Module-6

Q1 Explain LTE system architecture/SAE architecture

The high-level network architecture of LTE is comprised of following three main components:
The User Equipment (UE).
The Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).
The Evolved Packet Core (EPC).

The UE in an LTE network consists of two main protocol stacks:

User-plane protocol stack: Includes PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol), RLC (Radio
Link Control), MAC (Media Access Control), and PHY (Physical) layers. This stack
communicates with the eNodeB (eNB) through the LTE wireless link.
Control-plane protocol stack: Includes the NAS (Non-Access Stratum) and RRC (Radio
Resource Control) layers, in addition to the user-plane protocol stack.
The E-UTRAN (The access network)
The architecture of evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) has been
illustrated below.

The E-UTRAN handles the radio communications between the mobile and the evolved packet
core and just has one component, the evolved base stations, called eNodeB or eNB.
Each eNB is a base station that controls the mobiles in one or more cells. The base station that is
communicating with a mobile is known as its serving eNB.
Each eBN connects with the EPC by means of the S1 interface and it can also be connected to
nearby base stations by the X2 interface, which is mainly used for signalling and packet
forwarding during handover.
The Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (The core network)
The architecture of Evolved Packet Core (EPC) has been illustrated below.
 The Home Subscriber Server (HSS) component has been carried forward from UMTS and GSM
and is a central database that contains information about all the network operator's subscribers.
The Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) communicates with the outside world ie.
packet data networks PDN, using SGi interface. Each packet data network is identified by an
access point name (APN). The PDN gateway has the same role as the GPRS support node
(GGSN) and the serving GPRS support node (SGSN) with UMTS and GSM.
The serving gateway (S-GW) acts as a router, and forwards data between the base station and the
PDN gateway.
The mobility management entity (MME) handles the signaling of message and security, tracking
of the user equipment.
The Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) is a component which is not shown in
the above diagram but it is responsible for policy control decision-making, as well as for
controlling the flow-based charging functionalities in the Policy Control Enforcement Function
(PCEF), which resides in the P-GW.
Q2 Write short note on SON-LTE
The concept of SON became frequently used after it was adopted by the Next Generation Mobile
Networks (NGMN) alliance to address challenges foreseen due to management of several radio
access technologies along with the LTE network introduction. SON standardisation has started
with LTE in 3GPP Release 8 and continued in Release 9 and 10. Release 11, which will contain
additional SON features and enhancements to existing ones. The SON- LTE stands for Self
Organizing Networks. This concept of SON is introduced in LTE and LTE-advanced based
networks to provide simple and fast installation and maintenance of the cellular networks. The
SON- LTE features can be applied to all available types of network architectures viz. centralized,
hybrid and distributed.
SON-LTE is further divided into three major subcategories:
• Self configuration
• Seld optimization
• Self healing
Self configuration is automatic setting of all the base station (eNodeB) parameters required at
the time of installation. This avoids manual setting needed by the LTE network service provider.
This is done based on measurement of radio conditions.
Self optimization refers to optimization of parameters of existing base stations (eNodeBs) based
on change in network load and performance requirements if any.
Self healing helps in overcoming temporary issues of LTE system capacity occurring due to LTE
equipment aging.
Q3 Write short note on SON for heterogeneous networks(SON HetNet)

