Dar es Salaam institute of Technology

(DIT)
ETU 08102
Digital Networks
Ally, J
jumannea@gmail.com
DIT

LTE Network

DIT

LTE Requirements

Peak data rate of 50/100 Mbps (uplink / downlink)

Reduced latency enabling RTT (round trip time) <10 ms
Packet-optimized
Improved spectrum efficiency between 2- 4 times higher than
Release 6 HSPA
Bandwidth scalability with allocations of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20
MHz
Operation in FDD and TDD modes
Support for inter-working with WCDMA and non-3GPP systems
(i.e. WiMAX)
Good level of mobility: optimized for low mobile speeds (up to
15km/h) but support also high mobile speeds (up to 350km/h)
Improved terminal power efficiency

DIT

Drivers for LTE

There are at least three major key drivers for LTE mobile
broadband networks:

Demand for higher data-rates

increasing device capabilities, growing mobile data
consumption

New spectrum allocation

Maintaining operator profitability while continued cost

reduction and competitiveness.

DIT

LTE and LTE Advanced

Comparison

DIT

LTE Overview

The multiple access schemes in LTE:

LTE user transmissions can be divided in frequency and

time

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access

(OFDMA) in downlink
Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SCFDMA) in uplink

Better orthogonality between users

Interference is less or can be cancelled more easily
Better network capacity can be achieved

The resource allocation in the frequency domain takes

place with a resolution of 180 kHz resource blocks both in
uplink and in downlink.
DIT

Basic LTE system architecture

Architecture is divided into four main domains:
User Equipment (UE),
Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN),
Evolved Packet Core Network (EPC),
Services domain.

DIT

LTE Networks Elements

DIT

Domains

Three domains: UE, E-UTRAN and EPC form the socalled Internet Protocol (IP) Connectivity Layer. This part
of the system is also called as Evolved Packet System
(EPS).

The main function of EPS is to provide IP based connectivity

All services will be offered on top of IP

The biggest architectural change is that EPC does not

contain a circuit switched domain.
Main functionalities of the EPC are equivalent to the
packet switched domain of the existing 3GPP networks.
As a logical element the SAE GW is a combination of the
two gateways, Serving Gateway (S-GW) and Packet
Data Network Gateway (P-GW)
DIT

Domains

Since interfaces between S-GW and P-GW are defined in

standards, it is possible that S-GW and P-GW are
implemented either separately or together.
E-UTRAN contains only one element type: Evolved Node
B (eNodeB).
All radio functionalities are controlled by eNodeB. All radio
related protocols are terminated in eNodeB.
E-UTRAN network is just a mesh of eNodeBs connected
to neighbouring eNodeBs through the X2 interface.
Functionally eNodeB acts as a layer 2 bridge between UE
and the EPC, by being the termination point of all the radio
protocols towards the UE.
From functionality point of view the UE is similar like in 3G.
DIT

UE and eNodeB

UE

Access device for user.

Provides measurements that indicate channel conditions to the
network.

eNode B performs

Ciphering/deciphering of the User Plane data

Radio Resource Management (resource allocation, prioritizing,
scheduling, resource usage monitoring
eNodeB is also involved with Mobility Management (MM)
The eNodeB controls and analyses radio signal measurements
carried out by the UE.
eNodeB makes signal measurements itself
Based on measurement information eNodeB makes decisions to
handover UEs between cells.

DIT

Mobility Management Entity (MME)

MME is the main control element in the EPC. It is
typically a server in a secure location in the operators
premises.
MME operates only in the control plane and is not
involved with the user plane data.
MME also has a direct logical control plane connection
to the UE. Connection is a primary control channel
between the UE and the network.
Main functions of MME:
Authentication and Security
Mobility Management
Managing Subscription Profile and Service Connectivity

DIT

Serving Gateway (S-GW)

S-GW takes care of user plane tunnel

management and switching, and relays data
between eNodeB and P-GW.

The S-GW has a small role in control functions.

When bearers for UEs are set up, cleared or

modified the S-GW allocates its resources
based on requests from MME, P-GW or PCRF.
DIT

Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW)

P-GW is the edge router between the EPS and external packet
data networks.
P-GW is the highest level mobility anchor in the system, and
usually it acts as the IP point of attachment for the UE.
Thus, typically the P-GW allocates the IP address to the UE,
and the UE uses that to communicate with other IP hosts in
external networks, e.g. the internet.
During mobility between eNodeBs, the S-GW acts as the
local mobility anchor. The MME commands the S-GW to
switch the tunnel from one eNodeB to another.
P-GW performs traffic gating and filtering functions as required
by the service in question.
Both S-GW and P-GW are part of the network infrastructure
maintained centrally in operator premises.

