Signal Booster RSRP vs RSRQ vs SINR
LTE Metrics including RSRP, RSRQ and SINR
In LTE as any wireless system the performance has a direct relationship with the RF conditions at the time. To aid with performance analysis in LTE, it is typical to define some ranges of RF measurements that correspond to some typical RF conditions one might find themselves in.
- RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power)
- RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality)
- SINR (Signal to Interference & Noise Ratio)
Signal strength (RSRP)
is measured in
decibels milliwatts (dBm).
A higher values means a stronger signal. But all the values are negative, so don't get caught out! -60 dBm is stronger signal than -80 dBm, -80 dBm is stronger than -90 dBm, etc.
An RSRP -80 dBm or higher (e.g. -70, -60 or -50 dBm) is considered
strong signal. This means that you can use a broadband signal booster, like those made by
weBoost,
Wilson,
HiBoost and
SureCall.
If your RSRP is lower than -80 dBm (e.g. -90 or -100 dBm), you should use a 100 decibel single-carrier booster like the
Cel-Fi GO X, or for larger buildings, the
Cel-Fi Quatra 2000. Please note: If your signal strength is less than -115 dBm, even the GO X and Quatra likely won't work well without a very high gain antenna like our
Grid Parabolic.
Signal quality (SINR)
is measured in
decibels (dB). Any SINR measurement over 10 dB is excellent, over 5 dB is considered good, while over 0 dB is acceptable. A negative SINR means that you have low signal quality.
A booster will help increase the signal strength, but it won't help improve the signal quality. The only way to improve signal quality is to buy a high gain antenna like our
Grid Parabolic, which requires careful aiming.
As a general rule, -80dB or higher (ie, -70, -60, -50) is considered strong signal. -110dB or lower (ie, -120, -130) is very weak.