Carrier Aggregation (5G RAN3.1 - 02)

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature

Parameter Description
Issue 02
Date 2020-05-21
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

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Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. i

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description Contents
Contents
1 Change History.........................................................................................................................1
1.1 5G RAN3.1 02 (2020-05-21)............................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 5G RAN3.1 01 (2020-04-07)............................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 5G RAN3.1 Draft B (2020-03-09)...................................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 5G RAN3.1 Draft A (2020-01-20)...................................................................................................................................... 3
2 About This Document.............................................................................................................6

2.1 General Statements................................................................................................................................................................ 6
2.2 Features in This Document.................................................................................................................................................. 6
2.3 Differences Between NR FDD and NR TDD................................................................................................................... 7
2.4 Differences Between NSA and SA..................................................................................................................................... 7
2.5 Differences Between High Frequency Bands and Low Frequency Bands............................................................ 7
3 Overview................................................................................................................................. 10
4 Intra-band CA (TDD)............................................................................................................ 12
4.1 Principles.................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
4.1.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................................................... 12
4.1.2 Application Scenarios....................................................................................................................................................... 12
4.1.3 Frequency Bands................................................................................................................................................................ 13
4.1.4 SCell Management............................................................................................................................................................ 14
4.1.4.1 SCell Configuration........................................................................................................................................................14
4.1.4.2 SCell Change.................................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.1.4.3 SCell Activation............................................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1.4.4 SCell Deactivation.......................................................................................................................................................... 20
4.1.4.5 SCell Removal.................................................................................................................................................................. 21
4.2 Network Analysis.................................................................................................................................................................. 23
4.2.1 Benefits................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
4.2.2 Impacts.................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
4.3 Requirements......................................................................................................................................................................... 26
4.3.1 Licenses................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
4.3.2 Software................................................................................................................................................................................26
4.3.3 Hardware.............................................................................................................................................................................. 27
4.3.4 Networking.......................................................................................................................................................................... 28
4.3.5 Others.................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ii

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description Contents
4.4 Operation and Maintenance............................................................................................................................................. 30

4.4.1 Data Configuration........................................................................................................................................................... 30
4.4.1.1 Data Preparation............................................................................................................................................................ 30
4.4.1.2 Using MML Commands............................................................................................................................................... 32
4.4.1.3 Using the MAE-Deployment...................................................................................................................................... 33
4.4.2 Activation Verification..................................................................................................................................................... 33
4.4.3 Network Monitoring......................................................................................................................................................... 34
5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA.........................................................................................................35

5.1 Principles.................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
5.1.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................................................... 35
5.1.2 Application Scenarios....................................................................................................................................................... 35
5.1.3 Frequency Bands................................................................................................................................................................ 36
5.1.4 SCell Management............................................................................................................................................................ 37
5.1.4.1 SCell Configuration........................................................................................................................................................38
5.1.4.2 SCell Change.................................................................................................................................................................... 41
5.1.4.3 SCell Activation............................................................................................................................................................... 41
5.1.4.4 SCell Deactivation.......................................................................................................................................................... 42
5.1.4.5 SCell Removal.................................................................................................................................................................. 44
5.1.4.6 SCell Uplink Timing....................................................................................................................................................... 45
5.1.4.7 SCell CSI-RS Beam Scheme.........................................................................................................................................46
5.2 Network Analysis.................................................................................................................................................................. 46
5.2.1 Benefits................................................................................................................................................................................. 46
5.2.2 Impacts.................................................................................................................................................................................. 47
5.3 Requirements......................................................................................................................................................................... 49
5.3.1 Licenses................................................................................................................................................................................. 49
5.3.2 Software................................................................................................................................................................................50
5.3.3 Hardware.............................................................................................................................................................................. 51
5.3.4 Networking.......................................................................................................................................................................... 51
5.3.5 Others.................................................................................................................................................................................... 52
5.4 Operation and Maintenance............................................................................................................................................. 52
5.4.1 Data Configuration........................................................................................................................................................... 52
5.4.1.1 Data Preparation............................................................................................................................................................ 52
5.4.1.2 Using MML Commands............................................................................................................................................... 54
5.4.1.3 Using the MAE-Deployment...................................................................................................................................... 55
5.4.2 Activation Verification..................................................................................................................................................... 55
5.4.3 Network Monitoring......................................................................................................................................................... 56
6 Parameters.............................................................................................................................. 57
7 Counters.................................................................................................................................. 58
8 Glossary................................................................................................................................... 59
9 Reference Documents...........................................................................................................60
Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. iii

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 1 Change History
1 Change History
This chapter describes changes not included in the "Parameters", "Counters",

"Glossary", and "Reference Documents" chapters. These changes include:
● Technical changes
Changes in functions and their corresponding parameters
● Editorial changes
Improvements or revisions to the documentation
1.1 5G RAN3.1 02 (2020-05-21)

This issue includes the following changes.
Technical Changes
NR TDD:
Change Description Parameter Change RAT Base Station Model
Added the requirements None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

of center frequency frequency base stations
spacing between CCs for TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
contiguous intra-band CA DBS5900 LampSite
in low frequency bands.
For details, see 4.3.4
Networking.
Removed VMIMO (low- None Low- DBS3900 LampSite and

frequency TDD) from the frequency DBS5900 LampSite
list of mutually exclusive TDD
functions for intra-band
CA. For details, see 4.3.2
Software.
None None High- 3900 and 5900 series

frequency base stations
TDD
Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 1

5G RAN
NR FDD: None
Editorial Changes
Revised the description of frequency requirements of intra-band CA. For details,
see 4.3.4 Networking.
Added the combinations of downlink-to-uplink slot configurations supported by
gNodeBs for intra-FR inter-band CA. For details, see 5.1.3 Frequency Bands.
Revised the scenarios where intra-FR inter-band CA works. For details, see 5.1.2
Application Scenarios.
1.2 5G RAN3.1 01 (2020-04-07)

Technical Changes
None
Editorial Changes
Revised descriptions in this document.
1.3 5G RAN3.1 Draft B (2020-03-09)

Technical Changes
Allowed a once- None High- 3900 and 5900 series

unavailable cell to be frequency base stations
configured as an SCell TDD
again after the cell is
recovered in high-
frequency contiguous
intra-band CA. For details,
see 4.1.4.1 SCell
Configuration.
None None FDD 3900 and 5900 series

base stations
Editorial Changes
Added the following description: In high-frequency non-contiguous CA, if an SCell
is removed due to its unavailability, it cannot be configured as an SCell again. For
details, see 4.1.4.1 SCell Configuration.

5G RAN
Added a scenario where SCell removal is triggered. For details, see 4.1.4.5 SCell
Removal and 5.1.4.5 SCell Removal.
1.4 5G RAN3.1 Draft A (2020-01-20)

This issue introduces the following changes to 5G RAN2.1 01 (2019-06-06).
Technical Changes
Added support for intra- None High- 3900 and 5900 series
band non-contiguous CA frequency base stations
in high frequency bands. TDD
Frequency Bands.
Added intra-FR inter-band Added parameters: FDD 3900 and 5900 series
CA. For details, see 5 NRDUCellCarrMgmt.CaE Low- base stations
Intra-FR Inter-Band CA. nhancedAlgoSwitch frequency
Modified parameters: TDD
Added the
INTRA_FR_INTER_BAND_
CA_SW option to the
NRDUCellAlgoSwitch.Ca
AlgoSwitch parameter.
Prevented event A6 Added parameters: Low- 3900 and 5900 series
measurement NRDUCellCarrMgmt.CaE frequency base stations
configurations for SCell nhancedAlgoSwitch TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
change from being DBS5900 LampSite
delivered in special
scenarios of intra-band
CA. For details, see 4.1.4.2
SCell Change.
Added the configuration Added parameters: Low- 3900 and 5900 series
of the SSB frequency- gNBCaFrequency.SsbFre frequency base stations
domain position for intra- qPos TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
band CA. For details, see High- DBS5900 LampSite
4.4.1.1 Data Preparation. frequency
TDD
Added PUCCH channel None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

management to the table frequency base stations
of function impacts for TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
intra-band CA. For details, High- DBS5900 LampSite
see 4.2.2 Impacts. frequency
TDD

5G RAN
Changed the name of None FDD 3900 and 5900 series

CME to MAE-Deployment. Low- base stations
frequency DBS3900 LampSite and
TDD DBS5900 LampSite
High-
frequency
TDD
Added support for intra- None Low- 3900 and 5900 series
band contiguous CA in frequency base stations
Band n41. For details, see TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
4.1.3 Frequency Bands. DBS5900 LampSite
Updated the traffic None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

volume conditions for frequency base stations
SCell activation in intra- TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
band CA. For details, see High- DBS5900 LampSite
4.1.4.3 SCell Activation. frequency
TDD
Updated the conditions None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

for traffic volume– frequency base stations
triggered SCell TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
deactivation in intra-band High- DBS5900 LampSite
CA. For details, see 4.1.4.4 frequency
SCell Deactivation. TDD
Supplemented the None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

descriptions of mutually frequency base stations
exclusive functions for TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
intra-band CA because DBS5900 LampSite
intra-band CA is not
currently supported by
high-speed cells and
hyper cells. For details,
see 4.3.2 Software.
Added support for intra- None Low- 3900 and 5900 series
band CA between frequency base stations
baseband processing units TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
in low frequency bands. DBS5900 LampSite
Hardware.
Changed the name of a None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

mutually exclusive frequency base stations
function for intra-band TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
CA from "Super Uplink" DBS5900 LampSite
to "Super Uplink Phase
1". For details, see 4.3.2
Software.

5G RAN
Added UL CoMP, DL None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

CoMP, and BWP to the frequency base stations
table of function impacts TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
for intra-band CA. For DBS5900 LampSite
details, see 4.2.2 Impacts.
Added intra-RAT ANR to None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

the table of function frequency base stations
impacts for intra-band TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
CA. For details, see 4.2.2 DBS5900 LampSite
Impacts.
Added VMIMO (low- None Low- DBS3900 LampSite and

frequency TDD) to the list frequency DBS5900 LampSite
of mutually exclusive TDD
functions for intra-band
CA. For details, see 4.3.2
Software.
Added SRS resource None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

management to the table frequency base stations
of function impacts for TDD DBS3900 LampSite and
intra-band CA. For details, High- DBS5900 LampSite
see 4.2.2 Impacts. frequency
TDD
Editorial Changes
NR TDD:
● Added RF module requirements for DBS3900 LampSite and DBS5900
LampSite. For details, see 4.3.3 Hardware.
● Added cell requirements for DBS3900 LampSite and DBS5900 LampSite. For
details, see 4.3.4 Networking.
● Revised the descriptions of benefits. For details, see 4.2.1 Benefits.
NR FDD:
None

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 2 About This Document
2 About This Document
2.1 General Statements

Purpose
Feature Parameter Description documents are intended to acquaint readers with:
● The technical principles of features and their related parameters
● The scenarios where these features are used, the benefits they provide, and
the impact they have on networks and functions
● Requirements of the operating environment that must be met before feature
activation
● Parameter configuration required for feature activation, verification of feature
activation, and monitoring of feature performance
This document only provides guidance for feature activation. Feature deployment and
feature gains depend on the specifics of the network scenario where the feature is
deployed. To achieve the desired gains, contact Huawei professional service engineers.
Software Interfaces
Any parameters, alarms, counters, or managed objects (MOs) described in Feature
Parameter Description documents apply only to the corresponding software
release. For future software releases, refer to the corresponding updated product
documentation.
2.2 Features in This Document

This document describes the following features.

