Radio Access Network Architecture: Figure 3.1. UMTS System Architecture

Chapter 3
Radio Access Network Architecture
Part of the UMTS system that handles all radio related functionality is called UTRAN, UMTS
Terrestrial Radio Access Network. Besides UTRAN, UMTS network consists of Core
Network, which is responsible for switching and routing functionality and User Equipment, UE
that interfaces the user. The complete system architecture with the external reference points
and interfaces is shown in Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1. UMTS system architecture.
UTRAN was designed to fulfil the following requirements:

- support soft handover
- support WCDMA specific Radio Resource Management algorithms
- maximization of the commonalities in the packet-switched and circuit-switched data handling
- maximization of the commonalities with GSM network
- use of ATM platform for transport mechanism.
UE and UTRAN consists of completely new protocols. Both also consist of two elements.
The Mobile Equipment, ME and the UMTS Subscriber Identity Module, USIM make up the
UE part. In case of UTRAN, there are Node B and the Radio Network Controller, RNC.
3.1. Node B
Node B logically corresponds to GSM Base Station. It converts the data flow between the Iub
and Uu interfaces. It is responsible for:
- transmission and reception of a radio signal in one or a group of cells to and from the UE.
- channel coding
- interleaving
- rate adaptation
- spreading.
- radio network management.
An example of radio network management operation is the inner loop power control.
Node B can support:
- TDD mode
- FDD mode
- dual mode operation.
3.2. Radio Network Controller

The Radio Network Controller logically corresponds to GSM Base Station Controller, BSC.
RNC is the service access point for all services provided by UTRAN. RNC performs the
following tasks:
- allocation and control of the radio resources
- code allocation for new radio links
- responsibility for radio network control
- responsibility for handover decision
- support combination/splitting streams by means of combining/splitting functions
- control of connected Nodes B
- load and congestion control in allocated cells
- interface the CN to Mobile Services switching Centre, MSC and Service GPRS Support
Node, SGSN. Usually it is one MSC and one SGSN.
3.3. Radio Network Subsytems

UTRAN architecture consists of one or more Radio Network Subsystems, RNS as presented
in Figure 3.2.
Figure 3.2. UTRAN architecture.
A RNS consists of one RNC nad one or more Nodes B. RNCs may be connected to each other
via an Iur interface, while RNC and Node b are connected via Iub interface.
There are two kinds of RNC: serving and drift as is depicted in Figure 3.3.
Figure 3.3. Serving and Drift RNC.
For each connection between UE and UTRAN, one RNC is the Serving RNC, SRNC. The
SRNC performs the following tasks:
- termination of signalling protocol between the UE and UTRAN
- L2 processing of the data to/from the radio interface
- Radio Resource Management operations
- handover decision
- outer loop power control.
An example of RRM operation is mapping of Radio Access Bearer parameters into air interface
transport channel parameters.
One UE connected to UTRAN has only one SRNC.
A Drift RNC, DRNC could be any RNC that controls cells used by the mobile. One UE
connected to UTRAN may have no, one or more DRNCs. One RNC contains all the SRNC
and DRNC functionality.
3.4 UTRAN Interfaces

