Module 1

UMTS OVERVIEW
 Module content

UMTS Overview

1. Introduction to 3G networks
2. UMTS network
3. UTRAN hardware and functional architecture
4. Interfaces
5. UMTS core network
Addenda
Protocols
Bearer concept

1.2
 Module objectives

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

– Describe the architecture of an UMTS network

– Describe the UTRAN hardware architecture

– Describe the UTRAN logical architecture

– Identify the UMTS interfaces

– Describe the characteristics of the UMTS core network

1.3
Section 1

INTRODUCTION TO 3G NETWORKS
 1.1 Mobile networks history

• Mobile network "Prehistory":

– 1946: U.S.
– 1970 - 80: NATEL (Switzerland)
• 1st Generation: Analogue cellular networks
– 1979: Japan: NTT
– 1981: Sweden: NMT
– 1983: U.S: AMPS
– 1985: UK: TACS
• 2nd Generation: Digital networks
– 1992: Europe: GSM → GPRS → EDGE
– 1995: US: IS95 (CDMA)
• 3rd Generation: Universal Standards
• 2001: Japan, Europe IMT-2000: UMTS
• 2002: U.S.: CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
• 2003-2007: HSPA
• 4th Generation
– 2009: LTE
• 5th Generation
– 2020 ? LTE-Advanced
1.5
 1.1 Mobile networks history [cont.]

The second generation systems were built mainly to provide speech services in macrocells.
To understand the differences between second and third generation networks, we need to look at the
requirements for the new generation systems, which are listed below:
• Bit rates up to 2 Mbps
• Variable bit rate to offer bandwidth on demand
• Multiplexing of services with different quality requirements on a single connection, e.g. speech, video
and packet data
• Delay requirements from delay-sensitive real time traffic to flexible best-effort packet data
• Quality requirements from 10% frame error rate to 10-6 bit error rate
• Co-existence of second and third generation systems and inter-system handovers for coverage
enhancements and load balancing
• Support of asymmetric uplink and downlink traffic, e.g. web browsing causes more loading to
downlink than to uplink
• High spectrum efficiency
• Co-existence of FDD and TDD modes

1.6
 1.2 Advantages & disadvantages of 3G networks

Advantages:
Higher system capacity
Higher throughputs
Better spectrum efficiency than 2G systems
Introduction of new services (Packet data transfer, Video call, Streaming…)
Possibility to use different QoS traffic classes
Possibility to handle asymmetric data transfer
Possibility to offer multi-services to users (Voice call + data…)
Enhanced privacy

Disadvantages:
Complex system: Not easy to configure and to manage
Unstable in case of congestion

1.7
Section 2

UMTS NETWORK
 2.1 UMTS network description

Universal Mobile Telecommunications

System is the 3rd Generation mobile
telephony standard.

It is composed of three domains:

User Equipment (UE)
Access Network (UTRAN)
Core Network (CN)

It provides access to external networks

(Voice, Data)

MSC
SGSN

1.9
2.1 UMTS network description [cont.]

1.10
 2.2 Radio access networks & core networks

Access Core Network External

Networks Networks
MSC Server CS Links
CS-CN PS Links
E-UTRAN
PSTN
(LTE) MGW GMSC
eNode B

HLR IN Network
UTRAN

RNC
Backbone
Node B
SGSN
PDN

GSM BSC iGGSN

RAN
PS-CN
BTS

1.11
 2.3 Core network description

Core network functions

Call establishment
Mobility Management (management of user location)
Management of subscriber databases
Providing support for services
Interconnection to external networks

HLR/
AuC
UE

1.12
Section 3

UTRAN HARDWARE AND

FUNCTIONAL ARCHITECTURE
 3.1 UTRAN architecture

CS-CN PS-CN
Core Network
Iu-CS Iu-PS

RNC RNC

Iur
Iub Iub
UTRAN
RNS

Node B Node B

Uu Interface

UE
UEs

1.14
 3.2 UTRAN main functions

Transfer of User Data

Call Admission Control

Soft Hand-over

Ciphering

Broadcast services
management

1.15
 3.3 RNS and RNC

RNS functions
The Radio Network Subsystem is composed of one RNC and all its Node B.
It is globally responsible for the allocation and release of radio resources to allow
connections between UE and UTRAN.

