4G INTERVIEW QUESTION .

LTE Frequently Asked Questions

What is LTE? What is goal of LTE? What speed LTE offers? What is LTE Advanced? W
hat is LTE architecture? What is EUTRAN? What are LTE Interfaces? What are LTE N
etwork elements? What are LTE protocols & specifications? What is VoLGA? What is
CS Fallback in LTE? How does LTE Security works? How does measurements work in
LTE? What is Automatic Neighbour Relation? How does Intra E-UTRAN Handover is pe
rformed? What is SON & how does it work in LTE? How does Timing Advance (TA) wor
ks in LTE? How does LTE UE positioning works in E-UTRAN? How many operators have
committed for LTE? How does Location Service (LCS) work in LTE network? How doe
s Lawful Interception works in LTE Evolved Packet System? What is carrier aggreg
ation in LTE-Advanced? What is LTE?
LTEi (Long Term Evolution) is initiated by 3GPPi to improve the mobile phone sta
ndard to cope with future technology evolutions and needs.
Add new comment What is goal of LTE?
The goals for LTE include improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improvi
ng services, making use of new spectrum and reformed spectrum opportunities, and
better integration with other open standards.
Add new comment What speed LTE offers?
LTE provides downlink peak rates of at least 100Mbit/s, 50 Mbit/s in the uplink
and RAN (Radio Access Network) round-trip times of less than 10 ms.
Add new comment What is LTE Advanced?
LTE standards are in matured state now with release 8 frozen. While LTE Advanced
is still under works. Often the LTE standard is seen as 4G standard which is no
t true. 3.9G is more acceptable for LTE. So why it is not 4G? Answer is quite si
mple - LTE does not fulfill all requirements of ITU 4G definition. Brief History
of LTE Advanced: The ITU has introduced the term IMT Advanced to identify mobil
e systems whose capabilities go beyond those of IMT 2000. The IMT Advanced syste
ms shall provide best-in-class performance attributes such as peak and sustained
data rates and corresponding spectral efficiencies, capacity, latency, overall
network complexity and qualityof-service management. The new capabilities of the
se IMT-Advanced systems are envisaged to handle a wide range of supported data r
ates with target peak data rates of up to approximately 100 Mbit/s for high mobi
lity and up to approximately 1 Gbit/s for low mobility. See LTE Advanced: Evolut
ion of LTE for more details.
Add new comment What is LTE architecture?
The evolved architecture comprises E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRAN) on the access side an
d EPC (Evolved Packet Core) on the core side. The figure below shows the evolved
system architecture
Add new comment What is EUTRAN?
The E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRAN) consists of eNBs, providing the E-UTRA user plane (P
DCP/RLC/MAC/PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocol terminations towards the UE. T
he eNBs are interconnected with each other by means of the X2 interface. The eNB
s are also connected by means of the S1 interface to the EPC (Evolved Packet Cor
e), more specifically to the MME (Mobility Management Entity) by means of the S1
-MME and to the Serving Gateway (S-GW) by means of the S1-U.
Add new comment What are LTE Interfaces?
The following are LTE Interfaces : (Ref: TS 23.401 v 841)
S1-MME :- Reference point for the control plane protocol between E-UTRAN and MME
. S1-U:- Reference point between E-UTRAN and Serving GW for the per bearer user
plane tunnelling and inter eNodeB path switching during handover. S3:- It enable
s user and bearer information exchange for inter 3GPP access network mobility in
idle and/or active state. S4:- It provides related control and mobility support
between GPRS Core and the 3GPP Anchor function of Serving GW. In addition, if D
irect Tunnel is not established, it provides the user plane tunnelling. S5:- It
provides user plane tunnelling and tunnel management between Serving GW and PDN
GW. It is used for Serving GW relocation due to UE mobility and if the Serving G
W needs to connect to a non-collocated PDN GW for the required PDN connectivity.

