UL and DL Decoupling

Contents
6.1 UL and DL Decoupling

SingleRAN
UL and DL Decoupling Feature Parameter
Description
Issue 01

Date 2018-10-10

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2018. All rights reserved.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written
consent of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
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and other Huawei trademarks are trademarks of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
All other trademarks and trade names mentioned in this document are the property of their respective holders.
Notice
The purchased products, services and features are stipulated by the contract made between Huawei and the
customer. All or part of the products, services and features described in this document may not be within the
purchase scope or the usage scope. Unless otherwise specified in the contract, all statements, information, and
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 Website: http://www.huawei.com/

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6.1 Contents
1 Change History
1.1 SRAN15.0 01 (2018-10-10)
1.2 SRAN15.0 Draft B (2018-08-27)
1.3 SRAN15.0 Draft A (2018-07-28)

2 About This Document

2.1 General Statements
2.2 Features in This Document

3 Overview

4 UL and DL Decoupling
4.1 Principles
4.1.1 SUL Carrier Information
4.1.2 SUL Random Access
4.1.3 Scheduling
4.1.4 SUL Power Control
4.1.5 SUL Link Management
4.1.6 Mobility Management
4.1.7 Secondary Harmonic Interference Avoidance
4.2 Network Analysis
4.2.1 Benefits
4.2.2 Impacts
4.3 Requirements
4.3.1 Licenses
4.3.2 Software
4.3.3 Hardware
4.3.4 Networking
4.3.5 Others
4.4 Operation and Maintenance
4.4.1 When to Use
4.4.2 Precautions
4.4.3 Data Configuration
4.4.3.1 Data Preparation
4.4.3.2 Using MML Commands
4.4.3.3 Using the CME
 4.4.4 Activation Verification
4.4.5 Network Monitoring

5 Parameters

6 Counters

7 Glossary

8 Reference Documents

1 Change History

This section 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 SRAN15.0 01 (2018-10-10)

Technical Changes

None

Editorial Changes

Modified the rules used to select the SUL carrier. For details, see 4.1.5 SUL Link Management.

1.2 SRAN15.0 Draft B (2018-08-27)

Technical Changes

None

Editorial Changes

• Deleted the description that C-band includes N79 (4.9 GHz).

• Added the mutually exclusive relationship between UL and DL Decoupling and the
uplink fallback to LTE function of NSA Networking based on EPC.
1.3 SRAN15.0 Draft A (2018-07-28)
Technical Changes

Change Description Parameter Change

Added a secondary harmonic interference Added the

avoidance function in 3.5 GHz+1.8 GHz SEC_HARMONIC_INTRF_AVOID_SW option
scenarios. For details, see 4.1.7 Secondary under the
Harmonic Interference Avoidance. NRDUCellSul.UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch
parameter.

Added uplink carrier selection based on Added the

user experience. For details, see 4.1.5 SUL UL_CARR_SEL_FOR_UE_EXP_SW option
Link Management. under the
NRCellAlgoSwitch.UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch
parameter.

Added support for this feature by the None

RRU3938, RRU5909, RRU3971a, and
RRU3959a. For details, see 4.3.3 Hardware.

Added the 8:2 timeslot allocation of the Added the NRDUCELL.SlotAssignment

normal UL (NUL) carrier. For details, see parameter.
4.1.3 Scheduling.

Added precautions for introducing the TA Added the

offset to the supplementary uplink (SUL). gNBRsvdopt.Param1WithParamId2
For details, see 4.4.2 Precautions. parameter.

Editorial Changes

None

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

NOTE:
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.

Trial Features

Trial features are features that are not yet ready for full commercial release for certain reasons.
For example, the industry chain (terminals/CN) may not be sufficiently compatible. However,
these features can still be used for testing purposes or commercial network trials. Anyone who
desires to use the trial features shall contact Huawei and enter into a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Huawei prior to an official application of such trial features. Trial
features are not for sale in the current version but customers may try them for free.
Customers acknowledge and undertake that trial features may have a certain degree of risk due to
absence of commercial testing. Before using them, customers shall fully understand not only the
expected benefits of such trial features but also the possible impact they may exert on the
network. In addition, customers acknowledge and undertake that since trial features are free,
Huawei is not liable for any trial feature malfunctions or any losses incurred by using the trial
features. Huawei does not promise that problems with trial features will be resolved in the
current version. Huawei reserves the rights to convert trial features into commercial features in
later R/C versions. If trial features are converted into commercial features in a later version,
customers shall pay a licensing fee to obtain the relevant licenses prior to using the said
commercial features. If a customer fails to purchase such a license, the trial feature(s) will be
invalidated automatically when the product is upgraded.
2.2 Features in This Document

This document describes the following feature.

