UMTS and WLAN Interoperability

UMTS and WLAN comparison

1. The UMTS standard supports a variety of circuit- and packet-switched services such as voice, video telephony, video games, video conferencing, streamed voice and video, SMS, MMS, email, fax, telnet, interactive games, web browsing, ftp etc., while the WLAN specification only supports the corresponding packet-switched services. 2. A fundamental difference between the two network technologies is the coverage. UMTS builds on the cellular concept, which means that instead of covering a large area with one Node B, the large area is divided into a number of smaller areas or cells each covered by a separate Node B. By splitting the area up into a number of smaller cells, the same frequency can be reused over relatively small distances and thus enabling coverage for a greater number of users. Also, by reducing the area to be covered by a Node B, the transmitter power can be lowered. By the use of handover mechanisms and roaming agreements, the network can moreover provide national and even international coverage. In comparison, WLAN incorporates a non-cellular concept in terms of much smaller locally situated network islands, the so-called hot spots or WLAN cells, not tailored to large coverage. Usually these WLAN cells cover homes, small enterprises,

campuses, hotels, hospitals, airports, restaurants etc. Since the WLAN only covers smaller limited areas, the coverage is local. 3. Another aspect close connected with coverage is power control. UMTS communication has the flexibility to optimise the range of communication with suitable effect, while WLAN requires a maximum effect of 100 mW. This means that while a typical WLAN cell has the range of approximately 50 meters, a UMTS cell can reach up to 35 kilometres. 4. Mobility is also a related aspect. UMTS handles mobility by performing handover/cell reselection. The handover/cell re-selection mechanisms work well as long as within the same network technology. For mobility between network technologies, inter-system hard handover and cell re-selection also work as long as between UMTS and GSM networks. There are, however, no mechanisms defined for handover between UMTS and other networks e.g. between UMTS and WLAN. UMTS is therefore defined to provide high and global mobility within UMTS networks and between UMTS and GSM networks. In comparison, WLAN handles mobility quite differently. WLAN supports user relocation within the BSS and even between BSSs in the same ESS by means of the transition mechanism also known as re-association. There are, however, no mechanisms defined for transition between one BSS in one ESS to a BSS in another ESS why transitions between WLAN and other networks or even between independently operated WLANs simply are not possible. This means that WLAN only provides a low and local mobility. 5. The costs of deploying the two network technologies also differ. The UMTS deployment requires an expensive Node B in every network cell as well as an expensive license and frequency use fee. The license is additionally provided with obligations. In contrast, the WLAN deployment requires inexpensive access points and no license or frequency use fee or obligations. 6. Finally, there are also some more technical differences. UMTS utilises the air interface standard WCDMA, which is based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). UMTS implements the special CDMA technique called Direct Sequence (DS-CDMA) that spreads the user data bit stream over a wide bandwidth by multiplying each user data bit with a (chipping) sequence of 8 code bits called chips derived from CDMA spreading codes. A chip is mathematically a bit, which means that the chipping sequence is basically a bit sequence, but to distinguish the original user data bit stream from the spread signal the term chip is used. The result of multiplying each bit of the user data bit stream with a chipping sequence is a chip stream with flattened amplitude across a relatively wide frequency band. This flattening of the amplitude over a wide band means that fairly large channels are required. While other systems use a smaller channel bandwidth of about 1 MHz, the UMTS system consequently uses a channel bandwidth of 5 MHz, hence the name Wideband CDMA. The chip stream is transmitted simultaneously with other chip streams in the same frequency range in frame lengths of 10 ms and at a transmission rate of 3.84 Mcps. This translates into the actual data rates ranging from 144 kbps up to 2 Mbps. In the receiver, the bits of the user data stream are recovered from the chip stream with a correlator, which simply inverts the spreading process. UMTS operates within a regulated frequency spectrum around 2 GHz. Since UMTS supports two basic duplex modes of operation, Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD), the European spectrum allocation has been reserved for WCDMA FDD in the bands 1920-1980 MHz (up link) and 2110-2170 (down link) and for WCDMA TDD in the bands 1900-1920 MHz and 2010-2025 MHz. A new frequency spectrum in the frequency band 2500-2690 MHz has additionally been identified but has not yet been taken in use. For the paired channels in the frequency bands 1920-1980 and 2110-2170 MHz a total of 12 channels are available. This implies that for each 5 MHZ channel in the uplink band,

