VoLGA (Voice over LTE via Generic Access)

Bringing Voice and SMS to LTE

Steve ShawVP Marketing

Kineto Wirelesssshaw@kineto.com

The Voice over LTE Problem

LTE Objectives:

• Maximize return on LTE investment– Lower cost structure for all mobile services– Migrate mainstream voice subscribers to LTE

Problem:

• Voice (and SMS) was not built-in to LTE– Telephony is an overlay (IMS, VoLGA, …)

• IMS Telephony outside planning timeline– Work still required to match existing voice svcs

Solution:

• Bring primary revenue services to LTE– Counter over-the-top VoIP competition

•PSTN is the largest comms network ever created•>4 billion active mobile connections at end-2008; >6 billion by 2014•By 2014, 77% of revenue globally is voice & SMS (vs. 86% in 2009)

Mobile Network EvolutionR

AN

VO

ICE

CO

RE

Telephony Core network remains as

long as there is a GSM or 3G RAN

GSM

3G/HSPA

LTE

Telephony

IMS Telephony?

Voice overLTE GAP

Options:1. VoLGA2. CS Fallback

1990s 2010s2000s

Mobile Operator Options

GERAN LTEUTRAN

Circuit ServicesPacket Services

Tel SMS VMS

BSC EPCRNC

Pre-IMS Voice Options:

• VoLGA– Voice over LTE via Generic Access– Packetize existing Voice and SMS

services and deliver over LTE

• CS Fallback– Instruct handsets to ‘fallback’ to a 3G or

2G network whenever voice service are required 2

1

2

1MSC

VANC

CS Fallback… Falls short

• Poor user experience– Minimum 30% increase in post-

dial delays

– Increased potential for call/network drops

• Costly and complex– Must upgrade MSC network

– Increased signaling due to network switching

• A ‘stop-gap’ solution– A step away from IMS

• No RCS, required MSC upgrades, …

– No support for LTE femtocells

GERAN LTEUTRAN

Circuit ServicesPacket Services

Tel SMS VMS

BSC RNC

1

MSC

Not actually voice over LTENot actually voice over LTE

EPC

VoLGA Delivers Voice over LTE

• Excellent user experience– Same or faster call setup times– Full support of all voice features

• E911, pre-paid,…

• Minimal cost/complexity– “Doesn’t touch MSC”– External controller available from variety of

TEMs

• A better path to IMS– Supports combinational voice/ IMS data

today– Uses RFC 4867 and RoHC for voice

transport• As planned for IMS telephony

• Supports LTE femtocells– Voice delivered natively via LTE

GERAN LTEUTRAN

Circuit ServicesPacket Services

Tel SMS VMS

BSC RNC

MSC

EPC

VANC

SMS Required for First LTE Deployments

• Support for SMS over LTE is required at initial launch

– SMS is not intrinsic part of LTE

• SMS is essential for subscriber management

– Dongles, netbooks, datacards,…

• SMS needed for roaming– EU roaming regulations

VoLGA overcomes SMS over LTE roadblocks In time for initial deployments Data-only LTE/3G Devices

SubscriberSetup

SubscriberNotifications

DongleConfigurations

DataPlan Setup

RoamingConfigurations Regulatory

WarningsSubscriberWarnings

RegulatorNotification

OTANotificationOTC Svs

Bill ShockWarning

PLMNSelection

RoamingTariff

Notification

Stop PremiumService

Cell IDInterrogation

SM-SC

VoLGA is Visited Network IndependentVoLGA is Visited Network Independent

Validation of SMS over LTE Requirement

Dismissal of CSFB as solution• Submissions to 3GPP SA2 on

June 1, 2009– Co-signed by Vodafone, China

Mobile, ALU, Huawei, Starent, ZTE.

• Rules out CS Fallback and IMS as valid options for SMS over LTE

• Proposes alternative solution to SMS over LTE

– Still requires visited network support

• VoLGA Forum investigating( http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_sa/TSG_SA/TSGS_44/Docs/SP-090429.zip)

Voice over LTE via Generic Access

VoLGA Momentum

• Stage 2 specifications published

• T-Mobile/VoLGA Forum webinar

• Added 8 new members– Genband, HTC, Mavenir, Sonus, Starent, Tecore, Ulticom,

WiChorus

• Considerable news coverage– Forum launched March 31, 2009

11

Path to Standardization

T-Mobile and Kineto complete

initial feasibility study

VoLGA Development Agreement Released

Introduced into 3GPP CSoEPS

TR study item

Agreed as preferred

way forward in CSoEPS

TR summary

2008 2009

Companies initiate

promotion and standardization

efforts

Next StepIntroduce to

3GPP

2nd OutputStage 2

Complete in June

3rd OutputStage 3

completed by Sep 2009

1st OutputStage 1

Completed March

12

Four things to know about VoLGA

1. VoLGA delivers SMS over LTE– SMS over LTE is critical for early data-only deployments– Key requirement for LTE dongles, datacards and netbooks

2. For devices, VoLGA is the lowest impact design− VoLGA packetizes and transports existing messages

− CS Fallback requires modification to GSM/3G protocol stacks, new interfaces

− IMS Telephony is a totally new call control system

3. VoLGA is very efficient – Uses RFC 4867 and RoHC (just like IMS)– VoLGA does not tunnel user traffic

4. VoLGA is a better path to IMS than CSFB– Avoid MSC upgrades for CSFB– Deploy IMS-based RCS (Rich Communications Suite) combinational voice/data services

• Start IMS evolution today

About Kineto Wireless• Focus: Enabling mobile operators to embrace broadband access

– FMC: Dual-mode handsets, femtocells, terminal adaptors, soft mobiles

– Voice over LTE: Extending mobile voice and SMS services over LTE

• Key innovator behind key industry standards– 3GPP UMA/GAN

– 3GPP HNB (Femtocell)

– 3GPP CSoEPS (VoLGA)

• Leading provider of FMC and Voice over LTE technology to major wireless infrastructure and devices suppliers