Feature ID Feature Name Section

FOFD-010205 UL and DL Decoupling 4 UL and DL Decoupling

3 Overview

C-band spectrum has the large bandwidth making it perfect for 5G Enhanced Mobile Broadband
(eMBB) services. A vast majority of global operators have selected C-band spectrum as the
preferential 5G frequency band. Downlink coverage is better than uplink coverage on C-band
spectrum due to the large downlink transmit power of the gNodeB and to disproportion in uplink
and downlink timeslot allocations of NR. The application of technologies such as beamforming
and cell-specific reference signal (CRS)-free reduces downlink interference and further increases
the difference between C-band uplink and downlink coverage.
This feature defines new paired spectrum for areas with restricted uplink coverage, with C-band
for the downlink and a sub-3 GHz band (for example, 1.8 GHz) for the uplink, thereby
improving uplink coverage. Figure 3-1 shows how UL and DL Decoupling works. In the early
stages of 5G commercial use, if no dedicated sub-3 GHz spectrum is available for 5G, then LTE
FDD and NR Uplink Spectrum Sharing can be enabled to allow NR to share sub-3 GHz
spectrum with LTE FDD. For details, see LTE and NR Spectrum Sharing.
Figure 3-1 UL and DL Decoupling

In the current version, C-band refers to N78 (3.5/3.7 GHz), and the sub-3 GHz band refers to
N80 (1.8 GHz). UL and DL Decoupling only supports non-standalone (NSA) networking. For
details about the mapping between frequency bands and frequencies, see 3GPP TS 38.104
(V15.1.0).
4 UL and DL Decoupling

4.1 Principles

3GPP Release 15 introduces the supplementary uplink (SUL). The use of SUL effectively
utilizes idle sub-3 GHz band resources, improves the uplink coverage of C-band, and enables the
provisioning of 5G services in a wider area. The use of SUL also improves the service
experience of cell edge users (CEUs). For details on the SUL, see section 6.9 in 3GPP TS 38.300
(V15.0.0). In this feature, SUL carriers are on the sub-3 GHz band, and normal UL (NUL)
carriers are on C-band.
This feature enables the decoupling between uplink and downlink spectrum by allowing for
uplink data transmission on either the NUL or SUL carriers. For UEs whose uplink data
transmission is carried on SUL, the random access, power control, scheduling, link management,
and mobility management differ from the procedures for UEs whose uplink and downlink data
transmission are carried on C-band.
4.1.1 SUL Carrier Information

To ensure the availability of the SUL carrier for uplink data transmission, gNodeBs must
transmit the SUL carrier information to UEs. The information is contained in the
"ServingCellConfigCommon" information element (IE) of the RRC reconfiguration message.
The SUL carrier information includes the following:
• Frame structure, system bandwidth, and NARFCN
• Common channel configuration of the SUL
▪ Physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration: time-frequency
resource configuration, including the NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld parameter
▪ Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) common configuration
▪ Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) common configuration
▪ Sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration
4.1.2 SUL Random Access

Random access is used to establish and recover the uplink synchronization between a UE and the
gNodeB. Therefore, random access is important for NR networks.
Random access is classified into contention-based random access and non-contention-based
random access.
• In contention-based random access, the UE may fail to access the network.
• In non-contention-based random access, the gNodeB allocates a dedicated random
access channel (RACH) to the UE for network access. If the dedicated RACH
 resources are insufficient, the gNodeB instructs the UE to initiate contention-based
random access.
In NSA networking, UL and DL Decoupling supports only non-contention-based random access.
The gNodeB determines whether the UE initiates random access on the SUL carrier based on the
downlink reference signal received power (RSRP) of C-band reported by the UE. For details
about the SUL carrier selection, see 4.1.5 SUL Link Management. If the gNodeB determines that the
UE initiates random access on the SUL carrier, the gNodeB sends an RRC reconfiguration
message to the UE via the eNodeB. This message contains SUL carrier configurations. The
random access procedure is as follows:
1. The UE sends a preamble sequence to the gNodeB.
The UE reads RACH configuration information of the SUL carrier from the RRC
reconfiguration message, and sends a random access request to the gNodeB via
Msg1.
2. The gNodeB sends a random access response (RAR) to the UE.
Upon receiving the preamble, the gNodeB selects a temporary cell RNTI (C-RNTI)
and applies for uplink and downlink resources. Then, the gNodeB sends an RAR to
the UE over the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). One PDSCH can carry
RARs (via Msg2) for multiple UEs. The specific information carried includes RA-
preamble identifier, timing alignment information, initial uplink grant, and temporary
C-RNTI.
After sending the preamble, the UE monitors the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)
within the RAR window until it receives the RAR.
• If the RAR includes the same RA-preamble identifier as that the UE sent, the UE
considers the response successful and performs uplink data transmission.
• If the UE does not receive a response within the RAR window or the received
response fails in a verification, the UE considers the response unsuccessful. If the
number of random access attempts has not reached the maximum value, the UE can
make another random access attempt; otherwise, the random access procedure fails.
4.1.3 Scheduling

