IBCA

Contents
3.11.7 IBCA

GSM BSS
GBSS20.1
IBCA Feature Parameter Description

Issue 02
Date 2019-01-31
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3.11.7 Contents
1 About This Document
1.1 Scope
1.2 General Statements
1.3 Change History

2 Overview
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Benefits
2.3 Specifications
2.4 NEs Supporting the Feature

3 Technical Description
3.1 Overview
3.2 Calculating Path Losses
3.3 Calculating CIRs
3.3.1 Interference Signal Search
3.3.2 Evaluating CIRs by Channel
3.4 Selecting an Optimal Channel

4 Related Features

5 Network Impact
5.1 System Capacity
5.2 Network Performance

6 Engineering Guidelines
6.1 When to Use IBCA
6.2 Data Preparation
6.3 Network Planning
6.4 Deploying IBCA
6.4.1 Deployment Requirements
 6.4.2 Data Preparation
6.4.3 Activation
6.4.4 Activation Observation
6.4.5 Deactivation
6.5 Performance Monitoring
6.6 Parameter Optimization
6.6.1 Call Drop Rate
6.6.2 Handover Success Rate
6.6.3 Congestion Rate
6.7 Troubleshooting

7 Parameters

8 Counters

9 Glossary

10 Reference Documents

1 About This Document

1.1 Scope

This document describes GBFD-117002 IBCA, including its technical principles, related
features, network impact, and engineering guidelines.
1.2 General Statements

Purpose

Feature Parameter Description documents are intended to acquaint readers with:

 The technical principles of features and their related parameters
 The scenarios where these features are used, the benefits they provide, and the impact
they have on networks and functions
 Requirements of the operating environment that must be met before feature activation
 Parameter configuration required for feature activation, verification of feature
activation, and monitoring of feature performance

This document only provides guidance for feature activation. Feature deployment and feature gains depend
on the specifics of the network scenario where the feature is deployed. To achieve the desired gains, contact
Huawei professional service engineers.

Software Interfaces
 Any parameters, alarms, counters, or managed objects (MOs) described in Feature Parameter
Description documents apply only to the corresponding software release. For future software
releases, refer to the corresponding updated product documentation.
1.3 Change History

This section provides information about the changes in different document versions. There
are two types of changes:
 Feature change
Changes in features and parameters of a specified version as well as the affected entities.
 Editorial change
Changes in wording or addition of information and any related parameters affected by
editorial changes.

02 (2019-01-31)

Issue 02 (2019-01-31) introduces the following changes to issue 01 (2018-04-10).

Change Type Change Description Parameter Change

Feature None None

change

Editorial Changed the setting notes for IBCA Soft Block None
change Switch and IBCA WAMR FR Soft Block
Threshold. For details, see 6.4.2 Data Preparation.

01 (2018-04-10)

This issue does not include any changes.

Draft A (2018-02-05)

Draft A (2018-02-05) of GBSS20.1 introduces the following changes to Issue 01 (2016-02-

29) of GBSS18.1.

Change Type Change Description Parameter

Change

Feature  Added GBFD-200201 1.2 MHz Networking for BCCH Added the
change TRXs and GBFD-200202 User-level Precise Power DynHSNIBCA
Control. For details, see Impacted Features. OutSyncSw
 Added GBFD-201201 BTS Supporting 1588v2 ATR. (BSC6900,
For details, see Prerequisite Features. BSC6910)
parameter.
 Modified policies for planning hopping sequence
numbers (HSNs). For details, see 6.3 Network Planning.
 Added the mutually exclusive feature GBFD-115903
4-Way Receiver Diversity in Mutually Exclusive Features.

Editorial None None

 Change Type Change Description Parameter
Change

change

2 Overview

2.1 Introduction

On a network where frequency resources are insufficient, frequencies are reused in

neighboring cells. In such situations, severe co- and adjacent-channel interference occurs on
the network, and cannot be eliminated even if frequency hopping (FH) technology is applied.
When the number of calls on such a network exceeds a certain limit, interference between
calls deteriorates the speech quality and the carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) required by a
call cannot be reached. As a result, call drops occur. Even if there is an idle channel on the
network, the idle channel cannot be allocated to any calls because of severe interference.
Therefore, frequency resource efficiency is limited, and network capacity decreases.
To minimize interference on the network and increase network capacity, IBCA is introduced.
With this feature, the BSC estimates the CIR of a new call during channel allocation and the
interference the new call causes on established calls. Based on the estimation results, the BSC
selects an optimal channel to carry the new call. This channel must meet the new call's
requirement for CIR and have minimal interference on established calls after the channel is
occupied.
2.2 Benefits

This feature applies to networks using a tight frequency reuse pattern. It brings the following
benefits:
 Alleviates network interference.
 Increases the frequency resource efficiency and network capacity.
 Improves the speech quality by considering interference between calls during channel
allocation.
2.3 Specifications

 The following items need to be configured before the IBCA feature is enabled in a
cell:
 IBCA neighboring cells
A maximum of 24 IBCA neighboring cells can be configured for an IBCA-enabled cell
using NCELLTYPE (BSC6900, BSC6910).
A maximum of six IBCA location cell groups can be configured for an IBCA-enabled
cell.
 A maximum of 16 neighboring BSCs can be configured for a BSC when the inter-BSC
IBCA is enabled.
 Mobile allocation index offsets (MAIOs), mobile allocation (MA) groups, and
the number of frequencies in each MA group
A maximum of three MA groups can be configured for an IBCA-enabled cell.
A maximum of 24 MAIOs can be configured for an IBCA-enabled cell. The following
table lists the restrictions on the number of interference neighboring cells based on the
number of MAIOs.

No. Number of MAIOs Restriction on the Number of Interference Neighboring Cells

1 Number of MAIOs No restriction

<6

2 6 ≤ Number of The proportion of cells in which the number of interference

MAIOs < 12 neighboring cells exceeds 12 to all cells under a BSC cannot
exceed 50%.

3 12 ≤ Number of The proportion of cells in which the number of interference

MAIOs < 18 neighboring cells exceeds 8 to all cells under a BSC cannot
exceed 30%.

4 18 ≤ Number of The proportion of cells in which the number of interference

MAIOs < 24 neighboring cells exceeds 8 to all cells under a BSC cannot
exceed 10%.

Only one MA group can be configured for an IBCA-enabled cell if the TRXs of the cell work
on the same timeslot and frequency band.
 If IBCAUSRDYNCMEASURENCELL (BSC6900, BSC6910) is set to YES(Yes) for
an IBCA-enabled cell, the following conditions must be met:
 IBCANHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) +
IBCAHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) <
CONTHOMININTV (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCANHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) +
IBCAHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) <
NEWURGHOMININTV (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAEHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) +
IBCAHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) <
CONTHOMININTV (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAEHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) +
IBCAHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910) <
NEWURGHOMININTV (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCA applies only to FH cells and is used for channel allocation only on the TRXs
involved in FH.
 IBCA does not support external packet control units (PCUs).
  The total number of MA groups that can be configured for all IBCA neighboring cells
of an IBCA-enabled cell cannot exceed 24.
 The serving cell is a single-band cell.
 When the serving cell is a low-band (900/850 MHz) cell, only the number of
MA groups in the low-band IBCA neighboring cells needs to be calculated. The
maximum allowed number is 24.
 When the serving cell is a high-band (1800/1900 MHz) cell, only the number
of MA groups in the high-band IBCA neighboring cells needs to be calculated. The
maximum allowed number is 24.
 The number of MA groups needs to be calculated only once if the MA groups
in IBCA neighboring cells are the same. If the MA groups for IBCA neighboring cells
are the same, the number of MA groups is calculated as one.
Table 2-1describes the specifications of TRXs, SCTP links, and service board processing
capabilities in typical configuration scenarios.
Table 2-1 Specifications in typical configuration scenarios
SiteType IBCAINBS IBCAOUTB MCP Number of Number of Number of Number of
CINFORPT SCINFORP Load IBCA Frequencie MA MAIOs
PRD TPRD OptS Neighborin s in an MA Groups Configured
(BSC6900, (BSC6900, witc g Cells Group for MA
BSC6910) BSC6910) h Groups in a
(BSC Cell
6900,
BSC6
910)

S4/4/4 200 600 ON( 18 12 1 12

On)

S6/6/6 200 600 ON( 18 30 3 10

On)

For the BSC6900, the MCP in the following description indicates the XPUa/XPUb/XPUc board with
LGCAPPTYPE (BSC6900, BSC6910) set to MCP. In this situation, mixed insertion of XPUa/XPUb/XPUc
boards is not allowed. For the BSC6910, the MCP in the following description indicates the
EGPUa/EGPUb/EXPUb/EXPUa with LGCAPPTYPE (BSC6900, BSC6910) set to GMCP.

