Systems Architecture Evolution: The 

Challenge of LTE and the Bigger Picture 
Stephen Hayes
Chair, Service and Systems Aspects, 3GPP
Principal Engineer, Ericsson
 Topics to be Discussed

The 3GPP Timeline
The Evolved Packet System
Fixed Mobile Convergence
3GPP Directions

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 3GPP Timeline
High
Speed
Accesses

IP Core
Services
Network
R99 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

HSPA
UMTS

HSPA
HSPA

LTE

LTE
Adv
UL

+
DL

EPC
Comm
MMTel
IMS

IMS
© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009
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 The 3GPP Release Cycle

New R9 New R10

Functions Functions
Vetted R8 Vetted R9
Leftovers Leftovers

R8 R9 R10

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 Evolved Packet System

LTE = Long Term Evolution (radio part)
EPC = Evolved Packet Core (core network part)
EPS = LTE + EPC
EPS = Evolved Packet System

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 What’s Different in EPS (1)
Radio Access Performance Improved
• More spectrum flexibility
• FDD & TDD support
• Latency reduced
Radio Evolution not really new to 3GPP
Peak Network Data Rates

1000000
100000
10000
kbits/sec

UL
1000 DL

100
10
1
GPRS EDGE WCDMA HSPA HSPA+ LTE LTE-Adv
Technology

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 What’s Different in EPS (2)

Lower the Cost/bit
• Network flattened from 3 to 2 nodes:

RNC MSC/SGSN User data plane

Base Station
pre LTE
1 2 3

Serving GW User data plane

Base Station
in LTE
1 2

• Self-Organizing Network (SON) used for O&M

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 What’s Different in EPS (3)
Packet Access Only
• Extensive work done on QoS and Policy Control to support different 
applications.
• CS services treated as just another bearer with a given QoS class

Legacy Service Transition Solution EPS Solution

CS Voice CS Fallback (Rel 8) IMS VoIP (Rel 7)
SMS SMS over SGs (used to  SMS over IP (Rel 7)
be called SMS over CS) 
(Rel 8)
Supplementary Services CS Fallback (Rel 8) Multimedia Telephony 
(Rel 7)
Emergency Calls w  CS Emergency Calls (Rel  IMS Emergency Calls w 
Location Support 5) Location Support (Rel 9)

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 What’s Different in EPS (4)

Multi‐Access Core introduced
• 3GPP Accesses Supported:
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• UMTS/HSPA
• Non‐3GPP Accesses Supported with Optimizations (single 
radio)
• 1xRTT/HRPD
• Non‐3GPP Accesses Supported w/o Optimizations (dual 
radio)
• WiFi
• WiMax
• Fixed broadband access support in EPS is under discussion

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 Why Multi‐Access Mobility is Hard
Mobility Can Occur At Different Levels
• Application Level Mobility (same appication session on different 
networks/devices)
• Network Mobility (Keeping the same IP address over different accesses)
• Access Mobility (efficient handovers between accesses)
Mobility also involves more than just mobility
• Authentication/authorization – Is the user/device/service allowed
• Policy Control – What resources are allowed to be used
Types of mobility
• Roaming
• Idle mode mobility
• Service continuity
3GPP Addresses all these

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 How Does Fixed Mobile Convergence Fit In?

UMA (called GAN in 3GPP)

Narrowband only
Basically cellular over WiFi

User Ids
User profile
roaming
IMS/Common IMS security

Inter-
Common IMS Services QoS
policy SIP/SDP
Working
CS/PSTN
Diameter
Different Core Networks control
Basic
chargi Call
ng Control
Service logic
APIs EPC

Wireless Core Functions:

access - IP session ctrl
Fixed Accesses in EPC - Mobility support

Mobility
Access
- Deep Packet Inspection
inter-
working - Security
Common Services Wireline
functions
- Charging
- Policy and Resource
access control
EPC used for Mobility RGW

Transport

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 3GPP Directions

Improved
Cellular
Perform-
ance

More
New Services
3GPP Deployment &
Migration
Specs Scenarios

Reducing
CapEx
and OpEx

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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 Release 9 Improvements
Performance
• Dual band configurations
• UTRAN range
improvements
•High speed scenarios
• Regulatory • HNB improvements

& Migration
Deployment
(incl LTE)
Services

Requirements for VoIP

•More VOIP service •More multi-access
New

equivalents scenarios

•Public Safety •More FMC Options

•Various O&M •800Mhz band
improvements
• Database for network
data
•More self-configuration
Operational Improvements
© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009
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 Potential Release 10 Improvements
Performance

• LTE Advanced

• More HNB capabilities

& Migration
Deployment
Services

• Haptics
Many More to be • More fixed mobile
New

• Call Completion determined convergence

Not Logged In
• New bands?

•Local and Selected

IP Traffic Offload
•Machine to
Machine

Operational Improvements
© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009
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 Conclusions

EPS is more than just LTE
EPS was a revolution as far as the core network was 
concerned
• Positioned well for future growth
• Causing growing pains with respect to VoIP
• 3GPP has addressed the migration issue and continues to 
do so.
3GPP is positioning EPS as THE mobility solution for 
communications
3GPP is not just about improving the radio – It is 
about evolving the ecosystem.
© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009
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 For further Information
Information on what 3GPP is: http://www.3gpp.org/About‐
3GPP
Information on the 3GPP Releases: 
http://www.3gpp.org/releases
3GPP specifications: http://www.3gpp.org/specifications
3GPP workplan: http://www.3gpp.org/Work‐Plan
List of EPS specifications (as of Sept 2009): 
ftp://ftp.3gpp.org/Specs/2009‐09/Rel‐8/21_series/21201‐
810.zip
Contacts: 
• stephen.hayes<at>ericsson.com
• 3gppContact<at>3gpp.org
Thanks for your attention!

© 3GPP 2009 ATIS Technology Conference at Supercomm 2009, 21 October, 2009

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