11 - VoWifi and VoLTE Interworking

VoWiFi and VoLTE Interworking
VoWifi Overview
 “Wi-Fi” is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance and the brand name for products using WFA programs based on
the IEEE 802.11 family of standards.
– Wi-Fi refers to a WLAN access to ePC, both trusted over S2a interface or untrusted over S2b interface (3GPP TS
23.402).
– The VoWifi is then a voice and video over Wi-Fi IMS profile, defined in GSMA IR.51.
– The VoWiFi defines the same set of services, just over a different access network. The service network – the IMS –
remains the same.
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Non 3GPP Access Networks
 To the Wi-Fi we refer as to Non 3GPP Access. In the same category we have also
CDMA2000 and WiMAX, IEEE 802.11. We have two types of Non 3GPP Access Networks:
 Trusted
– Access Network was introduced along with the LTE standard in 3GPP Release 8 (2008). The AN is
connected directly to the Packet Gateway (PGW). The access network is controlled directly by the
operator and the devices (actual Wi-Fi hotspots) can be trusted from the security point of view.
 Untrusted
– Access Network is even older – described in the Release 6 (2006). In this case the WLAN is not
under control of the operator or it is not considered to be secure enough. Such a network is
connected via Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) which provides an additional security.
 At the end it is up to the operator to classify what ANs are trusted. There are operators who
treat all the Wi-Fi communication as Unstrusted, even when it is coming from their own
hotspots.
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Why we need to deploy VoWiFi
 VoLTE beats any VoIP service because it provides QoS, if the message to the user is your
mobile network provides you voice with quality, then why deploy VoWiFi?
 The challenge is not only that QoS mechanisms over Wi-Fi are mostly not available, not
predictable or unreliable; but that VoWiFi is being provided via “untrusted access”, that is,
access from a third party provider over which the operator has no control. This is very
controversial because in case of a bad experience, like a dropped call, who will the user
blame? The operator or the Wi-Fi provider? Both?
 So with this situation, why deploy VoWiFi at all? VoWiFi requires new elements in the core
network (the so called ePDG, a security gateway) and device to network interoperability tests
(a pain for operators).
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Why we need to deploy VoWiFi
 There are also two good reasons for deploying VoWiFi:
– indoor coverage extension
– reducing costs while roaming
 Operators are taking care that they launch VoWiFi as a Wi-Fi last option and they still
promote their main voice service (VoLTE) as a much better experience against VoIP.
 This is a very significant difference from the 2012 Wi-Fi offload strategies in which data was
offloaded to Wi-Fi always when available (with the message that cost per bit was cheaper
than LTE)[It is to note though, the technical difference that Wi-Fi offload was mostly intended
as “trusted access” unlike VoWiFi]; and the complete opposite what others like Google FI
promote, the so called Wi-Fi first operators.
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 During the initial attach or handover attach a UE needs to discover the trust relationship.
Based on it the UE selects an appropriate access procedure. The trust relationship is made
known to the UE either during the 3GPP-based access authentication or this information is
pre-configured in the UE.
 For securing the untrusted access, the ePDG creates an IPSec tunnel. The ePDG is also
responsible for
– Routing
– Tunneling over GTP/PMIP towards PGW
– Mobility Anchoring
– Enforcement of QoS policies
– Lawful Interception
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 Security
– In order to secure the communication between UE and the operator’s network we use Internet
Protocol Security (IPsec) protocol suite. IPSec tunnel mode enables us to send authenticated and
encrypted IP messages.
– IPSec is a protocol suite. It does use following protocols in order to provide authentication, encryption
and data integrity:
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Handovers
 As Wi-Fi technology offers only short-range coverage, we should be prepared to do a
handover. The transfer can be between two Wi-Fi hotspots, or between the Trusted and
Untrusted network, or between Wi-Fi and 3GPP network.
 Very generally we can say that the handover between Wi-Fi and 3GPP network is divided into
two parts:
 Wifi->LTE
– Create Radio and Access Bearer between UE and SGW
– Create GTP Tunnel between SGW and PGW
 LTE->Wifi
– Create IPSec tunnel between UE and ePDG
– Create GTP tunnel between ePDG and PWG
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Handovers
 The session itself is anchored in the
PGW. The PGW identity of all
the allocated PDN Gateway(s), as well
as information that identifies the
PLMN in which the PGW is located,
are returned by the 3GPP AAA Server
during the authorization.
– Of course in case that we use a
different client for 3GPP and non-
3GPP access, the re-registration is
needed as there will be a new
sip.instance and possibly also
different capabilities.
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