TRXs

 BSC6900: IBCA can be enabled on a maximum of 3072 TRXs. When inter-BSC

IBCA is enabled, the BSC6900 supports a maximum of 1200 TRXs in external IBCA
interfering neighboring cells.
Table 2-2 lists the number of configured MCPs in different TRX configurations.
Table 2-2 Number of configured MCPs in TRX configurations
 Number of TRXs Number of TRXs in External IBCA Number of MCPs
Neighboring Cells

1024 1200 2

2048 1200 4

3072 1200 6

 BSC6910: IBCA can be enabled on a maximum of 6000 TRXs. When the inter-BSC
IBCA is enabled, the number of TRXs in the external IBCA neighboring cells cannot
exceed 3000.
Table 2-3 lists the number of configured MCPs in different TRX configurations.
Table 2-3 Number of configured MCPs in TRX configurations

Number of TRXs Number of TRXs in External Number of MCPs

IBCA Neighboring Cells

2000 3000 2

4000 3000 2

6000 3000 3

SCTP Links

When inter-BSC IBCA is enabled, SCTP links need to be planned.

Assume that IBCA is enabled on both BSCs 1 and 2. Use the following method to calculate
the number of SCTP links for IBCA.
1. For BSC 1, calculate the number of external IBCA neighboring cells configured for
BSC 2 and then calculate the number of TRXs in these cells. The calculated number of
TRXs in these cells is A.
2. For BSC 2, calculate the number of external IBCA neighboring cells configured for
BSC 1 and then calculate the number of TRXs in these cells. The calculated number of
TRXs in these cells is B.
The number of SCTP links is a rounded-up value and calculated using the formula:
MAX(A,B)/300.
For example, for the BSC6900, 1200 external IBCA neighboring cells require 4 SCTP
links. For the BSC6910, 3000 external IBCA neighboring cells require 10 SCTP links.

Processing Capabilities of Service Boards

After IBCA is enabled, the processing capabilities of service boards decrease. The processing
capabilities of service boards after IBCA is enabled are as follows:
 Main control XPUa: 200 TRXs
 Non-main control XPUa: 260 TRXs
  XPUb/XPUc: 480 TRXs
 EGPUa/EGPUb/EXPUb/EXPUa: 750 TRXs
2.4 NEs Supporting the Feature

Table 2-4 NEs supporting the feature

Feature BSC6900 BSC6910 GBTS eGBTS

IBCA √ √ √ √

√ indicates that the NE supports this feature. × indicates that the NE does not support this feature.

3 Technical Description

3.1 Overview

IBCA is a channel allocation algorithm. Each time before allocating TCHs, the BSC uses
IBCA to perform an evaluation and allocates appropriate TCHs to MSs based on the
evaluation result.
shows the implementation of the IBCA algorithm during the assignment or
Figure 3-1
handover procedure.
 Figure 3-1 Implementation of the IBCA algorithm during the assignment or handover procedure

To enable IBCA, set IBCAALLOWED (BSC6900, BSC6910) to YES(Yes).

IBCA consists of three phases: path loss calculation, CIR evaluation, and optimal channel
selection. CIR evaluation is the basis of the IBCA algorithm. Path loss calculation is the
prerequisite for evaluating CIRs. Based on the evaluated CIRs, the BSC measures the
interference that a new call causes on the established calls. Then, the BSC selects the optimal
channel for the new call.
Within an IBCA flow control period specified by IBCAFLOWCTRLPERIOD (BSC6900,
BSC6910), if the number of channel evaluation requests exceeds the threshold specified by
IBCAFLOWCTRLTHRELD (BSC6900, BSC6910), the BSC discards subsequent channel
evaluation requests.
3.2 Calculating Path Losses

Path losses can be calculated first based on the measurement reports (MRs). After receiving
an MR from an MS, the BSC interpolates and filters the measured values to obtain accurate
MR data. The filter length is specified by IBCACALLINFOFILTERLEN (BSC6900,
BSC6910). Based on the interpolated and filtered MR data, the BSC calculates the downlink
and uplink path losses.
If an MR is lost or the BSC fails to calculate a path loss based on the MR data, the BSC
calculates the path loss as follows:
 For uplink and downlink path losses between the MS and the serving cell:
 If the downlink MR is lost, the BSC calculates the downlink path loss based
on the uplink path loss using the following formula:
Downlink path loss = Uplink path loss + IBCADLPATHLOSSOFF (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

 If the BSC fails to calculate the path loss between the MS and its serving cell
based on the MR data, it uses the value of IBCASCELLPATHLOSS (BSC6900,
BSC6910) as the path loss.

 For uplink and downlink path losses between the MS and the neighboring cell:
Downlink path loss = Neighboring cell BCCH transmit power – Neighboring cell
downlink BCCH signal level detected by the MS
 If the BSC fails to calculate the downlink BCCH signal level in the
neighboring cell based on the MR data:
If the receive level of an IBCA neighboring cell is not included in N consecutive MRs,
the BSC sets the receive level of the IBCA neighboring cell to the value of
IBCANCELLPATHLOSSESTIMATE (BSC6900, BSC6910). The value N is specified
by IBCANONMEANCELLSTATNUM (BSC6900, BSC6910).
If the receive levels of different IBCA neighboring cells are not included in N
consecutive MRs, the BSC calculates the receive levels of these IBCA neighboring
cells using the following formula:
Signal level of an IBCA neighboring cell = Detected minimum signal level of another
neighboring cell – IBCARXLEVOFFSET (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 If no receive levels are reported in the MRs, the BSC calculates the downlink
path loss using the following formula:
Downlink path loss between an MS and its neighboring cell = Downlink path loss
between the MS and its serving cell + IBCAPATHLOSSOFF (BSC6900, BSC6910)
If the BSC fails to calculate the path loss based on the MR data, it uses the following
algorithm and function to assist the calculation:
 Inter-cell dependency matrix (ICDM) algorithm specified by IBCAICDMSWITCH
(BSC6900, BSC6910)
Enabling the ICDM algorithm decreases the accuracy of the evaluated path losses.
Therefore, do not enable the ICDM algorithm. In this condition, the
IBCAPLFILTFACTOR (BSC6900, BSC6910) and IBCAICDMRELEVOFFSET
(BSC6900, BSC6910) parameters do not take effect.
 Single-user dynamic measurement function specified by
IBCAUSRDYNCMEASURENCELL (BSC6900, BSC6910)
Enabling the single-user dynamic measurement function may result in an incorrect
measurement for neighboring cells because certain MSs do not support this function.
Furthermore, the network performance deteriorates. Therefore, do not enable the single-
 user dynamic measurement function. In this condition, the following parameters do not
take effect:
 IBCADYNCMEASURENCELLALLOWED (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCANHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAEHOASSWAITMEASURERPTTIME (BSC6900, BSC6910)
3.3 Calculating CIRs

3.3.1 Interference Signal Search

Wanted signals of a call are interference signals for other calls. The interference sources for a
call are various, and their interference signal levels differ. The BSC, however, does not
measure all interference signals. Instead, it determines the interference source scope before
calculating CIRs.
In the neighboring cells whose NCELLTYPE (BSC6900, BSC6910) is IBCANCELL(IBCA
Neighboring Cell) or HANDOVERANDIBCANCELL(Handover and IBCA
Neighboring Cell), the BSC searches for all calls that interfere with a new call and selects
top N established calls that cause strong interference to the new call for CIR calculation. The
value N is specified by IBCAMAXINTFSRCNUM (BSC6900, BSC6910).

