2 TMO18042 UTRAN System Description

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010
TMO18042 Edition D0 SG DEN I2.0

Section 1 · Pager 1
A Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is composed of 2 main parts:
The Access Network (AN) provides the radio interface and radio resource management for mobile
communications toward the Core Network (CN).
The Core network is in charge of User Equipment (UE) Mobility (MM) and Session (SM) management. It
also deals with the external networks for voice call establishment or data session establishment.
The UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) is the UMTS Access Network; it’s composed of
Node Bs and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs).
An ATM switch interfaces the UTRAN and the CN:
• Iu-CS interface for the Circuit Switched Core Network (CSCN).
• Iu-PS interface for the Packet Switched Core Network (PSCN).
The PLMN connects specifically to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for voice or to the
Packet Data Network (PDN) for data.
The CN includes the Intelligent Network (IN) for value-added services.
Example of services:
For voice:
• Voice Call Prepaid Service
• SMS service
• Call Waiting

CN
⚫ 2 separated domains: Circuit Switched (CS) and Packet Switched (PS) which reuse the
infrastructure of GSM and GPRS respectively.
UTRAN
⚫ new radio interface: CDMA
⚫ new transmission technology: ATM
CN independent of AN
⚫ The specificity of the access network due to mobile system should be transparent to the core
network, which may potentially use any access technique.
⚫ Radio specificity of the access network is hidden to the core network.
⚫ UE radio mobility is fully controlled by UTRAN.
Some correspondences with GSM:

⚫ CN NSS Uu Um
⚫ UTRAN BSS Iub A-bis
⚫ RNC BSC Iur no equivalent
⚫ Node-B BTS Iu-CS A
⚫ UE MS Iu-PS Gb

A manufacturer can produce only the Node-B (and not the RNC). This is not possible in GSM (A-bis is a
proprietary interface)
The Iur physical connection can go through the CN using common physical links with Iu-CS and Iu-PS.
However there is a direct logical connection between the 2 RNCs: the Iur information is not handled by
the CN.

An RNS (Radio Network Subsystem) contains one RNC (Radio Network Controller) and at least one
Node-B.
The RNC takes a more important place in UTRAN than the BSC in the GSM BSS. Indeed RNC can perform
soft HO, while in GSM there is no connection between BSCs and only hard HO can be applied.

An RNS (Radio Network Subsystem) contains one RNC (Radio Network Controller) and at least one
Node-B.
A Node-B is also more complex than the GSM BTS, because it handles softer HO.
Controlling RNC (CRNC): a role an RNC can take with respect to a specific set of Node-Bs (ie those Node-
Bs belonging to the same RNS). There is only one CRNC for any Node-B. The CRNC has the overall control
of the logical resources of its Node-Bs

Iu Protocols :
⚫ RANAP: Radio Access Network Application Protocol,
⚫ RNSAP: Radio Network Sub-system Application Protocol,
⚫ NBAP: Node B Application Protocol,
⚫ ALCAP is a generic name for the signalling protocols of the Transport Network Control
⚫ Plane used to establish/release Data Bearers.
⚫ It makes establishment/release of Data Bearers on request of the Application Protocol.
Radio Protocols :
⚫ RRC: Radio Resource Control
⚫ RLC: Radio Link Control
⚫ MAC: Medium Access Control
NAS Signaling :
⚫ NAS refers to higher layers (3 to 7). Entities of this part will exchange tele-services and bearer
services

AAL5 has been designed to adapt non real time, connectionless oriented data at variable bit rate (eg,
web browsing) to ATM.
AAL2 has been designed to adapt real time, connection oriented data at variable bit rate (eg, voice in
AMR) to ATM.

The Iu protocols are responsible for exchanges of signalling and user data between two endpoints of an
Iu interface (e.g. Node-B and RNC over the Iub interface) .
The ALCAP protocol is used to establish the AAL2 connections for the the data stream (user data &
user signaling) of the Radio Network Layer.

