Reference Signal Received Power is an important measurement used in 4G networks to evaluate the strength of LTE signals received by a mobile device from a cell tower. It provides an accurate indication of signal strength and quality by measuring the average power of the resource elements that carry cell-specific reference signals over the entire bandwidth. RSRP is fundamental for ensuring efficient communication and connectivity, as it helps determine the best cell for a mobile device to connect to, particularly in environments with multiple overlapping signals.
RSRP is expressed in dBm (decibels relative to one milliwatt), and they generally range from about -50 dBm to -130 dBm. A value -50 dBm would represent an extremely strong signal, such as when standing next to a cell tower, and is seldom encountered in everyday scenarios. On the other end, -130 dBm would indicate an extremely weak signal, bordering on the threshold where connectivity becomes unreliable or non-existent. In daily life, RSRP usually sits somewhere between -80 and -110 dBm. Values higher than -80 dBm generally don't produce a noticeable improvement in performance, however values lower than -110 dBm will result in noticeable performance issues.
The dBm scale is logarithmic and uses the milliwatt as a reference point. Negative values in dBm indicate that the power level being measured is less than 1 milliwatt. In radio frequency (RF) communications, power levels often fall below this 1 milliwatt threshold, hence the negative values.