4G

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Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Introduction to 4G .............................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 4G Network Hierarchy ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.3 Features of 4G Networks .................................................................................................................... 5
2. Introduction to LTE................................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 6
2.2 Overall Architecture Overview........................................................................................................... 7
2.2.1 Core Network .............................................................................................................................. 8
2.2.2 The Access Network ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.2.3 The Roaming Architecture ........................................................................................................... 10
3. Protocol Architecture .............................................................................................................................. 11
3.1 User Plane ......................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Control Plane..................................................................................................................................... 12
4. The E UTRAN Network interfaces: S1 Interface ................................................................................... 13
4.1 Protocol Structure Over S1 ............................................................................................................... 13
4.1.1 Control Plane ............................................................................................................................. 13
4.1.2 User Plane ................................................................................................................................. 14
4.2 Context Management over S1 .......................................................................................................... 15
4.3 Mobility over S1 ................................................................................................................................ 16
4.3.1 Intra LTE mobility ...................................................................................................................... 16
4.3.2 Inter Radio Access Technology Mobility ............................................................................... 17
5. The E UTRAN Network interfaces: X2 Interface ................................................................................... 18
5.1 Protocol Structure Over X2 ............................................................................................................... 18
5.2 Mobility Over X2 ............................................................................................................................... 19

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1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction to 4G

The 4G Mobile Networks are being developed with 2 main objectives. One of the Objectives is to
overcome the shortcomings and limitations of 3G.
The 4G Mobile Networks are being envisioned to offer higher bandwidths upto value of 100Mbps.
Unlike the predecessor networks of 4G(i.e 2G and 3G) which consisted of well defined cellular
network components, 4G are expected to consist of a collection of wireless networks.
These include the Personal Area Network using, for example Bluetooth, the local area networks
using WLAN, the satellite based mobile networks, and enhanced 3G cellular networks.

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1.2 4G Network Hierarchy

Satellite Network Level

Vertical Handovers

Cellular Network Level

Local Network Level

Personal Network Level

Horizontal Handovers

At the Lowest Layer are the personal networks, which constitute of smart devices communicating
with each other over wireless links.
At the next level are the local networks. These could consist of local area networks using the
wireless LAN technology.
The Cellular Network level comes next, which will consist of existing 2G and 3Gcellular networks, as
well as enhanced 3G cellular networks.
At the top Most level will be satellite based mobile networks, which have a much greater
coverage area than the cellular networks, or any of the networks at the lowest levels.
Horizontal Handovers will take place within one network.
Vertical Handovers will be performed between different network levels.

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1.3 Features of 4G Networks

Higher bandwidths 4G networks provides higher bandwidths to support multimedia services.

Packet Switched Network 4G Networks are based on Packet Switched networks.

Stringent Network Security Network Security in 4G Networks is expected to be improvised.

Global Mobility and Network Scalability This is Requirements of 4G networks.

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2. Introduction to LTE
2.1 Introduction

LTE has been designed to support only packet switched services.

It aims to provide seamless internet protocol (IP) connectivity between User Equipment and Packet
data n/w (PDN).
LTE encompasses the evolution of universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) Radio
Access through the evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) , it is accompanied by an evolution of the non radio
aspects under the term System Architecture Evolution (SAE) which include the evolved packet
core (EPC) n/w.
Together the LTE and SAE Comprises the evolved packet system (EPS).
EPS uses the concept of EPS bearers to route IP traffic from a gateway in the PDN to UE.
A bearer is an IP Packet flow with a defined (QoS) between Gateway and UE.

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2.2 Overall Architecture Overview

S6a

HSS

MME

PCRF

S1 - MME

UE

LTE - Uu

eNode B

S11

Gx

S - GW

SI - U

Rx

P -GW

S5/S8

Operators
IP services( for eg.IMS, PSS)

SGi

Network Architecture

Network Architecture Includes the network elements and the standardized interfaces.
At a high level, the n/w is comprised of CN (EPC) and the access n/w E- UTRAN.
CN consists of many logical nodes access n/w is made up of one node the evolved node B (e-Node B)
Which connects to UEs.
Functional Split between E-UTRAN and EPC
eNode B
Inter-cell RRM
RB Control
Connection Mobility Control
MME
Radio Admission Control

NAS Security

eNB measurement configuration and

provision

Idle State Mobility handling

Dynamic Resource Allocation (Scheduler)

