Paging Channel: Associated with the PCCH logical TM is the simplest RLC mode.

TM stands for
The Physical Broadcast Channel carries the Master
UE eNodeB S-GW P-GW
LTE Radio
Information Block (MIB). It consists of a limited number
Physical Random Access Channel: This channel is used to channel. It is mapped to dynamically allocated physical 'Transparent Mode'. The term 'Transparent' may have
PBCH of the most frequently transmitted parameters essential for
PRACH carry random access preambles used for initiation of PCH resources, and is required for broadcast over the entire cell TM many different meaning. In this case, it would mean 'the
initial access to the cell. The PBCH is designed for early
random access procedure. coverage area. It is transmitted on the Physical Downlink contents goes through this layer without any
detection by the UE, and cell-wide coverage Application
Shared Channel modification'.

Protocol Stack Paging Control Channel : A downlink channel that

transfers paging information and system information
Broadcast Channel: A downlink channel associated with
the BCCH logical channel and is used to broadcast system
Most complicated RLC type. 'AM' stands for
'Acknowledge Mode'. As it's name implies it requires
PDSCH
The Physical Downlink Shared Channel is the main
downlink data-bearing channel in LTE, used for all user
data, as well as for broadcast system information which is
Relay
GTP-U GTP-U
Relay
GTP-U GTP-U
PCCH change notifications. This channel is used for paging BCH AM ACK/NACK from the other party. It is more like TCP
when the network does not know the location cell of the
information over the entire coverage area of the cell. It has
packet in IP world, whereas RLC UM is more like UDP in
not carried on the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). It
IP UDP/IP IP
a fixed transport format defined by the specifications. is also used for paging messages. UDP/IP UDP/IP UDP/IP

User Plane
UE. IP world.
Services
Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) : This control UM stands for 'Unacknowledged Mode'. 'UM' means 'it The Physical Control Format Indicator Channel is a IP Sec IP Sec IP Sec IP Sec
Prepared by channel provides system information to all mobile Downlink Shared Channel: Used for transmitting the does not require any reception response from the other downlink physical channel that carries a Control Format
Ziya Akhundov BCCH
terminals connected to the eNodeB.It allows the UE to
DL-SCH
downlink data, including both control and traffic data, and
UM
party'. 'Reception response' simply mean 'ACK' or PCFICH Indicator (CFI) which indicates the number of OFDM
retrieve cell and network configuration parameters (e.g.
PLMN code, cell identity, cell reselection parameters,
thus it is associated with both logical control and logical
traffic channels.
'NACK' from the other party. (UM mode is similar to TM
mode in that it does not require any ACK/NACK from the
symbols (i.e. normally 1, 2 or 3) used for transmission of
downlink control channel information in each sub-frame.
PDCP PDCP
etc.) required for normal operation within EUTRAN. other party).

CCCH
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is the most
commonly used protocol on the Internet. The reason for
this is because TCP offers error correction. When the TCP
protocol is used there is a "guaranteed delivery." This is
due largely in part to a method called "flow control." Flow
TCP control determines when data needs to be re-sent, and
DCCH
stops the flow of data until previous packets are
RLC RLC L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
Physical Downlink Control Channel in LTE carries UE-
Common Control Channel: RRC signaling channel used
Both signaling radio bearers are used to transmit/receive specific scheduling assignments for DL resource
by UEs to do the initial access signaling when it is in Random Access Channel: A specific transport channel
LTE signaling messages. SRB2 is used specifically for allocation, UL grants, PRACH responses, UL power
RRC_IDLE state and wants to enter RRC_CONNECTED that is not mapped to any logical channel. It transmits PDCCH
state. The UE will send only one message (RRC RACH relatively small amounts of data for initial access or, in the SRB NAS signaling messages but if SRB2 is not at all present control commands, and common scheduling assignments MAC MAC
or established, SRB1 is used to trans/receive NAS for signaling messages (such as system information,
CONNECTION REQUEST) and case of RRC, state changes.
messages. paging, etc.).
the rest of the communication takes place on DCCH.
PHY PHY L1 L1 L1 L1 L1
The Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel is a
S1-U S5/S8 SGi
Multicast Channel: Associated with MCCH and MTCH
Dedicated Control Channel: This control channel is used logical channels for the multicast/broadcast service. It
Data Radio Bearer: to carry user data. Data radio bearer
downlink physical channel that carries the Hybrid ARQ
(HARQ) ACK/NACK information indicating whether the Uu
for carrying user-specific control information, e.g. for supports Multicast/Broadcast Single Frequency Network PHICH
controlling actions including power control, handover, MCH (MBSFN) transmission, which transmits the same DRB transports the packets of an EPS bearer between a UE and eNB has correctly received a transmission on the PUSCH.

UE eNodeB
an eNedeB. Multiple PHICHs (for different UEs) are mapped to the

successfully transferred. This works because if a packet of
data is sent, a collision may occur. When this happens, the
client re-requests the packet from the server until the
whole packet is complete and is identical to its original.
MME
etc.. information on the same radio resource from multiple
same set of downlink resource elements.
synchronized base stations to multiple UEs.