5G RAN
Feature ID Feature Name Chapter/Section
FOFD-02020 Intra-band CA 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

5
FOFD-03120 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

1
2.3 Differences Between NR FDD and NR TDD

Function Difference Chapter/Section
Name
Intra-band This function is 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

CA (TDD) supported only by NR
TDD.
Intra-FR None 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

inter-band
CA
2.4 Differences Between NSA and SA

Name
Intra-band None 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

CA (TDD)
Intra-FR None 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

inter-band
CA
2.5 Differences Between High Frequency Bands and

Low Frequency Bands
In this document, low frequency bands refer to those belonging to FR1 (410–7125
MHz), and high frequency bands refer to those belonging to FR2 (24250–52600
MHz). For details about FR1 and FR2, see section 5.1 "General" in 3GPP TS 38.104
V15.5.0.

5G RAN

Name
Intra-band This function is 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

CA (TDD) supported in both high
and low frequency
bands, with the
following differences:
Both SA networking and
NSA networking are
supported in low
frequency bands, and
only NSA networking is
supported in high
frequency bands.
Low-frequency CA and
high-frequency CA differ
in the supported bands
and bandwidth
combinations.
In high-frequency CA,
SCells can be
configured, activated, or
deactivated, but cannot
be removed based on
event A2 or changed. In
low-frequency CA, SCells
can be configured,
changed, activated,
deactivated, or removed
(based on either event
A2 or SCell
unavailability).
In high-frequency CA,
SCells can be configured
in a blind manner, while
in low-frequency CA,
SCells can be configured
either in a blind manner
or based on
measurements.
High-frequency CA can
be performed only in
one baseband
processing unit, while
low-frequency CA can
be performed in one
baseband processing
unit or between
baseband processing
units.

5G RAN

Name
Intra-FR This function is 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

inter-band supported only in low
CA frequency bands.

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 3 Overview
3 Overview
Definition
3GPP Release 15 requires that individual New Radio (NR) UEs work with up to 1
GHz of bandwidth. This allows users to enjoy services at higher rates. However,
operators' spectrum resources may not be contiguous or may exceed the single-
carrier bandwidth capability defined in 3GPP specifications. Against this backdrop,
3GPP introduced carrier aggregation (CA), which allows for aggregation of
multiple contiguous or non-contiguous component carriers (CCs) to expand
bandwidth to a 3GPP-required value and increase users' peak data rates in the
uplink and downlink.
Figure 3-1 illustrates an example of CA.
Figure 3-1 CA for UEs
For details about the protocol stack with CA enabled, see section 6.7 "Carrier
Aggregation" in 3GPP TS 38.300 V15.6.0.
Related Concepts
● PCell
A primary cell (PCell) is the cell that a CA UE camps on. The CA UE works in
the same way in the PCell as it does in a single-carrier cell.

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 3 Overview
● SCell
A secondary cell (SCell) is a cell that a base station configures for a CA UE
through an RRC message. This cell operates on a different frequency from the
PCell and provides the CA UE with additional radio resources. In an SCell,
there can be either downlink transmission alone, or both downlink and uplink
transmission.
● CC
Component carriers (CCs) are the carriers that are aggregated for a CA UE.
● PCC
The primary component carrier (PCC) is the carrier of the PCell.
● SCC
A secondary component carrier (SCC) is the carrier of an SCell.
● Symmetric CA and asymmetric CA
– Symmetric CA: The number of CCs in the uplink is equal to the number of
CCs in the downlink.
– Asymmetric CA: The number of CCs in the uplink is different from the
number of CCs in the downlink. Generally, a CA UE uses more CCs in the
downlink than in the uplink.
Whether symmetric or asymmetric CA can be used for a CA UE depends on
the UE's capabilities. Some UEs do not support symmetric CA.
Related Events
● Event A2
The signal quality of the serving cell drops below a specific threshold. The
effective threshold for event A2 in CA is specified by the
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA2RsrpThld and
gNBCaFrequency.CaA2RsrpThldOffset parameters. Event A2 is used in
removal of SCells with poor signal quality. For details, see 4.1.4.5 SCell
Removal and 5.1.4.5 SCell Removal.
● Event A5
The signal quality of the PCell drops below threshold 1 and the signal quality
of a neighboring cell exceeds threshold 2. Threshold 1 is fixed at –31 dBm,
while threshold 2 is specified by the NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA5RsrpThld2
and gNBCaFrequency.CaSccA5RsrpThld2Offset parameters. Event A5 is used
in SCell configuration based on measurements. For details, see 4.1.4.1 SCell
Configuration and 5.1.4.1 SCell Configuration.
In the following sections, the threshold for event A5 refers to threshold 2.

● Event A6
The signal quality of an SCell's intra-frequency neighboring cell exceeds that
of the SCell. The threshold for event A6 in CA is specified by the
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA6Offset parameter. Event A6 is used in SCell
change. For details, see 4.1.4.2 SCell Change and 5.1.4.2 SCell Change.

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)
4 Intra-band CA (TDD)
4.1 Principles
4.1.1 Overview
Intra-band CA can be enabled by selecting the INTRA_BAND_CA_SW option of
the NRDUCellAlgoSwitch.CaAlgoSwitch parameter. With this function enabled,
SCell configuration is triggered when a CA UE initiates RRC connection setup
during initial access, an incoming handover, or an incoming RRC connection
reestablishment. After SCells are configured and activated, the CA UE can benefit
from CA.
The target cell for initial access, a handover, or an RRC connection reestablishment is the
PCell of the CA UE.
4.1.2 Application Scenarios

Intra-band CA works in the following scenarios: intra-gNodeB co-coverage carriers
and intra-gNodeB carriers with one providing edge coverage for another. Figure
4-1 and Figure 4-2 use the aggregation of two CCs (referred to as 2CC
aggregation in this document) as an example. In the figures, F1 and F2 denote
two carrier frequencies.
Figure 4-1 Intra-gNodeB co-coverage carriers

5G RAN
Figure 4-2 Intra-gNodeB carriers with one providing edge coverage for another
4.1.3 Frequency Bands

For low frequency bands, at most two contiguous intra-band CCs can be
aggregated in both the uplink and downlink.
For high frequency bands:
● At most four contiguous intra-band CCs can be aggregated in both the uplink
and downlink.
● At most two non-contiguous intra-band CCs can be aggregated in the
downlink. Non-contiguous CA is not supported in the uplink.
Table 4-1 lists the frequency bands and bandwidth combinations for intra-band
CA.
Table 4-1 Frequency bands and bandwidth combinations for intra-band CA
Category Frequency Band Bandwidth Combination
Low n77/n78/n79/n41 All 2CC bandwidth combinations

frequency defined in section 5.5A.1
band "Configurations for intra-band
contiguous CA" of 3GPP TS 38.101-1
V16.0.0 are supported.a
High n257/n258/n261 Contiguous CA (supported in n257,

frequency n258, and n261):
band ● Downlink: m x 100 MHz; uplink: n x
100 MHz (1 < n ≤ m ≤ 4)
● Downlink: m x 200 MHz; uplink: n x
200 MHz (1 < n ≤ m ≤ 4)
Non-contiguous CA (supported only in
n257 and n261):
● Downlink: m x 200 MHz + n x 200
MHz (m = 1, n = 1); uplink: not
supported
● Downlink: m x 100 MHz + n x 100
MHz (m = 1, n = 1); uplink: not
supported

5G RAN
Category Frequency Band Bandwidth Combination
a: The preceding bandwidth combinations can be used only when cells with the
specific bandwidths have been set up in the corresponding frequency bands.
4.1.4 SCell Management

With this function enabled, SCell configuration is triggered for a CA UE during
initial access, an incoming handover, an incoming RRC connection reestablishment,
or SCell activation. After an SCell is configured, it can be changed, activated,
deactivated, or removed. These SCell management activities are performed by the
gNodeB that the PCell belongs to. CA takes effect only when an SCell is configured
and activated for a CA UE. Figure 4-3 shows the transitions between the SCell
states. In low-frequency CA, SCells can be configured, changed, activated,
deactivated, or removed. In high-frequency CA, SCells can also be configured,
activated, or deactivated, but cannot be removed based on event A2 or changed.
Figure 4-3 SCell state transitions
4.1.4.1 SCell Configuration

A gNodeB starts SCell configuration for a CA UE during initial access, an incoming
handover, an incoming RRC connection reestablishment, or SCell activation.
SCells are configured in a blind manner or based on measurements. In low
frequency bands, SCells can be configured in either way. In high frequency bands,
only blind SCell configuration is supported.
● Blind SCell configuration: Cells that meet certain conditions are directly
configured as SCells without being measured.
● Measurement-based SCell configuration: Cells that meet the threshold for
event A5 are configured as SCells.
The gNodeB checks whether the blind SCell configuration conditions are met. If
the conditions are met, the gNodeB performs blind SCell configuration. If the

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conditions are not met or blind SCell configuration fails, measurement-based SCell
configuration is performed.
Figure 4-4 illustrates the SCell configuration procedure.

