Monday 23 January 2012
LTE Policy Control and Charging
Sunday 22 January 2012
What is coming next after LTE and IMT-Advanced
Wednesday 14 December 2011
ETSI INT IMS/EPC Interoperability Standardisation: Motivation, Roadmap & First Results
This was presented by Giulio Maggiore, Telecom Italia, ETSI TC INT Chairman in the 2nd FOKUS FUSECO Forum 2011, Berlin 17-18 Nov. 2011
From the ETSI leaflet (note that this is quite old information but still on the ETSI website here):
IMS interoperability is a key issue for boosting IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) roll-out and more specifically network interconnection between operators. Only through thorough testing in practical scenarios can operators ensure operational excellence in a multi-vendor and multi-provider environment.
IMS comprises a set of specifications designed to enable network operators to implement IP-based networks that can carry services for both fixed and mobile customers simultaneously.
IMS was developed originally in the mobile world (specifically in the specifications created by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP), and was adopted for fixed networks by ETSI’s TISPAN Technical Committee (Telecoms & Internet Converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks).
However this promise of advanced communications over the next generation network will only be delivered if those same networks can interconnect.
ETSI’s Technical Committee INT: IMS Network Testing
ETSI is bridging the existing gap between 3GPP IMS Core Network standards and the initial industry IMS implementations through the organization of IMS interoperability events in connection with ETSI’s Centre for Testing & Interoperability (CTI) and Plugtests™ interoperability testing service.
Our Technical Committee for IMS Network Testing (TC INT) is actively establishing close contact with a number of industry fora and organizations dealing with IMS interoperability, including 3GPP, GSMA, MSF (Multi Service Forum), IMS Forum and the ITU-T. TC INT develops IMS test specification according to conformance, network integration and interoperability testing methodologies. Other ongoing work includes development of tests for Supplementary Services based on regulatory requirements and IMS tests with legacy networks (e.g. SIP-I).
ETSI has already held two IMS interoperability events. The first examined interconnection aspects of 3GPP IMS Release 6, including such issues as basic call on the Mw interface. The second event had a wider scope that included the testing of 3GPP IMS Release 7 interworking, roaming, border control, and integration of application servers executing selected Multimedia Telephony supplementary services.
Future ETSI activities and events will go even deeper towards bridging 3GPP IMS standards and industry implementations. These will include the organization of further IMS interoperability events designed to boost the roll-out and take-off of IMS services and operators’ network interconnections.
Tuesday 25 October 2011
Donor eNB (DeNB) and Relay Node (RN)
Thursday 4 August 2011
Detailed presentation on Femtocell Security from Black Hat 2011
Monday 25 July 2011
Femto Hacking in UMTS and LTE
One of the differences you may notice is that the signalling from Femto to the Core Network over S1 is encrypted and Integrity Protected. In case of the LTE Femto, there are multiple keys and only the required key (Kenb) is provided to the Femto. See the key hierarchy below:
Sunday 17 July 2011
Network Mode of Operation (NMO)
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Couple of presentations on GNSS and LCS
The second presentation by Ignacio Fernández Hernández of the European Commission, gives an overview of the EU satnav programmes (Galileo, EGNOS) and current R&D status; Present some numbers and findings of the overall GNSS R&D panorama in EU and abroad; Present some trends and challenges in location technologies for the following years. Another interesting presentation I think.
Monday 20 June 2011
Roaming with the IP eXchange (IPX)
Monday 19 July 2010
NTT DoCoMo: Core Network Evolution and Voice Strategy
Friday 19 March 2010
IPv6 transition in cellular networks gaining momentum
IPv6 is good and we all know that. I has been talked for years but practically it hasnt found much success. Verizon made some noise last year but I am not sure of the conclusion.
Just to recap, IPv4 was introduced back in 1982 and IPv6 work started since 1995. IPV4 uses 32 bit (4 bytes) addresses while IPV6 uses 128 bit (16 bytes) addresses. Theoretically we would now have 2^96 times more addresses than in case of IPv4.
Most of network infrastructure manufacturers have their equipment ready for IPv6 as some of the handset manufacturers. The main driver being that someday soon IPv4 addresses would be exhausted (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority will run out of IPv4 addresses in September of 2011, based on current projections) and their equipment would be ready to provide IPv6 addresses without any problems.