S6a:- It enables transfer of subscription and authentication data for authentica

ting/authorizing user access to the evolved system (AAA interface) between MME a
nd HSS. Gx:- It provides transfer of (QoS) policy and charging rules from PCRF t
o Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) in the PDN GW. S8:- Inter-PLMN
reference point providing user and control plane between the Serving GW in the
VPLMN and the PDN GW in the HPLMN. S8 is the inter PLMN variant of S5. S9:- It p
rovides transfer of (QoS) policy and charging control information between the Ho
me PCRF and the Visited PCRF in order to support local breakout function. S10:-
Reference point between MMEs for MME relocation and MME to MME information trans
fer. S11:- Reference point between MME and Serving GW. S12:- Reference point bet
ween UTRAN and Serving GW for user plane tunnelling when Direct Tunnel is establ
ished. It is based on the Iu-u/Gn-u reference point using the GTP-U protocol as
defined between SGSN and UTRAN or respectively between SGSN and GGSN. Usage of S
12 is an operator configuration option.

S13:- It enables UE identity check procedure between MME and EIR. SGi:- It is th
e reference point between the PDN GW and the packet data network. Packet data ne
twork may be an operator external public or private packet data network or an in
tra operator packet data network, e.g. for provision of IMS services. This refer
ence point corresponds to Gi for 3GPP accesses.

