5 Radio link failure

3GPP45.008GSM/EDGE Radio subsystem link controlTS

5.1 Criterion

The criterion for determining Radio Link Failure in the MS shall be based on the success rate of decoding messages on the downlink SACCH. In A/Gb mode, for a circuit switched multislot configuration, only the main SACCH shall be used for determining Radio Link Failure. Similarly in Iu mode, for a multislot configuration in MAC-Dedicated State or MAC-DTM State, only the main SACCH shall be used for determining Radio Link Failure.

For packet transfer mode in A/Gb mode, Radio Link Failure is determined by the RLC/MAC protocol (see 3GPP TS 44.060).

For Iu mode in MAC-Shared State, Radio Link Failure is determined by the RLC/MAC protocol.

5.2 MS procedure

The aim of determining radio link failure in the MS is to ensure that calls with unacceptable voice/data quality, which cannot be improved either by RF power control or handover, are either re‑established or released in a defined manner. In general the parameters that control the forced release should be set such that the forced release will not normally occur until the call has degraded to a quality below that at which the majority of subscribers would have manually released. This ensures that, for example, a call on the edge of a radio coverage area, although of bad quality, can usually be completed if the subscriber wishes.

The radio link failure criterion is based on the radio link counter S. If the MS is unable to decode a SACCH message (BFI = 1),S is decreased by 1. In the case of a successful reception of a SACCH message (BFI = 0) S is increased by 2. In any case S shall not exceed the value of RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT. If S reaches 0 a radio link failure shall be declared. The action to be taken is specified in 3GPP TS 44.018. The RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT parameter is transmitted by each BSS in the BCCH data (see table 1).

The MS shall continue transmitting as normal on the uplink until S reaches 0.

The algorithm shall start after the assignment of a dedicated channel and S shall be initialized to RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT.

The detailed operation shall be as follows:

– the radio link time‑out algorithm shall be stopped at the reception of a channel change command;

– (re‑)initialization and start of the algorithm shall be done whenever the MS switches to a new dedicated channel (this includes the old channel in assignment and handover failure cases), at the latest in A/Gb mode when the main signalling link (see 3GPP TS 44.018) has been established or in Iu mode immediately after the MS is ready to receive (see 3GPP TS 45.010);

– the RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT value used at (re‑)initialization shall be that used on the previous channel (in the Immediate Assignment case the value received on the BCCH), or the value received on SACCH if the MS has received a RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT value on the new channel before the initialization;

– if the first RADIO_LINK_TIMEOUT value on the SACCH is received on the new channel after the initialization, the counter shall be re‑initialized with the new value.

An MS listening to a voice group call or a voice broadcast, upon a downlink radio link failure shall return to idle mode and perform cell re‑selection.

5.3 BSS procedure

The criteria for determining radio link failure in the BSS should be based upon either the error rate on the uplink SACCH(s) or on RXLEV/RXQUAL measurements of the MS. The exact criteria to be employed shall be determined by the network operator.

For channels used for a voice group call, the radio link failure procedures in the BSS shall be reset upon the re‑allocation of the uplink to another MS. Upon a uplink radio failure, the network shall mark it as free, see subclause 4.8.

Whenever the uplink is not used, and for channels used for voice broadcast, the BSS radio link failure procedures shall not apply on that channel.