Releases in 3GPP

Release 99 (1999)
Release 4 Release 5 (2001) (2002) (HSDPA , IMS)

Release 6
Release 7 Release 8

(2004) (HSUPA)
(2007) (HSPA+) (2009 ?) (LTE)

3GPP

3GPP 2

Created 1998
Specification of UMTS

Created 1998 - 99
Specification of cdma2000

High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)

What is HSDPA?
It is an evolution and improvement on W-CDMA,
It is a 3G protocol. HSDPA can achieve theoretical data transmission speeds of 8-10 Mbps (megabits per second). HSDPA increases base station capacity.

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

HSDPA improves on W-CDMA by using different techniques for modulation and coding.

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

HSDPA introduces new physical and new transport channels in downlink.
Physical Channel High Speed Physical downlink shared channel (HS-PDCH) High Speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH)

Transport Channel
High Speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH)

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

It is important to note that the channel is only used for downlink. That means that data is sent from the source to the phone. It isn't possible to send data from the phone to a source using HSDPA.
The channel is shared between all users which lets the radio signals to be used most effectively for the fastest downloads

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

HSDPA adds one Uplink physical channels.
Physical Channel High Speed Dedicated Physical Control channel (HS-PDCH)

This HS-PDCH is used for carrying Hybrid ARQ acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) and Channel quality indicators (CQI).

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

The HSDPA feature includes the following key functions: Short TTI Fast Radio Channel Dependent Scheduling.

Fast Link Adaptation.

Shared Channel Transmission. Higher order Modulation.

Fast Hybrid ARQ

Dynamic Power Allocation.

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

With HSDPA , two of the most fundamental features of WCDMA , variable Spreading Factor and fast power control are disabled and replaced by means of Adaptive modulation & coding (AMC).

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Short TTI
Instead of 10ms frame length , Shorter Transmission time interval (TTI) of 2ms is used in HSDPA. * Reduced round trip delay * Helps in fast link adaptation * Helps in fast Scheduling * Helps in fast hybrid ARQ

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Short TTI
HSDPA radio frame , actually a sub-frame in WCDMA , is 2ms in length and is equivalent to three of currently defined WCDMA slots.
There are five HSDPA sub-frame in 10ms WCDMA frame

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

10ms Frame

WCDMA Frame

2ms Sub-Frame HSDPA Frame

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) Link adaptation in HSDPA is the ability to adapt the modulation scheme and coding according to the quality of the radio link. The spreading factor remains fixed, but the coding rate can vary between 1/4 and 3/4. Link adaptation ensures the highest possible data rate is achieved both for users with good signal quality (higher coding rate), typically close to the base station, and for more distant users at the cell edge (lower coding rate). Data rates adapted to radio conditions on 2ms time basis.

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Fast scheduling
Scheduling of the transmission of data packets over the air interface is performed in the base station based on information about the:channel quality, terminal capability, QoS class and power/code availability. Scheduling is fast because it is performed as close to the air interface as possible and because a short frame length (TTI) is used.

Time Multiplexed Channel for efficient radio resource utilization

HSDPA introduces a new transport channel type, High Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH) that makes efficient use of valuable radio frequency resources and takes into account bursty packet data. This new transport channel shares multiple access codes, transmission power and use of infrastructure hardware between several users. The radio network resources can be used efficiently to serve a large number of users who are accessing bursty data. When one user has sent a data packet over the network, another user gets access to the resources and so forth. In other words, several users can be time multiplexed so that during silent periods, the resources are available to other users.

Time Multiplexed Channel for efficient radio resource utilization

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Use of 16-QAM

4 bits per symbol.

16 possible states.
High data rate is achieved.

HSDPA uses QPSK modulation and when radio conditions are good 16-QAM is used

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

What is 16-QAM?
Like all modulation schemes, 16-QAM conveys data by changing some aspect of a carrier signal, or the carrier wave, (usually a sinusoid) in response to a data signal. In the case of 16-QAM, the amplitude of two waves, 90 degrees out-of-phase with each other (in quadrature) are changed (modulated or keyed) to represent the data signal.

