NR RRC_CONNECTED

3GPP TS 38.331
Resume / Release
with Suspend
Establish /
NR RRC_INACTIVE Release

Release

NR RRC_IDLE

5G NR RRC Inactive State

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 2G / 3G Mobile Network Architecture
Voice (PSTN) Data (IP) Core Network
Network Network • Connects to voice and data networks
• Provides Security and Authentication
Circuit Switched Packet Switched • Billing / Charging
Core
Network
(CS) Core (PS) Core • Roaming
(CN)
Backhaul Backhaul
• Connects access network with core
Base Base Station Base Station network
Station Controller Controller • Example: Fiber, microwave, satellite,
Radio
Access
mesh, etc.
Network
(RAN) Base Station Access Network
Transmitter
/ Receiver • Connects devices over the air
Air • Allows mobility and handovers
Interface

User Equipment (UE)

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 4G Mobile Network Architecture
Voice (PSTN) Data (IP) Data (IP)
Network Network Network

Circuit Switched Packet Switched System Architecture Evolved Packet

Core
(CS) Core (PS) Core Evolution (SAE) Core (EPC)
Network
(CN)
Backhaul Evolved
Evolution Packet
Base System
Base Station Base Station
Station Controller Controller (EPS)
Radio
Access
Network
(RAN) Base Station eNB
Transmitter Long Term Evolution
/ Receiver (LTE) of Radio Interface
Air
Interface
UE
User Equipment (UE)

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©3G4G
©3G4G
 5G Mobile Network Architecture
Data (IP) Data (IP)
Network Network 5G System is defined as
3GPP system consisting of
Evolved Packet 5G Access Network (AN),
Core 5G Core (5GC)
Network
Core (EPC) 5G Core Network and UE.
(CN) The 5G System provides
5G System data connectivity and
New & Evolution
(5GS) services.

Radio Evolved
Access Packet 3GPP TS 23.501: System
Network System
New Radio or Next- Architecture for the 5G System;
Generation RAN
(RAN) eNB (EPS) gNB (NG-RAN) Stage 2
3GPP TS 23.502: Procedures for
the 5G System; Stage 2
Air
Interface
UE UE

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4G EPC EMM State Machine

EMM-DEREGISTERED EMM-REGISTERED

❑ UE switched off / out of ❑ UE registered with EPC

coverage ❑ Serving MME and S-GW
❑ No serving MME or S-GW allocated
❑ No IP address ❑ IP address allocated
❑ No default EPS bearer ❑ Default EPS bearer exists

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4G EPC ECM State Machine

ECM-IDLE ECM-CONNECTED

❑ UE on standby
❑ No S1 or radio bearers
❑ UE localized to tracking ❑ UE active
area ❑ All bearers
❑ Paging ❑ UE localized to serving eNB
Service requests ❑ Any communications possible
Tracking area updates
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4G EPS Bearer Architecture
E-UTRAN EPC Internet

UE eNB S-GW P-GW Peer

Entity
End-to-End Service

External
EPS Bearer
Bearer

E-RAB S5/S8 Bearer

Radio Bearer S1 Bearer

Radio S1 S5 / S8 Gi

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4G Default and Dedicated Bearers
S-GW P-GW
Uu S1-U S5/S8

UE eNodeB
PDN

S5/S8

P-GW

Default EPS bearer setup - registration

Default EPS bearer setup
Dedicated EPS bearer
IP Packet

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4G EMM, ECM and RRC States
SERVICE
OFF ATTACHING IDLE / REGISTERD ACTIVE
REQUEST

EMM DEREGISTERED REGISTERED

ECM IDLE CONNECTED

RRC IDLE CONNECTED IDLE CONNECTED

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5GS Registration Management (RM) State Machine

RM-DEREGISTERED RM-REGISTERED

❑ UE switched off / out of ❑ UE registered with 5GC

coverage ❑ Serving AMF and SMF
❑ No serving AMF or SMF allocated
❑ No IP address ❑ IP address allocated
❑ No PDU Session ❑ PDU Session Established

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5GS Connection Management (CM) State Machine

CM-IDLE CM-CONNECTED

❑ UE on standby ❑ UE active
❑ No NAS Signalling ❑ NAS signalling and QoS flows
❑ UE localized to tracking area ❑ UE localized to serving NG-RAN
❑ Paging, Service requests, etc. ❑ Any communications possible

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©3G4G
 5GS State Model
RM-DEREGISTERED RM-REGISTERED
CM-IDLE CM-CONNECTED
RRC_IDLE
RRC_CONNECTED

RM-REGISTERED RRC_INACTIVE
CM-IDLE

RRC_IDLE

Original Picture Source: 5G NR: Architecture, Technology, Implementation, and Operation of 3GPP New Radio Standards by Dr. Sassan Ahmadi, Jun 2019 (link)

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 5GS State Model – RRC_IDLE
RM-DEREGISTERED RM-REGISTERED
CM-IDLE RRC_IDLE:
CM-CONNECTED
• PLMN selection;
RRC_IDLE • Broadcast of system information;
RRC_CONNECTED • Cell re-selection mobility;
• Paging for mobile terminated
data is initiated by 5GC;
• DRX for CN paging configured by
RRC_INACTIVE NAS.
RM-REGISTERED
CM-IDLE

RRC_IDLE

Original Picture Source: 5G NR: Architecture, Technology, Implementation, and Operation of 3GPP New Radio Standards by Dr. Sassan Ahmadi, Jun 2019 (link)

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 5GS State Model – RRC_CONNECTED
RM-DEREGISTERED RM-REGISTERED
CM-IDLE RRC_CONNECTED:
CM-CONNECTED
• 5GC - NG-RAN connection (both
RRC_IDLE C/U-planes) is established for UE;
RRC_CONNECTED • The UE AS context is stored in
NG-RAN and the UE;
• NG-RAN knows the cell which the
UE belongs to;
RRC_INACTIVE • Transfer of unicast data to/from
RM-REGISTERED
CM-IDLE
the UE;
• Network controlled mobility
RRC_IDLE including measurements.

