Telecom Technology &

Architecture Evolution
R A H U L K A U N DA L

W W W. I T E LC OT E C H . C O M
GSM/GPRS Network – Monolithic Architecture
Radio access network GSM/GPRS core network
BSS Registration CS - Domain
Authentication
CS - Control & User
Mobility Mngt. MSC GMSC PSTN, ISDN Plane are carried by
BTS VLR MSC alone
MS BSC HLR Subscriber database
Authentication
PCU AuC Location updates
SGSN
EIR
BTS
Packet routing
GGSN Internet
Voice Attach/detach IP Backbone
Location mngt. IP address assignment
Data PS - Domain Charging functions
Coverts packet data
protocol (PDP*) format
MS-Mobile Station PCU-Packet Control Unit GMSC-Gateway MSC
BTS-Base Transceiver Station MSC-Mobile Switching Centre SGSN-Serving GPRS Support Node
BSC-Base Station Controller HLR-Home Location Register GGSN-Gateway GPRS Support Node
PDP – Packet data Protocol VLR-Visitors Location Register EIR-Equipment Identity Register

PDP context is a data structure present on both the serving SGSN & GGSN which contains the subscriber's session
information when the subscriber has an active session
3G-UMTS Release 4 onwards (GSM + UMTS) – Split Architecture

CS - Control &
User Plane are
disaggregated using
MSC & MGW resp.

MS-Mobile Station PCU-Packet Control Unit GMSC-Gateway MSC

BTS-Base Transceiver Station MSC-Mobile Switching Centre SGSN-Serving GPRS Support Node
BSC-Base Station Controller HLR-Home Location Register GGSN-Gateway GPRS Support Node
RNC – Radio Network Controller VLR-Visitors Location Register MGW – Media Gateway
PSTN – Public Switched Telephony NW ISDN – Integrated Service Digital Network
 IMS Architecture- Release 5
IP Multimedia Subsystem provides the voice services over IP & converge multiple services over IP-based networks

AS
Each sub allocates a
SCSCF
Routing of SIP messages AS
Fetch sub profile from S-
HSS
CSCF

Query HSS to discover

SCSCF I-
Routing of SIP messages
to SCSCF CSCF

Routing of
registration/service req.
Updates S-CSCF P-
Provides Session info to CSCF
Policy & Charging
Functions
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)

P-CSCF– Proxy Call session control function S-CSCF– Serving Call session control function
I-CSCF– Interrogating Call session control function AS – Application Server
HSS – Home Subscriber Server SIP – Session Initiation Protocol
IMS allows 3G operators to offer rich & flexible communication features such as VoIP, video conferencing & instant messaging.
Networks Architecture Evolution – Release 6 to 8

HSPA – High Speed Packet Access

4G – LTE Architecture – Release 8
NAS Signaling User subscription data
Registration
Access Authentication
Authentication credentials
RRM Mobility management control Updates location register
Access
User/control
plane
Connection
setup
MME HSS

Record Billing
SGW PCRF Policy rules for data
rates ,QoS, quota

Packet routing & fwd.

Tx level Pkt marking (UL/DL)
Local mobility anchor (Inter eNB)

EUTRAN
PGW
Control Plane QoS handling
UE IP allocation
Mobility anchor Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
User Plane UL/DL charging

MME – Mobility Management Entity HSS – Home Subscriber Subsystem

PCRF – Policy & Charing Rule Function SGW – Serving Gateway
PGW – Packet Data Network Gateway
 4G/LTE Evolution
LTE LTE Advanced LTE Advanced Pro (4.5G)

Flat Architecture
Architecture (Evolved Radio/Transport/Core)
Same as LTE Virtualization/Cloudification

Advanced Antenna techniques NB-IOT

Radio Evolved from legacy (Enhanced MIMO, Increased MIMO
Advancements (OFDM, Modulation, MIMO) Beamforming) Increased Modulation(256QAM)

Enhanced Carrier Aggr. (32)

Features All IP based (inc. voice) IOT
+ High Carrier Aggregation
Enhanced data rates V2X
Private LTE

OFDM – Orthogonal frequency division multiple access; MIMO – Multiple Input Multiple Output; IOT – Internet of Things; V2X – Vehicle to Everything

4.5G also known as Gigabit LTE

5G Architecture – Release 15
NAS Signaling
Registration User subscription data Authenticate
RRM Access Authentication Authentication credentials devices
QoS Mobility management control
Access
User/control
plane
Connection
setup AMF UDM AUSF

Record Billing
SMF PCF Policy rules for NW
slicing, roaming &
mobility management
Signaling related to user data
Traffic steering at UPF
Manage PDU session
UE IP allocation

UPF
Packet routing & fwd.
Mobility anchor
5G Core Network
Control Plane QoS handling
(5GC)
User Plane AMF – Access & Mobility Management Function AUSF – Authentication Server Function
UDM – Unified Data Management Function PCF – Policy Control Function
SMF – Session Management Function UPF – User Plane Function
5G – Service Based Architecture
Modular Self Contained Agile Flexible Leverage SDN/NFV

Control Plane

User Plane

Source – 3GPP

Network functions (NFs) offer their services to any other NFs via a common framework of interfaces
5G –Architecture Evolution & Deployment

establishing secure managing mobility &

applying policies
connections sessions

routing/aggregate
charging QoS handling
traffic

Deployment
• Only one radio access technology
Standalone
is used

Non- • When both 5G radio and 4G

Standalone radio access networks are used
 i
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And refer to the learning path:

Telecom Essentials 2G to 5G