Voice Call Handover Mechanisms in

Next-Generation 3GPP Systems

LTE Workshop – Day 2
Session 6
Apostolis K. Salkintzis, Motorola
Mike Hammer, Cisco
Itsuma Tanaka, NTT DOCOMO
Curt Wong, Nokia Siemens Networks
Prepared by Mervat Abu-Elkheir
Today’s Sessions

Voice Call Handover Mechanisms in Next-Generation 3GPP

Systems - Mervat

QoS Control in the 3GPP Evolved Packet System – Hatem

Network-Based Mobility Management in the Evolved 3GPP Core
Network – Hung

Interference Coordination and Cancellation for 4G Networks -

Hassan
Outline

Overview of the next-generation 3GPP systems

Single-radio voice call continuity (SR-VCC)

Voice call transfer from E-UTRAN to UTRAN/GERAN
Voice call transfer from E-UTRAN to CDMA2000 1xRTT

Voice call handling with fallback to 2G/3G

IMS-based voice call continuity

News Flash! LTE is here!
On December 14, 2009, the first
commercial LTE deployment was in
the Scandinavian capitals
Stockholm and Oslo by the
Swedish-Finnish network operator
TeliaSonera and its Norweigan
brand name NetCom (Norway).
TeliaSonera branded the network
"4G".
News Flash! LTE is here!

The modem devices were manufactured by Samsung, and the

network infrastructure created by Huawei (in Oslo) and Ericsson
(in Stockholm).
TeliaSonera used spectral bandwidth of 10 MHz, and Single-
Input and Single-Output transmission.
This would provide physical layer net bitrates of up to 50 Mbit/s
downlink and 25 Mbit/s in the uplink.
TeliaSonera plans to roll out nationwide LTE across Sweden,
Norway and Finland.
Overview of the next-generation 3GPP systems
Overview of the evolved 3GPP network
Iu-cs 2G/3G 3GPP core
UTRAN MSC E
Iu-ps MSC Legacy
Legacy
circuit-
circuit-
switched
switched
GERAN A/Iu-cs Gn services
services
Gb/Iu-ps
SGSN GGSN
S3 S4
Gi
S1-AP S11 3GPP EPC
MME
UE S1-U S-GW S5
E-UTRAN P-GW Packet
Packet data
data
S6a Gxc Gx SGi network(s)
network(s)
S2b
Gxb
HSS PCRF
S101 S103 Gxa ePDG
STa S2a
SWn
CDMA2000
HRPD
WiMAX WLAN
Overview of the evolved 3GPP network

3GPP-specific access technologies are connected through the

serving gateway (S-GW).
Trusted non-3GPP specific access technologies are connected
through the packet data network gateway (P-GW).

Untrusted non-3GPP specific access technologies are connected

through the evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG).
Single-radio voice call continuity (SR-VCC)
Single-radio voice call continuity (SR-VCC)

During initial deployment of E-UTRAN, it will have limited

coverage where wireless broadband services are most needed.
Seamless handover of voice calls between E-UTRAN and
UTRAN/GERAN coverage areas is crucial to achieve continuity of
voice services.
Single-radio voice call continuity (SR-VCC)

Challenges are:
Voice calls on E-UTRAN are carried only via IP-based technologies, so
voice calls have to be transferred between CS and IMS service domains.
Voice calls have to be transferred across service domains with single-
radio mobile terminals that cannot support simultaneous signaling on
both E-UTRAN and UTRAN/GERAN.
Single-radio voice call continuity (SR-VCC)

3GPP standards address two solutions for enabling single-radio

voice call continuity (SR-VCC)
Handover from E-UTRAN to UTRAN/GERAN
Handover from E-UTRAN to CDMA2000 1xRTT

Current standards do not support handover from UTRAN/GERAN

or CDMA2000 1xRTT to E-UTRAN.
Voice call transfer from E-UTRAN to UTRAN/GERAN

All voice calls initiated at E-UTRAN are anchored at the IMS.

