Technical Overview of UMTS

By Natalia V. Rivera

What is UMTS?
!

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

(UMTS)
UMTS is a part of the Internal
Telecommunications Union IMT-2000 vision
of a global family of third generation (3G)
mobile communication systems
Multi- function mobile communication system
!

Capable of multi-services multimedia such as

voice data

What is UMTS? (contd)

!

!
!

UMTS will play key role in creating the future

mass market for high-quality wireless
multimedia communications that will
approach 2 billion users worldwide by the
year 2010
Developed within the framework of the ITU
Based on the evolving GSM/GPRS core
network

Why UMTS?
!

!
!
!
!

UMTS will enable tomorrows wireless

Information Society, delivering high-value
broadband information, commerce and
entertainment services to mobile user via
fixed, wireless and satellite networks.
Overcome limitations of existing networks
Enable world-wide roaming
Provide multimedia services wirelessly
High speed data

Why UMTS? (contd)

!

UMTS will deliver low-cost, high capacity

mobile communication offering data rate up to
2 Mbps with global roaming and other
advanced capabilities.
UMTS will speed convergence between
telecommunications, IT, media and content
industries to deliver new services and create
fresh revenue-generation opportunities
Desire to access information anytime/
anywhere

What is driving UMTS?

UMTS key demands

!
!
!
!
!

Meet IMT-2000 requirements

Open interface standards
Global and inter-network roaming
Design for discontinuous & asymmetric data
Minimum performance capabilities for test
scenarios that have been agreed are:
!
!
!

Vehicular: 144 kbps

Pedestrian, and outdoor to indoor: 384 kbps
Indoor office: 2048 kbps (~2Mbps)

Frequency allocation for 3G

ITU

IMT-2000

Japan

MSS
IMT-2000 S-PCN
(UL)

FHS

GSM1800
(DL)

Europe

DECT

Sat
IMT2000

T
D
D

UMTS
FDD

IMT-2000

T
D
D

UMTS
MSS
(UL)

MSS
IMT-2000 S-PCN
(DL)

T
D
D

PCS (UL)

1800

1850

PCS
Unlicensed

1900

UMTS
MSS
(DL)

UMTS
FDD

UE to UTRAN
Uplink

USA

Sat
IMT2000

UTRAN to UE
Downlink

PCS (DL)

MSS
S-PCN
(DL)

1950

2000

MSS
S-PCN
(UL)
2050

2100

2150

2200

UMTS development plan

!

Phase deployments aims to:

!
!

Reduce risk for operators

Minimize cost for operators

First Phase entitled UMTS phase I

!
!
!

Commercial operation from year 2001 to 2010

Design to coexist with GSM networks
Work with PLMN, PSTN ISDN, Broadband and IP
networks

For example: Europe

!

At current grows rates, it is envisaged that the total

number of subscribers will reach some 200 million
in Europe alone, by the turn of 2005. However, it
should be noted that this amount will most likely
exceed 80% of Europes population by 2010.
The citizen in the 3G will wish to avail himself of
the full range of broadband multimedia services
provided by the global information highway,
whether wired or wireless connected.

For example (contd)

!

Other systems, catering for specialized

applications or markets, such as wireless
loops, private mobile radios for police, safety
systems and paging, are also called upon to
contribute very strongly to the developments
of the market and the economic growth of
Europe. Such systems are referred as
FPLMTS (Future Public Mobile

Telecommunications Systems)

The big picture of UMTS

!

One user interface regardless of user location

(i.e access to any service independent of location, network or
terminal)

One user interface regardless of user terminal

(i.e use of single user equipment)

Seamless end-to-end service

(i.e traveling

everywhere with a flexible environment)

!

Multimedia capability

(i.e ability to do voice, video, and

other applications)
!

Mobility

(i.e ability to handle any level of mobility within

RAN, CN, and IP mobility)

Network Architectures
!
!
!
!
!
!

2nd Generation architecture

UMTS reference architecture
Network protocols and interface
Access Stratum and Non-Access Stratum
UMTS services
UMTS mobile

2G: GSM network

2G: GPRS network

2G: GSM/GPRS networks

BTS

BTS
BSC
BSC

IP

GPRS PLMN
X.25
GGSN
SGSN
MSC/VLR

Intra PLMN
IP Backbone

GGS
N

SS7
SGSN

HLR

GSM PLMN
MSC

GGSN

UMTS network concept

!

UMTS-Forum is currently working in the high

performance local area networks such as
Hiperlan2 and it is looking into 802.11
technologies with the purpose of finding new
ways to enhance the network architecture
and remote radio access.

UMTS Reference Configuration

UMTS Configuration I

UMTS configuration II

UMTS domains

BTS = Base Station

MSC= Mobile Switching Centre
RNC = Radio Network Controller

UMTS network

Access Network

GPRS= GSM Packet Radio System

SGSN= Serving GPRS Support Node
GGSN= Gateway GPRS Support Node

Core Network

UMTS Core Network Evolution

!

