LTE/EPS Overview

LTE Extended Introduction course

Module Objectives
After completing this module, the participant should be able to:

Understand the reasons driving to the LTE/EPS project.

List the LTE/EPS main requirements.
Discuss the future of wireless communications.
Compare LTE/EPS capabilities with other mobile technologies.
Review the 3GPP specification work concerning LTE/EPS.
Identify the major steps in the Network Architecture Evolution
towards an LTE/EPS network.
Underline the LTE/EPS key features.
Briefly explain the basics of the LTE Air Interface.
Name the Standardisation bodies around LTE/EPS.
Introduce IMT-Advanced and LTE-Advanced

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

A little bit of History

New technologies developed in the last 15

years in telecommunication brought available

transmission rates to a total new level.
Two systems have affected the life of nearly
everyone:
mobile communication via 2G network
like GSM
Wired & wireless data connectivity
(xDSL & WLAN IEEE 802.11/a/b/g
standards)
3G networks the first step towards a
convergence between both networks

The way to LTE: 3 main 3G limitations

1.- The maximum bit rates still are factor of 20 and more
behind the current state of the art systems like 802.11n and
802.16e/m. Even the support for higher mobility levels is not an
excuse for this.
2.- The latency of user plane traffic (UMTS: >30 ms) and of
resource assignment procedures (UMTS: >100 ms) is too big
to handle traffic with high bit rate variance efficiently.
3.- The terminal complexity for WCDMA or MC-CDMA systems
is quite high, making equipment expensive, resulting in poor
performing implementations of receivers and inhibiting the
implementation of other performance enhancements.

The way to the Long-Term Evolution (LTE): a 3GPP

driven initiative
LTE is 3GPP system for the years 2010 to 2020 and
beyond.
It shall especially compete with WiMAX 802.16e/m
It must keep the support for high mobility users like
in GSM/UMTS networks
The architectural changes are big when comparing
to UMTS
.

Mobile Evolution and 3GPP Releases

CDMA

Services

RAN
Transport

Voice, SMS

TDM

Web Browsing

ATM, FR, HDLC

Media Streaming VoIP

Real-Time
Multimedia

IP/Ethernet
Higher access bandwidth, new spectrum available
New subscriber apps
Lower cost per Mbit transport
Shift towards All-IP and flat/mesh topologies

IP is the foundation for new multimedia services and multiservice transport

What Does LTE Mean to End Users & Service Providers?

Performance
Improvement
INCREASED SPECTRAL
EFFICIENCY
Uplink: 2.00-2.25x vs. 3G
Downlink: 1.25x vs. 3G

FASTER SPEEDS
Uplink: 2.00-2.25x vs. 3G
Downlink: 3x vs. 3G
Peak rate = 100 Mbps

INCREASED VOICE
CAPACITY

Impact to End User

Lower costs flat fee

pricing

Faster downloads of
multi-media
Better experience with
blended services

Impact to Service Provider

Can buy the same amount of spectrum and pump
more data to users, or less spectrum to maintain
the same level of data usage
Reduced cost per bit
More ways to splice bandwidth:
Same # of users with more bandwidth/user or more
users with same bandwidth per user

Better voice quality

Support more voice users

Faster reactions when

gaming
Better voice, video
telephony

Can reuse applications across wireless and

wireline
More capacity for VoIP and TCP-based
applications

10 MHz: 2x vs. 3G

REDUCED LATENCY
< 50 ms

Comparisons based on average aggregate performance

3GPP Requirements For LTE

Spectrum efficiency
DL : 3-4 times HSDPA for MIMO(2,2)
UL : 2-3 times E-DCH for MIMO(1,2)

Frequency Spectrum :
Scalable bandwidth : 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20MHz
To cover all frequencies of IMT-2000: 450 MHz to 2.6 GHz

Peak data rate (scaling linearly with the spectrum allocation)

DL : > 100Mb/s for 20MHz spectrum allocation
UL : > 50Mb/s for 20MHz spectrum allocation

