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Overview
Different cellular technologies use different measurements to describe radio performance. GSM uses RSSI and RxLev, UMTS uses RSCP and Ec/No, LTE technologies use RSRP, RSRQ and SINR, whilst 5G NR introduces SSB-based measurements. This guide provides a unified reference allowing measurements from different technologies to be compared and interpreted consistently.
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| SNYPER-5G Graphyte | 5G NR, 4G LTE, LTE-M, NB-IoT and 2G/GSM Signal Analyser & Datalogger . |
| SNYPER-IoT Graphyte (GL) | LTE-M, NB-IoT and 2G/GSM Signal Analyser & Datalogger . |
| SENTRY Network Analysers | Embedded cellular monitoring products. |
| CloudSURVEY | Cloud-based survey visualisation platform. |
This guide explains:
Expected Result
At the end of this guide the user will be able to compare signal measurements across all supported cellular technologies and understand the relationship between signal strength, signal quality and expected network performance.
Cellular technologies measure radio performance using three primary categories:
Signal strength describes how powerful the received signal is.
Examples include:
Signal quality describes how usable the received signal is.
Examples include:
Radio performance describes the ratio between useful signal and interference.
Examples include:
| Measurement | GSM | UMTS | LTE | LTE-M | NB-IoT | 5G NR | NTN | GNSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSSI | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Optional | Optional | Rare | Optional | |
| RxLev | ✓ | |||||||
| RSCP | ✓ | |||||||
| Ec/No | ✓ | |||||||
| RSRP | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | LTE NTN | ||||
| RSRQ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | LTE NTN | ||||
| SINR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| SSB RSRP | ✓ | 5G NTN | ||||||
| SSB RSRQ | ✓ | 5G NTN | ||||||
| SSB SINR | ✓ | 5G NTN | ||||||
| Satellite Count | Optional | ✓ | ||||||
| HDOP | Optional | ✓ |
| Rating | Percentage | GSM RSSI | GSM dBm | UMTS RSCP | LTE RSRP | LTE-M RSRP | NB-IoT RSRP | 5G SSB RSRP | NTN RSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/10 | 100% | 31 | -51 | -75 | -80 | -80 | -85 | -80 | -85 |
| 9/10 | 90% | 28 | -58 | -80 | -85 | -85 | -90 | -85 | -90 |
| 8/10 | 80% | 25 | -64 | -85 | -90 | -90 | -95 | -90 | -95 |
| 7/10 | 70% | 22 | -70 | -90 | -95 | -95 | -100 | -95 | -100 |
| 6/10 | 60% | 19 | -76 | -95 | -100 | -100 | -105 | -100 | -105 |
| 5/10 | 50% | 16 | -82 | -100 | -105 | -105 | -110 | -105 | -110 |
| 4/10 | 40% | 13 | -88 | -105 | -110 | -110 | -115 | -110 | -115 |
| 3/10 | 30% | 10 | -94 | -110 | -115 | -115 | -120 | -115 | -120 |
| 2/10 | 20% | 7 | -100 | -115 | -120 | -120 | -125 | -120 | -125 |
| 1/10 | 10% | 3 | -107 | <-115 | <-120 | <-120 | <-125 | <-120 | <-125 |
| Quality | UMTS Ec/No | LTE RSRQ | LTE SINR | LTE-M SINR | NB-IoT SINR | 5G SSB RSRQ | 5G SSB SINR | NTN SINR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | >-6 | >-9 | >20 | >20 | >20 | >-5 | >20 | >20 |
| Good | -10 to -6 | -12 to -9 | 10 to 20 | 10 to 20 | 10 to 20 | -10 to -5 | 10 to 20 | 10 to 20 |
| Fair | -14 to -10 | -15 to -12 | 5 to 10 | 5 to 10 | 5 to 10 | -15 to -10 | 5 to 10 | 5 to 10 |
| Weak | -18 to -14 | -18 to -15 | 0 to 5 | 0 to 5 | 0 to 5 | -20 to -15 | 0 to 5 | 0 to 5 |
| Poor | <-18 | <-18 | <0 | <0 | <0 | <-20 | <0 | <0 |
RSSI = (dBm + 113) / 2
dBm = (RSSI × 2) - 113
Percentage = ((dBm + 113) / 62) × 100
Percentage = ((RSCP + 115) / 90) × 100
Percentage = ((RSRP + 140) / 97) × 100
Percentage = ((RSRP + 140) / 97) × 100
Percentage = ((RSRP + 145) / 110) × 100
Percentage = ((SSB RSRP + 140) / 97) × 100
LTE NTN:
Percentage = ((RSRP + 140) / 97) × 100
5G NTN:
Percentage = ((SSB RSRP + 140) / 97) × 100
| Technology | Primary Strength Metric | Primary Quality Metric | Best Performance Indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM | RSSI / RxLev | N/A | dBm |
| UMTS | RSCP | Ec/No | Ec/No |
| LTE | RSRP | RSRQ | SINR |
| LTE-M | RSRP | RSRQ | SINR |
| NB-IoT | RSRP | RSRQ | SINR + ECL |
| 5G NR | SSB RSRP | SSB RSRQ | SSB SINR |
| NTN | RSRP / SSB RSRP | RSRQ / SSB RSRQ | SINR |
| GNSS | Satellite Count | HDOP | HDOP |
Although many radio measurements may be available during a survey, some metrics provide more useful information than others when assessing real-world performance.
