Unlicensed band opportunities

for mobile broadband

Nokia Networks white paper

Unlicensed band opportunities for mobile broadband
 Contents

Introduction 3
Unlicensed spectrum is widely available 3
The benefits of tight integration of licensed and 4
unlicensed spectrum
Solutions (Release 13) 5
   LTE-WLAN Radio Aggregation (LWA)
   Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) 7
Performance comparisons 9
Assuring co-existence 12
Deployment scenarios 15
The future outlook: MuLTEfire 16
Summary 18

Page 2 networks.nokia.com
Introduction
LTE networks carry a continuously increasing amount of data driven by a
growing number of worldwide LTE subscribers that reached nearly 635 million
as of the first quarter of 2015. In addition, radio capabilities have been
rapidly evolving with the development of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and LTE-A
Pro, enabling commercially available peak data rates, with carrier aggregation,
of 450 Mbps during 2015. The fast uptake of LTE in different regions shows
that demand for mobile broadband is increasing and that LTE is successfully
meeting the demand.
Mobile operators around the world are increasingly interested in unlicensed
spectrum as a complementary tool to expand the capacity of their networks
and to augment their service offering, for example by providing higher peak
data rates. As a result, 3GPP has recently standardized Licensed-Assisted
Access (LAA) and LTE-WLAN Radio Aggregation (LWA) as part of the Release
13 of the E-UTRA specifications (a.k.a. LTE-A Pro). Both features aim to
make it easier and more affordable for network operators to use unlicensed
spectrum, especially in the 5 GHz band, to complement their licensed band
LTE operation. One of the main differences between LAA and LWA is that LAA
uses LTE radio access technology in unlicensed spectrum, while LWA access
in the unlicensed spectrum is still based on IEEE 802.11 standards. LAA and
LWA allow operators to benefit from the additional capacity available from
unlicensed spectrum, particularly in hotspots and corporate environments.
In addition, radio access technologies are rapidly evolving to guarantee
efficient and reliable use of unlicensed spectrum in ultra-dense small cell
deployments. This is encouraging traditional cellular operators, as well as new
players, to look at the widely available and affordable unlicensed spectrum to
create new business opportunities.

Unlicensed spectrum is widely available

Currently, LAA is only targeted for deployment in the 5 GHz band, with device
and base station requirements specified in 3GPP for the new Band 46 in the
range 5150 – 5925 MHz. However, future deployments in other frequency
bands (e.g. 3.5 GHz in the US) may not be precluded. On the other hand, LWA
targets deployments where WLAN operates in either the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz
frequency band.
So, the frequency band of main interest for 3GPP is currently 5 GHz, which has
much unlicensed spectrum available globally, much more than the 2.4 GHz
band. Most markets offer a large amount of spectrum in the 5 GHz band, for
example in Europe there is 455 MHz of spectrum available, as shown in Figure
1. Spectrum availability in the US is even higher. There are also allocations in
the 5 GHz band in China, Korea and Japan.

Page 3 networks.nokia.com
e1

U-NII-1 U-NII-2A U-NII-2C U-NII-3

1 W, no
US 250 mW 250 mW 1 W, no DFS MHz
DFS

5150 5250 5350 5470 5725 5850

Europe
Japan MHz

5150 5250 5350 5470 5725 5850

China MHz

5150 5250 5350 5470 5725 5850

2016 Figure 1. Example ofinformation

<Change Unlicensed spectrum
classification in footer> availability in different regions.

The use of unlicensed spectrum usually carries some regulatory requirements,

such as being able to detect if a radar system is using the band (Dynamic
Frequency Selection, DFS) or being able to co-exist with other users of the
band. The latter is often referred to as Clear Channel Assessment (CCA)
or Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) and means it is not always possible to transmit
immediately if the intended channel is occupied.
The transmission power allowed also varies depending on the region and on
the part of the 5GHz band. Typically, some parts of the band are restricted to
indoor use, with a maximum transmit power of 250 mW or less. Other parts
allow higher transmission powers, typically around 1 W, and consequently are
also suitable for outdoor deployments.
In some cases, such as the US 5.725 - 5.850 GHz, there are no specific
requirements other than the transmission power limitation.