Basic Core Infrastructure is based on GSM/ GPRS

! Existing 2.5G core can be evolved to support
3G
Air Interface Technology is a major change
! UMTS utilizes Wideband CDMA
(GSM utilizes TDMA)
CDMA is considerably more sophisticated than
TDMA
UMTS uses Wideband CDMA, 5 MHz carriers

A Short Summary of CDMA Technology

!

Every channel uses the entire RF channel bandwidth

!

All cells use the same RF frequency

Every Channel is spread and de-spread with a

unique spreading code which eliminates interference
Careful power control between handset and base station
is used to manage signal to interference ratio
! In general, power limitation in handset effectively
determines coverage of cell
! Cells breathe as traffic loading increases
CDMA is significantly more complicated than TDMA but
it is also significantly more spectral efficient

Technology Comparison
Technology
Bandwidth per carrier or radio
(MHz)
Number of carriers or radios per
sector in 5MHz BW
Average aggregate forward-link
throughput per sector (kbps) or
Erlangs in 5 MHz BW
Minimum data rate for 90% of
subscribers (kbps)

GPRS (4/12) EDGE (4/12) UMTS (Data) GSM (1/1)

UMTS
(Voice)

0.2

0.2

0.2

185.7 kbps

423.3 kbps

946 kbps

46 Erl

82 Erl

47

85

144

NA

NA

UMTS complete architecture

MSC/VLR

PSTN / ISDN

G-MSC

BTS

SS7
Node B

HLR

RNC

BTS

SCP

Node B

IP

Web
AAA

MSC/VLR

e-mail
G-MSC

SIP

Logical Architecture for UMTS

SMS-GMSC
SMS-IWMSC
PSTN

SMS-C

E
C

Gd
MSC/VLR

HLR
Gs

Gr

Gc
TE
BSS

MT

TE

GGSN

PDN

Gn

Gb

U
m

SGSN

Gi

Gp
Ga
Gn
GGSN
SGSN

Signaling Interface
Signaling and Data
Transfer Interface

Other
PLMN

CGF

Gf

EIR

Billing
System

UTRA Network Architecture

Uu

Iub
BTS

Iu CS

Node B
BTS

BSC
Node B

RNC

MSC/VLR

RNS

BSC

Iur

BTS

Node B
BTS

BSC
Node B

SGSN

RNC

RNS

Iu PS

CN

BSC

UTRAN=UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network

Core Network

Protocol Stacks for End to end user

plane
UMTS user
IP

IP
Relay

L3CE

GTP

GTP

GTP

UDP

UDP

UDP

UDP

MAC

IP

IP

IP

IP

WCDMA/
TD-CDMA

AAL5

AAL5

L2

L2

ATM

ATM

L1

L1

L3CE

GTP

RLC

RLC

MAC
WCDMA/
TD-CDMA

MS

Uu

RAN

Iu

3G Serving Node

Gn

3G
Gateway
Node

General Protocol Model for UTRAN

Interfaces
Radio Network
Layer

Control Plane

User Plane

Application
Protocol

Transport
Network Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Signaling
Bearer(s)

Data
Stream(s)

Transport
Network Control
Plane
ALCAP(s)

Transport
Network User
Plane

Signaling
Bearer(s)

Data
Bearer(s)

Physical Layer

Iu CS protocol structure
User Plane

Control Plane

Radio Network
Layer

Data
Stream(s)

RANAP

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Q.2630.1

SCCP

Q.2150.1

MTP3b

MTP3b

SSCF-NNI

SSCF-NNI

SSCOP

SSCOP

AAL5

AAL5

ATM Layer
Physical Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

AAL2

Iu PS protocol structure
User Plane

Control Plane

Radio Network
Layer

Iu User Plane
Protocol

RANAP

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
User Plane

SCCP
MTP3b M3UA
SSCF-NNI SCTP

SSCOP

IP

AAL5

GTP-U

UDP
IP
AAL5

ATM

ATM

Physical

Physical

Iu Interface - Control Plane

!

Iu interface
RANAP
! ATM based (PVCs or SVCs)
SCCP
SCCP
! Control plane
MTP3-B
CTP
! RANAP (Radio Access Network
SAAL-NNI
IP
Application Part):
AAL5
! radio access bearer
ATM
establishment
Iu-CS and Iu-PS
Option for Iu-PS
! Transfer of user layer 3
signaling
Control plane between RNC and CN
! Streamlining/SRNS relocation
and hard handover with
switching in the CN.
! ALCAP (Access Link Control
Application Part):
! Reservation of transmission
resources over Iu (may be null)

Iu Interface - User Plane

GTP
UDP
IP

GTP
UDP
IP

AAL5

AAL5

ATM

ATM

Iu-ps
UTRAN
SGSN
User Plane for packet switched services

AAL2
ATM
UTRAN

AAL2
Iu-cs

ATM
MSC

User Plane for circuit switched (voice) services

Iur Protocol Stack

Radio Network
Layer

User Plane

Control Plane

DCH CCH
FP
FP

RANAP

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
Layer

Transport Network User

Plane

UDP

Transport Network
User Plane

SCCP

Q.2650.1

MTP3b M3UA

MTP3b M3UA

SSCF-NNI SCTP

SSCF-NNI SCTP

SSCOP

AAL5

IP

SSCOP

IP

AAL5

ATM
Physical

AAL2

Iub Protocol Stack

Transport Network
User Plane

Q.2630.1

Transport Network
User Plane

Q.2650.1
MTP3b M3UA

SSCF-NNI

SSCOP
AAL5

SSCF-NNI SCTP

SSCOP

IP

AAL5

ATM
Physical

AAL2

DCH FP

RACH FP

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
Layer

FACH FP

NBAP

PCH FP

USCH FP

Radio Network Layer

DSCH FP

User Plane

Control Plane

New core network elements

!

