Virtual drive test: an in-situ method for network measurements and optimization

Wireless communication has become ubiquitous and personalized. It is used more and more indoor as well as on the road. Measurements and network monitoring are essential for the operation of any cellular radio network. Terminal measurements and reports, as collected by the network, are a viable source that can fill in the gaps of drive and walk tests, especially since the latter are confined to roads and public places. Those reports, once enhanced by a location engine that attributes geographic coordinates to each call, provide a focused view on problematic areas and enable problem solution and network performance improvement based on actual user usage patterns. The combination of terminal reports together with a location engine for the purpose of network optimization is, what we call, a Virtual Drive Test. In this article the concept of the virtual drive test will be defined and explained, including the geolocation principles on which it is based. Network optimization using the virtual drive tests will be shown and demonstrated using existing cellular networks.

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