The benefits of tight integration of licensed and

unlicensed spectrum
To extend the capacity of their networks, operators are looking for solutions
to efficiently integrate unlicensed spectrum into their licensed spectrum
portfolio.
With tight integration with operator licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum
becomes yet another set of carrier frequencies available for deployment in
small cells. This provides operators with a scalable small cell solution for both
licensed and unlicensed spectrum.

Page 4 networks.nokia.com
Moreover, simultaneous use of licensed and unlicensed spectrum offers end
users access to larger bandwidth for higher data rates and overall better
performance. Radio aggregation, either carrier aggregation (LAA) or dual
connectivity (LWA), means the licensed spectrum can quickly take over to
ensure service quality should the unlicensed spectrum become unusable for
any reason, such as reduced coverage, interference, or avoidance of radar
operating in the band.
Compared to currently available interworking solutions, LAA and LWA enable
radio aggregation of licensed and unlicensed spectrum for operator-controlled
access to unlicensed spectrum that is well integrated to the LTE core
network. In the best case scenario, access to unlicensed spectrum becomes
transparent to the operator’s Evolved Packet Core (EPC), which simplifies
overall network maintenance by avoiding multiple solutions for network
management, security and authentication.

LTA-A Pro and aggregation of licensed and

unlicensed spectrum
In 3GPP Release 13, two solutions are standardized that allow tight
interworking between licensed and unlicensed spectrum: LAA and LWA.

LTE-WLAN Radio Aggregation (LWA)

LWA aggregates LTE and WLAN technologies to provide a compelling user
experience. Exploiting both LTE and WLAN interfaces in parallel, end users
benefit from the best characteristics of each radio. While LTE provides reliable
connectivity and mobility, WLAN boosts data capacity and improves coverage.
Two implementations of LWA are being defined. First, a dual connectivity LWA
solution, which leverages Release 12 LTE Dual Connectivity (DC) and second,
a solution that employs IPsec tunneling of IP data over WLAN (LWIP) and
leverages LWA benefits for legacy WLANs.
The overall and user-plane architectures of LWA are illustrated in Figure 2.
Following LTE DC bearer-split architecture, LWA supports downlink aggregation
at the PDCP layer and re-uses the split-bearer reordering mechanism. Uplink
transmissions are supported only on the LTE network. This is different to
existing aggregation schemes such as Multipath Transmission Control Protocol
(MP-TCP) that occur at the application layer. The per-PDCP PDU split in LWA
exploits fast adaption to radio and traffic fluctuations in both radio interfaces.
The new direct interface Xw defined between LTE and WLAN has capacity
and latency requirements similar to the X2 interface because of user-plane
routing. The Xw interface is terminated at the WT (WLAN Termination), which
is a newly defined 3GPP logical node that may be in control of one or more
WLAN APs. When leveraging existing Wi-Fi APs which may not be capable of
supporting Xw based flow control mechanisms, the new device-based flow
control feedback at the PDCP layer could also be used.

Page 5 networks.nokia.com
 2
Also, a new LWA-specific Ethertype is added to each data packet routed over
WLAN to allow the device to differentiate LWA traffic from other WLAN traffic.

S-GW / RB1 RB2

MME

WLAN AP Xw
PDCP PDCP
Xw

WLAN AP
RLC RLC MAC
LTE eNB WT

MAC 802.11
LTE eNB WLAN AP

UE

Figure 2. LWA overall architecture (left) and user-plane architecture (right).

LWA provides an attractive solution for existing WLAN infrastructure when

016 software/firmware upgrades of a large number of WLAN APs can be performed
efficiently to enable new LWA operations. Otherwise, LWIP provides a more
ure 3 attractive solution because downlink/uplink IP data (PDCP SDUs) can be
tunneled from the LTE eNB to the device transparently over any legacy WLAN
relaying on L2/L3 (IP) connectivity and on IPsec to guarantee data security.
The overall and user-plane architectures of LWIP are illustrated in Figure 3.