Control of radio resources in its domain

Control of UE connections
Control of its Node B

UE

1.16
 3.4 Node B

Node B functions
A Node B can be considered, as a first approximation, like a transcoder between the data
sent/received by antennas and the data on the Iub
Air interface: Radio transmission/reception (Tx/Rx Amplification, Frequency up/down
conversion, Modulation/Demodulation, Coding/Decoding, Filtering, Digital/Analog conversion,…)
Conversion from frame protocols to WCDMA waves
Cell management
Power control
Involved in mobility management
Radio access
Network interface
O&M functions
Configuration and Supervision
Alarm management
Performance monitoring
Support for optional antenna equipment UE
(RETA, TMA)

1.17
 3.5 RNC functions

RNC: Radio Network Controller

It is the intelligent part of the UTRAN:
Radio resource management (code allocation, power control, congestion control,
admission control, radio channels management,)
Call management for the users (radio&terrestrial resource allocation, bearer management)
Connection to CS and PS core network
Signalling management
Radio mobility management (Hard&soft handover)
System parameters management
Measurements processing
Node B management
Local&central Fault management
Redundancy&reconfiguration management
Overload control RNC RNC
Transport functions (ATM & IP)
Iub Iur Iub
Optional features (UTRAN Sharing,
Location services, Cell broadcast,…) RNS
Node B Node B

1.18
 3.6 Controlling, serving and drift RNC

UE
UE

1.19
3.7 NodeB and RNC Hardware

1.20
Section 4

INTERFACES
 4.1 Interfaces

Open Interfaces:
The functions of the Network Elements have been clearly specified by the
3GPP.
Their internal implementation issues are open for the manufacturer.
All the interfaces have been defined in such a detailed level that the
equipment at the endpoints can be from different manufacturers.
“Open Interfaces” aim at motivating competition between manufacturers.

Physical implementation of Iu Interfaces:

Each Iu Interface may be implemented on any physical connection using any
transport technology, mainly on E1 (cable), STM-1 (optical fiber), IP over
Ethernet, micro waves, and satellite links.
ATM is provided in the 3GPP R4 release and IP since 3GPP R6.

1.22
 4.2 ATM and IP in UTRAN
SAS

CBC

Iub MSC
Itf-R
ATM NB ATM
Itf-B backhaul ATM backhaul MGW

Iub Iu-CS MGW

Itf-B
OMC Itf-R Iur RNC SGSN
Hybrid NB RNC (SAS)

Iu-PS
GGSN
Iub
IP backhaul
IP backhaul
IP NB SGSN

Last Mile Iu-BC

MGW
CBC MGW
MSC

UTRAN Core Network

1.23
 4.3 Iub

Iub
Itf-R
ATM NB ATM
Itf-B backhaul

Iub Iu-CS

Iur
Hybrid NB RNC RNC
(SAS)

Iu-PS
Iub IP backhaul
IP NB

Last Mile

UTRAN

1.24
 4.4 Hybrid Iub logical architecture

Ethernet IP network:
link Several DSCPs

RNC
GE link

Hybrid BTS VR
IP on VLAN/GE

Ethernet STM1 link

link

E1/T1 links
ATM on STM1
ATM network: OMC
Several ATM VCs
Hybrid BTS

OAM flow on ATM

Signaling flow on ATM
R99 + Common channels + HSPA Streaming User plane on ATM
HSPA Interactive / Background User plane on IP
1.25
 4.5 Native IP Iub logical architecture

PTP server (1588)