Rx:- The Rx reference point resides between the AF and the PCRF in the TS 23.203
.
SBc:- Reference point between CBC and MME for warning message delivery and contr
ol functions. Add new comment What are LTE Network elements?
eNB eNB interfaces with the UE and hosts the PHYsical (PHY), Medium Access Contr
ol (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), and Packet Data Control Protocol (PDCP) laye
rs. It also hosts Radio Resource Control (RRC) functionality corresponding to th
e control plane. It performs many functions including radio resource management,
admission control, scheduling, enforcement of negotiated UL QoS, cell informati
on broadcast, ciphering/deciphering of user and control plane data, and compress
ion/decompression of DL/UL user plane packet headers. Mobility Management Entity
manages and stores UE context (for idle state: UE/user identities, UE mobility
state, user security parameters). It generates temporary identities and allocate
s them to UEs. It checks the authorization whether the UE may camp on the TA or
on the PLMN. It also authenticates the user.
Serving Gateway The SGW routes and forwards user data packets, while also acting
as the mobility anchor for the user plane during inter-eNB handovers and as the
anchor for mobility between LTE and other 3GPP technologies (terminating S4 int
erface and relaying the traffic between 2G/3G systems and PDN GW). Packet Data N
etwork Gateway The PDN GW provides connectivity to the UE to external packet dat
a networks by being the point of exit and entry of traffic for the UE. A UE may
have simultaneous connectivity with more than one PDN GW for accessing multiple
PDNs. The PDN GW performs policy enforcement, packet filtering for each user, ch
arging support, lawful Interception and packet screening.
Add new comment What are LTE protocols & specifications?
In LTE architecture, core network includes Mobility Management Entity (MME), Ser
ving Gateway (SGW), Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) where as E-UTRAN has E-
UTRAN NodeB (eNB). See LTE protocols & specifications for specification mappings
. Protocol links are as below
Air Interface Physical Layer GPRS Tunnelling Protocol User Plane (GTP-U) GTP-U T
ransport Medium Access Control (MAC) Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) Protocol Packet Da
ta Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Radio Link Control (RLC) Radio Resource Control (
RRC) S1 Application Protocol (S1AP) S1 layer 1 S1 Signalling Transport X2 Applic
ation Protocol (X2AP) X2 layer 1 X2 Signalling Transport Add new comment What is
VoLGA?
VoLGA stands for "Voice over LTE via Generic Access". The VoLGA service resemble
s the 3GPP Generic Access Network (GAN). GAN provides a controller node - the GA
N controller (GANC) inserted between the IP access network (i.e., the EPS) and t
he 3GPP core network.
The GAN provides an overlay access between the terminal and the CS core without
requiring specific enhancements or support in the network it traverses. This pro
vides a terminal with a 'virtual' connection to the core network already deploye
d by an operator. The terminal and network thus reuse most of the existing mecha
nisms, deployment and operational aspects.
see VoLGA - Voice over LTE via Generic Access for more details.
Add new comment What is CS Fallback in LTE?
LTE technology supports packet based services only, however 3GPP does specifies
fallback for circuit switched services as well. To achieve this LTE architecture
and network nodes require additional functionality, this blog is an attempt to
provide overview for same.
In LTE architecture, the circuit switched (CS) fallback in EPS enables the provi
sioning of voice and traditional CS-domain services (e.g. CS UDI video/ SMS/ LCS
/ USSD). To provide these services LTE reuses CS infrastructure when the UE is s
erved by E UTRAN. See Understanding CS Fallback in LTE for more details.
Add new comment How does LTE Security works?
The following are some of the principles of 3GPP E-UTRAN security based on 3GPP
Release 8 specifications:
The keys used for NAS and AS protection shall be dependent on the algorithm with
which they are used. The eNB keys are cryptographically separated from the EPC
keys used for NAS protection (making it impossible to use the eNB key to figure
out an EPC key). The AS (RRC and UP) and NAS keys are derived in the EPC/UE from
key material that was generated by a NAS (EPC/UE) level AKA procedure (KASME) a
nd identified with a key identifier (KSIASME). The eNB key (KeNB) is sent from t
he EPC to the eNB when the UE is entering ECM-CONNECTED state (i.e. during RRC c
onnection or S1 context setup).
See LTE Security Principles for more details.
Add new comment How does measurements work in LTE?
In LTE E-UTRAN measurements to be performed by a UE for mobility are classified
as below
Intra-frequency E-UTRAN measurements Inter-frequency E-UTRAN measurements Inter-
RAT measurements for UTRAN and GERAN Inter-RAT measurements of CDMA2000 HRPD or
1xRTT frequencies
See Measurements in LTE E-UTRAN for details.
Add new comment What is Automatic Neighbour Relation?
According to 3GPP specifications, the purpose of the Automatic Neighbour Relatio
n (ANR) functionality is to relieve the operator from the burden of manually man
aging Neighbor Relations (NRs). This feature would operators effort to provision
. Read Automatic Neighbour Relation in LTE for more details.
Add new comment How does Intra E-UTRAN Handover is performed?
Intra E-UTRAN Handover is used to hand over a UE from a source eNodeB to a targe
t eNodeB using X2 when the MME is unchanged. In the scenario described here Serv
ing GW is also unchanged. The presence of IP connectivity between the Serving GW
and the source eNodeB, as well as between the Serving GW and the target eNodeB
is assumed.
The intra E-UTRAN HO in RRC_CONNECTED state is UE assisted NW controlled HO, wit
h HO preparation signalling in E-UTRAN. Read LTE Handovers - Intra E-UTRAN Hando
ver for more details.
Add new comment What is SON & how does it work in LTE?
Self-configuring, self-optimizing wireless networks is not a new concept but as
the mobile networks are evolving towards 4G LTE networks, introduction of self c
onfiguring and self optimizing mechanisms is needed to minimize operational effo
rts. A self optimizing function would increase network performance and quality r
eacting to dynamic processes in the network. This would minimize the life cycle
cost of running a network by eliminating manual configuration of equipment at th
e time of deployment, right through to dynamically optimizing radio network perf
ormance during operation. Ultimately it will reduce the unit cost and retail pri
ce of wireless data services. See Self-configuring and self-optimizing Networks
in LTE for details.
Add new comment How does Timing Advance (TA) works in LTE?
In LTE, when UE wish to establish RRC connection with eNB, it transmits a Random
Access Preamble, eNB estimates the transmission timing of the terminal based on
this. Now eNB transmits a Random Access Response which consists of timing advan
ce command, based on that UE adjusts the terminal transmit timing. The timing ad
vance is initiated from E-UTRAN with MAC message that implies and adjustment of
the timing advance. See Timing Advance (TA) in LTE for further details.
Add new comment How does LTE UE positioning works in E-UTRAN?
UE Positioning function is required to provide the mechanisms to support or assi
st the calculation of the geographical position of a UE. UE position knowledge c
an be used, for example, in support of Radio Resource Management functions, as w
ell as location-based services for operators, subscribers, and third-party servi
ce providers. See LTE UE positioning in E-UTRAN for more details.

