2G Connected Mode (Handover Control)

CS RACH Min. Access Level -106

Layer of The Cell 3
Edge HO UL RX_LEV Threshold 12
Edge HO DL RX_LEV Threshold 15
Inter-layer HO Threshold 25
Inter-layer HO Hysteresis 2
Min UL Level on Candidate Cell 10
Macro Layer Min DL Level on Candidate Cell 15
Min Power Level For Directed Retry 25
Inter-cell HO Hysteresis 68
Min Access Level Offset 0
PBGT HO Threshold 68
BQ HO Margin 69
Adjacent Cell Inter-layer HO Hysteresis 67

GSM900 GSM900 GSM900

Edge HO UL RX_LEV Threshold

Filtered downlink RX level of the target cell ≥ Edge HO DL RX_LEV Threshold
Inter-layer HO Threshold + Adjacent Cell Inter- TA Handover
layer HO Hysteresis - 64 Bad Quality HO
Load Handover
DCS1800 DCS1800 DCS1800

CS RACH Min. Access Level -106

Layer of The Cell 2
Edge HO UL RX_LEV Threshold 12
Edge HO DL RX_LEV Threshold 15 Micro Layer
Inter-layer HO Threshold 25
Inter-layer HO Hysteresis 2
Min UL Level on Candidate Cell 10
Min DL Level on Candidate Cell 15
Min Power Level For Directed Retry 25
Inter-cell HO Hysteresis 68
Min Access Level Offset 0
PBGT HO Threshold 68
BQ HO Margin 69
Adjacent Cell Inter-layer HO Hysteresis 67
 2G&3G Cell Selection & Reselection

GSM900

DCS1800

WCDMA

DCS1800 GSM900 WCDMA

Minimum Access RXLEV -102 Minimum Access RXLEV -102 Cell Sel-reselection quality measure CPICH_ECNO
MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH 30 (0) MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH 33 (5) Hysteresis 1 for idle mode 2
CBQ (Cell Bar Qualify ) No CBQ (Cell Bar Qualify ) No Hysteresis 1 for connect mode 2
CBA (Cell Bar Access ) No CBA (Cell Bar Access ) No Hysteresis 2 for idle mode 1
CRO (Cell Reselection Offset) 8 CRO (Cell Reselection Offset) 0 Hysteresis 2 for connect mode 1
TO (Temporary Offset) 0 TO (Temporary Offset) 0 Reselection delay time 1
PT (Penalty Time) 0 PT (Penalty Time) 0 Min quality level -18
CRH (Cell Reselection Hysteresis) 6 db. CRH (Cell Reselection Hysteresis) 6 db. Min Rx level -58
Qsearch I 7 Qsearch I 7 Min Rx level Extend Support FALSE
Qsearch C Initial Use_Qsearch_I Qsearch C Initial Use_Qsearch_I Delta Min Rx level -
FDD Q Offset 0 FDD Q Offset 0 Max allowed UE UL TX power 24
FDD RSCP Min. 6 FDD RSCP Min. 6 Intra-freq cell reselection threshold for idle mode 5
FDD REP QUANT EcN0 FDD REP QUANT EcN0 Inter-freq cell reselection threshold for idle mode 4
FDD Multirate Reporting 2 FDD Multirate Reporting 2 Intra-freq cell reselection threshold for connect mode 5
FDD Qmin 5 FDD Qmin 5 Inter-freq cell reselection threshold for connect mode 4
FDD Qmin Offset 0 FDD Qmin Offset 0 Inter-RAT cell reselection threshold 2
Qsearch P 7 Qsearch P 7 Absolute priority level of the serving cell 4
Qsearch C 15 Qsearch C 15 RSCP threshold for low-prio-freq measurement initiation 2
Ec/No threshold for low-prio-freq measurement initiation 2
RSCP threshold for low-prio-freq reselection 1
 Inter-RAT & Inter-Frequency Handover

