2014.11.

20
Typical VoLTE Service Scenarios
Yesterday 18:20

Why don't you tell

everyone about the
VoLTE service?

I'd be happy to. Well, the following are typical VoLTE service scenarios:
1. LTE subscribers on the LTE network call each other.
2. LTE subscribers on the LTE network call LTE subscribers on the CS
network.
3. LTE subscribers on the CS network call LTE subscribers on the LTE
network.
4. LTE subscribers on the CS network call each other.

LTE subscribers on the CS network call LTE LTE subscribers on the LTE
subscribers on the LTE network. network call each other.

SCC AS Convergent Convergent

MMTel AS MMTel AS HLR/HSS MMTel AS
/Anchor AS HLR/HSS

Anchors
2
UE_A
SBC
MGCF /P-CSCF
PCRF
CS PCRF
I/S-CSCF I/S-CSCF
PCRF
I/S-CSCF 2 Routes the
G/VMSC EPC call out. EPC
Server 3 Routes the SBC
call out. SBC /P-CSCF
/P-CSCF MME
MME
EPC 4
Sets up the bearer
between UE_A and UE_B.

IM-MGW MME
MGW
5 Sets up the bearer S/P-GW S/P-GW
between UE_A and Sends the call
UE_B. S/P-GW 1 Sends a call 3 request to
1 request. UE_B.
Sends a call request. Sends the call
4 request to
UE_B.

UE_B
UE_B UE_A
UE_A
LTE subscriber LTE subscriber LTE subscriber
LTE subscriber

LTE subscribers on the LTE network call LTE LTE subscribers on the CS network can
subscribers on the CS network. call each other.

Convergent SCC AS
/Anchor AS SCC AS
MMTel AS HLR/HSS /Anchor AS
Convergent
HLR/HSS
Anchors
UE_B and
2 selects the
Anchors UE_B
CS domain.
3 and selects the
MGCF
CS domain.
CS
PCRF G/VMSC CS CS
2 Routes the call out.
Server
SBC I/S-CSCF Routes the call
3 to the CS
/P-CSCF
network. G/VMSC
G/VMSC
Server
Server
EPC
MGW
IM-MGW MGW Sets up the bearer MGW
MME 5 between UE_A and
1 Sends a call 4 Sends the call
request. Sets up the bearer UE_B. request to UE_B.
5 Sends the call
between UE_A and Sends an
UE_B. 4 request to
S/P-GW UE_B. 1 INVITE
message to
initiate a call.

UE_B UE_B
UE_A LTE subscriber UE_A LTE subscriber
LTE subscriber
LTE subscriber

NEs in a VoLTE Call Flow Yesterday 18:59

I must admit that it all seems

very complicated. What are the
functions of the NEs?

Well, let's review the key NEs involved in

the whole process.

UE EPC/PS/CS Network IMS Network

Wireless Network Access Network IMS Network

SBC/P-CSCF: An entry point of accessing the IMS network,

2G/3G/4G UE MME: Mobility management entity used to establish bearers, convert signaling messages, and
hide the network topology
eNodeB: Base station integrated with
the base station controller, which is S-GW: Serving gateway I-CSCF: An entry point of the home IMS network
used on 4G network
S-CSCF: Service switching center of the IMS network,
Soft terminal P-GW: PDN gateway
which processes registration and authentication

BTS: Base station on 2G networks SGSN: Serving GPRS support node Convergent HLR/HSS: Database for 2G/3G/4G subscribers
and IMS subscribers
BSC: Base station controller GGSN: Gateway GPRS support node
MMTel AS: Service processing entity

NodeB: Base station on 3G networks

EMSC (mAGCF): Enhanced MSC Server PCRF: AN entity used to provide the PCC policy

RNC: Radio network controller MGW: Media gateway SCC/Anchor AS: An entity used to provide anchoring and
domain selection functions
IM-MGW: IP multimedia media gateway, which
provides the interaction on the media plane MGCF: An entity used to exchange signaling
messages between the IMS and CS networks

Anchoring and Domain Selection

Yesterday 19:19

Can you explain to everyone

what anchoring and domain
selection is?