| Technology | Strength Metric | Quality Metric | Most Important Metric | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSM | RSSI / RxLev | N/A | RSSI / RxLev | Coverage is the primary limiting factor. |
| UMTS | RSCP | Ec/No | Ec/No | Quality often determines actual service performance. |
| LTE | RSRP | RSRQ / SINR | SINR | SINR strongly influences throughput and reliability. |
| LTE-M | RSRP | RSRQ / SINR | SINR | Radio quality affects message reliability and latency. |
| NB-IoT | RSRP | RSRQ / SINR | SINR + ECL | Coverage enhancement level impacts network behaviour. |
| 5G NR | SSB RSRP | SSB RSRQ / SSB SINR | SSB SINR | Best indicator of expected user experience. |
| NTN | RSRP / SSB RSRP | SINR | SINR | Satellite links are highly dependent upon radio quality. |
| GNSS | Satellite Count | HDOP | HDOP | Directly relates to positioning accuracy. |
Important
For LTE, LTE-M, NB-IoT, 5G NR and NTN networks, SINR is often a better indicator of expected performance than signal strength alone.
The following tables provide a general indication of expected network performance based upon measured signal quality.
Disclaimer
Actual throughput depends upon network loading, spectrum allocation, carrier aggregation, modulation schemes, device capability and operator configuration. These values are intended as guidance only.
| SINR | Expected Performance |
|---|---|
| > 20 dB | Excellent throughput and reliability |
| 13 to 20 dB | High throughput |
| 5 to 13 dB | Moderate throughput |
| 0 to 5 dB | Reduced throughput |
| < 0 dB | Poor performance likely |
| SSB SINR | Expected Performance |
|---|---|
| > 25 dB | Exceptional |
| 15 to 25 dB | Very Good |
| 5 to 15 dB | Good |
| 0 to 5 dB | Fair |
| < 0 dB | Poor |
Indoor deployments generally experience greater attenuation due to walls, floors, glazing and other building materials.
| Technology | Good Outdoor Signal | Good Indoor Signal |
|---|---|---|
| GSM | > -80 dBm | > -90 dBm |
| UMTS | > -80 dBm RSCP | > -90 dBm RSCP |
| LTE | > -90 dBm RSRP | > -100 dBm RSRP |
| LTE-M | > -95 dBm RSRP | > -105 dBm RSRP |
| NB-IoT | > -100 dBm RSRP | > -115 dBm RSRP |
| 5G NR | > -90 dBm SSB RSRP | > -100 dBm SSB RSRP |
| NTN | Clear sky visibility recommended | Typically unsuitable indoors |
| Technology | Voice | SMS | Data | Mobility | Battery Optimised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSM | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | ✓ | ✗ |
| UMTS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| LTE | VoLTE | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| LTE-M | VoLTE | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| NB-IoT | Limited | Limited | Low Rate | Limited | ✓ |
| 5G NR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| NTN | Release Dependent | Release Dependent | Limited | Limited | ✓ |
NB-IoT incorporates additional coverage enhancement mechanisms that allow devices to communicate in challenging radio environments.
| ECL | Description |
|---|---|
| ECL0 | Strong coverage conditions. |
| ECL1 | Moderate coverage enhancement required. |
| ECL2 | Maximum coverage enhancement required. |
Important
A higher ECL value does not necessarily indicate a fault. It indicates that the network is applying additional repetitions and coverage enhancement techniques to improve reliability.
| HDOP | Position Quality |
|---|---|
| < 1 | Excellent |
| 1 to 2 | Good |
| 2 to 5 | Fair |
| 5 to 10 | Poor |
| > 10 | Very Poor |
| Satellites Visible | Typical Position Quality |
|---|---|
| 4 to 5 | Basic Position Fix |
| 6 to 8 | Good Position Accuracy |
| 9 to 12 | Very Good Position Accuracy |
| > 12 | Excellent Position Accuracy |
CloudSURVEY may derive an estimated network performance rating from available radio measurements.
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| 10 | Exceptional |
| 9 | Excellent |
| 8 | Very Good |
| 7 | Good |
| 6 | Above Average |
| 5 | Average |
| 4 | Below Average |
| 3 | Poor |
| 2 | Very Poor |
| 1 | Marginal |
Disclaimer
Estimated speed ratings are intended as comparative indicators only and do not represent actual measured throughput.
A strong signal does not necessarily indicate high performance.
Poor SINR may still result in reduced throughput despite excellent signal strength.
RSSI and RSRP measure different radio characteristics and should not be compared directly.
ECL2 simply indicates that NB-IoT coverage enhancement mechanisms are being utilised.
Signal bars represent signal strength only and do not reflect network loading, congestion or interference.
Satellite geometry is equally important. HDOP should always be considered alongside satellite count.
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