EPS Bearer Control

RRC
PDCP
S - GW

P - GW

RLC
Mobile Anchoring
MAC

UE IP Address Allocation
Packet Filtering

S1
PHY
EPC

E - UTRAN

Internet

Functional Spit between E-UTRAN and UE

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2.2.1 Core Network

The Core N/w (Called EPC in SAE) is responsible for overall control of UE and establishment of
bearers.
The main nodes of EPC are
o PDN Gateway ( P GW)
o Serving Gateway (S GW)
o Mobility Management Entity (MME)
EPC includes logical nodes and functions such as Home Subscriber server (HSS) and the Policy
control and charging Rules function (PCRF).
The Logical CN Nodes
PCRF
o The policy control and charging rules function is responsible for policy control decisionmaking as well as for controlling functionalities in policy control enforcement function
(PCEF) which resides in P GW.
HSS
o The Home Subscriber Server contains users SAE subscription data such as the EPSsubscribed QoS profile and any access restrictions for roaming.
o It also holds information about the PDNs to which the user can connect.
o This could be in the form of an access point name (APN) or a PDN address.
o The HSS holds dynamic information such as the identity of the MME to which the user is
currently attached or registered.
P GW
o The PDN Gateway is responsible for IP address allocation for the UE.
o It is responsible for the filtering of downlink user IP packets into the different QoS-based
bearers.
S GW
o All user IP packets are transferred through the Serving Gateway, which serves as the local
mobility anchor for the data bearers when the UE moves between eNodeBs.
MME
o The Mobility Management Entity (MME) is the control node that processes the signaling
between the UE and the CN.
o The protocols running between the UE and the CN are known as the Non Access Stratum
(NAS) protocols.

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2.2.1.1 Non Access Stratum Procedures

The Non Access Stratum procedures are connection management procedures and similar to UMTS.
The main Change from UMTS is that EPS allows concatenation of some procedure to allow faster
establishment of the connection and the bearers.
The MME creates a UE context when UE is turned on and attaches to the network.
It assigns a unique identity termed the SAE Temporary mobile subscriber identity (S TMSI) to the
UE that identifies the UE context in the MME.
This UE context holds user subscription downloaded from the HSS.
The UE context also holds the dynamic information such as list of bearers that are established and
the terminal capabilities.

2.2.2 The Access Network

MME/S -GW

S1

MME/S -GW

S1

S1

S1

E -UTRAN
X2

eNode B #1

X2

X2

eNode B #3

eNode B #2
E UTRAN Architecture

The Access Network of LTE and E- UTRAN consists of a network of eNodeBs.

The eNodeB is interconnected with each other by means of interface known as X2 and to the EPC
by means of S1 interface to the MME by means of S1-MME interface and to the S-GW by means of
S1 U interface.
The protocols that run between eNodeBs and UE are known as AS Protocols.
E UTRAN is responsible for all radio related functions.

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2.2.3 The Roaming Architecture

HSS

PCRF

Gx

SGi
P - GW

Rx

Operators IP services(for
example, IMS, PSS)

HPMN
VPLMN
MME
S11
S1 - MME

LTE - Uu
UE

S8

S1 - U
E - UTRAN

S - GW

Roaming Architecture

The network run by one operator in one country is known as Public land Mobile Network .
Roaming is where users are allowed to connect to PLMNs.
A Roaming user is connected to the E UTRAN , MME and S GW of the visited LTE Network.
LTE/SAE allows the P GW of either visited or the home network to be used.
Using the home networks P GW allows user to access the home operators service even in the
visited network.
A P GW in a visited network allows a local breakout to the internet in the visited network.

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3. Protocol Architecture
3.1 User Plane

Application
IP

IP
Relay

PDCP

PDCP

RLC

RLC

MAC

L1

UE

LTE - Uu

Relay
GTP - U

GTP - U

GTP - U

UDP/IP

UDP/IP

UDP/IP

UDP/IP

MAC

L2

L2

L2

L2

L1

L1

L1

L1`

L1

eNode B

GTP - U

S1 - U

S - GW

S5/S8

P - GW

SG

E -UTRAN User Plane Protocol Stack

IP Packet for UE is encapsulated in an EPC Specific protocol and tunneled between the P-GW and the
eNodeB for transmission to the UE.
Different Tunneling protocol are used across the different interfaces.
The E UTRAN user plane protocol stack of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) , Radio
Link Controller (RLC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayers are terminated in the eNodeB on
the network side.

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3.2 Control Plane

NAS

NAS

RRC

Relay

RRC

S1 - AP

S1 -AP

PDCP

PDCP

SCTP

SCTP

RLC

RLC

IP

IP

MAC

MAC

L2

L2

L1

L1

L1

L1

UE

LTE - Uu

eNode B

S1 - MME

MME

E -UTRAN Control Plane Protocol Stack

The protocol stack for the control plane between the UE and MME is shown above.
The AS protocol are L1, MAC, RLC, PDCP and RRC.
The lower layers perform the same functions as for user plane with the exception that there is no
header compression function for control plane.
The Radio Resource Control (RRC) Protocol is known as layer 3in the AS protocol stack.
It is the main controlling function in AS, responsible for establishing the radio bearers and
configuring all the lower layers using RRC Signalling between eNodeB and the UE.

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4. The E UTRAN Network interfaces: S1 Interface

4.1 Protocol Structure Over S1

The Protocol Structure Over S1 is based on a full IP transport stack as used in GSM or UMTS
networks.

