TL;DR
This guide is the complete reference for field measurement KPIs used by RF engineers and network optimization teams. It covers: RF KPIs (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, CQI, MCS, MIMO, BLER), throughput (PDCP, RLC, MAC), VoLTE (MOS, jitter, packet loss), and 5G NR (SS-RSRP, SS-SINR, beam index, SCS). Each KPI includes reference thresholds and how to measure it with HiCellTek.
Complete Field Measurement KPI Reference Guide
The exhaustive reference for RF engineers, optimization teams, and field technicians. Every mobile network field measurement KPI, reference thresholds, and how to measure them with HiCellTek.
1. RF (Radio Frequency) KPIs
RF KPIs measure the quality of the radio signal received by the terminal. These are the fundamental indicators for any drive test or walk test campaign.
| KPI | Description | Unit | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | HiCellTek Module |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSRP | Reference Signal Received Power. Measures the power of the LTE reference signal. | dBm | > -80 | -80 ~ -90 | -90 ~ -100 | < -110 | RF Monitor |
| RSRQ | Reference Signal Received Quality. Signal quality including interference. | dB | > -10 | -10 ~ -12 | -12 ~ -15 | < -15 | RF Monitor |
| SINR | Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio. Key indicator for capacity. | dB | > 20 | 13 ~ 20 | 0 ~ 13 | < 0 | RF Monitor |
| RSSI | Received Signal Strength Indicator. Total received power on the band. | dBm | > -65 | -65 ~ -75 | -75 ~ -85 | < -85 | RF Monitor |
| CQI | Channel Quality Indicator. Channel quality reported by the UE (0-15). | 0-15 | 13-15 | 10-12 | 7-9 | < 7 | RF Monitor |
| MCS | Modulation and Coding Scheme. Modulation level used by the scheduler. | 0-28 | > 20 | 15-20 | 10-15 | < 10 | L3 Decoder |
| MIMO Rank | Number of MIMO layers in use (1, 2, or 4). | Layers | 4 | 2 | 1 | N/A | L3 Decoder |
| BLER | Block Error Rate. Ratio of errored transport blocks. | % | < 2% | 2-5% | 5-10% | > 10% | RF Monitor |
2. Throughput KPIs
Throughput KPIs measure actual data rates at different protocol layers. PDCP throughput best represents the end-user experience.
| KPI | Description | Excellent (4G) | Good (4G) | Fair (4G) | Module |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDCP DL | Downlink throughput at PDCP layer. Represents application throughput before IP overhead. | > 100 Mbps | 50-100 Mbps | 10-50 Mbps | Speed Test |
| PDCP UL | Uplink throughput at PDCP layer. Critical for live streaming and upload applications. | > 50 Mbps | 20-50 Mbps | 5-20 Mbps | Speed Test |
| RLC DL | Throughput at RLC (Radio Link Control) layer. Includes RLC retransmissions. | > 120 Mbps | 60-120 Mbps | 15-60 Mbps | L3 Decoder |
| MAC DL | Throughput at MAC (Medium Access Control) layer. Includes MAC headers. | > 130 Mbps | 65-130 Mbps | 20-65 Mbps | L3 Decoder |
3. VoLTE / VoNR (Voice Quality) KPIs
VoLTE KPIs measure voice quality of experience on 4G and 5G networks. MOS is the central indicator of quality as perceived by the subscriber.
| KPI | Description | Unit | Excellent | Acceptable | Insufficient | Module |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOS | Mean Opinion Score. Perceptual voice quality score (1 to 5). | Score | > 4.0 | 3.0-3.5 | < 2.5 | VoLTE QoE |
| Jitter | Variation in delay between successive voice packets. | ms | < 20 ms | 20-50 ms | > 80 ms | VoLTE QoE |
| Packet Loss | RTP voice packet loss rate. | % | < 1% | 1-3% | > 5% | VoLTE QoE |
| Codec | Audio codec used (AMR-WB, EVS, AMR-NB). | Type | EVS / AMR-WB | AMR-NB 12.2k | AMR-NB < 7.4k | VoLTE QoE |
| Setup Time | VoLTE/VoNR call establishment time. | sec | < 2 s | 2-5 s | > 5 s | VoLTE QoE |
| Drop Rate | Call drop rate during VoLTE/VoNR calls. | % | < 0.5% | 0.5-2% | > 2% | VoLTE QoE |
4. 5G NR Specific KPIs
5G NR introduces specific KPIs related to SSB (Synchronization Signal Blocks), beamforming, and the new radio architecture.