S-GW / MME RB1 RB2

ip
WLAN AP
PDCP PDCP
ip

WLAN AP
RLC RLC MAC
LTE eNB SecGW (LWA) WLAN GW /
Controller
MAC 802.11
LTE eNB WLAN AP

UE

Figure 3. LWIP overall architecture (left) and user-plane architecture (right).

okia 2016

Page 6 networks.nokia.com
However, LWIP cannot support per-packet split because TCP cannot cope with
out-of-order delivery of packets transmitted over the two radio interfaces,
which would lead to poor TCP performance. Instead, aggregation at IP flow
level based on QCI mapping is used.
Both LWA and LWIP require new chipset support. A dual-radio terminal capable
of either LWA or LWIP needs to perform WLAN radio measurements including
WLAN Connection Failure detection to support the configuration, pausing
and release of the LWA/LWIP operation by the LTE eNodeB. The mobility
anchor on the LTE eNodeB (primary cell) ensures that the device connection is
maintained even when the WLAN connection fails.
Additionally, new LTE eNodeB-assisted WLAN mobility is defined to re-use
existing WLAN mobility mechanisms and minimize WLAN related signaling.
The terminal performs mobility between WLAN APs belonging to the
provisioned set (WLAN mobility set) without informing the LTE eNodeB.
On the contrary, any mobility event that occurs towards a WLAN AP outside
the WLAN mobility set is controlled by the LTE eNodeB through measurement
reporting. Such events may trigger LWA/LWIP reconfiguration as in the case of
inter-WT mobility.

Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA)

LAA is based on LTE radio technology, which aims to achieve high spectral
efficiency in the presence of interference and can provide better spectral
efficiency than current technologies using the 5 GHz band. Therefore,
deployments based on LAA can guarantee higher capacity and extended
coverage, resulting in reduced TCO for mobile network operators.
One of the design targets of LAA is a single global solution framework that
complies with different regional regulatory requirements. To achieve that,
the physical layer and Medium Access Control (MAC) design of LTE are slightly
modified to meet the regulatory requirements across a large number of
frequency bands and regions.
Also, LAA is designed to provide effective and fair coexistence with other LAA
systems as well as other technologies, such as Wi-Fi, operating on the same
frequency band. Fair coexistence is achieved by the Listen-Before-Talk (LBT)
framework based on Clear Channel Assessment (CCA), which is introduced
to the LTE specifications. To provide good co-existence with Wi-Fi, the CCA
procedure specified for LAA is largely inspired by Wi-Fi LBT.
Due to the LBT requirements, continuous and periodic presence of reference
signals and downlink control channels cannot be guaranteed in unlicensed
spectrum. Therefore, LAA does not strictly follow either of the existing
LTE frame structures (FS1/FDD or FS2/TDD), and a new frame structure
(FS3) is introduced for LAA. Though initially LAA will only support downlink
transmissions in the 5 GHz band, the new frame structure is designed to be
compatible with the introduction of LAA uplink in future 3GPP releases.

Page 7 networks.nokia.com
 With the new frame structure, changes to the design and operation of LTE
discovery reference signals are needed to provide discontinuous transmission
on a carrier with limited maximum transmission duration. This also implies
modifications to the Radio Resource Management (RRM) and Channel State
Information (CSI) measurements framework. In addition to that, new device
RRM measurements are introduced into the specifications to assist LAA
channel selection at the eNodeB.
Last but not least, transmission of partial subframes have been specified
with the main target of increasing the time granularity of LTE when operating
in unlicensed spectrum, possibly improving the LAA performance when
co-existing with other systems such as WiFi.
LTE operation on the unlicensed band is built on top of LTE-A carrier
aggregation, which has been deployed commercially since 2013. Rel-13
allows use of the unlicensed band with downlink only carrier aggregation.
Uplink transmissions in unlicensed spectrum, still in line with the LTE-A carrier
aggregation principles illustrated in Figure 3, will only be introduced in Rel-14.
This is similar to the first phase of LTE-A carrier aggregation in commercial
networks which started with downlink only aggregation. The primary cell, which
ensures the connection is maintained, is always located on the licensed band
4 carrier.

