Take Control of RF Interference with AI-powered Network Insights

This paper will summarize a DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE (DRS) Best Practices approach to the
cancellation of external interference in a wireless network as it occurs, using equipment from
three industry-leading companies with expertise in each area. When external interference
occurs, it costs the Mobile Network Operator real expense dollars to identify and resolve it, it
reduces valuable cell site coverage and capacity, and it degrades the subscriber experience while
it is present.

External Interference is Costly for All Mobile Network Operators

The presence of external interference reduces the amount of traffic carried and therefore the
amount of revenue generated by a cell site. As interference experts working for years with
Mobile Network Operators, we have measured the impact of external interference on important
KPIs. We know that a 6dB interferer reduces traffic carried by 50%. All MNOs are likely to be
affected by external interference. On average, 7.5% of cells within operator networks across the
globe experience severe levels of RF interference that are active an average of 66% of the time.
55% of the cells with RF interference are caused by external interference sources while 25% are
due to anomalous RAN interference and 20% due to PIM interference. These RF interference
events on average decrease uplink throughput by more than 40% while increasing drop rate and
access failure rates by more than 200% across all affected cells.

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -1-
The Cost of Interference Adds Up Quickly
The impact on KPIs and lost capacity resulting in a reduction in revenue is a real cost of external
interference to the Mobile Network Operator. A second real cost is the expense to find and
resolve it. When external interference occurs it usually affects more than one site, multiplying
the real cost incurred by the MNO. Further multiply by the number of days the interference
persists and you can see the annual cost of external interference on a wireless network is real,
adds up fast and could be significant. Regardless of the exact costs specific to each MNO, leaving
interference to degrade the network for any period of time is costing MNOs real cash,
compromising the integrity of their network, and negatively impacting the subscriber’s overall
experience through reduced accessibility and throughput -- and increasing customer churn. Plus,
it interferes with the speed and connectivity benefits promised from 5G.

The impact on KPIs as external interference increases

The example used is for illustrative purposes based on experiences with actual Mobile Network Operators
. The exact costs and carried traffic impacts are specific to each MNO and each site. In all cases the principle
remains the same – external interference is a real cost to an MNO.

In this paper, we will introduce the DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE (DRS) Best Practices methodology.
DRS is a process of Detecting impairments in spectrum, immediately Restoring coverage,
performance, and subscriber experience, then efficiently hunting down the interference source
and eliminating interference to Solve the situation.

External interference is a reality and will impact 5G as much as 4G LTE. Due to more spectrum
being used, mid-band 5G with wider carriers and the growing number of cell sites, the
occurrence of external interference will continue to increase. The objective of DETECT-RESTORE-
SOLVE is to eliminate external interference and its degrading effects as quickly as possible to
reduce the costs and minimize the impact on subscribers.

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -2-
DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE Process (DRS)
DRS is a Best Practice methodology to detect the presence of external interference efficiently
and reliably and immediately restore the integrity and performance of the network.

The DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE Process

Step 1 - Reliably DETECT External Interference

The first step of the process is to reliably detect external interference on a timely, real-time basis
when it starts occurring and impacting the network. Up to now, many MNOs only realize
external interference is occurring after it is already impacting performance and subscriber
experience, by reviewing KPI reports. While this is a proven methodology, it is prone to delay,
letting the interference degrade the network and impact subscriber experience for weeks or
possibly months before any action is initiated. In addition, this approach requires a highly skilled
expert technician or optimization engineer to accurately diagnose the situation.

Diagnosing the situation is the essential first step. Many types of interference exist in 5G as well
as 4G networks with harmful impacts. For example, wideband, cell-edge co-channel pollution,
narrowband and adjacent channel leakage can all exhibit similar symptoms, but each requires
completely different steps to resolve and eliminate. Using KPIs can be time consuming to analyze
and can sometimes be misleading especially when only viewing RSSI and SINR. While both RSSI
and SINR may be degraded their condition only reveals a limited amount about the actual
spectral condition that needs to be resolved.