If the IBCAGETINTFSRCOPT (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter is set to OFF(Off), the BSC calculates the
sum of log-domain values (unit: dBm) of the uplink and downlink interferences for each established call and
sorts the established calls by their calculated values to determine the top N established calls that cause strong
interference to the new call. If this parameter is set to ON(On), the BSC separately sorts the established calls by
the linear-domain values (unit: mW) of the uplink and downlink interferences. Based on the sorting results, the
BSC then selects the top established call that causes the strongest interference to the new call on the downlink,
and alternately selects N – 1 established calls that cause strong interference to the new call between downlink
and uplink.

Calls are distributed on different CPUs on the BSC, but interference is evaluated by the
XPUa, XPUb, XPUc, EGPUa, EGPUb, EXPUa, or EXPUb board. Therefore, the BSC needs
to report the call information in an IBCA neighboring cell group on each CPU to the XPUa,
XPUb, XPUc, EGPUa, EGPUb, EXPUa, or EXPUb at an interval specified by
IBCAINBSCINFORPTPRD (BSC6900, BSC6910). If the IBCA neighboring cell group
contains an external neighboring cell, the BSC needs to report the information about the calls
in the serving cell to the BSC controlling the external neighboring cell over the inter-BSC
communication links at an interval specified by IBCAOUTBSCINFORPTPRD (BSC6900,
BSC6910).

 XPUa, XPUc and XPUb are BSC6900 boards.

 EGPUa, EGPUb, EXPUa and EXPUb are BSC6910 boards.

3.3.2 Evaluating CIRs by Channel

 After the IBCA is enabled, the MAIOs can be dynamically allocated. Therefore, the BSC
must traverse all the available timeslots and MAIOs to calculate CIRs. To facilitate the
description, an available timeslot and MAIO are defined as a candidate channel.

The candidate channel described in this section can be considered as a 2-tuple {timeslot, MAIO}, where MAIOs
available for each timeslot include:
 TRXMAIO (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 MAIO1 (BSC6900, BSC6910) to MAIO24 (BSC6900, BSC6910)

This section describes the evaluation procedure in the following aspects:

 Calculating CIRs when allocating different candidate channels for a new call.
 Calculating the decrease in CIRs of established calls when a new call is connected
over different candidate channels.
Figure 3-2 shows the procedure for calculating the CIRs based on the MRs and path losses.
Figure 3-2 Calculating CIRs

As shown in Figure 3-2, n indicates the number of candidate channels that can be allocated.

Calculating CIRs of a New Call by Channel

The BSC traverses all the candidate channels and calculates the CIRs when a new call is
connected over different candidate channels for subsequent channel allocation evaluation.
The formulas are as follows:
 CIR of a new call = Valid signal level – Interference signal level
 Valid signal level = Transmit power of the call – Path loss
 Interference signal level = Transmit power of the interference source – Path loss
The calculation of downlink CIR of a new call is used as an example. Figure 3-3 shows the
downlink interference on a call.
Figure 3-3 Downlink interference on a call
 Assume that A is a new call and B is an established call. The downlink signals of call B have
interference on call A. The downlink CIR of cell A is calculated using the following formula:
Then...
Downlink CIR of cell A = (Transmit power of cell A – Downlink path loss between cell A
and MS A) – (Transmit power of cell B – Downlink path loss between cell B and MS B)
When the network has high requirements for speech quality and the network congestion rate
is not high, set IBCASOFTBLKSWITCH to YES(Yes) and set
IBCAFRSOFTBLKTHRD to an appropriate value. If the CIR of an established call is less
than the value of IBCASOFTBLKSWITCH (BSC6900, BSC6910) after a new call is
connected over the channel occupied by the established call, the BSC considers the
interference on the established call unacceptable. As a result, the BSC eliminates the channel
occupied by the established call. The soft block thresholds of different services are specified
by following parameters:
 IBCAFRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAHRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAAFRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAAHRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAWAFRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 VAMOSAHSUserDLSoftBlockThd (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 VAMOSAFSUserDLSoftBlockThd (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAHOSOFTBLKTHRESHOLD (BSC6900, BSC6910)
If the network has no strict requirements for speech quality and the network congestion rate is
high, set IBCASOFTBLKSWITCH (BSC6900, BSC6910) to NO(No). After that, the BSC will
not eliminate a channel even if the CIR of the established call on the channel is less than the
value of IBCAFRSOFTBLKTHRD.

Calculating CIRs of Established Calls

The BSC traverses all the candidate channels and calculates the decrease in the CIR of each
established call after a new call is connected over a channel occupied by an established call.
This facilities the subsequent channel allocation.
Using the CIR, the BSC evaluates the interference a new call causes on an established call.
This is because the new call interferes with the established call on the same channel. If the
interference is strong, the CIR of the established call decreases and the speech quality of the
established call is affected.
The calculation for CIRs of established calls includes the following:
 CIRs of established calls before a new call is connected
 CIRs of established calls after a new call is connected
The specific calculation method is similar to the method for calculating CIRs of a new call.
When the network has high requirements for speech quality and the network congestion rate
is not high, set IBCASOFTBLKSWITCH (BSC6900, BSC6910) to YES(Yes) and set
IBCAFRSOFTBLKTHRD to an appropriate value. If the CIR of an established call is less
 than the value of IBCAFRSOFTBLKTHRD after a new call is connected over the channel
occupied by the established call, the BSC considers the interference on the established call
unacceptable. As a result, the BSC eliminates the channel occupied by the established call.
3.4 Selecting an Optimal Channel

After the CIR evaluation, the BSC allocates an appropriate channel to a new call based on the
setting of IBCAMAIOUSMTD (BSC6900, BSC6910):
 If IBCAMAIOUSMTD (BSC6900, BSC6910) is set to 1(Randomization MAIO), the
BSC selects a random channel whose CIR exceeds the value of
IBCATARGETCIRTHRSH (BSC6900, BSC6910) from the candidate channels and
allocates it to the new call.
 If IBCAMAIOUSMTD (BSC6900, BSC6910) is set to 0(Max. optimized MAIO), the
BSC allocates the channel with the highest priority to the new call. To select the channel
with the highest priority, the BSC calculates IBCA priorities of all candidate channels
based on the CIR of the new call and the impact of the new call on the established call.
(The impact here refers to the decrease in the CIR of the established call.) If the hopping
sequence number (HSN) is not 0, the BSC corrects IBCA priorities of all candidate
channels based on the IBCAOPRREVISEFACTOR (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter
setting. After that, the BSC sorts all candidate channels based on their IBCA priorities and
selects the channel with the highest priority.
 The IBCA priority is considered in the quality weight. Therefore, it is recommended
that CHALLOCSTRATEGY (BSC6900, BSC6910) be set to QUALITY(Quality
preferred).

If the IBCAEstmTSCCollisionAllow (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter is set to YES(Yes), the BSC takes
into account the impact of training sequence code (TSC) collision when calculating the IBCA priority of a
channel.

If the BTS supports Flex TSC and the IBCAFLEXTSCALLOWED (BSC6900, BSC6910)
parameter is set to ON(Allowed), the BSC uses the IBCA-based dynamic TSC allocation
function to select a TSC.
The channel selection is also determined by the settings of the following parameters:
 When processing an incoming BSC handover, the BSC preferentially hands over the
new call to a channel on the BCCH TRX in an IBCA cell. The
IBCAFREEBCCHCHANTHRSHOLD (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter specifies the
minimum number of idle TCHs on the BCCH TRX. If the network congestion rate is high,
it is recommended that this parameter be set to 0.
 The BSC preferentially allocates the new call to an SDCCH on a TRX with light
SDCCH load.
 If the SDCCH load on a TRX that is compatible with the BCCH frequency
band and uses a loose frequency reuse pattern is lower than the threshold specified by
the LOOSESDCCHLOADTHRED (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter, the BSC
preferentially allocates the new call to an SDCCH on that TRX.
  If the SDCCH load on a TRX that is compatible with the BCCH frequency
band and uses a loose frequency reuse pattern is higher than or equal to the threshold
specified by the LOOSESDCCHLOADTHRED (BSC6900, BSC6910) and the uplink
receive level of the new call is higher than the threshold specified by the
TIGHTSDCCHRXLEVTHRED (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter, the BSC preferentially
allocates the new call to an SDCCH on a TRX that is incompatible with the BCCH
frequency band and uses a loose frequency reuse pattern. If the uplink receive level of
the new call is lower than the threshold specified by the
TIGHTSDCCHRXLEVTHRED (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter, the BSC allocates the
new call to an SDCCH on the TRX that is compatible with the BCCH frequency band
and uses a loose frequency reuse pattern.
 The BSC starts the timer specified by the WAITSDCCHIDLETIMER (BSC6900,
BSC6910) parameter if the dynamic PDCH needs to preempt the MAIO for an SDCCH.

