Analyzing User Mobility using Signaling Data

In recent years, the monitoring and prediction of users' mobility in a mobile network has become a helpful tool to optimize the network's operation. However, the conventional techniques being used in this regard have several drawbacks, such as their dependence on user/device cooperation in a way or another, or on a specific HW/SW implementation in devices and/or networks. In this paper, we discuss a possible user/device-independent technique which is based on the radio interface signaling messages that result in user mobility data stored in the network. These data can also be used, to a certain extent, in obtaining information about user mobility. Although this technique, known as the Cell-ID location technique, does not provide a precise location, a careful analysis of these data, detecting the occurrence of the “cell oscillation” phenomenon in the mobility data, combined with a good knowledge of the coverage topology, can help detecting the status of the mobile station and improving the location accuracy. Additionally, this also allows the reduction of the mobility data to process.