Presented by Andrs Mauricio Ruiz Gomez Magister in Electronic Engineer January 2013

Aims of Presentation
To achieve a general understanding of UMTS system To identify the different UMTS network elements and

architecture
UE: User Equipment UTRAN: UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network Core Network

UMTS: A Brief Overview

It is a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System designed to provide seamless telecommunication services with enhancement in quality, data, rate, reliability, connectivity, system interfaces adaptability, current and next generation technologies.

UMTS Architecture

Figure 1. UMTS Basic Architecture [2.]

User Equipment (UE)

It is made up by Mobile Equipment (ME) and UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) The USIM contains user-specific information and the authentication and encryption keys that authenticates a user's access to a network. Whereas, in the ME are the protocol stack of the radio interface as well as the operating elements for the user interface.

User Equipment Domain

The USIM domain and the ME domain form the User Equipment Domain. User Equipment Domain handles the access of the user onto the UMTS services

Figure 2. User Equipment Domain [3.]

Radio Access Network: UTRAN

It is the network infrastructure that contains the facilities for transmitting over radio.

The UTRAN contains two types of nodes:

The Radio Network Controller (RNC), which controls resource management in one or more base stations (Node B). Handoff decisions, congestion control, power control, encryption, admission control, protocol conversion Node B performs the air interface processing (channel coding, rate adaptation, spreading, synchronization, power control). It is able to manage one or more radio cells using WCDMA.

All nodes and functions of the Radio Access Network (RAN) are contained in the Access Network domain. (See Figure 3)

Core Network (CN)

The Core Network (CN) is the long-range network that transports a users data to its respective destination.

The CN contains a multitude of switching systems as well as gateways to other networks such as PSTN/ISDN networks or the Internet.

Core Network Domain (CN)

The Serving Network domain contains the functions of

the specific CN that a user uses at a specific point in time for access to UMTS services. The Transit Network domain contains the functions of transit networks. The Home Network domain functionality and

information which is independent of actual user location.

The Access Network Domain Physical entities managing

the resources of the access network

Core Network Domain (CN)

These three domains are combined into the Core Network domain. Together with the Access Network domain they form the Infrastructure domain.

Figure 3. Infrastructure Domain [3.]

Types of Switching
In UMTS networks exist mainly two possibilities for exchanging information:
Circuit Switched Domain. Packet Switched Domain.

UMTS networks support both types of switching, in each case with special nodes in the CN. Both parts of the CN use the same Radio Access Network (RAN).

Circuit Switched Domain (CS)

This channel remains operational for the entire duration of the transmission. After all information has been transmitted, the channel is released again.

Figure 4. Circuit Switching [1].

Packet Switched Domain (PS)

Each individual packet is provided with a destination address so that it can be transmitted individually through the intermediate stations.

Figure 5. Packet Switching [1].

Architecture of The Access Plane

Figure 6. UMTS Architecture [4].

Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and Gateway Mobile Switching Center(GMSC)

The Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) is a switching node that supports circuit-switched connections. It has the following functions:
Routing of interlocutors Localization Procedures Hangover Procedures

The Gateway Mobile Switching Centre (GMSC) is a interface to external networks.

Home Location Register (HLR)

The database storing the master copy of a users profile. It has the following functions:
Subscriber Information Current Visitor Location Register (VLR), SGSN. Service-Specific informations/authorizations.

Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)

The Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) carries out tasks for packet-switched transmission. It has the following functions:
Subscriber information Micro mobility

Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)

The gateways to other packet data networks, such as the Internet, are connected to the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN). The GGSN usually incorporates a firewall.
Endpoint of the IP - Tunnel Macro mobility

Radio Network Controller (RNC)

The Radio Network Controller (RNC) is the central node in a radio access network and assumes the management of the resources in all attached cells (channel allocation, handover, power control). The main responsibilities of RNC are he following:

Call admission control. Radio resource management. Radio bearer setup and release. Code allocation. Power control. Packet scheduling Hangover. Encryption. Protocol Conversion ATM switching

Node B
Acts as the radio base station (BTS in GSM). There
are three types of Node B corresponding to the two UTRA modes: UTRA-FDD Node B, UTRA-TDD Node B and Dual-mode Node B. The main functions of Node B are the following:
Inner loop power control, synchronization Layer 1 task.(PHY)

Handover in UMTS
In UMTS there are mainly three different types of handover.

Figure 7. UMTS Basic Architecture [1.]

UMTS Protocol Stack for Packet Switching

Figure 8. UMTS Protocol Stack for Packet Switching [4.]

UMTS Protocol Stack for Circuit Switching

Figure 9. UMTS Protocol Stack for Circuit Switching [4.]

References
[1]. B Walke, R Seidenberg, M. P. Althoff. UMTS The fundamentals, Wiley 2003. [2]. Singh M., UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. Power Point Presentation available on http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/3627946-186342-umts-science-technologyppt-powerpoint/ [3]. Communication Systems UMTS network architecture and interfaces, Power Point Presentation available on https://www.google.com.co/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0C D8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Felectures.informatik.unifreiburg.de%2Fportal%2Fdownload%2F15%2F8824%2F12_1_UMTS.ppt&ei=XM70UJ emCITa8wSBl4DgAg&usg=AFQjCNHFWbJ5_fxU5DD-UnLSuvOmQ7hPw&sig2=5GrOowqNgdivWVO62oLMIA&bvm=bv.41018144,d.eWU. [4]. UMTS Protocols and architecture, PDF document available on http://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/courses/EPL657/pitsillides_slides_2009/EPL%20657%20U MTS-protocols%20and%20architecture.pdf

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