| KPI | Description | Unit | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Module |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS-RSRP | SSB Reference Signal Received Power. The 5G equivalent of RSRP. | dBm | > -80 | -80 ~ -90 | -90 ~ -100 | < -110 | RF Monitor |
| SS-RSRQ | SSB Reference Signal Received Quality. 5G signal quality. | dB | > -10 | -10 ~ -13 | -13 ~ -15 | < -15 | RF Monitor |
| SS-SINR | SSB Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio. SINR on 5G SSBs. | dB | > 20 | 10 ~ 20 | 0 ~ 10 | < 0 | RF Monitor |
| Beam Index | SSB beam index being measured (0-63). Indicates the dominant beam. | Index | Stable | Few changes | Frequent changes | Unstable | RF Monitor |
| SCS | Subcarrier Spacing. NR subcarrier spacing (15/30/60/120 kHz). | kHz | 30 kHz (FR1) | 15 kHz (FR1) | 60 kHz | N/A | L3 Decoder |
| NR PDCP DL | 5G NR throughput at PDCP layer. Application-level 5G throughput. | Mbps | > 500 | 200-500 | 50-200 | < 50 | Speed Test |
| NR Latency | User plane latency on 5G NR. | ms | < 5 | 5-10 | 10-20 | > 20 | Latency |
How to Measure These KPIs with HiCellTek
RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSSI, CQI, BLER, SS-RSRP, SS-RSRQ, SS-SINR, Beam Index
Real-time RF KPI display for serving and neighbor cells. Time-series graphs, threshold alerts.
MCS, MIMO Rank, SCS, RLC throughput, MAC throughput
Decode RRC/NAS messages containing physical and transport layer parameters. Analyze network procedures.
MOS, Jitter, Packet Loss, Codec, Setup Time, Drop Rate
Automatic voice quality measurement during VoLTE/VoNR calls. Real-time MOS scoring.
PDCP DL/UL, NR PDCP DL, Latency
Throughput and latency testing with configurable servers. Measure actual throughput at different layers.
All RF KPIs + GPS
Continuous recording of all KPIs with GPS coordinates. Heatmap generation and CSV/HLOG export.
RSRP, SINR indoor + floor plan
Point-by-point measurement on imported floor plans. Indoor heatmaps for DAS and small cell validation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which RF KPIs are most important for a 4G drive test?
The 4 essential RF KPIs in 4G LTE are: RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality), SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio), and CQI (Channel Quality Indicator). RSRP and SINR are the most critical for evaluating network coverage and capacity.
What is the difference between RSRP and SS-RSRP in 5G?
RSRP is the 4G LTE KPI measured on CRS (Cell-specific Reference Signals). SS-RSRP is the 5G NR equivalent, measured on SSB (Synchronization Signal Blocks). Thresholds are similar but SS-RSRP accounts for 5G beamforming and different SSB beams.
How to measure VoLTE MOS in the field?
HiCellTek measures MOS (Mean Opinion Score) in real time during VoLTE calls via the VoLTE QoE module. The score is calculated using perceptual models compliant with ITU-T recommendations. A MOS of 4.0+ indicates excellent quality, 3.0 to 3.5 is acceptable, below 2.5 quality is insufficient.
Can HiCellTek measure all KPIs listed in this guide?
Yes. HiCellTek measures all RF KPIs (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSSI, CQI, MCS, MIMO rank, BLER), throughput KPIs (PDCP DL/UL, RLC, MAC), VoLTE KPIs (MOS, jitter, packet loss, codec), and 5G NR KPIs (SS-RSRP, SS-RSRQ, SS-SINR, beam index, SCS). All from a single Android smartphone.
Measure All These KPIs from Your Smartphone
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