Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

Functional Feature Description

Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

This document covers following features:

15 48 10 UMTS to GSM handover
15 48 20 GSM to UMTS cell re-selection
30 28 10 GPRS to UMTS cell re-selection triggered by MS
30 28 12 UMTS search deactivation during GPRS transfer
15 48 30 Load based 3G handover filtering
15 48 40 GSM to UMTS handover
15 48 50 SI2Quater scheduling

This document is valid for the B7, B8 and B9 releases.

- The three first features are available since the B7 release.

- 30 28 12 is introduced in the B8 release.

- 15 48 30 and 15 48 50 are introduced in the B9 release

- 15 48 40 is introduced in the B9 MR4 Release

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

Contents

1. GLOSSARY......................................................................................................................................3
2. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................4
3. RATIONALE FOR 2G/3G INTEROPERABILITY BSS FEATURES.................................................5
4. FEATURE DESCRIPTION...............................................................................................................7
4.1 UMTS to GSM handover........................................................................................................7
4.2 GSM to UMTS Cell Re-selection–GPRS to UMTS cell re-selection triggered by MS............7
4.3 UMTS search deactivation during GPRS transfer .................................................................8
4.4 Load based 3G handover filtering..........................................................................................9
4.5 GSM to UMTS Handover .....................................................................................................10
4.6 Other B9 improvement: SI2 quater scheduling....................................................................11
5. HARDWARE COVERAGE.............................................................................................................11
6. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ..............................................................................................12
6.1 Main Parameters..................................................................................................................12

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

1. GLOSSARY

Abbreviations

2G Second Generation
3G Third Generation
BCCH Broadcast Control Channel
BSC Base Station Controller
BSS Base Station Sub-System
BSSMAP BSS Mobile Application Part
BTS Base Transceiver Station
FDD Frequency Division Duplex
GERAN GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network
GPRS General Packet Radio Service
GSM Global System for Mobile communications
HPLMN Home PLMN
IE Information Element
IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Code.
MS Mobile Station
MSC Mobile-services Switching Centre, Mobile Switching Centre
OMC-R Operations & Maintenance Centre – Radio
PBCCH Packet Broadcast Control Channel
PLMN Public Lands Mobile Network
RAT Radio Access Technology
RNC Radio Network Controller
UE User Equipment
UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunication System
UTRAN UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

2. INTRODUCTION

This document presents the Alcatel BSS features in relation with UMTS interoperability. It describes
the related B7 features as well as the evolutions brought by the B8 and B9 releases.

It is organized as follows:

- Section 3 gives the rationale for UMTS inter-working features,

- Section 4 provides the description of the related BSS features,

- Section 5 provides information on HW coverage,

- Section 6 details the operation and maintenance aspects.

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

3. RATIONALE FOR 2G/3G INTEROPERABILITY BSS FEATURES

In large parts of the world GSM / GPRS is the main mobile telecommunications system. The UMTS
system will provide the 3G services by “UMTS islands in the sea of the GSM coverage”. Most of the
UMTS terminals will be bi-mode terminals (UMTS/GSM/GPRS terminals) and 3G subscribers will be
also 2G subscribers.

It is thus of extreme importance for the operator to provide the end-users with all the necessary
2G/3G interoperability services from the very beginning of UMTS deployment.

Different cases of 2G/3G interoperability have to be considered:

- 2G and 3G networks belong to different operators,

- 2G and 3G networks belong to the same operator, with 2 alternative options:
- Same PLMN code,
- Different PLMN code.

2G/3G interworking has to be analyzed in the following situations:

- CS traffic: idle mode and handover

- Packet traffic: packet idle mode and packet transfer mode.

3G towards 2G

In this direction, 2G/3G interworking means ensuring service continuity at the edge of the UMTS
coverage.

The following features can be identified:

- UMTS to GSM/GPRS cell re-selection: Having no impact on the BSS (in this direction, cell re-
selection is an UTRAN matter only), this feature won’t be further detailed.
- UMTS to GSM handover (15 48 10)

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

2G towards 3G

In this direction, 2G/3G interworking means, in idle mode, come back to 3G as soon as possible,
because:

- From the end user perspective:

- he has paid for 3G services,
- From the 2G operator perspective:
- If he is also the 3G operator of the end user, he does not want to keep needlessly in its
2G layer 3G capable terminals and he wants to satisfy his customer with enhanced 3G
services,
- If he is not the 3G operator of the end user (e.g. national roaming, where a 2G
incumbent operator offers its 2G coverage to a 3G new comer), he does not want to
keep needlessly in its 2G layer those 3G capable terminals, as soon as they can be
handled by this 3G network.
- From the 3G operator perspective:
- He wants to get the maximum revenues from its 3G subscribers.