At least one MSC server in the CS domain is enhanced with
interworking functionality and a new interface; Sv.
MME has additional functionality to support the Sv interface and
the SR-VCC procedures.
The standard supports handover of voice and non-voice sessions
that might be active in parallel.
Voice call transfer from E-UTRAN to UTRAN/GERAN

Handover process should create voice interruption of no more

than a few hundreds of milliseconds for a seamless voice
transfer.
Non-voice sessions cannot be guaranteed to be seamless due to
UTRAN/GERAN’s limited bandwidth.
Architecture for single-radio VCC between E-UTRAN and UTRAN/GERAN
Iu-cs 2G/3G 3GPP core
UTRAN
MSC
Iu-ps

GERAN A/Iu-cs E

Gb/Iu-ps MSC enhanced

SGSN for SR-VCC

S3 Sv
S4 D
UE

MME S6a
HSS
S11

E-UTRAN S1-U S5 SGi IMS

S-GW P-GW
3GPP EPC
 Message Flow Diagram for single-radio handover between E-UTRAN and UTRAN/GERAN
Enhanced GERAN or S-GW/ Remote
UE E-UTRAN MME MSC SGSN IMS
MSC UTRAN P-GW end

1. Measurement reports Voice path before handover

Handover decision
2. Handover required
MME splits voice bearers from
non-voice bearers and initiates
their relocation towards the
MSC and SGSN
5. Handover command
UE moves to GERAN
3a. Request reservation of PS resources
3b. Request reservation of CS resources
3c. PS resources reserved
3d. CS resources reserved
4. Initiation of session transfer (STN-SR)
IMS session transfer
procedures
Voice packets from remote end forwarded to enhanced MSC
Voice
gap
6. Handover detection last a
7a. PS handover complete few
7b. Update bearer hundr
8. CS handover complete ed ms
Voice path after handover completion
Voice call transfer from E-UTRAN to CDMA2000 1xRTT

A 1xCS interworking solution (IWS) function is required in the

3GPP2 CS domain to interwork with EPS using a new interface;
S102.
The 1xCS IWS enables the UE to communicate with 1xRTT MSC
while connected to EPC via E-UTRAN.
This allows the UE to establish the target CS access leg while still
on E-UTRAN access prior to actual handover to 1xRTT.
Voice call transfer from E-UTRAN to CDMA2000 1xRTT

MME requires functionality to support the S102 interface.

MME relays signaling between the UE and 1xCS IWS.

The standard handles only the voice part of an IMS session.

Architecture for single-radio VCC between E-UTRAN and 3GPP2 1xRTT CS
3GPP2 core
1xRTT
MSC

1xRTT A1
CS access A1 MAP

1xCS
HLR
IWS

S102
UE

MME S6a
HSS
S11

E-UTRAN S1-U S5 SGi IMS

S-GW P-GW
3GPP EPC
Message Flow Diagram for voice session handover from E-UTRAN to 3GPP2 1xRTT CS access
1xCS 1xRTT 1xRTT S-GW/ Remote
UE E-UTRAN MME IMS
IWS MSC CS access P-GW end

1. Measurement reports Voice path before handover

Handover decision
2. Handover request (start 1x SRVCC)
3. Start SRVCC CDMA2000 tunnelling

1xRTT traffic allocation

4. Initiate domain transfer 3GPP2 VCC
4. Domain transfer successful Voice call transfer
5. 1x Handoff CMD procedures

UE moves to 1xRTT
Handover detection
6. Release UE context
7. Suspend EPS bearer
Voice path after handover completion
Voice call handling with fallback to 2G/3G
Voice call handling with fallback to 2G/3G

In some initial deployments of the evolved 3GPP systems there

will be no support for voice services on E-UTRAN.
To provide voice services to users, fallback to legacy 2G/3G
networks is needed.

This fallback is a service-based handover mechanism triggered

by a service request (e.g. originating or terminating voice call).
Voice call handling with fallback to 2G/3G

Fallback to the 2G/3G CS domain is enabled by:

Combining 2G/3G mobility management with EPS mobility
management.
Delivering paging requests for terminating calls to the UE via EPS.

Using 2G/3G for paging responses and further call handling for
terminating calls.

Using 2G/3G for handling all originating calls.

Voice call handling with fallback to 2G/3G

The UE attaches to the MME in EPC and to an MSC in the 2G/3G

CS domain by conducting a combined EPS/IMS attach procedure.
A mapping is performed by the MME between E-UTRAN tracking
areas and 2G/3G location areas.