another channel in the down link band exists. For the unpaired channels in the frequency bands 19001920 and 2010-2025 MHz a total of 7 channels are available. In contrast, the 802.11b WLAN specification utilises the High Rate Direct Sequence (HRDS) air interface standard for data transmission. HR-DS is developed from the 802.11 DS encoding method, where the user data bit stream is spread by applying an 11-bit Barker word, a special-defined bit sequence, by a modulo-2 adder to each bit or two bit in the user data bit stream. Similar to with UMTS, this flattening of the amplitude calls for fairly large channels, why WLAN also operates with 5 MHz channel bandwidth. The outcome of the multiplication procedure is a chip stream, which is transmitted in variable frame lengths at a transmission rate of 11 Mcps. This translates into actual data rates of 1 or 2 Mbps depending on whether the 11-bit Barker word is applied to each bit or two bits. To provide for higher data rates, HR-DS was released as an extension to the 802.11 specification, the 802.11b specification. Achieving higher data rates requires that each code symbol carry more information than a bit or two. The 802.11 DS encoding process did not prove suitable for carrying more bits, which led to the use of an alternate encoding method Complementary Code Keying (CCK) for the 802.11b HR-DS. CCK uses 8-bit sequences to encode 4 or even 8 bits per code word. This translates into actual data rates of 5.5 Mbps or 11 Mbps according to the specific environment. Furthermore, WLAN operates within an unregulated frequency spectrum around 2.4 GHz. A total of 13 channels, each 5 MHz wide, are located in the frequency range 2412-2472 GHz. Based on the listed differences there are some characteristics that are striking. First of all, the degree of offered services at first seems unequal. However, since it has never been the intention that WLAN should complement UMTS on the circuit-switched services, WLAN in fact matches up with UMTS on the packet-switched service level. Also, in the long run the development is expected to proceed towards all-IP networks where all services are delivered via packetswitched networks which eventually will equalise any differences of supported services. Next, the difference in data rates is also significant. UMTS supports data rates from 144 kbps to 2 Mbps of which the average user is expected to receive data rates of 384 kbps. WLAN oppositely supports much higher data rates in the range from 1 Mbps to 11 Mbps and thus unquestionably outdistances UMTS. Also important is the level of coverage and mobility. UMTS offers wide coverage and high mobility whereas WLAN only offers very local and therefore low coverage and has limited mobility. Common for both is, however, that they have limited mobility in terms of relocating beyond the network boundaries. UMTS handles mobility only within UMTS networks and between UMTS and GSM networks, and WLAN handles mobility only within the BSS and between BSSs in the same ESS. To extend mobility to other networks, e.g. between UMTS and WLAN, the use of additional mobility protocols are therefore required. These complementary characteristics have meant that UMTS and WLAN are considered just the right candidates for interworking to provide wide-spread multi-service wireless access by utilising highbandwidth WLANs in hot spots and switching to UMTS networks when the coverage of WLAN is not available or the network condition in the WLAN is not good enough. One complication is, however, the shortcomings of both UMTS and WLAN with regards to mobility between the two network technologies.

GSM/GPRS/UMTS Network Architectures: The UMTS network architecture (Release 99) consists of
three domains: The User Equipment (UE) domain, the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) domain and the Core Network (CN) domain.

Figure 1. GSM/GPRS/UMTS Network architecture

PS Connection
An alternative to the CS connections is the PS connections. The PS connection process covers similar to the CS connection process both the setting up a call and the receiving of a call. Common for both is that, similar to before, a signaling connection has been established between the UE and the CN. To set up a call a PS connection must be established. The UE first activates a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context in the GGSN. A PDP context is a range of settings that defines which packet data networks a user may use for exchanging data. The list of permitted PDP contexts is stored in the HLR. To activate the PDP context, the UE establishes a connection over the RNC to the SGSN and sends a message that the user would like to establish an external PS connection. The SGSN forwards the query to the GGSN, which then sends a query to the HLR to check if the user is authorized to access external PS connections. If the user is authorized, the GGSN activates the context and informs the UE including an IP address. The activation of the context creates a fixed IP tunnel to which outgoing data packets are sent to the RNC over the SGSN to the GGSN. The GGSN then switches the call into the external PS network, which performs the necessary switching functions to direct the call to the destination. The tunnel is active until the UE deactivates the context either by closing the application or disconnecting from the SGSN. The SSGN is continuously informed about the UEs current routing area, i.e. PS equivalent to the CS location area. If the user changes routing area to an area with a new responsible SSGN, the route in the GGSN is adapted to this.

