If you are have problems viewing the slides please

download them to your computer

http://navigate.us.nortel.com/imds?pg=/view/sr/forum

Adaptive Multi-rate (AMR)

Workshop

Bruno Villa
Session 1: 10:00 10:45 CST

Wireless Networks

NORTEL NETWORKS CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda
Overview of AMR:
Benefits
System requirements
Trials

Nortel AMR Implementation

Codec Selection
Codec Performance
Benefit to the Operator
Implementation Scenarios
What is AMR

AMR is a new voice coding algorithm

that increases Spectral Efficiency, Voice
Quality and Erlang Capacity while
Reducing Cost
 AMR Benefits
! Increased Spectral Efficiency: Robust AMR codec tolerates higher
interference and allows for tighter frequency reuse patterns and
higher loading levels using fractional frequency reuse solutions.
! Improved Voice Quality: AMR allows for increased voice quality all
the way to the fringes of a radio cell or deep inside buildings.
! Higher Erlang Capacity: AMR Half Rate codec offers a higher
Erlang for the same radio equipment.
! Reduced Hardware Cost: AMR Half Rate modes increase capacity
per radio without adding new equipment or sites.
! Reduced Backhaul Cost: AMR Half Rate codec mode voice paths
require only half the Abis interface transport bandwidth of that of Full
Rate.

AMR increases spectrum efficiency and capacity with the same equipment
 Increased Spectral Efficiency
AMR Characteristics:
1. Robustness
Achieved by providing constant voice quality under
most radio conditions.
2. Tighter Frequency Re-use
AMR increases the C/I tolerance, so frequency re-
use pattern can be smaller with out compromising
on voice quality.
3. Higher loading
Frequency hopping gains are higher using AMR
 Voice Quality Management
AMR Characteristics:
1. Tolerates radio degradation better
Maintains QOS under most radio conditions
More than 3dB improvement from EFR in bad
propagation conditions
2. Provides better cell coverage
wireline speech quality is offered up to the cell edge
extended cell coverage ( > 3dB)
 Reduce Costs
AMR increases existing radio capacity and
decreasing number of channels needed:
In good radio conditions HR AMR offers a higher
erlang capacity with out increasing the existing
radio equipment.
Constant CapEx/ OpEx while increasing capacity.
Capacity is increased at a lower cost.
 AMR System Requirements
System Software
AMR will be offered from BSS V14.3 release
" Upgrade paths will be available from V12.4, V13.2 and V13.3

NSS software must be at least GSM13

" AMR capability is available as a patch on GSM13, but as standard feature content for
GSM15

Hardware Compatibility
BSC platform must be BSCe3
TCU platform must be TCUe3
Supported across all Nortel BTSs

AMR supported across all Nortel Networks GSM offerings

GSM 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900 and GSM 850Mhz
AMR Mobiles Live Air testing

Mobile Vendor / Model

T61Z, T62U

T720, C331G

6340i, 3590, 6590

C56

First trial at 850 MHz completed successfully.

Second Trial at 1900 MHz completed successfully.
AMR trials were performed in a real live network
environment under different radio conditions.
 Nortel AMR Solution
Codec Selection
Codec Performance
Benefit to the Operator
Implementation Scenarios
 Nortels AMR Solution
Goal: to offer the most efficient codec solution with out
compromising voice quality while minimizing costs of
implementation.
BSS vendor implementation does not require all codecs. While
all Mobile vendors are required to support all codecs.
After exhaustive simulation and modeling it was found that:
It is not necessary to implement all 14 codecs specified by the standard.
7 codecs were found to be the most optimal.
codecs were selected because they offer the best performance under all radio
conditions.
These same set of codec were selected by the ETSI standard for TFO implementation.
 AMR Codec Implementation
AMR Supports HO between different BSS vendor equipment
The MS supports all codecs.
Codec set is re-negotiated between MS and BTS at every HO
As defined in the standards; only 1 active codec sets
(with up to 4 codecs) can be used at one time.
Being able to use more codecs would mean re-negotiation of
codes sets.
The Nortel implementation uses the RATSCCH for switching
coded sets.
RATSCCH is a synchronous procedure that does not incur
additional signaling, and does not introduce quality degradation
(no muting during codec set change).
AMR Codecs
Available AMR CODECs Nortel set of 7 Codecs
Channel mode C/I Codec Kbps
Channel Codec Bit Rate (kbps) [> 7 dB] 10.2
12.2 (GSM EFR) [8dB, 5 dB] 6.70
FR
10.2 [6dB, 3dB] 5.90
7.95 [< 4dB] 4.75
7.40 [> 15 dB] 6.70
FR
6.70
HR [16dB, 10 dB] 5.90
5.90
5.15
[<11dB] 4.75
4.75
7.95
7.40
6.70
HR
5.90
5.15 Best performing codecs
4.75
Codecs providing the most continuity
Codecs with most efficient implementation
Codecs with most capacity benefits
 Codec Modes
FR Optimal combination : { 10k2, 6k70, 5k90, 4k75 }
12k2
10k2 7k95
6k70
5k90
4k75