The UTRAN is layered in two logically independent layers that are Radio Network Layer and
Transport Network Layer.
The open interfaces between the logical network elements are specified by 3 GPP. Open
interface means, that it is defined to such a detailed level that the equipment at the end points
can be from different manufacturers.
In UTRAN network the following interfaces are used: Uu, Iu, Iur and Iub.
The Uu interface is the WCDMA radio interface through which the UE accesses the fixed part
of the system and for that reason is the most important open interface in UMTS.
Iu interface connects UTRAN to the CN. As depicted in Figure 3.4. this interface separately
connects UTRAN to Circuit Switch CN, that is MSC/VLR and Iu Packet Switched for
connecting UTRAN to PS CN, that is SGSN.
Iur interface connects two RNCs and allows soft handover between RNCs from different
manufacturers.
Iub interface connects a Node B and RNC. This is the first Controller-Base Station interface
standardised as fully open.
Figure 3.4. UMTS interfaces.
3.5.UTRAN Functions
The UTRAN functions are divided into five groups:
1. Transfer of user data
2. Functions related to overall system access control
3. Functions related to mobility
4. Functions related to radio resource management and control
5. Functions related to broadcast and multicast services
Each group contains its specific functions listed below.
Functions related to overall system access control:
- admission control
- congestion control
- system information broadcasting
- radio channel ciphering and deciphering
Functions related to mobility:
- handover
- SRNS reallocation
- paging support
- positioning
Functions related to radio resource management and control:
- radio resource configuration and operation
- radio environment survey
- combining/splitting control
- connection set-up and release
- allocation and deallocation of radio bearers
- radio protocols function
- radio frequency power control
- radio channel coding/decoding
- radio channel coding control
- initial access detection and handling
- timing advance (in TDD mode)
Functions related to broadcast and multicast services contain:
- broadcast/multicast information services
- broadcast/multicast flow control
- tracing
- volume reporting.
Transfer of user data function provides user data transfer capability between Iu and Uu
reference points.
Admission control function admits or deny new users, new radio access bearers or new radio
links.
Congestion control function monitors, detects and handles situations when the system reaches
an overload.
System information broadcasting function provides the mobile station with the information
needed to properly operate within the system.
Radio channel ciphering and deciphering function is a pure computation function.
Handover function manages the mobility of a UE. This function is based on radio
measurements and is used to maintain the requested QoS.
SRNS reallocation function coordinates the activities when the SRNS role is to be taken over
by another RNS.
Paging support function requests a UE to contact the UTRAN when the UE is in Idle mode.
Positioning function provides the capability to determine the geographic position of a UE.
Radio resource configuration and operation function configures the radio network
resources, that is cells and common transport channels. It is also capable to take the resources
into or out of operation.
Radio environment survey function performs measurements on radio channels in current and
surrounding cells and translates these measurements into radio channel quality estimates.
Combining/splitting control function controls combining/splitting of information streams to
receive/transmit the same information through multiple physical channels from/ towards a
single mobile station.
Connection setup and release function controls connection setup and release in the UTRAN.
Allocation and deallocation of radio bearers function translates the connection/release
element setup request into physical radio channel allocation/deallocation accordingly to the
QoS of the Radio Access Bearer.
Radio protocol function provides user data and signalling transfer across the UMTS radio
interface by adapting the services to the radio transmission.
RF power control function controls the level of the transmitted power in order to minimise
interference and keep the quality of the connection.
Radio channel coding function introduces redundancy into the source data flow in order to
allow signal errors detection and correction introduced by transmission medium.
Radio channel coding function reconstructs the source information using the redundancy
added by the channel coding function to detect or correct possible errors in the received data
flow.
Channel coding control function generates control information required by the channel
coding/decoding execution functions.
Initial access detection and coding function is capable to detect an initial access attempt
form a mobile station and responds to it.
Timing advance function applies only to TDD mode and is used in uplink to align the uplink
radio signal from the UE to the UTRAN.
In 3.84 Mcps TDD mode the TA is based on uplink burst timing measurements performed by
the Node B and on Timing Advance commands sent downlink to the UE.
In 1.28 Mcps TDD mode the Timing Advance function can be achieved by the uplink
synchronisation procedure.
Broadcast/multicast information distribution function distributes received CBS messages
towards the BMC entities configured per cell basis for further processing.
Broadcast/multicast flow control function informs the data source about the RNC processing
units congestions and takes means to resolve those congestions.
CBS status reporting function resides on the RNC side and collects status data per cell and
matches these data to Service Areas.
Tracing function allows tracing of various events related to the UE and its activities.
Volume reporting function reports the volume of unacknowledged data to the Core Network
for accounting purpose.

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Chapter 3

Radio Access Network Architecture

Figure 3.1. UMTS system architecture.

UTRAN was designed to fulfil the following requirements:

3.2. Radio Network Controller

3.3. Radio Network Subsytems

Figure 3.3. Serving and Drift RNC.

3.4 UTRAN Interfaces

Figure 3.4. UMTS interfaces.

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