When UL and DL Decoupling is not enabled, the uplink and downlink scheduling modes for NR
networks are identical with those for TDD networks.
When this feature is enabled, the downlink data transmission is carried on the NUL carrier, and
the uplink data transmission can be carried on the SUL carrier. The subcarrier spacing of the
NUL carrier is 30 kHz, and that of the SUL carrier is 15 kHz. The ratio of transmission time
intervals (TTIs) of the NUL carrier to TTIs of the SUL carrier is 2:1. Therefore, gNodeBs must
consider the time sequence during scheduling. For the NUL carrier, the timeslot allocation
(configured by the NRDUCELL.SlotAssignment parameter) can be 4:1 or 8:2. For the SUL
carrier, all timeslots are available. Figure 4-1 shows the scheduling time sequence when the
timeslot allocation of the NUL carrier is 4:1.
 Figure 4-1 Scheduling time sequence after UL and DL Decoupling is enabled

NR introduces a flexible scheduling mechanism, where k1 and k2 are used to ensure a correct
scheduling time sequence between gNodeBs and UEs. k1 determines the HARQ time sequence
in downlink data transmission, and k2 determines the uplink scheduling time sequence. k1 and
k2 are automatically calculated using algorithms. gNodeBs send k1 and k2 to UEs via downlink
control information (DCI). The scheduling algorithms are the same as those used before UL and
DL Decoupling is enabled. For details on k1 and k2, see sections 5.2 and 5.3 in 3GPP TS 38.214
(V15.0.0).

HARQ Time Sequence

When UL and DL Decoupling is enabled, the UE transmits the ACK/NACK feedback for
downlink data in timeslot N+k1. When the UE receives downlink data from the gNodeB in
timeslot N over C-band, it sends the ACK/NACK to the gNodeB via the subframe over the sub-3
GHz band that corresponds to the N+k1 timeslot over C-band, as shown in Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-2 HARQ time sequence

Uplink Scheduling Time Sequence

When UL and DL Decoupling is enabled, the network side sends a scheduling indication to the
UE over C-band, indicating the SUL resources that can be scheduled by the UE and the
scheduling time sequence N+k2. When the UE receives DCI including uplink scheduling
information from the gNodeB in timeslot N over C-band, it sends uplink data in the timeslot over
the sub-3 GHz band that corresponds to timeslot N+k2 over C-band.
 Figure 4-3 Uplink scheduling time sequence

UL and DL Decoupling allows for flexible scheduling. The resources of the SUL carrier working
on a sub-3 GHz band can be scheduled for each subframe over C-band. The flexible scheduling
balances the PDCCH load of each subframe over C-band. The ratio of the TTIs on C-band to the
TTIs on the sub-3 GHz band is 2:1. If a subframe on the sub-3 GHz band can be scheduled for
two subframes over C-band, the PDCCHs of these two subframes on C-band carry only 50% of
the load.
4.1.4 SUL Power Control

The power control principles for SUL channels are almost the same as those for uplink channels
on the NUL carrier. For details, see Power Control.
The only difference is the path loss estimation. The SUL carrier is not paired with a downlink
carrier. The path loss of the SUL carrier is estimated instead based on the downlink of the NUL
carrier. The path loss estimated in such a way is greater than the actual path loss. As a result,
UEs use a high uplink transmit power during the random access on the SUL carrier, which
increases the uplink interference. Therefore, the gNodeB adjusts the following values based on
the downlink path loss difference between the SUL carrier and NUL carrier:
• P0_pre: initial power of preambles expected by the gNodeB
• P0_PUCCH: initial power of PUCCHs expected by the gNodeB
• P0_PUSCH: initial power of PUSCHs expected by the gNodeB
4.1.5 SUL Link Management