OMC
FE/GE
link GE link

RNC

IP Network:
IP node DSCP mandatory
VLAN/p bits optional

User Plane
0 or 1 VLAN
Control Plane 0 or 1 VLAN 0 or 3 VLANs
OAM flow 1 or 3 IP adresses
Synchro flow 0 or 1 VLAN
1.26
 4.6 IP Iur logical architecture

RNC Peer RNC

GE Link GE Link
IP
IP Network
VR
network

UP CP

Refer to Iub architecture

Control Plane (CP)

User Plane (UP)
Node B
1.27
 4.7 IP Iu-PS logical architecture

1 Iu flex
domain

IP Network:
Several DSCP
SGSN
RNC GGSN
GE Link

IP/VLAN/GE
GGSN
VR
STM-1 Link

IP/ATM SGSN
GGSN
ATM Network:
Several ATM VCs

1.28
 4.8 IP Iu-CS logical architecture

1 Iu flex
domain

IP Network:
Several DSCP MSC
server
RNC
GE Link
MSC

IP/VLAN/GE MGW
VR
STM-1 Link
MGW
MSC

IP/ATM
ATM Network:
Several ATM VCs

1.29
 4.9 Radio Interface basics

• One key element of the UMTS technology is the signal format that has been adopted on the radio interface
• The UMTS physical layer is totally different from the GSM one: It uses a multiple access scheme called CDMA, by
difference from the TDMA used in GSM
• Using CDMA, all data streams are sent simultaneously on the same frequency band, each of them being allocated
different codes; this way, multiple users can share the same channel and bandwidth
• Data transmission at physical layer is based on two mechanisms: the first one is called Spreading and the second one
Scrambling
• Spread Spectrum refers to a system originally developed for military applications, to provide secure communications
by spreading the signal over a large frequency band
• Narrowband signals in the frequency domain can be easily jammed by
any other signal in the same band
• The idea behind spread spectrum is to increase the bandwidth of the
original signal, while maintaining the same power
• The resulting wideband signal travels on the radio interface below
noise level, being more difficult to be detected or hijacked

• After spreading, before the signal is sent on air, a second processing stage is applied: the scrambling
• Scrambling codes are pseudo-random code sequences applied to data streams, in order to make possible the
identification of signals coming from different base stations in downlink, and from different mobiles in uplink
• Spreading and scrambling theoretically offer very good signal separation, thus providing higher capacity
• However, in practice the system proved to be very sensitive to noise and interference, being difficult to be managed,
especially in high-load situations

1.30
Section 5

UMTS CORE NETWORK

 5.1 General observations

• UMTS Core Network:

– Migration (evolution) of the GSM Core Network
– Further elements overlaid to enable the additional
functionality demanded by UMTS standard
• Blend of two technologies:
– CSCN – Circuit Switched Core Network – carries data in
a circuit switched manner (≡ permanent channel for the
duration of the call)
– PSCN – Packet Switched Core Network – carries packet
data, enabling higher network usage as the capacity can
be shared
1.32
 5.2 UMTS Core Network
Uu Iu
MSC/VLR GMSC …
E/G
CS Domain
Other PLMN
Iu-CS E
MSC/VLR GMSC

PSTN / ISDN
F C/D C

Gs H
UE UTRAN EIR HLR AuC

Gf Gr Gc Gi Internet / PDN

Iu-PS Gn
SGSN GGSN
Gp GGSN …
PS Domain
Other PLMN
Signaling
UMTS Core Network
Signaling and User data
1.33
 5.3 UMTS Core Network Entities (1/3)

Circuit Switched Specific Entities

• MSC – Mobile Switching Centre
– Primary service delivery node (routes voice calls, SMS, etc.)
– Handles mobility and hand-over requirements during the
call, takes care of charging and real time pre-paid account
monitoring
– Works in correlation with its local database – the VLR
(Visitor Location Register)
– Roles:
• GMSC – Gateway MSC: interface to the external networks
• VMSC – Visited MSC: the current “host” of a particular subscriber
• Anchor MSC / Target MSC: in handover scenarios
1.34
 5.3 UMTS Core Network Entities (2/3)

