LTE/SAE System Overview

Training Manual 1 Network Architecture

Contents

1 Network Architecture ............................................................................................................... 1-2

1.1 Evolution of Cellular Networks ..................................................................................................................... 1-2
1.1.1 Evolution of Cellular Networks............................................................................................................ 1-2
1.1.2 3GPP Releases ...................................................................................................................................... 1-6
1.2 EPS Architecture.......................................................................................................................................... 1-12
1.2.1 User Equipment .................................................................................................................................. 1-13
1.2.2 Evolved Node B ................................................................................................................................. 1-15
1.2.3 Mobility Management Entity ............................................................................................................. 1-16
1.2.4 The Serving Gateway (S-GW) ........................................................................................................... 1-17
1.2.5 The PON Gateway .............................................................................................................................. 1-17
1.3 E-UTRAN Protocol Stack Structure ............................................................................................................ 1-17
1.3.1 Uu Interface ........................................................................................................................................ 1-18
1.3.2 SI Interface......................................................................................................................................... 1-20
1.3.3 X2 Interface ........................................................................................................................................ l -21

2 eNB Product Overview ............................................................................................................. 2-1

2.1 The Huawei eNB Family ............................................................................................................................... 2-1
2.1.1 BTS3900(A) LT* ................................................................................................................................. 2-2
2.1.2 DBS3900 LT* ...................................................................................................................................... 2-4
2.2 Products and Application Scenarios .............................................................................................................. 2-5
2.2.1 BTS3900(A) LT* ................................................................................................................................. 2-5
2.2.2 DBS3900 LT* ...................................................................................................................................... 2-6
2.3 Operation and Maintenance ........................................................................................................................... 2-6
2.3.1 The Operations and Maintenance System ............................................................................................ 2-6
2.3.2 Benefits ................................................................................................................................................. 2-7

3 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................... 3-9

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 LTE/SAE System Overview
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1 Network Architecture

1.1 Evolution of Cellular Networks

1.1.1 Evolution of Cellular Networks
Cellular mobile networks have been evolving for many years. The initial systems, which are
referred to as "First Generation", now had been replaced with "Second Generation" and
"Third Generation" solutions. However today, 4G or "Fourth Generation" systems are now
being deployed.

Figure 1-1 Evolution of Cellular Networks

AMPS GSM UMTS LTE

WCDMA Advanced
Global System for Mobile
Advanced Mobile communications
Telephone System
CDMA One (IS-95) TD-SCDMA
TACS Code Division Multiple
Access Based on IS-95 UMB
TotalAccess
Communications System EV-DORevC
DAMPS OS-136) CDMA2000
Digital -Advanced Mobile
ETACS Phone System Based on
IS-136
Extended Total Access WiMAX
Communication System Other WIMAX 802.16m

First Generation Mobile Systems

The I G (First Generation) mobile systems were not digital, i.e. they utilized analogue
modulation techniques. The main systems included: I
I
• AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone System) - This first appeared in 1976 in the United I
States and was mainly implemented in the Americas, Russia and Asia. Various issues I�
including weak security features made the system prone to hacking and handset cloning.
• TACS (Total Access Communications System) - This was the European version of
AMPS but with slight modifications including the operation on different frequency
bands. It was mainly used in the United Kingdom, as well as parts of Asia.
• ETACS ((Extended Total Access Communication System) - This provided an improved
version of T ACS. It enabled a greater number of channels and therefore facilitated more
users.
These analogue systems were all proprietary based FM (Frequency Modulation) systems and
therefore they all lacked security, any meaningful data service and international roaming
capability.

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Second Generation Mobile Systems

2G (Second Generation) systems utilize digital multiple access technology, such as TDMA
(Time Division Multiple Access) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Figure 1-2
illustrates some of the different 2G mobile systems including:
• GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) - this is the most successful of all 2G
technologies. It was initially developed by ETSI (European Telecommunications
Standards Institute) for Europe and designed to operate on the 900MHz and 1800MHz
frequency bands. It now has world-wide support and is available for deployment on
many other frequency bands, such as 850MHz and 1900MHz. A mobile described as tri
band or quad band indicates support for multiple frequency bands on the same device.
GSM utilizes TDMA and as such, it employs 8 timeslots on a 200kHz radio carrier.
• cdmaOne - this is a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system based on the IS-95
(Interim Standard 95). It uses a spread spectrum technique which incorporates a mixture
of codes and timing to identify cells and channels. The system bandwidth is 1.25MHz.
• D-AMPS (Digital - Advanced Mobile Phone System) - this is based on the IS-136
(Interim Standard 136) and is effectively an enhancement to AMPS. Supporting a
TDMA access technique, D-AMPS is primarily used on the North American continent,
as well as in New Zealand and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

Figure 1-2 Second Generation Mobile Systems

In addition to being digital, with the associated improvements in capacity and security, these
2G digital systems also offer enhanced services such as SMS (Short Message Service) and
circuit switched data.

