Radio Resource Control

protocol - RRC

>Introduction

Scope and Objectives

Scope

RRC States and mobility

RRC Procedures and Messages
System Information
Idle Mode behavior
Paging initiated by the Core Network and how it is forwarded to the UE.
Signaling Radio Bearers and RRC Connection establishment

Objectives
Explain the RRC idle and connected states and elaborate on
mobility in each case;
Mention the RRC Procedures and Messages
Describe how System Information is transmitted
Explain how the UE performs cell selection and reselection in
idle mode.
Describe the paging procedure and the RRC connection
establishment procedure

>Radio Resource Control

protocol

RRC Procedures

System information
Cell Selection / Reselection
Connection control

RRC connection establishment

Security activation

RRC connection re-establishment

RRC connection reconfiguration

Paging

RRC connection release

Radio link failure related actions

Measurement Control

Measurement configuration

Measurement reporting

RRC

System Info
Aquisition
AS Security

Cell
Selection
RRC
Connection

Mobility Management
Inter/Intra E-UTRAN mobility
Mobility from E-UTRAN
Handover to E-UTRAN
Other procedures
Transparent transfer of NAS messages
(DL/UL Direct Transfer)
UE capability transfer
Protocol error handling

Paging
Reception
RB
Managementv

Connected Mode
Mobility
Measurement
Reporting

RRC Messages

CounterCheck
CounterCheckResponse
CSFBParametersRequest
CSFBParametersResponse
DLInformationTransfer
HandoverFromEUTRAPreparationRequest
MasterInformationBlock
MeasurementReport
MobilityFromEUTRACommand
Paging
RRCConnectionReconfiguration
RRCConnectionReconfigurationComplete
RRCConnectionReestablishment
RRCConnectionReestablishmentComplete
RRCConnectionReestablishmentReject

RRCConnectionRelease
RRCConnectionRequest
RRCConnectionSetup
RRCConnectionSetupComplete
SecurityModeCommand
SecurityModeComplete
SecurityModeFailure
SystemInformation
SystemInformationBlockType1
UECapabilityEnquiry
UECapabilityInformation
ULHandoverPreparationTransfer
ULInformationTransfer

>RRC States

RRC States
Tracking Area Update

Tracking Area Update

Connection Re -activation

RRC-IDLE

RRC- CONNECTED

(EMM- REGISTERED)

(EMM-REGISTERED)

MME-initiated
Connection Release

Protocol States and Mobility

>System Information

Example of mapping to channels

MIB

SIB2

SIB1

SI

TTI= 40
PBCH

SIB4

SI

BCCH

BCCH

DL-SCH

DL-SCH

BCCH

BCH

SIB3

TTI=80
PDSCH

TTI= 160

TTI= 320
PDSCH

SIB5

System Information carried in System

Information Blocks

System Information Blocks

System Parameters
Related to

MIB

SIB
1

Cell Selection Info

PLMN-id

Tracking Area Code

Cell Id

Cell Barred

Frequency Band Indicator

SIB Scheduling

SIB
2

UL EARFCN

UL Bandwith

DL Bandwith

Paging Info

Neighbouring Cells -intra frequency

Neighbouring Cells -inter frequency
Inter RAT reselection (UTRAN)
Inter RAT reselection (GRAN)
Inter RAT reselection (CDMA2000)
home eNodeB
ETWS notification

SIB
4

SIB
5

SIB
6

SIB
7

SIB
8

SIB
9

SIB
10

SIB
11

Common Radio Resource Conf

Cell Reselection

SIB
3

x
x
x
x
x

>Idle Mode

Idle Mode Tasks

RRC_IDLE Cell Selection

Cell Reselection
go here whenever
a new PLMN is selected
cell information
stored for the PLMN
Stored Information
Cell Selection

1
2

suitable cell found

Cell Selection when

leaving connected
mode

suitable cell found

return to

Leave Idle Mode

Idle Mode

Camped

suitable cell found

Normally
Suitable

trigger

Selected PLMN
is rejected

go here

Cell found

Connected
Mode

Initial
Cell Selection

no suitable cell found

no suitable
Cell found

no cell information
stored for the PLMN

Cell Reselection
Evaluation Process

Any Cell
Selection

no suitable
Cell found

USIM inserted

no acceptable cell found

Cell Selection when
leaving connected
mode

Acceptable
Cell found

return to

leave

Idle Mode

Idle Mode

Connected Mode
(Emergency calls only)

When no USIM
in the UE

Acceptable
Camped on
any cell

trigger

Acceptable

Suitable
Cell found

Cell found

Cell Reselection
Evaluation Process

Cell Found

no acceptable
Cell Found

>Paging

CN Initiated Paging

LTE Paging - Initial Context Setup

The MME a paging message which is sent to
all eNodeBs in a tracking area(s)

MME

UEs use the Random

Access procedure to
initiate access to the
serving cell

RRC PAGING

S1AP:Paging

Random Access Procedure

NAS: Service Request

S1-AP: INITIAL UE MESSAGE(FFS)

+ NAS: Service Request
+ eNB UE signalling connection ID

NAS messaging
continues in order to
set up the call

Paging and DRX cycle

Paging channel (PCH) uses PDSCH transmission
Paging indicated on PDCCH
DRX cycle defined
Special paging MAC ID indicating paging group
If ID matches UE reads PDSCH to find which UE that is paged

PDCCH
UE receiver circuitry switched off
subframe
DRX cycle

Possibility to page this terminal

UE receiver circuitry switched off

>SRBs and RRC

Connection

Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs)

RRC
SRB0

SRB1

SRB2

PDCP
Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) are offered by the
PDCP layer to the RRC layer for transport of RRC (and
NAS) messages

SRB0: Used for RRC messages on the CCCH

SRB1: Used for RRC and NAS messages on the DCCH
SRB2 (optionally configured): Used for low-priority NAS messages
on DCCH

RRC Connection Establishment

RRC Connection Request is initiated by the

higher layers in the UE

A unique UE identity S-TMSI is used

in the request message
RRC Connection Setup
RRC connection establishment procedure
creates the signaling radio bearer SRB1

Security Related Procedures

MME
INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST
(Integrity Protection Algorithm EIA;
Ciphering Algorithm EEA;
Security Key)

2. Decide Algorithms,
Derive Keys
Activate Security for SRB

SECURITY MODE COMMAND (EEA;EIA)

SECURITY MODE COMPLETE

INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE

>Summary

Summary

Master Information Block

System Information Block

RRC IDLE

RRC Connection Request CCCH/ULSCH

RRC Connection Request is initiated by the

higher layers in the UE

DLSCH RRC Connection Setup

RRC Connection Setup

(C-RNTI is allocated)

RRC Connection Setup Complete DCCH/ULSCH

RRC
CONNECTED

RRC connection establishment procedure

creates the signaling radio bearer RB#1,

More Information
3GPP Technical Specifications 36-series
3GPP TS 36.331

E-UTRA; RRC Protocol specification

3GPP TS 36.323

E-UTRA; Packet Data Convergence Protocol

(PDCP) specification
E-UTRA; Radio Link Control (RLC) protocol
specification
E-UTRA; Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol
specification
E-UTRA; Overall description

3GPP TS 36.322
3GPP TS 36.321
3GPP TS 36.300