LTE and VoLTE Q&A

All answers have been held as short as possible and require an understanding and study of the corresponding chapter of the
book.

Answers for the LTE and VoLTE chapters:

LTE Answer 1:
A 10 MHz FDD LTE channel is split into 600 sub-carriers.
LTE Answer 2:
X2 Handovers are performed directly between two eNodeBs while an S1 handover requires the help of the MME. S1
handovers are only used when two eNodeBs are unable to communicate with each other which should happen rarely in
practice.
LTE Answer 3:
The MME performs the subscriber and connection management such as user authentication, location management, bearer
establishment, etc. while the Serving-Gateway handles the user data (i.e. the IP packets) that are exchanged between a
device and the Internet.
LTE Answer 4:
7 symbols on the time axis and 12 sub-carriers on the frequency access are grouped into a Resource Block which takes 0.5
ms to transmit. Two Resource Blocks are bundled together to form the smallest unit that can be scheduled to a user.
LTE Answer 5:
If the UE is in Idle state it has to use the random access channel to establish a connection to the network. When the
network receives the request it assigns uplink resources to the device via the Physical Downlink Control Channel
(PDCCH). The UE receives the assignment and can then make use of the assigned resources on the Physical Uplink
Shared channel.
LTE Answer 6:
HARQ is a mechanism on Layer 2 of the radio protocol stack and ensures that faulty resource blocks are immediately
retransmitted. ARQ works on the RLC layer further up in the protocol stack and ensures that larger chunks of data are
repeated in case HARQ fails. While HARQ is always used, ARQ is not used for voice bearers (only IMS VoIP) as there is
no time to retransmit complete VoIP packages due to the requirement to have low jitter and delay values for voice packets.
For VoIP it is preferable to drop missing packets instead of repeating them.
LTE Answer 7:
A default bearer is usually assigned when the device is switched on. It serves as a bearer for Internet connectivity. A
device can have several default bearer simultaneously, e.g. one for Internet connectivity and one bearer for IMS. In
practice, devices usually only have one default bearer.
Dedicated bearers are established by services alongside default bearers such as the IMS to ensure a certain quality of
service (minimal bandwidth, jitter, delay, precedence over other bearers) for voice, video and other time critical and delay
sensitive streams.

LTE Answer 8:
Discontinuous Reception (and Transmission) is very useful in RRC connected state to reduce power consumption.
Without DRX a UE has to observe the Downlink Control Channel frequently as resources could be assigned at any time.
When DRX is activated the UE can turn off the receiver most of the time and only listen occasionally. This significantly
reduces power consumption at the expense of slightly higher latency when data is only transmitted infrequently. Typical
DRX values are a few hundred milliseconds for the activation time for DRX (after the reception of the last data frame) and
activity times of a few milliseconds during an interval of several hundred milliseconds.
LTE Answer 9:
In Idle state no bearer is established to the network and the UE controls cell changes and changes to other radio networks
when running out of LTE coverage autonomously.
LTE Answer 10:
When running out of LTE coverage there are several methods to guide the UE to another radio network (e.g. UMTS). An
easy solution is to use a Cell Change Order which tells the UE to which UMTS cell to go. The connection is then
interrupted and the UE searches the given cell, reads the system information and performs the required procedure to
establish a connection in the other radio technology. This process typically takes a few seconds during which no data can
be exchanged. This method is simple for implementing in the network and the mobile device but not suitable for
applications such as VoLTE, for which the data bearer should be handed over between radio networks quickly. This is
possible with LTE to UMTS (or GSM) handovers as the cell in the target network can be prepared for the incoming UE.
The UE is then given specific instructions of how the target cell can be accessed which reduces the outage time to a few
hundred milliseconds.
LTE Answer 11:
MME and S-GWs usually have the Gn GPRS interface implemented and can thus act as SGSNs and GGSNs towards
2G/3G PS core network equipment. In other words, they emulate behavior those network nodes understand so no software
modifications are required in existing networks. It should be noted that in practice today, most network operators have
merged corresponding 2G, 3G and LTE core networks into a single physical node and the interfaces between the logical
components are handled internally.
LTE Answer 12:
This is done via the SGs interface which connects the MME to Mobile Switching Centers in the 2G/3G networks to
deliver SMS over LTE and to perform a (CS = circuit switched) fallback to GSM or UMTS for incoming (and outgoing)
voice calls.
LTE Answer 13:
Internet based voice services can not request special quality of service settings from the mobile core and access network
(i.e. dedicated bearers, see above). Depending on the network load this can result in bad voice quality if voice packets are
not preferred over other packets (e.g. from web browsing from the same or another UE) in loaded cells. Also, Internet
based VoIP services can’t interact with the mobile network to perform handover to GSM or a circuit switched UMTS
channel when the edge of a broadband wireless network has been reached. Operator voice services can hand over a call to
GSM (Single Radio Voice Call Continuity).
LTE Answer 14:
eNodeBs have to have a high speed link to the core network to accommodate the high speed air interface data traffic. The
best option is to use a fiber optic cable. If not available, other options are Ethernet based microwave links or VDSL links.

