4.3.24 RAN user plane congestion management function

23.4013GPPGeneral Packet Radio Service (GPRS) enhancements for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) accessRelease 18TS

4.3.24.1 General

The user plane congestion management function addresses how the system can effectively mitigate RAN user plane congestion in order to reduce the negative impact on the perceived service quality. The congestion mitigation measures include traffic prioritization, traffic reduction and limitation of traffic, and shall be able to manage user plane traffic across a range of variables including the user’s subscription, the type of application, and the type of content. Congestion mitigation can be performed in the RAN or in the CN, or in a combined way both in the RAN and in the CN.

4.3.24.2 RAN user plane congestion mitigation in the RAN

Editor’s note: Text to be added depending on the outcome of the UPCON study.

4.3.24.3 RAN user plane congestion mitigation in the CN

RAN user plane congestion mitigation in the CN uses RAN OAM information, collected by the RAN Congestion Awareness Function (RCAF), to detect congestion. The RAN Congestion Awareness Function is further described in clause 4.4.12. This functionality is applicable only in the case of UTRAN/E-UTRAN accesses.

NOTE 1: The criteria used for detection of RAN user plane congestion (including detection of congestion abatement) are outside the scope of 3GPP specifications.

NOTE 2: The interface to the RAN’s OAM system is not standardized.

The RCAF can transfer RAN user plane congestion information (RUCI) to the PCRF over the Np reference point in order to mitigate the congestion by measures selected by the PCRF, as specified in TS 23.203 [6]. Decisions to apply congestion mitigation measures may take into account operator policies and subscriber information and all additional available IP-CAN session information.

Different mechanisms and mitigation actions applicable as described in TS 23.203 [6] in order to mitigate RAN User Plane Congestion. Those mechanisms include e.g. service/application gating, service/application bandwidth limitation, deferring of services.

NOTE 3: Co-existence between congestion mitigation in RAN and CN can be assured by appropriate network configuration of applicable policies for congestion mitigation, as well as related RAN parameter alignment/tuning, such as tuning of parameters for e.g., load balancing, carrier aggregation, co-ordinated multipoint, dual connectivity. This parameter alignment/tuning is not further specified.

NOTE 4: A condition leading to interoperability issues which may lead to suboptimal situation is that the time scales for actions of congestion mitigation in RAN and in CN are of comparable duration. Therefore, congestion mitigation in RAN and CN cannot have comparable time scales, otherwise interoperability is affected.