5G RAN
Figure 4-4 SCell configuration procedure

5G RAN
1. From the frequencies configured for CA, the gNodeB selects one that has not
been allocated to the CA UE based on their configuration sequence. This
frequency is called a candidate SCC. The frequencies configured for CA are
defined using the gNBCaFrequency MO.
2. The gNodeB checks whether the blind SCell configuration conditions are met.
If the conditions are met, the gNodeB goes to 3. Otherwise, the gNodeB goes
to 4.
The blind SCell configuration conditions are as follows:
– The SCC_BLIND_CONFIG_SW option of the
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaStrategySwitch parameter is selected.
– A blind-configurable candidate cell (with
NRCellRelation.BlindScellConfigFlag set to TRUE) operates on the
candidate SCC.
3. The gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to configure in a blind
manner the cell with NRCellRelation.BlindScellConfigFlag set to TRUE on
the candidate SCC as the SCell. If the configuration succeeds, the gNodeB
goes to 7. If the configuration fails, the gNodeB goes to 4. On each candidate
SCC, only one cell can be specified as a blind-configurable candidate SCell. If
multiple blind-configurable candidate SCells are specified on a candidate SCC,
only one of these cells can take effect and this cell is uncertain.
4. The gNodeB delivers an event A5 measurement configuration to the CA UE.
The event A5 threshold is the sum of the values of
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA5RsrpThld2 and
gNBCaFrequency.CaSccA5RsrpThld2Offset.
5. The gNodeB checks whether it has received an event A5 measurement report
from the CA UE. If it has, the gNodeB goes to 6. Otherwise, the gNodeB goes
to 7.
6. The gNodeB selects a cell as an SCell based on the event A5 measurement
report.
The gNodeB selects a cell from the reported cells in descending order of their
RSRP and attempts to configure it as an SCell.
– If the PCell can set up a user-plane link to the candidate SCell, the
gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to configure the
candidate cell as an SCell for the CA UE.
– If the PCell fails to set up a user-plane link to the candidate SCell, the
gNodeB tries the next-priority candidate SCell. This procedure continues
until all candidate SCells have been tried.
7. The gNodeB checks whether the number of successfully configured SCells has
reached the maximum.
a. If it has, the SCell configuration procedure ends.
b. If it has not, the gNodeB goes to 8.
8. The gNodeB checks whether all candidate SCCs have been tried. If they have,
the SCell configuration procedure ends. If they have not, the gNodeB goes to
1 to try the next candidate SCC.
If the number of successfully configured SCells is less than the maximum when
the preceding SCell configuration procedure ends, the gNodeB checks at an
interval of 15 seconds whether the uplink or downlink traffic volume of the CA UE
meets the SCell activation conditions.

5G RAN
● If the SCell activation conditions are met, the gNodeB performs another SCell
configuration procedure, attempting to configure SCells again.
● If the SCell activation conditions are not met, another SCell configuration
procedure will not be triggered.
For details about SCell activation conditions, see 4.1.4.3 SCell Activation.
In high-frequency non-contiguous CA, if an SCell that has been configured for a UE

becomes unavailable due to faults or other reasons and is therefore removed, the cell will
not be configured as an SCell again for the UE. For details about SCell removal triggered by
cell unavailability, see 4.1.4.5 SCell Removal.
This restriction does not apply to low-frequency CA and high-frequency contiguous CA.
4.1.4.2 SCell Change

If a CA UE with SCells configured receives better signal quality from an intra-
frequency neighboring cell of an SCell than from that SCell, the serving gNodeB of
the PCell can change the SCell while keeping the PCell unchanged.
Figure 4-5 illustrates this function.
Figure 4-5 SCell change
1. The gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to a CA UE after

configuring SCells for the CA UE. The message contains an event A6
measurement configuration related to each SCC of the UE.
If a CA UE does not transmit sounding reference signals (SRSs) in a TDD SCell
and the channel state information (CSI) beam sweeping function (controlled
by the CARR_CSI_BEAM_SWEEPING_SW option of the
NRDUCellCarrMgmt.CaEnhancedAlgoSwitch parameter) is disabled for the
SCell, the gNodeB does not send an event A6 measurement configuration to
the UE. This is because in the preceding scenario, intra-frequency neighboring
cells of the SCell are usually served by a different AAU from the PCell. In this
case, if the CSI beam sweeping function is disabled, the gNodeB cannot
obtain the CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) beam information of the UE in these
neighboring cells. As a result, these neighboring cells cannot be configured as

5G RAN
SCells for the UE. If the gNodeB delivers an event A6 measurement

configuration, the measurements will be wasted.
2. The CA UE reports event A6 if the RSRP of an intra-frequency neighboring cell
of the SCell is higher than the RSRP of that SCell plus
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA6Offset.
3. After receiving an event A6 measurement report related to an SCell (for
example, cell 1) from the CA UE, the gNodeB arranges the reported candidate
SCells in descending order of RSRP and proceeds as follows:
– If the PCell can set up a user-plane link to the top-priority candidate SCell
(for example, cell 2), the gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message
to change the SCell from cell 1 to cell 2 for the CA UE.
– If the PCell cannot set up a user-plane link to cell 2, the gNodeB tries the
next candidate SCell. If the PCell cannot set up a user-plane link to any
candidate SCell, the gNodeB does not change the SCell for the CA UE.
SCell change is supported only in low frequency bands, but not in high frequency bands.
4.1.4.3 SCell Activation

The gNodeB activates the configured SCells when the following traffic volume
conditions are met:
● Downlink traffic volume: If the gNodeB determines that based on the current
radio channel quality, the downlink data buffered at the Radio Link Control
(RLC) layer for a UE cannot be completely transmitted in the PCell within 10
ms, then the gNodeB delivers a MAC control element (CE) to activate all
SCells.
● Uplink traffic volume: If the gNodeB determines that based on the current
radio channel quality, the uplink to-be-scheduled data of a UE indicated by
the buffer status report (BSR) from the UE cannot be completely transmitted
in the PCell within 10 ms, then the gNodeB delivers a MAC CE to activate only
the SCells configured for the uplink. An SCell configured only for the downlink
is not activated.
For details about SCell activation, see section 6.1.3.10 "SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC
CEs" in 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.6.0.

5G RAN
Figure 4-6 SCell activation
4.1.4.4 SCell Deactivation

When the traffic volume of a CA UE or the channel quality of SCells meets certain
conditions, the gNodeB deactivates the SCells. Figure 4-7 illustrates this function.
For details about SCell deactivation, see section 6.1.3.10 "SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC
CEs" in 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.6.0.
Figure 4-7 SCell deactivation
Traffic Volume–triggered SCell Deactivation

For SCell deactivation to be triggered by traffic volume, the gNodeB first
determines whether the uplink and downlink traffic volume meet the conditions
listed in Table 4-2.

5G RAN
Table 4-2 Conditions for traffic volume–triggered SCell deactivation

Uplink/Downlink Condition
Uplink Both of the following conditions are met:

● The gNodeB determines that based on the current
radio channel quality, the uplink to-be-scheduled
data of a UE indicated by the BSR from the UE can
be completely transmitted in the PCell within 1 ms.
● The uplink throughput of the UE is less than min{x,
0.5 Mbit/s}, where x is the uplink throughput of the
PCC calculated based on the current radio channel
quality.
Downlink Both of the following conditions are met:

radio channel quality, the downlink data buffered at
the RLC layer for a UE can be completely transmitted
in the PCell within 1 ms.
● The downlink throughput of the UE is less than
min{y, 2 Mbit/s}, where y is the downlink throughput
of the PCC calculated based on the current radio
channel quality.
The gNodeB performs the following operations every other second:

● If both the uplink and downlink deactivation conditions are met, the gNodeB
delivers a MAC CE to deactivate all the SCells of the CA UE.
● If only downlink deactivation conditions are met, the gNodeB delivers a MAC
CE to deactivate all SCells that are configured with only downlink CA services
for the CA UE.
● If only uplink deactivation conditions are met, the gNodeB does not
deactivate any SCells.
Channel Quality–triggered SCell Deactivation

When the spectral efficiency corresponding to the channel quality indicator (CQI)
of an SCell reported by the CA UE is lower than the spectral efficiency
corresponding to NRDUCellCarrMgmt.SccDeactvCqiThld configured for the SCell,
the gNodeB delivers a MAC CE to deactivate the SCell. If the
NRDUCellCarrMgmt.SccDeactvCqiThld parameter is set to 0 for an SCell,
channel quality-triggered SCell deactivation does not take effect for the SCell.
This function is recommended if the blind SCell configuration conditions are met.
This is to prevent the gNodeB from scheduling data in SCells with poor channel
quality. For details about the blind SCell configuration conditions, see 4.1.4.1 SCell
Configuration.
4.1.4.5 SCell Removal

SCell removal is triggered either by event A2 or when an SCell is unavailable.

5G RAN
SCell removal triggered by event A2 is supported only in low frequency bands, but not in
high frequency bands.
If a CA UE reports event A2 for an SCell, the gNodeB removes the SCell as shown
in Figure 4-8.
Figure 4-8 SCell removal
1. The gNodeB delivers event A2 measurement configurations for SCells that

have been configured (either in a blind manner or based on A5
measurements) and activated for a CA UE.
2. If the RSRP of an SCell reported by the CA UE is less than the event A2
threshold, the CA UE reports event A2 for the SCell to the gNodeB.
3. The gNodeB sends the CA UE an RRCReconfiguration message to remove the
SCell.
The effective event A2 threshold is the sum of
gNBCaFrequency.CaA2RsrpThldOffset.
It is recommended that the threshold for event A5 be higher than the threshold
for event A2. If this requirement cannot be met, the CA UE reports event A2
immediately after the gNodeB configures an SCell based on event A5
measurements, causing the SCell to be removed. Once this happens and if the
traffic volume of the CA UE meets the SCell activation conditions for a long period
of time, the gNodeB will periodically trigger SCell configuration and removal for
the CA UE based on the traffic volume.

5G RAN
If an SCell becomes unavailable due to faults or other reasons, the gNodeB sends
the CA UE an RRCReconfiguration message to remove the SCell.
In high-frequency scenarios, before an NR cell that has been configured as an SCell for UEs
is removed from the gNodeB (using the RMV NRCELL command), the DEA NRCELL
command must be executed to deactivate the cell. Otherwise, UEs may fail to remove the
SCell in time after the cell is removed from the gNodeB.
4.2 Network Analysis
4.2.1 Benefits
The downlink and uplink peak data rates of CA UEs increase.
Table 4-3 lists the ranges of peak data rates that a CA UE can reach using
downlink 2CC aggregation in low frequency bands.
Table 4-3 Ranges of peak data rates using downlink 2CC aggregation in low
frequency bands
SCell Weight Type Peak Data Rate Range
Sounding reference (A x 90% + B x 90%) to (A x 100% + B x 100%)

signal (SRS)-based
Precoding matrix (A x 90% + B x 60%) to (A x 100% + B x 70%)

indication (PMI)-
based
Note 1: The SCell weight type depends on the CA UE capability. If a CA UE

transmits SRSs in an SCell, SRS-based weights are used. Otherwise, PMI-based
weights are used.
Note 2: A and B are the downlink data rates that a UE can reach in the PCell
and SCell, respectively, when CA is not performed for the UE.
The peak data rate that a CA UE can reach using downlink contiguous 4CC
aggregation in high frequency bands equals (A + B + C + D) x 100%. A, B, C, and
D are the downlink data rates that the UE can reach in the PCell and SCells when
CA is not performed for the UE.
The peak data rate that a CA UE can reach using downlink non-contiguous 2CC
aggregation in high frequency bands equals (A + B) x 100%. A and B are the
downlink data rates that the UE can reach in the PCell and SCell, respectively,
when CA is not performed for the UE.
No UE currently supports uplink CA. Therefore, the range of peak data rates reached using
uplink CA is not provided.

