LTE eMBMS from terminal perspective

2013-05-16
Guillaume Vivier

www.sequans.com

2012
2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

Outline
Some use cases for eMBMS
eMBMS in a user equipment
The modem part of eMBMS
Conclusion

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

Some use cases

Venue casting: offloading unicast for

popular content
Stadium
More than 12 stadium worldwide with
capacity > 100 000 seats.
Demonstration, meetings
Digital signage
Software upgrade
Information feed
Stock, weather, traffic, news

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

Mobile data trend

Mobile data consumption by type (Exabyte per month)
By 2016, video will account for ~66% of total traffic
Source: Cisco Visual Networking Index, 2013

Even on traditional

broadcast system, service

evolved to IP based
VOD
Bi-directionnal interactive
services
eMBMS offers the flexibility
to mix broadcast, multicast
and unicast services

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

Device architecture to support eMBMS

Device

Applications

Media player

eMBMS
Middleware
FLUTE

DRM

DASH
client

DASH
Server

File
Repair

FEC

Modem
IP stack / Kernel

Security
support

eMBMS
support

HW support (HW accelerators, display, speakers, antenna, power supply, etc.)

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

General Aspects of eMBMS

(Enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service)

eMBMS is an integral part of LTE, but not all device support it nowadays!

eMBMS transmissions may be performed as single-cell transmission or as

multi-cell transmission
In case of multi-cell transmission the cells and content are synchronized to enable for the

terminal to soft-combine the energy from multiple transmissions.

The superimposed signal looks like multipath to the terminal. This concept is also known as
Single Frequency Network (SFN).

The network can configure which cells are part of an SFN for eMBMS
transmission
Very flexible manner to adapt the split between multivcast / unicast traffic and the area of the

service

Specific PHY has been developed for eMBMS

Extended CP
Specific pilots
Specific logical channel (MBMS Traffic channel, MTCH) and physical channel (Physical

Multicast Channel, PMCH)

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

Source: Ericsson Review, February 2013

General Aspects: MBSFN and SF split

Data is transmitted simultaneously over the air from multiple

tightly time-synchronized cells

MBSFN transmission appear to a UE as a transmission from a
single large cell (multipath components within the CP)
2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

MBSFN Synchronization area

In MBSFN area eNodeBs

must be synchronized
with an accuracy of a few
s to achieve symbol
level alignment within the
CP
Same scrambling code for

MBMS transmissions from

multiple cells
NID(MBSFN) is the MBSFN
Area Identity

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

MBSFN Subframe overview

Control Region
Max # of OFDM symbols used for PDCCH is 2
PDCCH is used only for uplink resource grant
Common reference symbol pattern is the same as in the nonMBSFN subframes
If the non-MBSFN subframes use the Normal CP, then normal CP
is also used in the control region of each MBSFN subframe (eNb
will send undefined signal on spare time samples)
UE making measurements on neighboring cell does

not need to know in advance the allocation of

MBSFN and non-MBSFN subframes

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

MBSFN PMCH
Data transmission is mapped

to Physical Multicast Channel

(PMCH):
Extended CP is used to
reduce ISI
Modified RS pattern is used to
improve the accuracy of
channel estimate for longer
delay spreads (antenna port 4)
In addition, another OFDM
parametrization can be used
leading to very large CP (2*Ext
CP) with 7.5 kHz subcarrier
spacing
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MBSFN PMCH
Layer mapping and precoding shall be done

assuming a single antenna port (port 4)

The PMCH can only be transmitted in the MBSFN
region of an MBSFN subframe
No transmit diversity scheme is specified

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Some performance requirement

The standard has defined requirement related to

eMBMS
PHY layer reception

Test
number

Bandwidth

Reference
Channel

OCNG
Pattern

10 MHz

R.37 TDD

OP.4 TDD

10 MHz

R.38 TDD

OP.4 TDD

3a

10 MHz

R.39 TDD

OP.4 TDD

3b

5MHz

R.39-1 TDD

OP.4 TDD

1.4 MHz

R.40 TDD

OP.4 TDD

Propagation
condition

MBSFN
channel model
(Table B.2.61)

Correlation
Matrix and
antenna

1x2 low

Reference value
BLER (%)

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

SNR(dB)

MBMS
UE
Categ
ory

3.4

1-8

11.1

1-8

20.1

2-8

20.5

5.8

1-8

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Future improvements (LTE Rel. 10, 11, etc)

Counting
To check what UE is watching what flow
To adapt accordingly broadcasted flows
Allocation and retention priority
To allow preemption of current flows (network side)
Better FEC
Finally decision was to keep the current one
Service continuity in case of mobility

2013 Sequans Communications | Proprietary and Confidential

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Conclusion
MBMS in mobile cellular system was unsuccessful in 3G
Market context maybe not mature enough
No ecosystem

Market demand seems to appear nowadays

Operator traction
Mobile video becoming a must and additional services

LTE intimately integrated eMBMS support

Need specific support at PHY and middleware levels
Need adaptation at core network

Ecosystem is growing
At least Sequans supports eMBMS!

Check M44G project outcomes

SEQUANS, EXPWAY, ARCHOS, Telecom Paris Tech

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