Recently, IETF-3GPP Workshop on IPv6 in cellular networks was held in San Francisco, USA on 1 - 2 March, 2010. There are lots of interesting presentations available here for people who want to dig a bit deeper. The concluding report that summarises the presentations and discussions are available here. Here is a brief summary from one of the reports (with links at the end):
Summary
- Scenarios for IPv6 migration were discussed based on 3GPP Technical Report 23.975
- The discussion focused on validating the scenarios
- General IPv6 transition and deployment guidelines were outlined based on input from IETF
- Solutions for migration and v4-v6 co-existence were presented
- Solutions included existing RFCs and working group items but also proposals in Internet Drafts
- Gap analysis wrt transition scenarios was discussed
Conclusions on scenarios
- Scenarios 1 and 3 based on dual-stack and IPv6-only deployments were generally recognized as valid
- Scenario 2 was also recognized as valid, addressing two separate problems related to insufficient RFC1918 space and subscriber identification
- See doc IPW100027
- Scenario 4 did not receive wide support from the workshop, largely because it was felt that it addressed a problem already solved by other scenarios
- Variants of some of these scenarios were brought up during the discussions, conclusions were not reached on these
- These may need further discussion
Conclusions on solutions
- It was recognized that necessary support in the network and devices is already available to “switch on” IPv6 in 3GPP networks
- Some networks reported running dual stack
- Some networks reported running IPv6-only now
- Solutions enhancing existing mechanisms for dual stack deployments and new solutions for IPv6-only deployments drew wide support
- Gateway-initiated Dual Stack Lite
- Stateful IPv4/IPv6 translation
- IETF and 3GPP are expected to focus further work based on the conclusions of the workshop
- Note that the workshop itself does not have the mandate to make formal decisions
- 3GPP is expected to identify possible normative specification impacts, if any, of the preferred solutions
- A need was identified to provide more operational guidelines about IPv6 deployment to 3GPP operators
- The best location for these guidelines is FFS (e.g. 3GPP TR 23.975, GSMA, etc)
- IETF and 3GPP are expected to focus further work based on the conclusions of the workshop
- Note that the workshop itself does not have the mandate to make formal decisions
- IETF is encouraged to continue working on stateless and stateful IPv4/IPv6 translation mechanisms
- These mechanisms are being worked on in IETF BEHAVE group
- IETF is also encouraged to consider new solutions that are not yet working group items
- Gateway Initiated DS Lite
- Per-interface NAT44 bindings addressing IPv4 address shortage
- Note that the workshop has not set any timelines
Further reading:
- 3GPP TR 23.975: IPv6 Migration Guidelines, Release 10 (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/23_series/23.975/)
- 'IETF-3GPP Workshop on IPv6 in cellular networks' Workshop Presentations (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/workshop/2010-03-01_IPv4-to-IPv6_with-IETF/Docs/)
- 'IETF-3GPP Workshop on IPv6 in cellular networks' Workshop Summary Report(http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/workshop/2010-03-01_IPv4-to-IPv6_with-IETF/Report/)
- 3G Americas Report on 'Transitioning to IPv6' (http://3gamericas.org/documents/2008_IPv6_transition_3GA_Mar2008.pdf)
- Is IPv6 Finally on the Verge? - Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=189143)
- Jari Arkko's Publications (http://www.arkko.com/publications.html)
Monday 8 March 2010
Evolution of 3G Networks: The Concept, Architecture and Realisation of Mobile Networks beyond UMTS
Thursday 11 February 2010
UICC and USIM in 3GPP Release 8 and Release 9
In good old days of GSM, SIM was physical card with GSM "application" (GSM 11.11)
In the brave new world of 3G+, UICC is the physical card with basic logical functionality (based on 3GPP TS 31.101) and USIM is 3G application on a UICC (3GPP TS 31.102). The UICC can contain multiple applications like the SIM (for GSM), USIM and ISIM (for IMS). There is an interesting Telenor presentation on current and future of UICC which may be worth the read. See references below.
UICC was originally known as "UMTS IC card". The incorporation of the ETSI UMTS activities into the more global perspective of 3GPP required a change of this name. As a result this was changed to "Universal Integrated Circuit Card". Similarly USIM (UMTS Subscriber Identity Module) changed to Universal Subscriber Identity Module.
The following is from the 3G Americas Whitepaper on Mobile Broadband:
UICC (3GPP TS 31.101) remains the trusted operator anchor in the user domain for LTE/SAE, leading to evolved applications and security on the UICC. With the completion of Rel-8 features, the UICC now plays significant roles within the network.
Some of the Rel-8 achievements from standards (ETSI, 3GPP) are in the following areas:
USIM (TS 31.102)
With Rel-8, all USIM features have been updated to support LTE and new features to better support non-3GPP access systems, mobility management, and emergency situations have been adopted.
The USIM is mandatory for the authentication and secure access to EPC even for non-3GPP access systems. 3GPP has approved some important features in the USIM to enable efficient network selection mechanisms. With the addition of CDMA2000 and HRPD access technologies into the PLMN, the USIM PLMN lists now enable roaming selection among CDMA, UMTS, and LTE access systems.