Capacity

200 users for 5MHz, 400 users in larger spectrum allocations (active state)

Latency
C-plane : < 100ms to establish U-plane
U-plane : < 10ms from UE to server

Coverage

Performance targets up to 5km, slight degradation up to 30km

Mobility

LTE is optimized for low speeds 0-15km/h but

connection maintained for speeds up to 350 or 500km/h
Handover between 3G & 3G LTE
Real-time < 300ms
Non-real-time < 500ms

LTE Transforms Wireless Access and Core

Networks to All-IP

10 | Technical Sales Forum | May 2008

LTE Drivers
Wireline Evolution:
pushes higher data rates

Wireless Data
extensively used:
Pushes more capacity

Driving to clear
LTE Targets

Other Wireless
technologies:
Competition pushes new
capabilities

Flat Rate pricing:

pushes cost efficiency

What are the LTE challenges?

The Users expectation

..leads to the operators challenges

Best price, transparent flat rate

Full Internet
Click-bang responsiveness

reduce cost per bit

provide high data rate
provide low latency

User experience will have an

impact on ARPU

Price per Mbyte has to be reduced

to remain profitable

Throughput

Latency

Fa
cto
r

2-3
or

10

ct
Fa

HSPA

Cost per MByte

LTE

HSPA

LTE

UMTS

HSPA

LTE

LTE: lower cost per bit and improved end user experience

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

LTE Main Requirements

Next step for

GSM/WCDMA/HSPA

A true global roaming technology

Peak data rates to

exceed 100 Mbps in

DL / 50 Mbps in UL
Low latency 10-20 ms

Enhanced consumer experience

Scalable bandwidth: from

1.4MHz up to 20 MHz

OFDM technology
Spectral efficiency increased (2-4

times compared with HSPA Rel6)

Flat Architecture, optimized PS
IP based interfaces

Easy to introduce on any

frequency band

Decreased cost / GByte

NEXT 7 Slides elaborate

these points

Schedule for 3GPP releases

Next step for

GSM/WCDMA/HSPA
Networks, but also for
cdma2000 operators

A true global roaming technology

3GPP Specification work:

IMS
HSDPA
UMTS Rel 99/4
2000

UMTS Rel 5
2003

MBMS
WLAN IW
HSUPA

IMS Evolution
LTE Studies

LTE & EPC

UMTS Rel 6

UMTS Rel 7

UMTS Rel 8

2005

2007

2008

2009

year

LTE have been developed by the 3GPP, the same standardization organization responsible fro
WCDMA/HSPA. The target has been simple multimode implementation and backwards
compatibility.
HSPA and LTE have in common:
Sampling rate using the same clocking frequency
Same kind of Turbo coding
The harmonization of these parameters is important as sampling and Turbo decoding are
typically done on hardware due to high processing requirements.
.

Comparison of Throughput and Latency (1/2)

Enhanced consumer experience:

Peak data rates to

- drives subscriber uptake

exceed 100 Mbps in

DL / 50 Mbps in UL

- allow for new applications

- provide additional revenue streams

Max. peak data rate

350
300

Mbps

250

Downlink
Uplink

173 Mbps in DL
57 Mbps in UL

200
150
100
50
0
HSPA R6

Evolved HSPA
(REL. 7/8, 2x2
MIMO)

LTE 2x20 MHz

(2x2 MIMO)

LTE 2x20 MHz

(4x4 MIMO)

Comparison of Throughput and Latency (2/2)

Enhanced consumer experience:

Reduce Latency:

- drives subscriber uptake

User Plane 10-20 ms

Control Plane < 100 ms

- allow for new applications

- provide additional revenue streams

USER PLANE Latency:

CONTROL PLANE Latency:

Latency (Roundtrip delay)*

GSM/
EDGE
HSPA
Rel6

ACTIVE
ECM_
Connected
(EPS Bearer
allocated)