The 2G to 3G interoperability in idle mode aspects are taken into account through cell re-selection
means..

In a first approach, a solution could have been to rely only on the HPLMN re-selection procedure.
However this approach, which has the advantage of simplicity, has however two very important
drawbacks:

- The case where the operator has the same PLMN code for its 2G and 3G networks can not be
handled.
- Even if the operator has selected 2 different PLMN codes for its 2G and 3G networks, the
HPLMN procedure is very slow (not better than 6 minutes, default value 60 minutes).

Alcatel has thus decided to base its 3G cell re-selection strategy on a real cell re-selection capability,
comparable to what already exists for 2G to 2G cell re-selection. Two features cover these aspects:

- GSM to UMTS cell re-selection (15 48 20)

- GPRS to UMTS cell re-selection triggered by MS (30 28 10)

The Alcatel implementation of 2G to 3G cell re-selection allows a “3G camping strategy”. With this
strategy, the end user takes benefit from a quicker access time to 3G services, as its terminal is
already camping in a 3G cell when the service is requested.

In Circuit Switched mode, in some specific cases, a handover from a GSM cell to UMTS can be
useful.

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

4. FEATURE DESCRIPTION

4.1 UMTS to GSM handover

The feature provides the GSM network with the ability to support an incoming handover from an
UMTS cell.

As a synthesis, the already existing GSM handover procedures are almost completely re-used and
the handover is seen by the BSS as a GSM inter-BSC handover.

As a consequence, the feature relies mainly on the support of modifications brought to the existing
interfaces (e.g.: the BSSMAP messages coming from a 3G MSC include a new cell identifier).

4.2 GSM to UMTS Cell Re-selection–GPRS to UMTS cell re-selection

triggered by MS

As seen from the BSS, the feature consists in broadcasting in the concerned GSM cells information
on surrounding UMTS cells.

These information are:

- The list of frequencies used in the surrounding UMTS cells,

- The radio parameters required for re-selecting a UMTS cell (see 6.1, Parameters).

They are broadcast on BCCH (in SI2 ter) and, in case the Master Channel is activated, on PBCCH
(in PSI3 quater).

With these information the MS is able to operate a “blind” cell re-selection (Synchronizing with a
UMTS frequency, the terminals is able to detect all its associated scrambling codes (one UTRAN
FDD cell can be derived from one UMTS frequency plus one scrambling code)).

It has to be particularly noted that the blind search technique simplifies 2G/3G operation. Indeed
there is no need for exchanging scrambling codes between the 2G and the 3G networks. This
advantage holds all the more true when the 2G and the 3G operator are different, a typical example
being 2G/3G national roaming (a 2G operator offering its 2G coverage to one or several 3G
newcomers).

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

The feature is controlled by a parameter EN_2G_TO_3G_CELL_RESELECTION, on a per cell

1
basis , which allows for the following possible behaviors:

- 2G to 3G cell reselection deactivated.

- 2G to 3G cell reselection activated.
- 2G to 3G cell reselection activated, but 3G search is forbidden to MS performing a GPRS
transfer: This parameter setting enables a system behavior corresponding to the feature
“UMTS search deactivation during GPRS transfer (30 28 12), available from B8.

4.3 UMTS search deactivation during GPRS transfer

(The feature (30 28 12) is available from the B8 release).

2G to 3G cell re-selection has no impact on MS performance when the MS is in idle mode.

This is not the case when the MS performs a GPRS transfer, for two reasons:

- The measurements that a bi-mode MS performs on the surrounding UMTS frequencies may
disturb an on going GPRS transfer.

- Cell re-selections triggered between a GSM and a UMTS cell take quite a long time and induce
data transfer interruption highly perceived by the end user.

To solve this issue, the Alcatel BSS allows forbidding any GPRS to UMTS cell re-selection for an MS
performing a GPRS transfer.

Behavior of the feature when NC2 is not activated

If the Qsearch parameter (broadcast in (Packet) System Information) is different from “never search
3G cells”, each time a bi-mode terminal enters the Packet Transfer mode, the BSS sends a Packet
Measurement Order message to this MS indicating that it shall not monitor anymore 3G cell (and
thus shall not perform any cell re-selection towards a 3G cell).

