VoIP over LTE:

influence of different voice codec

on end-2end LTE performances

Alessandro Vizzarri
Enterprise Engineering
University of Rome Tor Vergata
alessandro.vizzarri@uniroma2.it

Contents
1.

Introduction............................................................................................................. 3

2.

LTE network ........................................................................................................... 3

3.

VoLTE .................................................................................................................... 4

4.

Network simulation ................................................................................................. 5

4.1 Network Topology ...................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Application .................................................................................................................. 6
4.3 Profile ......................................................................................................................... 6
4.4 Network scenarios ...................................................................................................... 6

5.

Simulation Results .................................................................................................. 7

6.

Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 7

Aknowledgement ................................................................................................................. 7
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 8
Appendix 1: Simulation graphs ............................................................................................ 9

1. Introduction
Main scope of this work is to analyze VoLTE (VoIP over LTE) services performance using
different VOIP codec and different Type of Service (TOS) such as Best Effort (BE) and
Expedited forward (EF).

2. LTE network
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the first 3GPP wireless network fully IP-based.[1]
It means that users UE can access to entire LTE network using an end-to-end IP connection.
LTE architecture is composed by two main subnetworks, E-UTRAN and EPC (table 1):

LTE Network node

Evolved UTRAN
Evolved Packet Core

Acronym
Function
E-UTRAN Radio Access Network
EPC
Core Network

Table 1: LTE subnetworks

Table 2 shows main LTE network elements and relative functions:
LTE Network node
User Equipment
e-NodeB
Mobility Management
Entity
Serving PDN Gateway
PDN Gateway
Policy Control and Rule
Function
Home Subscriber System

Acronym
UE
eNB
MME
S-GW
P-GW
PCRF
HSS

Function
LTE Terminal of user
Wireless Base Station
UE mobility. EUTRAN-EPC connection
Connection to eNodeB
Connection to other IP node (PCRF, ISP,
internet,..)
QoS management
Subcriber (User) management

Table 2: LTE network elements and relative functions

Network side
E-UTRAN
Radio Access
Network

EPC

Fig. 1 shows LTE network node and involved network interfaces

:
Fig.1: LTE Architecture

3. VoLTE
Since LTE is a full IP-based wireless network, Voice services are delivered using IP protocol
(VoIP). For this reason Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is a VoIP service. [2] [3] [4]
Fig. 12 shows LTE network configuration and VoLTE traffic flow.

Fig.2: VoLTE network configuration [5]

4. Network simulation
Simulations are carried out using OPNET simulation software.

4.1 Network Topology

We consider a campus global domain (10kmx10km) in which a simple LTE network topology is
deployed.
It is composed by:

n. 2 LTE UEs

n. 2 eNodeBs:

n. 1 EPC

n. 2 1000baseX Link

About OPNET setting nodes we manage following ones:

Application Config

Profile Config

LTE Parameters Config node

LTE network topology is shown in fig. 3:

Fig. 3: LTE network topology considered

4.2 Application
Voice application (VoLTE) is created and used by UE_1_1 (UE caller) and UE_2_1 (UE callee).
For this reason Voices traffic is sent by UE_1_1 (voice source) to UE_2_1 (voice destination).
We only change Codec (G711, G729, G723.1 5.3 K, GSM FR) and Type of Service (ToS), Best
Effort (BE) and Expedited Forward (EF). [6] [7]
Voice traffic is carried out on a LTE GOLD bearer (QCI=1) using uniform distribution (100, 110)
seconds.

4.3 Profile
A unique profile is created named Voice Profile and characterized by following settings:

Application: Voice Application

Distribution: uniform (5,10) seconds

Duration: end of simulation

Repeatability: unlimited

4.4 Network scenarios

Since main scope is to analyze VoLTE performances considering different voiced codec and
different Type of Service /ToS), n. 8 different scenarios are created.
In table 3 different simulation scenarios are listed together with combination of Voice Codec and
ToS used.

Scenario

ToS

Codec

CS0 (BE)

G711

CS0 (BE)

G723 5.3K

CS0 (BE)

G729

CS0 (BE)

GSM FR

EF

G711

EF

G723 5.3K

EF

G729

EF

GSM FR

Table 3: simulation scenarios with different ToS and Voice Codec used

5. Simulation Results
Table 4 provides a complete overview of results obtained by simulation activities.

VoLTE, 2 UEs
Scenario

ToS

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

CS0 (BE)
CS0 (BE)
CS0 (BE)
CS0 (BE)
EF
EF
EF
EF

Codec

MOS

G711
4.35
G723 5.3K 3.955
G729
4.00
GSM FR
4.34
G711
4.31
G723 5.3K 3.96
G729
4.00
GSM FR
4.34

Jitter
[sec]

E2E delay
[sec]

0
~0
0
~0
0
~0
0
~0

0.12
0.17
0.17
0.13
0.12
0.17
0.11
0.13

LTE Throughput LTE Throughput

UL
DL
[packet/sec]
[packet/sec]
300
100
100
33
300
100
150
50
300
100
100
33
300
100
150
50

Table 4: overview of simulation results

6. Conclusions
Usage of a powerful voice codec such as G711 or GSM FR can improve end-to-end MOS
values. It means that users (both caller and callee) have a goo perception of VoIP service
delivered by entire LTE network.
Usage of a good Type or Service (ToS), such as Expedited Forward (EF), can improve end-toend connection delay if compared to BE (Best Effort) scenario. MOS remains although the
same in both of ToS.
Next works will consider UE mobility, coexistence of Voice with other service (FTP,
Videoconferencing, etc) and different condition of traffic loads (e.r. netework congested or
with traffic mix).

Aknowledgement
The author would like to express their deepest gratitude to Riverbed Technologies Ltd., for
providing the OPNET modeler wireless suite 17.5 licenses required for this work.

Bibliography

[1] ETSI TS 136.300, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) and Evolved
Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRAN); Overall description; Stage 2, v8.4.0, April 2008.
[3] S. A. Ahson and M. Ilyas, VoIP handbook: applications, technologies, reliability, and security:
CRC Press, 2008.
[4] Cisco,Quality of Service for VoIP, Cisco systems, 2011.
[5] I. Tanaka, T. Koshimizu Overview of GSMA VoLTE Profile, Techonology Reports
[6] J. Puttonen, T. Henttonen, N. Kolehmainen, K. Aschan, M. Moisio, and P. Kela, "Voice-overIP performance in UTRA Long Term Evolution downlink," in Vehicular Technology Conference,
2008.VTC Spring 2008. IEEE, 2008, pp. 2502-2506.
[7] T. Henttonen, et al., "Performance of voip with mobility in utra longterm evolution," in
Vehicular Technology Conference, 2008. VTC Spring 2008. IEEE, 2008, pp. 2492-2496.

Appendix 1: Simulation graphs

Scenario 1
MOS

Jitter

E2e Delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE Throughput (DL/UL)

Scenario 2
MOS

Jitter

E2e delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE THR DL/UL

Scenario 3
MOS

Jitter

E2e delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE THR DL/UL

Scenario 4
MOS

Jitter

E2e delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE THR DL/UL

Scenario 5
MOS

Jitter

E2e delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE THR DL/UL

Scenario 6
MOS

Jitter

E2 delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE THR DL/UL

Scenario 7
MOS

Jitter

E2e delay

Traffic sent/received

LTE THR DL/UL

Scenario 8
MOS

Jitter

E2e delay

Traffic sent/receveid

LTE THR DL/UL