Supplemental downlink Carrier Aggregation

(Rel-13) including uplink (Rel-14)

Unlicensed Licensed Unlicensed Licensed

(LAA) (LTE) (LAA) (LTE)

016 Figure 4. LAA operation modes

Page 8 networks.nokia.com
With downlink only on the unlicensed band, the eNodeB can perform most
of the necessary operations to ensure reliable communications, including
checking whether the intended unlicensed channel is free from other use.
The eNodeB should aim to select a channel in the unlicensed spectrum that
does not have another network operating on it with a high interference level.
Having selected a channel that is either free or only slightly loaded, the LBT
operation must be performed before transmission is possible, as well as the
other necessary procedures in-line with the unlicensed band regulations.
The LTE terminal capable of operating on the unlicensed band needs to
make the necessary measurements to support unlicensed band operation,
including performing measurements and providing feedback when the
terminal is in the coverage area of an eNodeB transmitting on the unlicensed
spectrum. Once the connection is activated, the device also performs CSI
measurements in a similar manned as it does on licensed spectrum and feed
back that information via the uplink to the eNodeB on licensed spectrum.
This information allows the eNodeB to determine what kind of quality can be
achieved on the unlicensed band compared to the licensed band.

Performance comparisons
In this section we compare the performance of LWA and LAA to the baseline
schemes, Rel-11 LTE network and Rel-12 LTE-Wi-Fi radio Interworking
(Rel-12 LWI) in the 3GPP scenario 2A shown in Figure 5. The scenario
comprises a randomly placed cluster per LTE macro area of four co-located
LTE small cells at 3.5 GHz and Wi-Fi/LAA APs at 5 GHz and devices distributed
1/3 randomly within the macro cell and 2/3 around the cluster. User traffic
assumes UDP download where the offered load is varied by controlling packet
data session arrivals and sizes.
Both LWA and LAA are activated whenever the device detects the Wi-Fi/LAA
AP, i.e. meeting a minimum Wi-Fi RSSI level of -92 dBm. Additionally, both
solutions employ independent scheduling across the two radios where the
data split depends on the radio’s readiness to send new data. Rel-12 LWI
relies on Wi-Fi RSSI measurement and BSS Load thresholds for determining
offloading to WLAN from the LTE small cell.

Page 9 networks.nokia.com
igure 5

Cluster of four co-located LTE Small Cells

(10 MHz@3.5GHz, 1 W) and 802.11ac
Wi-Fi / LAA APs (20 MHz@5GHz, 0.2 W, 1 channel)

LTE Macro eNB

(10 MHz@1.8GHz, 20 W)

Figure 5. 3GPP Scenario 2A [TR 36.872] for LWA/LAA evaluation

Figure
© Nokia 2016 6 presents the mean session throughput when varying the offered cell
load. A first observation is that any scheme outperforms LTE performance,
as expected. A second observation is that LAA provides substantial gain
compared to LWA, e.g. 50% at higher offered load. LAA reaches a higher
spectral efficiency compared to Wi-Fi thanks to higher peak data rates (at
20 MHz channel width), lower overhead, the support of closed loop link
adaptation and HARQ, better receiver sensitivity, characteristics which make
LAA better suited to cope with higher loaded scenarios.
Also, LWA achieves 40% gain compared to Rel-12 LWI thanks to the faster
radio adaptation and higher load balancing gains. The gain numbers are
highly dependent on the simulation scenario, load level, implementation and
parameter settings. However, three major gain mechanisms can be exploited.
First, the use of the additional (unlicensed) bandwidth. Second, the gains in
device LTE SINR due to data offload to WLAN. Last, the boost in performance
for users using the unlicensed spectrum benefits also those users who are not
able to use LWI/LWA/LAA, since more LTE physical resources become available
to them.