The migration from macro-only networks to multi-layer topology networks, often referred to as
Heterogeneous Networks (HetNet). The macro, micro and picoeNBs are characterised by the
same architecture, while the Home eNBs (HeNB)have different architecture. In addition macro
eNBs are typically installed by the operator after careful radio network Planning considerations,
picoeNBs may be installed on an adhoc basis without prior detailed radio network planning. On
the other extreme, HeNBs are typically installed by an end-user who is not a technical expert and
 they can be moved to a different location and/or switched on or off at any time by the end-user.
HeNBs are therefore deployed in an uncoordinated manner without any direct control through
the operator. A major precondition for a successful LTE multi-layer deployment is that especially
the small eNBs (pico, HeNB) are self-configuring and self-optimising, as conducting
configuration and performance management operations manually is simply impossible for the
deployment of a large number of small base stations.
Q4 Write short note on 5G
5G Technology stands for 5th generation mobile technology.5G denote the next major phase of
mobile telecommunication standards beyond the upcoming 4G standards. Wireless systems using
orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with wide area coverage. High throughput
at millimetre waves (10 mm to 1 mm) covering a frequency range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz.Enables
20 Mbps data rate to distances up to 2 km. The millimeter - wave band is the most effective
solution to the recent surge in wireless Internet usage. These specifications are capable of
providing wireless world wide web (WWWW) applications. The WWWW allows a highly
flexible network (flexible channel bandwidth between 5 and 20 MHz, optimally up to 40 MHz),
and dynamic Ad-hoc wireless network (DAWN)
• This technique provides intelligent antennas :
1. Switched Beam Antenna
2. Adaptive array antenna
It also provides Flexible Modulation Method, which helps in obtaining bidirectional high
bandwidth, i.e., transfer of a large volume of broadcasting data in giga bytes. It can sustain more
than 60,000 connections and providing 25 Mbps connectivity. Users of 5G technology can
download an entire film to their tablets or laptops, including 3D movies; they can download
games and avail remote medical services.
Features of 5G Technology
• 5G technology offer high resolution for cell phone user and bidirectional large bandwidth
shaping.
• 5G technology also providing subscriber supervision tools for fast action.
• The high quality services of 5G technology based on Policy to avoid error.
• 5G technology is providing large broadcasting of data in Gigabit which supporting almost
65,000 Connections.
•5G technology offer transporter class gateway with unparalleled consistency.
• The traffic statistics by 5G technology makes it more accurate.
• Through remote management offered by 5G technology a user can get better and fast solution.
• The remote diagnostics also a great feature of 5G technology.
• The 5G technology is providing up to 25 Mbps connectivity speed.
• The 5G technology also support virtual private network.
• The uploading and downloading speed of 5G technology touching the peak.
Q5 Explain the components of LTE-Advanced
The key components of LTE-Advanced are:
 Carrier Aggregation (CA): This allows the combination of multiple component carriers (CCs)
to increase the overall bandwidth and data rates. The CCs can be contiguous or non-contiguous,
and can be within the same frequency band (intra-band) or across different frequency bands
(inter-band).
MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output): LTE-Advanced extends the MIMO support,
allowing up to 8x8 MIMO in the downlink and 4x4 MIMO in the uplink to further boost data
rates and spectral efficiency.
Relay Nodes: Relay nodes are introduced to improve coverage, especially at the cell edges, by
relaying signals between the eNodeB and the user equipment (UE). This helps enhance the overall
network performance.
Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets): LTE-Advanced supports the deployment of
heterogeneous networks, which consist of a mix of macro cells, micro cells, pico cells, and femto
cells. This allows for better coverage and capacity by offloading traffic from the macro cells to
the smaller cells.
In addition to these key components, LTE-Advanced also incorporates other enhancements such
as:
Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) transmission and reception
Enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC)
Support for unlicensed spectrum through License Assisted Access (LAA)
Improved support for machine-type communications (MTC) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices
These advanced features and technologies enable LTE-Advanced to achieve higher data rates,
improved coverage, and enhanced overall network performance compared to the initial LTE
standard.
Q6 Explain voice over LTE(VoLTE)
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is a technology that enables voice calls to be made over the LTE (Long
Term Evolution) network, which is primarily designed for high-speed data transmission. VoLTE
utilizes packet-switched technology to carry voice traffic as data packets over LTE networks
instead of traditional circuit-switched networks used in older generations of cellular technology.
By using VoLTE, voice calls benefit from higher quality audio and faster call setup times
compared to circuit-switched voice calls. VoLTE leverages IP-based protocols, allowing voice
and data to share the same network infrastructure efficiently. One of the key advantages of
VoLTE is the ability to support High Definition (HD) voice calls, providing clearer audio and
better overall voice quality. Additionally, VoLTE enables simultaneous voice and data
transmission, allowing users to browse the internet or use data services during voice calls without
interruptions. To use VoLTE, both the mobile device and the cellular network must support the
technology. VoLTE deployment has become widespread as LTE networks have matured, offering
enhanced voice capabilities and improved user experience over traditional voice services.
Q7