5G RAN
4.2.2 Impacts
Network Impacts
● System capacity
A CA UE with SCells configured has only one RRC connection to the network.
Such a UE consumes one sales unit of the license for the number of
RRC_CONNECTED UEs. However, the CA UE consumes one hardware resource
unit in the PCell and SCells separately. With nCC aggregation for all UEs on
the network, the maximum number of UEs that can access the network
decreases to 1/n (n is an integer).
● Resource usage
– Overall physical resource block (PRB) usage of the network
On commercial networks, most services accessed by CA UEs are burst
services. There is little probability that PRBs in all of the CCs of a UE will
be exhausted simultaneously. When CA is enabled, cell load can be
rapidly balanced through carrier management and scheduling to help
utilize idle resources and increase the overall PRB usage of the network.
– Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and physical uplink shared
channel (PUSCH) overheads
Each CA UE sends the acknowledgment/negative acknowledgment (ACK/
NACK) and CSI related to its SCells in its PCell with the PUCCH. When the
PUSCH is not scheduled, the UE sends the information over the PUCCH.
When the PUSCH is scheduled, the UE sends the information over the
PUSCH. Therefore, the PUCCH overhead or the signaling overhead on the
PUSCH increases.
● Overall throughput in the entire network
CA does not directly affect network capacity. However, when the resources on
a network have not been exhausted, CA increases the overall resource usage
and network throughput.
● Key performance indicator (KPI) fluctuation
– The PCell and SCells of each UE may not have the same channel quality.
Therefore, SCell CQIs fluctuate after SCells are configured for UEs.
– After CA is enabled, PUCCH format 3 and format 4 are used more often
than before. Therefore, the average value of counters
N.UL.SINR.PUCCH.Index0 to N.UL.SINR.PUCCH.Index7 decreases
slightly.

5G RAN
Function Impacts
RAT Function Function Reference Description
Name Switch
Low- UL CoMP INTRA_GNB_ CoMP (Low- Uplink coordinated

frequency UL_COMP_S Frequency multipoint reception
TDD W option of TDD) (UL CoMP) cannot
the be performed for CA
NRDUCellAl UEs in their SCells.
goSwitch.Co
mpSwitch
parameter
Low- DL CoMP INTRA_GNB_ CoMP (Low- Downlink

frequency DL_JT_SW Frequency coordinated
TDD option of the TDD) multipoint
NRDUCellAl transmission (DL
goSwitch.Co CoMP) cannot be
mpSwitch performed for CA
parameter UEs in their SCells.
Low- Power saving BWP2_SWIT UE Power BWP2, a bandwidth

frequency BWP CH option of Saving part (BWP) that
TDD the provides a narrow
NRDUCellUe bandwidth, is not
PwrSaving.B configured for CA
wpPwrSavin UEs in their SCells.
gSw
parameter
Low- PUCCH None Channel The

frequency channel Management NRDUCellPucch.Str
TDD management uctureType
High- parameter must be
frequency set to
TDD LONG_STRUCTURE
for a low-frequency
cell. If it is set to
SHORT_STRUCTURE
, intra-band CA does
not take effect.
For a high-frequency
cell, intra-band CA
still takes effect
when the
NRDUCellPucch.Str
uctureType
parameter is set to
SHORT_STRUCTURE
.

5G RAN

Name Switch
Low- Intra-RAT NR_NR_ANR ANR The gNodeB does

frequency ANR _SW option not deliver
TDD of the measurement
NRCellAlgoS configurations if
witch.AnrSw intra-band CA is
itch disabled or if intra-
parameter band CA is enabled
but blind SCell
configuration is
used. In this case,
intra-RAT automatic
neighbor relation
(ANR) will not be
triggered.
Low- SRS resource None Channel When the SRS period

frequency management Management specified by the
TDD NRDUCellSrs.SrsPeri
High- od parameter for
frequency UEs supporting
TDD antenna selection in
the PCell is set to 5
ms or 10 ms, SRS
resources in an SCell
may fail to be
allocated, affecting
user experience.
4.3 Requirements
4.3.1 Licenses
Feature ID Feature Name Model Sales Unit
FOFD-020205 Intra-band CA NR0S00IBCA00 per Cell
4.3.2 Software
Before activating this function, ensure that its prerequisite functions have been
activated and mutually exclusive functions have been deactivated. For detailed
operations, see the relevant feature documents.
Prerequisite Functions
None

5G RAN
Mutually Exclusive Functions

Name Switch
Low- UL and DL NRDUCellAl UL and DL Intra-band CA does

frequency Decoupling goSwitch.Ul Decoupling not work with UL
TDD DlDecouplin and DL Decoupling.
gSwitch
Low- High-speed NRDUCell.Hi High Speed Currently, intra-band
frequency Railway ghSpeedFla Mobility CA cannot be
TDD Superior g (Low- enabled in high-
Experience Frequency speed cells, where
TDD) NRDUCell.HighSpee
dFlag is set to
HIGH_SPEED.
Low- Hyper Cell NRDUCell.N Hyper Cell Currently, intra-band

frequency rDuCellNet (Low- CA cannot be
TDD workingMo Frequency enabled in hyper
de TDD) cells, where
NRDUCell.NrDuCell
NetworkingMode is
set to HYPER_CELL.
Low- Super Uplink SUPER_UL_T Super Uplink Intra-band CA does

frequency Phase 1 DM_SCH_S (Low- not work with Super
TDD W option of Frequency Uplink Phase 1.
the TDD)
NRDUCellAl
goSwitch.Su
perUplinkS
witch
parameter
4.3.3 Hardware
One prerequisite for CA is that the corresponding cells have been set up. The following
requirements for base station models, boards, and RF modules are based on this
prerequisite.
Base Station Models

3900 and 5900 series base stations. 3900 series base stations must be configured
with the BBU3910.
DBS3900 LampSite and DBS5900 LampSite. DBS3900 LampSite must be
configured with the BBU3910.

5G RAN
Boards
All NR-capable main control boards and NR TDD-capable baseband processing
units support this function. To learn which main control boards are NR-capable
and baseband processing units are NR TDD-capable, see the related BBU technical
specifications in 3900 & 5900 Series Base Station Product Documentation.
In low frequency bands, CA can be performed in one baseband processing unit or

between baseband processing units. In high frequency bands, CA can be
performed only in one baseband processing unit.
RF Modules
For 3900 and 5900 series base stations:
All NR TDD-capable RF modules support this function. For details about NR TDD-
capable RF modules, see technical specifications of the related RF modules in 3900
& 5900 Series Base Station Product Documentation.
For DBS3900 LampSite and DBS5900 LampSite:
All NR TDD-capable RF modules that each can serve at least two carriers support
this function. For details about such RF modules, see technical specifications of the
related RF modules in 3900 & 5900 Series Base Station Product Documentation.
4.3.4 Networking
Frequency
There must be at least two frequencies available on the live network.
The NR cell frequency relationships have been configured (using the

NRCellFreqRelation MO).
The spacing between the center frequencies of CCs for contiguous intra-band CA
must meet the following requirements:
In low frequency band scenarios: The spacing must meet the requirements
described in section 5.4A.1 "Channel spacing for CA" in 3GPP TS 38.101-1 V16.0.0.
For contiguous intra-band CA to take effect in low frequency bands, the spacing
must be less than or equal to the nominal channel spacing required by section
5.4A.1 "Channel spacing for CA" in 3GPP TS 38.101-1 V16.0.0. Otherwise, the CCs
are aggregated for non-contiguous intra-band CA. The nominal channel spacing is
calculated as follows:
where
● and are the bandwidths of two CCs, CC 1 and CC

2, respectively.
● is the maximum subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration that is supported
by both CC 1 and CC 2.

5G RAN
● and are the minimum guard bands corresponding

to for CC 1 and CC 2, respectively.
Assume CC 1 (bandwidth: 60 MHz) and CC 2 (bandwidth: 100 MHz) operate in

the n41 frequency band. The center frequency spacing between them is calculated
as follows:
1. Determine : Table 4-4 lists the SCSs supported by each bandwidth in n41
according to Table 5.3.5-1 "Channel bandwidths for each NR band" in 3GPP
TS 38.101-1. It can be drawn that both CC 1 and CC 2 support 30 kHz SCS and
60 kHz SCS. equals the maximum SCS configuration supported by the two
CCs, that is, 2.
Table 4-4 SCSs for n41
NR SCS UE Channel Bandwidth

Ban (kH
d z) 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH
z z z z z z z z z z z z z
n41 15 N/A Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
n41 30 N/A Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes
n41 60 N/A Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes
2. Determine and : Table 4-5 is derived from Table

5.3.3-1 "Minimum guardband for each UE channel bandwidth and SCS (kHz)"
in 3GPP TS 38.101-1, which specifies the minimum guard band for each
bandwidth and SCS. It can be drawn that equals 1530 kHz and
equals 1370 kHz.
Table 4-5 Minimum guardband for each UE channel bandwidth and SCS (kHz)
SC UE Channel Bandwidth
S
(k 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Hz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz
)
15 242. 312. 382. 452. 522. 592. 552. 692. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
30 505 665 645 805 785 945 905 1045 825 965 925 885 845
60 N/A 1010 990 1330 1310 1290 1610 1570 1530 1490 1450 1410 1370
3. Calculate the nominal channel spacing using the formula with ,

, , , and determined. The result is
79.8 MHz.

5G RAN
In high frequency band scenarios: The spacing must meet the requirements
described in section 5.4A.1 "Channel spacing for CA" in 3GPP TS 38.101-2 V16.0.0.
Coverage
The coverage areas provided by the cells involved in CA must overlap. The smaller
the overlapping range, the smaller the area where intra-band CA takes effect.
Cell
The inter-frequency NR cell relationships have been configured (using the
NRCellRelation MO).
For intra-frequency cells, the network must be planned to prevent physical cell
identifier (PCI) conflicts.
Intra-band CA does not take effect in NR SUL cells.
Intra-band CA does not take effect for low-frequency cells configured with short
PUCCH. This restriction does not apply to high-frequency cells.
The timing advance (TA) offset of the PCell and SCells (specified by the
NRDUCell.TaOffset parameter) must be the same. Otherwise, uplink throughput
is affected.
For DBS3900 LampSite and DBS5900 LampSite, the PCell and SCells must be
served by the same RF module. This requirement does not apply to 3900 or 5900
series base stations.
4.3.5 Others
● 5G core network (5GC): For intra-band CA to deliver a theoretical peak data
rate to CA UEs, the maximum bit rate that each CA UE subscribes to in the
5GC cannot be lower than this theoretical value.
● UEs: UEs must support CA. During initial access, an incoming handover, or an
incoming RRC connection reestablishment, a UE reports its CA capabilities to
the gNodeB.
4.4 Operation and Maintenance
4.4.1 Data Configuration
4.4.1.1 Data Preparation

Before activating this function, ensure that inter-frequency NR cell relationships
(in the NRCellRelation MO) and NR cell frequency relationships (in the
NRCellFreqRelation MO) have been configured. For details about the
configuration, see Mobility Management.
Table 4-6 describes the parameters used for function activation. No parameters
are involved in function optimization.

