LTE Mobility and Traffic

Management

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Outline of Chapter 1

— Mobility Overview
— Mobility configurations
— Scenarios

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LTE/SAE States and transitions

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Mobility states summary
— ECM-IDLE, Idle Mode
• No UE related information in the radio network present during long periods of inactivity.
• The location of an idle UE is only known within a Tracking Area List.
• A UE which moves into a cell with different Tracking Area List must perform tracking area update procedure.
• The MME retains the UE context and information about established bearers during idle periods, but there is no explicit signaling between the UE and
EPC.
• The UE is still in EMM-REGISTERED state, indicating that it is attached to the network and may transition to connected mode in response to a
paging request, user activity or other reason, without having to perform a full attach procedure.

— ECM-CONNECTED, Connected Mode

• UE makes no mobility decisions and responsibility is transferred to the LTE network.
• A UE can be instructed to report certain mobility events, such as when the serving cell signal drops below a particular level. This, in turn, causes the
RBS to take further action, such as instructing the UE to configure further measurements, or perform a handover.

— Inactivity Timer
• The timeout before a UE returns from connected mode to idle mode is configured by setting tInactivityTimer. This RBS level parameter influences
the amount of time a UE spends in idle mode and hence whether the idle mode or connected mode mobility configuration is dominant.

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Measurement quantities: Idle mode
— RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power
• RSRP is the average received power of a single reference signal resource element, which makes it independent of the measured bandwidth.
• RSRP is representative of the signal strength, but does not strongly indicate signal quality.
• A user close to multiple cells may have strong RSRP but a poor quality signal (low downlink SINR) due to interference, leading to a degraded
experience.
• Due to the different definitions, RSRP and RSCP values are not directly comparable and need to be adjusted based on the output power
configurations used by the two systems.
— RSRQ: Reference Signal Received Quality
• RSRQ measures the ratio of downlink reference signal power to all downlink received it’s power. It is calculated as (N x RSRP) / RSSI, where N is the
number of downlink resource blocks used for the RSRP measurement, and RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) is all received power
measured at the same time instance and over the same frequency range as the RSRP.
• RSRQ is intended to represent the downlink signal quality. However, since the denominator (RSSI) includes power from all sources, RSRQ is
impacted not only by other cell interference, external interference and thermal noise (which all degrade signal quality) but also by the traffic load on
the serving cell (which does not degrade signal quality).
• RSRQ is similar in application to WCDMA EcNo, which is also affected by loading (including the wanted signal power). When RSRQ targets are used
for mobility, the mobility behavior can be very different at different times of the day, or even on repeated drive tests over the same route.

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Measurement quantities

— UL SINR: Uplink Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio

• Uplink quality cannot be measured by the UE, and is instead measured per UE by the eNodeB as UL SINR.
• Normalized UL SINR is defined as the current achievable average UL SINR, assuming the UE is transmitting with maximum power on one Physical
Resource Block (PRB).
• The advantage of normalizing the SINR in this way is that the UE power class and the actual transmitted power (after possible power reduction) are
considered.
• UL SINR is used by the optional feature Uplink-Triggered Inter-Frequency Mobility as a triggering quantity for inter-frequency handovers. This
feature evaluates not only the UL SINR in the serving cell, but also the expected UL SINR in the target cell.

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Connected Mode Measurements

— In connected mode, UE mobility is controlled by the eNodeB based primarily on measurements made
by the UE. These measurements are configured in the UE via dedicated RRC messages, which instruct
the UE to set up, evaluate and report a particular measurement event.
— When an event is triggered, the UE sends a measurement report to the eNodeB which can then use it
to trigger some mobility action.
— The measurements are defined in 3GPP TS 36.331.
• a triggering quantity
• a filtering coefficient
• a threshold value
• a hysteresis
• a timer before triggering
— Most of these controls are set at the cell level, but some can be set (e.g. offset), for example per
frequency relation, cell relation or QoS Class Identifier (QCI).

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Threshold, Hysteresis and Time to Trigger

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Triggering Quantity

The default measurement quantity for most events is RSRP; but RSRQ can also be used.
— For relative measurements (such as intra-frequency serving versus neighbor cell), simulations show
similar performance for RSRP and RSRQ. However, RSRP thresholds are somewhat more intuitive to
design and so are recommended.
— For absolute triggering (such as RSRP < X dBm), RSRP is recommended. RSRQ may be used as an
additional trigger for inter-frequency and inter-RAT handover, to catch cases where RSRP is
acceptable but quality is poor, for example due to high interference.
— The fact that RSRQ is impacted by own cell load and short term variations in other cell load make it
challenging to choose appropriate RSRQ thresholds for mobility. RSRQ is therefore disabled as a
handover trigger in many networks.

