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LTE Frequently Asked Questions
LTE Frequently Asked Questions
What is LTE?
What is EUTRAN?
What is VoLGA?
What is LTE?
LTEi (Long Term Evolution) is initiated by 3GPPi to improve the mobile phone standard to cope with future technology
evolutions and needs.
The goals for LTE include improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new
spectrum and reformed spectrum opportunities, and better integration with other open standards.
What is EUTRAN?
The E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRAN) consists of eNBs, providing the E-UTRA user plane (PDCP/RLC/MAC/PHY) and
control plane (RRC) protocol terminations towards the UE. The eNBs are interconnected with each other by means of
the X2 interface. The eNBs are also connected by means of the S1 interface to the EPC (Evolved Packet Core), 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.
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 enables 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 Direct 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 GW needs to connect to a non-collocated
PDN GW for the required PDN connectivity.
S6a:- It enables transfer of subscription and authentication data for authenticating/authorizing user access to
the evolved system (AAA interface) between MME and HSS.
Gx:- It provides transfer of (QoS) policy and charging rules from PCRF to 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 provides transfer of (QoS) policy and charging control information between the Home 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 transfer.
S11:- Reference point between MME and Serving GW.
S12:- Reference point between UTRAN and Serving GW for user plane tunnelling when Direct Tunnel is
established. 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 S12 is an operator configuration option.
S13:- It enables UE identity check procedure between MME and EIR.
SGi:- It is the reference point between the PDN GW and the packet data network. Packet data network may
be an operator external public or private packet data network or an intra operator packet data network, e.g.
for provision of IMS services. This reference 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 control functions.
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inter-eNB handovers and as the anchor for mobility between LTE and other 3GPP technologies (terminating S4
interface and relaying the traffic between 2G/3G systems and PDN GW).
Packet Data Network Gateway
The PDN GW provides connectivity to the UE to external packet data 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, charging support, lawful Interception
and packet screening.
GTP-U Transport
Medium Access Control (MAC)
Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) Protocol
Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)
Radio Link Control (RLC)
Radio Resource Control (RRC)
S1 Application Protocol (S1AP)
S1 layer 1
S1 Signalling Transport
X2 Application Protocol (X2AP)
X2 layer 1
X2 Signalling Transport
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What is VoLGA?
VoLGA stands for "Voice over LTE via Generic Access". The VoLGA service resembles the 3GPP Generic Access
Network (GAN). GAN provides a controller node - the GAN controller (GANC) - inserted between the IP access
network (i.e., the EPS) and the 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 provides a terminal with a 'virtual' connection to the core network already
deployed by an operator. The terminal and network thus reuse most of the existing mechanisms, deployment and
operational aspects.
see VoLGA - Voice over LTE via Generic Access for more details.
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) and identified with a key identifier (KSIASME).
The eNB key (KeNB) is sent from the EPC to the eNB when the UE is entering ECM-CONNECTED state (i.e.
during RRC connection or S1 context setup).
access network e.g. wireless access (GPRS, 3GPPs UMTS, LTE, 3GPP2s CDMA2000) and fixed networks (TISPANs
NGN)
IMS defines a architecture of logical elements using SIP for call signaling between network elements and Provides a
layered approach with defined service, control, and transport planes. Some of IMS high level requirements are noted
below:
The application plane provides an infrastructure for the provision and management of services, subscriber configuration
and identity management and defines standard interfaces to common functionality.
The IMS control plane handles the call related signaling and controls transport plane. Major element of control plane is
the Call Session Control Function (CSCF) , which comprises Proxy-CSCF (P-CSCF), Interrogating-CSCF (I-CSCF)
and Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF). The CSCF (Call/Session Control Function) is essentially a SIP server.
The IMS transport plane provides a core IP network with access from subscriber device over wireless or wireline
networks.
Intra E-UTRAN Handover is used to hand over a UE from a source eNodeB to a target eNodeB using X2 when the
MME is unchanged. In the scenario described here Serving 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, with HO preparation
signalling in E-UTRAN.
Read LTE Handovers - Intra E-UTRAN Handover for more details.
PCRF (policy and charging rules function) provides policy control and flow based charging control decisions.
PCEF (policy and charging enforcement function) implemented in the serving gateway, this enforces gating
and QoS for individual IP flows on the behalf of
the PCRF. It also provides usage measurement to support charging
OCS (online charging system) provides credit management and grants credit to the PCEF based on time,
traffic volume or chargeable events.
OFCS (off-line charging system) receives events from the PCEF and generates charging data records
(CDRs) for the billing system.
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 configuring and self optimizing mechanisms is needed to minimize
operational efforts. A self optimizing function would increase network performance and quality reacting to dynamic
processes in the network.
This would minimize the life cycle cost of running a network by eliminating manual configuration of equipment at the
time of deployment, right through to dynamically optimizing radio network performance during operation. Ultimately it
will reduce the unit cost and retail price of wireless data services.
See Self-configuring and self-optimizing Networks in LTE for details.
For details read LCS Architecture for LTE EPS and LTE UE positioning in E-UTRAN
3GPP Evolved Packet System (EPS) provides IP based services. Hence, EPS is responsible only for IP layer
interception of Content of Communication (CC) data. In addition to CC data, the Lawful Interception (LI) solution for
EPS offers generation of Intercept Related Information (IRI) records from respective control plane (signalling)
messages as well.
See Lawful Interception Architecture for LTE Evolved Packet System for more details.