4 Introduction

23.2803GPPCommon functional architecture to support mission critical servicesRelease 18Stage 2TS

A common functional architecture to support MC services (i.e., MCPTT defined in 3GPP TS 23.379 [16], MCVideo defined in 3GPP TS 23.281 [12], MCData defined in 3GPP TS 23.282 [13]) including common application plane and signalling plane entities is specified in this document. It also deals with the functional architecture of the MC gateway UE to enable access to the MC system from MC clients residing on non-3GPP devices. A subset of these devices can host an MC client specified by 3GPP.

Each MC service supports several types of communications amongst the users (e.g. group call, private call). There are several common functions and entities (e.g. group, configuration, identity) which are used by the MC services.

The common functional architecture to support MC services utilises aspects of the IMS architecture defined in 3GPP TS 23.228 [9], the Proximity-based Services (ProSe) architecture defined in 3GPP TS 23.303 [14], the Group Communication System Enablers for LTE (GCSE_LTE) architecture defined in 3GPP TS 23.468 [18] and the PS-PS access transfer procedures defined in 3GPP TS 23.237 [10].

The MC service UE primarily obtains access to a MC service via E-UTRAN, using the EPS architecture defined in 3GPP TS 23.401 [17]. Certain MC service functions such as dispatch and administrative functions can be supported using either MC service UEs in E-UTRAN or using MC service UEs via non-3GPP access networks. External applications usage of MC services can be enabled via E-UTRAN or non-3GPP access networks.

NOTE: Dispatch consoles and devices used by MC service administrators are considered MC service UEs in the common functional architecture to support MC services.