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Use of Fast Hybrid ARQ
In a conventional ARQ scheme, received data blocks that cannot be decoded are discarded and retransmitted data blocks are separately decoded.
In case of hybrid ARQ with soft combining, received data blocks that cannot be decoded are not discarded .Instead the corresponding received signal is buffered and soft combined with later received retransmissions of the same set of information bits. Decoding is then applied to the combined signal.

High Speed Downlink Packet Access

Dynamic Power Allocation
Higher order modulation and link adaptation can be combined to maximize the instantaneous use of the fading radio channel. The HS-DSCH does not employ fast power control to compensate for channel variations. Instead, to maximize user throughput in the downlink , it adjust the data rate to match the instantaneous radio conditions and the available transmission power in the RBS. After serving common and dedicated channels, it is thus possible to assign the remaining cell power to the HS-DSCH.

High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)

High Speed Uplink Packet Access

HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) is a term used broadly in the market, however in 3GPP the standardization for HSUPA was done under the name enhanced uplink dedicated channel (E-DCH) work item. Work started during the corrections phase for HSDPA, beginning with the study item on uplink enhancements for dedicated transport channels in September 2002. From the vendor side, Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson were the supporting companies to initiate the study in 3GPP.

High Speed Uplink Packet Access

Network Architecture Evolution

Original 3G architecture. 2 nodes in the RAN. 2 nodes in the PS Core Network. Every Node introduces additional delay. Common path for User plane and Control plane data. Air interface based on WCDMA. RAN interfaces based on ATM. Option for Iu-PS interface to be based on IP.

Network Architecture Evolution

I-HSPA introduces the first true flat architecture to WCDMA. Control Plane Standardized in 3GPP Release 7 as Direct Tunnel with collapsed RNC. Most part of the RNC functionalities are moved to the Node B. Direct Tunnels runs now from the GGSN to the Node B. Solution for cost-efficient broadband wireless access. Improves the delay performance (less node in RAN). It can be deployable with existing WCDMA base stations. Transmission savings

Network Architecture Evolution

LTE HSPA takes the same Flat architecture from Internet HSPA. Air interface based on OFDMA. All-IP network. New spectrum allocation (i.e 2600 MHz band) Possibility to reuse spectrum i.e. 900 MHZ)

LTE targets
Significantly increased peak data rates Increased cell edge bitrates Improved spectrum efficiency Scaleable bandwidth Acceptable system and terminal complexity, cost and power consumption Compatibility with earlier releases and with other systems Optimised for low mobile speed but supporting high mobile speed

Peak data rate

Goal: significantly increased peak data rates, scaled linearly according to spectrum allocation Targets: Instantaneous downlink peak data rate of 100Mbit/s in a 20MHz downlink spectrum (i.e. 5 bit/s/Hz) Instantaneous uplink peak data rate of 50Mbit/s in a 20MHz uplink spectrum (i.e. 2.5 bit/s/Hz)

Mobility
The Enhanced UTRAN (E-UTRAN) will: be optimised for mobile speeds 0 to 15 km/h support, with high performance, speeds between 15 and 120 km/h maintain mobility at speeds between 120 and 350 km/h and even up to 500 km/h depending on frequency band support voice and real-time services over entire speed range with quality at least as good as UTRAN

 Spectrum flexibility E-UTRA to operate in 1.25, 1.6, 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 MHz allocationshence allowing different possibilities for re-farming already in use spectrum uplink and downlink paired and unpaired Co-existence with GERAN/3G on adjacent channels with other operators on adjacent channels Handover with UTRAN and GERAN Handover with non 3GPP Technologies (CDMA 2000, WiFi, WiMAX)

Spectrum issues

LTE and SAE

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the term used to describe collectively the evolution of the radio access network into Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and the radio access technology into Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA). System Architecture Evolution (SAE) is the term used to describe the evolution of the core network into the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). There is also a collective term, Evolved packet System (EPS), which refers to the combined EUTRAN and EPC.

LTE and SAE

E-UTRAN and EPC

LTE Air Interface

Both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) operation are defined in the standards, but of these FDD operation is most significant in the shorter term. This is based on two different radio technologies. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) will be employed in the downlink, while the uplink will employ Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC_FDMA).

LTE Air Interface

Initially, however, the maximum bit rates are likely to be between 20 and 30 Mbit/s. Nevertheless, with increased spectrum availability and the use of advanced antenna techniques, bit rates in excess of 300 Mbit/s may eventually be achievable. Low latency (10 ms round-trip delay), improved system capacity and coverage as well as reduced operating costs remain important additional benefits.

