Ques 1 – Which QCI bearer is used for IMS Signaling?

Ans - VOLTE capable UE makes one more default bearer with QCI-5 for IMS related signaling.
APN (Access Point Name) used for this default bearer is always IMS.

QoS Class Identifier (QCI) is a mechanism used in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks to
ensure bearer traffic is allocated appropriate Quality of Service (QoS). Different bearer traffic
requires different QoS and therefore different QCI values

Ques 2 – Which protocol is used for communication between MME and HSS?

Ans – http://www.lteandbeyond.com/2012/01/interfaces-and-their-protocol-stacks.html

Nodes Interfaces Protocol

UE - ENB Uu
ENB - SGW S1- U GTP-U (GPRS Tunnelling
Protocol for the user plane):
This protocol tunnels user
data between eNodeB and
SGW.
UDP: This protocol transfers
user data. UDP is defined in
RFC 768.

ENB - MME S1- MME S1-AP (S1 Application

Protocol): Application Layer
Protocol between the
eNodeB and MME.
SCTP (Stream Control
Transmission
Protocol): This protocol
guarantees delivery of
signalling messages between
MME and eNodeB (S1).
MME – SGW S11 GTP-C: This protocol
tunnels signalling messages
between MME and SGW.
UDP: This protocol transfers
signalling messages between
MME and SGW.

MME – HSS S6a Diameter: This protocol

supports transferring of
subscription and
authentication data for
authenticating/authorizing
user access to the evolved
system between MME and
HSS (S6a). Diameter is
defined in RFC 3588.
SCTP: This protocol
transfers signalling
messages. SCTP is defined
in RFC 4960.

SGW – PGW S5 / S8 This protocol tunnels

signalling messages between
SGW and PGW.
UDP: This protocol transfers
signalling messages between
SGW and PGW.

PGW – IMS Sgi

PGW – PCRF Gx
PCRF – IMS Rx
SGSN- MME S3 GTP-C (GPRS Tunnelling
Protocol for the Control
Plane): This protocol tunnels
signalling messages between
SGSN and MME
UDP (User Datagram
Protocol): This protocol
signaling messages.

SGSN - SGW S4 GTP-C (mentioned above):

This protocol tunnels
signalling messages between
SGSN and SGW.
UDP: This protocol transfers
signalling messages
Ques 3 – What is local breakout concept in case of roaming?

Ans – Local Breakout is a key feature of LTE. It enables visitor networks to breakout internet sessions
into home network, instead of routing back to Home networks, e.g. Facebook vs Banking apps.

Uses Diameter over S9 interface:

•Lies between the H-PCRF and the V-PCRF (Policy Charging and Rules Function)

•These functions use Diameter to exchange information about the quality of service a roaming
customer should get as well as charging information once Local Breakout has begun.

The benefits of Local Breakout are:

•Lower latency experienced by the roaming device

•Lower GRX bandwidth requirement between Home network and Visited network.

3GPP ---Local breakout (3GPP TS 22.278 V9.5.0 (2009-12))

The Evolved Packet System shall allow for local breakout. Local breakout means that for a user which
makes mobility within and across one operator-defined network region, routing is optimized such
that user plane traffic does not need to leave the current region. An operator may define network
regions e.g., according to administrative domains. Local breakout is applicable for user-to-user traffic
as well as for 3GPP-operator provided services (including internet access). Local breakout shall be
allowed independently from the access system being used. Local breakout shall be allowed in both
the non-roaming and the roaming case. The use of local breakout shall be authorised by the HPLMN.
If local breakout is not authorised, the user plane traffic shall be handled in the home routed mode.

Ques 4 – How does MME select PGW for a PDN connectivity request receives from an UE?

Ans -