Packet Switched Specific Entities

• SGSN – Serving GPRS Support Node
– Mobility Management
– Session Management
– Interaction with other areas of the network
– Billing
• GGSN – Gateway GPRS Support Node
– central element within the UMTS PSCN
– handles inter-working between the UMTS PS network
and external PS networks
1.35
 5.3 UMTS Core Network Entities (3/3)

Shared Entities
• HLR – Home Location Register
– Contains all administrative information about each
subscriber (identified by IMSI<--->MS-ISDN) along with
their last known location
• AuC – Authentication Centre
– Provides the authentication function for all subscribers
of the network
• EIR – Equipment Identity Register
– Keeps track and controls access of the mobile terminals
(identified by IMEI) within the network
1.36
 5.4 UMTS Core Network Identities (1/4)

• IMSI – International Mobile Subscriber Identity

[E.212 Numbering Plan]
Not more than 15 digits

3 digits 2 or 3 digits

MCC MNC MSIN

NMSI

1.37
 5.4 UMTS Core Network Identities (2/4)

• IMSI is composed of three parts:

1) Mobile Country Code (MCC) - identifies uniquely the

home country of the mobile subscriber

2) Mobile Network Code (MNC) - identifies the home PLMN

of the mobile subscriber

3) Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (MSIN) -

identifies the mobile subscriber within a PLMN

1.38
 5.4 UMTS Core Network Identities (3/4)

• MS-ISDN – International Mobile Subscriber

Identity
[E.164 Numbering Plan]
1-3 digits 2-4 digits Up to 15 digits

CC NDC SN

National (Significant) Mobile Number

1.39
 5.4 UMTS Core Network Identities (4/4)

• MS-ISDN consists of:

1) Country Code (CC) of the country in which the MS is
registered
2) National Destination Code (NDC)
3) Subscriber Number (SN).

• For GSM/UMTS applications, at least one National

Destination Code is allocated to each PLMN
• The composition of the MS international ISDN number
should be such that it can be used as a global title address
in the Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) for routing
messages to the home location register of the MS*
1.40
 5.5 UMTS Core Network Temporary Identities (1/6)

• MSRN – Mobile Station Roaming Number

– Used to route calls directed to an MS (Terminating
Calls)
– On request from the Gateway MSC via the HLR it is
temporarily allocated to an MS by the VLR with which
the MS is registered; it addresses the Visited MSC
collocated with the assigning VLR
– The MSRN is passed by the HLR to the Gateway MSC to
route calls to the MS
• HON – Handover Number
– Used for establishment of a circuit between MSCs in
case of a call being handed over
1.41
 5.5 UMTS Core Network Temporary Identities (2/6)

• TMSI – Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity

– Allocated to visiting mobile subscribers by the VLRs,
SGSNs and MME in order to support the subscriber
identity confidentiality service
– An MS may be allocated three TMSIs, one for services
provided through the MSC, one for services provided
through the SGSN (P-TMSI) and one for the services
provided via the MME (M-TMSI part -> GUTI for short)

1.42
 5.5 UMTS Core Network Temporary Identities (3/6)

• LMSI – Local Mobile Subscriber Identity

– Defined in order to speed up the search for subscriber
data in the VLR
– May be allocated by the VLR at location updating and is
sent to the HLR together with the IMSI
– The HLR makes no use of it but includes it together with
the IMSI in all messages sent to the VLR concerning that
MS

1.43
 5.5 UMTS Core Network Identities (4/6)

• P-TMSI – Packet Temporary Mobile Subscriber

Identity
– Issued to a GPRS enabled mobile and unique within a
given RA (Routing Area)
– Used by the GPRS network to page the specified mobile
– It is associated with the TLLI
• TLLI – Temporary Logical Link Identity
– Used for addressing on resources used for GPRS (MS <--
-> SGSN)
– Built by the MS either on the basis of the P-TMSI (local
or foreign TLLI), or directly (random TLLI)