Uplink Link Selection

UEs still camp on an LTE network in NSA networking. For dual connectivity operations, the
network side configures a gNodeB as the secondary cell group (SCG) for a UE and instructs the
UE to initiate a random access procedure on the NR network. For UEs supporting UL and DL
Decoupling, the network side selects the NUL or SUL carrier for the UE and notifies the UE of
the uplink carrier by an RRC reconfiguration message.
The uplink carrier selection procedure is as follows:
1. In dual connectivity scenarios, the eNodeB sends inter-RAT measurement
configurations (event B1) to the UE, instructing the UE to measure the quality of NR
cells served by a certain gNodeB.
 2. After receiving an inter-RAT measurement report from the UE, the eNodeB forwards
the RSRPs of the NR cells to the gNodeB. The gNodeB selects an uplink carrier for
the UE by comparing the RSRPs of the NR cells to an RSRP threshold that is
controlled by the NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld parameter:
• If the RSRP of an NR cell is greater than or equal to
NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld, the UE is in an area with good NR uplink
coverage. The network side instructs the UE to initiate a random access
procedure on the NR uplink carrier.
• If the RSRPs of the NR cells are smaller than NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld, the
UE is in an area with weak NR uplink coverage or without NR uplink
coverage. The network side instructs the UE to initiate a random access
procedure on the NR SUL carrier.
3. The gNodeB sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE via the eNodeB. This
message indicates the selected uplink carrier.
4. The UE initiates a random access procedure on the indicated uplink carrier.

Uplink Link Change

When a UE enters RRC_CONNECTED mode and moves in an NR cell enabled with UL and DL
Decoupling, the uplink carrier changes as the coverage area of the NUL carrier differs from that
of the SUL carrier.
In this version, the uplink carrier for UEs can be selected based on either downlink coverage or
user experience. The criterion for selecting the uplink carrier is controlled by the
UL_CARR_SEL_FOR_UE_EXP_SW option of the
NRCellAlgoSwitch.UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch parameter.
• When UL_CARR_SEL_FOR_UE_EXP_SW is set to Off, the uplink carrier is
selected based on downlink coverage.
▪ When a UE's uplink data transmission is currently carried on the NUL
carrier, the gNodeB sends A2 measurement configurations to the UE, where
the event A2 threshold is equal to NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld minus the
hysteresis (2 dB). If the event A2 threshold is met, the UE sends a
measurement report to the network side, and the network side instructs the
UE to switch to the SUL carrier for uplink data transmission.
▪ When a UE's uplink data transmission is currently carried on the SUL
carrier, the gNodeB sends A1 measurement configurations to the UE, where
the event A1 threshold is equal to NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld plus the
hysteresis (2 dB). If the event A1 threshold is met, the UE sends a
measurement report to the network side, and the network side instructs the
UE to switch to the NUL carrier for uplink data transmission.
• When UL_CARR_SEL_FOR_UE_EXP_SW is set to On, the uplink carrier is
selected based on user experience.
 ▪ When a UE's uplink data transmission is currently carried on the NUL
carrier, the gNodeB sends A2 measurement configurations to the UE, where
the event A2 threshold is equal to NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld minus the
hysteresis (2 dB). If the event A2 threshold is met, the UE sends a
measurement report to the network side. The network side instructs the UE
to send SRSs on the SUL carrier. The gNodeB then measures the uplink
signal quality and evaluates the user experience provided by the NUL and
SUL carriers. If the user experience provided by the SUL carrier is superior
to that provided by the NUL carrier, the network side instructs the UE to
switch to the SUL carrier for uplink data transmission.
▪ When a UE's uplink data transmission is currently carried on the SUL
carrier, the uplink link is selected based on downlink coverage in the same
way as that in the downlink coverage-based uplink link selection.
4.1.6 Mobility Management

Master cell group (MCG) mobility management applies to the case where the serving eNodeB
changes as the UE moves. SCG mobility management applies to scenarios where the serving
eNodeB remains the same but the serving gNodeB changes as the UE moves.

MCG Mobility Management

If the original eNodeB serves as the master base station and a gNodeB serves as the secondary
base station for a UE, and an intra- or inter-eNodeB handover is required but the gNodeB
remains unchanged, the original eNodeB sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE,
instructing the UE to switch to the target eNodeB. The RRC reconfiguration message contains
the non-contention-based access information of the SCG. After receiving this message, the UE
initiates non-contention-based random access procedure on the SCG.

SCG Mobility Management

The eNodeB releases the connection with the original secondary gNodeB, and adds a target
gNodeB as the SCG. For details, see NSA Networking based on EPC. If the target NR cell supports
this feature, the network side instructs the UE to initiate random access on the NUL carrier or
SUL carrier.
4.1.7 Secondary Harmonic Interference Avoidance

Secondary harmonics are the self-interference signals generated by UEs during uplink and
downlink data transmission. When a UE's uplink data transmission is carried on the SUL carrier
and its downlink data transmission is carried on the NUL carrier, the uplink transmit frequency
multiplied by two overlaps the downlink receive frequency and interferes with the reception of
downlink signals, as shown in Figure 4-4.
 Figure 4-4 Secondary harmonic