Inter-freq CS Measure Start Ec/No THD -14

Inter-freq CS Measure Stop Ec/No THD -12 GSM
Inter-freq R99 PS Measure Start Ec/No THD -14
Inter-freq R99 PS Measure Stop Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq H Measure Start Ec/No THD -14
Inter-freq H Measure Stop Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq CS Measure Start RSCP THD -95
Inter-freq CS Measure Stop RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq R99 PS Measure Start RSCP THD -95
Inter-freq R99 PS Measure Stop RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq H Measure Start RSCP THD -95 WCDMA F1
Inter-freq H Measure Stop RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq CS Target Frequency Trigger Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq R99 PS Target Frequency Trigger Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq HSPA Target Frequency Trigger Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq CS Target Freqency Trigger RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq R99 PS Target Frequency Trigger RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq HSPA Target Freqency Trigger RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq CS Used frequency trigger Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq R99 PS Used frequency trigger Ec/No THD -12 WCDMA F2
Inter-freq H Used frequency trigger Ec/No THD -12
Inter-freq CS Used frequency trigger RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq R99 PS Used frequency trigger RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq H Used frequency trigger RSCP THD -92
Inter-freq Handover Min Access Ec/No THD -16
Inter-freq Handover Min Access RSCP THD -115 Inter-RAT CS Measure Start Ec/No THD -14
Inter-RAT CS Measure Stop Ec/No THD -11
Inter-RAT R99 PS Measure Start Ec/No THD -15
Inter-RAT R99 PS Measure Stop Ec/No THD -13
Inter-RAT HSPA Measure Start Ec/No THD -15
Inter-RAT HSPA Measure Stop Ec/No THD -13
Inter-RAT CS Measure Start RSCP THD -100
Inter-RAT CS Measure Stop RSCP THD -97
Inter-RAT R99 PS Measure Start RSCP THD -110
Inter-RAT R99 PS Measure Stop RSCP THD -107
Inter-RAT HSPA Measure Start RSCP THD -110
Inter-RAT HSPA Measure Stop RSCP THD -107
 CS RACH Min. Access Level
Meaning: This parameter specifies the level threshold for the random access of the MS. If the receive level of
the RACH burst in the CS domain is smaller than the value of CS RACH Min.Access Level, the BTS regards
this access as an invalid one and no decoding is performed. If the receive level of the RACH burst is greater
than the value of CS RACH Min. Access Level, the BTS considers that an access request exists on this
timeslot, and determines together with the value of Random Access Error Threshold whether the RACH
access is valid.
GUI Value Range: -121~-104
Unit: dBm
Actual Value Range: -121~-104
MML Default Value: None
Recommended Value: -109
Parameter Relationship: The value of this parameter must be smaller than RACH Busy Threshold in the
SET GCELLCCBASIC command.
Service Interrupted After Modification : No (No impact on the UE in idle mode)
Impact on Network Performance: If this parameter is set to a greater value, the call drop rate decreases but
the traffic volume and paging success rate are affected.
 Layer of The Cell
A network basically consists of four layers, namely, Umbrella, Macro, Micro, and Pico. Cell priorities
influence the sorting of neighboring cells during handovers as well as handover algorithms including PBGT
and inter-layer handovers. For example, PBGT handovers can only occur among cells on a same layer and of
a same priority level. If you assign different layers and priorities to a 1800-M cell and a 900-M cell, PBGT
handovers from the 1800-M cell to the 900-M cell will not occur. This causes slow handovers even when the
receive quality is good.

There are four network layers, that is, layer 1 to layer 4. A lower layer No. indicates a higher priority. The
cell priority is determined by both the network layer and the "PRIOR" parameter.
 Edge HO
Meaning: Whether to enable the edge handover algorithm. When an MS makes a call at the edge of a cell, the
call may drop if the received signal level is too low. To avoid such a call drop, the edge handover algorithm is
involved. When the uplink signal level of the serving cell is less than "Edge HO UL RX_LEV Threshold" or
the downlink signal level of the serving cell is less than "Edge HO DL RX_LEV Threshold", the edge
handover is triggered.

