MS IDLE MODE

CONTENTS
PLMN Selection
Cell Selection
C1 Criterion
Cell Reselection
C2 Criterion
PLMN SELECTION
The selection of a PLMN and a cell is really optimized because during this time the
user can not use his MS.
MS checks all the frequencies of a GSM spectrum [124 frequencies in GSM 900,
374 in GSM 1800, 299 in GSM 1900].
Measuring their levels averaging done at least on 5 measurements during at least 3
seconds.
Selects 30 frequencies in GSM 900 and 40 in GSM 1800 with the highest level.
Creates the found PLMN list [PLMN name corresponding to beacon frequencies].
MS does a normal selection on all the GSM frequencies, checks the beacon
frequencies and reads the PLMN number on the BCCH channel. If the mobile
station has already done this check, MS can try first the registered PLMN.
There are two ways to select a network in the found PLMN list:
• Automatic Mode: a list of networks classified by priority order [the preferred
PLMN list] is stored in the SIM card. The list allows MS to select the available
network with the highest priority.
• Manual Mode: The MS displays the list of available networks [found PLMN list]
so that a PLMN may be selected by a user.
PLMN SELECTION
SIM card contains following lists of PLMN’s;
• Preferred List: HPLMN + Eight other PLMN’s
• Forbidden List: 4PLMN’s
CELL SELECTION
MS must initially select a specific cell to be able to be reached (paged), to make a
call and to listen to system information.
The initial cell selection process is based on:
• Radio Attenuation / Path Loss Criterion [C1]
• Cell Selection Priority / Cell Reselection Criterion [C2]
The MS has thus to compute the value of C1 parameter for several cells and to
decode their selection priority.
The Cell Selection and Reselection algorithms are stored inside the mobile
equipment and are consequently depending on the constructor while complying
with GSM recommendations.
C1 CRITERION
In idle mode mobile station implements cell selection and reselection procedures.
A criterion [C1] has been defined to maximize transmission quality.
C1 Criterion takes into account following parameters:
• The level of the signal received
• The maximum transmission power of the MS
• And some parameters specific to the cell.
Hence Parameter “C1” is defined by:
• rxLevAccessMin is the minimum received level required to access to the system.
Default Value: -100dBm
• msTxPwrMaxCCH is the maximum TxPwr level a mobile may use to access the
system on RACH.
Default Value: 33dBm for GSM900, 30dBm for GSM 1800 & 1900
“P” is the maximum RF power of the mobile station according to its Class mark
in the current cell. Dual band mobiles have two power classes one for each band.
Selecting a cell takes into account only the cells with positive C1.
The cell providing the best positive C1is then selected.
C1 CRITERION
C1 determines:
• Coverage limit of each cell: outside the area where C1 is positive, the cell does not
exist as far as the MS is concerned.
• Boundary between two adjacent cells for selection in idle mode.
A suitable cell is:
• A cell of the selected PLMN
• A cell not barred
• Complying with C1 Criterion (C1 > 0)
When a suitable cell is found, an IMSI attach is performed.
CELL RE-SELECTION
For first time cell selection all MS use C1 criterion and for cell re-selection MS
use either C1 of C2.
If there is no particular event, list of the “6” strongest received neighboring cells
is updated at most every “5” seconds. Among this “6” best received non serving
cells, the MS selects the eligible cells according to the reselection priority criterion
by decoding their BCCH channel.
MS computes C1 or C2 for each cell remaining plus the serving cell. MS finally
reselects the suitable cell with the highest C1 or the suitable cell with the highest
C2 after penalty time.
For mature Network, C2 is a better choice as it enables for less frequent cell
reselections and this results in lesser handovers along with less chance for “user
not responding complaints”. This is implemented in Ufone not in Mobilink and is
the main reason as why we have so many complaints of not responding in their
network.
In parallel to the monitoring of the neighboring cells, C1 or C2 of the serving cell
is regularly computed to check if MS has not moved out of the coverage of the
cell.
CELL RE-SELECTION
The reselection process is triggered if one of the following events occur:
• C1 or C2 < 0 for the serving cell
• The MS is not able to decode the PCH
• Failure on RACH access
• Serving cell status becomes barred
C2 CRITERION
For GSM Phase 2 compatibility, the use of an additional criterion called C2 for
phase 2 MS cell reselection allows the integration of the mobility.
The C2 criterion depends on the time “T” during which the MS receives correctly
a neighboring cell.
“T” is a timer implemented for each cell in the list of the “6” strongest non-
serving cell. The timer “T” starts form ‘0” as soon as the cell is placed by the MS
in the list of the “6” strongest non-serving cells.
MS decodes the BCCH from the “6” strongest neighboring cells + current
serving cell, deduces the reselection priority and computes C1 and C2 values for
each and at most every five seconds, using “T” and three parameters: Penalty
Time, cellReselectOffset and temporaryOffset.
• If T <= penalty Time then C2 = C1 + cellReslectOffset – temporaryOffset
• If T > penalty Time then C2 = C1 + cellReselectOffset
For the current serving cell, computation is done as if T > penalty Time
When there is no time taken into account penalty Time = 0, then
C2 = C1 + cellReselectOffset.
C2 CRITERION
These parameters are Class 3 attributes:
• cellReselectOffset [0-63] (2 dBm step). Default Value: 0dBm. The value 63
corresponds to an offset of 126dBm.
• temporaryOffset [0-70] (10 dBm step). Default Value: 0dBm.
• penaltyTime [20-640] (20s step). Default Value: 20s. The value 640 means that
temporaryOffset is ignored and changed the C2 formula:
C2 = C1 - cellReselectOffset
THANK YOU!