Add new comment How many operators have committed for LTE?
List of operators committed for LTE has been compiled by 3GAmericas from Informa
Telecoms & Media and public announcements. It includes a variety of commitment
levels including intentions to trial, deploy, migrate, etc. For latest info visi
t http://ltemaps.org/
Add new comment How does Location Service (LCS) work in LTE network?
In the LCS architecture, an Evolved SMLC is directly attached to the MME. The ob
jectives of this evolution is to support location of an IMS emergency call, avoi
d impacts to a location session due to an inter-eNodeB handover, make use of an
Evolved and support Mobile originated location request (MO-LR) and mobile termin
ated location request MT-LR services. Release 9 LCS solution introduces new inte
rfaces in the EPC:
SLg between the GMLC and the MME SLs between the E-SMLC and the MME Diameter-bas
ed SLh between the HSS and the HGMLC
For details read LCS Architecture for LTE EPS and LTE UE positioning in E-UTRAN
Add new comment How does Lawful Interception works in LTE Evolved Packet System?
3GPP Evolved Packet System (EPS) provides IP based services. Hence, EPS is respo
nsible only for IP layer interception of Content of Communication (CC) data. In
addition to CC data, the Lawful Interception (LI) solution for EPS offers genera
tion of Intercept Related Information (IRI) records from respective control plan
e (signalling) messages as well. See Lawful Interception Architecture for LTE Ev
olved Packet System for more details.
Add new comment
What is carrier aggregation in LTE-Advanced?
To meet LTE-Advanced requirements, support of wider transmission bandwidths is r
equired than the 20 MHz bandwidth specified in 3GPP Release 8/9. The preferred s
olution to this is carrier aggregation. It is of the most distinct features of 4
G LTE-Advanced. Carrier aggregation allows expansion of effective bandwidth deli
vered to a user terminal through concurrent utilization of radio resources acros
s multiple carriers. Multiple component carriers are aggregated to form a larger
overall transmission bandwidth.
LTE Handovers - Intra E-UTRAN Handover
By LteWorld - Posted on 10 April 2010
Intra E-UTRAN Handover is used to hand over a UE from a source eNodeB to a targe
t eNodeB using X2 when the MME is unchanged. In the scenario described here Serv
ing GW is also unchanged. The presence of IP connectivity between the Serving GW
and the source eNodeB, as well as between the Serving GW and the target eNodeB
is assumed. The intra E-UTRAN HO in RRC_CONNECTED state is UE assisted NW contro
lled HO, with HO preparation signalling in E-UTRAN. To prepare the HO, the sourc
e eNB passes all necessary information to the target eNB (e.g. ERAB attributes a
nd RRC context) and UE accesses the target cell via RACH following a contention-
free procedure using a dedicated RACH preamble. The HO procedure is performed wi
thout EPC involvement, i.e. preparation messages are directly exchanged between
the eNBs. The figure below shows the basic handover scenario where neither MME n
or Serving Gateway changes:
Detailed explanation of above scenario is below. The source eNB configures the U
E measurement procedures according to the area restriction information. UE sends
MEASUREMENT REPORT by the rules set by i.e. system information, specification e
tc. Source eNB makes decision based on MEASUREMENT REPORT and RRM information to
hand off UE and issues a HANDOVER REQUEST message to the target eNB passing nec
essary information to prepare the HO at the target side. Admission Control may b
e performed by the target eNB dependent on the received E-RAB QoS information to
increase the likelihood of a successful HO. The target eNB configures the requi
red resources according to the received E-RAB QoS information. Target eNB prepar
es HO with L1/L2 and sends the HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE to the source eNB. T
he HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE message includes a transparent container to be s
ent to the UE as an RRC message to perform the handover.
The UE receives the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message with necessary paramete
rs (i.e. new C-RNTI, target eNB security algorithm identifiers, and optionally d
edicated RACH preamble, target eNB SIBs, etc.) and is commanded by the source eN
B to perform the HO.

The source eNB sends the SN STATUS TRANSFER message to the target eNB to convey
the uplink PDCP SN receiver status and the downlink PDCP SN transmitter status o
f E-RABs for which PDCP status preservation applies (i.e. for RLC AM).

After receiving the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message including the mobilityC

ontrolInformation , UE performs synchronisation to target eNB and accesses the t
arget cell via RACH.

The target eNB responds with UL allocation and timing advance. UE sends the RRCC
onnectionReconfigurationComplete message (C-RNTI) to confirm the handover to the
target eNB to indicate that the handover procedure is completed for the UE. The
target eNB verifies the C-RNTI sent in the RRCConnectionReconfigurationComplete
message. The target eNB can now begin sending data to the UE.

