Interference analysis: pilot pollution and co-channel

Diagnosing Interference from Drive Test Data

Interference is the number one throughput killer in mobile networks. Drive test data reveals interference through the RSRP-SINR gap: when RSRP is strong (above -85 dBm) but SINR is poor (below 5 dB), interference is the culprit. Pilot pollution occurs when a location receives strong signals from 3 or more cells simultaneously — the UE struggles to demodulate because multiple cells contribute similar power levels. Scanner data identifies pilot pollution by showing the number of cells with RSRP within 6 dB of the strongest cell. Areas with 4+ cells within that range typically suffer severe…