Dedicated Traffic Channel: The DTCH is used for user
radio bearers carrying IP traffic. The eNB connects
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is anther commonly used
Uplink Shared Channel: The uplink counterpart of the
Physical Multicast Channel : For transmission of multicast
and broadcast information, Format is similar to the
NAS NAS
DL-SCH. It can be associated to CCCH, DCCH, and Robust Header Compression is a standardized method to
PMCH PDSCH but it is for reception by several mobiles, Sub-

Control plane
DTCH DTCHs with their associated S1-U tunnel to the SAE GW. UL-SCH DTCH logical channels. It supports H-ARQ, dynamic link ROHC compress the IP, UDP, UDP-Lite, RTP, and TCP headers
channel spacing is 7.5 kHz and symbol length is doubled,
protocol on the Internet. However, UDP is never used to of Internet packets. Relay
DTCH can be bidirectional, uplink only or downlink only. adaption, and dynamic and semi-persistent resource
send important data such as webpages, database
information, etc; UDP is commonly used for streaming
DTCH are of course point-to-point. allocation.
Modulation QPSK, 16 QAM or 64 QAM RRC RRC S1-AP S1-AP
audio and video. Streaming media such as Windows
Media audio files (.WMA) , Real Player (.RM), and others
UDP
use UDP because it offers speed! The reason UDP is
faster than TCP is because there is no form of flow control Downlink Control Information: It carries information Physical Uplink Shared Channel: This channel is used to PDCP PDCP SCTP SCTP
Multicast Control Channel: The MCCH is associated with
related to downlink/uplink scheduling assignment, carry RRC signaling messages. Uplink RRC messages are
or error correction. The data sent over the Internet is MBMS. It allows the eNB to inform UEs that want to Integrity Protection applies only to C-Plane data (C-Plane
modulation and coding scheme, and Transmit Power PUSCH carried using PUSCH. LTE PUSCH channel contain user
affected by collisions, and errors will be present. MCCH listen to broadcast or multicast service traffic about DCI Control (TPC) command, and is sent over the Physical Integrity data means RRC/NAS message, i.e DCCH data, not
information data. The PUSCH carries both user data as
Remember that UDP is only concerned with speed. This is
the main reason why streaming media is not high quality.
availability of such services and about the associated
Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The DCI supports
DTCH data).
well as control signal data. RLC RLC IP IP
MBMS radio bearer (point-to-multipoint) radio bearers.
10 different formats.

H-ARQ Indicator: It carries H-ARQ acknowledgment in

Physical Uplink Control Channel: This LTE channel is
MAC MAC L2 L2
response to uplink transmissions, and is sent over the
used to carry UCI. UCI can also be transported using
HI Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH). HI = 1 Multicast Traffic Channel: The MTCH is a point-to- Control Format Indicator: It indicates how many symbols
PUSCH channel. An LTE UE can never transmits both
for a positive acknowledgment (ACK) and HI = 0 for a multipoint traffic channel for MBMS. It carries IP traffic the DCI spans in that sub-frame. It takes values CFI = 1, Cipherin Ciphering Protection applies both C-Plane and U-Plane PUCCH
negative acknowledgment (NAK). MTCH for broadcast or multicast services driven by the MBMS CFI 2, or 3, and is sent over the Physical Control Format g Data.
PUCCH and PUSCH during the same sub-frame. If UE
has application data then UCI is carried over PUSCH. If
PHY PHY L1 L1
feature. Indicator Channel (PCFICH).
UE does not have data UCI is carried over PUCCH. Uu S1-MME
Uplink Control Information: It is for measurement
indication on the downlink transmission, scheduling

CONTROL PLANE USER PLANE USER PLANE CONTROL PLANE

request of uplink, and the H-ARQ acknowledgment of
UCI downlink transmissions. The UCI can be transmitted
either on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)
or the Physical Uplink Shared Channel.

Mobility Management, Session Mobility Management, Session

Management, Bearer Management, Applications Applications NAS
Management, Bearer Management,
Paging Control, Security Management NAS SM GMM IP
UDP TCP TCP UDP SM GMM MM
Paging Control, Security Management
MM

Mobility Management, Configuration Mobility Management, Configuration

Management, Connection
L3 RRC
IP IP
RRC L3 Management, Connection
Management, Paging Control, Security Management, Paging Control, Security
Management, Broadcast, RRC IP IP RRC Management, Broadcast,
Measurement Configuration,
Radio Bearers SRB0 SRB1 SRB2 DRB DRB DRB DRB SRB0 SRB1 SRB2 Radio Bearers Measurement Configuration,
Measurement Reporting, Cell Measurement Reporting, Cell
Selection/Reselection Selection/Reselection
Integrity ROHC ROHC Integrity

Sequence Number Addition, Hand

In Sequence Delivery, Duplicate Packet PDCP
Ciphering Ciphering

Detection, Integrity Validation, De-

PDCP Ciphering optional optional
Ciphering
Over Data Handling, Integrity
Protection, Ciphering, Header-
ciphering, Header-Decompression Compression

RLC Mode TM TM TM UM AM UM AM UM AM TM UM AM RLC Mode

Re-Ordering, Reassembly, ARQ (for Buffer Status Report, Segment &
AM mode) RLC RLC Concatenation, ARQ (for AM
L2 L2 mode)

Logical Channels PCCH BCCH CCCH DCCH DTCH MCCH MTCH DTCH CCCH DCCH Logical Channels

Channel Mapping, De-Multiplexing,

Channel Mapping, Multiplexing,
Handling Control Elements, HARQ,
DRX MAC MAC Handling Control Elements, HARQ,
Random Access Procedure, Logical
Channel Priority, Sending BSR
Transport Channels PCH BCH DL-SCH CFI DCI HI MCH UL-SCH UCI RACH Transport Channels

HARQ,CRC, Coding, De-Scrambling,

PHY PHY HARQ,CRC, Coding, Scrambling,
De-Modulation, Measurement, L1 L1 Modulation, Measurement,
Resource Element De-Mapping, MIMO Resource Element Mapping, MIMO
Physical Channels PBCH PDSCH PCFICH PDCCH PHICH PMCH PUSCH PUCCH PRACH Physical Channels