The target eNB sends a PATH SWITCH message to MME to inform that the UE has chan
ged cell. The MME sends an UPDATE USER PLANE REQUEST message to the Serving Gate
way. The Serving Gateway switches the downlink data path to the target side. The
Serving gateway sends one or more "end marker" packets on the old path to the s
ource eNB and then can release any U-plane/TNL resources towards the source eNB.

Serving Gateway sends an UPDATE USER PLANE RESPONSE message to MME. The MME conf
irms the PATH SWITCH message with the PATH SWITCH ACKNOWLEDGE message. By sendin
g UE CONTEXT RELEASE, the target eNB informs success of HO to source eNB and tri
ggers the release of resources by the source eNB. The target eNB sends this mess
age after the PATH SWITCH ACKNOWLEDGE message is received from the MME.

Upon reception of the UE CONTEXT RELEASE message, the source eNB can release rad
io and C-plane related resources associated to the UE context. Any ongoing data
forwarding may continue.
Self-configuring and self-optimizing Networks in LTE
By LteWorld - Posted on 11 October 2009
Self-configuring, self-optimizing wireless networks is not a new concept but as
the mobile networks are evolving towards 4G LTE networks, introduction of self c
onfiguring and self optimizing mechanisms is needed to minimize operational effo
rts. A self optimizing function would increase network performance and quality r
eacting to dynamic processes in the network. This would minimize the life cycle
cost of running a network by eliminating manual configuration of equipment at th
e time of deployment, right through to dynamically optimizing radio network perf
ormance during operation. Ultimately it will reduce the unit cost and retail pri
ce of wireless data services. As per 3GPP standards, a typical operational objec
tive is to optimize the network according to coverage and capacity. Providing op
timal coverage requires that in the area, where LTE system is offered, users can
establish and maintain connections with acceptable or default service quality,
according to operators requirements. Coverage and capacity are linked, a trade-off
between the two of them may also be a subject of optimization. To achieve these
objectives, 3GPP suggests to implement following functions Detection of unintend
ed holes in the coverage (planned by the operator) Perform coverage optimization
, including DL/UL channel coverage a Ability to balance the trade-off between co
verage and capacity
Once solution is implemented, it would result in Continuous, optimized and matc
ed UL and DL coverage Optimized DL and UL capacity of the system Balanced tradeo
ff between coverage and capacity Interference reduction Controlled cell edge per
formance Minimized human intervention in network management and optimization tas
ks Energy savings
More details about solution and use cases are available in 3GPP technical report
"Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN); Self-configuring
and self-optimizing network (SON) use cases and solutions". Implementing self c
onfiguration and self optimization under multi vendor environment is challenging
task. For this purpose, It is of importance that measurements and performance d
ata of different vendors follow same standard. Especially when the interaction b
etween self configuring/optimizing networks and O&M has to be considered.
Timing Advance (TA) in LTE
By agaur - Posted on 01 September 2010
In GSM system MS sends its data three time slots after it received the data from
the BTS. This is ok as long as MS-BTS distance is small but increasing distance
requires consideration of propagation delay as well. To handle it Timing advanc
e (TA) is conveyed by network to MS and current value is sent to the MS within t
he layer 1 header of each SACCH. BTS calculates the first TA when it receives RA
CH and reports it to the BSC and BSC/BTS passes it to UE during Immediate Assign
ment. In UMTS Timing Advance parameter was not used but in LTE Timing Advance is
back. In LTE, when UE wish to establish RRC connection with eNB, it transmits a
Random Access Preamble, eNB estimates the transmission timing of the terminal b
ased on this. Now eNB transmits a Random Access Response which consists of timin
g advance command, based on that UE adjusts the terminal transmit timing. The ti
ming advance is initiated from E-UTRAN with MAC message that implies and adjustm
ent of the timing advance. 3GPP TA Requirements Timing Advance adjustment delay
UE shall adjust the timing of its uplink transmission timing at sub-frame n+6 fo
r a timing advancement command received in sub-frame n.
Timing Advance adjustment accuracy
The UE shall adjust the timing of its transmissions with a relative accuracy bet
ter than or equal to 4* TS seconds to the signalled timing advance value compared