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -3-
Today there are homegrown and off-the-shelf software tools that are being used to help detect
and alert network operators to the presence of many types of interference. These tools can help
more quickly identify possible issues and prioritize the multiple spectral challenges when they
occur simultaneously. Additionally, by applying guidelines already established by the mobile
network operator during network optimization, the software tools can calculate the degradation
to the network, further helping network technicians to prioritize their efforts.

Spectrum Effect’s state-of-the-art Spectrum-NET software solution is deployed by operators

across the globe to drive their RF interference mitigation processes and effectively address RF
network interference. Spectrum-NET performs automated analysis of RF interference for all
bands and operates seamlessly across multi-vendor 5G NR, LTE and UMTS networks on a
continual basis.

Spectrum-NET captures the spectral, spatial and temporal characteristics of each RF interference
event and determines which cells within the operator network are impacted. The Spectrum-NET
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN’s) models classify each RF interference source (e.g., PIM,
CATV egress, WiMAX, DECT, terrestrial broadcast TV, BDA’s, RAN, TDD self-interference, etc.)
with high accuracy. For external RF interference sources, the Spectrum-NET uses its patented
Bayesian inference-based locating algorithm along with horizontal and vertical antenna radiation
pattern information and shuttle radar topography mission data to determine the location of
each external interference source with high accuracy. Spectrum-NET measures the KPI impact
due to the RF interference on the affected cells for prioritization by operators.

The Spectrum-NET UI

The Spectrum-NET dashboard is the centralized command center of the RF interference

environment within the mobile network. Users can view market-wide and nationwide
distributions of RF interference events by time, source, technology, RF band and RF layer. Users
can sort, filter and select events by different criteria including severity, number of cells, source
type, etc. The highly intuitive Spectrum-NET UI enables users to easily navigate interference
events and drill down for an in-depth view of the events. Spectrum-NET reports conveniently
export dashboard views and detailed event views manually or on a scheduled basis in a PPT
and/or XLS format.

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -4-
To aid in-field interference hunting, JSON spectrum analyzer configuration files are exportable
from Spectrum-NET. The export includes information about the interference characteristics,
allowing guidelines to be displayed on the spectrum analyzer screen showing the extent of the
interference signals. These files can be used to configure PCTEL’s SeeWave system to the correct
settings for highly targeted interference field hunting.

Step 2 - Immediately RESTORE Network Performance

Once external interference has been identified and confirmed in the network, its impact is now
real -- the cost of missed traffic is incurred, subscriber experience is degraded, capacity and
coverage are lost; the costs start piling up. Step 2 of the DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE approach uses
ISCO’s ProteusCPRI Portable to restore network performance and coverage. Dynamic, adaptive
interference detection and cancellation algorithms automatically cancel narrowband and
wideband interference starting immediately after the ProteusCPRI server is installed between
the RRU and BBU so the impact of interference on subscribers and cost is minimized. ISCO’s
patented AI-based algorithms are self-learning, and hence do not require complex configuration
nor detailed information about the source of the interference.

ISCO
ProteusCPRI
Portable

Easily insert the ISCO ProteusCPRI conditioning server in line to immediately begin canceling
external interference to restore coverage, capacity, and subscriber experience

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -5-
With the ISCO ProteusCPRI conditioning server installed, the network technician can focus their
attention on the activities to hunt down and permanently eliminate the source of external
interference without worrying about network performance and subscriber experience. The
technician will have information about the interference level and spectral conditions before and
after ISCO conditioning that will assist with quantifying the amount of external interference and
confirming when the interference problem is Solved.

Spectrum Monitor view from ProteusCPRI shows the signal level before and after ISCO’s
interference cancellation is applied

The graph above shows the signal level detected by the ProteusCPRI server, confirming the
presence of external interference. Also shown is the noise level after ISCO’s cancellation
software has been applied to the signal. Information from the ProteusCPRI server helps
determine the severity of the impact, assess the performance that can be recovered, prioritize
remediation activities, and ultimately confirm the interference issue has been resolved.