1.44
 5.5 UMTS Core Network Identities (5/6)

• GUTI – Globally Unique Temporary UE Identity

– Provides an unambiguous identification of the UE that
does not reveal the UE or the user's permanent identity
in the Evolved Packet System (EPS)
– Allows the identification of the MME and network
– Can be used by the network and the UE to establish the
UE's identity during signaling between them in the EPS
– Has two main components:
- one that uniquely identifies the MME which
allocated the GUTI (GUMMEI)
- one that uniquely identifies the UE within the MME
that allocated the GUTI (M-TMSI)
1.45
 5.5 UMTS Core Network Identities (6/6)

• S-TMSI – SAE TMSI

– The S-TMSI is the shortened form of the GUTI to enable
more efficient radio signaling procedures (e.g. paging
and Service Request)
– For paging purposes, the mobile is paged with the S-
TMSI
– It is constructed from the MMEC and the M-TMSI

1.46
 5.6 UMTS Core Network Evolution

• 3GPP Rel. 99/Rel. 3 [2000 Q1]: Adds 3G radios

(UTRAN) in an enhanced GSM/GPRS core ->
provides broadband interface
• 3GPP Rel. 4 [2001 Q2]: Adds the softswitch/media
gateway tandem in the circuit-switched domain
• 3GPP Rel. 5 [2002 Q1]: GERAN, first IP multimedia
service (IMS) with SIP, QoS, and IPv6
• 3GPP Rel. 6 [2004 Q4]: All IP network,
multicast/broadcast multimedia services,
WCDMA/WLAN interworking
1.47
5.7 UMTS Core Network Architecture in 3GPP Rel. 99 (1/2)

1.48
 5.7 UMTS Core Network Architecture in 3GPP Rel. 99 (2/2)

• Enhanced GSM Phase 2+ core network with GPRS

• New radio network: UTRAN
• Iu interface: UTRAN <-----> UMTS Core Network
• UE may attach to several RNCs -> Soft handover is
supported (Iur interface)
• Iu-CS interface: RNC <-----> 3G MSC (≡ A in GSM)
• Iu-PS interface: RNC <-----> 3G SGSN (≡ Gb in GPRS)
• The new interfaces (Iub, Iur, Iu-CS, Iu-PS) are based
on ATM
1.49
5.8 UMTS Core Network Architecture in 3GPP Rel. 4 (1/2)

1.50
 5.8 UMTS Core Network Architecture in 3GPP Rel. 4 (2/2)

• Changes in the CS domain:

– Separation of 3G MSC into MSC server and MGWs:
• MSC server
– contains call control and mobility management logic
– includes VLR
• Media Gateway
– contains the switching function
– controlled by the MSC server
– terminates the bearer channels from the CS network

• Separation of the call control and physical interfaces:

– Scalability and Cost reduction
– Use of an intra-PLMN backbone (shared, cheaper IP
transport)
1.51
5.9 UMTS Core Network Architecture in 3GPP Rel. 5 (1/2)

1.52
 5.9 UMTS Core Network Architecture in 3GPP Rel. 5 (2/2)

• All IP based -> no need for CS within PLMN

• Appropriate conversion is required to interconnect to
legacy systems (at the gateway)
• R-SGW (Roaming Signaling GateWay) and T-SGW
(Transport Signaling GateWay) provide interworking
with the external system over legacy SS7 and SS7-over-
IP
• CSCF (Call Session Control Function) provides call
control functions for multimedia sessions
• MGCF (Media Gateway Control Function) controls
media gateways, which are IP multimedia subsystems
1.53
ADDENDA
A.1

PROTOCOLS
 A1.1 Protocol types in UTRAN
Iu protocols:
Used to exchange data (traffic and
signaling) between RNCs, Node Bs, and
Core Network the core network:
• RANAP
• RNSAP
Iu
Iu Protocols • NBAP
• ALCAP
Radio protocols:
RNC RNC
Iur Used to process the data sent on the
air and for the signaling between
Iub UTRAN and the Ues:
• RRC
• RLC
Radio Protocols
• MAC
• PHY
Node B
NAS signaling:
Signaling between a UE and the core
Uu interface
network.
NAS signaling Typically, the authentication and the
location.