to the timing of preceding uplink transmission. The timing advance command is e
xpressed in multiples of 16* TS and is relative to the current uplink timing. Ma
intenance of Uplink Time Alignment The UE has a configurable timer timeAlignment
Timer which is used to control how long the UE is considered uplink time aligned
when a Timing Advance Command MAC control element is received then UE applies t
he Timing Advance Command and start or restart timeAlignmentTimer. when a Timing
Advance Command is received in a Random Access Response message then one of fol
lowing action is performed by UE - if the Random Access Preamble was not selecte
d by UE MAC then UE applies the Timing Advance Command and starts or restarts ti
meAlignmentTimer. - else if the timeAlignmentTimer is not running then UE applie
s the Timing Advance Command starts timeAlignmentTimer; when the contention reso
lution is considered not successful then UE stops timeAlignmentTimer. - else ign
ore the received Timing Advance Command. when timeAlignmentTimer expires UE flus
hes all HARQ buffers, notifies RRC to release PUCCH/SRS and clears any configure
d downlink assignments and uplink grants. Timing Advance Command MAC Control Ele
ment The Timing Advance Command MAC control element is identified by MAC PDU sub
header with LCID value = 11101 (Timing Advance Command) . It has a fixed size an
d it consists of a single octet as show below.
Timing Advance Command MAC control element has following fields. R: reserved bit
, set to "0"
Timing Advance Command: This field indicates the index value TA (0, 1, 2 63) used
to control the amount of timing adjustment that UE has to. The length of the fi
eld is 6 bits.
LTE UE positioning in E-UTRAN
By LteWorld - Posted on 03 January 2010
UE Positioning function is required to provide the mechanisms to support or assi
st the calculation of the geographical position of a UE. UE position knowledge c
an be used, for example, in support of Radio Resource Management functions, as w
ell as location-based services for operators, subscribers, and third-party servi
ce providers. Positioning functionality provides a means to determine the geogra
phic position and/or velocity of the UE based on measuring radio signals. The po
sition information may be requested by and reported to a client (e.g., an applic
ation) associated with the UE, or by a client within or attached to the core net
work. The position information is reported in standard formats, such as those fo
r cell-based or geographical co-ordinates, together with the estimated errors (u
ncertainty) of the position and velocity of the UE and, if available, the positi
oning method (or the list of the methods) used to obtain the position estimate.
Several design options of the LTE E-UTRAN system (e.g., size of cell, adaptive a
ntenna technique, pathloss estimation, timing accuracy, eNode B surveys) would a
llow the network operator to choose a suitable and cost-effective UE positioning
method for their market. Positioning the UE involves two main steps: signal mea
surements Position estimate and optional velocity computation based on the measu
rements.
The signal measurements may be made by the UE or the eNode B. The standard posit
ioning methods supported for E-UTRAN access are: network-assisted GNSS (Global N
avigation Satellites Systems) methods downlink positioning enhanced cell ID meth
od.
Hybrid positioning using multiple methods from the list of positioning methods a
bove is also supported.
E-UTRAN UE Positioning Architecture
Above figure shows the architecture in EPS applicable to positioning of a UE wit
h E-UTRAN access.
The MME receives a request for some location service associated with a particula
r target UE from another entity (e.g., GMLC, eNB, or UE) or the MME itself decid
es to initiate some location service on behalf of a particular target UE (e.g.,
for an IMS emergency call from the UE). The MME then sends a location services r
equest to an E-SMLC. The E-SMLC processes the location services request which ma
y include transferring assistance data to the target UE to assist with
UE-based and/or UE-assisted positioning and/or may include positioning of the ta
rget UE. The E-SMLC then returns the result of the location service back to the
MME (e.g., a position estimate for the UE and/or an indication of any assistance
data transferred to the UE). In the case of a location service requested by an
entity other than the MME (e.g., UE, eNB, or E-SMLC), the MME returns the locati
on service result to this entity. The SLP is the SUPL entity responsible for pos
itioning over the user plane. source : 3GPP 3605-900
LTE Protocols & Specifications
In LTE architecture, core network includes Mobility Management Entity (MME), Ser
