Minimization of drive tests in 3GPP release 11

An efficient cluster-based outdoor user positioning using LTE and WLAN signal strengths

“…Generalized MDT According to 3GPP specifications MDT enables the operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) system to collect radio measurements from the UE, together with location information if available when the measurements are taken [8].…”

“…Operators usually conduct extensive and expensive periodical drive test campaigns to fulfill this requirement. The operational expenditure (OPEX) associated with traditional drive tests can be removed by a feature introduced in 3GPP Release 10, known as Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) which enables operators to utilize users' equipment to collect radio measurements and associated location information [8]. MDT provides a framework for gathering user reported location-aware radio measurements from commercial mobile phones that can be used for creating and maintaining such training database.…”

Automate Minimization of Drive Tests for QoE Provisioning: The Case of Coverage Mapping

“…Since then, the concept of Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) has been enhanced and standardized for both Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) in Release 11 specifications standard [2]. The 3GPP decided to continue its work based on an architecture involving Radio Access Network (RAN), to avoid redundancy and to enable close inter-working with the features of Self-Organizing Networks (SON) [14]. SON are dedicated to steadily adjusting the network's control parameters in order to configure the network to the greatest benefit of operators and users.…”

“…However, QoE changes dynamically and depends on a large variety of factors [6]. With an effective use of MDT, MNOs can potentially eliminate regular needs for conventional drive tests and realize real time service management of their networks [14]. Simulations have shown that by exploiting location specific network data obtained from MDT as an additional information input source for self-organization procedures, a significant performance gain is expected, since they can take their decisions upon an improved knowledge base [4].…”

“…Simulations have shown that by exploiting location specific network data obtained from MDT as an additional information input source for self-organization procedures, a significant performance gain is expected, since they can take their decisions upon an improved knowledge base [4]. While the concept of employing geo-statistical algorithms for the post processing of data, related with mobile signal receiving level, seems thoroughly examined [3,16,24,15], analysis and visualization of MDT data is not standardized [14]. On the other hand, the core business in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is exactly this post processing, analysis and visualization of data containing geographical information.…”