 If the timer has not expired, the BSC does not allocate the new call to the
SDCCH.
 If the timer has expired, the BSC checks whether the SDCCH is available. If
available, the BSC allows the new call to preempt the MAIO for the SDCCH. If
unavailable, the BSC does not allow the new call to preempt the MAIO for the
SDCCH.
 When the IntfBandEnhanceSw (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter is set to ON(On),
the BSC evaluates the MAIO based on both the interfering level and the IBCA algorithm.
If the evaluated MAIO is the same as the MAIO configured for the TRX with the idle
channel, and the interfering level for the idle channel is higher than
IBCAINTFPUNISHTHR (BSC6900, BSC6910), the BSC lowers the IBCA priority of the
channel. This prevents a new call from getting allocated to a channel that has been
severely interfered with because of inappropriate MAIO evaluation based on the IBCA
algorithm. When the IBCATGTCIRMAIOFIXED (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter is set to
255 for all TRXs in a cell, you are advised to set the IBCAINTFPUNISHTHR (BSC6900,
BSC6910) parameter to the maximum value 63.

 If the IBCASUBCHNHANDOVERALLOWED (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter is set

to OFF(Not Allowed), the established call on the Single channel cannot be handed over to
another channel. If the IBCASUBCHNHANDOVERALLOWED (BSC6900, BSC6910)
parameter is set to ON(Allowed), the established call on the Single channel can be handed
over to another channel.
 When the channel allocation policy is "TCHF-preferred", setting the
IBCAFREVLOPT (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameter to ON(On) makes the IBCA-based
TCHF evaluation more accurate and prevents handover collisions on the same timeslot.
 When a call is queued during an assignment or handover, setting IBCAQUEUEOPT
(BSC6900, BSC6910) to ON(On) ensures that the channel allocated to the call is the same as
the channel adjusted for the call.
4 Related Features

Prerequisite Features

Feature ID Feature Name Description

GBFD-510401 BTS GPS  IBCA requires any of the

Synchronization features.
 IBCA requires the time
GBFD-118201 Soft-Synchronized synchronization function of GBFD-
Network 118620 Clock over IP support
1588v2.
GBFD-118620 Clock over IP support
1588V2  IBCA can accurately evaluate
interference that a new call causes to
GBFD-201201 BTS Supporting 1588v2 the established calls on the same
ATR timeslot and allocate the optimal
channel to the new call only when the
Um interface software
synchronization is enabled.

GBFD-113701 Frequency Hopping (RF  You are advised to use the RF

hopping, baseband hopping.
hopping)  IBCA performs interference
evaluation only when FH is enabled
on the network.

GBFD-118621 Connection Inter BSC  Inter-BSC IBCA depends on the

over IP GBFD-118621 Connection Inter BSC
over IP feature.
 This is because inter-BSC IBCA
evaluation information interaction can
be performed when inter-BSC
connections are implemented.

GBFD-117601 HUAWEI III Power When IBCA is enabled, the system

Control Algorithm performs power forecast based on the
receive level and calculated CIRs in the
process of initial access assignment or
service channel activation during intra-
BSC handovers. This way, the MSs and
BTSs can adjust the transmit power
based on the forecast power, which is
more accurate than that when the Active
Power Control feature is used. You are
advised not to enable the Active Power
Control feature when the IBCA feature is
enabled.
 Feature ID Feature Name Description

After connecting a new call over the

channel allocated using the IBCA
algorithm, the BSC calculates the uplink
and downlink initial transmit power using
Huawei III power control algorithm. For
more details, see Power Control Feature
Parameter Description. The BSC calculates
the power based on the target uplink
and downlink receive levels and target
uplink and downlink receive quality as
well as their offsets. The offsets are
specified by the following parameters:
 IBCAINITPCRXLEVULOFFSET
(BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAINITPCRXLEVDLOFFSET
(BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAINITPCRXQUALULOFFSE
T (BSC6900, BSC6910)
 IBCAINITPCRXQUALDLOFFSE
T (BSC6900, BSC6910)

Mutually Exclusive Features

Feature ID Feature Name Description

GBFD-117001 Flex MAIO Both the IBCA and Flex MAIO features
are used for calculating interference.
They cannot be enabled at the same
time because they use the same bit to
control the channel priority.

GBFD-110502 Assignment and  The IBCA feature is mutually

Immediate Assignment exclusive with the very early
assignment function in the GBFD-
110502 Assignment and Immediate
Assignment feature.
 IBCA enables the BSC to
allocate TCHs based on the
measured interference during the
assignment or handover procedure. If
the very early assignment function
has been enabled for the calling MS,
the BSC directly assigns a TCH for
the calling MS during the immediate
assignment. In this condition, the
IBCA feature does not take effect. For
details about the very early
assignment function, see Assignment
and Immediate Assignment Feature
Parameter Description.
 Feature ID Feature Name Description

GBFD-510104 Multi-site Cell  The GBFD-510104 Multi-site Cell

feature is mutually exclusive with the
single-user-based dynamic
measurement function of the IBCA
feature.
 This is because the Multi-site
Cell feature and the single-user
dynamic measurement function use
the same Abis interface resource to
send information about the
neighboring cells.

GBFD-119406 High Speed Circuit The High Speed Circuit Switched Data
Switched Data feature is implemented based on the
multislot binding technology while the
IBCA feature is implemented based on
only one timeslot.

GBFD-114501 Co-BCCH Cell This is because IBCA cannot be enabled

in concentric cells.
GBFD-113201 Concentric Cell

GBFD-113101 PDCH Dynamic None

Adjustment

GBFD-115903 4-Way Receiver Diversity When both Flexible 4-Way Receiver

Diversity and IBCA are enabled, IBCA
interference calculation and identification
become less accurate, greatly reducing
IBCA-delivered gains. These two
features cannot be enabled at the same
time.

Impacted Features

Feature ID Feature Name Description

GBFD-117602 Active Power Control You are advised not to enable the
GBFD-117602 Active Power Control
feature when the IBCA feature is
enabled.

GBFD-118001 BCCH Dense Frequency  Do not enable the GBFD-118001

Multiplexing BCCH Dense Frequency Multiplexing
feature when the IBCA feature is
enabled.
 The BCCH Dense Frequency
Multiplexing feature regards a cell as
two logical layers: TCH layer on the
BCCH TRX and FH layer on other
Feature ID Feature Name Description

TRXs. IBCA supports TCH

assignment and handover only on the
FH layer. If the two features are
enabled at the same time and the
traffic on the FH layer is high, the
BSC allocates TCHs on the BCCH
TRX, resulting in a decrease in
available PDCHs and PS
performance deterioration.

GBFD-118106 Dynamic power sharing  Do not enable the GBFD-118106

Dynamic Power Sharing feature when
the IBCA feature is enabled.
 The Dynamic Power Sharing
feature uses the channel assignment
algorithm based on power sharing
and coverage. The IBCA feature uses
the interference-based channel
assignment algorithm. The gains from
the IBCA feature are insignificant
when both the two features are
enabled.

GBFD-110802 Pre-processing of  The IBCA feature is exclusive

Measurement Report with the GBFD-110802 Pre-
processing of Measurement Report
feature.
 The IBCA and Pre-processing of
Measurement Report features
postpone the reporting of MRs. When
they are both enabled, MRs cannot
be reported in a timely manner.

GBFD-114151 DTM  You are advised not to enable

the GBFD-114151 DTM feature when
the IBCA feature is enabled.
 At present, the IBCA feature
does not support dynamic PDCH
conversion. All the PDCHs must be
configured on the BCCH TRX when
IBCA is enabled. Due to limits on the
number of PDCHs and TCHs on the
BCCH TRX, it is very difficult to serve
more than two DTM services at the
same time.

