Session 7

Handover from LTE to and

from 3GPP and 3GPP2
Technologies
ITU ASP COE Training on Technology,
Standardization and Deployment of Long
Term Evolution (IMT)
Sami TABBANE

9-11 December 2013 Islamic Republic of Iran

1

Agenda

1. Handover Process
2. Handover Measurements
3. Handover Signaling
4. Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN

Control plane protocols

1. Handover Process

Connection Reconfiguration and HO

RRC Connection Reconfiguration

procedure

RRC connection reconfiguration is used to:

Modify measurement process,
Trigger handovers

Connection Reconfiguration and HO

SRB reconfiguration

The SRBs (Signaling Radio Bearers) cannot be

released by RRC connection reconfiguration
The 'RRC Connection Reconfiguration' message
specifies the configuration of the Radio Bearer
When a RRC connection reconfiguration message
is used to establish a new Data Radio Bearer
(DRB: Data Radio Bearer), a target NAS message
is included in the message

Connection Reconfiguration and HO

'RRC Connection Reconfiguration message allows to

configure the terminal measurements:
Measurements within the LTE
Measurements on other RAT

Measuring period is UE implementation-specific,

typical values 40, 50, 66 msec
Measurements done over at least 6 resource blocks
The configuration steps include:
1-Measured Objects - The E-UTRAN configures a single
object for each measured frequency:
(a) Intra-and inter-frequencies
(b) Inter-RAT UTRA measures
frequency

set of cells on a single carrier

Connection Reconfiguration and HO

(c) Inter-RAT GERAN measures

frequencies

set of carrier

(d) Inter-RAT cdma2000 measures

single carrier frequency

set of cells on a

2- Reporting Configuration - Criteria and reporting

formats:
Reporting Criteria: Used by the terminal to trigger a
measurement report (Periodic or triggered by events)
Reporting formats: Quantities to be included in
measurement reports (number of cells to report, ...)
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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

The eNodeB triggers handover based on the measurement results

received from the terminal
A handover can be achieved:
Inside the E-UTRAN
From another RAT to the E-UTRAN
E-UTRAN to another RAT

A handover can be classified as:

Intra-frequency intra-LTE
Inter-frequency intra-LTE
Inter-RAT to/from LTE, UTRAN, GERAN, cdma2000

Connection Reconfiguration and HO

Intra-LTE Handover:
Source and target in the LTE system
The RRC Connection Reconfiguration message with
mobility control information (parameters required for
handover) is used as a command handover
Can be either:
Between eNBs without EPC intervention (packets routed
through source eNB until HO is completed). The only
signalling to MME is the Path switch request/ACK
Via MME control if a change of MME/SGW is required
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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

When X2 interface exists between the eNodeB

source and target eNodeB:
The eNodeB source sends a X2 Handover Request
message to the target eNodeB
Preparing the target
eNodeB
The target eNodeB prepares a RRC Connection
Reconfiguration message and sends to the source
eNodeB a message in X2: Handover Request
Acknowledge

10

Connection Reconfiguration and HO

Inter-eNodeB Handover procedure

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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

Inter-RAT handover
technologies

to

other

access

To perform inter-RAT handover:

A handover command message is built by the target
RAT and sent back to the source eNodeB
The source eNodeB includes the handover command in
the message 'from E-UTRA Mobility Command' and
sends it to terminal

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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

Inter-RAT handover to other radio access

technologies:
When the target BS receives the eNodeB message S1:
Handover Request' from eNB:
Allocates resources
Constructs a message 'RRC Connection Reconfiguration'
(Handover Request) and sends a message 'S1 Handover
Request Acknowledge to the MME
The RRC Connection Reconfiguration message is transferred
to the terminal through the RAT source

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Control plane protocols

2. Handover Measurements

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HO measurements metrics

E-UTRA metrics
Reference signal received power (RSRP)
Reference signal received quality (RSRQ)
UTRA metrics
UTRA FDD CPICH RSCP
UTRA FDD carrier RSSI
UTRA FDD CPICH Ec/No
GSM metrics
GSM carrier RSSI: RXLEV
CDMA2000 metrics
CDMA2000 1xRTT pilot strength
CDMA2000 HRPD pilot strength
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Measurement Report

CQI is reported:
Periodically on the PUCCH.
Aperiodically on the PUSCH.

