CS FALLBACK

TUTORIAL
Contents
› Introduction

› Concept

› Considerations

› Architecture & features

› Standard references

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introduction
› How to offer voice services with LTE before IMS/MMTel ?
– How to leverage on LTE smart phones (high data rates & hype etc.)
– How to handle international roamers
– How to reuse existing CS infrastructure

› CS Fallback is the answer to the above questions !

– Roaming with preference on LTE for data services
– Falling back to overlapping GSM or WCDMA for voice services

› Standardized from 3GPP Rel 8, offered from 2011

– 3GPP TS 23.272, Circuit Switched Fallback in Evolved Packet
System
– CSFB features offered in LTE, MSS and EPC

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concept
The CS FallBack Concept
› CSFB subscribers roam with preference on LTE access, no CS-voice
service available (only PS based services)

› Fallback triggered to overlapping CS domain (GSM / WCDMA)

whenever voice services are requested

› Resumed LTE access for PS services after call completion

LTE island

PS PS

LTE
LTE
LTE
GSM / WCDMA
CS (+PS)
LTE

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CS Fallback options
1. RRC Connection Release with Redirect
– eNodeB orders UE to move to a pre-configured GSM or WCDMA
frequency, UE may select other frequency/RAT depending on signal
quality
– Optional enhancements:
› WCDMA: Deferred Measurement Control (DMCR)
› Instruction from target cell (in SIB3) to not read other time
consuming SIB’s (related to measurement control)
› GSM: RAN Information Management (RIM)
› eNodeB requests System Information from target network via
packet core and provide it to UE during CSFB. No need to read
time consuming SIB’s in target network

2. PS Handover
– eNodeB orders UE to move to a GSM or WCDMA cell by using PSHO
procedures. eNodeB may decide target cell based on measurements
during the HO preparation phase. Target cell SI provided to UE during the
HO procedure
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 CS Fallback with RRC Connection
Release with Redirect
5. eNodeB orders UE to move to a GSM or WCDMA frequency with
1. CSFB subscriber roam in
the RRC Connection Release with Redirect message.
LTE. CS signaling over Uu-S1-
SGs (LU, page etc.)

e-Uu

4. UE may optionally 3. Page over

measure signal on eNodeB S1 SGs, S1, e-Uu
MME
available cells LTE
(otherwise blind cell
change)
SGs

Um / Uu

NodeB (A / Iu) MSC-S

RBS
MSC-S
6. UE fall back to GSM / WCDMA
GSM or WCDMA.
System info read 2. Incoming call to
in target cell. subscriber in LTE

7. Page response and call

setup over GSM or WCDMA

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considerations
Considerations
› Call setup time

› Simultaneous PS data sessions

› MSC border areas

› Feature introduction

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call setup time
› CS Fallback prolongs call setup time due to extra interfaces and
procedures
– Key contributor: Reading of system information (SI) in the new cell

Classic CS call setup in GSM CS Fallback call setup

MSC GSM UE MSC MME LTE GSM UE

Page Page
Page Page
Page
Page response
Extended service request
Release
Release
Cell change
Call setup Read SI
Page response

RAN information mgmnt (RIM)

Apprx. 1.5s addition in 3G
Apprx. 2.5s addition in 2G
- 1.2s improvement for
Call3G
setup
- 2.0s improvement for 2G
Deferred measurement control (DMCR)
- 0.7s improvement for 3G

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RAN Information Management (RIM)
1. eNodeB registers information (id and
signaling strength/quality) about
neighboring cells from measurement
reports from the UE’s.
2. eNodeB requests System Information
(SI) for the overlapping GSM cells via the
packet core network.

3. SI request/response
relayed by the MME

eNodeB S1 MME
LTE

6. eNodeB provides
S3
SI to UE at CSFB.

RBS A-bis BSC Gb

NodeB RNC SGSN 4. SI request/response
Iub IuPS
GSM / WCDMA relayed by the SGSN

7. UE do not need to read 5. BSC/RNC provides SI based on

SI in GSM / WCDMA regular intervals (requests) or when
=> Faster call setup ! ever the configuration is changed.

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Deferred Measurement Control

1. UE fall back
to WCDMA
eNodeB S1 MME
LTE

SGs

2. UE reads SIB3 =
DMCR on/off
RBS Iub RNC Iu MSC-S
WCDMA

3a. DMCR on = UE awaits 3b. DMCR off = UE reads

with reading SIB 11, 11bis
and SIB 12
=> Faster call setup!
SIB 11, 11bis and 12 are
read later during the call
SIB 11, 11bis and 12 at
their regular broadcast
intervals (every 1.4 s). Call
setup continues after SIB’s
are read.

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Simultaneous PS data sessions
› Interrupted PS data sessions
Data rate (kbps)
– Typically 5-10 seconds w/o PSHO ~5-10s w/o PSHO

– Typically 200 ms with PSHO 3) Resume

LTE LTE
› GSM without DTM WCDMA

– PS interruption lasts for the GSM

(DTM)
reminder of the call
Time (s)
CSFB call

› Reduced PS data rate

1) Suspend 3) Suspend

– PS service performance may be 2) Resume 4) Resume

degraded in WCDMA/GSM
Features:

› Delay for returning back to LTE • PS Handover (LTE - WCDMA)

– “Fast Return” in BSS speeds up • Dual Transfer Mode (GSM)

the return to LTE • Fast Return (GSM)

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Call setup times and PS data
interruption per option
MO: mobile o fixed Total call setup time including CSFB part of the total call setup
PS Outage (s)
MT: fixed to mobile CSFB (s) time (s)

