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MCC and MNC

Mobile Country Code and Mobile Network Code, also known as the PLMN ID, Public Land Mobile Network Identity. This is what's broadcasted by the tower for the cell the phone camped on.

MCC

The Mobile Country Code is the country broadcasted by the tower, represented as a 3-digit code.

MNC

The Mobile Network Code is a 2 or 3 digit code that identifies the carrier (mobile network operator) in the country, broadcasted by the tower.


uarfcn

uarfcn is the channel number.

Wi-Fi has bands (e.g. 2.4GHz) and channels in those bands (e.g. Channel 5), in 3G there are bands and channels inside those bands too.

uarfcn/5 might yield the frequency in MHz, MHz*5 might yield the uarfcn. Band 8 is an example of a band that differs.

A carrier can only use a channel if it has a license to use it.

Each 3G channel is 5MHz wide from the beginning to the end, 2.5MHz wide from the center (uarfcn) to the beginning or the end. Conventionally, each 5MHz channel is a pair (5MHz+5MHz), there's 5MHz for phones and there's 5MHz for towers, though these aren't next to each other.


Ec/Io

Amount of extra signal. Extra signal includes resource utilization (downloads transferred to phones), and interference from other cells (coverage from other 'routers' installed on cell towers) on the same channel number.

A high (close to 0) Ec/Io during a download is not optimal, and might indicate a speed cap or that the tower doesn't have a fast internet connection.

While idle, a high Ec/Io is optimal, and indicates that the quality of the signal is great.

If 3G is in use by others, the quality of the signal worsens.

3G fails if the Ec/Io is around -20, e.g. too many 3G towers reach the phone's location.

If the Ec/Io is bad, error correction data must be added so the phone continues to understand what the tower says. Error correction data are also considered extra signal, so the Ec/Io goes down further, affecting others.


PSC

This scrambling code is used for quickly identifying different cells. There are only 512 of these, so duplicates may be found in other locations. The cell currently in use lists PSCs of nearby cells so the phone can quickly find those.


CellId

CellId used in the software - shortformat (on this website only.)

Longer Cell ID displayed in other apps - longformat (on this website only.)

How the shortformat most commonly works is that the last digit identifies the part-of-tower and the first digits identify the tower, but this is not mandatory.

How to convert between formats







LAC

Location Area Code.

What it is meant to be used for is that if the phone has an inbound call/text, all towers in the LAC notify the phone so that it can notify the carrier of which cell it is currently in and begin to receive the call in it. If the phone moves to another LAC, it notifies the carrier so that the carrier knows where to find it.


RSCP_CPICH

This is simply the signal strength of the test signal sent by the currently camped on part-of-the-tower.


RAC

Routing Area Code.

What it is meant to be used for is that if the phone has data to receive, all towers in the RAC notify the phone so that it can notify the carrier of which cell it is currently in and begin to receive data in it. If the phone moves to another RAC, it notifies the carrier so that the carrier knows where to find it. 3G may instead notify based on URAs/cells.


URA

Compared to the similar LAC/RAC, URA is handled closer to the towers, so its latency may be lower.

URA : 12345

The URA ID is displayed while in the URA_PCH state.

URRC not in <URA_PCH> state

The current state is not URA_PCH.


RRC

Between the tower and the phone.

RRC: CELL_DCH

Dedicated Channel, 3G is fully active. Note that it's not possible to upgrade to LTE while connected, the connection must first end, for example, due to inactivity.

RRC: CELL_FACH

Forward Access Channel, 32kbps, higher latency, etc.

RRC: CELL_PCH

A sleep state. Phone waits for notifications of incoming data. If such a notification is received, the state is upgraded. If the phone moves to another cell, the phone shall transmit CellUpdate so the carrier knows where to find it.

RRC: URA_PCH

A sleep state. Phone waits for notifications of incoming data. If such a notification is received, the state is upgraded. If the phone moves to another URA, the phone shall transmit UraUpdate so the carrier knows where to find it.

RRC: CONNECT

Connecting...

RRC: DISCONN

Disconnected, either due to inactivity (LAC and RAC may still be used) or because data is disabled and there isn't an ongoing call.

RRC: UNKNOWN

Unknown.


RSSI/TX:_1_/_2_

Total received signal and transmit power.

_1_ - RSSI

RSSI counts all of the signal around the channel number. It counts useful signal, it counts useless signal (e.g. interference) too, it counts indiscriminately. Though it is given to other apps that use standardized APIs, if there is intention to use a metric associated with the distance to the tower and other factors, the metric to use is RSCP_CPICH, which counts the testing signal emitted by the tower that's in a known sequence. RSCP_CPICH-EcIo=RSSI.

_2_ - TX

Transmit power. Aside from the transmit power compensating for the distance to the tower and other similar factors, it may be useful to note that 3G can have multiple users communicating at the same time, therefore those closer to a tower may 'cast a shadow' affecting users further away from the tower, requiring that their transmit power be raised.


WCDMA

Current 3G band.

WCDMA (WCDMA_UNKOWN)

Unknown, e.g. it's an initial state.

WCDMA (2100)

Band 1.

WCDMA (1900)

Band 2.

WCDMA (1700)

Band 4.

WCDMA (850)

Band 5.

WCDMA (800)

Band 6.

WCDMA (900)

Band 8.

WCDMA (XIX_800)

Band 19.


SIB19

Settings that describe nearby 4G cells were loaded from the tower: True/False.

SIB19:0


SIB19:1

SIB19 loaded, a reselection to 4G may occur during 3G inactivity.


GMM/MM Cause

Refer to Cause.


LTE PS/CS Cause

Refer to Cause.