If the SUL frequency band of an NR cell multiplied by two overlaps the downlink NUL
frequency band, select the SEC_HARMONIC_INTRF_AVOID_SW option of the
NRDUCellSul.UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch parameter to enable the gNodeB to schedule the uplink
and downlink data in coordination for UEs for which UL and DL Decoupling takes effect. This
reduces interference from UEs' uplink signals to downlink signals.
4.2 Network Analysis

4.2.1 Benefits

• Increased number of UEs admitted to NR cells

This feature expands the uplink coverage of NR cells and allows more UEs to be
admitted to NR cells.
• Improved NR cell throughput
This feature improves the throughput of NR cells.
4.2.2 Impacts

This feature enables the network side to activate a NUL carrier and an SUL carrier for a UE. The
hardware resources consumed by a UE for which this feature takes effect are twice the hardware
resources consumed by a UE for which this feature does not take effect.
4.3 Requirements

4.3.1 Licenses

UL and DL Decoupling is a trial feature, which is not under license control. For details about
trial features, see 2.1 General Statements.
4.3.2 Software

Prerequisite Functions

None

Mutually Exclusive Functions

 Function Function Switch Reference Description
Name

Uplink UL_FALLBACK_TO_LTE_SWITCH NSA UL and DL Decoupling

fallback to option of the Networking provides larger uplink
based on
LTE NRCellNsaDcConfig.NsaDcAlgoSwitch EPC coverage gains than the uplink
parameter fallback to LTE function.
Therefore, if the uplink fallback
to LTE function is used
together with UL and DL
Decoupling, the uplink fallback
to LTE function does not take
effect.

4.3.3 Hardware

Base Station Models

5900 series base stations

Boards

All NR-capable main control boards and baseband processing boards support this feature. To
learn which main control boards and baseband processing boards are NR-capable, see BBU5900
Hardware Description.
The SUL cells served by the UBBPfw1 board must be configured with the same number of
receive antennas and same bandwidth.

RF Modules

• N80 (1.8 GHz): RRU3939, RRU3971, RRU5901, RRU5904, RRU5501, RRU3959,

RRU3962, RRU5905, RRU5502, RRU3938, RRU5909, RRU3971a, and RRU3959a
TX/RX mode: 2R/4R. RRU combination, split, or cascading is not supported.
SUL bandwidth: 15 MHz and 20 MHz
• N78 (3.5/3.7 GHz): 8T8R/32T32R/64T64R RF modules
4.3.4 Networking

• The NUL carrier and SUL carrier must be deployed on the same site.
• The power control and link management of the SUL carrier depend on the downlink
measurement of the NUL carrier, because the SUL carrier is not paired with a
downlink carrier. When the SUL carrier coverage is identical with the coverage of the
corresponding NUL carrier, the optimal decoupling effect can be achieved. Before
deploying this feature, ensure that the difference between the antenna azimuth of the
SUL carrier and that of the corresponding NUL carrier is less than ±10°.
 Figure 4-5 Networking requirements posed by this feature

4.3.5 Others

None
4.4 Operation and Maintenance

4.4.1 When to Use

This feature is recommended when operators expect to improve the uplink coverage of NR cells
or to improve the uplink experience of CEUs in NR cells.
4.4.2 Precautions

3GPP TS 38.213 introduces a TA offset to the SUL to align the time of the SUL with that of NR
TDD uplink. The TA offset is configured by the gNBRsvdopt.Param1WithParamId2
parameter, which is set to 0 by default.
• When the Test User Equipment (TUE) or customer premise equipment (CPE) is used
in tests, set this parameter to 0. Under these circumstances, the TA offset is not
introduced to the SUL, and the time baseline of the SUL is aligned with that of the NR
TDD downlink.
• When commercial terminals are used in tests, set this parameter to 1. Under these
circumstances, the frame offset of NR TDD is increased by 400Ts (approximating to
13 us), and the time baseline is aligned with that of the SUL.
When the gNBRsvdopt.Param1WithParamId2 parameter is set to 1, note the following:
• UL and DL Decoupling must be enabled by site. The actual frame offset for the NR
TDD cells enabled with this feature is the value of the gNodeBParam.FrameOffset
parameter plus 400Ts.
• If UL and DL Decoupling is enabled on only some sites, the frame offset for the NR
TDD base stations that are not enabled with this feature must be 400Ts greater than
the frame offset for the base stations enabled with this feature.
• For base stations enabled with this feature, the maximum frame offset that can be
configured is the maximum value allowed by this parameter minus 400Ts.
 • For base stations enabled with this feature, the maximum transmission distance of
fiber optic cables is decreased by 2.6 km.
• If UL and DL Decoupling is enabled together with LTE FDD and NR Uplink
Spectrum Sharing, and LTE TDD is deployed on the same frequency band as NR
TDD, LTE FDD+TDD CA cannot be enabled.
• If UL and DL Decoupling, LTE FDD and NR Uplink Spectrum Sharing, and LTE
FDD+TDD downlink CA are all enabled, and LTE TDD is deployed on a frequency
band different from that of NR TDD, the frame offset for each carrier must be set to
the same value.
4.4.3 Data Configuration

4.4.3.1 Data Preparation

Table 4-1 Parameters used for activation

Parameter Name Parameter ID Setting Notes

UL and DL NRDUCellAlgoSwitch.UlDlDecouplingSwitch Set this parameter to ON

Decoupling when UL and DL Decoupling
Switch is required.