When the UE moves to E-UTRAN, its 2G/3G location area is

updated in order to successfully deliver incoming calls.
Architecture for 3GPP CS Fallback to UTRAN/GERAN
Iu-cs 2G/3G 3GPP core
UTRAN
MSC enhanced
Iu-ps for CSFB

GERAN A/Iu-cs
D
Gb/Iu-ps SGs
SGSN

S3
UE S4

MME S6a
HSS
S11

Packet
E-UTRAN S1-U S5 SGi data
S-GW P-GW network
3GPP EPC
Message Flow Diagram for mobile originating call for CS fallback (UE in active mode)
UTRAN/ Enhanced S-GW/
UE E-UTRAN MME SGSN
GERAN MSC P-GW
1. Service request IP packet path before handover
2a. S1-AP message with CS fallback indicator
2b. Optional measurement report solicitation
3. Packet-switched handover
UE moves to 2G/3G
4a. SABM (Connection Management service request)
4b. Complete layer 3 info (with CM service request)
4c. UA (with CM service request)
5b. Service reject 5a. Service reject If the MSC
Is changed
5c. Location area update
6. CS call establishment procedure
Voice path after handover completion
7a. Forward relocation complete
7b. Forward relocation complete ack
8a. Update PDP context request
8b. Update PDP context response
IP packet path after handover
If the routing
9. Routing area update procedure area is changed
Message Flow Diagram for mobile terminated call for CS fallback (UE in active mode)
UTRAN/ Enhanced S-GW/
UE E-UTRAN MME SGSN
GERAN MSC P-GW
IP packet path before handover
1a. Paging
1b. Paging
2a. Service request
2b. CS page reject
3a. S1-AP message with CS fallback indicator
3b. Optional measurement report solicitation
4. Packet-switched handover
UE moves to 2G/3G
5a. SABM (with paging response)
5b. Complete layer 3 info (with paging response)
5c. UA (with paging response)
6b. RRC release 6a. Connection reject If the MSC
Is changed
6c. Location area update and roaming retry
7. CS call establishment procedure
Voice path after handover completion
8a. Forward relocation complete
8b. Forward relocation complete ack
9a. Update PDP context request
9b. Update PDP context response
IP packet path after handover
If the routing
If the routing
10. Routing area update procedure area is changed
IMS-based voice call continuity
IMS-based voice call continuity

Voice call continuity mechanisms are provided by the IMS as part

of its goal to maintain services when the user is moving across
different access networks and terminal types.
VCC mechanisms enable the support of voice continuity
between the 3GPP-specific access and the non-3GPP access (e.g.
WLAN).
IMS-based voice call continuity

There are two solutions to provide voice service continuity via

IMS:
Voice call continuity (VCC) between an access network supporting CS
voice (e.g. GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000 1xRTT) and a VoIP access network
(e.g. WLAN)
Service centralization and continuity (SCC) to provide enhanced call
transfer and service centralization in the IMS.
IMS-based voice call continuity

There are two solutions to provide voice service continuity via

IMS:
Voice call continuity (VCC) between an access network supporting CS
voice (e.g. GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000 1xRTT) and a VoIP access network
(e.g. WLAN)
Service centralization and continuity (SCC) to provide enhanced call
transfer and service centralization in the IMS.
 IMS service continuity architecture based around the SCC-AS
Access leg
PSTN PSTN PSTN
phone SSP IMS components Remote leg

2G 2G
2G MGC SCC-AS
SCC-AS
phone MSC (3PCC)
(3PCC) Circuit CS
UE MGC
3G 3G switch phone
3G
phone MSC I/S-
CSCF
I/S/P- IMS
Possible 4G 4G CSCF phone
combo EPS
phone access
of types AAA/
AAA/
SIP SIP HSS/
HSS/
Enterprise
client IP-PBX HLR
HLR
P-CSCF
P-CSCF
WiMA
WiMAX SIP
X
client
ASN

WiFi SIP WiFi

client AP
 Message Flow Diagram for voice call transfer with IMS service continuity mechanisms

UE MSC
MSC with
with SCC MGCF PSTN/ISDN Remote
IMS centralized Remote ISDN
ISDN
GERAN IMS centralized WLAN EPC CSCFs AS MGW network phone
phone
WLAN CS Services
Services

Signaling path prior to transfer

Voice (and data) path prior to transfer

Setup STN-SR INVITE (STN, SDP-MGW/MSC) INVITE

Additional signalling path following transfer Re-INVITE

Re-INVITE (remote,
SDP-MGW/MSC

PSTN/ISDN leg is
Voice path following transfer unchanged
To wrap up

At the initial stages of evolved 3GPP network deployment, E-

UTRAN may not have extensive coverage.
SR-VCC mechanisms are defined to maintain an ongoing voice
call when the UE moves out of E-UTRAN coverage.

Voice call fallback mechanisms to CS domain are defined at the

beginning of a voice call when E-UTRAN does not yet support
voice services.
To wrap up

Voice call continuity by IMS is defined for voice call transfer

when voice services are supported on E-UTRAN and non-3GPP-
defined radio accesses.
IMS can support voice call continuity among different access
technologies with the same VCC procedures.
Thank you