Verification of 3G and 4G received power measurements in a crowdsourcing Android app

Abstract

Many crowdsourcing Android applications are available for measuring network Key Performance Indicators such as received power, latency, and throughput. The data is useful for end-users, researchers, and Mobile Network Operators, but unfortunately the applications' accuracy are rarely verified. In this paper we verify the crowdsourcing Android application NetMap's ability to measure LTE Reference Signal Received Power by analyzing the Root Mean Squared Error, being 2-3 dB, and cross-correlation coefficient, being above 0.8, with measurements obtained by use of a professional radio network scanner and measurement phones. In addition, the application is applicable, but less accurate, for 3G Received Signal Code Power measurements. The studies are made for various device speeds and in different scenarios including indoor, urban, and highway, where the NetMap application is showed to perform well.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure assessment: a pilot study on mobile phone signal strength and transmitted power levels

“…The Qualipoc handheld android Xperia™ XZ model (Sony, Tokyo, Japan) is a smartphone-based tool designed for RF optimisation and mobile network testing which collects objective data on various signal strength indicators as well as the Tx power of the mobile device. It has been used in previous mobile phone measurement studies [25][26][27][28][29]. The Qualipoc handsets undergo rigorous 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB) conformance testing certifications across all the bands supported by the device and are in line with 3GPP specifications.…”

“…This device provides information on both signal strength and Tx power, although it does not include data on the distance the phone is held from the body. It has previously been used in research to verify 3G and 4G received power measurements from the android App NetMap [25], as well as other measurement studies [26,27].…”

ICT Based Performance Evaluation of Primary Frequency Control Support from Renewable Power Plants in Smart Grids

“…NetMap [62,63] is used to obtain information about cellular technologies and their performance in terms of Round Trip-Times (RTTs) and measured signal strength [64]. NetMap is a crowd sourcing-based system for performing and collecting measurements of cellular network connection performance.…”

Sistema Colaborativo para Medição e Análise de Redes Celulares Baseado em Aplicativo Móvel

“…A implementação e a gerência de redes móveis dependem de indicadores de desempenho tais como latência, taxa de transmissão, intensidade do sinal recebido e demanda dos usuários [1], que podem ser utilizados pelas operadoras para auxiliar na tomada de decisão sobre planejamento e otimização das redes, assim como ajudar a identificar potenciais falhas de cobertura e de capacidade. A obtenção desses indicadores pode ser feita de acordo com pelo menos duas abordagens diferentes.…”

“…As pesquisas de E. C. R. da Costa e U. S. Dias foram parcialmente apoiadas pela SENACON-MJ (TED 01/2015 MJ-FUB). exemplos desse tipo de aplicação já foram apresentados na literatura [1]- [5].…”