Contents

1) Introduction
2 )LTE architecture and components , advantage over other
technologies, EPS and EPC
3) Customer LTE deployment scenarios
4)Data and Messaging services
5)Voice Services
Introduction
Telecommunication industry has seen many wireless technologies evolved in previous years
with the aim to provide better voice and data services to the end users . From the first data
services introduced in GSM(GPRS) with limited capacity to high speed data in HSPA and LTE ,
the technologies have been evolving drastically. IP and packet-switched technologies are soon
expected to be the basis for data and voice services on both the Internet and mobile
communications networks.
The core network is the part that links these worlds together, combining the power of high-
speed radio access technologies with the power of the innovative application
development enabled by the Internet. The evolution of the core network, or Evolved Packet
Core (EPC), is a fundamental cornerstone of the mobile broadband revolution; without it,
neither the RANs nor mobile Internet services would realize their full potential. The new core
network was developed with high-bandwidth services in mind from the outset, combining the
best of IP infrastructure and mobility. It is designed to truly enable mobile broadband services
and applications and to ensure a smooth experience for both operators and end-users as it also
connects multiple radio access technologies
What led to core Network evolution
1) Continuous evolution of access technologies
- GSM was introduced first had only voice services , data service was introduced with Edge for that new
component were added to existing core (SGSN)
- UMTS had also evolved from very low data rates to high speed rates , here GSM core network reused with
some updates
- CDMA technology providing voice and data services under 3GPP2 standard
- LTE was introduced with high data rates and different core

2)Building bridges between different Networks

As a result, work in both 3GPP and 3GPP2 was established to ensure that the EPS could support interworking
towards 3GPP2 networks. EPS then needed to support the evolution of two very different types of core
network and that created the framework of SAE work in 3GPP
EPS Architecture
• There are several domains in EPS, each one a grouping of logical nodes that interwork to provide a specific set of functions
in the network. A network implementing 3GPP specifications is illustrated in Figure . On the left of the diagram are four
clouds that represent different RAN domains that can connect to the EPC, including the second and third generations of
mobile access networks specified by 3GPP, more commonly known as GSM and WCDMA respectively. LTE is of course the
latest mobile broadband radio access as defined by 3GPP. Finally, there is the domain called “non-3GPP access networks”.
This denotes any packet data access network that is not defined by 3GPP standardization processes, for example EHRPD ,
WLAN.
- The Core Network is divided into multiple domains (Circuit Core, Packet Core, and IMS), as
illustrated above. As can also be seen, these domains interwork with each other over a number of
well-defined interfaces
- The Circuit Core domain consists of nodes and functions that provide support for circuit-switched
services over GSM and WCDMA
- Correspondingly, the Packet Core domain consists of nodes and functions that provide support for
packet-switched services (primarily IP connectivity) over GSM, WCDMA, and HSPA. Furthermore,
the Packet Core domain also provides support for packet-switched services over LTE and non-
3GPP access networks that in general have no relation to the Circuit Core (except for some
specific features needed for voice handovers in relation to LTE). The Packet Core domain also
provides functions for management and enforcement of service- and bearer-level policies such as
QoS.
-The IMS domain consists of nodes and functions that provide support for multimedia sessions
based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), and utilizes the IP connectivity provided by the functions
in the Packet Core domain.
• The main emphasis here is the EPC architecture, which means the evolution of the Packet Core
domain and Subscriber Data Management domain. Since development of LTE as a new 3GPP
access technology is of course closely related to the design of EPC below is the high level
architecture of LTE
 PCRF – The Policy Control and Charging Rules Function is responsible for policy control decision-making, as well as for controlling the flow-based
charging functionalities in the Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF), which resides in the P-GW. The PCRF provides the QoS authorization (QoS
class identifier [QCI] and bit rates) that decides how a certain data flow will be treated in the PCEF and ensures that this is in accordance with the user’s
subscription profile.
HSS – The Home Subscriber Server contains users’ SAE subscription data such as the EPS-subscribed QoS profile and any access restrictions for roaming.
It also holds information about the PDNs to which the user can connect. This could be in the form of an access point name (APN) (which is a label
according to DNS naming conventions describing the access point to the PDN) or a PDN address (indicating subscribed IP address(es)). In addition the HSS
holds dynamic information such as the identity of the MME to which the user is currently attached or registered. The HSS may also integrate the
authentication center (AUC), which generates the vectors for authentication and security keys.

