink resynchronization fails.
• The number of RLC retransmissions reaches the maximum value.
Call Drop Rate Decreases: Based on the site conditions,
Problem Percentag Problem Type Number Percentage
4 the optimization suggestions are recommended. The average
Type Number e UL resynchronization fails 3 50.00% call drop rate is decreased from 0.090% to 0.067% after the
All Problems 6 100.00% SRB RLC retransmission optimization suggestions are implemented.
Air Interface 6 100.00% number reaches the
maximum value. 2 33.33%
Resource 0 0.00% Other of air interface 1 16.67%
CN 0 0.00% Other of Resource 0 0.00%
Others 0 0.00% Radio resource overload 0 0.00%
Bearer 0 0.00% Radio resource occupation 0 0.00%

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VOLTE Access Improvement
Cause analysis:
Problem Analysis: For problem cells, the air interfaces related to the problem are
1. The top-10 problem cells are filtered out based on the abnormal
access release rate and quantity. filtered out and the MRs of the air interfaces are combined to
2. The cause values for access failures are collected, and the statistics analyze the following coverage and interference counters:
indicate that: • Uplink and downlink interference
• More than 95% of the cause values for RRC connection setup failures
are related to wireless-side problems. • Uplink weak coverage counters: include uplink power control
• More than 90% of the cause values for E-RAB connection setup and uplink intensive weak coverage
failures are related to CN problems and nearly 10% of the cause • Downlink weak coverage
values are related to wireless-side problems and other problems.

Solution Implementation and The access success rate is increased by 3% The access success rate is increased from 98.83% to
in the DT. 99.49% in traffic statistics.
Result:
1. Parameter adjustment 91.59% 94.62%
83
2. Configuration of missing
neighboring cells
3. PCI mod 3 interference
optimization

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VOLTE Quality Improvement

Problem Analysis: Cause analysis:

1. The top-5 cells with poor downlink and uplink VQI are filtered
out. • UE loss and the other problems are caused by uplink weak
2. The packet loss of the top-5 cells occurs on the air interfaces in coverage, missing neighboring cells, and incorrect parameter
the downlink and uplink directions. The packet loss is related to settings.
UE loss, DTX, handover, and rebuild problems.

Solution Implementation and Result: Percentage of cells with poor VQI

highly decreased.
1. Parameter adjustment

16.2
2. Configuration of missing neighboring cells
3. Optimization of PCI mod 3 interference
4. RF adjustment 3.8
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