GBFD-200201 1.2 MHz Networking for When BCCH TRXs use the 2x3
BCCH TRXs frequency reuse pattern, there is a
higher probability that interfering
neighboring cell information in MRs is
not reported to the BSC. If this occurs,
 Feature ID Feature Name Description

the IBCA feature evaluates channels

less accurately, reducing feature gains.

GBFD-200202 User-level Precise Power The neighboring cell handover

Control compensation function of this feature
does not take effect when IBCA is
enabled.

5 Network Impact

5.1 System Capacity

The IBCA feature enables the BSC to calculate interference based on network
synchronization and allocates a channel with less interference to a new call. This improves
the speech quality and therefore increases the network capacity.
5.2 Network Performance

Enabling the IBCA feature improves quality-related KPIs, such as the mean opinion score
(MOS) of voice services and high quality indicator (HQI). The IBCA feature requires
synchronous network and cyclic hopping. Therefore, if the calculated interference is
significantly different from the actual interference, for example, in the case of high-speed
moving, strong interference may exist on the allocated channel. The interference, however,
persists until a handover or call drop occurs. This decreases the handover success rate and
increases the call drop rate. Therefore, enabling IBCA improves the speech quality but has an
adverse impact on the CS call drop rate and handover success rate.
For BSC6900, the load of an XPUa/XPUb/XPUc board increases. For BSC6910, the load of
an EGPUa/EGPUb/EXPUa/EXPUb board increases.

6 Engineering Guidelines

6.1 When to Use IBCA

Table 6-1lists the IBCA deployment scenario requirements. If these requirements cannot be
met, the gains brought by the IBCA decrease or network performance deteriorates.
Table 6-1 Deployment scenario requirements
Scenario Detailed Description
Requirement

Network IBCA is based on time synchronization over the Um interface. To support

synchronization time synchronization over the Um interface, enable either of the following
features:
Enable the GBFD-510401 BTS GPS Synchronization feature by adding
the GPS hardware to the BTS.
Enable the GBFD-118620 Clock over IP Support 1588v2 feature by
adding IP clock servers.

Single IBCA supports only the SFN and does not support co-BCCH cells or
frequency dual-band networks.
network (SFN)

Site The proportion of mixed deployment of multi-sector sites must be less

configuration than 5%. Sites with more than three sectors, such as four sectors and six
sectors, affects IBCA performance gains. If the mixed deployment
proportion increases, network performance will deteriorate.
The site configuration mode must be S2/2/2 or higher. It is recommended
that the site configuration mode be S3/3/3 or higher. This is because
IBCA does not support interference evaluation on the BCCH TRX. If the
number of TCH TRXs decreases, IBCA performance gains will
deteriorate.

Frequency TCHs use a tight frequency reuse pattern, the FR load is greater than
reuse pattern 75%, and the recommended bandwidth is less than 7.4 MHz.
The planned TCH frequency reuse pattern must be 1x1 or 1x3.
Otherwise, replan frequencies before planning the TCH frequency reuse
pattern.
The FR load is calculated using the following formula:
FR load = Number of TRXs participating in FH/Total number of allocated
frequencies
When the 1x1 or 1x3 frequency reuse pattern is used on the network, the
FR load is calculated by cluster using the following formula:
FR load = Number of TRXs per cluster/Number of frequencies per cluster
When the 1x1 frequency reuse pattern is used on the network, a cluster
refers to frequencies in a cell. When the 1x3 frequency reuse pattern is
used, a cluster refers to frequencies in three cells under a BTS.

Area coverage Continuous coverage areas covered by 25 sites are supported. In

addition, independent coverage areas covered by more than 15 sites are
allowed.

Level coverage IBCA applies to urban areas where interference exists and whose
proportion of the receive level higher than –90 dBm is greater than 90%.
Uplink or downlink weak coverage causes KPIs to deteriorate.

Prohibition of Out-of-service triggers traffic migration, and therefore causes counter

frequent out-of- fluctuation, interference model change, weak coverage, performance gain
service of sites deterioration, and even KPI deterioration. The cell out-of-service
and their cells proportion must be less than 10% and the average daily out-of-service
 Scenario Detailed Description
Requirement

period must be less than 1 hour.

Cell TRX The proportion of large-configuration cells must be less than 5%. This is
configuration because a large cell TRX distribution difference causes complex planning
and generates many interference sources. When this happens,
interference prevention is difficult and performance gains are affected.
Cells have large configurations if the following condition is met: Number
of cell TCH TRXs ≥ 2 x Average number of TRXs in a cell

6.2 Data Preparation

The information to be collected is used for parameter planning and subsequent data
correctness check. Table 6-2 lists information to be collected in cells where IBCA is to be
deployed.
Table 6-2 Information to be collected
No. Information to Be Collected Purpose

1 Alarms generated in the latest month for Analyze the stability by cell.
BTSs in these cells

2 Engineering parametersa, such as the cell Analyze the network topology and
name, longitude and latitude, azimuth, BTS plan synchronization parameters.
type, and MA, for these cells

3 Latest BSC configuration files in these cells Check the correctness of engineering
parameters.

4 Original statistics and historical data in 7 x Obtain the performance counters and
24 hours operating status of the original
network for subsequent comparison
after IBCA is deployed.

5 TRX receive quality statistics and historical Obtain the value of RxQuality for
data in 7 x 24 hours subsequent value comparison after
IBCA is deployed.

6 Statistics related to the interference matrixb Plan the IBCA interference

of the original network in 7 x 24 hours neighboring cells.

a: Obtain the engineering parameters about these cells and compare these parameters with the
latest configuration file to check the correctness of these parameters. If the engineering
parameters are incomplete or some parameter values are incorrect, rectify them depending on
the configuration file. If time permits, visit the BTSs on site to check whether the longitudes
and latitudes of the BTSs and the azimuths of antennas are correct. If the GPS receiver has
been installed and works properly, you can directly obtain the longitudes and latitudes from
the GPS receiver.
b: Obtain the interference matrix in cells where IBCA is to be deployed for subsequent
planning of IBCA interference neighboring cells. Deploying IBCA requires configuring
IBCA interference neighboring cells. IBCA interference neighboring cells, however, are
 configured based on the actual interference information on the live network. You can analyze
the actual interference information on the live network based on the interference matrix
provided by the Nastar.
6.3 Network Planning

IBCA planning includes planning areas, channels, frequencies, HSNs, MAIOs, and IBCA
interference cells.

The planning of the preceding information, except the channels, frequencies, and HSNs, can be implemented by
professional tools.

 Area planning
The IBCA-enabled area uses a synchronous network. If its surrounding area uses an
asynchronous network, the number of interference neighboring cells that can be configured
for edge IBCA cells is limited. This decreases the accuracy of evaluation based on IBCA and
affects network performance. To resolve this problem, a guard space is established between
the IBCA-enabled area and its surrounding area. The guard space is enabled with IBCA and
uses a synchronous network but its HSN is set to a value other than 0. Figure 6-1 shows the
detailed area planning.
Figure 6-1 Area planning