P-GW – The PDN Gateway is responsible for IP address allocation for the UE, as well as QoS enforcement and flow-based charging according to rules from
the PCRF. It is responsible for the filtering of downlink user IP packets into the different QoS-based bearers. This is performed based on Traffic Flow
Templates (TFTs). The P-GW performs QoS enforcement for guaranteed bit rate (GBR) bearers. It also serves as the mobility anchor for interworking with
non-3GPP technologies such as CDMA2000 and WiMAX® networks.

S-GW – All user IP packets are transferred through the Serving Gateway, which serves as the local mobility anchor for the data bearers when the UE
moves between eNodeBs. It also retains the information about the bearers when the UE is in the idle state (known as “EPS Connection Management —
IDLE” [ECM-IDLE]) and temporarily buffers downlink data while the MME initiates paging of the UE to reestablish the bearers. In addition, the S-GW
performs some administrative functions in the visited network such as collecting information for charging (for example, the volume of data sent to or
received from the user) and lawful interception. It also serves as the mobility anchor for interworking with other 3GPP technologies such as general
packet radio service (GPRS) and UMTS.
MME – The Mobility Management Entity (MME)
MME is the key control node for LTE access network. It is responsible for tracking and paging procedure including retransmissions, and also for idle mode
of User Equipment (UE). MME is also involved in bearer activation and its deactivation procedures, to its task also belongs choosing the SGW for a UE in
process of initial attach and when the intra-handover take place which involves Core Network (CN) node relocation.
MME is responsible for authenticating user towards the HSS, if user is roaming MME terminates S6a interface towards user's home HSS. All Non Access
Stratum (NAS) signaling terminates at the MME point, which is also responsible for generation and allocation of temporary UE identities (GUTI). Among
its duties is also authorization UE to Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and enforcing UE roaming restrictions if there are any. MME is also termination
point of ciphering and integrity protection for NAS signaling. Lawful Interception (LI) of signaling could be also supported by MME entity. It also provides
the control plane function for mobility between LTE and 2G/3G networks by the S3 interface( from SGSN to MME).
Key features for LTE:
-Downlink and uplink peak data rates of at least 100 and 50 Mbits/s respectively,
assuming that a 20 MHz wide spectrum is used.
-The time it takes to change a user device from an idle to an active state shall not
be more than 100 ms.
-The latency (delay) of user data shall not be more than 5 ms in the radio access
network.
-Spectrum efficiency of 2–4× compared to a Release 6 3G network (spectrum
efficiency is measured as the cell throughput in bits/s/MHz).
-Interruption time during a handover from LTE to GSM or WCDMA of maximum
300 or 500 ms for non-real-time and real-time services respectively.
-Support for both FDD and TDD multiplexing schemes with the same radio access
technology (FDD means transmission and reception on different frequencies, while
TDD utilizes the same frequency but with transmission and reception separated in
the time domain).
-Support for a wide range of channel bandwidths, ranging from 1.4 to 20 MHz
Customer LTE deployment scenarios
Deployment of an EPS network architecture is naturally coupled to an operator’s plan to offer new
or enhanced services to users, be they corporate users or private consumers. Since most services
and applications would be supported also over third generation packet data access technologies like
HSPA, the primary motivation for an LTE investment is the enhanced characteristics – for the
individual end-user service in terms of higher data rates and lower delay, as well as for the overall
network capacity – and to enable a converged service offering based on IP technology over time

