4G Americas Whitepaper on the Coexistence of GSM, HSPA and LTE/EPC¹ ...
¹ The Evolved Packet Core Network (EPC) was formerly referred to as SAE (System Architecture Evolution).
>> The Seamless Coexistence of GSM, HSPA and LTE
4G Americas
63 page PDF
8 Chapters
May 10 2011
This whitepaper covers the coexistence of GSM, HSPA and LTE and migratory aspects from Rel-7 to Rel- 8 and beyond based on the 3GPP specification. ... <snip>.
The chapter on Radio Access Networks discusses the spectrum considerations and the concept of Multi- Standard Radios (MSR) that will be key to coexistence in the future. Impact on antennas is briefly touched upon as well. Then the chapter discusses UICC/USIM roaming. It closes with coverage triggered session continuity from LTE to WCDMA/GERAN Networks.
The chapter on core network considerations provides a core network overview i.e. the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) followed by migratory aspects related to pre-Rel-8 mobility as well as Rel-8 based mobility. Subscriber data aspects are touched upon related to HLR evolution to HSS. Finally, some roaming considerations are presented based on Home Tunneling as compared to Home Tunneling with the possibility of local breakout.
In this whitepaper, QoS in 3GPP is explained and the concepts key to delay sensitive packet data e.g. GBR (guaranteed bit rate) and non-GBR are presented. The difference between pre-Rel-8 and Rel-8 functionality e.g. QoS classification for LTE vs. for WCDMA Networks is also presented.
The LTE Services addressed include Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB) - the mechanism to provide voice services on the GSM/WCDMA network before IMS enabled LTE voice service is available. Voice over LTE (VoLTE) based on IMS is then presented and supplementary IMS Services are introduced. Then moving out from IMS Voice capable LTE coverage to WCDMA/GSM only coverage, Single Radio Voice Call Continuity SRVCC is explained based on both Rel-9 and Rel-10 architecture. Roaming considerations also are briefly touched upon and the concept of IMS Centralized Services ICS is introduced. The chapter finishes with a description of messaging services over LTE based on SMS over SGS (specified in CSFB) and IMS Messaging.
The chapter on Regulatory Aspects covers Lawful Intercept, Emergency Services, Non-Voice Emergency Services, Priority Services and Commercial Mobile Alert System. Then in the chapter on devices for seamless migration the spectrum and technology requirements of devices for coexistence are presented. Multimode and Multiband devices with MIMO capability are discussed. The requirements for supporting Voice over LTE (IMS Voice) are also presented. The final chapter presents an update on Machine Type Communications (MTC) as reflected by standardization activities. ... <snip rest> ###
>> 4G Americas Explains the Successful Integration and Migration of 3GPP Technologies
4G Americas PR
Bellevue, Washington USA
May 10 2011
4gamericas.org
4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today announced that it has published an educational white paper, titled, Coexistence of GSM, HSPA and LTE, that explains the end-to-end considerations for the successful coexistence of GSM, HSPA and LTE technologies and migratory aspects from 3GPP Rel-7 to Rel-8 and beyond.
The objective of the white paper is to identify and explain all relevant technology facets from the 3GPP standards specifications, including the Radio Access Network (RAN), Core and Service layer to ensure a seamless migration for the end-user.
As the world of wireless moves towards the next generation of voice and data services, it is likely that strong convergence trends toward all-IP based services and networks will one day drive traditional wireless voice services to be delivered with Voice over IP (VoIP) protocols over broadband technologies such as LTE and LTE-Advanced. However, given that today’s wireless circuit-based voice networks deliver highly efficient, secure voice with strong quality, it will take some time before circuit-based voice networks disappear.
The 3GPP ecosystem has been designed for seamless interworking and transitioning of its technologies enabling the coexistence of GSM, HSPA and LTE technologies for many years. This new white paper and reference document addresses the intricate issues and tremendous technical solutions related to making the migration successful. This will provide operators with the continued advantage of the economies of scale of the 3GPP family of technologies for years to come. Analysts predict that by the end of 2015, the 3GPP family of mobile broadband technologies will have 3.3 billion UMTS-HSPA+ subscribers and an additional 325 million LTE subscribers.
“The 3GPP technology family standards continue to innovate and provide robust technical solutions that, in the end, serve society’s needs for billions of people,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. “The seamless interworking solutions of the 3GPP standard are essential, elegant, detailed and practical for operators to flawlessly implement and deliver to their customers. It is clear that the specifications work at 3GPP has resulted in a global standard that may be adopted by nearly all operators and consumers worldwide.”
Ninety percent of the world will follow the 3GPP evolution for mobile broadband and GSM-HSPA will comprise the overwhelming majority of subscribers over the next decade, even as new wireless technologies are adopted. Globally, there are currently 404 UMTS-HSPA networks in 153 countries with 135 of those networks already upgraded to HSPA+. Additionally, there are 21 LTE deployments in 15 countries throughout the world. The deployment of LTE and its coexistence with HSPA will be analogous to the deployment of HSPA and its coexistence with GSM. The move to LTE will be an evolution as existing mobile networks will remain operational for years to come.
The following key topics are covered in the white paper:
• RAN aspects of the coexistence
• Core network considerations
• Quality of Service (QoS) requirements
• The future of voice/messaging services on LTE including CSFB, SRVCC, VoLTE and IMS
• Regulatory aspects of technology integration
• Multimode and multiband devices and Machine Type Communications (MTC) for coexisting networks
Today, HSPA+ and LTE mobile broadband are delivering the best mobile broadband experience for customers. With the largest growth percentages being seen in the movement to HSPA+ and LTE for mobile broadband connectivity, 3GPP mobile broadband technologies offer the best choice for the growing ecosystem of connected devices as the wireless industry continues to move beyond voice and data to always-on mobile broadband connectivity. ###
- Eric - |