Taking advantage of its high security, USIM now stores mobility management parameters for SAE/LTE. Critical information like location information or EPS security context is to be stored in USIM rather than the device.
USIM in LTE networks is not just a matter of digital security but also physical safety. The USIM now stores the ICE (In Case of Emergency) user information, which is now standardized. This feature allows first responders (police, firefighters, and emergency medical staff) to retrieve medical information such as blood type, allergies, and emergency contacts, even if the subscriber lies unconscious.
3GPP has also approved the storage of the eCall parameters in USIM. When activated, the eCall system establishes a voice connection with the emergency services and sends critical data including time, location, and vehicle identification, to speed up response times by emergency services. ECalls can be generated manually by vehicle occupants or automatically by in-vehicle sensors.
TOOLKIT FEATURES IMPROVEMENT (TS 31.111)
New toolkit features have been added in Rel-8 for the support of NFC, M2M, OMA-DS, DM and to enhance coverage information.
The contactless interface has now been completely integrated with the UICC to enable NFC use cases where UICC applications proactively trigger contactless interfaces.
Toolkit features have been updated for terminals with limited capabilities (e.g. datacard or M2M wireless modules). These features will be notably beneficial in the M2M market where terminals often lack a screen or a keyboard.
UICC applications will now be able to trigger OMA-DM and DS sessions to enable easier device support and data synchronization operations, as well as interact in DVB networks.
Toolkit features have been enriched to help operators in their network deployments, particularly with LTE. A toolkit event has been added to inform a UICC application of a network rejection, such as a registration attempt failure. This feature will provide important information to operators about network coverage. Additionally, a UICC proactive command now allows the reporting of the signal strength measurement from an LTE base station.
CONTACT MANAGER
Rel-8 defined a multimedia phone book (3GPP TS 31.220) for the USIM based on OMA-DS and its corresponding JavaCard API (3GPP TS 31.221).
REMOTE MANAGEMENT EVOLUTION (TS 31.115 AND TS 31.116)
With IP sessions becoming prominent, an additional capability to multiplex the remote application and file management over a single CAT_TP link in a BIP session has been completed. Remote sessions to update the UICC now benefit from additional flexibility and security with the latest addition of the AES algorithm rather than a simple DES algorithm.
CONFIDENTIAL APPLICATION MANAGEMENT IN UICC FOR THIRD PARTIES
The security model in the UICC has been improved to allow the hosting of confidential (e.g. third party) applications. This enhancement was necessary to support new business models arising in the marketplace, with third party MVNOs, M-Payment and Mobile TV applications. These new features notably enable UICC memory rental, remote secure management of this memory and its content by the third party vendor, and support new business models supported by the Trusted Service Manager concept.
SECURE CHANNEL BETWEEN THE UICC AND TERMINAL
A secure channel solution has been specified that enables a trusted and secure communication between the UICC and the terminal. The secure channel is also available between two applications residing respectively on the UICC and on the terminal. The secure channel is applicable to both ISO and USB interfaces.
RELEASE 9 ENHANCEMENTS: UICC: ENABLING M2M AND FEMTOCELLS
The role of femtocell USIM is increasing in provisioning information for Home eNodeB, the 3GPP name for femtocell. USIMs inside handsets provide a simple and automatic access to femtocells based on operator and user-controlled Closed Subscriber Group list.
Work is ongoing in 3GPP for the discovery of surrounding femtocells using toolkit commands. Contrarily to macro base stations deployed by network operators, a femtocell location is out of the control of the operator since a subscriber can purchase a Home eNodeB and plug it anywhere at any time. A solution based on USIM toolkit feature will allow the operator to identify the femtocells serving a given subscriber. Operators will be able to adapt their services based on the femtocells available.
The upcoming releases will develop and capitalize on the IP layer for UICC remote application management (RAM) over HTTP or HTTPS. The network can also send a push message to UICC to initiate a communication using TCP protocol.
Additional guidance is also expected from the future releases with regards to the M2M dedicated form factor for the UICC that is currently under discussion to accommodate environments with temperature or mechanical constraints surpassing those currently specified by the 3GPP standard.
Some work is also expected to complete the picture of a full IP UICC integrated in IP-enabled terminal with the migration of services over EEM/USB and the capability for the UICC to register on multicast based services (such as mobile TV).