EPC is very much an evolution of the existing Packet Core Network deployed for data services over
GSM/GPRS or WCDMA/HSPA, but the case for upgrading an existing Packet Core Network to EPC
without deploying LTE is not obvious. Hence the most important operator scenarios to look at are
those where existing or new operators are deploying LTE. We separate these into three main cases:
1. Existing GSM/GPRS or WCDMA/HSPA operators deploying LTE
2. Existing CDMA operators deploying LTE
3. Other operators deploying LTE (“Greenfielders”).
Scenario 1: Existing GSM/GPRS and/or WCDMA/HSPA Operators
Deploying LTE/EPC
• This is a very common scenario where an operator has an existing GSM and/or WCDMA radio network and
corresponding core network infrastructure. Normally the operator will have support for HSPA data services over
WCDMA as part of a Mobile Broadband service offering.
• The focus will be on getting a cost-efficient deployment of LTE and EPC by expanding the installed infrastructure as
much as possible while ensuring that the existing customer base is not negatively affected in any way. The main
thinking is normally to strive for a common service offering over a common core network solution, and a
combination of two or three radio access technologies. Different subscription models and data plans then provide a
means to differentiate the service offering across the customer base.
• In the initial phase of LTE rollout, one can assume that the LTE coverage is quite limited in comparison to GSM or
WCDMA coverage. The coverage will of course depend on which frequency band is used for LTE deployment
Scenario 1 is divided into further different phases
First Phase – Initial EPC Deployment
Physical Deployment :
It can be assumed that EPC equipment is initially deployed as new, separate, network nodes in order to not
affect the GSM/WCDMA infrastructure, which typically supports revenue-generating services for millions of
users at the time of LTE introduction. Of course, proper dimensioning of the new EPC network and the
individual nodes needs to take place, as well as detailed planning of how to integrate the nodes into the
operator IP infrastructure
Resource Pooling:
A natural part of the initial deployment phase of LTE/EPC is to utilize the pooling capabilities that are built into
the architecture design from the start. In practice this means that a single LTE base station can be connected to
multiple MMEs and SGWs and distribute the end-user devices over the available nodes, either uniformly or
non-uniformly using arbitrary “weight factors”. This requires that all sites are connected to a common transport
network that can switch (L2) or route (L3) traffic between all sites
Multi-Access Support:
While the first trial deployments of LTE may be single-access technology only, a commercial deployment would
likely include multi-access-capable devices. This gives users the opportunity to use, for example, HSPA access
when out of LTE radio coverage. A first step in deployment of LTE/EPC services would be to offer common
subscriptions. This means that while the infrastructure for the GSM/WCDMA network is logically and physically
separated from the LTE/EPC infrastructure, end-user devices with multi-access capabilities can connect to any
of the networks. The preferences regarding which network to prioritize when the device has coverage from
multiple access networks is then typically controlled from settings in the radio network and is dependent on
received signal strengths, while configurations in the device software can be used to select between, for
example, LTE only or LTE/WCDMA modes of operation.
• Second Phase – Integration with Existing Packet Core
Inter-System Mobility:
The next step to improve the service offering is to provide “session continuity”, which ensures that end-user IP
sessions established over any access networks will survive movements to and from LTE. This is done by
interconnecting the Packet Core network used to serve GSM and WCDMA with the EPC network used to serve LTE.
This allows LTE-capable devices to move in and out of LTE coverage while retaining the IP session and corresponding
IP address. This support is provided without affecting the end-user services of non-LTE-capable devices, which at this
point is quite likely still used by the vast majority of subscribers.
• LTE Roaming:
It can also be assumed that when LTE roaming is deployed by the operator then the existing
GPRS/HSPA roaming solution cannot be reused. There are two main differences: l Instead of
providing a roaming interface from the SGSN, LTE roaming relies on interconnecting the SGW in the
visited network (VPLMN) and the PGW in the home network (HPLMN) over the GTPv2-based S8
interface. This is functionally similar to Gp, which is used for GPRS/HSPA roaming but requires a
different network configuration since the SGW is involved.
Third Phase – Further Optimizations Towards the Common Core
Multi-Access-Capable Node:
• Given the very similar roles of SGSN and MMEs for the signaling part, a natural product offering is combined
SGSN–MMEs, which can be deployed to simplify network operations and to optimize overall capacity usage.
This may mean that allocation of processing power in the SGSN–MME nodes is made independent of
whichever access the users happen to be using – the total node capacity is made access independent. A
natural step for the operator is then also to upgrade all GGSNs to SGW/PGWs, or to phase out old GGSNs
and replace them with SGW/PGW nodes. This brings at least three benefits:
• It removes the need for the SGSNs selecting different GW nodes for different types of terminals.
• It makes the total GW node capacity available for any access the users may be attaching over, reducing the
need for over-dimensioning of GW capacity.
• It simplifies operations since all GW nodes are then identical.
Deployment of S4-SGSNs
Upgrading the Gn-SGSNs to S4-SGSNs provides further benefits for the operator by enabling harmonization of
the complete Packet Core solution. Instead of operating different solutions for SGSN and MME signaling,
deploying the S4-SGSN aligns the SGSN and MME signaling over all Diameter and GTPv2 interfaces and
furthermore uses the EPC roaming architecture over the S8 interface for all accesses, not only LTE, also
allowing all HSPA traffic to completely bypass the SGSN. It should be noted that radio networks and terminals
are not affected by the migration to S4-SGSNs, which simplifies the migration considerably.
Performance Optimizations:
Additional features can be introduced in LTE/EPC to enhance the performance of the network, especially
to reduce the time a device needs to move between two access networks when, for example, losing
coverage.
An example is a terminal moving from LTE to WCDMA. Instead of the device being triggered to move from
LTE and then having to read all system information from the WCDMA broadcast channel, some of the
system information can be provided to the device already before leaving LTE. This requires that the LTE
base station has the information available for the applicable WCDMA cell. This can be provided by the LTE
base station subscribing to any changes in the WCDMA system information, and by the SGSN and MME
forwarding the applicable information from the RNC to the applicable LTE base stations.
Further optimization of the inter-access mobility case is provided by the use of Packet Handovers, where
the target cell is prepared in advance for the move, including preestablishing necessary bearer resources,
with handover signaling taking place between the two access networks via the Packet Core
Scenario 2: Existing CDMA Operators Deploying LTE/EPC

