Course Overview

• Motivation
• Standardization issues
• UMTS architecture basics
• UE, UTRA, UTRAN, PS Domain
• Basic functionalities
• Mobility • Business considerations
• QoS • UMTS - what comes next?
• Security and charging
• IMS
• Example signaling flows
WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 1
 UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

• Architecture
• Node B
• RNC
• Protocols

cf. TS 25.401 "UTRAN overall description",

TS 25.301 "Radio Interface Protocol Architecture"

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 2
 UTRAN Architecture
• Node B
– responsible for radio transmission / reception in one or more cells
• RNC - Radio Network Controller
– controls use and integrity of radio resources
– controls one or more Node Bs
• RNS - Radio Network Subsystem
– contains one RNC and a set of cells

Core Network (PS Domain and CS Domain)

Iups / Iucs Iups / Iucs

RNS RNS
UTRAN
Iur
RNC RNC
Uu
Iub Iub Iub Iub UE

Node B Node B Node B Node B

cell

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 3
 UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

• Architecture
• Node B
• RNC
• Protocols

cf. TS 25.401 "UTRAN overall description"

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 4
 Node B Functionality
• Spreading and Modulation
– code generation
– supports FDD, TDD or both, and CDMA
• Terminates Physical Channels
and Transport Channels
– Logical Channels terminate at RNC
• Fast power control ("Inner Loop")
– Node B measures strengths of received signals and
informs UE if it needs to adjust
• measures connection quality and strength
• handover necessary?

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 5
 UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

• Architecture
• Node B
• RNC
• Protocols

cf. TS 25.401 "UTRAN overall description"

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 6
 RNC Functionality I
• Radio Resource Management
guarantees stability and QoS of radio connection
(radio bearer)
– Power control ("outer loop")
– Handover control
• should there be a handover?
• decide based on measurements by UE and Node B
– Admission control and packet scheduling
• can a new session be established on the UTRA
without compromising the quality of existing sessions?
• Plan channel use, calculate interference and utilisation levels
• Configure radio resources accordingly
– Code management
– Macrodiversity management

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 7
 RNC Functionality II
• UTRA Control
set-up, maintainance and release of
radio connection (radio bearer)
– System information broadcasting
• e.g. radio measurement criteria, ...
– Initial Access and Signaling Connection set-up and management
• synchronization, broadcast of initial scrambling code,...
– UTRAN security functions
• protects user and control data by encryption and integrity protection
– UTRAN level mobility management
• informing new cell (Node B) and UE about handover, new channel, etc
• Serving RNS relocation
– Database handling
• stores cell information, and sends it to corresponding Node Bs and UEs
– cell identity, power levels, connection qualities, neighboring cell information (needed for
handover)
– UE positioning
• selects and controls UE positioning method
– using cell ID, round-trip times, "angle-of-arrival", GPS,...

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 8
RNC Functionality III - Relocation
• For each UE, one RNC is responsible - Serving RNC (SRNC)
– typically this is the RNC controlling the cell in which the UE is located
• If the UE moves to a cell controlled by a different RNC, this becomes
the Drift RNC (DRNC)
– control stays with SRNC
• Also Macrodiversity may introduce DRNCs
• SRNC may relocate control to DRNC via Iur
– now former DRNC becomes SRNC
– useful for optimizing routing (data always travels via SRNC)

Core Network

Iu
DRNC SRNC
Iur
Cells

UE
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 Illustration

Node Bs RNC

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 10
 UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

• Architecture
• Node B
• RNC
• Protocols

cf. TS 25.401 "UTRAN overall description"

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 11
 Protocols on Uu Interface I
Control-plane signalling User-plane information

control L3
RRC

PDCP

BMC

L2
RLC

Logical Channels
MAC
Transport Channels
PHY L1

Legend see next slide

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 Protocols on Uu Interface II
• PHY
tasks that are directly related to the air interface
– (de)multiplexing of transport channels to physical channels
– providing transport channels to the layer above
– messaging on synchronization, macrodiversity, fast power control
– reporting of conditions on radio interface (handover necessary?)
– error protection
• MAC
tasks that related to mapping between logical channels and
transport channels
– (de)multiplexing of logical channels to transport channels
– providing logical channels
– packet scheduling / priority control
– possibly encryption (unless done on RLC)
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 Protocols on Uu Interface III
• RLC - Radio Link Control Layer
tasks related to protected tranmission of data
– error protection and error free data transmission
– segmentation / reassembly
– flow control
– possibly encryption (unless done on RLC)
– directly used by CS domain L3 functions
• PDCP - Packet Data Control Protocol
– adaptations to enable IP on L3 (for PS domain)
– header compression
• BMC - Broadcast and Multicast Control
– scheduling and delivery of cell broadcast and multicast messages

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 14
 Protocols on Uu Interface IV
• RRC - Radio Resource Control
control and configuration of protocol stack on Uu Interface
– there is one RRC connection for each UE, which controls the radio link for all
sessions of this UE
• convenient in case of handover
– has control interfaces to all other radio link protocols
– FDD frequency management
– mobility management
– outer loop power control
– collection of measurement from lower layers
– broadcast of system information