Note: AAL2 and AAL5 are sub-layers of ATM which provide some adaptation between the application
(voice, data, signalling) and the ATM layer.
NBAP
⚫ is used to carry signalling (e.g Radio Link Establishment)
⚫ Examples of actions of NBAP during Radio Link Establishment:
 signalling exchanges over Iub, which permits the RNC to reserve radio resources of Node-B
for the Radio Link
 signalling transaction with ALCAP, which will setup a Iub data bearer (on AAL2) to carry the
Radio Link
Frame Protocols
⚫ At this stage Data Streams (carrying RABs, NAS signalling, SMS Cell Broadcast service, RRC
connection establishment…) have been mapped on transport channels
⚫ The Frame Protocols (FP) define the structures of the frame and the basic in-band control
procedures for every type of transport channels.
ALCAP
⚫ is used to set up AAL2 connections for Data Streams.
Bearers
⚫ Data Streams are carried on AAL2, which enables better bandwidth efficiency for user packets but

requires its own signalling (ALCAP signalling is used to set up AAL2 connections for Data
Streams).
⚫ NBAP and ALCAP messages are carried on AAL5.

Note: AAL2 and AAL5 are sub-layers of ATM which provide some adaptation between the application
(voice, data, signalling) and the ATM layer.
RNSAP
⚫ It is used to carry signalling (e.g Radio Link Establishment)
⚫ e.g. actions of RNSAP during Radio Link Establishment:
 signalling exchanges over Iur: the SRNC request the DRNC to reserve radio resources for the
Radio Link (the DRNC will afterwards reserve these radio resources in the suitable Node-B)
 signalling transaction with ALCAP, which will setup a Iur data bearer to carry the Radio Link
Frame Protocols
⚫ At this stage Data Streams (carrying RABs, NAS signalling, SMS Cell Broadcast service, RRC
connection establishment…) have been mapped on transport channels
⚫ The Frame Protocols (FP) define the structures of the frame and the basic in-band control
procedures for every type of transport channels.
ALCAP
⚫ It is used to set up AAL2 connections for Data Streams.
Bearers
⚫ Data Streams are carried on AAL2, which enables better bandwidth efficiency for user packets but
requires its own signalling (ALCAP signalling is used to set up AAL2 connections for Data Streams).

RNSAP and ALCAP messages are carried on AAL5.

As you can see, HYBRID IUB introduces a hybrid transport (ATM & IP) on the Iub interface on the RNC &
Node B. This functionality enables the operator to split delay sensitive traffic from non delay sensitive
traffic. R99 traffic is carried over E1 to secure voice transportation as well as all delay sensitive traffic,
whereas non-delay sensitive traffic is carried over IP, over a private IP network.
In the hybrid Iub interface, the R99, signaling and OAM traffic remains on the ATM/PCM and the HSPA
(HSDPA and E-DCH) is supported on IP/Ethernet. Hybrid Iub requires a 100Base-T Ethernet port in the Node
B and a Gigabit Ethernet board on the RNC side.

The evolution of the Tranport network towards IP is applicable on 2 interfaces in UA06. The first possible IP
evolution is the introduction of the Hybrid Iub Interface, combining both traffic such as voice over ATM and
traffic such as data on IP over Ethernet. The second possible IP evolution consists in the Iu-PS interface
towards the SGSN This interface will carry the Internet packet on a IP backbone over Ethernet instead of
AAL5 over ATM
UDP/IP is used for the User Plane.

Dynamic management of GTP tunnel is ensured by the user plane towards the PS domain.
The physical layer is supported by OC-3/STM-1 and IP over Gigabit Ethernet.

The Transport Network Control plane (ALCAP) is not necessary on the Iu-PS interface (ALCAP mandatory for
ATM/AAL2 only).

The Iu-PS interface is an open interface between the RNC and the SGSN for the packet domain.
ATM and IP stacks for Iu-PS are supported.
On this interface, the SCCP supports transport of RANAP messages used by the Control Plane.
The ATM stack is like the Iu-CS interface.
The AAL5/ATM stack is used to transport IP packets across the Iu interface towards the packet-switched
domain.
The IP stack uses the MTP-3 User Adaptation Layer (or M3UA) and the Stream Control Transmission Protocol
(SCTP) to transport signaling over the IP network.
The physical layer is supported by OC-3/STM-1 and IP over Gigabit Ethernet.