4.1.1 Control Plane

Radio Network
Layer

S1 - AP

SCTP

IP
Transport
Network Layer
Data Link Layer

Physical Layer

S1 Control Plane Protocol Stack

The protocol structure is based on Stream Control Transmission Protocol/IP (SCTP/IP) Stack.
The SCTP is known for its advanced features inherited from TCP that ensures the required delivery
of signaling messages.
An area of simplification in LTE is the direct mapping of S1 Application Protocol (S1 AP) on top of
SCTP.
This results in simplified protocol stack with no intermediate connection management protocol ,
since connection are handled in application layer.
Multiplexing takes place between S1 AP and SCTP.

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4.1.2 User Plane

GTP - U

UDP

IPv6(IETF RFC 2460)

And/or
IPv4(IETF RFC 791)

Data Link Layer

Physical Layer

S1 U User Plane Protocol Stack

The Protocol structure of S1 User plane is based on the GTP/UDP5/IP stack which is known to UTMS
networks.
One of the advantage of using GPRS tunneling protocol user plane (GTP U) is its inherent facility to
identify tunnels.
A transport bearers is identified by the GTP tunnels endpoints and the IP address.
The S-GW sends the downlink packets of a given bearer to the eNodeB IP address.

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4.2 Context Management over S1

UE is associated with one particular MME for all its communications during its stay in pool area.
This creates context in MME for the UE.
This Particular MME is selected by the NAS Node Selection Function (NNSF) in the first eNodeB from
which the UE entered the pool area.
eNodeB

MME

Initial Context Setup Request

Initial Context Setup Request

Initial Context Setup procedure

The UE becomes active under the coverage of a particular eNodeB in the pool area, the MME
provides the UE context information to this eNodeB using initial context Setup request message.
This enables eNodeB turn to create a context and manage the UE for the duration of its activity in
active mode.
The creation of the eNodeB context by the initial Context setup procedure also includes the creation
of one or several bearers including the default bearer.
UE context release command message sent from the MME, the UE context in the eNodeB is erased
and only the UE context in the MME remains.

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4.3 Mobility over S1

LTE/SAE supports the mobility within LTE/SAE as well as mobility to other systems.
The Mobility procedures also involve the network interface.

4.3.1 Intra LTE mobility

There are 2 types of Handover procedures in LTE for UEs in active mode: the S1 and X2 handover
procedure.
For Intra LTE mobility X2 handover procedure is normally used for inter-eNodeB handover.
When there is no X2 interface between the two eNodeBs, or if the source eNodeB has been
configured to initiate handover towards a particular target eNodeB through the S1 interface, then
an S1 interface then S1 handover will be triggered.

UE

Source eNodeB

Target eNodeB

Source MME

Target MME

1. Decision to trigger a relocation via S1

2. Handover Required

3. Forward Relocation Required

4. Handover Required

5. Resource Setup

6. Handover Request ACK

7. Forward Relocation Response
8. Handover Command
9. Handover Command
10. eNodeB Status Transfer
10.b Only for direct forwarding of data
11. MME Status Transfer
12. Handover Confirm
13. Handover Notify
14a. Forward Relocation Complete
14a. Forward Relocation Complete ACK

15. Tracking Area Update Request

16. Release Resources

S1 based handover procedure

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4.3.2 Inter Radio Access Technology Mobility

eNodeB

MME

Uplink S1 CDMA 2000 Tunneling

Uplink S1 CDMA 2000 Tunneling procedure

Mobility toward CDMA 2000 dedicated uplink and Downlink procedures have been introduced in
LTE.
The CDMA 2000 signalling between the UE and the CDMA 2000 system over S1 interface.

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5. The E UTRAN Network interfaces: X2 Interface

The X2 interface is used to interconnect eNodeBs.

5.1 Protocol Structure Over X2

Radio
Network
Layer

X2 - AP

GTP - U

UDP
SCTP

Transport
Network
Layer

IPv6 (IETF RFC 2460)

And or
IPv4(IETF RFC 791)

IP

Data Link Layer

Data Link Layer

Physical Layer
Physical Layer

X2 Signalling Bearer Protocol Stack

Transport Network Layer for data streams over X2

The Control and User plane Stack over the X2 interface is shown in fig are same as those for the S1
Interface, with the exception that X2 AP is substituted for S1 AP.

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5.2 Mobility Over X2

UE

Source LTE
eNodeB

Target LTE eNodeB

MME/S-GW

1. Provisions of Area Restrictions

2. Measurement Control
3. Handover Decision
4. Handover Request
5. Resource Setup
6. Handover Request ACK
7. Handover Command
8. Status Transfer
Data Forwarding
Over X2 Interface
to avoid data loss

9. Handover Complete
10. Path Switch Request

11. Path Switch Request

ACK

12. Release Resource

X2 based handover procedure

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