Inter-IRAT Handover in LTE

Jaymin Kavaiya
EETS 8316
SMU ID: 31096862

What is Inter-RAT mobility?

Inter-RAT mobility

Intra-RAT mobility

LTE

2G/3G

LTE to 3G inter-RAT
-Done when there is
limited LTE coverage
-To balance load of new
system
3G to LTE inter-RAT
-Triggered by traffic
management policies

Why Inter-RAT HO is done?

LTE will be available only in Urban areas during initial

phase. Therefore mobility across Radio Access
Technology will be critical.
Historically, handover is main reason for call drop so it
is significant to minimize failures and drops during
HO.
Non-real time data should be considered as important
and should not be dropped while executing HO
procedure.
Some instances Applications may have to reauthenticate to already established services e.g.
streaming have to be restarted.

Handovers
Intra LTE inter cells HO (LTE HO within eNB)
Intra LTE inter eNB HO (LTE HO between eNB)
Inter LTE HO (HO between LTE and other
access technologies)
Between E-UTRAN and UTRAN (3G)
Between E-UTRAN and GSM
Between E-UTRAN and non 3GPP Access

How Inter-RAT HO is done?

Handover Steps
Setting up measurements
Evaluating measurement reports
Handover Preparation
Handover Execution
Handover Completion
Data forwarding
If inter-RAT is to GSM, NACC(Network assisted Cell
Change) is used and no resources are prepared in the
target system. UE enter GSM system in RRC_Idle mode
and start the RRC Connection Setup Procedure.

Measurements types in E-UTRAN

I. Intra-frequency E-UTRAN measurements
II. Inter-frequency E-UTRAN measurements
III. Inter-RAT measurements for UTRAN and
GERAN
IV. Inter-RAT measurements of CDMA2000
HRPD or 1xRTT frequencies
Any LTE capable UE is classified in any three
measurements types.

How to collect Measurements?

Each Measurement Type will define on one or several Measurement
Object(s) (Carrier Frequency).
Reporting Configurations are defined on each Measurement Object
(i.e. criteria like Event triggered, periodic or event triggered periodic
reporting).
Measurement quantities and Reporting Configurations are considered
separately for each Measurement Type.
Measurement Object and Measurement Configurations are related
with the help of Measurement id.
eNB configures each Measurement Type using a Measurement Identity
and instructs the UE when to report the measurements results.
Measurement commands are used by eNB to order the UE to start,
modify or stop measurements specified by RRC as in UTRAN
Measurement_Control.

What UE measures?
After instructions from eNB; UE measures two parameters on
reference signal: cell RSSI & CPICH RSCP or CPICH En/lo.
The handover measurement report triggering are based on cell
RSSI & CPICH RSCP in GSM or CPICH Ec/Io for UMTS for inter-RAT.
Serving Cells RSRP (purple) is
degrading threshold 1, while neighbor
cell RSSI or CPICH RSCP or CPICH En/lo
(orange) increasing threshold 2 will
trigger the event as shown in graph.
Similarly, hysteresis (to prevent ping
pong between E-UTRAN and UTRAN)
and time to trigger events could be
set.

Measurements

Inter-frequency neighbor (cell) measurements are done as shown below in

image; performed by the UE when the neighbor cell operates on a different
carrier frequency, compared to the current cell.
This type of measurements are carried out by UE based on its capability and
generally measured with measurement gaps.
HO will be performed to the best cell according to prioritization (As per 3GPP
36.304, absolute priorities of different E-UTRAN frequencies or inter-RAT
frequencies may be provided to the UE in various SIBs.)
eNB triggers the process RRC connection release with redirect based on
downlink Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) measurements in the source
cell.
Scenario D
current cell

fc

Scenario E
UE

target cell

fc

current cell

fc

Scenario F
UE

target cell

fc

current cell

UE

target cell

fc

fc

Image Courtesy: 3GPP TS 36:300-a80 page 68

Inter-RAT HO between UMTS example

UE

Target
RNC

S-eNB

Target
SGSN

Source
MME

S/P-GW
GGSN

P-GW

UL/DL User Plane PDUs

RRC Connection Reconfiguration
Measurement Report (Consists of target UMTS Cells)

Handover Decision
S1AP: Handover Required (target UMTS Cell id)

Handover Preparation
S1AP: Handover Command
RRC Mobility from E-UTRAN Command

UTRAN Access Procedures

Handover to UTRAN Complete
DL User Plane PDUs

Direct FWDing
In-direct Forwarding (if same S-GW/GGSN serving subscriber)
DL User Plane PDUs
Relocation Complete

S-GW relocation or Bearer Modification

UL User Plane PDUs

Inter-RAT HO between UMTS example

(1/2)
eNB configure the UMTS measurements in the UE
using the RRC Connection Reconfiguration
message.
It sets thresholds (serving Cell and inter-RAT neighbor
cell) for activations and set events
It gives WCDMA center frequency and scrambling
code to be used.

UE measures UMTS cells and sends RRC:

Measurement Report
eNB takes decision to perform HO to UMTS

Inter-RAT HO between UMTS example

(2/2)
Preparation Phase:
In order to prepare target UMTS cell, S-eNB sends S1AP:
Handover Required Message to MME.
This message contains target UMTS cell id
MME then contacts SGSN based on UMTS Cell id and
allocates the resources (using FWD Relocation Req. : Out
of the scope or this discussion)
Once MME gets confirmation (receipt of Relocation
Complete message from SGSN) MME sends S1AP:
Handover Command to eNB

eNB then sends RRC: Mobility from E-UTRA

Command to UE indicating move to UTRAN.

Coverage based HO
Handovers in E-UTRAN are network controlled and
usually triggered by measurement reports sent by UE.
Measurement reports are sent according preconfigured reporting criteria (like we have seen in the
example, neighboring cells becomes better or serving
cell becomes worst than absolute threshold).
RRC Reconfiguration message provide list of intra-LTE
and inter-RAT measured cells.
It also provides handover related parameters such as
threshold and cell prioritization for measurement
reports.

To balance the load of new system

Moving forward, Source eNB load is used as a
trigger to perform IRAT handovers .
Cell load
Load threshold
for mobility

time

LTE states and inter-RAT Handover

Image Courtesy: Joona Vehanen of Aalto University

http://lib.tkk.fi/Dipl/2011/urn100472.pdf

Summary

Intro to Inter-RAT Handover

Inter-RAT HO Applications
Setting up measurements
Evaluating measurement reports
Handover Preparation
Handover Execution
Handover Completion
Data forwarding

Acknowledgements:

3GPP TS 23.401 (E-UTRAN) access

3GPP TS 36.300 Overall description
3GPP TS 36.214 Physical Measurements
http://wired-nwireless.blogspot.com/2009/12/lte-inter-rathandover-e-utran-to-utran.html
http://lib.tkk.fi/Dipl/2011/urn100472.pdf
http://lteworld.org/blog/measurements-lte-eutran
Radisys Whitepaper - UE Handovers in LTE