GUI Value Range: NO(No), YES(Yes)

Actual Value Range: NO, YES
Default Value: YES
Unit: None
Inter-layer HO Threshold & Inter-
layer HO Hysteresis
Handover threshold during the handovers between cells on different layers or of different priorities. This
value is used to suppress inter-layer ping-pong handovers. Inter-layer handover threshold of the serving cell
= "Inter-layer HO threshold" - "Inter-layer HO Hysteresis"; Inter-layer handover threshold of a neighboring
cell = "Inter-layer HO Threshold" + "Adjacent Cell Inter-layer HO Hysteresis" - 64.

Set this parameter properly to ensure that hierarchical handover and load-based handover can function
properly. During hierarchical handover and load-based handover, the downlink received level of the target
cell must be greater than this threshold.
Min UL/DL Level on Candidate Cell
Meaning: Limit on the minimum uplink receive level for a neighboring cell. You are advised to use the
default value 0 for this parameter because the receive level for a neighboring cell can be limited by Min DL
Level on Candidate Cell. The uplink receive level for a neighboring cell cannot be obtained from a live
network. It is estimated using the following formula:
Uplink receive level for a neighboring cell = Maximum transmit power of an MS - (BTS transmit power -
Downlink receive level for a neighboring cell).
GUI Value Range: 0~63
Unit: dB
Actual Value Range: 0~63
MML Default Value: None
Recommended Value: 0
Parameter Relationship: None
Service Interrupted After Modification : No (No impact on the UE in idle mode)
Impact on Network Performance: You are advised to use the default value 0 for this parameter.

Meaning: If the downlink received signal level of a neighbor cell is greater than Min DL Level on Candidate
Cell plus Min Access Level Offset, the neighbor cell can be listed in the candidate cell queue for handover.
GUI Value Range: 0~63
Unit: dB
Actual Value Range: 0~63
MML Default Value: None
Recommended Value: 10
Parameter Relationship: None
Service Interrupted After Modification : No (No impact on the UE in idle mode)
Impact on Network Performance: This parameter limits the number of candidate cells. If this parameter is set
to a greater value, some desired cells may be excluded from the candidate cells and call drops may occur. If
this parameter is set to a smaller value, an unwanted cell may become the candidate cell, thus leading to
handover failures or call drops.
Min Power Level For Directed Retry
Meaning: In a direct retry, when the receive level of a neighboring cell is no smaller than this parameter, the
neighboring cell can be a candidate cell for the direct retry. The parameter is invalid in handover algorithm II.
GUI Value Range: 0~63
Unit: dB
Actual Value Range: 0~63
MML Default Value: None
Recommended Value: 16
Parameter Relationship: This parameter is valid only when HOCTRLSWITCH is set to HOALGORITHM1.
Service Interrupted After Modification : No (No impact on the UE in idle mode)
Impact on Network Performance: None
 Inter-cell HO Hysteresis
Hysteresis value during the handovers between cells, This value is used to suppress ping-pong handovers
between cells. The actual value of this parameter is equal to the GUI value minus 64

When "Current HO Control Algorithm" in "SET GCELLHOBASIC" is set to HOALGORITHM1(Handover

algorithm I), "Inter-cell HO Hysteresis" should be set within the range of 64-127.When "Current HO Control
Algorithm" in "SET GCELLHOBASIC" is set to HOALGORITHM2(Handover algorithm II), "Inter-cell HO
Hysteresis" should be set within the range of 0-127.
 Min Access Level Offset
Minimum receive level offset. MSs can be handed over back to a neighboring cell when both of the
following conditions are met: Downlink receive level of the neighboring cell >= Value of
"HOCDCMINDWPWR" + Value of this parameter Uplink receive level of the neighboring cell >= Value of
"HOCDCMINUPPWR" + Value of this parameter