The Transport Network Control plane (ALCAP) is not necessary on the Iu-PS interface (ALCAP mandatory for
ATM/AAL2 only).

A Radio Bearer is the service provided by a protocol entity (i.e. RLC protocol) for transfer of data
between UE and UTRAN.
Radio bearers are the highest level of bearer services exchanged between UTRAN and UE.
Radio bearers are mapped successively on logical channels, transport channels and physical channels
(Radio Physical Bearer Service on the figure)

Example of available RAB in R4
Conversational
AMR 12.2/12.2, 64/64
(CS)
Streaming (CS) 14.4/14.4
Interactive (PS) R2: 64/128, 64/384 64/144, 128/384, 144/384, 32/32, 64/64, 128/128, 144/144
Background
R2: 64/128, 64/384 64/144, 128/384, 144/384, 32/32, 64/64, 128/128, 144/144
(PS)

The radio protocols are responsible for exchanges of signalling and user data between the UE and the
UTRAN over the Uu interface:
User plane protocols

⚫ These are the protocols implementing the actual Radio Access Bearer (RAB) service, i.e. carrying
user data through the access stratum.
Control plane protocols

⚫ These are the protocols for controlling the radio access bearers and the connection between the
UE and the network from different aspects including requesting the service, controlling different
transmission resources, handover & streamlining etc...
⚫ Also a mechanism for transparent transfer of Non Access Stratum (NAS) messages is included.
Some principles:
⚫ The Radio Protocols are independent of the applied transport layer technology (ATM in R99): that
may be changed in the future while the Radio Protocols remain intact.
⚫ The main part of radio protocols are located in the RNC (and in the UE).
⚫ The Node-B is mainly a relay between UE and RNC.

Please note that RAB (Radio Access Bearer) are only provided in the user plane.
What is a RRC connection?

⚫ When the UE needs to exchange any information with the network, it must first establish a
signalling link with the UTRAN: it is made through a procedure with the RRC protocol and it is
called “RRC connection establishment”.
⚫ During this procedure the UE will send an initial access request on CCCH to establish a signalling
link which will be carried on a DCCH.
⚫ A given UE can have either zero or one RRC connection.

The logical channels are divided into:
⚫ Control channels for the transfer of control plane information
⚫ Traffic channels for the transfer of user plane information

The transport channels provides a flexible pattern to exchange data between UTRAN and the UE at a
variable bit rate for the multimedia services.
The logical channels are mapped on the transport channels by the MAC protocols.
By this way the data are processed according to the QoS required before sending them to the Node B by
the Iub.

A transport channel is defined by a Transport Format (TF) which may change every Time Transmission
Interval (TTI).
The TF is made of a Transport Block Set. The Transport Block size and the number of Transport Block
inside the set are dynamical parameters.
The TTI is a static parameter and is set typically at 10, 20 or 40 ms.
For example,
For a video-call (CS service at 64 kbps)
⚫ TTI = 20 ms
⚫ TFS = (640* 0,2)
⚫ Turbo coding (coding rate=1/3)
⚫ 16 CRC bits
For a PS 64 kbps service

⚫ TTI=20 ms
⚫ TFS = (336* 0,1,2,3,4)
⚫ Turbo coding (coding rate=1/3)
⚫ 16 CRC bits

What is TTI (Transmission Time Interval)?
⚫ it is equal to the periodicity at which a Transport Block Set is transferred by the physical layer on
the radio interface
⚫ it is always a multiple of the minimum interleaving period (e.g. 10ms, the length of one Radio
Frame)
⚫ MAC delivers one Transport Block Set to the physical layer every TTI.
What does the TFS provide ?

⚫ The selection at each TTI of a number of transport block among the allowed list provides the
required flexibility for the variable traffic and allows to manages the priority.

The transport channels are divided into:
Common channels: they are divided between all or a group of UEs in a cell. They require in-band
identification of the UEs when addressing particular UEs.
Dedicated channels: it is reserved for a single UE only. In-band identification is not necessary, a given UE
is identified by the physical channel (code and frequency in FDD mode)

BCH
⚫ high power to reach all the user and low fixed bit rate so that all terminals can decode the data
rate whatever its ability: only one Transport Format because there is no need for flexibility (fixed
bit rate)
PCH
⚫ only two transport channels can NOT carry user information: BCH and PCH.