 IBCA core area

The IBCA-enabled synchronization network is used, and HSN (BSC6900, BSC6910) is set
to 0.
 Guard space
The IBCA-enabled synchronous network reconstructed from the asynchronous network is
used, and HSN (BSC6900, BSC6910) is set to a value other than 0.
 Asynchronous network
The IBCA feature is disabled on the network.
 Channel planning
IBCA does not support dynamic PDCH conversion on the FH layer. Therefore, disable
dynamic PDCH conversion on non-BCCH TRXs in the cell and configure the PDCHs of
 the original network on the BCCH TRX or TRXs of cells where the IBCA feature is
disabled.
 Frequency planning
The frequency planning involves only frequencies on the TCH layer.
When IBCA is used, the TCH layer must use the 1x3 or 1x1 frequency reuse pattern.
 If the number of frequencies participating in the FH on the TCH layer is less
than or equal to 12, use the 1x1 frequency reuse pattern to maximum the FH gains.
 If the number of frequencies participating in the FH on the TCH layer is
greater than 12, use the 1x3 frequency reuse pattern where frequencies are grouped in a
non-sequential order.
 If frequencies on the original network in the 1x3 frequency reuse pattern are
grouped in sequential order, group frequencies in the 1x3 frequency reuse pattern in
non-sequential order. This prevents adjacent-channel interference in a cell.
 HSN planning
Cells in the same BTS must use the same HSN. The following HSN planning policies are
adopted when IBCA is enabled:
 Set HSN (BSC6900, BSC6910) to 0 (cyclic FH). It is recommended that 0 be
planned as the HSN for IBCA-enabled BTSs.
 Set HSN (BSC6900, BSC6910) to a value other than 0 (random FH). It is
recommended that DynHSNIBCAOutSyncSw (BSC6900, BSC6910) be set to ON(On)
for a frequently disconnected BTS. When the Um interface is out of synchronization,
the BSC generates dynamic HSNs (value range: 1 to 63) to reduce the negative impact.
Meanwhile, the configured HSN does not take effect during this period.
 MAIO planning
The MAIO planning involves the following parameters:
- TRXMAIO: MAIO of a channel in the TRX participating in the FH in a cell or subcell
- MAIO1
- MAIO2
- ...
- MAIO24
Obtain MAIOs that can be used by the IBCA algorithm in each cell from the list of
available MAIOs (you are advised to use a tool to plan MAIOs), and then assign an MAIO
for TRXMAIO.
 Planning of IBCA interference neighboring cells
During the IBCA network planning, an IBCA interference neighboring cell must be
configured for each serving cell. Before connecting a new call in the serving cell, the BSC
collects information about the IBCA interference neighboring cell to calculate the
specified interference. Based on the calculated interference, the BSC can assign an
appropriate channel for the new call.
 To ensure the channel assignment effect, select the neighboring cells that have the
strongest interference with the serving cell as the IBCA interference neighboring cell. A
maximum of 24 IBCA interference neighboring cells can be configured. The larger the
number of IBCA interference neighboring cells, the more accurate the calculated
interference, and the better the network performance.
6.4 Deploying IBCA

6.4.1 Deployment Requirements

Table 6-3 Deployment requirements

Aspect Requirement

Related See 4 Related Features.

features

BSC  Before enabling this feature, ensure that the following

requirements are met to prevent flow control due to a high CPU usage:
 For the BSC6900, XPUa/XPUb/XPUc boards work in
active/standby mode. If the board load exceeds 60%, add a pair of
XPUa/XPUb/XPUc boards.
 For the BSC6910, the EGPUa/EGPUb/EXPUb/EXPUa
boards work in resource pool mode. If the board usage exceeds
60%, add an EGPUa/EGPUb/EXPUb/EXPUa board.
 For the BSC6900, a built-in PCU is required. In addition, add a
pair of XPUa/XPUb/XPUc boards with LGCAPPTYPE (BSC6900,
BSC6910) set to MCP.
 For the BSC6910, add an EGPUa, EGPUb, EXPUa, or EXPUb
board with LGCAPPTYPE (BSC6900, BSC6910) set to GMCP.
 To support inter-BSC IBCA, an IP interface board is required.

BTS None

GSM 900 MHz or 1800 MHz networking

networking

MS None

MSC None

License The license controlling this feature has been activated. For details on how
to activate the license, see License Management Feature Parameter Description.
For details about license items, see License Control Item Description.

Others The IBCA feature is implemented on a synchronous network. Therefore,

the transmission and power supply must be stable. If the transmission or
power supply is unstable, for example, the power supply is often
disconnected, or transmission links are disconnected intermittently,
frequent synchronizations are performed and therefore call drops occur.
Only one transmission link disconnection and one out-of-lock alarm are
allowed each month at each site.

6.4.2 Data Preparation

Table 6-4 Data preparation
Parameter Name Parameter ID Setting Notes Data Source

IBCA Info IBCAINBSCINFO Recommended value: 200 Engineering

Report Period RPTPRD If this parameter is set to a large value, design
Within BSC (BSC6900, the IBCA interference measurement
BSC6910) result reporting is delayed and the
channel assignment is affected.

Dyn NONIBCADYNM Recommended value: NO(NO) BSC internal

Measurement EAEN (BSC6900, Setting this parameter to YES(YES) plan
on a Non-IBCA BSC6910) affects the accuracy of the IBCA
Neighbor interference measurement.

IBCA RxLev IBCARXLEVOFF Recommended value: 10 BSC internal

Offset SET (BSC6900, plan
BSC6910)

Interf. Priority INTERFPRIALLO Recommended value: NO(No) BSC internal

Allowed W (BSC6900, plan
BSC6910)

IBCA Allowed IBCAALLOWED Recommended value: YES(Yes) BSC internal

(BSC6900, plan
BSC6910)

IBCA Soft IBCASOFTBLKS Recommended value: YES(Yes) BSC internal

Block Switch WITCH (BSC6900, plan
BSC6910)

IBCA FR/EFR IBCAFRSOFTBL Recommended value: 4 BSC internal

Soft Block KTHRD (BSC6900, plan
Threshold BSC6910)

IBCA HR Soft IBCAHRSOFTBL Recommended value: 6 BSC internal

Block KTHRD (BSC6900, plan
Threshold BSC6910)

IBCA AMR FR IBCAAFRSOFTB Recommended value: 2 BSC internal

Soft Block LKTHRD plan
Threshold (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA AMR HR IBCAAHRSOFTB Recommended value: 4 BSC internal

Soft Block LKTHRD plan
Threshold (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA WAMR IBCAWAFRSOFT Recommended value: 0 BSC internal

FR Soft Block BLKTHRD plan
Threshold (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA Soft IBCASOFTBLKS Recommended value: 1 BSC internal

Parameter Name Parameter ID Setting Notes Data Source

Block SAIC AICOFF plan

Offset (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA Max. IBCAMAXINTFS Recommended value: 24 BSC internal

Interference RCNUM If this parameter is set to a small value, plan
Source Num. (BSC6900, the calculated interference is incorrect
BSC6910) and therefore the IBCA evaluation is
inaccurate, affecting the network
performance.

IBCA Downlink IBCADLPATHLO Recommended value: 7 BSC internal

Path Loss SSOFF (BSC6900, planning
Offset BSC6910)

IBCA Service IBCASCELLPAT Recommended value: 110 BSC internal

Cell Pathloss HLOSS (BSC6900, planning
BSC6910)

IBCA Pathloss IBCAPATHLOSS Recommended value: 15 BSC internal

Offset OFF (BSC6900, plan
BSC6910)

IBCA Call IBCACALLINFOF Recommended value: 4 BSC internal

Information ILTERLEN plan
Filter (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA ICDM IBCAICDMSWIT Recommended value: NO(No) BSC internal

Switch CH (BSC6900, plan
BSC6910)

IBCA Path IBCAPLFILTFAC Recommended value: 6 BSC internal

Lose Filter TOR (BSC6900, plan
Factor BSC6910)

IBCA Pathloss IBCANCELLPAT Recommended value: 0 BSC internal

Est of Non. MR HLOSSESTIMAT plan
Ncell E (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA Non IBCANONMEAN Recommended value: 4 BSC internal

Measurement CELLSTATNUM plan
Ncell Stat. Num (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA MAIO IBCAMAIOUSMT Recommended value: 0(Max. BSC internal

Using Method D (BSC6900, optimized MAIO) plan
BSC6910)

IBCA Init. IBCAINITPCRXL Recommended value: 3 BSC internal

Power Control EVDLOFFSET If this parameter is set to a large value, plan
 Parameter Name Parameter ID Setting Notes Data Source

RexLevDL (BSC6900, the downlink initial transmit power

Offset BSC6910) increases.

IBCA Init. IBCAINITPCRXL Recommended value: 3 BSC internal

Power Control EVULOFFSET If this parameter is set to a large value, plan
RexLevUL (BSC6900, the uplink initial transmit power
Offset BSC6910) increases.

IBCA Init. Pwr IBCAINITPCRXQ Recommended value: 6 BSC internal

Ctrl Rx Qual UALDLOFFSET If this parameter is set to a large value, plan
DL Offset (BSC6900, the downlink initial transmit power
BSC6910) increases.

IBCA Init. Pwr IBCAINITPCRXQ Recommended value: 6 BSC internal

Ctrl Rx Qual UALULOFFSET If this parameter is set to a large value, plan
UL Offset (BSC6900, the uplink initial transmit power
BSC6910) increases.

