EPC Challenges | LTE AND IPV6

The EPC changes key networking paradigms for previous mobile generations (2G/3G) core networks and the integration of EPC is expected to address a number of technological challenges successfully.

The radio side in LTE (eNodeB) has undergone significant technological advances to provide wider spectral bands and efficient use of the spectrum, which are reserved for LTE, which results greater performance and system capacity. At the same pace, the mobile core is required to change and to provide higher throughput while maintaining low latency; both due to the improved and simplified flat all-IP network architecture.

The important aspect of LTE is the introduction of new technologies and the delivery of the high performance LTE solution, which are both involved on the radio side.

The EPC needs to address the following key aspects of IP for the LTE deployment:

1. Distributed versus centralized network architectures, including; SGW, PGW, and MME deployment.
2. Network addressing and IP routing, and realtime management for large IP domains.
3. The introduction, strategy, and coordination of IPv6 and its interoperability with IPv4.
4. End-to-end deployment for QoS and underlying transport coordination.
5. Data and control plane end-to-end security.
6. Layer 2 versus Layer 3 transport layer connectivity (eNodeB, PGW, SGW, MME).
7. External networks and VPNs interconnectivity.
8. Lawful Interception and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).

There is a set of stringent requirements for scalability, reliability, and high-performance elements because of LTE's dynamic nature of user mobility, which are coupled with the large-scale deployment targets and short duration of multiple data sessions for each UE.

To satisfy these requirements, the EPC elements must have the best classification with high IP performance. In order to address all these fundamental aspects of EPC's and according to the network element and product level, a new generation of scalable mobile core equipment, purpose-built, and strong IP expertise are required.

It is important to integrate all these elements together to deliver the needed carrier-grade features for LTE. The EPC elements must fully interwork harmoniously while in both control and user planes, the fairly complex network procedures involve all EPC elements. The EPC is expected to address the demanding requirements for dynamic and multi-dimensional mobility management, policies and data bearers. This should be done in an orchestrated manner to enable the highest LTE performance, while offering interoperability and interworking with the legacy 3G/2G systems.