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Measurement Configuration
When and what
should I report?
What should
I measure?
Frequency

Serving cell

LTE carrier frequency 1

Intra-freq measurement

Neighboring
cell

Serving
cell

LTE carrier frequency 2

Inter-freq measurement
UMTS cell 1
UMTS cell 2
Inter-RAT measurement

Measurement Object
Measurement Object
Measurement Object

Measurement
Identities

Event
occurs

Reporting Configuration
Reporting Configuration
Reporting Configuration

Measurement Configuration in RRC Connection Reconfiguration Message

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Measurement Configuration
ID 0

Measurement object #0
Measurement object #1

Reporting Configuration #0
Reporting Configuration #1

ID 2

Measurement object #2

Reporting Configuration #2

Applicable
cells
I am on
this cell

Reporting
Criteria

This cell is part

of measurement
objects

I found
this cell

Serving
cell result

Evaluation
of Reporting
Criteria

Neighboring
cell result

E-UTRAN

A1

Measurement
Report
(meas ID,
meas Results)

Intra-LTE events
A2 A3 A4

A5

UTRAN
CDMA2000

Threshold2

GERAN

Threshold1

Serving
Cell

Listed
Cells

Detected
Cells

Offset

B2
B1
Inter-RAT events
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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

The reports triggered by events are:

A1: Serving cell becomes better than absolute threshold
A2: Serving cell becomes worse than absolute threshold
A3: Neighbor cell becomes better than an offset relative to
the serving cell
A4: Neighbor cell becomes better than absolute threshold
A5: Serving cell becomes worse than an absolute threshold
and neighbor cell becomes better than another absolute
threshold

For inter-RAT mobility, the following event-triggered

reporting criteria are specified:
B1 (Inter-RAT): Neighbor cell becomes better than an absolute
threshold
B2 (Inter-RAT): Serving cell becomes worse than an absolute
threshold and neighbor cell becomes better than another
absolute threshold
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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

3- Identity measures: identity linked with a measurement

object for a Reporting Configuration Used as reference
numbers in the measurement reports
4- Configurations quantities:
A configuration of quantity by RAT (E-UTRAN, UTRAN, GERAN and
cdma2000) containing the filter coefficients for the type of
measures

5- Gaps measures: Periods that the terminal can use for

measurement (Inter-frequency and inter-RAT)
Gap Pattern Id

Transmission
Gap Length
(TGL, ms)

Transmission Gap
Repetition Period
(TGRP, ms)

40

80

Measurement Purpose
Inter-Frequency E-UTRAN
FDD and TDD, UTRAN FDD,
GERAN, LCR TDD, HRPD,
CDMA2000 1x
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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

Example measurement configuration

Measurement object

Object
ID

Object Measur. Report

ID
ID
ID

Report
Report config.
ID
ID

LTE carrier frequency 1

1 1

1 Event A1

LTE carrier frequency 2

2 2

2 Event A3

UMTS carrier frequency 1

3 3

UMTS carrier frequency 2

4 4

GERAN set of carrier frequencies 5

5 5

3 Event B1
4 Event B2

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Periodic reporting periods

Reporting trigger is configured for Periodic

measurements and can have the following values:
120 ms, 240 ms, 480 ms, 640 ms, 1024 ms,
2048 ms, 5120 ms, 10240ms, 1 min=60000 ms,
6 min=360000 ms, 12 min=720000 ms,
30 min=1800000 ms, 60 min=3600000 ms.

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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

HO Measurements

Reported measurement result after layer 1 filtering shall be an estimate of the

average value of the measured quantity over the measurement period:
Intra-frequency and Inter-frequency RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power).
Measurement period for Intra frequency RSRP measurements is 200 ms.
Measuring period is UE implementation-specific, typical values 40, 50, 66 ms.
Measurements done over at least 6 resource blocks (RBs).
Intra-frequency and Inter-frequency RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality).
The measurement period for UTRA FDD measurements and for the GSM carrier
RSSI is 480 ms.
Power Headroom (difference between the nominal UE maximum transmit
power and the estimated power for PUSCH transmission).

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Connection Reconfiguration and HO

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Control plane protocols

3. Handover (Signaling)

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Principles

Transferring an ongoing call or data session from one cell connected to another
Transparent for the end user
Network controlled and UE assisted
3GPP defines:
Intra e-UTRAN HO
Inter RAT with 3GPP technologies (GSM, WCDMA) HO
Inter RAT with non-3GPP technologies (CDMA2000, HRPD) HO

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility with X2 support (1/4)

Intra--E-UTRAN Mobility with X2 Interface Support

Intra
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Intra E-UTRAN mobility with X2 support (2/4)