VoLTE Answer 1:
The main components of the IMS are the Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) that is the central node that
handles all SIP messages. Usually, SIP messages are forwarded to an Application Server (AS) such as the Telephony
Application Server that implements telephony functionality. The Proxy-CSCF sits between the S-CSCF and the mobile
device and is used for tasks such as generating SIP messages for the UE when the UE is unable to do so (e.g. loss of
coverage). The Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) is contacted when the UE sends an initial Register. It contacts the HSS
(Home Subscriber Server) to get information on the user and then assignes a S-CSCF that will handle all subsequent
communication.

VoLTE Answer 2:
During SIP registration an IPSec tunnel is established between the UE and P-CSCF. While encryption is optional, IPSec
authentication ensures that only messages from the UE are accepted.
VoLTE Answer 3:
Preconditions are used to inform devices that a dedicated bearer has to be established for the speech path on one or both
ends of a connection before a call can be further processed. In the core network, precondition messaging is used to trigger
the establishment of the dedicated bearer.
VoLTE Answer 4:
The P-CSCF, which is a mobile network component, inserts the ‘asserted identity’, which is the device’s phone number
(MSISDN), into SIP messages sent by the UE and then forwards those enriched SIP messages to the S-CSCF. This
prevents the UE from forging its phone number.
VoLTE Answer 5:
As the payload of voice packets are small the IP, UDP, RTP header information makes up a large part of the overall
packet. Therefore, header compression is used to significantly reduce this overhead which increases the number of
simultaneous calls per cell.
VoLTE Answer 6:
Call forwarding settings are managed via the XCAP protocol between the UE and the network. XCAP is an XML protocol
and different call forwarding options such all call forward no reply, call forward not reachable, etc. are XML encoded.
VoLTE Answer 7:
For emergency calls an IMS emergency bearer is established that is independent from the standard IMS bearer that is used
for ordinary voice calls. The IMS emergency bearer is established with the highest priority in the radio and core network
to guarantee emergency calls a high quality speech and signaling path even in fully loaded networks.
VoLTE Answer 8:
Unlike typical handovers that are controlled by the network, VoLTE to VoWifi handovers are controlled by the mobile
device. When the device senses that LTE coverage is about to be lost, it establishes an IPSec tunnel to the evolved Packet
Data Gateway (ePDG) and includes information during the tunnel establishment that allows the network to move the
existing IMS bearer away from the current MME and S-GW to the ePDG. All IP packets of the connection are then
automatically redirected to the ePDG and an ongoing voice call continues with only a short interruption during the
redirection process.
VoLTE Answer 9:
VoWifi cellular preferred means that the UE will only connect to the ePDG and move the IMS bearer when no cellular
coverage (LTE, 3G, 2G) is available. VoWifi Wifi preferred means that the IMS bearer is moved to Wifi as soon as a
suitable Wifi connection is available.
VoLTE Answer 10:
MC-PTT only allows one person in a communication group to speak at a time. A central instance is required to control
who is allowed to talk and deny requests from other parties if there is already another speaker in the call.

RF
In simple terms all in decibel,
Power at receiver= Power at transmitter + Gains + Losses

Power: It is usually measurement of IF signal and RF signal, which is expressed in dBm or dBW. Power levels at IF output of a
modem will be usually lower and typically fall in the range from -20dBm to 0dBm. Power levels at SSPA or HPA usually higher and
typically fall around 20 to 40W and sometimes 50-100W and hence measured in dBW.
dBm is the ratio (in dB) of power relative to 1 mW,
dBm =10*Log (P), where P is power in mW.
dBW is the ratio (in dB) of power relative to 1W.
dBW =10*Log (P), where P is power in watts.
0dBW=+30dBm

Antenna Gain: It is the ratio (in dB) of the power radiated in the direction of interest to the power that would be
radiated in the same direction by an isotropic antenna. By definition, an isotropic antenna has 0dBi gain. Expressed in
dBi (dB's relative to the gain of an isotropic antenna). The gain figure is only applicable to a particular direction and
frequency.

EIRP: Used to indicate the power transmitted from an antenna.EIRP=Power +Antenna Gain, Both EIRP and Power is
expressed in dBW and Gain in dBi.

LTE and LTE advanced technology is fast evolving in cellular arena and demand in the industries have been

increased for LTE skilled engineers. These top 12 LTE interview questions and answers help engineers seeking LTE

technology job to crack the interview with ease. One can refer page links mentioned on left side panel to learn more

about LTE. These questions are very useful as viva questions also.

Question-1: What is the difference between LTE FDD and LTE TDD?