Page 10 networks.nokia.com
Figure 6

Rel-11 LTE Rel-12 LWI Rel-13 LWA Rel-13 LAA

45
Mean session throughput (Mbps)

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Offered Cell Load (Mbps)
1
Figure 6. Mean session throughput as a function of the cell load
© Nokia 2016

As well as boosting end user performance, LWA/LAA can improve network

capacity. Figure 7 illustrates the relative network capacity gain of LWA and LAA
versus Rel-12 LWI where the network capacity is defined as the load level each
functionality is capable of carrying when providing an average data session
throughput of 20 Mbps or higher. Both LWA and LAA provide considerable
large capacity improvements when compared to Rel-12 LWI. LWA provides x2.1
Figure 7
the capacity of LWI and LAA x3.4 the capacity of LWI.

3.5

3.0

2.5
Relative capacity

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
Rel-12 LWI Rel-13 LWA Rel-13 LAA

Figure 7. Relative capacity of LWI, LWA and LAA under device data rate target
1 of 20 Mbps
© Nokia 2016

Page 11 networks.nokia.com
A further benefit is achieved with LAA and LWA. Due to the Wi-Fi MAC
inefficiency in serving small packets such as TCP ACKs, significant
improvement in the Wi-Fi performance is obtained as Rel-13 LAA/LWA serves
uplink transmissions on the LTE network only. The latter benefit can be fully
achieved by LWIP as well. However, unlike LWA, LWIP can perform aggregation
at most on a per-flow basis, i.e. not on a per-packet basis and with limited
flow feedback. More typically, LWIP may operate in bearer switch mode, similar
to an interworking solution. Therefore, LWIP performance may be lower than
that of LWA.
Please note that Wi-Fi can add up to 4 or 8 x 20 MHz carriers depending on
device/AP support of IEEE 802.11ac Wave 1/2, whereas the first versions of
LAA will be limited to 3 x 20 MHz carriers. Therefore, the performance gains
of LAA against LWA shown, assuming an unlicensed spectrum of 20 MHz,
may be counter-balanced by the larger unlicensed bandwidth that LWA could
aggregate in initial deployments.

Assuring co-existence
An important part of LAA deployment is co-existence with Wi-Fi and other
LAA networks operating on the unlicensed bands. The co-existence scenarios
investigated by 3GPP during the LAA study and work item phases consider
two network operators deploying access points in the same building or
geographical area, and operating on the same 20 MHz channel in the 5GHz
band. 3GPP has used these assumptions because, from a co-existence
perspective, this is actually the worst case scenario.
When considering on which channel to place the LAA transmission, one access
point should at first set a priority to select a carrier not used by a nearby
high power and high activity Wi-Fi network. Selecting a channel with either
low activity or a low level of interference will help to achieve performance
equivalent to a single LTE network, while also minimizing the interference
generated towards any nearby network operating in the 5 GHz band. Since LTE
radio resource management is a dynamic process, it can avoid a static worst
case interference situation by continuously monitoring the environment. The
first priority for LTE radio resource management should be to avoid the use
of channels overlapping with a nearby Wi-Fi or another LAA network on the
unlicensed band.
When running two networks deploying either LAA or Wi-Fi on the same 20
MHz carrier in the 5 GHz band, both networks should use LBT to ensure they
co-exist smoothly. There is always an effect when interference is created by
additional transmitters, regardless of whether they use LTE, Wi-Fi or some
other technology. But thanks to LTE advanced radio features such as fast
hybrid ARQ and fast link adaptation based on channel state information,
sharing of channels by LAA networks results in overall better performance
than would be the case with two Wi-Fi networks.

Page 12 networks.nokia.com
 Figure 8

Operator 1
15 m Operator 2

15 m

50 m

Figure
1 8. LAA indoor deployment scenario
© Nokia 2016

This is illustrated in Figure 9, which plots the 5 percentile of the session

throughput as a function of the load for the indoor scenario depicted in Figure
8. A 5 percentile session throughput of X Mbps means that only 5% of the
packet data sessions experience a throughput lower than X Mbps. Intuitively,
the 5 percentile session throughput decreases as the load increases. The
number of users simulated in the building is constant (10 per operator), hence
the load is varied by increasing the frequency of packet data sessions per user.
The size of each packet data session is constant. Three coexistence scenarios
between two operators deploying a network in the same building and in the
same 20 MHz channel are defined: in the first scenario (W+W) both operators
Figureuse9 Wi-Fi, in the second scenario (W+L) one operator uses Wi-Fi and the other
uses LAA, while in the third scenario (L+L) both operators deploy LAA.