IDLE
ECM_Idle
(no
resources)

HSPAevo
(Rel8)
LTE
0

20

40

60

* Server near RAN

80

100

120

140

mi ma
n
x
160 180 200 ms

DSL (~20-50 ms, depending on

operator)

< 100 ms

Scalable
Bandwidth
Scalable bandwidth

Easy to introduce on any

frequency band: Frequency
Refarming
(Cost efficient deployment on lower

Scalable bandwidth:
from 1.4MHz up to
20 MHz

frequency bands supported)

Urban
2.6 GHz

LTE
UMTS

2.1 GHz

or
2.6 GHz
2.1 GHz
2006

LTE
LTE

UMTS
2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

Rural
UMTS

900 MHz GSM

LTE

or

2006

LTE

GSM

900 MHz

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

Increased Spectral Efficiency

OFDMA technology
increases Spectral
efficiency

LTE target is to increase 2-4 times

the HSPA R6 spectral efficiency

HSPA R7 and WiMAX have Similar
Spectral Efficiency

All cases assume 2-antenna terminal reception

HSPA R7, WiMAX and LTE assume 2-antenna BTS transmission (2x2 MIMO)
ITU contribution from
WiMAX Forum shows
downlink 1.3 and uplink 0.8
bps/Hz/cell

Simulations show LTE can

provide:
>3 times HSPA R6
spectral efficiency in DL
>2 times HSPA R6
spectral efficiency in UL

Reduced Network Complexity

Flat Architecture: 2 nodes

Flat Architecture,

architecture
IP widely used as the network layer
in the protocol stack of all interfaces
(both for the control and user plane)

Optimized PS Domain
IP based Interfaces

Flat, IP based architecture

Access

Core

Control

MME

IMS

HLR/HSS

Internet
Evolved Node B

Gateway

LTE Requirements Summary

1.- Simplify the RAN:
- Reduce the number of different types of RAN nodes, and their
complexity.
- Minimize the number of RAN interface types.
2.- Increase throughput.
3.- Reduce latency (which is a prerequisite for CS replacement).
4.- Improve spectrum efficiency.
5.- Provide greater flexibility with regard to the frequency bands in which the
system may be deployed (Frequency Refarming)
6.- Migrate to an optimized PS domain, with no CS domain in the core
network.
7.- Provide efficient support for a variety of different services. Traditional CS
services will be supported via VoIP, etc.
8.- Minimise the presence of single points of failure in the network above
the evolved Node Bs (eNBs).
9.- Support inter-working with existing 3G systems and non-3GPP specified
systems in order to support handover to/from these systems.
10.- All-IP transport network.
11.- Improve terminal power efficiency.

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

History and Future of Wireless

1990

mobility

2000

2005

2010
time

WCDMA/cdma2000
HIGH

GSM/IS95
AMPS

3G

LTE

HSPA

3G Enhacements

3G Evolution

2G

1G

WiMAX Family

802.16a/d
Fixed WiMAX

LOW

WLAN Family
< 200 kbps

802.11
< 1 Mbps

< 10 Mbps

802.11a/b/g
< 50 Mbps

802.16e
Mobile WiMAX
802.11n

< 100 Mbps

data rates
< 1 Gbps

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

3GPP LTE specification work completed so far

End 2004 3GPP workshop on UTRAN Long Term Evolution

Beginning 2005
Study item started
December 2005
Multiple Access selected
March 2006 Functionality split between radio and core
September 2006
Study item closed & approval of the work items
December 2007
1st version of all radio specs approved
December 2008
3GPP REL. 8: content Finalized
March 2009 Protocol Freezing (Backwards compatibility starts)