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 Summary
• UTRAN is home to
– Node B
– radio transmission / reception in one or more cells
• terminates (most) physical channels
– RNC
• controls use and integrity of radio resources
• controls one or more Node Bs
• terminates logical channels
• UE controlled by SRNC, however data may also travel via DRNC
– Interfaces Uu, Iu, Iub, Iur
• Protocols used on Uu
– MAC and RLC on L2 for both control and user plane
– PDCP and BMC on L2 additionally for user plane to PS Domain
– RRC on L3 for control plane

WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 16
 Accumulated Abbreviations I
1G, 2G, 3G1st Generation,...3rd Generation
3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project, produces UMTS standard
3GPP2 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2, produces cdma2000 standard
AuC Authentication Center
B3G Beyond 3rd Generation
BCCH Broadcast Control Channel, one of the logical radio channels
BCH Broadcast Channel, one of the transport radio channels
BMC Broadcast and Multicast Control, Layer 2 protocol on Uu
BSC Base Station Controller, controlling node in GSM RAN
BTS Base Station Transceiver, network element, incl antenna in GSM RAN
CCCH Common Control Channel, one of the logical radio channels
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access; each user (application) uses different "code" on the radio interface
cdmaOne One of the 2nd Generation Systems, mainly used in Americas and Korea, uses CDMA
cdma2000 member of the IMT-2000 family for 3G, successor of cdmaOne
CN Core Network; in UMTS consisting of CS Domain, PS Domain and IMS
CTCH Common Transport Channels, one of the logical radio channels
CPICH Common Pilot Channel, one of the physical radio channels
CS Domain Circuit-switched Domain, one of the UMTS functional groups
DCCH Dedicated Control Channel, one of the logical radio channels
DCH Dedicated Channel, one of the transport radio channels
DPICH Dedicated Pilot Channel, one of the physical radio channels
DRNC Drift RNC
DSCH Downlink Shared Channel, one of the transport radio channels
DTCH Dedicated Transport Channels, one of the logical radio channels
EDGE Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
EIR Equipment Identity Register
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 Accumulated Abbreviations II
FDD Frequency Divsion Duplex; uplink and downlink use different frequencies on the radio interface
FDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access; each user (application) uses different frequency on the radio
GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node, network element in the PS domain
GMSC Gateway MSC, network element in CS Domain, gateway to external networks
GPRS General Packet Radio Service, 2.5 Generation system
GSM Global System for Mobile Communications, European 2G System
HLR Home Location Register, main subscriber database in GSM and GPRS
HSCSD Hich Speed Circuit Switched Data, higher data rate for GSM
ID Internet Draft, working document of the IETF, becomes RFC when generally accepted
IETF Internet Engineering Task Force, responsible for Internet Standardization
IMS IP Multimedia Subsystem, one of the UMTS functional groups
IMT-2000 International Mobile Telecommunications at 2000 MHz, 3G concept by ITU
IS-95 = cdmaOne, one of the 2nd Generation Systems
ITU International Telecommunication Union, international standardization body
Iu Reference Point between CN and RNC
Iub Reference Point between RNC and Node B
Iur Reference Point between RNCs
L1, L2,.. OSI Layer 1, Layer 2...
MS Mobile Station (term used in GSM and GPRS)
MSC Mobile Switching Center, network element in CS Domain
P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel, one of the physical radio channels
PCCH Paging Control Channel, one of the logical radio channels
PDCP Packet Data Control Protocol, L2 protocol on Uu
P-SCH Primary Synchronization Channel, one of the physical radio channels
PS Domain Packet-switched Domain, one of the UMTS functional groups
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network
WS 03/04, TKN TU Berlin, Cornelia Kappler & Frank-Uwe Andersen Course UMTS Networks, V. UTRAN 18
 Accumulated Abbreviations III
QoS Quality of Service
QPSK Quaternary Phase Shift Keying, Modulation Technique used in UMTS
R99 UMTS Release 1999
RAN Radio Access Network
RFC "Request For Comment", Specification by IETF
Rel4, Rel5..UMTS Release 4,..
RLC Radio Link Control Layer, L2 Protocol on Uu
RNC Radio Network Controller
RNS Radio Network Subsystem SDMA Space Division Multiple Access
RRC Radio Resource Control, Control Plane Protocol on L3 of Uu
SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node
SRNC Serving RNC
TDD Time Division Duplex; uplink and downlink use different time slots on the radio interface
TDMA Time Division Multiple Access; each user (application) uses different time slot on the radio
TRAU Transcoding and Rate Adaptation Unit
TS Technical Specification, Standard by 3GPP
UE User Equipment (term used in UMTS)
UMTS Universal Mobile Terrestial System, member of the IMT-2000 family for 3G, successor of GSM
UTRA UMTS Radio Access; Radio link between UTRAN and UE
UTRAN UMTS Radio Access Network
Uu Reference Point between UE and UTRAN
VLR Visited Location Register, network element in GSM and GPRS, stores user data in visited network

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