W+W W+L (WiFi) W+L (LAA) L+L

50
5%-ile session throughput [Mbps]

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Load per building [Mbps]

1 Figure 9. 5 percentile session throughput as a function of the network load

© Nokia 2016

in different co-existence scenarios

Page 13 networks.nokia.com
 The results in Figure 9 clearly show that while LAA can achieve better
performance than Wi-Fi, the deployment of LAA near a Wi-Fi network does
not negatively impact the Wi-Fi performance more than another Wi-Fi network
would. In different deployment scenarios (e.g. outdoor) or when considering
other performance indicators than the 5 percentile session throughput, the
performance of a Wi-Fi network of one operator can actually slightly improve
if a neighbor operator deploys LAA rather than Wi-Fi in the same 20 MHz
channel.
To provide an estimate of the relative capacity of coexistence scenarios, we
define the network capacity as the load the network can carry while only 5%
of the packet data sessions experience a throughput lower than 10 Mbps.
Figure 10 plots the relative capacity achieved by the two operators in different
co-existence scenarios. Particularly for the first phase of LAA deployments, it
is important to have good performance when the other network on the same
channel is a Wi-Fi network. In the presence of Wi-Fi interference, LAA provides
x1.5 the capacity of Wi-Fi. If both operators deploy LAA, the capacity can be as
high as three times the capacity with Wi-Fi.
The exact relative capacity in different co-existence scenarios is dependent
on the load. Typically, the relative capacity of LAA compared to Wi-Fi is
higher as the load increases. Nevertheless, the relative capacity numbers
do not significantly fluctuate when changing the deployment scenario, the
percentage of packet data sessions that experience a throughput lower than
the minimum data rate requirement, or the minimum data rate requirement.
gure 10So, without loss of generality the relative capacity numbers reported in Figure
10 can be considered indicative of the benefits that LAA can provide in fairly
harsh co-existence scenarios.

Capacity with LAA and/or WiFi on the same 20 MHz channel

3.5

3.0
Relative capacity

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
Op1 WiFi + Op2 WiFi Op1 WiFi + Op2 LAA Op1 LAA + Op2 LAA

Operator 1 Operator 2

© Nokia 2016
Figure 10. Co-existence performance between LAA and Wi-Fi

Page 14 networks.nokia.com
 Deployment scenarios
The main application areas of LAA and LWA are outdoor and indoor public
small cells and corporate cells / enterprises. Rel-13 LAA supports only
co-located scenarios or scenarios connected via ideal backhaul in which the
baseband is co-located with a licensed carrier. This limits the unlicensed
access because a network operator must first install licensed spectrum assets
(LTE small cells) to benefit from LAA. However, LWA also supports scenarios
where the licensed carrier is not co-located with the Wi-Fi APs and non-ideal
backhaul exists between the cells.
Another difference is that LAA requires the deployment of new LAA cells,
while LWA can be software/firmware upgraded to use existing Wi-Fi access
points. A further difference is that LWA is applicable to carrier WLAN networks
deployed and controlled by an operator or its partners operating in both the
re 11 2.4 and 5.0 GHz bands, while at the same time legacy WLAN operations can
take place, for example on a separate SSID to fully exploit the unlicensed
spectrum.

Co-located LAA/LWA scenario Non co-located LWA scenario

LTE eNB macro/micro LTE eNB macro/micro

(licensed, F1) (licensed, F1)

X2/Xn Xw
Idea/non-ideal Idea/non-ideal
backhaul backhaul
LTE eNB pico WT (Wireless
(licensed, F1/F2) Termination)

Ideal backhaul or Idea/non-ideal

co-located backhaul

UE UE
LAA / Wi-Fi AP Wi-Fi AP
(unlicensed, F3) (unlicensed, F3)

Figure 11. Indoor co-located LAA/LWA (left) and non-co-located LWA (right)
okia 2016 deployment scenarios