Standardization
LTE
Workshop
2004

Start of the
Study
2005

Multiple Access
Decision

Close Study and

Start Work Item

1st full set of

specifications

Content
Finalized

Protocol
Freezing

2007

2008

2009

2006

RAN/CN
functional split

PDCP moved from

CN to EUTRAN

Technology

FDD/TDD Frame
Structure Alignment

3GPP Release 9 and beyond

During 2008 the 3GPP has analyzed topics to be included in the Release 9 .
Examples of those topics are:
LTE MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast System): operation of a
broadcast carrier.
A very FEW Self Optimized Networks (SON)
Network Sharing
Enhanced VoIP support in LTE
Requirements for LTE Multi-band and Multi-Radio base stations

2008

Demonstrate LTE
Air Interface
Japan
Performance

2009

2010

Operator Trials. LTE Networks

Friendly-use
Launch:
networks
commercial
solution available

2011 & beyond

Large Scale LTE Networks.

VoIP service optimized.
3GPP R9

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary
NEXT 7 Slides elaborate
these points

Network Architecture Evolution (1/4)

3GPP Rel 6 / HSPA
Internet
Node B

RNC

SGSN

GGSN
User plane
Control Plane

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 (2/4)

3GPP Rel 7 / HSPA

SGSN
GGSN

Internet
Node B

RNC

Direct tunnel
User plane
Control Plane

Separated path for Control Plane and User Plane data in the PS

Core Network.
Direct GTP tunnel from the GGSN to the RNC for User plane data:
simplifies the Core Network and reduces Signalling.
First step towards a flat network Architecture.
30% core network OPEX and CAPEX savings with Direct Tunnel.
The SGSN still controls traffic plane handling, performs session and
mobility management, and manages paging.
Still 2 nodes in the RAN.

Network Architecture Evolution (4/4)

3GPP Rel 8 / LTE

MME
SAE GW

Internet
Evolved Node B

Direct tunnel
User plane
Control Plane

LTE takes the same Flat architecture from Internet HSPA.

Air interface based on OFDMA.
All-IP network.
New spectrum allocation (i.e 2600 MHz band)

Network Architecture Evolution - Summary

3GPP Rel 6 / HSPA
Internet
Node B

RNC

3GPP Rel 7 / HSPA

SGSN

GGSN

SGSN
GGSN

Internet
Node B

3GPP Rel 8 / LTE

RNC

Direct tunnel

MME
SAE GW

Internet
Evolved Node B

Direct tunnel

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

LTE/SAE Key Features EUTRAN 1/2

Evolved NodeB
No RNC is provided anymore
The evolved Node Bs take over all radio management functionality.
This will make radio management faster and hopefully the network
architecture simpler
IP transport layer
EUTRAN exclusively uses IP as transport layer
UL/DL resource scheduling
In UMTS physical resources are either shared or dedicated
Evolved Node B handles all physical resource via a scheduler and assigns
them dynamically to users and channels
This provides greater flexibility than the older system

LTE/SAE Key Features EUTRAN 2/2

QoS awareness
The scheduler must handle and distinguish different quality of service
classes
Otherwise real time services would not be possible via EUTRAN
The system provides the possibility for differentiated services
Self configuration
Currently under investigation
Possibility to let Evolved Node Bs configure themselves
It will not completely substitute the manual configuration and optimization.

LTE/SAE Key Features EPC (Evolved Packet Core)

Packet Switched Domain only

No circuit switched domain is provided
If CS applications are required, they must be implemented via IP
Only one mobility management for the UE in LTE.
3GPP (GTP) or IETF (MIPv6) option
The EPC can be based either on 3GPP GTP protocols (similar to PS
domain in UMTS/GPRS) or on IETF Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6)

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

Multiple Access Methods

Frequency Division

Time Division

User 3

User ..

OFDMA

CDMA

TDMA

FDMA

User 2

User 1

Frequency Division

Code Division

Orthogonal subcarriers

s
e
d
co

OFDM is the state-of-the-art and most efficient and robust air interface

LTE/SAE Air Interface 1/3

OFDMA
Downlink multiplexing
OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple
Access
Receiver complexity is at a reasonable level
it supports various modulation schemes from BPSK, QPSK,
16QAM to 64 QAM.
SC-FDMA
Uplink multiplexing
SC-FDMA stands for Single Carrier Frequency Division
Multiple Access, a variant of OFDMA
The advantage against OFDMA to have a lower PAPR
(Peak-to-Average Power Ratio) meaning less power
consumption and less expensive RF amplifiers in the
terminal.