DIT

Policy and Charging Resource Function

(PCRF), Home Subscription Server (HSS)
PCRF is the network element that is responsible for Policy and
Charging Control (PCC).
HSS is the data repository for all permanent subscription data.
Hence, HSS has the master copy of the subscriber profile
Main interfaces
X2 interface: This interface is used in mobility between the
eNodeBs, and it includes functions for handover preparation, and
overall maintenance of the relation between neighbouring eNodeBs.
S1-MME interface: Reference point for the control plane protocol
between E-UTRAN and MME.
S1-U interface: Reference point between E-UTRAN and Serving
GW for the user plane tunnelling and inter eNodeB path switching
during handover.

DIT

FDD IMT Frequency

Bands

DIT

TDD IMT Frequency

Bands

DIT

Existing and Future 3GPP Bands

DIT

UE Categories and
Capabilities
Maximum Throughput

UE category

Support for 64QAM in

Uplink

Downlink

Uplink

10.3 Mbit/s

5.2 Mbit/s

No

51.0 Mbit/s

25.5 Mbit/s

No

102.0 Mbit/s

51.0 Mbit/s

No

150.8 Mbit/s

51.0 Mbit/s

No

300.0 Mbit/s

75.4 Mbit/s

Yes

301.5 Mbit/s

51.0 Mbit/s

No

301.5 Mbit/s

102.0 Mbit/s

No

300.0 Mbit/s

149.8 Mbit/s

Yes

452.3 Mbit/s

51.0 Mbit/s

No

10

452.3 Mbit/s

102.2 Mbit/s

No

DIT

OFDMA

OFDMA is an extension of the OFDM transmission scheme by

allowing multiple users.
That is, allowing for simultaneous frequency-separated
transmissions to / from multiple mobile terminals.
In OFDM the user data is transmitted in parallel across
multiple orthogonal narrowband subcarriers.
Each subcarrier only transports a part of the whole
transmission.
The orthogonal subcarriers are generated with IFFT (Inverse
Fast Fourier Transform) processing.
The number of subcarriers depends on the available
bandwidth.
In LTE, they range from less than one hundred to more than
one thousand.

DIT

OFDM Operation

DIT

Cyclic Prefix (CP) Principle

Cyclic prefixes are used by OFDM systems to fight against

the Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) due to multipath
environments.
CP consists of a copy of the last part of a symbol shape for
the duration of a guard time and adding it to the beginning of
the symbol.
This guard time needs to be long enough to capture all the
delayed multipath signals and avoid ISI at the receiver.
LTEs typical symbol duration including the CP is around
71.64 sec.

DIT

Types of Cyclic Prefix for

There are two cyclic prefixLTE
options for LTE:
Normal

cyclic prefix: For use in small cells or cells with

short multipath delay spread.
Its length depends on the symbol position within the slot
being 5.21 sec for the CP in symbol 0 and 4.6 sec for the
rest of symbols.
The reason for these two different lengths is so that the slot
duration is 0.5ms, facilitating at the same time, that the
terminal finds the starting point of the slot.
Extended cyclic prefix: For user with large cells or those
with long delay profiles.
Its length is 16.67s and it is constant for all symbols in the
slot.
DIT

Benefits

OFDMA Benefits and

Drawbacks
Drawbacks

High spectral efficiency for

wideband channels
OFDM is almost completely
resistant to multi-path
interference due to its very long
symbol duration
Flexible spectrum utilization
Relative simple implementation
using FFT/IFFT
Easy MIMO techniques
implementation

DIT

Some OFDM Systems can

suffer from high PAPR (Peak
Average Power Ratio)
Loss of orthogonality due to
frequency errors
Doppler shifts impacts
subcarrier orthogonaliy due
to ISI
Accurate frequency and time
synchronization

OFDMA Parameters

DIT

Comparison of OFDMA and SCFDMA

Page26

LTE Frame Structures

Ts is the basic time unit for LTE.

Ts = 1/(15000 x 2048) seconds or about 32.6 ns.