The LTE/EPC specifications include various mechanisms to facilitate the

introduction of LTE for an operator using CDMA technology. Depending
on the strategies and plans for further investments into CDMA
technology, the migration plans for LTE can be assumed to vary
substantially across the CDMA operator community
 Scenario 3: New Operators Deploying LTE/EPC
Mobile Greenfield operators, i.e. operators with no prior mobile network deployments, can have
different backgrounds. Examples include:
Fixed broadband access operators who want to broaden the service offering by offering access over LTE
in selected areas, possibly as a complement to using WiFi in the device and accessing over a fixed
broadband connection when at home or in Enterprise environments.
Cable TV operators expanding their offering.
Fixed Wireless access operators, offering broadband access services over some other radio technology
for stationary devices but not for mobile terminals. L
Completely new entrants in the mobile marketplace.
In this case operator needs to build network solution i.e LTE base stations, MMEs,
SGW/PGWs, an HSS, and necessary IP infrastructure equipment, including DNS servers .
Also Since there is no fallback technology operated by the Greenfielder, there is a need to
instead partner with an existing mobile operator to provide subscribers with access to, for
example, HSPA outside of LTE coverage. This would require establishment of solutions for
national roaming, in practice very similar to the international roaming case.
Data and Messaging services
EPS is a faster, lower latency mobile broadband solution. In contrast to previous generations of core
networks of mobile broadband, LTE and EPS were designed primarily with IP connectivity and data
services, rather than just voice services in mind. There were several reasons behind this change.
The use of IP technology within EPS, therefore, is about significantly more than reducing the cost of
delivering voice services; it is about the mobile broadband platform emerging to take a far greater
role within the global economy and our society. Smartphones, tablets, and app stores are just the
beginning of the changes that mobile broadband will deliver through data services – connectivity
has become as essential as roads and electricity in end-users’ lives.
The shift to an all-IP mobile operator environment therefore represents a fundamental shift in both
the types of services that run on an operator’s network and the nature of the value chain that forms
the basis of the industrial structure. We are now at a tipping point, as the majority of services
accessed via mobile technologies become data services, rather than traditional voice or SMS
services.
The following sections cover two aspects of data services on EPC – messaging services and
Machine-to-Machine communication.
Messaging Services:
The ability to send messages to users of mobile devices has become immensely popular since the introduction
of the Short Messaging Service (SMS) in GSM. The introduction of more advanced messaging services such as
the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) has offered the ability to also include photos, graphics, and sound in
addition to text in the messages. Instant messaging and chat-like services have also been introduced as a
means to further enhance the messaging experience for users. Just as for voice, there are two fundamentally
different ways of realizing messaging support with EPC – either using an IP-based solution (like IMS-based
messaging or SMS-over-IP) or using the circuit-switched infrastructure that is normally used to deliver SMS
messages over GSM and WCDMA. The fact that LTE is a packet-only radio access calls for some specific
mechanisms to be included in the latter case
For the case where messages are sent based on IP, there are no specific features needed in the EPC. Messages
are sent transparently through the network from a messaging server to the client, and are treated just like any
IP packet by the EPC.

