8

4G.
LTE.

NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

Introduction

Introduction
LTE has been designed to support only PacketSwitched (PS) services.
LTE (Long-Term Evolution)
(Evolved-UTRAN, EUTRAN).
(Evolved Packet
Core, EPC), SAE
(System Architecture Evolution).
LTE and SAE Evolved
Packet System (EPS).

Overall Architectural Overview

Network is comprised of:

the access network (i.e. E-UTRAN) = set of evolved

NodeB (eNodeB), which connects to the UEs;
the CN (i.e. EPC) = all other logical nodes.

The Core Network (EPC)

EPC:

PCRF (Policy Control and Charging Rules Function) is responsible for

policy control decision-making. PCRF provides QoS authorization that
decides how a certain data flow will be threated in the P-GW and
ensures that this is in accordance with the users subscription profile.
P-GW (PDN Gateway) is responsible for IP address allocation for the
UE, as well as QoS enforcement and flow-based charging according to
rules from PCRF (filtering of downlink user IP packets into the different
QoS-based bearers). P-GW is also the mobility anchor for inter-working
with non-3GPP technologies;
S-GW (Serving Gateway). All user IP packets are transferred through
the S-GW. S-GW retains the information about the bearers when UE is
in idle state; buffers downlink data while MME initiates paging; is local
mobility anchor for data bearers when the UE moves between
eNodeBs. S-GW is mobility anchor for inter-working with other 3GPP
technologies. In visited network S-GW collect information for charging.

The Core Network (EPC)

EPC:

MME(Mobility Management Entity) is the control node which processes

the signaling between the UE and the CN (Non-Access stratum (NAS)
protocols).
Functions:
bearer
management
(establishment,
maintenance and release), connection management (establishment of
connection and security between CN and UE) and others.
HSS (Home Subscriber Server) contains users subscription data and
holds the identity of the MME to which UE is currently attached. The
HSS may also integrate the AuC.
E-SMLC (Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centre) manages the overall
coordination and scheduling of resources required to find the location
of a UE.
GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Centre) contains functionalities
required to support LoCation Services (LCS).

The Access Network (E-UTRAN)

E-UTRAN functions:
Radio
Resource
management;
Header Compression;
Security;
Positioning
(provides
necessary measurements to
the E-SMLC);
Connectivity to the EPC
(signaling towards the MME
and bearer path towards the
S-GW)

Functional split between E-UTRAN and

EPC

Roaming Architecture
A network run by one operator in one country is known as a PLMN (Public
Land Mobile Network). HPLMN Home PLMN. VPLMN Visited PLMN.

QoS and EPS Bearers

A bearer is an IP packet flow with a defined Quality of Service (QoS).
Two bearers categories:

Minimum Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) bearers for applications such as VoIP;
Non-GBR bearers for applications such as web browsing and FTP transfer.

QoS and EPS Bearers

Packet filtering into different bearers is based on Traffic Flow Templates (TFTs),
which use IP header information (source and destination IP addresses, port
numbers, ).
UpLink TFT (UL TFT) in the UE.
DownLink TFT (DL TFT) in the P-GW.

Bearer establishment procedure

example

Inter-Working with other RATs

P-GW anchor for all non-3GPP technologies (WiMAX);
S-GW anchor for other 3GPP technologies (UMTS, GPRS).

Inter-Working with other RATs

Voice in LTE:
VoIP (using IMS services);
Circuit-Switched FallBack (CSFB).

S1 Interface
Initiation over S1:
The initialization of the S1-MME starts with the identification
of the MME to which the eNodeB must connect.
Establishment of the SCTP association between eNodeB and
MME.
S1 SETUP procedure initiated by the eNodeB

S1 Interface
Context Management over S1:
UE is associated to one particular MME for all its
communications.
This MME create a context for the UE.
When the UE becomes active, the MME provides this context
information to eNodeB
Bearer Management over S1
For each bearer requested to be set up, the eNodeB provided
all necessary information.

S1 Interface

Paging over S1:

In order to re-establish a connection towards a UE in idle mode, the

MME distributes a Paging Request message to the relevant eNodeBs
When receiving this request, the eNodeB sends a page over the radio
interface.

Load Management over S1

Trace Function
Delivery of Warning Messages

S1 Interface

Mobility over S1:

Intra-LTE mobility
Inter-LTE mobility
Mobility towards Home
eNodeB

X2 Interface
The X2 interface may be established between
eNodeBs.
Two types of information may need to be
exchanged over X2 to drive the establishment of
an X2 interface:
Load or interference related information
Handover related information.

X2 Interface
Mobility over X2
Handover via the X2
interface is triggered by
default (unless there is no
X2 interface established
or the source eNodeB is
configured to use the S1handover).

X2 Interface
Load and Interference Management over X2
The exchange of load information between eNodeBs is of key importance
in the flat architecture used in LTE, as there is no central RRM node (as
RNC in UMTS).
Two purposes:
Load balancing
Interference coordination