This parameter is based on "HOCDCMINDWPWR" and "HOCDCMINUPPWR". Different offset can be set
for different neighboring cells. The following condition must be met for a neighboring cell to be added into
the candidate cell queue: Neighboring cell uplink level >= ("HOCDCMINUPPWR" + "MINOFFSET");
Neighboring cell downlink level >= ("HOCDCMINDWPWR" + "MINOFFSET").
 PBGT HO Threshold
PBGT handovers to a neighboring cell are allowed only when the downlink level difference between the
neighboring cell and the serving cell is larger than this parameter. When the value of this parameter is smaller
than 64, handovers to a neighboring cell with a lower level than the current serving cell are allowed. The
actual value of this parameter is equal to the GUI value minus 64.

In densely populated urban areas, the recommended value is 68; in the suburbs, the recommended value is 72
 BQ HO Margin
Difference between the downlink receive level of the serving cell and that of a neighboring cell during bad
quality handovers. This parameter is used to calculate the bad quality handover hysteresis based on the
following formula: Bad quality handover hysteresis = Value of "INTERCELLHYST" -Value of this
parameter Bad quality handovers to a neighboring cell can be triggered when the following condition is met:
(Downlink receive level of the neighboring cell after filtering - Downlink receive level of the serving cell
after power control compensation) > (Value of "INTERCELLHYST " - 64) - (Value of this parameter - 64).
The actual value of this parameter is equal to the GUI value minus 64

This parameter is used with "INTERCELLHYST" to calculate the bad quality handover hysteresis
Adjacent Cell Inter-layer HO Hysteresis
Hysteresis value during the handovers between cells on different layers or of different priorities. This value is
used to suppress inter-layer Ping-Pong handovers. The actual value of this parameter is equal to the GUI
value minus 64

Inter-layer HO threshold of the serving cell = "Inter-layer HO threshold" - "Inter-layer HO Hysteresis". Inter-
layer HO threshold of the neighboring cell = "Inter-layer HO threshold" + "Adjacent Cell Inter-layer HO
Hysteresis" - 64. The value of "Inter-layer HO threshold" can be set through "SET GCELLHOBASIC"
 TA Handover
This parameter specifies the actual coverage area of a cell.
After receiving the channel request message or handover access message, the BTS determines whether the
channel assignment or handover is performed in the cell by comparing the TA and the value of this
parameter.
The value of this parameter correlates with Cell ExtType. If this parameter is set to a too small value, the
handover success rate may be affected
 Bad Quality Handover
Whether to enable the bad quality (BQ) handover algorithm. Whether to trigger BQ handover depends on the
uplink and downlink transmit quality (measured by using BER). If the uplink or downlink BQ exceeds the
BQ handover threshold, emergency BQ handover is triggered. The possible causes of BER increase (or
quality degradation) include too low signal power and channel interference.
Huawei 2G Load HO feature:
Load Handover
 Load HO Allowed: This parameter is for traffic sharing between cells, if it adjusted “Yes” then it is enabled, if
“No” then it is disabled.
 Load HO Bandwidth: The setting of this parameter depends on Edge HO DL Rx_Lev threshold parameter.
Load HO can be performed, only receive signal level of the serving cell is between this threshold (Edge HO DL
Rx_Lev; Edge HO DL Rx_Lev + Load HO Bandwidth). The value of this parameter ranges from 0 to 63
(corresponding to -110 dbm to -47 dbm).
 Load HO Threshold: Load HO is triggered when the occupation of TCHs in the serving cell reaches to this
threshold. Threshold is 0 % - 100 %, default value is 85 %.
 Load Req. on Candidate Cell: If the cell load is smaller than this value then the serving cell will receive MSs
handed over from other cells, otherwise MSs handed over will be rejected. Threshold is 0 % - 100 %, default
value is 75 %.
 Load HO Step Period: If the cell load of the serving cell is equal or more than Load HO Threshold, then all
MSs between defined bandwidth try to load HO. That is why for not overloading Central Processing Unit
(CPU) of the BSC boards Huawei uses Load HO Step Period. Load HO performs according to this period with
consecutively not all MSs at the same time. If it is set to a too greater value, the handover time of each level is
long. Default value is 10 seconds.