64QAM
Modulation

LTE/SAE Air Interface 2/3

MIMO
Multiple Input Multiple Output
LTE will support MIMO as an option,
It describes the possibility to have multiple transmitter and
receiver antennas in a system.
Up to four antennas can be used by a single LTE cell
(gain: spatial multiplexing)
MIMO is considered to be the core technology to increase
spectral efficiency.
HARQ
Hybrid Automatic Retransmission on reQuest
HARQ has already been used for HSDPA and HSUPA.
HARQ especially increases the performance (delay and
throughput) for cell edge users.
HARQ simply implements a retransmission protocol on
layer 1/layer 2 that allows to send retransmitted blocks with
different coding than the first one.

TX

RX
Tx

MIMO
Channel

HARQ Hybrid
Automatic
Repeat Request

Rx

LTE/SAE Air Interface 3/3

Scalable bandwidth
LTE air interface allows to drive cells with
1.4 MHz, 3 MHz, 5 MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz &
20 MHz.
This gives the required flexibility for
operators to use spectrum allocations not
available to a non-scalable wide-band or
ultra-wide-band system.

scalable

DL: OFDMA
UL: SC-FDMA

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced
LTE Summary

Standardisation around LTE

Collaboration agreement established in December 1998.
The collaboration agreement brings together a number of
telecommunications standards bodies: ARIB, CWI, ETSI,
ATIS, TTA, and TTC.
More in www.3gpp.org
Next Generation Mobile Networks. Is a group of mobile
operators, to provide a coherent vision for technology
evolution beyond 3G for the competitive delivery of
broadband wireless services.
More in www.ngmn.org

LTE/SAE Trial Initiative. Is was founded in may 2007 by a

group of leading telecommunications companies.
Its aim is to prove the potential and benefits that the LTE
technology can offer.
More in http://www.lstiforum.com/

3GPP List of
Specification Series

36 Series contains most

part of LTE related
specifications for Radio

NGMN Alliance

LTE /SAE approved by the

NGMN as first technology which
broadly meets NGMN
requirements

LSTI (LTE-SAE Trial Initiative)

- joint test bed for LTE worldwide

.. active parties within LSTI

LSTI initiatives goals/objectives

Schedule & Program Office:

demonstrate feasibility and

capabilities of 3GPP LTE-SAE
technology under real world
conditions. Indoor & outdoor tests

2007

2008

Test of OFDM Air Interface

accelerate development of 3GPP

specification by identifying
shortcomings out of test phases

reduce risk of market introduction of

new LTE-SAE technology

2009

IODT

2010

Proof of Concept
Test of basic
functions
Interoperability

IOT
Friendly customer
trials
Public Relation work

Trials
PR

Module Contents
Why LTE?
LTE main requirements
LTE versus other Mobile technologies
LTE Specification work
Network Architecture Evolution
LTE key features
Basics of the LTE Air Interface
Standardisation around LTE
IMT-Advanced

LTE Advanced
Mobility

HIGH

IMT-2000

IMTAdvanced

IMT-2000 Evolution

LOW

1 Mbps
WCDMA

10 Mbps
HSPA

100 Mbps
LTE

1 Gbps

data rates

LTE-Advanced

IMT-Advanced is a concept for mobile systems beyond IMT-2000

During 2009, ITU will submit a request for IMT-Advanced candidates. Radio interface
submission deadline is expected October 2009.
IMT Target bit rates:
100Mbps for high mobility users
1Gbps for low mobility users
3GPP has already started to work on the IMT-Advanced targets under the name:
LTE-Advanced. To be part of 3GPP REL 10.