BSC handovers

The handover decisions that the BSC makes are based on the measurement results
reported by the MS/BTS and on the various parameters set for each cell.
A handover is normally caused by radio criteria, but the handover algorithm present can
also perform handovers caused by six other reasons:

The radio network recovery management initiates a forced handover (intra-cell or

inter-cell) to empty a cell or a TRX. For more information, see Radio Network
Recovery and State Management.
The radio resource management initiates a forced inter-cell handover to make
room for a high priority call in congestion situations, that is, the pre-emption
procedure. For more information, see Radio Resource Pre-emption and Queueing
in BSC.

Because of congestion in the call set-up phase, a handover from a standalone

dedicated control channel (SDCCH) of the serving cell to a traffic channel (TCH)
of an adjacent cell, that is, a directed retry procedure. For more information, see
Directed Retry in BSC.

The MSC requests the BSC to perform a specified number of handovers from one
specified cell to other specified cells, that is, traffic reason handover. For more
information, see Traffic Reason Handover in BSC.

A handover from an extended range cell to an inner cell, and vice versa, when the
site type is Nokia 2nd generation or a handover between normal and extended
coverage areas within an extended range cell when the site type is Nokia Talkfamily. For more information, see Extended Cell and Extended Cell Range.

BSC internal traffic control (for example, a handover from an umbrella cell to a
microcell).

The BSC uses different handover decision algorithms for handovers caused by normal
radio criteria and handovers caused by other reasons than radio criteria.
When an MS moves from one cell coverage area to another, the radio link measurements
show low signal level (RXLEV) and/or quality (RXQUAL) on the current serving cell
and a better RXLEV available from a neighbouring cell, or the neighbouring cell allows
communication with a lower RF power level. The crucial principle for the BSC selecting
the target cells for the handover caused by radio criteria is that the neighbouring cell must
be better than the current serving cell for the handover to be useful.
If other reasons than radio criteria cause the handover, it is not necessary for the target
cell to be better than the serving cell. It suffices that the target cell serves the call well

enough. For example, a handover from an umbrella cell to a microcell is performed

whenever the call can be maintained on the neighbouring microcell.

Target cell evaluation

The evaluation of the preferred list of the target cells is based on:
1. radio link measurements
2. priority levels of the neighbouring cells
3. load of the neighbouring cells which belong to the local BSS.
First the BSC defines and selects those cells which meet the requirements for the radio
link properties. Then it ranks the cells according to the priority levels and the load of the
neighbouring cells, with the exceptions of the forced handover procedure, the directed
retry procedure and the traffic reason handover procedure when the BSC ranks the cells
only according to radio link properties.

Handover types
The possible types of handover are the following:

intra-BTS handover (interference problems)

intra-BSC handover

inter-BSC handover (that is, the MSC performs the handover)

The handover may take place during a call from a TCH to a TCH. An intra-BTS handover
can take place either to a radio timeslot on a new carrier or to a different timeslot on the
same carrier.
A handover may also take place from an SDCCH to an SDCCH during the initial
signalling period of call set-up. The parameter enable SDCCH handover (ESD)
indicates whether the handover from SDCCH to SDCCH is enabled. As far as the
algorithm is concerned, the handover from an SDCCH to an SDCCH does not differ from
the handover from a TCH to a TCH. However, umbrella handover is not performed from
an SDCCH to an SDCCH. For more information, see Handover Signalling in BSC.
During the call set-up phase in situations of congestion, a handover can take place from
the SDCCH of the serving cell to a traffic channel of an adjacent cell. The parameter
enable SDCCH handover has no effect on the directed retry procedure. For more
information, see Directed Retry in BSC.
The handover is synchronised or non-synchronised, depending on whether the cells are
synchronised or not. This information is administered on an adjacent cell-by-cell basis by
means of the O&M with the parameter synchronized (SYNC), which indicates whether

the adjacent cell is synchronised with the serving cell. The value 'yes' indicates that the
cells are synchronised.

Interdependence of handover and power control

The Power Control, for both the BTS and the MS, runs independently in parallel with the
handover. With a proper choice of the PC and HO thresholds, the BSC maintains call
quality by means of power control and proposes handover only when the MS actually
reaches the border of the serving cell. If both the HO and PC threshold conditions are
fulfilled, the handover has greater priority than the power control. If the handover cannot
be performed at that very moment, power increase may be used as first aid.
The BSC determines which RF power level the MS that has been handed over uses as the
initial RF power in the target cell. The default initial RF power level is the maximum RF
power that an MS is permitted to use on a traffic channel in the target cell. However, in
the case of an intra-BSC handover, the PC/HO algorithm can optimise the initial RF
power level so that the RF power level is lower if the radio link properties of the target
cell are good. Optimisation of the MS power level in a handover cuts down the
probability of high RF power peaks in the uplink after HOs, and consequently reduces the
uplink interference in the radio network. This property is controlled by the parameters MS
pwr opt level(n) (POPT) (inter-cell handover) and optimum RX level uplink
(LEV) (intra-cell handover).

Handover because of uplink/downlink interference

If the HO threshold comparison indicates that a handover because of uplink or downlink
interference is required, the BSC may perform either an intra-cell handover or an intercell handover.
Figure Handover because of uplink/downlink interference shows the process leading to
the handover.

Figure: Handover because of uplink/downlink interference

Threshold comparison of handover because of uplink/downlink

interference
The parameter threshold interference uplink Rx level (IUR), Px (IUP), Nx
(IUN) is used for comparing the averaged values of uplink signal level measurements for
triggering the HO because of uplink interference.

The BSC compares the averaged measurement result AV_RXLEV_UL_HO with

threshold interference uplink Rx level. The cause of the handover is uplink
interference if at least Px averages out of Nx averages are greater than or equal to the
threshold RxLev at the same time when the uplink quality reaches the threshold
threshold qual uplink Rx qual (QUR), Px (QUP), Nx (QUN) (bad signal quality
is caused by interference).
The parameter threshold interference downlink Rx level (IDR), Px (IDP),
Nx (IDN) is used for comparing the averaged values of downlink signal level
measurements for triggering the HO because of downlink interference.
The BSC compares the averaged measurement result AV_RXLEV_DL_HO with
threshold interference downlink Rx level. The cause of the handover is
downlink interference if at least Px averages out of Nx averages are greater than or equal
to the threshold RxLev at the same time when the downlink quality reaches the threshold
threshold qual downlink Rx qual (QDR), Px (QDP), Nx (QDN) (bad signal
quality is caused by interference).
These comparisons may be employed by the network as a criterion in the handover by
setting a flag in the BSC by NMP. The parameter enable intracell handover
interference UL (EIC) indicates whether an intra-cell handover caused by uplink
interference is enabled. The parameter enable intracell handover interference
DL (EIH) indicates whether an intra-cell handover caused by downlink interference is
enabled. For both EIC and EIH, the handover is enabled when the value is 'yes'.

Priorities of intra-cell and inter-cell handover

The BSC may perform either an intra-cell handover or an inter-cell handover when the
cause of the handover attempt is interference.
The parameter HO preference order interference DL (HDL) determines which
handover, intra-cell or inter-cell, is preferred when the cause of the handover is downlink
interference. The parameter HO preference order interference UL (HUL)
determines the order of preference when the cause of the handover is uplink interference.
An inter-cell handover takes priority over an intra-cell handover when the value is 'intercell'. An intra-cell handover is preferable when the value is 'intra-cell'.