LTE fixed to mobile subscribers QoE evaluation

Abstract

This paper addresses the analysis of LTE performance in order to assess the quality of data services provided by the network. Models were developed in order to characterise and analyse a sample of experimental measurements from a large service area of an operator's network. These models and algorithms establish a statistical classification for the cells, enabling a proper analysis of the quality of service. As a result of the developed algorithm, one can find the cells in which users do not manage to have an acceptable quality of service (the so called pessimistic cells). Considering only the measurements reported during off-peak hours, one confirms that performance is essentially limited by network coverage. On the other hand, during on-peak/busy hours, cell capacity has a direct influence on the quality of service for data services provided to users. Lower frequency bands, like LTE 800 MHz, have a lower capacity, and may not always deliver reliable data rates compared with the higher frequency bands. As a result, a process was designed for mobile operators to add cells with higher frequency bands in sites that have quality of service problems, in order to provide better services. For example, in the analysed set of cells, when users were moved from the 800 MHz band to the 1 800 MHz one, the average date rate increases 4.78 times, and the channel quality indicator index is 25% higher.