LTE System Engineering

With LTE now the cornerstone of global 4G services, this course provides an end to end view of a typical LTE deployment. As such, the architecture required for LTE, including the air interface and all of the key interfaces and protocols, is examined. The course then takes a “day in the life” approach to the LTE handset, detailing all of the typical activity an LTE handset undertakes as it interacts with the network; procedures such as Initial Attach, Bearer Establishment, Mobility and Interworking are all considered. In conclusion, the course focuses on voice services, with emphasis on both CSFB and VoLTE.

Completion Time:

The estimated completion time for this course is eighteen hours. The maximum allotted time is six months from enrollment.

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Outline:

1. LTE Architecture

Topic areas covered include:

• Key Trends:
  • Data Growth
  • Migration from UMTS/HSPA
  • Virtualization
  • Enhancements to LTE
    • LTE-A and LTE-A Pro Features
  • Evolved Packet System Architecture
  • E-UTRAN Architecture:
    • UE (User Equipment)
    • eNB (Evolved Node B)
    • HeNB (Home Evolved Node B)
    • E-UTRAN Interfaces and Protocols
      • E-UTRAN Uu, X2
      • RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, X2AP
    • EPC Architecture:
      • MME (Mobility Management Entity)
      • S-GW (Serving Gateway)
      • P-GW (Packet Data Network Gateway)
      • HSS (Home Subscriber Server)
      • DÉCOR (Dedicated Core Networks)
      • EPC Interfaces and Protocols: –
        • S1-MME, S1-U, S3, S4, S5, S6a, S8, S10, S11, SGs, SGi
        • S1AP, GTPv1-U, GTPv2-C, Diameter, NAS, SGsAP
      • CUPS (Control and User Plane Separation of EPC Nodes):
        • Sxa, Sxb
        • PCFP
      • PCC Architecture:
        • PCC Reference Points and Protocol Stacks
          • Gx, Rx, Gz, Gy, Sy, Sp
        • IMS Architecture:
          • Key nodes:
            • Call Session Control Functions, HSS, Application Servers
          • IMS Protocols:
            • SIP

2. LTE E-UTRAN and E-UTRA

Topic areas covered include:

• E-UTRAN Key Features:
  • Tracking Areas and TAI Lists
  • C-RAN:
    • V1 Fronthaul
  • Dual-Connectivity
  • Bearer Configurations, 5G EN-DC
• E-UTRA Key Features:
  • OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)
  • LTE Frame Structure:
    • Subframe, PRB, OFDM Symbol, Scheduling
  • Frequency Division and Time Division Duplexing
  • Modulation:
    • QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, 1024QAM
  • MIMO Technology
  • Carrier Aggregation:
    • CA Band Configurations
  • Shared Spectrum Options:
    • LTE-U, LAA, LWA
  • LTE Frequency Bands

3. LTE Initial Procedures

Topic areas covered include:

• LTE Mobility and Session Management:
  • ECM Connected and ECM Idle –
  • EPS Bearer Contexts
• LTE Identities
• Radio Resource Control:
  • Cell Selection, PLMN Selection and Cell Re-selection
  • RRC establishment
• Initial Attach:
  • Default EPS Bearer Establishment –
  • Combined Attach
• Network Detach

Activity: Signalling analysis of an Initial Attach and Default EPS Bearer Establishment procedure using Mpirical’s NetX

4. LTE Security

Topic areas covered include:

• Key Distribution:
  • KASME, KNASENC, KNASINT, KRRCENC, KRRCINT, KUPENC
• EPS Authentication and Key Agreement:
  • F Algorithms
  • RAND, AUTN, XRES and KASME
• IPSec and LTE:
  • IPSec Operation
  • Certificate Based SA Establishment

5. Defining EPS Bearers

Topic areas covered include:

• EPS Bearer Level Quality of Service:
  • QCI (QoS Class Identifier):
    • Resource Type, Priority, Packet Delay Budget, Packet Error Rate, Averaging Window, Maximum Data Burst Volume
  • ARP (Allocation and Retention Priority):
    • Priority Level, Pre-emption Capability, Pre-emption Vulnerability
  • Aggregate Maximum Bitrates (Non-GBR Bearers):
    • UE-AMBR, APN-AMBR –
  • Guaranteed Bitrates
• Traffic Flow Templates
• Establishing Dedicated EPS Bearers:
  • Network Initiated Dedicated Bearer Establishment
  • Mobile Initiated Dedicated Bearer Establishment
• Modifying EPS Bearers:
  • Network Initiated Bearer Modification
  • Mobile Initiated Bearer Resource Modification Procedure
• Releasing EPS Bearers:
  • Network Initiated Bearer Deactivation
  • Mobile Initiated Bearer Deactivation –
  • Network Detach

Activity: Signalling analysis of EPS bearer related procedures using Mpirical’s NetX

6. Utilizing EPS Bearers Topic areas covered include:

• EPS Bearers and E-RABs
• Service Request
• Paging in LTE
• S1 Release:
  • ECM States
  • eNB Triggered S1 Release
  • MME Triggered S1 Release
  • Example S1 Release Procedure

Activity: Signalling analysis of EPS bearer utilization related procedures using Mpirical’s NetX

7. LTE Mobility

Topic areas covered include:

• Mobility in LTE
• Idle Mode Mobility:
  • Cell Reselection
• Tracking Area Update:
  • Tracking Area Update Triggers
  • Tracking Area Update with Relocation
• X2 Handover:
  • X2 Handover (Basic)
  • X2 Handover – S-GW Relocation
• S1 Handover:
  • Mobility with the EPC
  • S1 Handover with S-GW and MME Relocation
• Roaming and LTE
• IP Packet Exchange:
  • IPX Architecture
  • IPX Connectivity Options

Activity: Signalling analysis of mobility related procedures using Mpirical’s NetX

8. Interworking with UMTS and GPRS

Topic areas covered include:

• Interworking Concepts:
  • Attach Procedure
  • Establishing the PDP Context and EPS Bearer
  • Secondary PDP Contexts – Network Initiated Secondary PDP Context Activation
  • Session Modification
  • PDP Context Deactivation
  • E-UTRAN to UTRAN/GERAN RAU Procedure
• E-UTRAN to UTRAN Inter RAT Handover
• E-UTRAN to GERAN Inter RAT Handover
• UTRAN to E-UTRAN Inter RAT Handover
• GERAN to E-UTRAN Inter RAT Handover

9. LTE and Voice Services

Topic areas covered include:

• CSFB and VoLTE Comparison
• Circuit Switched Fallback: –
  • CSFB Architectural Requirements
  • CSFB Initial Procedures
  • Options for Fallback
• CSFB Call Procedures: –
  • MO Call (No Support for PS HO)
  • MO Call (Support for PS HO)
  • MT Call (No Support for PS HO)
  • Packet Switched Handover –
  • CSFB Call Delay Factors
• CSFB SMS Procedures: –
  • CSFB MO SMS Procedure –
  • CSFB MT SMS Procedure
• Voice over LTE:
  • VoLTE End to End Architecture –
    • IMS and PCC
  • VoLTE Initial Procedures
• VoLTE Call Procedures:
  • VoLTE Media – Codecs
  • SIP Signalling Exchange
  • Establishing Dedicated Bearers –
  • Tearing Down the Call
• VoLTE Interworking:
  • Interworking with Legacy Voice Networks
  • Handing Over to 2G/3G (SR-VCC) –
  • Wi-Fi Calling

Activity: Signalling analysis of CSFB and VoLTE procedures