An analysis of uplink transmit power in WCDMA networks

In this paper, we present an experimental analysis of uplink (UL) transmit power in WCDMA networks based on measurement data over a commercial UMTS network. In particular, three factors which may influence the transmit power profiles in practical mobile usage scenarios are examined: (a) handset position, (b) channel effects, and (c) network loading. First, a handset under test is placed at different positions relative to the body or nearby objects during peak and off-peak hours. Second, we study the relationship between the UL transmit power and received signal code power (RSCP) via a linear regression model. Then, the effect of network loading during three times of the day is examined for different areas and handset positions. Throughout this paper, measurement results of mean UL transmit power and RSCP along with their scatter plots are presented.