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Features Responsible for Initiating Measurements
LTE Events IRAT Events
LTE Feature
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 B1 B2
Admission-Triggered Offload x x
Automated Neighbor Relations x x
Best Neighbor Relations for Intra-LTE Load Management x
Best Neighbor Relations for WCDMA IRAT Offload x
Cell Soft Lock x x
Coverage-Triggered GERAN Session Continuity x x x
Coverage-Triggered Inter-Frequency SessionContinuity x x x x
Coverage-Triggered WCDMA Session Continuity x x x
Downlink Coordinated Multi-Point x
Dynamic SCell Selection for Carrier Aggregation x x x
Inter-Frequency Load Balancing x
Inter-Frequency Offload x
Inter-RAT Offload to WCDMA x
Intra-LTE Handover x
Measurement-Based CSFB Target Selection x x
Minimization of Drive Tests x
Mobility Control at Poor Coverage x x x x x
PM-Initiated UE Measurements x x x x x x x x
PSHO-Based CS Fallback to UTRAN x x
Service or Priority-Triggered Inter-Frequency Handover x
Uplink Carrier Aggregation x x
Uplink-Triggered Inter-Frequency Mobility x x
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Event A1: Good Coverage, Serving Becomes Better
than Threshold

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Event A2: Poor Coverage, Serving Becomes Worse
than Threshold

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Event A3: Neighbor Becomes Offset Better than
Serving

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Event A4: Neighbor Becomes Better than Threshold

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Event A5: Serving Becomes Worse than Threshold 1
and Neighbor Better than Threshold 2

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Event A6: Neighbor Becomes Offset Better than SCell

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Event B1: IRAT Neighbor Becomes Better than
Threshold

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Event B2: Serving Becomes Worse than Threshold 1
and IRAT Neighbor Becomes Better than Threshold 2

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Event A3 versus Event A5 for Inter-Frequency
Handover
• Downlink coverage-triggered inter-frequency handover, the triggering event can be chosen per
frequency relation by setting interFreqMeasType to EVENT_A3 or EVENT_A5.
• Event A5 uses two absolute thresholds to evaluate the source and target cells independently
• Event A3 uses a single relative threshold, set on the difference between the source and target cells.

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Features always using A5

— The following features always use Event A5 (rather than Event A3) to evaluate the target frequency:
• Inter-frequency Load Balancing (and other load balancing features)
• Inter-frequency Offload (and other offload features)
• Uplink-Triggered Inter-Frequency Mobility
• Cell Soft Lock
• Service or Priority Triggered Inter-Frequency Handover

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Mobility Configurations Principle

— UEs should be distributed amongst the network layers in a way that maximizes overall performance
given the capacity and coverage capabilities of each layer.
— This distribution should be maintained in both idle and connected modes.
— If UEs are already located on the most appropriate layer in idle mode then the transition to connected
mode does not result in a coverage or load triggered transition to a more optimal layer.
— Avoiding unnecessary inter-layer transitions in connected mode is important, because such transitions
involve additional signaling overhead and have the potential to negatively impact the end user
experience.
— Therefore, to obtain the best overall performance, the idle and connected mode configurations should
be designed together, with performance, coverage and load management in mind.

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 Configuration for Intra-LTE mobility
Mobility
Priority Settings Idle Behavior Load Control Ideal UE case
Configuration
Ideally suited for use between two “coverage layers”
Above a configurable signal strength
IFLB is configured to whose
threshold, UEs remain on the serving
The two frequencies are work in the zone cells are not co-sited, as it allows UEs to select the
Equal Priority frequency. Below the threshold UEs are
given equal priority where UEs remain on stronger of the two at low signal strengths. Can
free to reselect to the other frequency if
the serving frequency also be used instead of the “sticky carrier”
stronger.
configuration described below.
Above a configurable signal strength
The serving frequency is threshold UEs IFLB is configured to Best used between capacity layers whose coverage is
given a higher remain on the serving frequency. Below work in the zone not too different. Allows IFLB to manage
Sticky Carrier
priority than the other the threshold UEs can reselect the where UEs remain on load distribution and respects this distribution in idle
frequency. other (lower priority) frequency if it is the serving frequency. mode unless the signal strength drops too low.
above a second threshold.
This configuration is best used between frequencies
The idle mode priority
One frequency is given UEs reselect the higher priority frequency with very different coverage footprints and/or
push is the primary
Priority Carrier higher priority than the provided its level is above a configurable capacities, where it is necessary to actively push UEs
mechanism for load
other signal strength threshold to the frequency with the higher capacity and/or
distribution.
poorer coverage.