RRC Connection Release with Redirect to MO 3.8 MO 1.5

UTRAN, SysInfo read in UTRAN
5.8
MT 4.2 MT 1.5

RRC Connection Release with Redirect to MO 3.1 MO 0.8

UTRAN, Deferred measurement control 5.1
UTRAN support MT 3.5 MT 0.8

RRC Connection Release with Redirect to MO 2.6 MO 0.3

UTRAN, with UTRAN Sys Info available in 4.6
LTE (with RIM) MT 3.0 MT 0.3

MO 2.8 / 1.9 MO 0.5 / -0.4

PS HO to UTRAN, non-blind/blind <0.2
MT 3.2 / 2.3 MT 0.5 / -0.4

MO 5.2 MO 2.7
Release with Redirect to GERAN, no DTM No DTM
MT 5.6 MT 2.4

Release with Redirect to GERAN, GERAN MO 3.2 MO 0.7

No DTM
SysInfo available in LTE (with RIM) MT 3.6 MT 0.4

MO 4.4 / 3.1 MO 1.9 / 0.6

PSHO to GERAN, with DTM non-blind/blind <0.2*
MT 4.8 / 3.5 MT 1.6 / 0.3

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MSC border areas
› CS Fallback calls in MSC border areas may end up in the wrong MSC, leading
to failed calls

MSC Area 1 MSC Area 2

MSC MSC
CSFB reg. MSC MME
MME
TA = 2

TA = 1 UE TA = 3

CS Fallback

LA = 1 LA = 2 LA = 3

› Two solutions:
– MSC Pool assures page response to correct MSC (by TMSI-NRI)
› Strongly recommended in CSFB implementations
– MT Roaming Forward reroutes the call and subscriber to the new MSC
› Solving the problem but with additional call setup delay, note ~5s addition

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 MT Roaming Forward in CSFB
3. UE fall back to GSM or WCDMA.
Cell 2 (MSC 2) is selected due to
better signal than in cell 1 (MSC 1)
eNodeB S1
MME
4. Page response received in LTE
MSC 2, subscriber not e-Uu 2. Page over
registered triggers MTRF SGs, S1, e-Uu

8. MSC 2 awaits the LU

SGs
procedure to be completed
and then set up the call e2e

Um / Uu Um / Uu

(A / Iu) NodeB NodeB (A / Iu) MSC-S

RBS RBS
MSC 2 MSC 1
GSM / WCDMA GSM / WCDMA

Cell 2 Cell 1 1. Incoming call to

subscriber in LTE

E
6. MSC 2 sends UL to HLR
which (optionally) can 5. MSC 2 requests identification 7. MSC 1 sends PRN req. to
authorize use of MTRF. (for auth.) from MSC 1, also MSC 2 which provides
indicating support of MTRF MSRN. MSC 1 reroutes the
call to MSC 2 (IAM)
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Feature introduction
› CSFB requires SW upgrade and SGs-interface in the MSC
– With MSC Pool only one or a few MSC’s can serve all LA’s
› More CSFB-MSC’s can be upgraded as traffic demand grows
– CSFB can be provided to a pool of MSC-S Blade Cluster nodes
prior to 12B
CSFB capable Non-CSFB
MSC capable MSC
SGs MME SGs
UE doing combined
EPS/CS registration
MSC MSC MSC MSC MSC

UE

LTE: CSFB enabled to

overlapping CS
with MSC Pool
GSM / WCDMA:

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Architecture &
features
Architecture and FEATURES

1. RIM (O)
2. DMCR (O)
3. Iu-flex/MSC Pool support (O) 1. RIM (O)
4. PS Handover (O) 2. PS Handover (O)

UTRAN IuPS SGSN

1. RIM (O)
2. Fast return to LTE (O)
3. A-flex/MSC Pool support (O)
4. PS Handover (O) Gs
5. Dual Transfer Mode (O) Gb
Uu
IuCS 1. LTE to CS Fallback (M)
GERAN S3
2. SMS over SGs (M)
A MSC-S 3. MSC Pool (O)
Um 4. MT Roaming Forward (O)
5. Dual Transfer Mode in GSM (O)

SGs

UE LTE-Uu E-UTRAN S1 MME

1. CS Fallback (M) 1. CS Fallback to GSM and 1. CS Fallback (M)

2. DMCR (O) WCDMA (M) 2. SMS over SGs (M)
3. Dual Transfer Mode (O) 2. RIM (O) 3. RIM (O)
4. MSC Pool support (O)

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 E2e-Feature view
UE LTE SGSN-MME MSC WCDMA GSM

SMS SMS over SGs SMS over SGs SMS over SGs

Voice CS Fallback CS Fallback CS Fallback CS Fallback

(MME only)

RIM RIM RIM RIM

Call setup time
(MME & SGSN)
enhancements
DMCR DMCR

MSC Pool Iu-Flex A-Flex

Call success rate
in border areas
MTRF

DTM DTM DTM DTM

PS data continuity (SGSN only)

PSHO PSHO PSHO Fast Return

(MME & SGSN)

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Standard references
Standard References
› 3GPP TS 23.272, Circuit Switched Fallback in Evolved Packet System

› 3GPP TS 48.018, GPRS; BSS - SGSN; BSS GPRS protocol (BSSGP)

– Chapter 8c, Signaling procedures between RIM SAP’s

› 3GPP TS 25.331, Radio Resource Control

– Chapter 8.1.1.6 Deferred Measurements

› 3GPP TS 23.401, GPRS enhancements for E-UTRAN access

– Chapter 5.5.2.1 E-UTRAN to UTRAN Iu mode Inter RAT handover

› 3GPP TS 23.018 (v10.1.10), Basic Call Handling

– Chapter 5.2.3, MT Roaming Forwarding

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