Further Reading:
- Business perspective and Mobile service offer through Future SIM - Telenor (http://www.ux.uis.no/atc08/workshop/Larsen.pdf)
- The role of the UICC in Long Term Evolution all IP networks - Gemalto (http://www.gemalto.com/telecom/download/lte_gemalto_whitepaper.pdf)
- Technical White Paper: Smart Card in IMS - 3G Americas (http://www.3gamericas.org/documents/GEM_WP_IMS.pdf)
- 3GPP TS 31.101: UICC-terminal interface; Physical and logical characteristics (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.101/)
- 3GPP TS 31.102: Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.102/)
- 3GPP TS 31.111: Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) Application Toolkit (USAT) (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.111/)
- 3GPP TS 31.115: Secured packet structure for (Universal) Subscriber Identity Module (U)SIM Toolkit applications (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.115/)
- 3GPP TS 31.116: Remote APDU Structure for (U)SIM Toolkit applications (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.116/)
- 3GPP TS 31.220: Characteristics of the Contact Manager for 3GPP UICC applications (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.220/)
- 3GPP TS 31.221: Contact Manager Application Programming Interface (API); Contact Manager API for Java Card™ (http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/31_series/31.221/)
Monday 29 December 2008
Simplifying LTE/SAE Interfaces
Wednesday 24 December 2008
India gets ready for 3G
The Indian Department of Telecoms (DoT) has published its official timetable for the award of its 3G licences across the country as well as a breakdown of how the relevant spectrum will be allocated across the telecoms circles.
As expected, the state-owned operators BSNL and MTNL each have been reserved one block of 2x5MHz in each circle, with the exception of Rajasthan (State in North West India) which will have no 3G spectrum at all. The number of blocks of spectrum in the private auction differs depending on the circle (see the spectrum table, below).
The auction for the 15-year licences is planned for Jan. 15, 2009. In the majority of 3G service areas there is 25 MHz of paired frequency bandwidth available which relates to four blocks of 2x5 MHz spectrum available for auction in addition to the block reserved for the state-owned operators, Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL). Spectrum is rather limited in many other areas, including the major metro circle of
All of the 3G spectrum will be in the 2.1 GHz band and in the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz frequency bands, a separate auction for Broadband Wireless Access (WiMAX). In both these auctions, which will take place two days after the 3G auction, bidders are restricted to just one block of spectrum per service area.
The table below shows the proposed spectrum layout.
Service Area ( | Paired frequency bandwidth to be allotted | Paired frequency bandwidth to be allotted |
| 160 | 15 |
Mumbai | 160 | 25 |
Kolkata | 80 | 25 |
| 160 | 25 |
Gujrat | 160 | 15 |
Andhra Pradesh | 160 | 25 |
Karnataka | 160 | 25 |
Tamil Nadu | 80 | 25 |
Kerela | 80 | 25 |
| 80 | 25 |
Haryana | 80 | 25 |
Uttar Pradesh(e) | 80 | 25 |
Uttar Pradesh (w) | 80 | 10 |
Rajasthan | 0 | 20 |
Madhya Pradesh | 80 | 25 |
| 80 | 25 |
Himachal Prades | 30 | 25 |
| 30 | 25 |
Orrisa | 30 | 25 |
| 30 | 25 |
North East | 30 | 5 |
| 30 | 25 |
Friday 25 January 2008
LTE Architecture: Flat or Not so Flat?
While searching my library of infinite resources i finally hit the jackpot. Qualcomm presentation from LTE 2007 has an answer.
The flatness of an access network can be measured by the depth of its link layer-specific network element hierarchy.
Going back to the article mentioned earlier:
Despite the growth of carrier networks and the evolution of standards, voice and data communications have not evolved in synch. Carriers have historically added data communications as an afterthought to voice network architectures originally conceived in the circuit-switched era, resulting in complex hierarchical networks that support both voice and data.
This type of architecture is expensive, leading to high operating and capital expenditures for service providers and significantly lowering margins in a highly competitive industry. In addition, networks employing cobbled-together voice and data communications systems simply do not have the capacity to provide the rich multimedia services and omnipresent Internet access that today’s wireless customers demand.
To address these limitations, service providers are moving toward emerging all-IP wireless technologies that promise to reduce complexity, simplify the wireless core, and decrease service providers’ operational and capital expenses.
Currently there are several initiatives that operators are considering for building wireless IP networks:
· WiMAX End-to-End Network Systems Architecture: Defined by the WiMAX Forum Network Working Group (NWG) and leveraging the IEEE 802.16e WiMAX interface.
· Long Term Evolution (LTE): Being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and targeted as a successor to GSM-based technologies.
· Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB): Being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) and targeted as a successor to CDMA-based technologies.
All three of these architectures are similar in that they leverage a flat, user-plane, all-IP network architecture with fewer nodes that enables mobile operators to integrate the core with the access network, providing real-time multimedia and broadband IP services from the core to the mobile station. This flatter architecture results in reduced latencies and thus optimizes performance for real-time services such as voice and video.
So going back to the Qualcomm presentation and checking if the LTE part is as flat as claimed.