Note: Beam-forming is also called “Inherent addressing of users”: it is the possibility of transmission to a
certain part of the cell.
RACH and FACH are mainly used to carry signalling (e.g at the initial access), but they can also carry
small amounts of data.
When a UE sends information on the RACH, it will receive information on FACH.

DSCH and CCPH seem to be symmetrical, but:
⚫ DSCH is on the DL, so that different user data are synchronised with each other (the information
on whether the UE should receive the DSCH or not is conveyed on the associated DCH)
⚫ CPCH is on the UL, so that different user data can NOT be synchronised (the mobile phones are not
synchronised). It may cause big problem of collisions!

DCH
⚫ It is different from GSM where TCH carries user data (e.g speech frames) and ACCH carries higher
layer signalling (e.g HO commands)
User data and signalling are therefore treated in the same way from the physical layer (although set of
parameters may be different between data and signalling)
⚫ wide range of Transport Format Set permits to be very flexible concerning the bit rate, the
interleaving...
⚫ Fast Power Control and soft HO are only applied on this transport channel.

According to the slide above and the previous one, we can say state that :
Except BCH and PCH, each type of transport channel can be used for the transfer of either control or
traffic logical channels.

On a cell, all the physical channels are sent on the same frequency and on the same time.
It is due to the radio technology, the WCDMA, really different than the one used with the GSM.
Here the physical channels are separated by codes. We will see this point on the next chapter.

Some common transport channels are multiplexed on the same physical channels. Like the FACH and the
PCH on the S-CCPCH.
The FACH is a downlink common channel to carry the traffic and the control data.
The PCH is the Paging channel.
⚫ By the same principles, several DCH (Dedicated channel) belonging by the same user are mapped
on one physical channel, the DPDCH. The DPCCH is its control channel at the physical level.

There are less channels in uplink. For the physical channels, there are the dedicated channels (DPDCH)
and the common channels (PRACH).
The PCPCH is not implemented in the Alactel-Lucent Solution.

After channel coding each transport block is split into radio frames of 10 ms.
The bit rate may be changed for each frame.
Each radio frame is also split into 15 time slots.
But all time slots belong to the same user (this slot structure has nothing to do with the TDMA structure
in GSM).
All time slots of a same TDMA frame have the same bit rate.
Fast power control may be performed for each time slot (1500 Hz).
The number of chips for one bit M is equivalent to the spreading factor. It can easily be computed with
knowledge of N:
In fact the spreading factor must be equal to 4, 8, 16…256.
Consequently it may be necessary to add some padding bits to match the adequate value of spreading
factor (rate matching).

The radio protocols are responsible for exchanges of signalling and user data between the UE and the
UTRAN over the Uu interface
The radio protocols are layered into:
⚫ the RRC protocol located in RNC* and UE
⚫ the RLC protocol located in RNC* and UE
⚫ the MAC protocol located in RNC* and UE
⚫ the physical layer (on the air interface) located in Node-B and UE
Two additional service-dependent protocols exists in the user plane in the layer 2: PDCP and BMC.
Each layer provides services to upper layers at Service Access Points (SAP) on a peer-to-peer
communication basis. The SAP are marked with circles. A service is defined by a set of service primitives.
Radio Interface Protocol Architecture is described in 3GPP 25.301.
(*except a part of protocol used for BCH which is terminated in Node-B)

RRC is a protocol which belongs to control plane.
The RRC functions are:
⚫ Call management
 RRC connection establishment/release (initial access)
 Radio Bearer establishment/release/reconfiguration (in the control plane and in the user
plane)
 Transport and Physical Channels reconfiguration
⚫ Radio mobility management
 Handover (soft and hard)

 Cell and URA update (see “5.UTRAN/ Mobility Management”)
 Paging procedure
 Measurements control (UTRAN side) and reporting (UE side)
⚫ Outer Loop Power Control
 Control of radio channel ciphering and deciphering
 RRC can control locally the configuration of the lower layers (RLC, MAC...) through Control
SAP. These Control services are not requiring peer-to-peer communication, one or more sub-
layers can be bypassed.