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Equal Priority Configuration

— This configuration is best suited to cases where the cells on the two
frequencies are not co-sited and so it is desirable for the UE to
choose the strongest frequency.
— Choice between the two carriers is based on their relative signal
strengths.
— Mobility in idle mode controlled by parameters
• sNonIntraSearch and qHyst to start measurements and decide
the boundary of cell reselection
• qOffsetFreq can be used to steer traffic towards a particular
frequency.
— Mobility is in Connected mode controlled by features and related
parameters
• Coverage triggered mobility features (Event A3 or Event A5)
• Mobility Control at Poor Coverage
— Load balancing feature may redistribute UEs in connected mode
• Modified values of coverage thresholds are used to facilitate
the functionality.

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 Sticky Carrier Configuration
— This configuration is useful when the two carriers have similar coverage
properties.
— The Sticky Carrier Configuration allows IFLB to distribute the UEs between the
two carriers in connected mode, idle mode camping respects same distribution
until signal strength is very low.

— The Sticky Carrier Configuration is best used between capacity layers. However,
the configuration is not well suited to pushing UEs strongly towards a particular
frequency.
— The idle mode mobility is controlled by parameters
• sNonIntraSearch and qHyst to start measurements and decide the
boundary of cell reselection
• Reselection occurs if source frequency RSRP drops below
threshServingLow and target frequency RSRP is simultaneously above
threshXLow.

— Mobility is in Connected mode controlled by features and related parameters

• Coverage triggered mobility features (Event A3 or Event A5)
• Mobility Control at Poor Coverage
— Load balancing feature may redistribute UEs in connected mode
• Modified values of coverage thresholds are used to facilitate the
functionality.
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Priority Carrier Configuration
— This configuration is most suitable when one layer provides significantly
greater coverage than the other, for example when one is low band and
the other is high band or when one uses macro cells and the other uses
small cells.
— Due to inherent prioritization, dependency on IFLB is less pronounced,
which makes optimization task more convenient.
— The idle mode mobility is controlled by parameters
• cellReselectionPriority
• threshXHigh, threshServingLow and threshXLow controls mobility
based on planning criteria

— Mobility is in Connected mode controlled by features and related

parameters
• Coverage triggered mobility features (Event A3 or Event A5)
• Mobility Control at Poor Coverage
— Load balancing feature may be used to fine tune connected mode UEs
towards wanted carrier
• Modified values of coverage thresholds are used to facilitate the
functionality.

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Network Scenarios

— Scenario 1: Single Layer LTE with WCDMA and GSM

— Scenario 2: Dual Layer LTE with WCDMA (and GSM)

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Scenario 1: Single Layer LTE with
WCDMA and GSM
— In this scenario a single LTE carrier is deployed over legacy GSM and WCDMA carriers, interworking with both. The following inputs are available:
• A single low band LTE carrier (e.g. 800 MHz) is deployed as a mobile broadband coverage layer, providing both data and Voice over LTE
(VoLTE) services.
• Legacy networks are high band WCDMA (e.g. 2100 MHz) and low band GSM (e.g. 900MHz), providing both data and voice services.
• Coverage from WCDMA is present in most of the LTE footprint, however there are holes where only GSM is available.
• WCDMA is preferred target for coverage fallback and CS fallback from LTE for UEs not capable of VoLTE.
— The primary focus of this scenario is IRAT mobility.

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Idle Mode Mobility Actions and Thresholds for
Scenario 1

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Connected Mode Mobility for Scenario 1

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cellReselectionPriority and RATPRIO Settings for
Scenario 1

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Circuit Switched Fallback-CSFB

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Important features related to Scenario 1
— Connected Mode – IRAT Mobility
— Connected Mode – Intra-Frequency Mobility — Coverage-Triggered GERAN Session Continuity
— Data Forwarding at Intra-LTE Handover — Coverage-Triggered WCDMA Session Continuity
• This feature ensures no downlink packet loss occurs during
handover between cells by forwarding any received packets
— Coverage-Triggered WCDMA IRAT Handover
towards the target RBS during handover. — SRVCC Handover to GERAN
— Packet Forwarding at S1 Handover — SRVCC Handover to UTRAN
• The main purpose of this feature is to reduce packet loss during S1 — Mobility Control at Poor Coverage
handover. — Automated Neighbor Relations
— Automated Neighbor Relations (ANR)
• ANR is a Self-Organizing Networks (SON) feature which
automatically creates neighbor relations towards intra LTE, inter
frequency LTE and inter RAT cells based on configured — Circuit Switched Fallback
measurement reports. To facilitate the prompt return of UEs to LTE following a
— PCI Conflict Reporting CSFB event, the following features are used in this scenario:
• This feature detects PCI conflicts and reports them to OSS, making
it possible to resolve the conflict faster, improving handover and — Release with Redirect to LTE (UTRAN feature)
drop statistics.
— Fast Return to LTE after Call Release (GERAN feature)
— Automated Mobility Optimization (AMO)
• This feature can be used to automatically optimize mobility offsets
to: reduce connection failures due to too early handover, too late
handover or handover to the wrong cell and reduce unnecessary or
oscillating handovers.
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Scenario 2: Dual Layer LTE with WCDMA
In this scenario, two LTE carriers are deployed over an existing dual carrier WCDMA baseline. The following inputs are available:
— LTE is deployed as a dual carrier mobile broadband layer in urban areas and some regional areas as follows:
• LLow - 10 MHz low-band carrier (e.g. 800 MHz) This is the primary LTE coverage layer and is deployed at every LTE site.
• LHi - 20 MHz high-band carrier (e.g. 2600 MHz) This is the LTE capacity layer and is deployed where needed, not on all LTE sites.
— The existing WCDMA network is comparatively widespread, with two high-band carriers (e.g. 2100 MHz)
— Both data and voice services are provided on all layers
— LTE capable devices which are not capable of VoLTE use CS Fallback to access voice services on WCDMA