6dB 5dB 3dB

4dB

12dB 10dB 8dB 7dB

HR Optimal combination : {6k70, 5k90, 4k75 }

7k95
7k40
6k70
5k90

4k75

16dB 15dB 11dB 10dB

 Nortel AMR Codecs
Optimum balance between quality and capacity

Global Half Rate:

11.4 kb/s

4.75
HR
#
# Real-time
Real-time Adaptation
Adaptation of
of
5.9
6.7 Channel
Channel && Voice
Voice coding.
coding.
4.75
5.9
FR #
6.7 # CODECs
CODECs are
are selected
selected by
by the
the
10.2 Radio
Radio Channel
Channel Quality
Quality (C/I)
(C/I)
Channel Voice
Global Full Rate: 22.8 kb/s

Use of AMR Half Rate at peak hours

only Better a bad-quality call than
a rejected call (a European operator)
AMR Operation

C/I 20.00
C/I 20.00
Typical AMR Operation: (dB)18.00
(dB) 18.00
16.00
16.00
14.00
14.00
As the Carrier to Interference (C/I), 12.00
12.00
and the receive quality evolves, 10.00
10.00
8.00
8.00
6.00
the channel mode (half rate is 6.00
4.00
4.00
selected to provide the best 2.00
2.00 C/I
possible quality while optimizing C/I Evolution
Evolution
0.00
0.00
the system capacity.
Full
Full
Half
Half
In each mode, AMR adapts the
distribution between Source Channel
Channel Mode
Mode (Half
(Half or
or Full)
Full)
coding (speech processing) and
Channel coding (error protection)
Channel
Channel Coding
Coding Mode
Mode
to match to the best possible
extend the channel propagation
conditions and always provide the
best possible quality.

NORTEL NETWORKS CONFIDENTIAL

 What AMR brings
to the operator & to the subscriber
Best voice
quality

Double capacity on
part of the cell
Best indoor
Same voice quality
as Std EFR Even from here, penetration
I still can hear you!
Hi, I am listening to you (AMR FR)
(AMR HR)

Hi, I am listening to you

AMR
(Standard EFR)
Extended
Cell limit
Can you repeat ?
Standard
(Standard HR)
Cell limit

Extended Cell coverage with FR and increased capacity with HR

 Implementation Scenarios
(A) Only AMR FR
Focus on Speech Quality by using AMR in Full Rate mode only :
Wireline quality up to cell edge: especially in bad propagations conditions
Increase in coverage: greater than 3dB improvement almost doubles
coverage

MOS >3dB improvment

AMR
-FR

EFR

Cell Edge
decreasing C/I C/I
 Implementation Scenarios
(B) AMR FR +HR
Capacity/quality trade-off :
Use of Half Rate at peak hours only to increase capacity
Use of Half Rate or Full Rate as a function of the cell propagation conditions

HR FR
MOS
AMR-FR

AMR-HR

X decreasing C/I
 AMR FR, HR

AMR- Summary EFR, AMR FR

What is AMR
AMR is a new voice coding algorithm that
provides several benefits to the
operator while Reducing Cost.
AMR benefits
increase capacity
improve voice quality
free up spectrum resources

Nortel Networks AMR codec solution

provides the optimum balance between quality and capacity
maximizes the efficiency of the operators access network infrastructure
provides immediate operational and capital costs savings
Wireless Networks