OFDM in LTE
OFDM, although not a new technology in itself, is still relatively new in the context of mobile multiple access systems. The OFDM principle is at the core of the downlink OFDMA and uplink SCFDMA physical layers for LTE. Traditional digital radio technologies transmit a data stream modulated onto a single radio carrier.
However, to overcome the problems associated with transmitting high data rates over a single carrier including Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) and narrowband interference OFDM utilises a large number of closely spaced orthogonal subcarriers that are transmitted in parallel.

OFDM in LTE
Each subcarrier can then be modulated with a conventional modulation scheme such as QPSK, 16QAM or even 64QAM. As each subcarrier carries a relatively low data rate in comparison to high data rates modulated onto a single carrier, it will suffer far less from ISI resulting in far fewer errors. Also, as subcarriers are orthogonal, a spectral efficiency gain approaching 50% over traditional single-carrier methods can be achieved.

OFDM in LTE
LTE OFDMA and SC-FDMA are designed to work in a variety of bandwidths ranging initially from 1.4 MHz with 72 subcarriers up to 20 MHz with 1200 subcarriers. This will allow LTE to be backward compatible with current spectrum and flexible enough to fit into any potential future spectrum allocation.

Evolved Node B (eNB)

It is the only network element defined as part of EUTRAN. - It replaces the old Node B / RNC combination from 3G. It terminates the complete radio interface including physical layer. It provides all radio management functions An eNB can handle several cells. To enable efficient inter-cell radio management for cells not attached to the same eNB, there is a inter-eNB interface X2 specified. It will allow to coordinate intereNB handovers without direct involvement of EPC during this process.

E-UTRAN
All layers of the air interface protocol stack, including Radio Resource Control (RRC), Radio Link Control (RLC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) have now been moved to the base station, and the eNB will anchor the main backhaul link to the EPC. The eNB supports a flexible association between access and core, permitting load sharing between core network nodes. With the removal of the RNC from the access network architecture, intereNB handovers will be negotiated and managed directly between eNBs using the X2 interface. Although not yet fully defined, it is assumed that the final protocol functions over the X2 interface will mimic those currently employed in the 3G UTRAN on the Iur interface of R99/4 networks.

E-UTRAN

SAE Evolved Packet Core Network

The reduced complexity in the radio access network is mirrored by a similar simplification and flattening in the core network, with SAE architecture consisting of only five main nodes. A key difference from current networks is that the EPC is defined to support packet-switched traffic only. Interfaces are based on IP protocols. This means that all services will be delivered through packet connections, including voice.

Mobility Management Entity (MME)

It is a pure signaling entity inside the EPC. SAE uses tracking areas to track the position of idle UEs. The basic principle is identical to location or routing areas from 2G/3G. MME handles attaches and detaches to the SAE system, as well as tracking area updates Therefore it possesses an interface towards the HSS (home subscriber server) which stores the subscription relevant information and the currently assigned MME in its permanent data base. A second functionality of the MME is the signaling coordination to setup transport bearers (SAE bearers) through the EPC for a UE. MMEs can be interconnected via the S10 interface

Evolved Packet Core (EPC)

The SAE gateway performs switching and routing services for user plane traffic. However, unlike R99/4 networks, bearer control has been removed from the gateway and now resides within the Mobility Management Entity (MME). The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) handles Quality of Service (QoS) management and also controls rating and charging. Subscriber management and security is the responsibility of the Home Subscriber Server (HSS). It is assumed that voice services will be implemented through the use of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

Evolved Network Architecture

Various New Interfaces

Uu Interface - User equipment - UE - communicate with evolved node B (eNB) using the Uu interface. S1 Interface - is used to connect eNBs to the serving gateway (S-GW). X2 Interface - allows eNBs to directly connect with each other. S6 Interface - allows mobile management entity (MME) to connect with customer database (HSS). S3 Interface - is used to link to existing systems (such as GSM, GPRS, and WCDMA) to the UMTS LTE system. S5 Interface - connects the UMTS LTE system to packet data networks such as the Internet. S7 Interface - connects the UMTS LTE system to operations and support systems.

Evolution from HSPA to LTE