4.6 User consent handling in MDT for UTRAN and E-UTRAN

32.4223GPPRelease 17Subscriber and equipment traceTelecommunication managementTrace control and configuration managementTS

4.6.1 Signalling based MDT

In case of signalling based MDT getting user consent before activating the MDT functionality is required because of privacy and legal obligations. It is the Operator responsibility to collect user consent before initiating an MDT for a specific IMSI or IMEI number.

Collecting the user consent shall be done via customer care process. The user consent information availability should be considered as part of the subscription data and as such this shall be provisioned to the HSS database.

The following figure summarizes the functionality.

Figure 4.6.1.1

When the IMSI based MDT is activated it is targeted the HSS. Once the user consent availability information is stored in the HSS database, the HSS can check the user consent availability before starting a Trace Session for the given subscriber. If there is no user consent given by the specific user to network where TCE resides, the HSS should not start a Trace Session for the given subscriber.

As the user consent availability information is stored as part of the subscription data it should also be transferred to the MME/SGSN/MSC-S during update location procedure. This is required if the subscription based MDT is started from MME/SGSN/MSC-S. In that case similar checking is required as in the HSS case.

It should also be possible to handle user consent revocation. The process of user consent revocation shall be done also via customer care process and the user consent availability information should be updated in the HSS DB when a user consent revocation happens.

If the user consent revocation happens during an ongoing Trace Session with MDT, it is not required to stop and deactivate the Trace Recording Session, Trace Session respectively immediately i.e. to stop an ongoing Trace Recording Session in case of Immediate MDT. A notification to the management system should be sent and the management system should deactivate the Trace Session.

4.6.2 Management based MDT

In case of management based MDT getting user consent is required before activating the MDT functionality because of privacy and legal obligations. The same user consent information can be used for management based MDT and for signalling based MDT (i.e. there is no need to differentiate the user consent per MDT type).

Collecting the user consent shall be done via customer care process. The user consent information availability shall be considered as part of the subscription data and as such this shall be provisioned to the HSS database.

The following figure shows an example scenario summarizing the functionality.

Figure 4.6.2.1: Example for delivering user consent information in management based MDT

When UE attaches to the network, the HSS shall forward the user consent information, stored in the HSS database, to the corresponding MME/SGSN/MSC-S. When the MME/SGSN/MSC-S receives the user consent information it shall store it in its subscriber database.

The MME/SGSN/MSC-S shall also check the roaming status of the user. If the user is within his home operator’s PLMNs and the user has given his consent, the MME/ SGSN/MSC-S shall send the Management Based MDT Allowed IE to the eNB/RNC during the UE context setup procedure. Otherwise the MME/ SGSN/MSC-S shall not send the Management Based MDT Allowed IE to the eNB/RNC.

If the result of the roaming status check indicates a home subscriber, MME/SGSN/MSC-S shall forward the already stored user consent information to the corresponding eNodeB/RNC as part of Management Based MDT Allowed IE.

When the management based MDT activation is sent to eNodeB/RNC, eNodeB/RNC shall check the availability of the Management Based MDT Allowed IE before making the UE selection. In case the Management Based MDT Allowed IE is not available, the eNodeB/RNC shall not select the UE. In case the Management Based MDT Allowed IE is available, the eNodeB/RNC shall verify if the UE’s RPLMN matches the PLMN where TCE resides – Trace Reference PLMN (PLMN portion of the Trace Reference). In case of a mismatch, the eNodeB/RNC shall not select the UE.The eNB/RNC shall forward the received Management Based MDT Allowed IE during X2/Iur based handovers to the target node. The Management Based MDT Allowed IE is stored in the eNB/RNC as part of the UE context. If the user consent information is updated while a UE context is already set up in the eNB, the changed user consent should be taken into account in the next call/session setup.