2.SG Systems
Most 2G systems have now been evolved. For example, GSM was extended with GPRS
(General Packet Radio System) to support efficient packet data services, as well as increasing
the data rates.
As this feature does not meet 3G requirements, GPRS is therefore often referred to as 2.5G. A
comparison been 2G and 2.5G systems is illustrated in Table 1-1.

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2.75G Systems
GSM/GPRS systems also added EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution). This
nearly quadruples the throughput of GPRS. The theoretical data rate of 473.6kbit/s enables
service providers to efficiently offer multimedia services. Like that of GPRS, EDGE is
usually categorized as 2.75G as it does not fulfill all the requirements of a 3G system.

Table 1-1 2G, 2.5G and 2.75G GSM/GPRS Systems

System Service Theoretical Data Rate Typical Data Rate

2G GSM Circuit Switched 9.6kbit/s or 14.4kbit/s 9.6kbit/s or 14.4kbit/s

2.5G GPRS Packet Switched l 7 l .2kbit/s 4kbit/s to 50kbit/s
2.75G EDGE Packet Switched 473.6kbit/s 120kbit/s

Third Generation Mobile Systems

3G (Third Generation) systems, which are defined by JMT2000 (International Mobile
Telecommunications - 2000), state that they should be capable of providing higher
transmission rates, for example: 2Mbit/s for stationary or nomadic use and 348kbit/s in a
moving vehicle.
The main 3G technologies are illustrated in Figure 1-3.These include:
• W-CDMA (Wideband CDMA) - This was developed by the 3GPP (Third Generation
Partnership Project). There are numerous variations on this standard, including
TD-CDMA and TD-SCDMA. W-CDMA is the main evolutionary path from
GSM/GPRS networks. It is a FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) based system and
occupies a 5MHz carrier. Current deployments are mainly at 2.1GHz, however
deployments at lower frequencies are also being seen, e.g. UMTS 1900, UMTS900,
UMTS850 etc. W-CDMA supports voice and multimedia services with an initial
theoretical rate of 2Mbit/s however, most service providers were initially offering
384kbit/s per user. This technology is continuing to evolve and later 3GPP releases have
increased the rates to in excess of 40Mbit/s.
• TD-CDMA (Time Division CDMA) - This is typically referred to as UMTS TDD (Time
Division Duplex) and is part of the UMTS specifications, however it has only limited
support. The system utilizes a combination of CDMA and TDMA to enable efficient
allocation of resources.
• TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous CDMA) - This was jointly developed by
Siemens and the CATT (China Academy of Telecommunications Technology).
TD-SCDMA has links to the UMTS specifications and is often identified as UMTS-TDD
LCR (Low Chip Rate). Like TD-CDMA, it is also best suited to low mobility scenarios
in micro or pico cells.
• CDMA2000 - This is a multi-carrier technology standard which uses CDMA.
CDMA2000 is actually a set of standards including CDMA2000 EV-DO
(Evolution-Data Optimized) which has various "revisions". It is worth noting that
CDMA2000 is backward compatible with cdmaOne.

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Figure 1-3 Third Generation Mobile Systems

/l�
3G (Third
.-- --.
Generation)

• WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) - This is another wireless

technology which satisfies IMT2000 3G requirements. The air interface is part ofthe
IEEE (Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.16 standard which originally
defined PTP (Point-To-Point) and PTM (Point-To-Multipoint) systems. This was later
enhanced to provide mobility and greater flexibility. The success ofWiMAX is mainly
down to the "WiMAX Forum", an organization fonned to promote conformity and
interoperability between vendors.

Fourth Generation Mobile Systems

4G (Fourth Generation) cellular wireless systems need to meet the requirements set out by the
ITU (International Telecommunication Union) as part ofIMT Advanced (International
Mobile Telecommunications Advanced). Illustrated in Table 1-2, these features enable IMT
Advanced to address evolving user needs.

Table 1-2 IMT Advanced Features

Key IMT Advanced Features

A high degree ofcommon functionality worldwide while retaining the flexibility to support
a wide range ofservices and applications in a cost efficient manner.

Compatibility ofservices within IMT and with fixed networks.

Capability ofinterworking with other radio access systems.

High quality mobile services.
User equipment suitable for worldwide use.

User-friendly applications, services and equipment.

Worldwide roaming capability.

Enhanced peak data rates to support advanced services and applications (1 OOMbit/s for high
and 1 Gbit/s for low mobility were identified as targets).