IBCA Inter- IBCAOutBSCMs Recommended value: on(on) BSC internal

BSC Message gSndCtrlSw plan
Send Control (BSC6900,
Switch BSC6910)

Target CIR IBCANEWCALL Recommended value: 7 BSC internal

Offset of IBCA CIROFFSET plan
New Call (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

Target CIR IBCACALLTARG Recommended value: 4 BSC internal

Offset of IBCA ETCIROFFSET plan
Set-up Call (BSC6900,
BSC6910)

IBCA Set-up IBCACALLSOFT Recommended value: 0 BSC internal

Call Soft Block BLOCKTHOFFS plan
Threshold ET (BSC6900,
Offset BSC6910)

Idle TCH IBCAFREEBCCH Recommended value: 0 BSC internal

Threshold on CHANTHRSHOL If this parameter is set to a large value, plan
BCCH TRX D (BSC6900, the congestion rate increases.
BSC6910)

Channel CHALLOCSTRA Recommended value: BSC internal

Allocate TEGY (BSC6900, QUALITY(Quality preferred) plan
Strategy BSC6910)

6.4.3 Activation

Using MML Commands

1. (Optional) If the TRX is configured with static PDCHs, relocate these static PDCHs
from the TRX to the BCCH TRXs.
2. On the BSC LMT, run the SET GTRXBASE command with Maximum Number of
PDCH of the TCH TRX set to 0.

Disable dynamic PDCH conversion at the FH layer because it is not supported by IBCA.

3. Run the MOD GCELLMAGRP command with Hop Mode set to RF_FH(RF FH)
and Hop Index set to an appropriate value.
4. (Optional) Configure information about the external BSC.
Information about the external BSC must be configured if you want to enable the inter-
BSC IBCA.
Run the ADD EXTBSC command to add an external BSC as required.
Run the ADD GEXT2GCELL command to add an external cell as required. In this step,
set BSC Index to the index of the added external BSC.
5. Run the SET GCELLCHMGAD command to set IBCA parameters listed in 6.4.2
Data Preparation.

6. Run the SET GCELLCHMGBASIC command with Channel Allocate Strategy set
to QUALITY(Quality Preferred).
7. Run the SET GCELLMAIOPLAN command to configure cell MAIOs based on the
network plan.
In this step, set MAIO 1 to MAIO 24 to appropriate values.
8. Run the SET GTRXCHANHOP command with Channel MAIO set to an
appropriate value based on the MAIO plan.
Channel MAIO specifies the MAIO of the channel in the TRX. Eight channels in the
same TRX have the same MAIO.

The MAIOs configured for TRXs in a cell are part of the MAIOs planned for the cell. For example, two
TRXs are configured for a cell but three MAIOs are planned for the cell. The first two MAIOs are
configured for the two TRXs.

9. Configure the IBCA interference neighboring cells.

 If Neighboring Cell Type of both a source cell and its neighboring cell on the
original network is HANDOVERNCELL(Handover Neighboring Cell), run the
MOD G2GNCELL command with Neighboring Cell Type set to
HANDOVERANDIBCANCELL(Handover and IBCA Neighboring Cell) and
IBCA RxLev Offset set to 10.
 If no neighboring cells have been configured for the source cell on the original
network, run the ADD G2GNCELL command to add a neighboring cell for the
 source cell. In this step, set Neighboring Cell Type to IBCANCELL(IBCA
Neighboring Cell) and set IBCA RxLev Offset to 10.
10. Configure the BSC software parameters.
Run the SET OTHSOFTPARA command with IBCA Info Report Period Within
BSC set to 200 and Dyn Measurement on a Non-IBCA Neighbor set to NO(NO).

MML Command Examples

SET GTRXCHAN: TRXID=0, CHNO=3, CHTYPE=PDTCH;

SET GTRXCHAN: TRXID=1, CHNO=3, CHTYPE=TCHFR;
MOD GCELLMAGRP: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, HOPINDEX=0, HSN=0, TSC=4,
HOPMODE=RF_FH;
SET GCELLCHMGBASIC: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, CHALLOCSTRATEGY=
QUALITY;
SET GCELLMAIOPLAN: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, HOPINDEX=0, MAIO1=0,
MAIO2=3, MAIO3=6;
SET GTRXCHANHOP: TRXID=1, CHNO=0, TRXMAIO=0;
SET GTRXCHANHOP: TRXID=1, CHNO=1, TRXMAIO=0;
……
SET GTRXCHANHOP: TRXID=1, CHNO=7, TRXMAIO=0;
MOD G2GNCELL: IDTYPE=BYID, SRC2GNCELLID=0, NBR2GNCELLID=1,
NCELLTYPE=HANDOVERANDIBCANCELL, IBCARXLEVOFFSET=10;
ADD G2GNCELL: IDTYPE=BYID, SRC2GNCELLID=0, NBR2GNCELLID=1,
NCELLTYPE=IBCANCELL, IBCARXLEVOFFSET=10;
SET OTHSOFTPARA: IBCAINBSCINFORPTPRD=200, NONIBCADYNMEAEN=NO;
SET GCELLCHMGAD: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, IBCAALLOWED=YES;

Using the CME (Method 1)

When configuring the IBCA feature on the CME, you must perform a single configuration first, and then
perform batch modifications if required.
You must perform a single configuration for a parameter before batch modifications of the parameter. You are
advised to perform batch modifications before logging out of the parameter setting interface.

1. Configure a single object on the CME. (CME single configuration)

Set parameters on the CME configuration interface according to the operation sequence
described in Table 6-5.
For detailed operations, see CME-based Feature Configuration.
2. (Optional) Modify objects in batches on the CME. (CME batch modification center)
 To modify objects, such as BSCs, BTSs, cells, and TRXs, in batches, click the icon
on the CME configuration interface to start the batch modification wizard.

For instructions on how to perform a batch modification, click on the wizard

interface to obtain online help.

Table 6-5 Configuring parameters on the CME

SN Managed NE Parameter Parameter ID Configurable
Object (MO) Name in CME Batch
Modification
Center

1 BRD BSC6900/BS Logical LGCAPPTYP No

C6910 function type E

2 GCELLCHM BSC6900/BS IBCA Allowed IBCAALLOW Yes

GAD C6910 ED

BSC6900/BS TSC Collision IBCAEstmTS

C6910 Concerned in CCollisionAllo
IBCA w

BSC6900/BS IBCA Flexible IBCAFLEXTS

C6910 TSC Allowed CALLOWED

3 GCELLCHM BSC6900/BS Channel CHALLOCST Yes

GBASIC C6910 Allocate RATEGY
Strategy

4 OTHSOFTPA BSC6900/BS IBCA Info IBCAINBSCI Yes

RA C6910 Report Period NFORPTPRD
Within BSC

BSC6900/BS IBCA Info IBCAOUTBS

C6910 Report Period CINFORPTP
Between BSC RD

5 GCELLMAIO BSC6900/BS Hop Index HOPINDEX Yes

PLAN C6910

6 G2GNCELL BSC6900/BS Neighboring NCELLTYPE No

C6910 Cell Type

BSC6900/BS IBCA Dyn IBCADYNCM

C6910 Measure EASURENCE
Neighbour LLALLOWED
Cell Flag

Using the CME (Method 2)

This function can be batch activated using the Feature Operation and Maintenance function
of the CME. For detailed operations, see the following section in the CME product
documentation or online help: CME Management > CME Guidelines > Enhanced Feature
Management > Feature Operation and Maintenance.

Inter-BSC IBCA cannot be batch activated using the CME.

6.4.4 Activation Observation

1. Trace the RSL signaling over the Abis interface in an IBCA-enabled cell.
2. Select the RSL signaling over the same timeslot of the same TRX board at different
time points.
Figure 6-2 Traced RSL signaling over the Abis interface

3. Compare MAIOs allocated to channels at different time points.

Expected result: The MAIOs are different, indicating that the IBCA algorithm takes
effect. Figure 6-3 and Figure 6-4 show different MAIOs.
Figure 6-3 MAIO 1

Figure 6-4 MAIO 2

 6.4.5 Deactivation

Using MML Commands

1. On the BSC LMT, perform the following steps:

 Remove an IBCA interference neighboring cell. If Neighboring Cell Type of
both a source cell and its neighboring cell on the original network is
HANDOVERNCELL(Handover Neighboring Cell), run the MOD G2GNCELL
command with Neighboring Cell Type set to HANDOVERNCELL(Handover
Neighboring Cell).
 If no neighboring cells have been configured for the source cell on the original
network, run the RMV G2GNCELL command to remove the configured neighboring
cell.

