Comparing global system for mobile and G-NetTrack signal strength in drive test study

Abstract

The quality of wireless signals is determined by the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), which can be measured using various tools, including Android apps and global system for mobile (GSM) modules. To enhance the measurement of signal quality and communication reliability, this study aimed to develop a complementary instrument consisting of a microcontroller, global positioning system (GPS) module, GSM module, and microSD card. The firmware was developed using C++ code and compiled using the Arduino integrated development environment (IDE). In addition, this study utilized the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (K-S test) normality and the Mann-Whitney U test to investigate any differences in RSSI quality between the GSM module and global positioning system network track (G-NetTrack). The results showed that the GSM module consistently produced higher RSSI values than G-NetTrack in most locations along the route. Furthermore, the K-S test normality suggested that the RSSI values obtained from both tools were not normally distributed, and the Mann-Whitney U test revealed a significant difference between the two samples, with G-NetTrack having lower values than the GSM module (U=14730, p<0.05). This study demonstrated that the GSM module provides stronger signal strength measurements than G-NetTrack during the drive test, and highlighted the importance of using appropriate statistical tests to analyze RSSI data.