5G RAN
Table 4-6 Parameters used for activation

Parameter Parameter ID Option Setting Notes
Name
CA Algorithm NRDUCellAlg INTRA_BAND Select this option.

Switch oSwitch.CaAl _CA_SW
goSwitch
NR Cell ID NRCellCaMg N/A Set this parameter based on
mtConfig.Nr the network plan.
CellId
CA Strategy NRCellCaMg SCC_BLIND_C Select this option if blind SCell
Switch mtConfig.CaS ONFIG_SW configuration is required.
trategySwitc
h
CA Frequency gNBCaFreque N/A Set this parameter based on
Group ID ncy.CaFreqGr the network plan.
oupId
Downlink gNBCaFreque N/A Set this parameter based on
NARFCN ncy.DlNarfcn the network plan.
In high frequency bands, a
downlink frequency cannot be
included in different CA
frequency groups if multiple
groups are required.
SSB gNBCaFreque N/A Set this parameter based on

Frequency ncy.SsbFreqP the network plan.
Position os
Blind SCell NRCellRelati N/A To enable blind SCell
Configuration on.BlindScell configuration, set this
Flag ConfigFlag parameter to TRUE.
CA A5 RSRP NRCellCaMg N/A To trigger SCell configurations

Threshold 2 mtConfig.Ca only when the SCells provide
A5RsrpThld2 better service quality, increase
the value of this parameter.
The value of this parameter
must be greater than the
value of NRCellCaMgmtCon-
fig.CaA2RsrpThld.
CA SCC A5 gNBCaFreque N/A To adjust the CA event A5

RSRP ncy.CaSccA5R threshold for different SCCs,
Threshold 2 srpThld2Offs set this parameter according
Offset et to operators' policies.

5G RAN

Name
CA A6 Offset NRCellCaMg N/A To trigger SCell changes only

mtConfig.Ca when the neighboring cells of
A6Offset the SCells provide better
service quality, increase the
value of this parameter.
SCC NRDUCellCar N/A It is recommended that this

Deactivation rMgmt.SccDe parameter be set to 5. To
CQI Threshold actvCqiThld ensure that SCells are
activated only when the
channel quality of CA UEs is
high, increase the value of this
parameter.
CA A2 RSRP NRCellCaMg N/A To trigger SCell removals only

Threshold mtConfig.Ca when the SCells provide
A2RsrpThld poorer service quality, reduce
CA A2 RSRP gNBCaFreque N/A To adjust the CA event A2

Threshold ncy.CaA2Rsrp threshold for different SCCs,
Offset ThldOffset set this parameter according
to operators' policies.
4.4.1.2 Using MML Commands
Activation Command Examples

//Turning on the CA algorithm switch
MOD NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH: NrDuCellId=0, CaAlgoSwitch=INTRA_BAND_CA_SW-1;
//(Using 2CC aggregation as an example) Configuring the CA frequency group and its frequencies, and the
offsets for event A2 and event A5. The DlNarfcn and SsbFreqPos parameter values must be the same as
those in the NrDuCell MO.
ADD GNBCAFREQUENCY: CaFreqGroupId=0, DlNarfcn=630000, SsbFreqPos=7811, CaA2RsrpThldOffset=-2,
CaSccA5RsrpThld2Offset=-2;
//(Using 4CC aggregation as an example) Configuring the CA frequency group and its frequencies, and the
offsets for event A2 and event A5. The DlNarfcn and SsbFreqPos parameter values must be the same as
those in the NrDuCell MO.
ADD GNBCAFREQUENCY: CaFreqGroupId=0, DlNarfcn=2069165, SsbFreqPos=2068157,
CaA2RsrpThldOffset=-2, CaSccA5RsrpThld2Offset=-2;
//Setting CA-related parameters
MOD NRCELLCAMGMTCONFIG: NrCellId=0, CaA2RsrpThld=-110, CaA5RsrpThld2=-100, CaA6Offset=3;
//(Optional for low-frequency cells while mandatory for high-frequency cells because only blind SCell
configuration is supported in high frequency bands) Setting parameters related to blind SCell configuration
//Turning on the switch of blind SCell configuration
MOD NRCELLCAMGMTCONFIG: NrCellId=0, CaStrategySwitch=SCC_BLIND_CONFIG_SW-1;
//Setting BlindScellConfigFlag to TRUE
MOD NRCELLRELATION: NrCellId=0, Mcc="302", Mnc="220", gNBId=1234, CellId=1,

5G RAN
BlindScellConfigFlag=TRUE;
//Setting the CQI threshold for SCell deactivation
MOD NRDUCellCarrMgmt: NrDuCellId=0, SccDeactvCqiThld=5;
Deactivation Command Examples

//Turning off the CA algorithm switch
MOD NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH: NrDuCellId=0, CaAlgoSwitch=INTRA_BAND_CA_SW-0;
//Turning off the blind SCell configuration switch
4.4.1.3 Using the MAE-Deployment

For detailed operations, see Feature Configuration Using the MAE-Deployment.
4.4.2 Activation Verification

Provided CA UEs are available on the network, intra-band CA has taken effect if
any counter in Table 4-7 returns a non-zero value.
Table 4-7 Counters related to intra-band CA
Counter ID Counter Name
1911816773 N.User.CA.PCell.DL.Avg
1911816775 N.User.CA.PCell.UL.Avg
1911816774 N.User.CA.SCell.DL.Avg
1911816776 N.User.CA.SCell.UL.Avg
1911816900 N.User.CA.PCell.DL.SCellAct.Avg
1911816901 N.User.CA.PCell.UL.SCellAct.Avg
1911816902 N.User.CA.SCell.DL.Act.Avg
1911816903 N.User.CA.SCell.UL.Act.Avg
The counters related to the numbers of attempts and successful times regarding
SCell configuration, change, activation, deactivation, and removal are listed in
Table 4-8.
Table 4-8 Counters related to SCell management
1911816777 N.CA.SCell.Add.Att
1911816778 N.CA.SCell.Add.Succ
1911816781 N.CA.SCell.Mod.Att
1911816782 N.CA.SCell.Mod.Succ

5G RAN
1911816896 N.CA.SCell.Act.Att
1911816897 N.CA.SCell.Act.Succ
1911816898 N.CA.SCell.Deact.Att
1911816899 N.CA.SCell.Deact.Succ
1911816779 N.CA.SCell.Rmv.Att
1911816780 N.CA.SCell.Rmv.Succ
4.4.3 Network Monitoring

Observe the average downlink UE throughput and average uplink UE throughput
to check whether the UE data rate increases after this function is enabled.
● Average downlink UE throughput = User Downlink Average Throughput
(DU)
● Average uplink UE throughput = User Uplink Average Throughput (DU)

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA
5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA
5.1 Principles
5.1.1 Overview
In the current version, inter-band CA is supported only in FR1 rather than FR2.
Intra-FR inter-band CA can be enabled by selecting the
INTRA_FR_INTER_BAND_CA_SW option of the
NRDUCellAlgoSwitch.CaAlgoSwitch parameter. With this function enabled, inter-
band SCell configuration is triggered when a CA UE initiates RRC connection setup
during initial access, an incoming handover, or an incoming RRC connection
reestablishment. After SCells are configured and activated, the CA UE can benefit
from CA.
5.1.2 Application Scenarios

Intra-FR inter-band CA works in the following scenarios: intra-gNodeB different-
coverage carriers and intra-gNodeB carriers with one providing edge coverage for
another. Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 use 2CC aggregation as an example. In the
figures, F1 and F2 denote two carrier frequencies.
Figure 5-1 Intra-gNodeB different-coverage carriers

5G RAN
Figure 5-2 Intra-gNodeB carriers with one providing edge coverage for another
5.1.3 Frequency Bands

At most two intra-FR inter-band CCs can be aggregated. Table 5-1 lists the band
combinations and bandwidth combinations for intra-FR inter-band CA.
Table 5-1 Band combinations and bandwidth combinations for intra-FR inter-band
CA
Category Band Combination Bandwidth Combination
Low FDD+TDD: Bands n1, n3, n28, and n66 support

frequency ● n1+n77/n78 the following cell bandwidths: 5 MHz,
band 10 MHz, 15 MHz, and 20 MHz.
● n3+n77/n78/n79
Bands n77 and n78 support the
● n28+n77/n78 following cell bandwidths: 20 MHz, 40
● n66+n77/n78 MHz, 50 MHz, 60 MHz, 80 MHz, 90
TDD+TDD: MHz, and 100 MHz.
● n41+n77/n78/n79 Band n41 supports the following cell
bandwidths: 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 50
● n77/n78+n79 MHz, 60 MHz, 80 MHz, 90 MHz, and
100 MHz.
Band n79 supports the following cell
bandwidths: 40 MHz, 60 MHz, 80
MHz, and 100 MHz.
Except for the bandwidth of 90 MHz
in n41, cell bandwidths supported by
the preceding frequency bands can be
randomly combined. According to
3GPP TS 38.101-1 V16.0.0, the
bandwidth of 90 MHz in n41 can be
combined with any bandwidth
supported by n79, but cannot be
combined with any bandwidth
supported by n77 or n78.

5G RAN
Category Band Combination Bandwidth Combination
Note 1: Combinations of the preceding bandwidths can be used only when cells
with the specific bandwidths have been set up in the corresponding frequency
bands.
Note 2: FDD+TDD CA works only in the downlink. TDD-only CA works in both
the uplink and downlink.
Note 3: Intra-FR inter-band carriers currently cannot be aggregated for FDD-
only CA.
gNodeBs support the following combinations of downlink-to-uplink slot

configurations for CA:
TDD+TDD:
● Same slot configuration: 4:1+4:1, single-period 8:2+single-period 8:2, and
dual-period 8:2+dual-period 8:2
● Different slot configurations: 4:1+single-period 8:2 and 4:1+dual-period 8:2
FDD+TDD:
FDD+4:1, FDD+single-period 8:2, and FDD+dual-period 8:2
5.1.4 SCell Management

With this function enabled, SCell configuration is triggered for a CA UE during
initial access, an incoming handover, an incoming RRC connection reestablishment,
or SCell activation. After an SCell is configured, it can be changed, activated,
deactivated, or removed. These SCell management activities are performed by the
gNodeB that the PCell belongs to. After SCells are configured and activated, the
CA UE can benefit from CA. Figure 5-3 shows the transitions between the SCell
states.
Figure 5-3 SCell state transitions

5G RAN
5.1.4.1 SCell Configuration

A gNodeB starts SCell configuration for a CA UE during initial access, an incoming
handover, or an incoming RRC connection reestablishment.
SCells are configured in a blind manner or based on measurements. In low
frequency bands, SCells can be configured in either way. In high frequency bands,
only blind SCell configuration is supported.
● Blind SCell configuration: Cells that meet certain conditions are directly
configured as SCells without being measured.
● Measurement-based SCell configuration: Cells that meet the threshold for
event A5 are configured as SCells.
The gNodeB checks whether the blind SCell configuration conditions are met. If
the conditions are met, the gNodeB performs blind SCell configuration. If the
conditions are not met or blind SCell configuration fails, measurement-based SCell
configuration is performed.
Figure 5-4 illustrates the SCell configuration procedure.