The MS reverts by itself to the behavior specified in the System Information (MS authorized to
perform 3G search) at READY timer expiry.

Behavior of the feature when the NC2 is activated

1
Before B9MR4, this parameter is on a per BSS basis.

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

In that case, to inhibit 3G measurements and re-selections, the feature uses the Packet
Measurement Order message already sent to put the MS in NC2 mode. No additional message is
sent.

Two possibilities are offered to revert to original behavior, depending of NC2 parameterization.

- At the end of the data transfer: in that case, the BSS uses the same Packet Measurement
Order message to make revert the MS in NCO and to re-authorize 3G search.
- At Ready timer expiry: In that case, the MS reverts alone to NC0 mode and 3G search
activated mode simultaneously.

Please refer to NC2 functional feature description for more details on NC2 Alcatel implementation.

4.4 Load based 3G handover filtering

(The feature (15 48 30) is available from the B9 release)

The feature increases the global efficiency of the network through load balancing improvements
between 2G and 3G.

Indeed it may happen that 3G to 2G handovers impact 2G load at a point that 2G only MS may not
be served anymore.

To avoid this situation, the BSS can be configured in such a way that it accepts only the handovers
requested for Emergency reasons when the 2G target cell is too much loaded: then handovers
requested for non Emergency (non “time critical”) reasons) are rejected.

A cell is considered as too much loaded when its current load exceeds the value of the
THR_CELL_LOAD_3G_REJECT parameter.

An incoming 3G handover is seen as requested for Emergency reasons if the handover cause IE of
the BSSAP Handover Request message has one of the following values:

- Uplink quality,

- Uplink strength,

- Downlink quality,

- Downlink strength,

- Distance.

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

An incoming 3G handover rejection is signaled by the BSS through the HANDOVER FAILURE
message with the cause “no radio resource available”. In addition this message contains an
indication of the load of the 2G cell.

As defined in 3GPP R’5, the cell load is given in the UL and DL “Cell Load Information” IEs encoded
in the “Inter-System Information Transparent Container” which is transparently routed by the MSC
towards the target RNC. Within this structure, Alcatel provides the “Cell Capacity Class” and “Cell
Load” information. The UL and DL information are identical. The Cell Capacity Class is an O&M
parameter changeable at the OMC-R.

Then it is up to the UTRAN to decide on the usage of these information (e.g. stop sending non critical
handover towards this 2G cell for a while, in order to avoid unnecessary additional signaling load in
both 2G and 3G systems).

The feature “Load based 3G handover filtering” is activated in a cell when the
THR_CELL_LOAD_3G_REJECT parameter is below 100%.

4.5 GSM to UMTS Handover

In some specific cases, a handover from GSM to UMTS can be useful. It can be envisaged for
example at the border of UMTS coverage, in order to unload GSM cells.

In order to handle such situations, handover from GSM to UMTS is provided for multimode mobiles.

When the feature is activated in 2G cells, the BSS needs to broadcast in the concerned GSM cells
information on surrounding UMTS cells. All information on the candidate 3G cells are transmitted to
multimode mobiles, through SACCH channels.

Unlike cell re-selection, “blind” handover is not possible ; therefore the 3G cells have to be identified
in an unambiguous way (see parameters in Operation & Maintenance Chapter).

A 3G cell is defined through its MCC, MNC, LAC, CI, and RNC.

In each 2G cell where the feature is activated, information on neighbour 3G cells is broadcast; it
encompasses the Radio Frequency and the Scrambling Code of these cells. It also indicates the
measurements that multimode mobiles must report to the BSS.

The MS report measurements (Ec/No) which are averaged in a sliding window and compared to a
threshold in the BSS.

A handover is systematically triggered for multimode MS which report a UTRAN cell with a sufficient
signal strength.

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

When several 3G cells are reported and candidate for handover, the 3G cell with the best radio
conditions is chosen.

Handover to 3G is always prioritized regarding handover to 2G.

Handover to 3G is supported for TCH only (no handover to 3G from SDCCH ).

Note : in addition, the BSS handles the “Service Handover” IE (information element).

The MSC may inhibit the handover to 3G for some MS : In this case, the MSC informs the BSS
through the “Service Handover” IE, transmitted in the ASSIGNMENT REQUEST and in the
HANDOVER REQUEST messages.