Page 15 networks.nokia.com
For simplicity, Figure 11 illustrates examples of LAA and LWA deployments
where LAA/Wi-Fi APs are placed indoors. Similarly, outdoor deployments of
LAA/LWA can also be used. The left side shows co-location between the LTE
small cell, deemed as the primary cell, and the LAA / Wi-Fi AP providing the
secondary connection to the device. Additionally, device could benefit from
LAA/LWA and LTE CA (ideal backhaul scenario) or LTE DC (non-ideal backhaul
scenario) at the same time.
In the right-hand side of the figure, a non-co-located LWA scenario is
shown where the LTE eNodeB is connected through the Xw interface to
the WT/Wi-Fi AP. A non-co-located deployment has the disadvantage of
imposing requirements on the transport and eNodeB baseband processing.
Those negative impacts can be largely alleviated when adopting the Nokia
multi-connectivity radio access architecture.
These observations on LWA can be applied largely to LWIP as well. Despite
the lower performance, LWIP may offer a cost-effective alternative to LWA
whenever existing WLAN APs cannot be efficiently upgraded. That’s because
LWIP operations do not require upgrades on the WLAN side.
A further note is that the LAA/LWA/LWIP functionalities require device
support, which will play a key role in how fast those solutions can be
introduced in the operator’s network. Based on the complexity, it could be
expected that the device support of LWA/LWIP may lead, while LAA support
may follow.

The future outlook: MuLTEfire

LTE-A Pro will support LAA uplink operation in the unlicensed spectrum based
on the carrier aggregation framework, and in the future may also support LAA
dual connectivity between one cell operating in licensed spectrum and one
cell operating in unlicensed spectrum. Similar to LAA, 3GPP may also consider
enhancements for LWA, such as support for uplink transmission in unlicensed
spectrum using Wi-Fi.
Both Rel-13 solutions and their possible Rel-14 enhancements require the
operator to have an anchor in licensed spectrum, which in practice may limit
potential uses.
Therefore a new technology called MuLTEfire is set to break LTE free from
licensed spectrum. MuLTEfire combines the high performance (enhanced
capacity, coverage, security, mobility and quality of experience) of LTE with
the simplicity of Wi-Fi deployment. Similar to LAA, fair co-existence with other
technologies in the unlicensed spectrum is at the core of MuLTEfire.
As MuLTEfire uses unlicensed spectrum, particularly the 5 GHz band, it can be
readily deployed by cable companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), small
businesses, enterprises, venue owners, building owners and mobile operators.

Page 16 networks.nokia.com
Figure 12

MuLTEfire Alliance & Technical

Technical specifications ready First product releases
Specificastion work started

2015 2016 2017

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Figure 12. Expected MuLTEfire timeline for standardization of standalone

LTE deployment in unlicensed spectrum

MuLTEfire is suitable for neutral host services, in which case a standalone

MuLTEfire
1 © Nokia 2016
network consisting of one or more potentially interconnected
access points can provide IP services without interworking with an operator
network. Typical use cases are MuLTEfire deployments for special purposes
in industrial, mining, offshore or other isolated environments, deployments
to serve non-nomadic user devices that remain within coverage of MuLTEfire
(e.g. indoor automation), residential deployments and for enterprise specific
services when interworking (e.g. external authentication or mobility) with other
networks is not required.
MuLTEfire can also be deployed by traditional mobile network operators
(MNOs) while connected to their EPC. Uses include deployments in residential
areas or in an enterprise and provided by the MNO, deployment extend
the MNO’s network coverage where licensed spectrum is not available, and
deployments in a venue or over a large area (e.g. Smart City) providing LTE
services to subscribers of multiple MNOs.
MuLTEfire deploys the AAA framework for neutral host services while regular
LTE authentication is used with MNO EPC. This allows MuLTEfire to provide
neutral host service beyond the MNO domain, without requiring USIM from
the device. However, if the MNO provides the neutral host service then USIM
can be used for authentication. The neutral host service is provided via
MuLTEfire specific EPC, potentially integrated into a MuLTEfire AP or as an
external box. An extension of NAS signaling exchanges EAP messages between
the device and the MuLTEfire specific MME entity, which further communicates
with the local or external service provider AAA machinery. The end user IP
service is provided by the MuLTEfire specific EPC entity.
LTE’s greater coverage and higher spectral efficiency is a clear advantage
of MuLTEfire over Wi-Fi, especially in outdoor and hyper-dense small cell
deployments. The increased coverage and capacity of MuLTEfire compared to
Wi-Fi enhance the user experience and reduce TCO for service providers and
mobile operators.