5G RAN
Figure 5-4 SCell configuration procedure

5G RAN
1. From the frequencies configured for CA, the gNodeB selects one that has not
been allocated to the CA UE based on their configuration sequence. This
frequency is called a candidate SCC. The frequencies configured for CA are
defined using the gNBCaFrequency MO.
2. The gNodeB checks whether the blind SCell configuration conditions are met.
If the conditions are met, the gNodeB goes to 3. Otherwise, the gNodeB goes
to 4.
The blind SCell configuration conditions are as follows:
– The SCC_BLIND_CONFIG_SW option of the
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaStrategySwitch parameter is selected.
– A blind-configurable candidate cell (with
NRCellRelation.BlindScellConfigFlag set to TRUE) operates on the
candidate SCC.
3. The gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to configure in a blind
manner the cell with NRCellRelation.BlindScellConfigFlag set to TRUE on
the candidate SCC as the SCell. If the configuration succeeds, the gNodeB
goes to 7. If the configuration fails, the gNodeB goes to 4. On each candidate
SCC, only one cell can be specified as a blind-configurable candidate SCell. If
multiple blind-configurable candidate SCells are specified on a candidate SCC,
only one of these cells can take effect and this cell is uncertain.
4. The gNodeB delivers an event A5 measurement configuration to the CA UE.
The event A5 threshold is the sum of the values of
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA5RsrpThld2 and
gNBCaFrequency.CaSccA5RsrpThld2Offset.
5. The gNodeB checks whether it has received an event A5 measurement report
from the CA UE. If it has, the gNodeB goes to 6. Otherwise, the gNodeB goes
to 7.
6. The gNodeB selects a cell as an SCell based on the event A5 measurement
report.
The gNodeB selects a cell from the reported cells in descending order of their
RSRP and attempts to configure it as an SCell.
– If the PCell can set up a user-plane link to the candidate SCell, the
gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to configure the
candidate cell as an SCell for the CA UE.
– If the PCell fails to set up a user-plane link to the candidate SCell, the
gNodeB tries the next-priority candidate SCell. This procedure continues
until all candidate SCells have been tried.
7. The gNodeB checks whether the number of successfully configured SCells has
reached the maximum.
a. If it has, the SCell configuration procedure ends.
b. If it has not, the gNodeB goes to 8.
8. The gNodeB checks whether all candidate SCCs have been tried. If they have,
the SCell configuration procedure ends. If they have not, the gNodeB goes to
1 to try the next candidate SCC.
If the number of successfully configured SCells is less than the maximum when
the preceding SCell configuration procedure ends, the gNodeB checks at an
interval of 15 seconds whether the uplink or downlink traffic volume of the CA UE
meets the SCell activation conditions.

5G RAN
● If the SCell activation conditions are met, the gNodeB performs another SCell
configuration procedure, attempting to configure SCells again.
● If the SCell activation conditions are not met, another SCell configuration
procedure will not be triggered.
For details about SCell activation conditions, see 5.1.4.3 SCell Activation.
5.1.4.2 SCell Change

If a CA UE with SCells configured receives better signal quality from an intra-
frequency neighboring cell of an SCell than from that SCell, the serving gNodeB of
the PCell can change the SCell while keeping the PCell unchanged.
Figure 5-5 SCell change
1. The gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to a CA UE after

configuring SCells for the CA UE. The message contains an event A6
measurement configuration related to each SCC of the UE.
2. The CA UE reports event A6 if the RSRP of an intra-frequency neighboring cell
of the SCell is higher than the RSRP of that SCell plus
NRCellCaMgmtConfig.CaA6Offset.
3. After receiving an event A6 measurement report related to an SCell (for
example, cell 1) from the CA UE, the gNodeB arranges the reported candidate
SCells in descending order of RSRP and proceeds as follows:
– If the PCell can set up a user-plane link to the top-priority candidate SCell
(for example, cell 2), the gNodeB sends an RRCReconfiguration message
to change the SCell from cell 1 to cell 2 for the CA UE.
– If the PCell cannot set up a user-plane link to cell 2, the gNodeB tries the
next candidate SCell. If the PCell cannot set up a user-plane link to any
candidate SCell, the gNodeB does not change the SCell for the CA UE.
5.1.4.3 SCell Activation

The gNodeB activates configured SCells when the following traffic volume
conditions are met:

5G RAN
● Downlink traffic volume: If the gNodeB determines that based on the current
radio channel quality, the downlink data buffered at the Radio Link Control
(RLC) layer for a UE cannot be completely transmitted in the PCell within 10
ms, then the gNodeB delivers a MAC control element (CE) to activate all
SCells.
● Uplink traffic volume: If the gNodeB determines that based on the current
radio channel quality, the uplink to-be-scheduled data of a UE indicated by
the buffer status report (BSR) from the UE cannot be completely transmitted
in the PCell within 10 ms, then the gNodeB delivers a MAC CE to activate only
the SCells configured for the uplink. An SCell configured only for the downlink
is not activated.
For details about SCell activation, see section 6.1.3.10 "SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC
CEs" in 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.6.0.
Figure 5-6 illustrates SCell activation.
Figure 5-6 SCell activation
5.1.4.4 SCell Deactivation

When the traffic volume of a CA UE or the channel quality of SCells meets certain
conditions, the gNodeB deactivates the SCells. Figure 5-7 illustrates this function.
For details about SCell deactivation, see section 6.1.3.10 "SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC
CEs" in 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.6.0.

5G RAN
Figure 5-7 SCell deactivation
Traffic Volume–triggered SCell Deactivation

For SCell deactivation to be triggered by traffic volume, the gNodeB first
determines whether the uplink and downlink traffic volume meet the conditions
listed in Table 5-2.
Table 5-2 Conditions for traffic volume–triggered SCell deactivation
Uplink/Downlink Condition
Uplink Both of the following conditions are met:

radio channel quality, the uplink to-be-scheduled
data of a UE indicated by the BSR from the UE can
be completely transmitted in the PCell within 1 ms.
● The uplink throughput of the UE is less than min{x,
0.5 Mbit/s}, where x is the uplink throughput of the
PCC calculated based on the current radio channel
quality.
Downlink Both of the following conditions are met:

radio channel quality, the downlink data buffered at
the RLC layer for a UE can be completely transmitted
in the PCell within 1 ms.
● The downlink throughput of the UE is less than
min{y, 2 Mbit/s}, where y is the downlink throughput
of the PCC calculated based on the current radio
channel quality.
The gNodeB performs the following operations every other second:
● If both the uplink and downlink deactivation conditions are met, the gNodeB
delivers a MAC CE to deactivate all the SCells of the CA UE.

5G RAN
● If only downlink deactivation conditions are met, the gNodeB delivers a MAC
CE to deactivate all SCells that are configured with only downlink CA services
for the CA UE.
● If only uplink deactivation conditions are met, the gNodeB does not
deactivate any SCells.
Channel Quality–triggered SCell Deactivation

When the spectral efficiency corresponding to the channel quality indicator (CQI)
of an SCell reported by a CA UE is lower than the spectral efficiency corresponding
to NRDUCellCarrMgmt.SccDeactvCqiThld configured for the SCell, the gNodeB
delivers a MAC CE to deactivate the SCell. If the
NRDUCellCarrMgmt.SccDeactvCqiThld parameter is set to 0 for an SCell,
channel quality-triggered SCell deactivation does not take effect for the SCell.
5.1.4.5 SCell Removal

SCell removal is triggered either by event A2 or when an SCell is unavailable.
If a CA UE reports event A2 for an SCell, the gNodeB removes the SCell as shown
in Figure 5-8.
Figure 5-8 SCell removal
1. The gNodeB delivers event A2 measurement configurations for SCells that

have been configured (either in a blind manner or based on event A5
measurements) and activated for a CA UE.

5G RAN
2. If the RSRP of an SCell reported by the CA UE is less than the event A2

threshold, the CA UE reports event A2 for the SCell to the gNodeB.
3. The gNodeB sends the CA UE an RRCReconfiguration message to remove the
SCell.
The effective event A2 threshold is the sum of

gNBCaFrequency.CaA2RsrpThldOffset.
It is recommended that the threshold for event A5 be higher than the threshold
for event A2. If this requirement cannot be met, the CA UE reports event A2
immediately after the gNodeB configures an SCell based on event A5
measurements, causing the SCell to be removed. Once this happens and if the
traffic volume of the CA UE meets the SCell activation conditions for a long period
of time, the gNodeB will periodically trigger SCell configuration and removal for
the CA UE based on the traffic volume.
If an SCell becomes unavailable due to faults or other reasons, the gNodeB sends
the CA UE an RRCReconfiguration message to remove the SCell.
5.1.4.6 SCell Uplink Timing

The timing advances (TAs) in the PCell and SCell are different because the
distances of a CA UE to the receive antennas of these cells are different, and
uplink data is sent at different times from the antennas for the cells. If the SCell
uses the TA of the PCell, then uplink demodulation performance and uplink peak
data rates will be affected.
To address this issue, the function of multiple timing advances (MTA) is

introduced. The principles are as follows:
If an SCell provides uplink resources for a CA UE, the physical random access
channel (PRACH) resources are configured for the SCell. After the SCell is
activated for the UE, the gNodeB sends a physical downlink control channel
(PDCCH) order to the UE in the PCell and, as instructed, the UE initiates a non-
contention-based random access procedure in the SCell. The gNodeB then
maintains an uplink timing mechanism for each serving cell of the UE and the UE
sends uplink data in the PCell and SCell using independent TAs.
If the number of preamble retransmissions from a CA UE in the SCell reaches the

maximum number allowed, the random access procedure fails. The UE stops
random access without triggering an RRC connection reestablishment. As a result,
the UE is out-of-synchronization in the uplink in the SCell. If the SCell activation
conditions are met again and the SCell uplink time alignment timer expires, the
PCell sends a PDCCH order to instruct the UE to initiate a random access
procedure again. For details about the uplink time alignment timer, see 5G
Networking and Signaling.
● The MTA function requires the same subframe configuration in the PCell and each SCell.
● The MTA function requires that the UE have the MTA capability.