NR DU Cell ID NRDuCell.NrDuCellId Set this parameter based on

the operator's network plan.

Duplex Mode NRDuCell.DuplexMode Set this parameter to

CELL_SUL(SUL) for SUL
carriers.

Frequency Band NRDuCell.FrequencyBand Set this parameter based on

the operator's network plan.
For details, see section 5.2
in 3GPP TS 38.104
(V15.0.0).

Uplink Bandwidth NRDuCell.UlBandwidth Set this parameter based on

the operator's network plan.

Uplink NARFCN NRDuCell.UlNarfcn Set this parameter based on

the operator's network plan.
For details, see section
5.4.2.3 in 3GPP TS 38.104
(V15.0.0).

Subcarrier NRDuCell.SubcarrierSpacing Set this parameter to 30KHZ

Spacing for NUL carriers and to
15KHZ for SUL carriers.

Slot Assignment NRDUCELL.SlotAssignment Set this parameter based on

the operator's network plan.
 Parameter Name Parameter ID Setting Notes

NR DU Cell ID NRDuCellSul.NrDuCellId Set this parameter based on

the operator's network plan.

SUL NR DU Cell NRDuCellSul.SulNrDuCellId Set this parameter based on

ID the operator's network plan.

RSRP Threshold NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld The default value is

recommended.

Second Harmonic SEC_HARMONIC_INTRF_AVOID_SW It is recommended that this

Interference option of the option be selected when UL
Avoidance Switch NRDUCellSul.UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch and DL Decoupling is
parameter enabled.

User Experience UL_CARR_SEL_FOR_UE_EXP_SW It is recommended that this

Uplink Carrier option of the option be selected when UL
Selection Switch NRCellAlgoSwitch.UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch and DL Decoupling is
parameter. enabled.

Table 4-2 Parameters used for optimization

Parameter Name Parameter ID Setting Notes

RSRP Threshold NRDuCellSul.RsrpThld • When the NR uplink load is high,

set this parameter to a large value
to enable more UEs to be carried
on the NR SUL carrier.
• When the NR SUL load is high,
set this parameter to a small value
to enable more UEs to be carried
on the NR uplink carrier.

4.4.3.2 Using MML Commands

Activation Command Examples

On the DU side:
//Adding a TDD NUL cell as an NR local cell
ADD NRDUCELL: NrDuCellId=0, NrDuCellName="0", DuplexMode=CELL_TDD, CellId=0,
PhysicalCellId=0, FrequencyBand=N78, UlNarfcnConfigInd=NOT_CONFIG,
DlNarfcn=620000, UlBandwidth=CELL_BW_100M, DlBandwidth=CELL_BW_100M,
SlotAssignment=4_1_DDDSU, SlotStructure=SS5;

//Adding an SUL cell as an NR local cell

ADD NRDUCELL: NrDuCellId=1, NrDuCellName="1", DuplexMode=CELL_SUL,
FrequencyBand=N80, UlNarfcnConfigInd=CONFIG, UlNarfcn=343500,
UlBandwidth=CELL_BW_15M;

//Adding the SUL for the NR local cell

 ADD NRDUCELLSUL: NrDuCellId=0, SulNrDuCellId=1,RsrpThld=-
110,UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch=SEC_HARMONIC_INTRF_AVOID_SW-1;

//Activating UL and DL Decoupling

MOD NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH: NrDuCellId=0, UlDlDecouplingSwitch=ON;

On the CU side:
//Enabling the user experience-based uplink carrier selection switch
MOD NRCELLALGOSWITCH: NrCellId=0,
UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch=UL_CARR_SEL_FOR_UE_EXP_SW-1;

Optimization Command Examples

The RSRP threshold used for uplink carrier selection is optimized to balance the load between
the NR uplink carrier and NR SUL carrier.
//Optimizing RSRP Threshold by setting it to –100
MOD NRDUCELLSUL: NrDuCellId=0, SulNrDuCellId=1,RsrpThld=-100;

Deactivation Command Examples

//Deactivating UL and DL Decoupling

MOD NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH: NrDuCellId=0, UlDlDecouplingSwitch=OFF;

4.4.3.3 Using the CME

For detailed operations, see CME-based Feature Configuration.

