Drop Calls on TCH

Drop Calls on TCH

Check Lost Handover

Bad Locating
Parameter Setting?

Correct Parameter
Setting

Perform Handover
Analysis

Most dropped calls

during handover?

Check Output Power

N
Check Site Position
Is Power Regulation
used properly?

Correct power regulation

parameter

Remove site or change

frequency

Y
Drag on Site?

Y
Is the Power
Balanced?

N
N

Adjust output power

Check BTS Error Log

Y
Is DTX Used?

Y
N

Swap & repair HW

HW Fault?

Introduce DTX

Y
Is Frequency
Hopping used?

Check link quality &

synchronization

Activate Frequency
Hopping

Perform link investigation

Check Dropped call reason

Bad Quality?

N
Low Signal
Strength?

Perform
Interference
Analysis

Perform low Signal

Strength Analysis

Check site location

& TALIM

Check reason for sudden

loss

Add site

Transmission
Fault?
N
Best server exists?

Y
Check MS Problem

N
Timing Advance?

Perform drive test

N
Sudden Drop?

Perform CTR recordings

Perform site survey

N
Other?

Investigate possible
Hardware fault

Check Antenna installation

N
B

END

From technical perspective, dropped call show the number of abnormal disconnections during call setup, SMS,
supplementary service activation or during conversation. They are a few different counters for dropped calls, i.e.
dropped calls due to low signal strength, bad quality, too high timing advance and miscellaneous is used to get an
indication of the reason for possible bad performance.
From a subscriber point of view, dropped calls are those that interrupt an ongoing conversation, i.e. a call dropped
on the TCH. If the call is dropped on the SDCCH the user simply re-dials again and hopefully succeeds with the
new call setup. For this analysis we will focus on the drop call on the Traffic Channel (TCH).
TCH drop call can be divided into a few categories:
1. Excessive Timing Advance
2. Low Signal Strength UL/DL/BL
3. BL Bad Quality UL/DL/BL
4. Sudden Loss
5. Other reason (not standalone counter)
Dropped connection due to failure is counted in counter TFNDROP, which step for the number of abnormally
terminated connections. These counters are incremented when the BSC send CLEAR REQUEST and when
CLEAR COMMAND message is received if the code differs from the cause codes CALL CONTROL and
Handover Successful. If the CLEAR REQUEST has been sent previously before CLEAR COMMAND, the
counter will not step.
When a call abnormally disconnected, that is CLEAR REQUEST is sent to MSC, a check is made in the function
assignment or handover if any of the following urgency state existed. If more than one type of urgency state are
indicated by the locating procedure, the following priority (highest priority first) is used to determine the type of
urgency state.
1. Excessive Timing Advance (TA)
2. Low Signal Strength in downlink and/or uplink
3. Bad Quality downlink and/or uplink
4. Sudden Loss of connection
When type of urgency is determined, one of counters of this urgency state is stepped.