5G RAN
5.1.4.7 SCell CSI-RS Beam Scheme

For downlink CA to take effect, the gNodeB must obtain the directions of CSI-RS
beams for a UE in the PCell and SCells.
If asymmetric CA takes effect for a CA UE, some SCells are configured only for the
downlink. The gNodeB cannot obtain the directions of the beams for the UE in
these SCells based on the uplink. As a result, these SCells cannot be used. If an
SCell is served by the same RF module as the PCell, the CSI-RS beam directions for
the UE in these cells are the same. Then, the gNodeB takes the CSI-RS beam
direction in the PCell as that in the SCell. This is the case with intra-band CA. In
inter-band CA scenarios, however, the beam direction in the PCell is of no use to
SCells because SCells and the PCell generally do not share the same RF module.
To address this issue, the CSI beam sweeping function is introduced. This function
is controlled by the CARR_CSI_BEAM_SWEEPING_SW option of the
NRDUCellCarrMgmt.CaEnhancedAlgoSwitch parameter. This option must be
selected to enable this function when the PCell and SCells are served by different
RF modules, for example, in intra-FR inter-band CA scenarios.
The principles of this function are as follows:
1. The gNodeB performs CSI beam sweeping in each SCell of a UE to obtain the
optimal beams for the UE in the SCells and sends CSI-RSs on these beams.
2. The UE performs measurements for CQI, PMI, and rank indication (RI) based
on the CSI-RSs sent by the SCells.
3. The UE reports the CQI, RI, and PMI measurement results of the SCells on the
PUCCH or PUSCH in the PCell.
In symmetric CA scenarios, the gNodeB obtains the CSI-RS beam directions for a UE in
SCells based on the uplink. The CSI beam sweeping function does not take effect even if it
is enabled.
5.2 Network Analysis
5.2.1 Benefits
The downlink and uplink peak data rates of CA UEs increase.
Table 5-3 lists the ranges of peak data rates that a CA UE can reach using
downlink 2CC aggregation.
Table 5-3 Ranges of peak data rates reached using downlink 2CC aggregation
SRS-based (A x 90% + B x 90%) to (A x 100% + B x 100%)
PMI-based (A x 90% + B x 60%) to (A x 100% + B x 70%)

5G RAN
Note 1: The SCell weight type depends on the CA UE capability. If a CA UE

transmits SRSs in an SCell, SRS-based weights are used. Otherwise, PMI-based
weights are used.
Note 2: A and B are the downlink data rates that a UE can reach in the PCell
and SCell, respectively, when CA is not performed for the UE.
No UE currently supports uplink CA. Therefore, the range of peak data rates reached using
uplink CA is not provided.
5.2.2 Impacts
Network Impacts
● System capacity
A CA UE with SCells configured has only one RRC connection to the network.
Such a UE consumes one sales unit of the license for the number of
RRC_CONNECTED UEs. However, the CA UE consumes one hardware resource
unit in the PCell and SCells separately. With nCC aggregation for all UEs on
the network, the maximum number of UEs that can access the network
decreases to 1/n (n is an integer).
● Resource usage
– Overall PRB usage of the network
On commercial networks, most services accessed by CA UEs are burst
services. There is little probability that PRBs in all of the CCs of a UE will
be exhausted simultaneously. When CA is enabled, cell load can be
rapidly balanced through carrier management and scheduling to help
utilize idle resources and increase the overall PRB usage of the network.
– PUCCH and PUSCH overheads
Each CA UE sends the ACK/NACK and CSI related to its SCells in its PCell
with the PUCCH. When the PUSCH is not scheduled, the UE sends the
information over the PUCCH. When the PUSCH is scheduled, the UE
sends the information over the PUSCH. Therefore, the PUCCH overhead
or the signaling overhead on the PUSCH increases.
● Overall throughput in the entire network
CA does not directly affect network capacity. However, when the resources on
a network have not been exhausted, CA increases the overall resource usage
and network throughput.
● KPI fluctuation
– The PCell and SCells of each UE may not have the same channel quality.
Therefore, SCell CQIs fluctuate after SCells are configured for UEs.
– After CA is enabled, PUCCH format 3 and format 4 are used more often
than before. Therefore, the average value of counters
N.UL.SINR.PUCCH.Index0 to N.UL.SINR.PUCCH.Index7 decreases
slightly.

5G RAN
Function Impacts
Name Switch
Low- UL CoMP INTRA_GNB_ CoMP (Low- UL CoMP cannot be

frequency UL_COMP_S Frequency performed for CA
TDD W option of TDD) UEs in their SCells.
the
NRDUCellAl
goSwitch.Co
mpSwitch
parameter
Low- DL CoMP INTRA_GNB_ CoMP (Low- DL CoMP cannot be

frequency DL_JT_SW Frequency performed for CA
TDD option of the TDD) UEs in their SCells.
NRDUCellAl
goSwitch.Co
mpSwitch
parameter
Low- Power saving BWP2_SWIT UE Power BWP2, which

frequency BWP CH option of Saving provides a narrow
TDD the bandwidth, is not
NRDUCellUe configured for CA
PwrSaving.B UEs in their SCells.
wpPwrSavin
gSw
parameter
Low- Slot None Standards The absolute value

frequency Configuratio Compliance of the frame offset
TDD n (TDD) difference between
the PCell and an
SCell must be less
than or equal to 625
Ts. Otherwise, intra-
FR inter-band CA
does not take effect.
The frame offset is
specified by the
gNBFreqBandConfi
g.FrameOffset
parameter.

5G RAN

Name Switch
FDD PUCCH None Channel The

Low- channel Management NRDUCellPucch.Str
frequency management uctureType
TDD parameter must be
set to
LONG_STRUCTURE.
If it is set to
SHORT_STRUCTURE
, intra-FR inter-band
CA does not take
effect.
FDD LTE FDD and LTE_NR_FDD LTE FDD and After intra-FR inter-
NR Flash _SPCT_SHR_ NR Spectrum band CA is enabled
Dynamic SW option of Sharing in a cell where LTE
Spectrum the FDD and NR Flash
Sharing NRDuCellAl Dynamic Spectrum
goSwitch.Sp Sharing has been
ectrumClou enabled, the cell
dSwitch must be restarted.
parameter Otherwise, intra-FR
inter-band CA does
not take effect.
FDD Intra-RAT NR_NR_ANR ANR The gNodeB does

Low- ANR _SW option not deliver
frequency of the measurement
TDD NRCellAlgoS configurations if
witch.AnrSw intra-FR inter-band
itch CA is disabled or if
parameter intra-FR inter-band
CA is enabled but
blind SCell
configuration is
used. In this case,
intra-RAT ANR will
not be triggered.
5.3 Requirements
5.3.1 Licenses
Feature ID Feature Name Model Sales Unit
FOFD-031201 Intra-FR Inter-Band NR0SINFRIBCA per Cell

CA

5G RAN
5.3.2 Software
Before activating this function, ensure that its prerequisite functions have been
activated and mutually exclusive functions have been deactivated. For detailed
operations, see the relevant feature documents.
Prerequisite Functions
None
Mutually Exclusive Functions

Name Switch
Low- UL and DL NRDUCellAl UL and DL Intra-FR inter-band

frequency Decoupling goSwitch.Ul Decoupling CA does not work
TDD DlDecouplin with UL and DL
gSwitch Decoupling.
Low- High-speed NRDUCell.Hi High Speed Currently, intra-FR

frequency Railway ghSpeedFla Mobility inter-band CA
TDD Superior g (Low- cannot be enabled in
Experience Frequency high-speed cells,
TDD) where
NRDUCell.HighSpee
dFlag is set to
HIGH_SPEED.
Low- Hyper Cell NRDUCell.N Hyper Cell Currently, intra-FR

frequency rDuCellNet (Low- inter-band CA
TDD workingMo Frequency cannot be enabled in
de TDD) hyper cells, where
NRDUCell.NrDuCell
NetworkingMode is
set to HYPER_CELL.
Low- Super Uplink SUPER_UL_T Super Uplink Intra-FR inter-band

frequency Phase 1 DM_SCH_S (Low- CA does not work
TDD W option of Frequency with Super Uplink
the TDD) Phase 1.
NRDUCellAl
goSwitch.Su
perUplinkS
witch
parameter

5G RAN

Name Switch
FDD PDCCH rate PDCCH_RAT Scheduling Intra-FR inter-band

Low- matching EMATCH_S CA does not work
frequency W option of with PDCCH rate
TDD the matching.
NRDUCellPd
sch.RateMat
chSwitch
parameter
5.3.3 Hardware
One prerequisite for CA is that the corresponding cells have been set up. The following
requirements for base station models, boards, and RF modules are based on this
prerequisite.
Base Station Models

3900 and 5900 series base stations. 3900 series base stations must be configured
with the BBU3910.
Boards
All NR-capable main control boards and baseband processing units support this
function. To learn which main control boards and baseband processing units are
NR-capable, see the related BBU technical specifications in 3900 & 5900 Series
Base Station Product Documentation.
CA can be performed in one baseband processing unit or between baseband
processing units.
RF Modules
All NR-capable RF modules that work in low frequency bands support this
function. For details about such RF modules, see the technical specifications of the
related RF modules in 3900 & 5900 Series Base Station Product Documentation.
5.3.4 Networking
Frequency
There must be at least two frequencies available on the live network.

5G RAN
Coverage
The coverage areas provided by the cells involved in CA must overlap. The smaller
the overlapping range, the smaller the area where intra-FR inter-band CA takes
effect.
Cell
The inter-frequency NR cell relationships have been configured (using the
NRCellRelation MO).
For intra-frequency cells, the network must be planned to prevent PCI conflicts.
Intra-FR inter-band CA does not take effect in NR SUL cells.
Intra-FR inter-band CA does not take effect for low-frequency cells configured
with short PUCCH.
The absolute value of the frame offset difference between the PCell and an SCell
must be less than or equal to 625 Ts. Otherwise, intra-FR inter-band CA does not
take effect.
The distance (km) between the RF modules serving the PCell and an SCell must
be less than or equal to the result of the following formula: (33 – Absolute value
of the frame offset difference between the cells – 3) x Speed of light. (The speed
of light is expressed in m/μs and the other items in the formula are expressed in
μs.) Otherwise, the downlink throughput will be affected. For example, if the
absolute value of the frame offset difference is 625 Ts, the RF module distance
must be less than or equal to 3 km.
The frame boundaries of the PCell and an SCell must be aligned in the uplink.
Otherwise, the uplink throughput of CA UEs is affected.
5.3.5 Others
● 5GC: For intra-FR inter-band CA to deliver a theoretical peak data rate to CA
UEs, the maximum bit rate that each CA UE subscribes to in the 5GC cannot
be lower than this theoretical value.
● UEs: UEs must support CA. During initial access, an incoming handover, or an
incoming RRC connection reestablishment, a UE reports its CA capabilities to
the gNodeB.
5.4 Operation and Maintenance
5.4.1 Data Configuration
5.4.1.1 Data Preparation

Before activating this function, ensure that inter-frequency NR cell relationships
(in the NRCellRelation MO) and NR cell frequency relationships (in the
NRCellFreqRelation MO) have been configured. For details about the
configuration, see Mobility Management.

5G RAN
Table 5-4 describes the parameters used for function activation. No parameters
are involved in function optimization.
Table 5-4 Parameters used for activation

Name
CA Algorithm NRDUCellAlg INTRA_FR_IN Select this option.