The three main 4G systems include:

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• LT* Advanced - LT* (Long Term Evolution) is part of 3GPP family of specifications,
however it does not meet all IMT Advanced features, as such it is sometimes referred to
as 3.99G. In contrast, LT* Advanced is part of a later 3GPP Release and this has been
designed specifically to meet 4G requirements.
• WiMAX 802.16m - The IEEE and the WiMAX Forum have identified 802.16m as their
offering for a 4G system.
• UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband) - This is identified as EV-DO Rev C. It is part of
3GPP2 however most vendors and service providers have decided to promote LT*
instead.

Figure 1-4 Fourth Generation Mobile Systems

4G (Fourth

l
� Generation)�

1.1.2 3GPP Releases

The development of GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA and LT* is in stages known as
3GPP Releases. Hardware vendors and software developers use these releases as part of their
development roadmap. Figure 1-5 illustrates the main 3GPP Releases that included key
enhancements of the radio interface.

Figure 1-5 3GPP Releases

Phase 2+
Release 99 Release 6 Release 8
(Release 97)
GPRS UMTS HSUPA LTE
171.2kbit/s 2Mbit/s 5.76Mbit/s +300Mbit/s

Release 9/10
LTE Advanced

HSPA+
GSM EDGE HSDPA
28.8Mbit/s
9.6kbit/s 473.6kbit/s 14.4Mbit/s
42Mbit/s
Phase 1 Release 99 Release 5 Release 7/8

3GPP Releases enhance various aspects of the network and not just the radio interface. For
example, Release 5 started the introduction of the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) in the core
network.

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Pre-Release 99
Pre-Release 99 saw the introduction of GSM, as well as the addition of GPRS. The main
GSM Phases and 3GPP Releases include:
• GSM Phase 1 .
• GSM Phase 2.
• GSM Phase 2+ (Release 96).
• GSM Phase 2+ (Release 97).
• GSM Phase 2+ (Release 98).

Release 99
3GPP Release 99 saw the introduction of UMTS, as well as the EDGE enhancement to
GPRS. UMTS contains all the features needed to meet the IMT-2000 requirements as those
defined by the ITU. It is able to support CS (Circuit Switched) voice and video services, as
well as PS (Packet Switched) data services over common and dedicated bearers. Initial data
rates for UMTS were 64kbit/s, 128kbit/s and 384kbit/s. Note that the theoretical maximum
was 2Mbit/s.

Release 4
Release 4 included enhancements to the core network and in particular the notion of it being
bearer independent. Thus the concept of"All IP Networks" was included and service
providers were able to deploy Soft Switch based networks, i.e. the MSC (Mobile Switching
Centre) was replaced by the MSC Server and MGW (Media Gateways). This improved
network utilization in addition to consolidating engineering knowledge and increasing vendor
competition.

Release 5
Release 5 introduces the first major addition to the UMTS air interface by specifying HSDPA
(High Speed Downlink Packet Access) in order to improve both capacity and spectral
efficiency. Figure 1-6 illustrates some of the main features associated with Release 5 and
these include:
• Adaptive Modulation - In addition to the original UMTS modulation scheme of QPSK
(Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), HSDPA also includes support for 16 QAM
(Quadrature Amplitude Modulation).
• Flexible Coding - Based on fast feedback from the mobile in the form of a CQJ (Channel
Quality Indicator), the UMTS base station, i.e. the Node B, is able to modify the
effective coding rate and thus increase system efficiency.
• Fast Scheduling - HSDPA includes a 2ms TTI (Time Transmission Interval) which
enables the Node B scheduler to quickly and efficiently allocate resources to mobiles.
• HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) - In the event a packet does not get through
to the UE (User Equipment) successfully, the system employs HARQ. This improves the
retransmission timing, thus requiring less reliance on the RNC (Radio Network
Controller).

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Figure 1-6 HSDPA (Release 5)

HSDPA UT RAN
Adaptive Modulation
Flexible Coding
Fast Scheduling (2ms)
HARQ
Node B

UE

Release 6
Release 6 adds various features, with HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Data) being of most
interest to RAN development. Even though the term HSUPA is widespread, this 3GPP
enhancement also goes under the term "Enhanced Uplink". It is also worth noting that
HSDPA and HSUPA work in tandem and thus the term HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) is
now in common use.
HSUPA, like HSDPA adds functionality to improve packet data. Figure 1-7 illustrates the
three main enhancements which include:
• Flexible Coding - HSUPA has the ability to dynamically change the coding and therefore
improve the efficiency of the system.
• Fast Power Scheduling - A key fact of HSUPA is that it provides a method to schedule
the power from different mobiles. This scheduling can use either a 2ms or I Oms TTL
• HARQ - Like HSDPA, HSUPA also utilizes HARQ. The main difference is the timing
relationship for retransmissions.