Step 3 – SOLVE the Interference Problem

With the network restored and information collected from interference detection software
tools, the technician can focus their full attention on hunting and resolving the issue at the
source to eliminate the problem permanently, if possible. This step involves using PCTEL’s
SeeWave® interference locating system to find the actual source, then taking actions to
eliminate the interference, then using PCTEL® scanning receivers along with ProteusCPRI to
verify it has been permanently eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level.

For fast, efficient interference hunting, a single technician using SeeWave should begin from the
approximate location of the interference as identified in Step 1. Users can use information about
the interference event from Spectrum-NET to configure SeeWave with the approximate location
and frequency range of the interference event.

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -6-
 The SeeWave® interference locating system enables a single technician to quickly identify the
interfering signal

SeeWave enables a single user to quickly locate the interfering frequency in the field, using
proprietary algorithms, mapping and triangulation functionality, and an easy-to-use touchscreen
interface. SeeWave is a modular system that incorporates PCTEL® scanning receivers to conduct
precise measurements. A host platform links the scanner to both a direction-finding antenna and
a touchscreen tablet for Android™. The platform can be held comfortably in one hand while the
user operates SeeWave’s intuitive software application.

Once an interference source is located, the technician will then execute a process of trying
different remediation techniques followed by retesting until the interference is eliminated or
significantly reduced. Drive or walk testing to verify that the remediation has been successful can
be conducted using PCTEL® scanning receiver used as part of the SeeWave® interference
locating system, along with PCTEL’s SeeHawk® software. The actual remediation techniques are
many and beyond the scope of this paper. Interference remediation techniques and processes
are readily available from published sources.

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -7-
After Resolution
After the source has been identified, if interference can be eliminated or reduced to acceptable
levels, the ProteusCPRI Portable conditioning server can be removed. Prior to removal, the
technician can again review the spectrum from the ProteusCPRI to assess the extent to which
the interference has been mitigated. Once the server is de-installed, the technician can move to
the next interference incident and initiate a new DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE cycle.

In some cases, external interference cannot be resolved at the source due to environmental
constraints, regulatory issues or when lengthy negotiations are required to eliminate the source.
In these situations, the ProteusCPRI can then be permanently installed to ensure interference is
eliminated and the network continues to perform as desired. When permanently installed, the
ProteusCPRI server will cancel external interference automatically and continuously to reduce its
harmful impact on the site, recovering network performance and capacity.

Spectrum-NET applies supervised machine-learning-based analysis techniques off-line to develop

and add new interference models to the Spectrum-NET library for ongoing, proactive
identification and mitigation. Spectrum-NET empowers operators with an invaluable new
perspective on interference conditions across markets so they can rapidly resolve interference
issues, improve network KPIs, utilize field assets in a more surgical manner, and save significant
OPEX.

Now the network technician is armed with information about external interference learned from
the detection software tools, locating system equipment, and the information gained from the
installed ProteusCPRI. As data from external interference is collected over time the MNO gains
more intelligence about network impacts that can help them avoid problems in the future,
especially important as more spectrum is turned up and 5G becomes more widely deployed.

Summary
As wireless networks evolve to incorporate new technologies, upgraded equipment and
additional bands to support the demands of 5G and its exciting and innovative applications, they
are still prone to problems caused by external interference that have challenged networks for
years. External interference is costly for the MNO due to reduced traffic in addition to the
expense dollars required to identify and resolve it. The new DETECT-RESTORE-SOLVE (DRS) Best
Practices approach to interference hunting and cancellation described here combines software
to reliably Detect external interference on a timely basis, portable network conditioning
equipment to Restore performance through interference monitoring-cancellation, and a locating
system to quickly find the source and Solve the problem. Each of these three elements available
from industry experts are effective alone, but the combined DRS solution reduces the time it
takes to find and resolve external interference problems and eliminate the substantial and real
cost those problems create.
PCTEL®, SeeWave® and SeeHawk® are registered trademarks of PCTEL, Inc.▪ Spectrum-NET is a registered trademark of Spectrum Effect ▪ Proteus is a registered trademark of ISCO International

www.iscointl.com | www.spectrumeffect.com | www.pctel.com

July 2021 -8-