GGSN=Gateway GPRS Support Node

! Anchor point for entire packet data session
! point of attachment for mobiles IP address.
! Akin to Mobile IPs Home agent, CDPDs home MDIS
! Complexity:
! requires IP, GTP
! some SS7 (to HLR) optional
! multiple platforms possible, possibly(though unlikely) built
on router base
! Currently view is either use SPEEDII platform or modified
router
! Allocation of dynamic addresses to UEs
! Gateway to external packet networks
! Gateway specific access to Intranets (PPP and CHAP)

New core network elements (contd)

!

SGSN=Serving GPRS Support Node

! Controls a geographic region (routing area), several RNCs.
! A mobiles SGSN may change during call.
! Significant changes from GSMs SGSN.
! Akin to Mobile IPs Foreign agent, CDPDs serving MDIS.
! Complexity is higher than GGSN:
! requires IP, GTP
! extensive SS7 support
! Currently assume APC + SPEED IISGSN

New core network elements (contd)

!

!
!
!

Serving Node for packet switched services

! Mobility management
! VLR functionality
! SRNS relocation
! Hard handover with switching in CN
! Session management
! QoS
! Setup of GTP tunnel towards UTRAN and GGSN
SMS
Iu interface and Radio Bearer setup requests
Charging Support of mobile terminated IP sessions
(Push services)

New core network elements (contd)

!
!
!

User data screening/security

Support of mobile terminated IP sessions (Push
services)
User data screening/security

Future: All-IP UMTS networks

R-SGW

Legacy
Mobile
Signaling
Network

CSCF

Ms

Mh

Mw

IP
Mm

CSCF

Cx
HSS

Mg
Mr
MGCF

Gi

Gm

T-SGW

Gr
MRF
UE

Gi

Iu-ps

Signaling Interface
Signaling and Transport Interface

PSTN

ERAN
SGSN

UE

Mc
Gi

UTRAN

Iu

Gn

Gi
GGSN

MGW

Packet Domain Interfaces (Gn and Gp)

GTP
TCP / UDP
IPV4
L2
L1
SGSN
!

Gn, Gp

GTP
TCP / UDP
IPV4
L2
L1
SGSN/GGSN

TCP/UDP IP based protocols

Gn interface: SGSN to GGSN and between SGSNs within the
same PLMN
GTP (GPRS tunneling protocol)
Tunneling user data between GPRS core network nodes
Control messages such as to set up the tunnel
Gp interface:
Between serving nodes in different PLMNs
Gn plus additional security functions

Packet domain MAP

MAP
TCAP
SCCP
MTP3
MTP2
L1

SGSN
!

Gc, Gr, Gd, Gf

MAP
TCAP
SCCP
MTP3
MTP2
L1

HLR

Packet domain MAP interfaces

! Gc: GGSN to HLR (may be tunneled via SGSN)
! Routing information for network initiated packet calls
! Gr: SGSN to HLR
! Download subscriber data to the LR
! user location and radio status information
! Gd: SGSN to SMS gateway
! Gf: SGSN to EIR

Circuit - Packet Domain Interface

(Gs)
!

Protocol Stack
BSSAP+
SCCP
MTP3
MTP2
L1
MSC

Gs

BSSAP+
SCCP
MTP3
MTP2
L1
SGSN

MSC-SGSN interface
! BSSAP+ (extension of BSSAP, GSM A interface)
! Co-ordination of circuit and packet switched MM
! Reduces radio interface signaling for location management
! Can be extended to reduce HLR signaling

Functional Entities
!

3G-MSC
! Mobile switching center for circuit switched services
! Mobility management
! Call management
! Supplementary services
! Circuit switched data services (modems)
! Short Message Services
! VLR functionality
! IN and CAMEL

Functionalities Entities (contd)

!

HLR, AuC, EIR

! Subscriber database
! Subscription Profile
! User data
! Charging information
! Supplementary service
! Location information
! Authentication Keys
! Blacklist Equipment registry

3G Wireless Network Architecture

OAM

PSTN/ISDN

Internet/Intranet/ISP

SNMP
UTRAN
UCN

Core Network

3G-SGSN

Circuit & packet

IP firewall

3G MSC
3G-GGSN
IP

IP

ATM

ATM

HLR+
Iu

RNC

DNS
& DHCP

Iu

RNC

Iur

Iub
Iub

Iub
Node B

Node B
Node B