Question: During an inter-cell soft handover in a UMTS network, what assumption is made about the delay profiles of signals received by a User Equipment (UE) from different Base Stations?
Option 1: The delay profiles are assumed to be randomly varying.
Option 2: The delay profiles are assumed to be identical without any time shift.
Option 3: The delay profiles are assumed to differ by at least 100 chips.
Option 4: The delay profiles are assumed to be the same but time-shifted by 10 chips.
Explanation: In inter-cell soft handover, for simplification and standardization, it's assumed that while delay profiles from different Base Stations to a UE are essentially the same type, they are offset in time by a specific amount, here 10 chips. This assumption evaluates the UE's ability to handle and combine signals effectively during handovers, ensuring reliable communication.