Whereas Scenario 1 was focused on inter-RAT interworking, the focus of this scenario is the management of load and mobility between the two LTE
carriers. This task is complicated by the fact that the high band LTE layer is not deployed at all sites and it has higher capacity but poorer coverage than
the low band LTE layer:
• In dense urban areas LHi is deployed at all sites and the sites are close enough that continuous coverage is available from both LTE layers. The
primary objective is to manage the load across the two carriers appropriately.
• In suburban areas, LHi has reasonable coverage but, due to the larger site spacing, cannot match the coverage of LLow in all areas. Traffic is
pushed towards LHi in most areas, with coverage fallback to LLow where LHi becomes weak.
• In regional centers where site spacing is largest, LHi effectively becomes a hotspot within the LLow coverage area. The main objective is to
move as much traffic as possible to LHi to de-load LLow.

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Dual Layer LTE with WCDMA – Scenario 2: strategy
overview

Traffic is biased towards LHi by giving it a higher priority than LLow. This is desirable because:
• LHi has a higher bandwidth and so generally provides better performance, but has poorer coverage so has difficulty attracting enough traffic.
• If the two LTE carriers were given the same priority then UEs would reselect to strongest carrier, which would usually be LLow, due to its lower
pathloss. This would result in many more users on LLow than LHi.
• In suburban and regional areas, LLow takes all the traffic in areas where LHi does not provide coverage.
• Even in dense urban areas with small site spacings, some UEs reselect to LLow due to unacceptably high pathloss on LHi (deep indoors or in
other faded situations).
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Mobility Strategy for Scenario 2

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Idle Mode Priority Settings and mobility for Scenario 2

• Regardless of the layer, UEs always measure higher priority layers in idle mode. On LTE, lower priority layers (either LLow or WCDMA)
are measured when the serving cell RSRP falls below qRxLevMin + sNonIntraSearch.
• UEs on LTE reselect to a lower priority layer (either LLow or WCDMA) when the RSRP of the serving cell drops below qRxLevMin +
threshServingLow whilst the target cell is simultaneously above threshXLow, for a time of tReselectionEutra (LTE) or
tReselectionUtra (WCDMA) seconds. The serving cell thresholds are those set in serving cell, whilst the target thresholds are set in
the EUtranFreqRelation MO.
• UEs on LLow reselect to LHi when its RSRP exceeds qRxLevMin + threshXHigh for a time of tReselectionEutra. The
thresholds used are those set in the EUtranFreqRelation MO.
• UEs on WCDMA reselect to LTE when its RSRP exceeds qRxLevMin + threshHigh for a time of treSelection seconds. These
parameters are set in UTRAN, in the EUtranFreqRelation and UtranCell MOs (for treSelection). Setting the priority of LHi
higher than LLow makes UEs on WCDMA more likely to reselect to LHi than LLow.
• The two WCDMA carriers are given the same priority, so reselection from LTE to WCDMA is to the strongest one.
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Connected Mode – Coverage-Triggered Mobility

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Connected Mode – Carrier Aggregation
In this scenario it is likely that Carrier Aggregation (CA) is deployed on some, or all, sites,
to exploit the combined spectrum assets of the LLow and LHi carriers.
• In practice, only a relatively small fraction of user data ends up being scheduled on secondary cells. The fraction
depends upon UE capability, multi-carrier configuration and coverage, and the intensity of user activity (how much
is full buffer) but values of less than 10% are common. Given this low use of CA, the impact on load balancing is
limited.
• CA does not schedule signaling transmissions (e.g. RRC signaling) on secondary cells, and so has no load
balancing effect for this traffic.
• Standalone VoLTE doers not trigger activation of an SCell, due to the small data buffer size of QCI1 not meeting
the minimum data threshold for SCell activation. If data bearers are used in parallel with VoLTE calls, an SCell can
be activated. VoLTE is then scheduled on the carrier with best radio conditions; this could be the PCell or an SCell.
Semi-persistent scheduling is only supported on the PCell.

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