Figure 1-7 HSUPA (Release 6)

HSUPA
Flexible Coding
Fast Power Scheduling
HARQ

Node B

UE

Enhancements introduced in Release 6 are not limited to HSUPA. For example, GAN
(Generic Access Network) technologies are also included which enables aLT*rnative radio
access technologies such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) to be used yet still support true
interworking.

0JNOTE
Although no longer the correct terminology, UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) is still in common use to
describe the 3GPP's GAN technology.

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Release 7
The main RAN based feature of Release 7 is HSPA+. This, like HSDPA and HSUPA,
provides various enhancements to improve packet switched data delivery. Figure 1-8
illustrates the main features which include:
• 64 QAM - Thjs is available in the DL (Downlink) and enables HSPA+ to operate at a
theoretical rate of 2 l .6Mbit/s.
• 16 QAM - This is available in the UL (Uplink) and enables the uplink to theoretically
achieve 11. 76Mbit/s.
• MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) Operation - this is added to HSPA+ Release 7
and offers various benefits including the ability to offer a theoretical 28.8Mbits/s in the
downlink.

Figure 1-8 HSPA+ (Release 7)

HSPA+
64 QAM (DL)
16 QAM (UL)
MIMO Operation (DL)
Power Enhancements (DL)
Less Overhead (DL)
Node B

UE

• Power Enhancements -Various enhancements such as CPC (Continuous Packet

Connectivity) have been included. This includes DTX (Discontinuous Transmission),
DRX (Discontinuous Reception) and HS-SCCH (High Speed - Shared Control Channel)
Less Operation etc. Collectively these improve the mobiles battery consumption.
• Less Overhead - The downlink includes an enhancement to the MAC (Medium Access
Control) layer which effectively means that fewer headers are required. This in turn
reduces overhead and thus improves the system efficiency.

Release 8
There are many additions to the RAN functionality in Release 8, such as an enhancement to
HSPA+. However the main aspect is the inclusion of LT* (Long Term Evolution). Figure 1-9
illustrates some of the main features for Release 8 HSPA+ and LT*.
Release 8 HSPA+ enables various key enhancements, these include:
• 64 QAM and MIMO - Release 8 enables the combination of 64 QAM and MIMO, thus
quoting a theoretical rate of 42Mbit/s, i.e. 2 x 2 l .6Mbit/s.
• Dual Cell Operation - DC-HSDPA (Dual Cell - HSDPA) is a Release 8 feature which is
further enhanced in Release 9 and Release I 0. It enables a mobile to effectively utilize
two 5MHz UMTS carriers. Assuming both are using 64 QAM (21.6Mbit/s), the
theoretical maximum is 42Mbps. Note that in Release 8, a mobile is not able to combine
MIMO and DC-HSDPA.
• Less Uplink Overhead - In a similar way to Release 7 in the downlink, the Release 8
uplink has also been enhanced to reduce overhead.

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3GPP Evolution: From LT* to LT*-A/B/C

Performance LTE-C
(Opt,m,udd1veS1
LTE-B JiL'VIC� wppo.<t)
LTE-A (Capaoty
Boomng}
(4Gcm,f,
1Gpbs DL PMk.)
LTE
Fundam�tal

Macro.
M..ao.
OFDMA.MIMO HO MIMO, elCIC 256QAM
Small CeU

HomoNet HetNet
3GPP
Time
200S-2007 2008-2012 2013-2016 2017-2020

'Heterogeneous' or HetNet for short stands for the different types of base stations (macro,
micro, pico, relay) that are operating on different technologies (GSM, WCDMA and LT*)that
are used together in the same network to build the good coverage and high capacity that
end-users demand from their operator (contrary to 'homogeneous' networks that are mainly
built with one type of base station, often macro).
FusionNet
• Huawei in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2013) demonstrated the next
generation LT*-B (R12/Rl3) network architecture FusionNet. It combines multi-system,
multi-band, multi-layer heterogeneous networks, improved 500% cell edge user
throughput, which really create borderless networks.
• The core ofFusionNet is bases on LT*-B techniques (such as multi-flow aggregation,
interference coordination, service adaptation, spectrum efficiency optimization, etc.), and
with the existing LT*, L T*-A (such as multi-point coordinate, carrier aggregation),
which realizes multi-system, multi-band, multi-layer network of deep integration, help
operators significantly reduce CAPEX and OPEX, allowing users to enjoy
ultra-broadband, zero-waiting and ubiquitous connectivity.

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