Downlink and uplink transmissions are organized into frames of

duration Tf = 307200 Ts.

The 10 ms frames divide into 10 subframes.

Each subframe divides into 2 slots of 0.5 ms.
Two frame types are defined for LTE: Type 1, used in Frequency
Division Duplexing (FDD) and Type 2, used in Time Division
Duplexing (TDD).
Type 1 frames consist of 20 slots with slot duration of 0.5 ms.
Type 2 frames contain two half frames. Depending on the switch
period, at least one of the half frames contains a special subframe
carrying three fields of switch information: Downlink Pilot Time Slot
(DwPTS), Guard Period (GP) and Uplink Pilot Time Slot (UpPTS).

DIT

Frame Type 1 (FDD)

DIT

Frame Type 2 (TDD)

DIT

Uplink-downlink
Configurations for the LTE
TDD Mode

D is Downlink subframe, U is Uplink subframe, and S is special

subframe

DIT

The Resource Block

Mapping of channels takes place in the time and

frequency domains in LTE.
The primary element that support the mapping
process is the Resource Block (RB).
The RB has a fixed size and is common to all channel
bandwidths/FFT sizes.
In the time domain the RB is one slot ( 7 x 66.67S
symbols).
In the frequency domain there are 12 x 15KHz subcarriers.
1 symbol and 1 sub-carrier is known as a resource
element.
DIT

Defining a Resource
Block

DIT

Channel Bandwidth

DIT

Theoretical Data Rates

LTE does not officially meet the 4G requirements issued by ITU

in the definition for IMT-Advanced.
The data rates available in LTE (up to 300 Mbps) are
substantially higher than previous generations of cellular
standards.
It is worth noting that the maximum theoretical data rates of LTE
Advanced (up to 3.08 Gbps) are compliant with the 4G
definition of the IMT-Advanced requirements.
Throughput of digital wireless communications channels is
defined by several factors, including:
symbol period utilization, symbol rate, modulation scheme,
code rate, number of resource blocks, and number of
spatial streams.

DIT

Throughput calculation for

LTE SISO Link
Throughput = Data Subcarriers X Slots per second X
Symbols per Slot X Bits per Symbol X Code
Rate X Spatial Streams
With LTE, the maximum throughput in a 1x1 SISO channel
occurs when the eNodeB allocates all resource blocks (1200
subcarriers) for a 20 MHz signal bandwidth using the 64-QAM
modulation scheme. In this case, the estimated theoretical
throughput is 76.9 Mbps.
Throughput = 1200 data subcarriers X 2000 slots X 7 symbols
X 6 bits X (4/5) code rate x 1 spatial stream
= 76.9 Mbps
DIT

Throughput calculation for

LTE Advanced 8x8 MIMO Link

For MIMO schemes, the addition of carrier aggregation

increases the theoretical data rates of LTE Advanced further.
20 MHz channel bandwidth allows for 1,200 data subcarriers,
the use of five aggregated carriers would increase the
number of data subcarriers to 6,000. the maximum data rate
can be calculated as follows:
Throughput = 6000 data subcarriers X 2000 slots X 7 symbols
X 6 bits X (4/5) code rate x 8 spatial streams
= 3.08 Gbps
LTE Advanced is the first commercial wireless standard that
exceeds the IMT-Advanced requirements for 4G cellular
systems.

DIT

Maximum Downlink Capacity per

Radio Channel

DIT

Maximum Uplink Capacity per

Radio Channel

DIT

LTE Logical Channels

Logical Control Channels

Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)

Paging Control Channel (PCCH)
Common Control Channel (CCCH)
Multicast Control Channel (MCCH)
Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH)

Logical Traffic Channels

Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH)

Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH)
DIT

LTE Transport Channel

Downlink Transport Channel

Broadcast Channel (BCH)

Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH)
Paging Channel (PCH)
Multicast Channel (MCH)

Uplink Transport Channels

Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH)

Random Access Channel (RACH)
DIT

LTE Physical Channel

Downlink Physical Channel

Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH)

Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH)
Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)
Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH)
Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)
Physical Multicast Channel (PMCH)
Multicast Channel (MCH)

Uplink Physical Channel

Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)

Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)
Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH)

DIT

Channel Mapping

DIT

3GPP Evolution: From LTE

to LTE-A/B/C

DIT

Release Roadmap

DIT

DIT