Answer-1:The difference lies in the LTE frame structure in both the FDD and TDD versions of the LTE. In FDD there

will be pair of frequencies assigned in the downlink and uplink directions and hence transmissions from multiple

subscribes can happen at the same time but on different frequencies as mentioned. In TDD, one single frequency will
be used at different time instants by multiple subscriber terminals (UEs). Both frame versions of LTE will have 1 ms

sub-frame duration and 0.5 ms slot duration.Read more.

Question-2: What is resource block in LTE?

Answer-2:LTE frame is divided based on time slots on time axis and frequency subcarrier on frequency axis.

Resource block is the smallest unit of resource allocation in LTE system. It is of about 0.5ms duration and composed

of 12 subcarriers in 1 OFDM symbol. One time slot is equal to 7 OFDM symbols in normal cyclic prefix and 6 OFDM

symbols in extended cyclic prefix. One full resource block is equal to 12 subcarriers by 7 symbols in normal CP.

Hence it consists of total 84 time/frequency elements referred as resource elements in LTE network. Refer LTE Terminology

Question-3: What are the LTE logical, transport and physical channels? Answer-3:All these channels help LTE UE

establish the connection with the eNodeB, maintain the connection and terminate the same. Logical channels are

characterized by the information that is transferred. Transport channels are characterized by how the data are

transferred over the radio interface. Physical channel corresponds to a set of resource elements used by the physical

layer. Channels are further divided into control channel and traffic channel at logical channel stage. Read more.

Question-4: Explain the difference between Reference signal (RS) and synchronization signal (SS) in the LTE? Also

mention types of RS and SS.

Answer-4:Reference signal (RS) is used as pilot subcarrier in LTE similar to other broadband wireless technologies

such as WLAN, WIMAX etc. Synchronization signal is used as preamble sequence in LTE for synchronization

purpose. RS is used for channel estimation and tracking. SS are of two types viz. P-SS and S-SS. P-SS is used for

initial synchronization. S-SS is used for frame boundary determination. RS are of two types viz. Demodulation RS

(DRS) and Sounding RS (SRS). DRS is used for sync and channel estimation purpose. SRS is used for channel

quality estimation purpose. DRS is used in both the uplink and downlink, while SRS is used only in the uplink.

Refer LTE PSS SSS

and LTE RS DMRS SRS

pages to know insight concepts of synchronization signal and reference signal.

Question-5: Explain LTE cell search procedure followed by UE.

Answer-5:LTE cell search procedure is used by UE to camp onto the LTE cell i.e. eNodeB. Refer LTE UE cell search

procedure and network entry procedure.

Question-6: What is the function of LTE physical broadcast channel i.e. PBCH?

Answer-6:After initial cell synchronization is completed, UE reads MIB (Master information block) on PBCH (Physical

channel). Broadcast channel is referred as BCH at transport level and BCCH at logical level. MIB composed of

downlink channel bandwidth in units of RBs, PHICH duration, PHICH resource and system frame number. Read

more.

Question-7: What is the advantage of using SC-FDMA in the LTE uplink?

Answer-7:The main advantage of SC-FDMA is low PAPR compare to OFDMA used in LTE downlink. This increases

the efficiency of power amplifier and hence increases the battery life. Read more.

Question-8: What is RSSI?

Answer-8:RSSI stands for Received Signal Strength Indication. It is used almost in all the RATs to identify power

received from the cell in idle as well as connected/dedicated modes. This helps UE always camped on to the best cell

all the time. In case of drop in power measured using RSSI, either UE or network initiates the handover or cell re-

selection is carried out. Read more.

Question-9: Explain Circuit Switch Fall Back i.e. CSFB with respect to LTE and GSM.

Answer-9:Framework allowing the provisioning of voice services by reuse of legacy GSM served CS infrastructure

when the UE is served by E-UTRAN (LTE).To provide voice call support, Circuit Switch Fall Back is carried out to

GSM RAT from LTE RAT to facilitate the voice over LTE (VoLTE) feature. Read more.

Question-10: Explain LTE network architecture and various interfaces.

Answer-10:There are various entities forming the LTE network architecture, the main interfaces are U ubetween UE

and eNB, X2 interface between eNBs and S1 interface between eNB and EPC(Evolved Packet Core). Read more.

Question-11: What is SRVCC?

Answer-11:SRVCC is the short form of Single-Radio Voice Call Continuity. SRVCC handover is supported from E-

UTRAN (i.e. LTE) to UTRAN/GERAN (WCDMA/GSM). SRVCC procedure is used for transferring an on-going PS

voice call (IMS) in LTE to a CS voice call via Handover from LTE to GERAN/UTRAN. Read more.

Question-12:What is the difference between LTE and LTE Advanced?

Answer-12:LTE is specified in 3GPP release 8 and release 9. LTE advanced is specified in 3GPP release 10. The

main difference between them is carrier aggregation is introduced in LTE advanced. Number of antennas supported

by MIMO has been increased to 8 in LTE advanced,Read more.