Page 17 networks.nokia.com
To the end user, MuLTEfire can offer superior mobility combined with a
smooth handover to 3GPP technologies. It also provides end-to-end quality
of service and experience and seamless connectivity.
MuLTEfire aims to create a global solution that fulfils regulatory requirements
in different regions and frequency bands, improve coverage (compared to
Wi-Fi) with the robust LTE control channel design, support variable traffic
conditions, and ensure high re-use of Rel-13 LAA solutions.
However, especially from a radio design perspective, the support of
standalone LTE deployments in unlicensed spectrum comes with a number of
key requirements and corresponding new design elements.
First, support for UL transmissions in unlicensed spectrum subject to
LBT requirements is needed. This includes the specification of a new UL
waveform to meet the ETSI regulatory requirements in the 5 GHz band. All
this necessitates a partial redesign of the LTE physical uplink shared channel
(PUSCH) for the transmission of UL data, the LTE physical uplink control
channel (PUCCH) for the transmission of UL control information, and the LTE
physical random access channel (PRACH) for the transmission of random
access data during initial connection and at handover. While support of PUSCH
in unlicensed spectrum is also in the scope of the recently agreed 3GPP
Rel-14 work item on LAA enhancements, support for PUCCH and PRACH on
unlicensed spectrum may not be introduced in 3GPP Rel-14.
MuLTEfire also requires modifications to the LTE specifications to allow for
the impact of LBT on the LTE primary cell operation. This includes provision of
System Information (SI) on unlicensed spectrum, as well as a partial redesign
of the LTE discovery reference signals in order to achieve good cell detection
performance at relatively low SINR and in the presence of LBT for improved
coverage and mobility support (compared to Wi-Fi).

Summary
LTE-Pro enables mobile network operators to integrate unlicensed spectrum
into their licensed spectrum portfolio. Features like LTE-WLAN aggregation
(LWA) and Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) enable radio aggregation of licensed
and unlicensed spectrum. Radio aggregation of unlicensed spectrum allows
MNOs to deliver better performance to their customers, while also simplifying
network maintenance by avoiding multiple solutions for network management,
security and authentication.
LWA is based on LTE dual connectivity and supports scenarios where licensed
spectrum is not co-located with Wi-Fi APs. Moreover, LWA can be used by
existing Wi-Fi deployments in both 2.4 and 5.0 GHz bands. LAA based on

Page 18 networks.nokia.com
LTE carrier aggregation only supports co-located deployments. On the other
hand, LAA can benefit from the higher spectral efficiency and interference
robustness of LTE, resulting in increased coverage and higher capacity than
Wi-Fi. LAA can provide a major capacity boost from the unlicensed band.
LTE-Pro evolution is still expected to put a focus on unlicensed spectrum in
general, and the 5 GHz band in particular. Support for LAA uplink is already
planned for Release 14 of the 3GPP E-UTRA specifications, and support for
uplink via Wi-Fi with LWA is also a candidate feature for future 3GPP releases.
LAA is also likely to evolve towards support for dual connectivity, which
will finally allow use of LAA in non-co-located deployments with licensed
spectrum, and with relaxed requirements from the backhaul connections.
In parallel to LTE-Pro evolution, MuLTEfire will introduce standalone
deployment of LTE on unlicensed spectrum, bringing the spectral efficiency
and coverage advantages of LTE to unlicensed spectrum without the need for
an anchor in licensed spectrum. MuLTEfire is expected to expand the business
opportunity of MNOs as well as of new service providers with scarce or no
access to licensed spectrum.

Page 19 networks.nokia.com
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