What Are the Measurement Types in LTE?
Let me explain you the measurement types used in LTE so you can clearly understand how your device and the network work together to maintain good performance and mobility. In LTE, measurements are essential for things like handovers, cell selection, reselection, and maintaining quality of service as you move around.
Your device (UE) continuously performs different types of measurements and reports them to the network. These reports help the network make decisions about mobility and resource allocation. I’ll break them down for you so you know exactly what each type is doing.
Main Measurement Types in LTE
| Measurement Type | What It Measures | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) | Signal strength of reference signals | Used for handovers, cell selection, reselection |
| RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) | Quality of the received signal (combines signal strength and interference) | Used for mobility and quality checks |
| SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio) | Ratio of useful signal to interference and noise | Used to assess radio link quality |
| CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) | UE’s estimation of downlink channel conditions | Helps eNodeB decide modulation and coding scheme |
| PMI (Precoding Matrix Indicator) | UE’s suggestion for precoding in MIMO systems | Used to improve spatial transmission efficiency |
| RI (Rank Indicator) | Indicates how many data streams can be used | Helps decide MIMO transmission rank |
So, you can think of it like this — your device is always observing the network around it and sending reports about signal strength, quality, interference, and channel condition. Based on that, the network adjusts how it talks to your device, when to hand you over to another cell, and how to keep your experience stable.
These measurements are key to making LTE dynamic and responsive. Without them, you’d face dropped calls, bad data rates, or failed handovers. So now you know — your phone is constantly checking and adjusting based on these real-time measurements.