Through the Telco Lens: A Countrywide Empirical Study of Cellular Handovers

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kalntis, Michail, Suárez-Varela, José, Iglesias, Jesús Omaña, Bhattacharjee, Anup Kiran, Iosifidis, George, Kuipers, Fernando A., Lutu, Andra
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Kalntis, Michail
Suárez-Varela, José
Iglesias, Jesús Omaña
Bhattacharjee, Anup Kiran
Iosifidis, George
Kuipers, Fernando A.
Lutu, Andra
author_facet Kalntis, Michail
Suárez-Varela, José
Iglesias, Jesús Omaña
Bhattacharjee, Anup Kiran
Iosifidis, George
Kuipers, Fernando A.
Lutu, Andra
contents Cellular networks rely on handovers (HOs) as a fundamental element to enable seamless connectivity for mobile users. A comprehensive analysis of HOs can be achieved through data from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); however, the vast majority of studies employ data from measurement campaigns within confined areas and with limited end-user devices, thereby providing only a partial view of HOs. This paper presents the first countrywide analysis of HO performance, from the perspective of a top-tier MNO in a European country. We collect traffic from approximately 40M users for 4 weeks and study the impact of the radio access technologies (RATs), device types, and manufacturers on HOs across the country. We characterize the geo-temporal dynamics of horizontal (intra-RAT) and vertical (inter-RATs) HOs, at the district level and at millisecond granularity, and leverage open datasets from the country's official census office to associate our findings with the population. We further delve into the frequency, duration, and causes of HO failures, and model them using statistical tools. Our study offers unique insights into mobility management, highlighting the heterogeneity of the network and devices, and their effect on HOs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_19586
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Through the Telco Lens: A Countrywide Empirical Study of Cellular Handovers
Kalntis, Michail
Suárez-Varela, José
Iglesias, Jesús Omaña
Bhattacharjee, Anup Kiran
Iosifidis, George
Kuipers, Fernando A.
Lutu, Andra
Networking and Internet Architecture
Cellular networks rely on handovers (HOs) as a fundamental element to enable seamless connectivity for mobile users. A comprehensive analysis of HOs can be achieved through data from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); however, the vast majority of studies employ data from measurement campaigns within confined areas and with limited end-user devices, thereby providing only a partial view of HOs. This paper presents the first countrywide analysis of HO performance, from the perspective of a top-tier MNO in a European country. We collect traffic from approximately 40M users for 4 weeks and study the impact of the radio access technologies (RATs), device types, and manufacturers on HOs across the country. We characterize the geo-temporal dynamics of horizontal (intra-RAT) and vertical (inter-RATs) HOs, at the district level and at millisecond granularity, and leverage open datasets from the country's official census office to associate our findings with the population. We further delve into the frequency, duration, and causes of HO failures, and model them using statistical tools. Our study offers unique insights into mobility management, highlighting the heterogeneity of the network and devices, and their effect on HOs.
title Through the Telco Lens: A Countrywide Empirical Study of Cellular Handovers
topic Networking and Internet Architecture
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.19586