4.4.4 Activation Verification

When UL and DL Decoupling is enabled and used by UEs, observe the values of the counters
listed in the following table. If they have non-zero values, this feature has taken effect. If the
counter values are always zero, this feature has not taken effect.

Counter ID Counter Name

1911816547 N.User.Decouple.Avg

1911816832 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.NonSultoSul.Att

1911816833 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.NonSultoSul.Succ

1911816834 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.SultoNonSul.Att

1911816835 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.SultoNonSul.Succ

4.4.5 Network Monitoring

UL and DL Decoupling improves the average uplink UE throughput. Therefore, the average
uplink throughput on the NUL carrier is improved. Use the following counters to observe the
feature gains:
• N.ThpVol.UL.Cell
 • N.ThpTime.UL.Cell

• N.ThpVol.UL

• N.ThpTime.UL

• N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.NonSultoSul.Att

• N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.NonSultoSul.Succ

• N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.SultoNonSul.Att

• N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.SultoNonSul.Succ

• N.NsaDc.SgNB.AbnormRel.Radio

• N.NsaDc.SgNB.AbnormRel.Radio.SUL

5 Parameters

Table 5-1 Parameters

MO Parameter ID MML Command Feature Feature Name
ID

NRDUCellSul UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch ADD NRDUCELLSUL FOFD- Uplink and Meaning:

MOD NRDUCELLSUL 010205 Downlink Indicates the alg
LST NRDUCELLSUL Decoupling SEC_HARMON
GUI Value Rang
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: S

NRCellAlgoSwitch UlDlDecouplingAlgoSwitch MOD None None Meaning:

NRCELLALGOSWITCH
Indicates the alg
LST
NRCELLALGOSWITCH UL_CARR_SEL
selection.
GUI Value Rang
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: U

NRDUCell SlotAssignment ADD NRDUCELL FBFD- Slot Meaning:

MOD NRDUCELL 020100 Configuration Indicates the up
LST NRDUCELL
The value 4_1_
The value 8_2_
 MO Parameter ID MML Command Feature Feature Name
ID

GUI Value Rang

Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: 4

NRDUCellSul RsrpThld ADD NRDUCELLSUL FOFD- Uplink and Meaning: Indica

MOD NRDUCELLSUL 010205 Downlink GUI Value Rang
LST NRDUCELLSUL Decoupling Unit: dBm
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: -

NRCellNsaDcConfig NsaDcAlgoSwitch MOD MRFD- NSA Meaning:

NRCELLNSADCCONFIG 131162 Networking Indicates wheth
LST based on
NRCELLNSADCCONFIG UL_FALLBACK
EPC (NR) This function is
GUI Value Rang
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: U

gNodeBParam FrameOffset MOD GNODEBPARAM MRFD- LTE FDD Meaning: Indica

LST GNODEBPARAM 131263 and NR the gNodeB and
Uplink GUI Value Rang
Spectrum Unit: Ts
Sharing (NR)
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: 0

NRDUCellAlgoSwitch UlDlDecouplingSwitch MOD FOFD- Uplink and Meaning: Indica

NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH 010205 Downlink parameter is se
LST Decoupling
NRDUCELLALGOSWITCH GUI Value Rang
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: O

NRDUCell NrDuCellId ACT NRDUCELL None None Meaning: Indica

ADD NRDUCELL GUI Value Rang
DEA NRDUCELL
Unit: None
DSP NRDUCELL
LST NRDUCELL Actual Value Ra
MOD NRDUCELL Default Value: N
RMV NRDUCELL
STR
NRDUCELLREDEPLOY
 MO Parameter ID MML Command Feature Feature Name
ID

STR
NRDUCELLRFLOOPBACK
DSP NRCELLINSTANCE

NRDUCell DuplexMode ADD NRDUCELL FOFD- Uplink and Meaning: Indica

MOD NRDUCELL 010205 Downlink the value CELL
LST NRDUCELL Decoupling GUI Value Rang
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: N

NRDUCell FrequencyBand ADD NRDUCELL None None Meaning: Indica

MOD NRDUCELL N41 frequency
LST NRDUCELL GUI Value Rang
N260(n260)
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: N

NRDUCell UlBandwidth ADD NRDUCELL None None Meaning: Indica

MOD NRDUCELL GUI Value Rang
LST NRDUCELL CELL_BW_80M
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
CELL_BW_200
Default Value: N

NRDUCell UlNarfcn ADD NRDUCELL None None Meaning: Indica

MOD NRDUCELL set to NOT_CO
LST NRDUCELL 38.104.
GUI Value Rang
140600~149600
Unit: None
Actual Value Ra
140600~149600
Default Value: N