Changing the value of IBCA Allowed from YES(Yes) to NO(No) will reset the cell.
Therefore, perform this operation during off-peak hours.

2. Run the SET GCELLCHMGAD command with IBCA Allowed set to NO(No).

Therefore, perform this operation during off-peak hours.

3. Run the MOD GCELLMAGRP command with HSN set to the value used before
IBCA is deployed.
4. Run the SET GCELLCHMGBASIC command with Channel Allocate Strategy set
to the value used before IBCA is deployed.

MML Command Examples

MOD G2GNCELL: IDTYPE=BYID, SRC2GNCELLID=0, NBR2GNCELLID=1,

NCELLTYPE= HANDOVERNCELL;
RMV G2GNCELL: IDTYPE=BYID, SRC2GNCELLID=0, NBR2GNCELLID=1;
SET GCELLCHMGAD: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, IBCAALLOWED=NO;
MOD GCELLMAGRP: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, HOPINDEX=0, HSN=12;
SET GCELLCHMGBASIC: IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, CHALLOCSTRATEGY=
CAPABILITY;

Using the CME

The method of feature deactivation using the CME is the same as that of feature activation
using the CME. For detailed operations, see Using the CME (Method 1) and Using the CME (Method
2).

6.5 Performance Monitoring

Table 6-6 lists the counters to be monitored after IBCA is deployed.

 Table 6-6 Counters to be monitored
Counter Description Counter Core Area Change Description

Call Drop Rate on CELL.RATE.TCH.CALL.DROP.INCLU Increases by up to 0.2%.

TCH per DE.HO
cell(including
Handover)

Call Drop Rate on CELL.RATE.TCH.CALL.DROP.EXCL Increases by up to 0.2%.

TCH per UDE.HO
cell(Excluding
Handover)

Radio Handovers CELL.RD.HO.SUCC.RATE Decreases by up to 0.5%.

Success Rate

Congestion Rate on CELL.KPI.TCH.CONGESTION.RATE Increases by up to 0.5%.

TCH (All Channels
Busy)

After IBCA is deployed, the proportion of HQIs increases. HQI reflects the Um interface
receive quality. The Rx_QUALITY(UPLINK) and Rx_QUALITY(DOWNLINK) KPIs are
used to measure proportions of receive quality levels 0 through 4 on the uplink and downlink,
respectively.
6.6 Parameter Optimization

Compare the KPIs before and after IBCA is deployed. If the KPIs do not change as expected
in 6.5 Performance Monitoring, optimize the relevant parameters.
6.6.1 Call Drop Rate

Find the top N cells with a high call drop rate and optimize configurations of these cells
according to Table 6-7.
Table 6-7 Call drop rate
No. Item Solution

1 Identify the excessively  If the IBCA interference neighboring cell fails to

configured or missed be configured, add it by referring to step 6 in "Feature
IBCA interference Activation" in 6.4 Deploying IBCA
neighboring cells.  If an IBCA neighboring cell that has no or less
interference with the source cell is configured, delete
the IBCA neighboring cell by referring to step 1 in
"Deactivation" in 6.4 Deploying IBCA

2 Identify the neighboring Change the BSIC of the neighboring cells with the same
cells configured with the frequency and BSIC.
same frequency and
BSIC.

3 Identify the neighboring Change the TSC of the interference neighboring cells
cells configured with the with the same frequency and TSC.
same frequency and
No. Item Solution

TSC.

4 Adjust the traffic busy Decrease the traffic busy threshold for IBCA interference
threshold. neighboring cells to increase the proportion of HR calls
and relieve the interference.

5 Change the HSN of a cell.  Before changing the HSN, set

IBCASOFTBLKSWITCH (BSC6900, BSC6910) to
NO(No).
 Change the HSNs of all cells in BTSs that serve
the top N cells based on the HSN planning.
 To change the HSN of a cell from 0 to a value
other than 0, change the HSNs of other cells in the
same BTS accordingly. This ensures that cells in the
same BTS use the same HSN.

6 Adjust power control Adjust power control parameters to improve the speech
parameters. quality or reduce call drops, for example, adding the
ULREXQUALADJFCTR (BSC6900, BSC6910) and
DLREXQUALADJFCTR (BSC6900, BSC6910) parameters.
For details on how to optimize the power control
procedure, see Power Control Feature Parameter
Description.

6.6.2 Handover Success Rate

The procedure for optimizing the handover success rate is similar to that in 6.6.1 Call Drop Rate.
During the optimization of the handover success rate, before identifying the excessively
configured or missed IBCA interference neighboring cells, check whether NCELLTYPE
(BSC6900, BSC6910) is set to HANDOVERANDIBCANCELL(Handover and IBCA
Neighboring Cell).
6.6.3 Congestion Rate

Find the top N cells with a high congestion rate and optimize configurations of these cells
according to Table 6-8.
Table 6-8 Procedure for optimizing the congestion rate
No. Item Solution

1 Traffic busy Set TCHAJFLAG (BSC6900, BSC6910) to YES(Yes) and

threshold TCHBUSYTHRES (BSC6900, BSC6910) to a low value.

2 IBCA soft block Decrease all the IBCA soft block thresholds by 1 to 2 dB. If the
threshold congestion rate is still high, set IBCASOFTBLKSWITCH (BSC6900,
BSC6910) to NO(No).
NOTE:
The soft block thresholds of different services are specified by
IBCAFRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910),
IBCAHRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910),
IBCAAFRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910),
 No. Item Solution

IBCAAHRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910), and

IBCAWAFRSOFTBLKTHRD (BSC6900, BSC6910).

6.7 Troubleshooting

None.

7 Parameters

The following hyperlinked EXCEL files of parameter reference match the software version
with which this document is released.
Base station controller parameter reference
 BSC6900 GSM Parameter Reference: contains the parameters related to the BSC6900
equipment, transport, and radio access functions.
 BSC6910 GSM Parameter Reference: contains the parameters related to the BSC6910
equipment, transport, and radio access functions.
eGBTS Parameter reference
 Node Parameter Reference: contains base station equipment and transport parameters.
 GBTSFunction Parameter Reference:contains all parameters related to radio access
functions, including air interface management, access control, mobility control, and radio
resource management.

You can find the EXCEL files of parameter reference for the software version on the live network from the
product documentation delivered with that version.

FAQ: How do I find the parameters related to a certain feature from parameter
reference?
Step 1: Open the EXCEL file of parameter reference.
Step 2: On the Parameter List sheet, filter the Feature ID column. Click Text Filters and
choose Contains. Enter the feature ID, for example, GBFD-200201.
Step 3: Click OK. All parameters related to the feature are displayed.
8 Counters

The following hyperlinked EXCEL files of performance counter reference match the
software version with which this document is released.
Base station controller performance counter reference
 BSC6900 GSM Performance Counter Reference: contains the counters related to the
BSC6900 equipment, transport, and radio access functions.
 BSC6910 GSM Performance Counter Reference:
contains the counters related to the
BSC6910 equipment, transport, and radio access functions.
eGBTS performance counter reference
 Node Performance Counter Summary: contains base station equipment and transport
counters.
 GBTSFunction Performance Counter Summary:
contains all counters related to radio access
functions, including air interface management, access control, mobility control, and radio
resource management.

You can find the EXCEL files of performance counter reference for the software version used on the live
network from the product documentation delivered with that version.

FAQ: How do I find the counters related to a certain feature from performance counter
reference?
Step 1: Open the EXCEL file of performance counter reference.
Step 2: On the Counter Summary(En) sheet, filter the Feature ID column. Click Text
Filters and choose Contains. Enter the feature ID, for example, GBFD-200201.
Step 3: Click OK. All counters related to the feature are displayed.

9 Glossary

For the acronyms, abbreviations, terms, and definitions, see the Glossary.
10 Reference Documents

1. 3GPP TS 45.002, "Multiplexing and multiple access on the radio path"

2. 3GPP TS 45.008, " Radio subsystem link control"
3. 3GPP TS 08.58 Base Station Controller - Base Transceiver Station(BSC - BTS)
interface; Layer 3 specification