ving Gateway (SGW), Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) where as E-UTRAN has E-
UTRAN NodeB (eNB). The figures shown below provide mapping of protocols to corre
sponding specifications. To find 3GPP LTE specification, click at the correspond
ing protocol in the images below. Protocol structure of control plane in between
UE & MME is shown below.
This figure below shows protocol structure in between UE & P-GW user plane. GPRS
Tunnelling Protocol for the user plane (GTP-U) tunnels user data between eNodeB
and the S-GW as well as between the S-GW and the P-GW in the backbone
network.
The X2 interface is defined between two neighbour eNBs. This figure below shows
the control & user plane protocol stack of the X2 interface.
Understanding CS Fallback in LTE
By LteWorld - Posted on 27 September 2009
LTE technology supports packet based services only, however 3GPP does specifies
fallback for circuit switched services as well. To achieve this LTE architecture
and network nodes require additional functionality, this blog is an attempt to
provide overview for same. In LTE architecture, the circuit switched (CS) fallba
ck in EPS enables the provisioning of voice and traditional CS-domain services (
e.g. CS UDI video/ SMS/ LCS/ USSD). To provide these services LTE reuses CS infr
astructure when the UE is served by E UTRAN. A CS fallback enabled terminal, con
nected to E UTRAN may use GERAN or UTRAN to connect to the CS domain. This funct
ion is only available in case E UTRAN coverage is overlapped by either GERAN cov
erage or UTRAN coverage.
The figure above provides architecture for CS fallback in EPS. CS Fallback and I
MS based services can co-exist in the same operators network. Although its not very
straight forward to support CS fallback, all participating elements i.e UE, MME
, MSC & E-UTRAN needs to support additional functionalities. The support CS fall
back in EPS a new interface SGs is added in LTE architecture. SGs interface is t
he reference point between the MME and MSC server. SGs interface is used for the
mobility management and paging procedures between EPS and CS domain, and is bas
ed on the Gs interface procedures.
The SGs reference point is also used for the delivery of both mobile originating
and mobile terminating SMS. The CS fallback enabled network elements need to su
pport the following additional functions: UE supports access to E-UTRAN/EPC as w
ell as access to the CS domain over GERAN and/or UTRAN. Combined procedures for
EPS/IMSI attach, update and detach. CS fallback and SMS procedures for using CS
domain services.
MME Deriving a VLR number and LAI from the GUTI received from the UE or from a
efault LAI. Maintaining of SGs association towards MSC/VLR for EPS/IMSI attached
UE. Initiating IMSI detach at EPS detach. Initiating paging procedure towards e
NodeB when MSC pages the UE for CS services. Support of SMS procedures Rejecting
CS Fallback call request (e.g. due to O&M reasons) Use of the LAI and a hash va
lue from the IMSI to determine the VLR number when multiple MSC/VLRs serve the s
ame LAI. MSC Maintaining SGs association towards MME for EPS/IMSI attached UE. S
upport of SMS procedures as provided in 3GPP specification
E-UTRAN Forwarding paging request and SMS to the UE. Directing the UE to the tar
get CS capable cell.
At MME - MSC Server interface a new protcol SGsAP is being added to support CS f
allback. SGsAP protocol is based on the BSSAP+. Stream Control Transmission Prot
ocol (SCTP) is used to transport SGsAP signaling messages. A CS Fallback and IMS
capable UE would follow the procedures for domain selection for UE originating
session/calls according to 3GPP specification 23.221. If a UE is configured to u
se SMS over IP services and it is registered to IMS then it would send SMS over
IMS, even if it is EPS/IMSI attached.
The home operator has option to activate/deactivate the UE configuration to use
SMS over IP by means of device management in order to allow alignment with HPLMN
support of SMS over IP. When UE is performing CS fallback procedure for Mobile
Originating Call for the purpose of emergency call, it needs to indicate to the
MME that this CS fallback request is for emergency purpose. MME also indicates t
o the E-UTRAN via the appropriate S1-AP message that this CS fallback procedure
is for emergency purpose. Contents of this blog are mostly derived from 3GPP spe
cification 23.272, for better and detailed understanding, same should be referre
d. Although there had been talks about another approach for CS Fallback by VoLGA
which does not require any enhancement in existing CS elements like MSC but for
VoLGA another set of additional nodes are needed. to know more about VoLGA refe
r one of our earlier blog LTE needs VoLGA.