From the HLR query the SGSN and the GGSN are aware of the Quality of Service (QoS) requested for the packet transfer and are able to set up parts of the packet transfer path in advance. The QoS categories for PS connections are conversational (voice), streaming (streaming video), interactive (web browsing) and background (file transfer, emails). When the call terminates, the SGSN generates a billing record from the PDP context (based on e.g. the duration of call or the amount of data) and sends it to the billing server that makes an appropriate entry on the users billing record. To receive a call another process is required. First, the incoming call is routed through the external PS network to the GGSN. The GGSN then determines the HLR in which the user data is stored based on the telephone number. The GGSN can next look in the HLR and determine whether the UE is attached to the network and has an active PDP context. If the UE is not attached the call is rejected. If the UE is attached but does not have an active PDP context, the UE needs to be located and paged to set up an active PDP context. The HLR knows the location of the UE within the accuracy of the routing area. It therefore also knows the destination switching node (SGSN). The GGSN obtains this information at the same time it checks the HLR for UE network attachment and PDP context status. The GGSN is now able to route the call to the SGSN. The SGSN knows the RNC responsible for the UE routing area and requests that this RNC sets up a channel to the UE. The RNC pages the UE in the last known routing area and sets up a connection the UE over the Node B used by the UE when it responds to the page. Once the transmission link is established the UE receives the call and the PS connection is switched through. If the UE already has an active PDP context the packet transfer can be transmitted directly to the UE. When the signaling connection for PS services is released e.g. at release of PS service, because of very low level of activity, or at radio link failure, the UE can be triggered to move to the PS idle state. Alternatively, the UE can move to the network detachment state.

IEEE 802.11 WLAN

The IEEE standard 802.11 is generally carried out in the infrastructure and ad-hoc modes. In the infrastructure mode, the transmission between the nodes is coordinated by an Access Point (AP) within a Particular radio coverage area called as service set. Infrastructure mode is related to its integration with the cellular network. One access point can be coupled with one mobile node (MN) in a given time. The communication between all of the APs connected to MNs is done by directly coordinating through an AP. Roaming around APs is carried out in layer-2 via an Inter-AP Protocol (IAPP).[9] Beacons contains cell-id known as the APs MAC address and network-id known as Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID) are periodically generated by the APs along with other information. When WLAN is powered up the MN gets connected to the AP by transmitting an associate request frame to an AP. Once the MN shifts towards a new cell it get a beacon with the new cell-id but with same network-id, it then get connected to the new AP by transmitting the re-associate request frame including an old APs MAC address. The old AP communicates with the new AP with the help of IAPP for downloading the framework.

Figure 2. WLAN network architecture

Mainly two MAC functions are demarcated for 802.11 that are point co-ordinate function (PCF) and distributed co-ordinate function (DCF). In DCF all of the sending nodes use CSMA/CA protocol [4] to strive for the radio channel. The node retransmits the frame when collision occurs then frames are retransmitted by the node that is identified by the lack of acknowledgement of the receiver. In PCF the Collision Free Period (CFP) is announced by an AP when all the MNs are back off. The AP polls assure MNs in the CFP, which in return transfer the frames The PCF is defined for an isochronous traffic, PCF is mainly defined. In spite of this the PCF is not broadly used for commercial APs.

Architectures for WLAN/UMTS Integration

It is widely acknowledged there are two main architectures for successful UMTS/WLAN Integration, namely Tight and Loose coupling. With Tight coupling the WLAN is an integral

