Route planning methodology

Designing an Effective Drive Test Route

Route planning is the most underestimated skill in drive testing. A poorly planned route wastes hours of field time and produces incomplete data. For cluster tests, the route must cover every sector of every site — typically achieved by driving roads that pass through each cell's main beam direction at distances of 200–500 meters from the site. The route should cross every handover boundary between adjacent cells to capture mobility events. For highways, maintain the posted speed limit since RF conditions vary with speed. For urban areas, include main roads, secondary roads, and key indoor…