NRDUCell SubcarrierSpacing ADD NRDUCELL None None Meaning: Indica

MOD NRDUCELL
GUI Value Rang
LST NRDUCELL
Unit: KHz
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: 3
 MO Parameter ID MML Command Feature Feature Name
ID

NRDUCellSul NrDuCellId ADD NRDUCELLSUL FOFD- Uplink and Meaning: Indica

LST NRDUCELLSUL 010205 Downlink GUI Value Rang
MOD NRDUCELLSUL Decoupling Unit: None
RMV NRDUCELLSUL
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: N

NRDUCellSul SulNrDuCellId ADD NRDUCELLSUL FOFD- Uplink and Meaning: Indica

LST NRDUCELLSUL 010205 Downlink GUI Value Rang
MOD NRDUCELLSUL Decoupling Unit: None
RMV NRDUCELLSUL
Actual Value Ra
Default Value: N

6 Counters

Table 6-1 Counters

Counter ID Counter Name Counter Feature ID Feature
Description Name

1911816547 N.User.Decouple.Avg Average Multi- UL and DL

number of mode: Decoupling
decoupling None
UEs that GSM:
treat the None
local cell as UMTS:
their None
downlink
cell LTE:
None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816645 N.ThpVol.UL Total None None

volume of
uplink data
received at
the RLC
layer in a
cell
Counter ID Counter Name Counter Feature ID Feature
Description Name

1911816646 N.ThpTime.UL Duration of None None

uplink data
transmission
at the RLC
layer in a
cell

1911816696 N.ThpVol.UL.Cell Total None None

volume of
uplink data
received at
the MAC
layer in a
cell

1911816697 N.ThpTime.UL.Cell Duration of Multi- Scheduling

uplink data mode:
transmission None
at the MAC GSM:
layer in a None
cell UMTS:
None
LTE:
None
NR:
FBFD-
010011

1911816745 N.User.NsaDc.PSCell.Avg Average Multi- NSA

Number of mode: Networking
LTE-NR MRFD- based on
NSA DC 131162 EPC (NR)
UEs Using GSM: UL and DL
the Current None Decoupling
Cell as UMTS:
PSCell None
LTE:
None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816752 N.NsaDc.SgNB.Rel Total Multi- NSA

number of mode: Networking
SgNB
releases in
Counter ID Counter Name Counter Feature ID Feature
Description Name

the LTE-NR MRFD- based on

NSA DC 131162 EPC (NR)
scenario GSM: UL and DL
None Decoupling
UMTS:
None
LTE:
None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816753 N.NsaDc.SgNB.AbnormRel.Radio Total None None

number of
abnormal
SgNB
releases in
the LTE-NR
NSA DC
scenarios
caused by
radio layer
issues

1911816832 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.NonSultoSul.Att Number of Multi- UL and DL

non-SUL to mode: Decoupling
SUL change None
attempts of GSM:
UE PUCCH None
frequency in UMTS:
a None
decoupling
cell LTE:
None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816833 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.NonSultoSul.Succ Number of Multi- UL and DL

successful mode: Decoupling
non-SUL to None
SUL GSM:
changes of None
UE PUCCH UMTS:
frequency in None
a
Counter ID Counter Name Counter Feature ID Feature
Description Name

decoupling LTE:
cell None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816834 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.SultoNonSul.Att Number of Multi- UL and DL

SUL to non- mode: Decoupling
SUL change None
attempts of GSM:
UE PUCCH None
frequency in UMTS:
a None
decoupling
cell LTE:
None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816835 N.Decoupling.PUCCH.IntraCell.SultoNonSul.Succ Number of Multi- UL and DL

successful mode: Decoupling
SUL to non- None
SUL GSM:
changes of None
UE PUCCH UMTS:
frequency in None
a
decoupling LTE:
cell None
NR:
FOFD-
010205

1911816836 N.NsaDc.SgNB.AbnormRel.Radio.SUL Total Multi- UL and DL

number of mode: Decoupling
abnormal None
SgNB GSM:
releases in None
the LTE-NR UMTS:
NSA DC None
scenarios
caused by LTE:
radio layer None
issues of NR:
the SUL FOFD-
010205
7 Glossary

For the acronyms, abbreviations, terms, and definitions, see Glossary.

8 Reference Documents

1. LTE and NR Spectrum Sharing

2. Power Control in 5G RAN Feature Documentation

3. NSA Networking based on EPC in eRAN Feature Documentation or 5G RAN Feature
Documentation
4. 3GPP TS 38.300 "NR and NG-RAN Overall Description" V15.0.0
5. 3GPP TS 38.104 "Base Station (BS) radio transmission and reception" V15.1.0