of the CPICH. This parameter affects the coverage and it should be set as low as possible. The optimum value of this parameter will determine the coverage and capacity (i.e. should an extra user be permitted in the cell?). This parameter also affects packet scheduling. If the value of CPICH is not optimum, then either the network will be under- utilised or there will be huge interference if the number of users is more than planned, thus degrading the quality of the network. These parameters also affect the call success rate and dropped call rates. As in GSM networks, these two factors directly determine the network quality. Packet Scheduling Optimisation Packet scheduling is one of the most important aspects when controlling congestion in the network. Packet scheduling handles the non-real-time packet data, deciding on the timings of packet initiation and the rate at which packets should be delivered. As noted near the beginning of this chapter, four traffic classes that have been defined, and each of these classes has different applications to take care of. The NRT packet data is bursty in nature, containing one or more data calls. Packet scheduling is done for both uplink and downlink for non-real-time bearers. Packets can be scheduled by using time-division or code-division techniques, or both. Packet scheduling and load control (inclusive of admission control) work in tandem. A higher load will lead to higher interference, which means fewer calls being admitted to the network. This affects the bits rate assigned to the NRT packet data. Thus, for packet scheduling (i.e. less delay and higher bit rates for NRT data), load control is an important parameter to analyse and optimise. Transmitted power in the downlink and interference power in the uplink are further important parameters for optimisation. When the thresholds of these two parameters are crossed, preventive measures to control the load are initiated. From the perspective of packet scheduling this is important, because assigning higher or lower bit rate