Sure. Let me start by telling everyone

about the uses and principles of
anchoring and domain selection.

Anchoring
Domain Selection
IMS Network
CS Network

Selects a domain
Anchoring
CS Network to access the
IMS Network
MMTel AS network
LTE subscriber

Function 1: When an LTE subscriber who subscribed to the IMS services

roams to the CS network, the anchoring enables the calls initiated by the LTE
subscriber to be routed to the IMS network to trigger services.
IMS Network
CS Network Function: The domain selection enables the AS to select the domain based on
the signal strength to serve the LTE subscriber because the LTE subscriber is
Anchoring able to register with the CS or IMS, ensuring service reliability and continuity.

MMTel AS
Service layer SCC AS
2G/3G subscriber
Triggers the
1 domain selection 2 Reques
ts the
data T-ADS
Function 2: The anchoring enables 2G/3G subscribers to access the IMS a .
IMS Network ts 4 R
network and enjoy IMS services. lec . e sp Convergent HLR/HSS
Se main ond
5 d o T-AD s with the
d S da
CS Network an f IMS Network
ta.
on ata o
ati HLR 5 Converts call MMTel AS
l oc on d iber. information I/S-CSCF Queries the
s the ripti bscr Anchor AS 4 3 T-ADS data.
te s c u and numbers.
da ub d s Triggers
U p i n s s h o re the service.
ta c
1 ob e an 2 Obtains the IMRN EPC Network PS Network
th IMS-HSS

3 Uses the IMRN to route MME SGSN

G/VMSC Server the call to the IMS. MGCF I/S-CSCF

Routing principle: The GMSC Server routes the call to the IMS network based Domain selection principle: The AS selects the domain on which the LTE subscriber
on the IMS Routing Number (IMRN) attributed by the Anchor AS. last attached.

VoLTE Call Flow in Detail Yesterday 19:30

Can you give us an

example?

OK. Let me tell you about the basic process

of a call initiated by an LTE subscriber to a
CS subscriber.

Ps: Anchoring will be explained in a future

episode

The following networking sample illustrates the flow of a call from an LTE subscriber on the LTE network to another
LTE subscriber who roams to the CS network.

IMS
Convergent HLR/HSS
MMTel AS/SCC AS (ENUM/DNS)
3 Selects a domain
for UE_B.
Triggers UE_A's
2
service.

4 Routes the call out.

MGCF

I/S-CSCF

Selects the
7 QoS policy and
PCC policy.
SBC/P-CSCF IM-MGW
PCRF Performs
9 media
negotiation.
EPC CS
8 Establishes the
V/GMSC
bearer for UE_A.
Server
Establishes the
6
bearer for UE_B.
MME
S/P-GW

MGW

Sends a call 5 Sends the call

1 request. request to UE_B.

UE_A 2G/3G
LTE UE_B

Signaling
Bearer

1 UE_A sends a call request to the MME.

2 The MME routes the call to the IMS network. The S-CSCF sends a message, instructing the MMTel AS to trigger UE_A's service.

The S-CSCF triggers the domain selection flow, requesting the SCC AS to query the convergent HLR/HSS for the T-ADS information. The SCC
3
AS selects the CS domain after analyzing the T-ADS information and informs the S-CSCF of the domain selection result.

4 The S-CSCF routes the call to the MGCF. After analyzing the called number, the MGCF routes the call to the terminating V/GMSC server.

5 The V/GMSC server connects the call to UE_B.

6 The V/GMSC server instructs the terminating MGW to establish the bearer for UE_B.

7 The PCRF informs the S/P-GW of the QoS policy and PCC policy.

8 The S/P-GW establishes the bearer for UE_A based on the obtained QoS policy and PCC policy.

9 The IM-MGW performs the media negotiation and establishes the bearer between UE_A and UE_B.
UE_B answers the call when being alerted. UE_A talks to UE_B.

For details about the specific message samples and key IE explanation, click the appendix.

Next Episode
eSRVCC
In the next episode, we will help to answer the following questions concerning VoLTE:
What is eSRVCC? What are its applications? How do we guarantee the continuity of audio in
a 4G- to- 2G/3G handover?