If this element indicates “Handover to UTRAN or cdma2000 shall not be performed”, then the BSS
does not send any measurement information message to that MS, then avoiding the MS to search
3G cells.

4.6 Other B9 improvement: SI2 quater scheduling

From the B9 release, the 3G neighborhood information are conveyed in SI2quater on BCCH instead
of SI2 ter.

The SI2 quater coding is more efficient than SI2 ter then it allows the MSs to acquire and to refresh
more quickly their knowledge of the 3G neighboring cells information.

SI2quater message are sent on the Extended BCCH if the Extended BCCH has been enabled by the
operator, otherwise on the Normal BCCH.

5. HARDWARE COVERAGE

No hardware modification is required in the BSS.

In B9 the scheduling of 3G neighborhood information in SI2 Quater is performed by all supported

BTS, except the G2 BTSs. For those BTSs, the 3G neighborhood information are provided in SI2ter,
as in B8. (Indeed G2 BTS are supported in B9 at B7 BTS SW level and this modification of the
System Information scheduling impacts the BTS SW).

GSM to UMTS handovers are not supported on G2 BTS.

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

6. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

6.1 Main Parameters

Parameter name Description Instance

Cell re-selection
EN_2G_TO_3G_CELL_RE Can take 3 values: BSS
SELECTION - 2G to 3G cell reselection deactivated. Cell from
- 2G to 3G cell reselection activated. B9MR4
- 2G to 3G cell reselection activated, but 3G
search is forbidden to MS performing a GPRS
transfer (From B8).
FDD_ARFCN_LIST - Broadcast on BCCH and PBCCH. BSS
- List of FDD UMTS frequencies to be monitored
by terminals
Qsearch - Broadcast on BCCH and PBCCH. Cell
- Signal level of the GSM serving cell under
which a terminal shall begin to look for UMTS
cells.
- Signal level of the GSM serving cell over which
a terminal shall begin to look for UMTS cells.
- Specific values enable also to always enable or
always disable the search of UMTS cells in the
terminals.
FDD_Qoffset - Broadcast on BCCH and PBCCH Cell
Usage by terminal: UMTS cell can be selected by
the MS if received level in UMTS cell is higher
than the level received in serving GSM cell
(RLA_C or RLA_P) + this offset.
FDD_Qmin - Broadcast on BCCH and PBCCH Cell
Usage by terminal: UMTS cell can be selected if
Signal/Noise (Ec/No) is higher than this threshold.
Load based 3G handover
filtering
THR_CELL_LOAD_3G_R Load threshold (%) determining whether a 3G to Cell
EJECT 2G handover request shall be accepted or
rejected (From B9)
CELL_CAPACITY_CLASS Capacity class of the cell, measured on a linear Cell
scale, ranging from 1 to 100 (From B9)
Handover to 3G
EN_3G_HO Flag to enable/disable the Handover to UMTS 2G Cell

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 Interoperability with UMTS in Releases B7, B8 and B9

Identification of 3G cells
MCC_3G(n) Mobile Country Code 3G Cell
MNC_3G(n) Mobile Network Code 3G Cell
RNC_ID(n) identification of the RNC node. 3G Cell
CI_3G(n) identification of the 3G cell 3G Cell
LAC_3G(n) LAC 3G Cell

Info transmitted to MS
FDD_ARFCN(n) UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel 3G Cell
Number
SCRAMBLING_CODE_3G Primary Scrambling Code as defined in 3G Cell
(n) 3GPP TS 25.213
EN_3G_DIVERSITY(n) This parameter indicates if diversity is applied for 3G Cell
the cell
FDD_MULTIRAT_REPOR Number of cells from 3G FDD that shall be BSS
TING included in the list of strongest cells or in the
measurement report.
FDD_REPORTING_THRE Threshold (0 dB, 6 dB… 36 dB, never) above 2G Cell
SHOLD which the MS shall report the measurements.
FDD_REPORTING_OFFS Offset (0 dB, 6 dB… 42 dB) that the MS shall 2G Cell
ET apply to the measurements before reporting.
QSEARCH_C Same goal as QSEARCH, used in dedicated 2G Cell
mode
HO parameters
A_ECNO_HO Averaging interval for Ec/No 2G Cell
THR_ECNO Ec/No Threshold above which a handover to 2G Cell
UTRAN will be triggered

End of Document

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