Original Picture Source: 5G NR: Architecture, Technology, Implementation, and Operation of 3GPP New Radio Standards by Dr. Sassan Ahmadi, Jun 2019 (link)

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 5GS State Model – RRC_INACTIVE
RRC_INACTIVE:
RM-DEREGISTERED • PLMN selection;
RM-REGISTERED
CM-IDLE CM-CONNECTED
• Broadcast of system information;
• Cell re-selection mobility;
RRC_IDLE • Paging is initiated by NG-RAN (RAN
RRC_CONNECTED paging);
• RAN-based notification area (RNA) is
managed by NG- RAN;
• DRX for RAN paging configured by NG-
RM-REGISTERED RRC_INACTIVE RAN;
CM-IDLE • 5GC - NG-RAN connection (both C/U-
planes) is established for UE;
RRC_IDLE • The UE AS context is stored in NG-RAN
and the UE;
• NG-RAN knows the RNA which the UE
belongs to.
Original Picture Source: 5G NR: Architecture, Technology, Implementation, and Operation of 3GPP New Radio Standards by Dr. Sassan Ahmadi, Jun 2019 (link)

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 RAN-initiated paging, RNA & RNAU
RRC_INACTIVE is characterized by:
• Use of RAN Notification Area (RNA)
• similar to CN tracking area for Idle
• RNA is configured per UE by gNB
• 1 to N cells defined by a List of cells or list of
RAN Area ID or list of TA IDs
• UE is reachable within a configured RNA
via a RAN-initiated paging
• RAN-initiated paging uses a RAN configured
UE ID (I-RNTI)
• RNA Update (RNAU) triggered periodically
and when moving outside of the
configured RNA Source: Intel – see references

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 Inactive-RNTI (I-RNTI)
• There are following two types of the I-RNTI:
• Full I-RNTI: A full I-RNTI which has a length of 40 bits which can be included
within a 64 bit RRCResumeRequest1 message over Common Control Channel 1
• Short I-RNTI: A short I-RNTI which has a length of 24 bits which can be included
within a 48 bit RRCResumeRequest message Common Control Channel
• The I-RNTI is applicable to the RRC Inactive State. While comparing with other
RNTI, the I-RNTI is not used to scramble the CRC bits. Instead, the I-RNTI is used to
address the UE within RRC signalling messages.
• An I-RNTI can be allocated to a UE within an RRC Release message when it is
moving from RRC Connected to RRC Inactive as part of suspendConfig

Source: Techplayon – see references

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5GS RM, CM and RRC State Transition
OFF ATTACHING CONNECTED / INACTIVE CONNECTED / ACTIVE

RM DEREGISTERED REGISTERED

CM - CONNECTED

RRC - CONNECTED INACTIVE CONNECTED

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Legacy Idle-to-connected transition
UE LTE/NR RAN CN
Initial radio synchronization

RRC Connection Request

RRC Connection Setup

RRC Connection Setup Complete Initial UE message

(Service Request)
(Service Request)
UE Context Setup
RRC Security Setup
(Keys, Bearers)
RRC Security Setup Complete
RRC Reconfiguration (Bearer Setup)

RRC Reconfiguration Complete

UE Context Setup Complete
[UL / DL user data]

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New Inactive-to-connected transition
UE NR RAN CN
Initial radio synchronization

RRC Resume Request

RRC Resume

RRC Resume Complete

[UL / DL user data]

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 References
• 3G4G: 3GPP 5G Specifications (link)
• 5G NR: Architecture, Technology, Implementation, and Operation of 3GPP New Radio Standards by
Dr. Sassan Ahmadi, Jun 2019 (link)
• Ericsson Technology Review: Inactive State in 5G NR, June 2019 (link)
• The 3G4G Blog: A Look into 5G Virtual/Open RAN - Part 3: Connection Release and Suspend, April
2020 (link)
• Wireless Moves: The 5G Core – Part 6 – Connection-, Registration- And Session Management, May
2018 (link)
• Wireless Moves: The 5G Core – Part 7 – More About Session Management, June 2018 (link)
• Techplayon: 5G System Connection Management: CM-Idle and CM-Connected, Oct 2019 (link)
• Intel: Overview 5G NR Radio Protocols, Nov 2018 (link)
• How LTE Stuff Works: 5G NR: UE RRC States and State Transitions, Sep 2019 (link)
• Techplayon: 5G NR Inactive-RNTI (I-RNTI) for RRC_INACTIVE State, Jan 2020 (link)
• The 3G4G Blog: RRC states in 5G, Nov 2017 (link)
• Netmanias: LTE EMM and ECM States, Sep 2013 (link)

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 To learn more, visit:
3G4G Website – https://www.3g4g.co.uk/
3G4G Blog – https://blog.3g4g.co.uk/
Telecoms Infrastructure Blog – https://www.telecomsinfrastructure.com/
Operator Watch Blog – https://www.operatorwatch.com/
Thank You Connectivity Technology Blog – https://www.connectivity.technology/
Free 5G Training – https://www.free5gtraining.com/

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