Content for TS 23.110 Word version: 18.0.0
1 Scope
2 References
3 Definitions and abbreviations
3.1 Definitions
3.2 Abbreviations
4 Basic Assumptions
4.1 Boundaries of the Access Stratum
4.2 Main design guidelines
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1 Scope p. 6
The present document specifies the services provided by the Access Stratum to the rest of the system. The adopted architecture is given by TS 23.101.
The present document describes the main functions visible at the boundary between the Access Stratum and the rest of the system, it describes in general terms the information flows, both control and user data, over this boundary and relevant for the Access Stratum.
The present document is the basis of the detailed specifications of the protocols which rule the information flows, both control and user data, between the Access Stratum and the parts of UMTS outside the Access Stratum, and of the detailed specifications of the UTRAN. These detailed specifications are to be found in other Technical Specifications.
2 References p. 6
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.
- References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non specific.
- For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
- For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.
[1]
TS 22.101: "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS): Service aspects; Service principles".
[2]
TS 23.101: "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS): General UMTS Architecture".
[3]
TS 23.105: "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS): Network Principles".
→ to date, withdrawn by 3GPP
[4]
→ to date, withdrawn by 3GPP
ITU-T Recommendation X.210 (November 1993): "Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Basic Reference Model: Conventions for the Definition of OSI Services".
[5]
TS 23.107: "QoS Concept and Architecture".
3 Definitions and abbreviations p. 6
3.1 Definitions p. 6
For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in TS 23.101 and the following apply.
Access Stratum:
defined in TS 23.101.
Access Network:
defined in TS 23.101.
Edge-Node:
core network node which is connected to the URAN at a particular instance.
URAN:
defined in [TBD].
3.2 Abbreviations p. 6
For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:
AN
Access Network
AS
Access Stratum
CC
Call Control
DC
Dedicated Control SAP
CN
Core Network
FFS
For Further Study
GC
General Control (SAP)
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service
GSM
Global System for Mobile communications
HPLMN
Home Public Land Mobile Network
IF
Infrastructure
ME
Mobile Equipment
MM
Mobility Management
MS
Mobile Station
NAS
Non Access Stratum
Nt
Notification (SAP)
PDN
Packet Data Network
PTM
Point to Multipoint
RAN
Radio Access Network
SAP
Service Access Point
SAPI
Service Access Point Identifier [???]
SIM
Subscriber Identity Module
SMS
Short Message Service
SS
Supplementary Services
TBD
To Be Defined
UE
User Equipment
UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
URAN
UMTS Radio Access Network
USIM
UMTS Subscriber Identity Module
USSD
Unstructured Supplementary Service Data
UTRA
UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access
UTRAN
UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network
VBS
Voice Broadcast Service
VGCS
Voice Group Call Service
VPLMN
Visited Public Land Mobile Network
4 Basic Assumptions p. 7
4.1 Boundaries of the Access Stratum p. 7
The Access Stratum (AS) is defined in TS 23.101. It consists of a functional grouping which includes all the layers embedded in the URAN; and part of the layers in the User Equipment (UE) and the infrastructure (IF); i.e. the edge-node. Its boundary is the frontier between the layers which are independent of the access technique and the ones which are dependent on it. This frontier is located in the UE (mobile boundary) and in an edge-node (fixed boundary). There is a direct or "transparent" dialogue (i.e. not interpreted by the AS) between the UE and the edge-node for the Non-Access Stratum layers.
4.2 Main design guidelines p. 7
1)
The Access Stratum contains all access specific functionality, e.g. all mode specific functionality in case of the UTRAN.
2)
Reconfiguration of the AN, or changes in the AN domain functionality shall have minimal impact on Core Network functions, and vice-versa.
3)
A given Access Network (e.g., the UTRAN) may provide access to different type of Core Networks via the Iu reference point.
4)
The services, access signalling, mobility and subscriber management specific to each Core Network are completely outside the Access Stratum, and are transferred transparently by the Access Stratum.
5)
The Access Stratum provides flexible radio access bearers characterised by parameters describing the type of information and QoS transported over the radio interface (i.e. not the actual radio resources). Some radio access bearers may be asymmetric, i.e., have different parameters on uplink and downlink.
6)
There are radio access bearers for both connection oriented packet-switched services, connectionless (store-and-forward) services, and circuit-switched traffic.
7)
Parameters for connection-oriented radio access bearers may change during connection (bandwidth on demand, quality management).
8)
Whether a terminal can be registered and have connections to several Core Networks simultaneously (i.e., over different instances of Iu) is FFS.
9)
The Access Stratum can provide several parallel and independent radio access bearers to one user equipment each with its own characteristics.
10)
Multimedia is handled outside the Access Stratum by multiplexing several streams onto one radio access bearer or by requesting several parallel radio access bearers. In the latter case, the possibly needed synchronisation is handled outside the Access Stratum.
11)
Connection of a user equipment to several URAN at a time has to be studied.
12)
Handover and if applied macrodiversity within one Access Network is handled within the Access Stratum.
13)
Handover between two Access Networks (e.g., two UTRANs, or between UTRAN and GSM BSS) may use support from the Core Network.
14)
The Access Stratum should hide all access -specific parameters, e.g., location data provided to the Core Networks should be independent from the actual configuration of the Access Network.
15)
The user equipment can be connected to different AN/CN points via a single Access Network. The Access Stratum should be able to provide a flexible routing to the appropriate AN/CN point.
