UMTS System Overview

Overview

This course is primarily designed for engineers working for equipment vendors and for network operators who are involved in equipment design, manufacture, network planning, network optimization, strategy determination or deployment of UMTS technology. Some may find this course is all they need to know, for others it will provide a steppingstone to further study on an appropriate Wray Castle Technical Level 3 course. This course is also very useful for engineers and scientists working in areas related to UMTS operation. This includes base station management, antenna or transmission line design, Government security or forensic work, service developers, legal professionals supporting operators or local authorities, various support staff and those in technical management roles.

On completion of this course the delegate will be able to:

• list typical services and applications that may be offered through a UMTS/HSPA system
• identify the basic principles of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and its application in a cellular system
• identify the general access network and core network architecture of a UMTS/HSPA system
• identify the core network technologies and general operation
• list the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) functional elements and interfaces
• describe the structure and fundamental radio characteristics of the UMTS/HSPA air interface
• characterize key physical, transport and logical channels provided by the UTRAN
• describe basic signalling flows for call control and mobility management
• outline User Equipment (UE) activity in idle mode and connected mode
• list the UMTS security features and advanced UMTS operational features
• state what advantages the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) will bring to UMTS and identify how an IMS may be used

In addition to gaining a good understanding of the UMTS system and its capabilities, attending this course will enable the delegate to deliver operational improvements and generate cost savings or reduce project timelines by:

• improving network design, planning, operations and maintenance
• avoiding the laborious search through specifications, standards and white papers, while benefiting from a
• practical analysis and interpretation of such documentation by experienced engineers
• knowing better where to look to accelerate research and fact finding and facilitate earlier project completion
• improving the equipment procurement process by better analysis and challenge of technical specifications and supplier responses, thus giving greater certainty to on-target performance and value-for-money purchasing
• shortening the learning curve and speeding productive inputs from new team members and freeing more experienced employees’ time
• evaluating better a system’s capabilities through improved knowledge, leading to superior operations and maintenance performance
• providing greater confidence in the sale of equipment by anticipating customers’ technical requirements and being able to promote relevant superior equipment performance

and, after the course, Wray Castle’s unrivalled post-course support comes into effect.

Section 1 – 0.5 hours Evolution to 3G
Progression to 3G systems
Third-generation standardization
Spectrum

Section 2 – 1.25 hours UMTS Services
Introduction to UMTS services
UMTS service aims and service definition
Basic telecommunication services
Service capabilities
Bearer services and teleservices
Multimedia services
Value Added Services (VAS)
Messaging
Media formats for VASs
Compression techniques
USIM Application Toolkit (USAT)
Future multimedia services

Section 3 – 1.25 hours UMTS Architecture
IMT-2000 network architecture
2G network architecture
UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN)
Core Network (CN)
Other access networks
User Equipment (UE)
UE modes and service states
Radio network architecture
UMTS system areas and identities

Section 4 – 1 hour UTRAN
UTRAN architecture and interfaces
ATM and IP in the UTRAN
General UTRAN protocol structure
Iub, Iur and Iu interfaces

Section 5 – 2 hours Core Network and Interworking
The UMTS Core Network (CN)
Core network architecture and interfaces
The Circuit-Switched (CS) domain
GPRS attach
Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context
QoS profile
Interworking between UMTS networks
Interworking with IP
Customized Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL)
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
Accessing the IM CN subsystem
IM service architecture

Section 6 – 2 hours CDMA Principles
Multiple access schemes
CDMA concept
Processing gain
Direct Sequence (DS) spread spectrum
UMTS code types
General CDMA code functions

Section 7 – 0.5 hours Power Control and Handover
Cell capacity
Spectrum efficiency in cellular systems
Power control
The rake receiver
Transmit diversity
Handovers
Soft handover
Cell breathing
Optimal features for interference suppression
MIMO principles

Section 8 – 1.5 hours The Air Interface
Air interface structure
Air interface modes of operation
Radio carrier allocation
Hierarchical Cellular Structure (HCS)
Access Stratum (AS) and Non Access Stratum (NAS)
Logical and transport channels
Protocol termination within the UTRAN
Logical to transport channel mapping
Physical channels
Uplink Dedicated Physical Channel (DPCH)
Downlink Dedicated Physical Channel (DPCH)
HSPA/HSPA+ principles
HSDPA general operation
E-DCH general operation

Section 9 – 2 hours Procedures
Idle mode procedures
PLMN selection
Cell selection
Synchronization
Random access
Connected mode operation
Basic registration procedures
CS mobile-originated call
PDP context activation
IP Multimedia session set-up through the PS domain
Admission control
Security functions

This course has been developed for staff requiring a broad overview of a technology area. It assumes some underlying technical ability and may require general knowledge of telecommunications and of network operation. It also assumes general engineering skills and knowledge appropriate to the course topic.

Along with a paper copy of comprehensive course notes the delegate will receive an electronic version on CD. This provides delegates with an easily transportable and fully searchable reference tool, including all the colour detail of the course presentation.

Following attendance on any Wray Castle course the delegate will automatically become eligible for free post-course support. If a delegate has any questions relating to the course content, this service puts the delegate in direct e-mail contact with a Wray Castle expert.

This course is designed for instructor-led training. The practical and/or complex nature of the course is best delivered in a class where the Wray Castle expert trainer can demonstrate and explain the content using a variety of specialist delivery techniques.

Those involved with mobile network operation or equipment design should consider courses from our UMTS suite including UMTS Core Network, IMS and SIP, UMTS Air Interface, Cell Planning for UMTS Networks, Introduction to UMTS Optimization and 2G/3G Indoor Coverage Planning. Related technologies are covered in our IP, MPLS, and CAMEL courses. Students should also consider our expanding LT E portfolio.

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) has been designed to be flexible enough to transport a wide range of traffic types, each with different quality of service requirements. This exacting requirement has led to a very complex technology that is described in tens of thousands of pages of technical specifications. Wray Castle has distilled these technical specifications into a tight and focused learning experience. This two-day course provides a high-level tour of the whole system that does not sacrifice technical accuracy. The course enables delegates to build up a picture of the network elements, their key interactions and their interconnection to the outside world. The course focuses on the current build for most operators at Releases 5/6. This is then extended to cover all the key innovations for Releases 7/8. This guide to the rich mix of technologies and plethora of acronyms that constitute UMTS will significantly shorten the learning curve for understanding this technology.

Prerequisites

It is recommended that delegates are familiar with the architecture and general operation of 2G mobile networks, for example through attendance on our GSM System Overview course. However, most people with an ability to understand technical information will benefit from this course.