Signal Quality
Signal Quality is a calculated metric that represents the overall performance of a cellular connection as a single percentage value (0–100%). It is derived from multiple radio signal measurements, such as RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSCP, EC/IO, or RSSI, depending on the active radio technology. These metrics are normalized into a common scale and combined using a hybrid blending method to produce a balanced and reliable estimate of connection quality. The resulting value provides an easy-to-understand indication of network conditions, ranging from poor to excellent.
The Signal Quality calculator uses different signal metrics depending on the active cellular technology:
4G and 5G
For 4G (including NB-IoT and eMTC) and 5G service mode, there are three relevant measurements:
- RSRP - Reference Signal Received Power is the power of the LTE Reference Signals spread over the full bandwidth and narrowband.
- RSRQ - Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ = RSRP / RSSI) is a C/I type of measurement and it indicates the quality of the received reference signal (similar to Ec/Io).
- SINR - Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio Indicates the throughput capacity of the channel. As the name implies, SINR is the strength of the signal divided by the strength of any interference. (A minimum of SINR should be ≥ 0 dB for basic operation).
3G
- RSCP - indicates the Received Signal Code Power
- EC/IO - indicates the downlink carrier-to-interference ratio (signal quality). Ec/Io is a negative dB value. Values closer to 0 are stronger signals.
2G
- RSSI - Received Signal Strength Indicator; RSSI is a negative value, and the closer to 0, the stronger the signal.
More information on different values can be found in the section of the Mobile Signal Strength Recommendations page.
| Signal quality (%) | Signal levels | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 76-100% | Excellent | Strong signal for best achievable speeds |
| 51-75% | Good | Strong signal with good data speeds |
| 26-50% | Fair | Fair but useful, fast and reliable data speeds may be attained, but marginal data with drop-outs is possible |
| 0-25% | Poor | Performance will drop drastically |