When the circuit-switched infrastructure is used for delivering messages, the MME interacts with the MSC
Server. The MSC Server is normally connected to a messaging center for delivery of SMS messages over control
channels in, for example, GSM and WCDMA, and via the interaction with MME, this solution can also be used
for LTE. Messages are then included in NAS signaling messages between MME and the mobile device. This
solution supports only SMS text messaging, meaning that other types of messages (e.g. MMS) need to be
based on IP, just as for GSM and WCDMA.
Machine Type Communication:
As broadband speeds increase and the cost of semiconductors has dropped, the possibility of using
sensor networks and other Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technologies in conjunction with mobile
broadband has begun to be explored. There are multiple use cases of M2M within a mobile
broadband context. M2M and similar technologies will drive further demand for mobile broadband
over the coming years.
Voice Services
Since LTE was designed for data only , there are two fundamentally different ways that voice services can
be realized for LTE users: using Circuit-Switched Fallback or VoLTE/MMTel based on IP Multimedia
Subsystem (IMS) technologies
Voice Services Using IMS Technology: VOLTE
MMTel is the IMS-based service offering for voice calls, standardized by 3GPP. Since EPS is designed to efficiently carry
IP flows between two IP hosts, MMTel is a natural choice for offering voice services when in LTE coverage. In addition
to traditional voice services, MMTel offers end-users more possibilities than circuit-switched technologies; for
example, video, text, or other media may be added to the voice component in order to enhance the communication
experience and value. Moreover, MMTel allows for evolution from today’s voice and video telephony networks to fully
fledged multimedia communication and fallback to 2G and 3G circuit-switched telephony.
There are three different scenarios that need to be considered:
1. A voice call is established when in LTE coverage (dark area), and the user does not move outside the LTE coverage
area for the duration of the call. For this use case, MMTel would be used to provide the voice service over LTE.
2. 2. A voice call is established when outside the LTE coverage area (light area). The call would then instead be
established using circuit-switched access over, for example, WCDMA. Depending on the solution, the call could be
converted into a SIP-based call and handled by the IMS system, or it could be handled as a traditional circuit-
switched call by the MSC.
3. 3. A voice call is established when in LTE coverage (dark area) and, during the voice call, the user moves outside
the LTE coverage area. If the system depicted as a light area can support IMS/MMTel voice services, this would be
handled by a “Packet Handover” between LTE and the other system (e.g. WCDMA/HSPA or eHRPD) and the voice
service would continuously be served as an IP-based service and handled by the IMS infrastructure. If this is not
the case, specific measures are needed to secure service continuity when LTE coverage can no longer be
maintained. The 3GPP solution for this is called Single-Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC).
Single-Radio Voice all Continuity (SRVCC) :
SRVCC is designed to allow for the handover of a voice call between a system that supports the IMS/MMTel voice
service and a second system where there is insufficient radio access support for carrying the MMTel service. This
could be, for instance, due to insufficient bandwidth for IP services, or insufficient QoS support in the network .
SRVCC hence defines a solution for how an IP-based voice call in “system A” (dark gray area) can be handed over to
“system B” (light gray area), which serves the voice call using circuit-switched procedures.
3GPP has specified the following combinations for SRVCC (system A to system B):
LTE to GSM
LTE to WCDMA l
WCDMA (HSPA) to GSM l
WCDMA to WCDMA l
LTE to 1xRTT.
In 3GPP Release 11, features were added to allow the possibility to start a CS call on GSM or WCDMA and transfer to
MMtel Service on LTE. This is known as return SRVCC or rSRVCC. The following rSRVCC combinations are specified
(system A to system B):
GSM to LTE
WCDMA to LTE.
The solution is based on the principle that IMS is kept as the system serving the user for the complete duration of the
call (it is the “service engine” for the voice call), and also when the user is served by system B. SRVCC includes
interaction between the MME of the EPC core network and the MSC Server of the circuit-switched core network, as
well as an IMS VCC Domain Transfer Function.
Circuit-Switched Fallback
Circuit-Switched Fallback (CSFB) is an alternative solution to using IMS and SRVCC in order to
provide voice services to users of LTE.
The fundamental differences are that IMS is not part of the solution, and in fact voice calls are never
served over LTE at all. Instead, CSFB relies on a temporary inter-system change (aka Fallback) that
moves the UE from LTE to a system with 2G and/or 3G radio access and where circuit-switched voice
calls can be served. The solution relies on the CSFB LTE terminals being “registered” not only in EPS
but also in the circuit-switched domain when powered up and attaching to LTE.
This dual-domain registration is handled by the network through an interaction between the MME
and the MSC Server in the circuit-switched network domain. There are then two use cases to
consider – voice calls initiated by the mobile user or voice calls received by the mobile user:
1. If the user is to make a voice call, the terminal switches from LTE (system A) to a system with
circuit-switched voice support (system B). Any packet-based services that happened to be
active on the end-user device at this time are either handed over and continue to run in
system B but may be on lower data speeds or are suspended until the voice call is terminated
and the terminal switches back to LTE again and the packet services are resumed. Which of
these cases applies will depend on the capabilities of system B.
2. If there is an incoming voice call to a user who is currently attached to LTE, the MSC Server
requests paging in LTE for the specific user. This is done via the interface between the MSC
Server and the MME. The terminal receives the page via LTE, and temporarily switches from
LTE to system B, where the voice call is received. Once the voice call is terminated, the terminal
may switch back to LTE.