In LTE there is a bearer which is always established until UE is shut down and it is

called default bearer. Well UE can ask for a dedicated bearer by sending out a
bearer allocation request to the network. Once network receives the UE request
then we will have dedicated bearer. This is one case.

What we noticed is there is a trigger for dedicated bearer. Now if we look at the spec
for dedicated bearer creation, it immediately starts with Create Bearer Request.
Many are confused with what could be the trigger for this message. Next para should
help.

Second case is:- default bearer is established. Network now wants to have all the
http traffic put in separate dedicated bearer. So once the default bearer is
established, network might ask UE to run the http traffic on dedicated bearer. Note
here that there is no trigger for dedicated bearer, which means network is configured
in such a way that all http shall run on dedicated bearers with a particular qos. Even
if UE is running http of default bearer it may be asked to switch to dedicated bearer.
If UE is not capable enough to run a http then it may reject the dedicated bearer
request also it may reject the request if it thinks default bearer is fine for http.

A dedicated bearer which is associated with a TFT and QoS.

Basically a UE may request for dedicated bearer. Lets say we are running a web
browser on our mobile phone. Now UE wants to establish a dedicated bearer for that.
So UE sends out a request for bearer creation procedure. MME here sends out a
bearer resource command which includes LBI (Linked Bearer ID), PTI (Procedure
Transaction ID), TAD (Traffic Aggregate Descriptor), QoS.

TAD is a partial TFT. It includes packet filters for a particular L7 activity. In our case
as we are running HTTP, TAD will include packet filter for HTTP. Now MME will send
this information to PGW. Now PGW understands that a dedicated bearer has to be
created for running HTTP traffic. So it sends out a create bearer request with TFT
(HTTP) and QoS.

QCI field may be mapped to a diff serv (Assured Forwarding?) . Say QCI value is set
to a value which indicates a particular class of assured forwarding (MBR and GBR
values in QoS which may be set to some value).

Once MME requests create bearer request it responds with a bearer response
creating a dedicated bearer for HTTP activity with a QoS Class Identifier (QCI) value.

If your http dedicated bearer QoS is fine for running email (another Service/App)
then we may just use it. But you need to indicate this to PGW. So we do a bearer
modification (update?) procedure instead of bearer creation. MME here will send
bearer resource command with TAD mapped to email traffic, say IMAP(?). But note
here the QoS is same.
PGW looks at this and thinks that may be I should update the dedicated bearer to
include email traffic (IMAP) too. So it sends out Update bearer request with newly
added TFT for IMAP. (We already have TFT for HTTP). MME responds to saying OK.

At this point we have two activities running on single dedicated bearer. That means
when there is no QoS change a single bearer may be used to run various traffics
(Browser as well as eMail).
UE needs an EPS bearer starting from UE to exit gateway (P-GW) of LTE network.
Generally UE has one default bearer per PDN. Default bearer does not have neither
QoS treatment nor TFT filters for user data. It just provides a basic connectivity
between UE and P-GW for a single PDN. Some mobile application like VoIP call needs
QoS treatment for user data. Dedicated bearers are meant for that. Here UE can
demand QoS and TFT, but not new UE IP address. UE has single IP address per PDN.
If UE and PDN both support both IPv4 and IPv6 dual stack, then only UE can have
two default bearers and two IP addresses (IPv4 address and IPv6 address) per
PDN.

When are these bearers created?

First of all, there are at most 11 bearers that can be created for a specific UE. 11
bearers TOPS – per UE. Why is this so important?
Because:
1. the first time an UE connects to an anchor point (PGW) – procedure called Initial
Attach, simply by allowing that UE access on the PGW – a new (default) bearer is
created – and, yes, those 11 bearers tops decrease once this happens!!!
2. an UE can be “attached” to more than 1 anchor point (PGW) – which means, an
UE can have more than 1 “default”/”initial” bearers (of course, created via multiple
Initial Attach procedures) – which means those 11 bearers tops decrease again
Leaving us with the rest of the bearers, those NOT created “by default” at the Initial
Attach procedure, those which we call dedicated bearers.
***Note: there are not necessarily 11 bearers up and running all the time. The “11″
is just the max number that can be active at a certain moment.
How do I use the bearers for QoS?
Each bearer, once created, has assigned a certain TFT set. “TFT” stands for Traffic
Flow Template, the set of all packet filters associated with that certain bearer.
TFT, being a set of packet filters, resides as a database tuple in the PCRF – Policy
Control and charging Rules Function, a separate cute device that tells the PGW
how to route, where to route, and what QoS to use for traffic flowing to and from a
certain UE.

The PCRF has the role of “traffic shaping”.

http://www.4gwirelessjobs.com/articles/article-detail.php?LTE-NAS---
3&Arid=OTA=&Auid=ODI=

http://www.imacandi.net/windancer/tag/dedicated-bearer

http://www.layers7.blogspot.com/2010/01/lte-nas-3.html

http://wired-n-wireless.blogspot.com/2009/03/lte-attach-procedure.html

LTE – all IP – Always-On – means always a bearer established - got an IP address

Create Session Request is used in UE Initial Attach to Create (/for Establishment of)
Default Bearer.

Create Session Response contains IP Address to be assigned to the UE, Default

Bearer ID (EBI) etc.
Modify Bearer Response is success then we have a User Plane Setup
for Traffic Flow.

UE has one default bearer per PDN. Default bearer does not have neither QoS
treatment nor TFT filters for user data.

just provides a basic connectivity between UE and P-GW for a single PDN.

UE can have one default bearer and zero or more dedicated bearer(s) per PDN.

Dynamic IP address allocation happens during default bearer allocation. This IP address remain same and valid for all
other subsequent new dedicated bearer(s) for that PDN.