Fig. 3: WLAN/UMTS Integration Architecture part of the UMTS System, where as with Loose coupling the WLAN is a separate system sharing some database information with the UMTS System. The different coupling solutions as illustrated by Fig. 3, lead to different levels of reuse of the UMTS system functionality. The preferred choice of coupling method would most likely depend on the background of the network operator. The Tight coupling approach would probably be the preferred solution for legacy GSM/UMTS operators, and conversely the loose coupling approach would probably be preferred by WLAN oriented operators. The rationale behind the Tight coupling approach is to make the Wireless LAN appear to the UMTS core network as another 3G access network. The WLAN emulates functions such as mobility management or authentication which are natively available in 3G radio access networks and appears to the UMTS core as an SGSN. Mobile Nodes (MN) in this case are required to implement the corresponding 3G protocol stack on top of their standard 802.11 network cards, and switch from one physical layer to the next as needed. It also mandates the use of 3G-specific authentication mechanisms based on USIM. This infers the use of 802.11 network cards with built in USIM. Thus all traffic generated in the WLAN is injected using 3G protocols into the UMTS core. This means the set-up of the entire network as well as configuring network elements such as GSNs, have to be modified to accommodate the increased load. Furthermore, since the UMTS core network discloses itself to the 802.11 network, the same operator must own both the WLAN and the 3G parts of the network. Consequently by using the Tight coupling approach, independently owned/operated WLANs cannot be integrated with UMTS networks. With Loose coupling UMTS and WLAN share the same AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting)

subscriber for functions such as security, billing and customer management. This allows the 3G provider to collect the WLAN accounting records and generate a unified billing statement. Loose coupling techniques are based on IETF protocols, which are already implemented in todays WLANs. Consequently, it imposes minimal requirements on WLANs and roaming can be enabled across all types of WLAN implementations regardless of who owns the WLAN, solely via roaming agreements. Furthermore this approach completely separates the data paths in WLAN and UMTS networks, which makes it a much more flexible architecture. This scheme avoids any impact on GSN nodes (SGSN and GGSN respectively), and 3G carriers can benefit from other providers 802.11 deployments without extensive capital investments.

Fig. 2: Tight Vs. Loose Coupling.

Low Latency Handoff Schemes

The architecture of integration is presented in Figure 5 revealing that WLAN network is linked by the means of border routers (BRs) to the SGSN. Specific signaling between the MN and the network is required for having a connection through UMTS network for establishing and managing bearer path. WLAN network and UMTS connectivity through various interfaces is maintained by the MN in 802.11. UMTS connection is mainly depleted for the voice services. In addition UMTS connection is use for the PS signaling primarily for establishing and managing the PS connection. Thus, the PDP context which is the surviving GPRS signaling protocol is used to establish the bearer data path by the means of WLAN network. Besides it also acquires prominent changes in majority of the GPRS procedures realized at the SGSN to differentiate both of the cases comprising of the PS bearer paths that are establish either through WLAN or UMTS RNS. In other methodology, implemented for the same architecture is for both of the signaling or bearer paths for the PS connections. They are created by the means of WLAN to SGSN. The complete connection acquires very little changes in few of the prevailing GPRS procedures. Independent signaling is possessed by the voice connection and bearer path without any bearing on data connection. Upcoming mobile networks seem to be developed using packet-switched architecture having a number of access technologies. This architecture allows 3G mobile networks to get extend with different wireless access technologies based on IP like Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access called WiMAX or Wireless Local Area Network named as WLAN. Many wireless networks have different designs. In spite of this the wide range of characteristics counterpart each other making integration process attractive. On one side there is UMTS for 3G cellular networks providing high mobility, wide coverage area with narrow bandwidth. While on other side there are many technologies for example WLAN providing less area of coverage with broad bandwidth. When both of the technologies are combined they result in pervasive wireless network having hotspots providing services at high speed.

References:
1. Methods for Seamless Vertical Handoff between UMTS and WLAN, Daeheung Kwon1, Aesoon Park2 University of Science & Technology, Mobile Telecommunication Research Division Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute. 2. Analysis of Intersystem Handover: UMTS FDD & WLAN, Reshan Samarasinghe, Vasilis Friderikos, A.H. Aghvami Centre for Telecommunications Research, King's College London.

3. WLAN/UMTS Integration Techniques, Connor Goulding, Barry Holland, Eoin Kiely and Ronan J. Skehill Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, IRELAND Corresponding Author E-mail: ronan.skehill@ul.ie 4. An Architecture of Integration Of 802.11 WLAN Network & UMTS ,Mukhwinder Kaur, Bhawna, G.C.Lall, International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE) ISSN: 2231-2307, Volume-2, Issue-2, May 2012

5. Architecture for Integrating UMTS and 802.11 WLAN Networks Muhammad Jaseemuddin* Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 Canada, Email: jaseem@ee.ryerson.ca

6. Nguyen, Son, Capacity and Throughput Optimization in Multi-cell 3G WCDMA Networks Master of Science (Computer Science and Engineering), August 2005, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, August 2005