Abstract Network audit is necessary to judge the network performance and maintain QOS standards.

The network audit identifies inconsistencies or limitations in current overall network design, helps to improve processes resulting in optimized network and improved quality of service. Radio Access Network audit includes many aspects of network like performance, neighbor, parameter, frequency, competitive benchmark audits. In this paper, real GSM Radio Access network evaluated, and different issues, findings, trials and improvements have been summarized and observations/recommendations have been listed to correlate the practical aspects of RF optimization, which affect the performance, and QoS of an operational cellular network. Index term RAN, BSC, MSC, BTS, CSSR, CDR, HSR, TCH, COVERAGE, QUALITY, KPI, DT and QoS. I. INTRODUCTION The mobile communication aims to offer anytime and anywhere communications between any objects. GSM , One of the fastest growing and most demanding of all telecommunications technologies . GSM Network usually called as cellular network? (as the whole coverage area is divided into different cells and sectors) is comprised of a mobile Station (MS) which is connected to the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) via air interface. In addition to other hardware, BTS contains the equipment called Transceiver (TRX), which is responsible for the transmission and reception of several radio frequency (RF) signals to/from the end user .BTS is then connected to the base station controller (BSC) via abis interface. BSC usually handles radio resource management and handovers of the calls from one BTS (or cell/sector) to the other BTS (or cell/sector) equipped in it. BSC is then connected to Mobile Switching Centre (MSC). This paper focuses on audit of radio access part of GSM network, suggestions to optimize the network and post optimization benchmarks. Following is sequence of Objectives. 1. Network Audit and Recommendations 2. Optimization Plan and Cluster optimization 3. Post Optimization Evaluations (Benchmark Improvements) II. RADIO ACCESS NETWORK AUDIT The ultimate purpose of the audit is to establish a baseline that measures overall network design, quality, performance and process, and to identify and characterize the areas where improvement can be achieved. The audit is usually a comparative process and requires an initial baseline of KPI?s and/or objectives. These can be derived from the design guidelines, service requirements, customer expectation, market benchmarks and others. The comparative baseline and/or the KPI?s can be re-adjusted during the audit itself to improve its diagnostic capabilities. Benefits of Network Audit. Key benefits of network audit are: ? Identify actions to improve network quality in problem areas. ? Discover inconsistencies or limitations in current overall network design. ? Discover practices or processes that can be improved or

optimized ? Results in improved Network quality , thereby reduced churn ? Optimize overall network design: ? Reduction of excess network elements ? Postponement future CAPEX, leading to CAPEX savings ? It takes only a delay in the CAPEX for fe