 Load HO Step Level: Load handover may lead to many handovers. Therefore, the load of the system CPU
should be considered before load handover is performed. In other words, the system traffic volume should be
taken into account. In addition, to prevent too many MSs from being handed over at a time, load handover is
performed step by step. In other words, the edge handover threshold is increased on the basis of Load HO Step
Level (CLS_Ramp) and Load HO Step Period (CLS_Period).
When the increase in the edge handover threshold equals Load HO Bandwidth (CLS_Offset), the edge
handover threshold is not increased any more.

Edge HO DL RxLev Thres. (-95db) Edge HO DL RxLev Thres. + Load HO Bandwidth (-70db)

-95db -70db

Load HO Step Level

Load HO Step Period (5 sec.)

Load HO Bandwidth

Load HO can be performed if the load of the serving cell is reached to Load HO threshold
 Minimum Access RXLEV
Minimum received signal level of the MS. This level is reported in the system information. This parameter
specifies the minimum receive level of an MS to access the BSS. For details. see GSM Rec. 05.08. The value
of this parameter ranges from 0 to 63 (corresponding to -110 dBm to -47 dBm)

If the value of this parameter is too small, the required level of received signals is low. Therefore, many MSs
attempt to camp on the cell, thus increasing the load of the cell and the risk of call drops. In such a case, you
must set the parameter based on the balance conditions of the uplink and downlink levels
 MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH
Maximum transmit power level of MSs. As one of the cell reselection parameters in system message 3, this
parameter is used to control the transmit power of MSs. For details, see GSM Rec. 05.05. In a GSM900 cell,
the maximum power control level of an MS ranges from 0 to 19, corresponding respectively to the following
values (unit: dBm): 43, 41, 39, 37, 35, 33, 31, 29, 27, 25, 23, 21, 19, 17, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, and 5.Generally, the
maximum transmit power supported by an MS is level 5 (corresponding to 33 dBm). The minimum transmit
power supported by an MS is level 19 (corresponding to 5 dBm). Other transmit power levels are reserved
for high-power MSs. In a GSM1800 or GSM1900 cell, the maximum power control level of an MS ranges
from 0 to 31, corresponding respectively to the following values (unit: dBm): 30, 28, 26, 24, 22, 20, 18, 16,
14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 36, 34, and 32. Generally, the maximum transmit
power supported by an MS is level 0 (corresponding to 30 dBm). The minimum transmit power supported by
an MS is level 15 (corresponding to 0 dBm). Other transmit power levels are reserved for high-power MSs

The default value of "MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH" in the GSM900 and GSM850 cells is 5; the default value
of "MS_TXPWR_MAX_CCH" in the DCS1800 and PCS1900 cells is 0
 Cell Bar Qualify
Used together with "Cell Bar Access" to decide the priority status of a cell. See GSM Rec. 0408. This
parameter does not affect cell reselection but cell selection only. Cell Bar Qualify Cell Bar Access Cell
selection priority Cell reselection priority NO NO Normal Normal NO YES Prohibited Prohibited YES NO
Low Normal YES YES Low Normal

If the value of "Cell Bar Access" is YES and the value of "Cell Bar Qualify" is NO, new call access is
prohibited but handover access is allowed
 Cell Bar Access
Used together with "Cell Bar Qualify" to decide the priority status of a cell. Refer to GSM Rec. 04.08. Cell
Bar Qualify Cell Bar Access Cell selection priority Cell reselection priority NO NO Normal Normal NO
YES Prohibited Prohibited YES NO Low Normal YES YES Low Normal

The CBA function applies to special scenarios. If this parameter is set to YES and "Cell Bar Qualify" is set to
no, only handovers are allowed in a cell, and direct access of an MS is not allowed. This condition applies to
a dual-network coverage cell. For a common cell, this parameter should be set to NO.