 See 3GPP 25.331 RRC protocol (over 500 pages!)

See 3 GPP 25.323 (PDCP protocol) and 25.324 (BMC protocol)

There is no difference between RLC instances in Control and User planes. There is a single RLC
connection per Radio Bearer.
RLC main functions:
RLC Connection Establishment/Release in 3 configuration modes:

⚫ - transparent data transfer (TM): without adding any protocol information
⚫ - unacknowledged data transfer (UM): without guaranteeing delivery to the peer entity (but can
detect transmission errors)
⚫ acknowledged data transfer (AM): with guaranteeing delivery to the peer entity. The AM mode
provides reliable link (error detection and recovery, in-sequence delivery, duplicate detection,
flow Control, ARQ mechanisms)
ARQ=Automatic Repeat Request (it manages retransmissions)
Transmission/Reception buffer
Segmentation and reassembly (to adjust the radio bearer size to the actual set of transport formats)
Mapping between Radio Bearers and Logical Channels (one to one)
Ciphering for non-transparent RLC data (if not performed in MAC), using the UEA1, Kasumi algorithm
specified in R’99
Encryption is performed in accordance with TS 33.102 (radio interface), 25.413, 25.331(RRC signaling
messages) and supports the settings of integrity with CN (CS-domain/PS-domain)
3GPP 25.322 RLC protocol

MAC belongs to control plane and to user plane.
MAC main functions:
Data transfer: MAC provides unacknowledged data transfer without segmentation
Multiplexing of logical channels (possible only if they require the same QoS)
Mapping between Logical Channels and Transport Channels
Selection of appropriate Transport Format for each Transport Channel depending on instantaneous
source rate.
Priority handling/Scheduling according to priorities given by upper layers:

⚫ - between data flows of one UE
⚫ - between different UEs
Priority handling/Scheduling is done through Transport Format Combination (TFC) selection
Reporting of monitoring to RRC
Ciphering for RLC transparent data (if not performed in RLC)
3GPP 25.321 MAC protocol

The physical layer belongs to control plane and to user plane.
Physical layer main functions:
⚫ Multiplexing/de-multiplexing of transport channels on CCTrCH (Coded Composite Transport

Channel) even if the transport channels require different QoS.
⚫ Mapping of CCTrCH on physical channels
⚫ Spreading/de-spreading and modulation/demodulation of physical channels
⚫ RF processing (3 GPP 25.10x)
⚫ Frequency and time (chip, bit, slot, frame) synchronization
⚫ Measurements and indication to higher layers (e.g. FER, SIR, interference power, transmit power,
etc.)
⚫ Open loop and Inner loop power control
⚫ Macro-diversity distribution/combining and soft handover execution
3GPP 25.2xx


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TMO18042 Edition D0 SG DEN I2.0

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Some correspondences with GSM:

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All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

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All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

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UDP/IP is used for the User Plane.

The physical layer is supported by OC-3/STM-1 and IP over Gigabit Ethernet.

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

The physical layer is supported by OC-3/STM-1 and IP over Gigabit Ethernet.

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

Streaming (CS) 14.4/14.4

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User plane protocols

Control plane protocols

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What is a RRC connection?

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⚫ Control channels for the transfer of control plane information

⚫ Traffic channels for the transfer of user plane information

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The TTI is a static parameter and is set typically at 10, 20 or 40 ms.

For a PS 64 kbps service

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What does the TFS provide ?

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When a UE sends information on the RACH, it will receive information on FACH.

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All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010

The radio protocols are layered into:

⚫ the RRC protocol located in RNC* and UE

⚫ the RLC protocol located in RNC* and UE

⚫ the MAC protocol located in RNC* and UE

Radio Interface Protocol Architecture is described in 3GPP 25.301.

(*except a part of protocol used for BCH which is terminated in Node-B)

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The RRC functions are:

 RRC connection establishment/release (initial access)

⚫ Radio mobility management

 Handover (soft and hard)

 Measurements control (UTRAN side) and reporting (UE side)

⚫ Outer Loop Power Control

 Control of radio channel ciphering and deciphering

All Rights Reserved © Alcatel-Lucent 2010