Switch oSwitch.CaAl TER_BAND_C
goSwitch A_SW
NR Cell ID NRCellCaMg N/A Set this parameter based on

mtConfig.Nr the network plan.
CellId
CA Strategy NRCellCaMg SCC_BLIND_C Select this option if blind SCell
Switch mtConfig.CaS ONFIG_SW configuration is required.
trategySwitc
h
oupId
CA Enhanced NRDUCellCar CARR_CSI_BE Select this option.
Algorithm rMgmt.CaEn AM_SWEEPIN
Switch hancedAlgoS G_SW
witch
oupId
Downlink gNBCaFreque N/A Set this parameter based on
NARFCN ncy.DlNarfcn the network plan.
SSB gNBCaFreque N/A Set this parameter based on

Frequency ncy.SsbFreqP the network plan.
Position os
CA A5 RSRP NRCellCaMg N/A To trigger SCell configurations
Threshold 2 mtConfig.Ca only when the SCells provide
A5RsrpThld2 better service quality, increase
The value of this parameter
must be greater than the
value of NRCellCaMgmtCon-
fig.CaA2RsrpThld.
CA SCC A5 gNBCaFreque N/A To adjust the CA event A5

RSRP ncy.CaSccA5R threshold for different SCCs,
Threshold 2 srpThld2Offs set this parameter according
Offset et to operators' policies.

5G RAN

Name
CA A6 Offset NRCellCaMg N/A To trigger SCell changes only

mtConfig.Ca when the neighboring cells of
A6Offset the SCells provide better
service quality, increase the
value of this parameter.
SCC NRDUCellCar N/A It is recommended that this

Deactivation rMgmt.SccDe parameter be set to 5. To
CQI Threshold actvCqiThld ensure that SCells are
activated only when the
channel quality of CA UEs is
high, increase the value of this
parameter.
CA A2 RSRP NRCellCaMg N/A To trigger SCell removals only

Threshold mtConfig.Ca when the SCells provide
A2RsrpThld poorer service quality, reduce
CA A2 RSRP gNBCaFreque N/A To adjust the CA event A2

Threshold ncy.CaA2Rsrp threshold for different SCCs,
Offset ThldOffset set this parameter according
to operators' policies.
5.4.1.2 Using MML Commands
Activation Command Examples

//Enabling intra-FR inter-band CA
MOD NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH: NrDuCellId=0, CaAlgoSwitch=INTRA_FR_INTER_BAND_CA_SW-1;
//(Optional) Restarting the cell. This operation is required if LTE FDD and NR Flash Dynamic Spectrum
Sharing has been enabled for the cell. If the cell is not restarted, intra-FR inter-band CA will not take effect.
DEA NRCELL: NrCellId=0;
ACT NRCELL: NrCellId=0;
//Enabling CSI beam sweeping. The SCell cannot be used if the function is disabled.
MOD NRDUCellCarrMgmt: NrDuCellId=0, CaEnhancedAlgoSwitch=CARR_CSI_BEAM_SWEEPING_SW-1;
//Configuring the CA frequency group and its frequencies, and the offsets for event A2 and event A5. The
DlNarfcn and SsbFreqPos parameter values must be the same as those in the NrDuCell MO.
//Setting CA-related parameters
MOD NRCELLCAMGMTCONFIG: NrCellId=0, CaA2RsrpThld=-110, CaA5RsrpThld2=-100, CaA6Offset=3;
//(Optional) Setting parameters related to blind SCell configuration
//Turning on the switch of blind SCell configuration
//Setting BlindScellConfigFlag to TRUE
MOD NRCELLRELATION: NrCellId=0, Mcc="302", Mnc="220", gNBId=1234, CellId=1,
BlindScellConfigFlag=TRUE;
//Setting the CQI threshold for SCell deactivation
MOD NRDUCellCarrMgmt: NrDuCellId=0, SccDeactvCqiThld=5;

5G RAN
Deactivation Command Examples

//Disabling intra-FR inter-band CA
MOD NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH: NrDuCellId=0, CaAlgoSwitch= INTRA_FR_INTER_BAND_CA_SW-0;
//Disabling CSI beam sweeping
MOD NRDUCellCarrMgmt: NrDuCellId=0, CaEnhancedAlgoSwitch=CARR_CSI_BEAM_SWEEPING_SW-0;
5.4.1.3 Using the MAE-Deployment

For detailed operations, see Feature Configuration Using the MAE-Deployment.
5.4.2 Activation Verification

Provided CA UEs are available on the network, intra-FR inter-band CA has taken
effect if any counter in Table 5-5 returns a non-zero value.
Table 5-5 Counters related to intra-FR inter-band CA
1911816773 N.User.CA.PCell.DL.Avg
1911816775 N.User.CA.PCell.UL.Avg
1911816774 N.User.CA.SCell.DL.Avg
1911816776 N.User.CA.SCell.UL.Avg
1911816900 N.User.CA.PCell.DL.SCellAct.Avg
1911816901 N.User.CA.PCell.UL.SCellAct.Avg
1911816902 N.User.CA.SCell.DL.Act.Avg
1911816903 N.User.CA.SCell.UL.Act.Avg
The counters related to the numbers of attempts and successful times regarding
SCell configuration, change, activation, deactivation, and removal are listed in
Table 5-6.
Table 5-6 Counters related to SCell management
1911816777 N.CA.SCell.Add.Att
1911816778 N.CA.SCell.Add.Succ
1911816781 N.CA.SCell.Mod.Att
1911816782 N.CA.SCell.Mod.Succ
1911816896 N.CA.SCell.Act.Att
1911816897 N.CA.SCell.Act.Succ

5G RAN
1911816898 N.CA.SCell.Deact.Att
1911816899 N.CA.SCell.Deact.Succ
1911816779 N.CA.SCell.Rmv.Att
1911816780 N.CA.SCell.Rmv.Succ
5.4.3 Network Monitoring

Observe the average downlink UE throughput and average uplink UE throughput
to check whether the UE data rate increases after this function is enabled.
● Average downlink UE throughput = User Downlink Average Throughput
(DU)
● Average uplink UE throughput = User Uplink Average Throughput (DU)

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 6 Parameters
6 Parameters
The following hyperlinked EXCEL files of parameter reference match the software
version with which this document is released.
● Node Parameter Reference: contains device and transport parameters.
● gNodeBFunction Parameter Reference: contains all parameters related to
radio access functions, including air interface management, access control,
mobility control, and radio resource management.
You can find the EXCEL files of parameter reference for the software version used on the
live network from the product documentation delivered with that version.
FAQ: How do I find the parameters related to a certain feature from

parameter reference?
Step 1 Open the EXCEL file of parameter reference.

Step 2 On the Parameter List sheet, filter the Feature ID column. Click Text Filters and
choose Contains. Enter the feature ID, for example, FBFD-020100.
Step 3 Click OK. All parameters related to the feature are displayed.
----End

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 7 Counters
7 Counters
The following hyperlinked EXCEL files of performance counter reference match the
software version with which this document is released.
● Node Performance Counter Summary: contains device and transport counters.
● gNodeBFunction Performance Counter Summary: contains all counters related
to radio access functions, including air interface management, access control,
mobility control, and radio resource management.
You can find the EXCEL files of performance counter reference for the software version used
on the live network from the product documentation delivered with that version.
FAQ: How do I find the counters related to a certain feature from

performance counter reference?
Step 1 Open the EXCEL file of performance counter reference.

Step 2 On the Counter Summary(En) sheet, filter the Feature ID column. Click Text
Filters and choose Contains. Enter the feature ID, for example, FBFD-020100.
Step 3 Click OK. All counters related to the feature are displayed.
----End

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 8 Glossary
8 Glossary
For the acronyms, abbreviations, terms, and definitions, see Glossary.

5G RAN
Carrier Aggregation Feature Parameter Description 9 Reference Documents
9 Reference Documents
● 3GPP TS 38.101-1: "NR; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and

reception; Part 1: Range 1 Standalone"
● 3GPP TS 38.101-2: "NR; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and
reception; Part 2: Range 2 Standalone"
● 3GPP TS 38.104: "NR; Base Station (BS) radio transmission and reception"
● 3GPP TS 38.300: "NR; Overall description; Stage-2"
● 3GPP TS 38.321: "NR; Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification"
● 3GPP TS 38.331: "NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification"
● UL and DL Decoupling
● CoMP (Low-Frequency TDD)
● UE Power Saving
● Channel Management
● ANR
● UL and DL Decoupling
● High Speed Mobility (Low-Frequency TDD)
● Hyper Cell (Low-Frequency TDD)
● Super Uplink (Low-Frequency TDD)
● MIMO
● Standards Compliance
● LTE FDD and NR Spectrum Sharing
● Scheduling
● 5G Networking and Signaling
● Mobility Management
● Technical Specifications in 3900 & 5900 Series Base Station Product
Documentation

Carrier Aggregation (5G RAN3.1 - 02)

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5G RAN

Carrier Aggregation Feature

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Trademarks and Permissions

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. i

2 About This Document.............................................................................................................6

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ii

4.4 Operation and Maintenance............................................................................................................................................. 30

5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA.........................................................................................................35

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. iii

This chapter describes changes not included in the "Parameters", "Counters",

1.1 5G RAN3.1 02 (2020-05-21)

Change Description Parameter Change RAT Base Station Model

Added the requirements None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Removed VMIMO (low- None Low- DBS3900 LampSite and

None None High- 3900 and 5900 series

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 1

1.2 5G RAN3.1 01 (2020-04-07)

1.3 5G RAN3.1 Draft B (2020-03-09)

Allowed a once- None High- 3900 and 5900 series

None None FDD 3900 and 5900 series

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2

1.4 5G RAN3.1 Draft A (2020-01-20)

Added PUCCH channel None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 3

Change Description Parameter Change RAT Base Station Model

Changed the name of None FDD 3900 and 5900 series

Updated the traffic None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Updated the conditions None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Supplemented the None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Changed the name of a None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 4

Change Description Parameter Change RAT Base Station Model

Added UL CoMP, DL None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Added intra-RAT ANR to None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Added VMIMO (low- None Low- DBS3900 LampSite and

Added SRS resource None Low- 3900 and 5900 series

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 5

2 About This Document

2.1 General Statements

2.2 Features in This Document

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 6

Feature ID Feature Name Chapter/Section

FOFD-02020 Intra-band CA 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

FOFD-03120 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

2.3 Differences Between NR FDD and NR TDD

Intra-band This function is 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

Intra-FR None 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

2.4 Differences Between NSA and SA

Intra-band None 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

Intra-FR None 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

2.5 Differences Between High Frequency Bands and

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 7

Function Difference Chapter/Section

Intra-band This function is 4 Intra-band CA (TDD)

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 8

Function Difference Chapter/Section

Intra-FR This function is 5 Intra-FR Inter-Band CA

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 9

Figure 3-1 illustrates an example of CA.

Figure 3-1 CA for UEs

Issue 02 (2020-05-21) Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 10