1.56
 A1.2 Iub protocol stacks
Radio Network Transport User Plane
Control Plane Network
Control Plane
Radio Node B Iub
Network Application Part Frame Protocol
Layer (NBAP) (FP)

ALCAP
Q.2630.2
Q.2150.2
SSCF-UNI SCTP SSCF-UNI UDP

Transport SSCOP IP SSCOP IP

AAL2
Layer VLAN VLAN
AAL5 AAL5
LAG LAG
IMA
ATM Ethernet IMAATM IMAATM Ethernet

Physical Layer

1.57
 A1.3 Iur protocol stacks

Radio Control Plane User Plane

Network
Layer RNSAP Iur Data Stream(s)

Transport Network Transport Network Transport Network

User Plane Control Plane User Plane
ALCAP
Q.2630.2
Transport SCCP Q.2150.1
Network
MTP3-B M3UA MTP3-B
Layer
SSCF-NNI SCTP SSCF-NNI UDP
SSCOP IP SSCOP IP
AAL2
VLAN VLAN
AAL5 AAL5
LAG LAG
ATM Ethernet ATM ATM Ethernet

Physical Layer Physical Layer Physical Layer

1.58
 A1.4 Iu-PS protocol stacks

Radio Control Plane User Plane

Network
Layer RANAP Iu UP Protocol Layer

Transport Network Transport Transport Network

User Plane Network User Plane
Control
Plane
Transport SCCP
Network GTP-U GTP-U
MTP3-B M3UA M3UA
Layer
SSCF-NNI SCTP SCTP UDP UDP
SSCOP IP IP IP IP
VLAN VLAN
AAL5 AAL5
LAG LAG
ATM Ethernet ATM Ethernet

Physical Layer Physical Layer

1.59
 A1.5 Iu-CS protocol stacks

Radio Control Plane User Plane

Network
Layer RANAP Iu UP Protocol Layer

Transport Network Transport Network Transport Network

User Plane Control Plane User Plane
ALCAP
Q.2630.2
Transport SCCP Q.2150.1
Network
MTP3-B M3UA MTP3-B RTP/RTCP
Layer
SSCF-NNI SCTP SSCF-NNI UDP
SSCOP IP SSCOP AAL2 IP
VLAN VLAN
AAL5 AAL5
LAG LAG
ATM Ethernet ATM ATM Ethernet

Physical Layer Physical Layer Physical Layer

1.60
 A1.6 Iu-CS: RTP/RTCP protocol

Iu/UP

RTP/RTCP

UDP

IP

Ethernet

1.61
A.2

BEARER CONCEPT
A2.1 Radio access bearer notion

1.63
 A2.2 Radio Access Bearer (RAB)

UMTS bearers

CN-CS

UTRAN UMTS bearer

UE UMTS bearer

UMTS bearer services CN-PS

Radio Bearers (RB) Iu bearers

RABs (mapped on Radio & Iu bearers)

“The RAB provides confidential transport of signaling and user data

between UE and CN with the appropriate QoS.”

1.64
 A2.2 Radio Access Bearer (RAB) [cont.]

Traffic type Examples of available RABs

Conversational (CS) AMR 12.2/12.2, 64/64

Streaming (CS) 14.4/14.4

Interactive (PS) 64/128, 64/384 64/144, 128/384, 144/384, 32/32, 64/64,

128/128, 144/144

Background (PS) 64/128, 64/384 64/144, 128/384, 144/384, 32/32, 64/64,

128/128, 144/144

1.65
 A2.3 Several RABs per user

UE

The RAB provides confidential transport of data between UE and CN with the
appropriate QoS.

1.66
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!