Handover procedure benefits from source X2 interface

Minimum involvement of the MME and Serving GW
X2 interface reduces packet loss rate by transferring packets
from the source node to the target node
EPC core network nodes update signaling and user planes
connectivity:
Establish a connection between the new S1 target node and the MS
Establish a tunnel with Serving GW
Release resources and connections to the S1 interface of the former
node

Handover completely transparent to the PDN GW

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility with X2 support (3/4)

Handover preparation phase

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility with X2 support (4/4)

Handover execution phase

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility without X2 support (1/4)

Absence of X2 interface may be due to:

A network problem (transmission link, routing, ),
Operators choice

Handover process is more complicated than

with the X2 interface support
The MME acts as a relay between the two
eNodeB

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility without X2 support (2/4)

Handover preparation phase

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility without X2 support (3/4)

Handover execution phase

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Intra E-UTRAN mobility without X2 support (4/4)

Packet loss effect on the user experience

depends on the application and protocol
stack:
Non-real time applications (Web Browsing, ...):
Secure end-to-end transport layer (TCP, ...),
HO increases the delay (latency,),
No data loss at the transport layer

Real-time applications (streaming, Voice):

Unsecured transport layers (UDP, ...),
Handover Data loss for the user.
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Intra-E-UTRAN Mobility with EPC Node Relocation (1/5)

Intra--mobility with E-UTRAN EPC Node Relocation

Intra

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Intra-E-UTRAN Mobility with EPC Node Relocation (2/5)

Handover preparation phase

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Intra-E-UTRAN Mobility with EPC Node Relocation (3/5)

Handover preparation phase

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Intra-E-UTRAN Mobility with EPC Node Relocation (4/5)

Target eNodeB has no connectivity with the MME and Serving GW

relocation current node in the EPC (Evolved Packet Core),
Communication context user (IMSI, subscription information,
authentication vectors, allocated bearers) be transferred from
current to target MME,
New user plane bearer created between the PDN GW and the new
Serving GW,
If X2 packet transfer between source and target eNodeB reduces
packet loss,
New MME informs old MME of the handover success Release
old radio resources and the old bearer path

38

Intra-E-UTRAN Mobility with EPC Node Relocation (5/5)

Target eNodeB has no connectivity with the MME and Serving GW
relocation User communication context (IMSI, subscription information,
authentication vectors, bearers allocated) should be transferred from the
current MME to the target MME,
A new user plane bearer is created between the PDN GW and the new
Serving GW,
If there exist an X2 connectivity, packet transfer between source and
target eNodeB may limit the packet loss
The new MME informs the old MME of the handover success across the EUTRAN Release of old radio resources and old bearer path
If the new cell belongs to a Tracking Area (TA) where the terminal is not
located, a TA Update (TAU) is achieved with the new MME HSS update
Serving GW and MME are in separated nodes Easier mobility cases:
Source and target eNodeB within the same Serving GW only MME is
changed
Source and target eNodeB in the same MME only Serving GW is changed

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S1 based HO

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Control plane protocols

4. Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN

41

Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (1/7)

Packet mobility between 3G and E

E--UTRAN
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Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (2/7)

Handover preparation phase

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Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (3/7)

Handover execution phase

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Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (4/7)

A tunnel is established between the Serving GW and the

SGSN to ensure packet transmission continuity (S4
interface):
The Serving GW acts as an anchor for the user plane,
The PDN GW is not involved in the mobility procedure.

Signaling Control plane (NAS establishment and session

control) is moved from MME to SGSN (S3 Interface):
The session context is moved from the MME source to the target
SGSN ('Forward Relocation Request / Response message)
The MME translates EPS QoS attributes equivalent to 2G/3G, as
PDP Context attributes.

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Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (5/7)

The Serving GW may inform the PDN GW of the

handover for billing purposes flexibility of the
billing system based on the RAT,
E-UTRAN 2G/3G mobility can include eNodeB
to target SGSN data transfer (Data forwarding) to
avoid packet loss,
Data transfer is always requested by the eNodeB
('Handover Required message)
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Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (6/7)

Two types of data transfer:

Direct Transfer (Direct Forwarding): Data stored in
the eNodeB directly transferred to the SGSN (IP
address and tunnel identifier in 'Forward
Relocation Response' sent by the SGSN),
Indirect transfer (Indirect Forwarding): Data
stored in the Serving GW transmitted to the target
SGSN.

Handover Command the type of transfer.

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Mobility between 2G/3G and E-UTRAN (7/7)

After HO completion (at target BS and

network access levels):
'Forward Relocation Complete'
Release of the resources in E-UTRAN nodes
and MME,
'Update Bearer Request / Response
SGSN updates the bearer path to the S-GW

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Thank you

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