Cisco Cisco Packet Data Gateway (PDG)
HeNB Gateway in Wireless LTE Network
▀ Product Description
▄ HeNB-GW Administration Guide, StarOS Release 17
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Product Description
The Home eNodeB Gateway (HeNB-GW) or Femtocell Gateway (F-GW) is the HeNB network access concentrator
used to control capabilities necessary to manage large clusters of femtocells. It aggregates HeNBs or Femto Access
Points (FAPs) to a single network element and then connects to Mobile Operators LTE core networks. The primary
function of HeNB-GW is to enable simple, seamless, and highly secure access to subscribers as they roam between
trusted/secure mobile networks and intrusted/insecure public networks.
used to control capabilities necessary to manage large clusters of femtocells. It aggregates HeNBs or Femto Access
Points (FAPs) to a single network element and then connects to Mobile Operators LTE core networks. The primary
function of HeNB-GW is to enable simple, seamless, and highly secure access to subscribers as they roam between
trusted/secure mobile networks and intrusted/insecure public networks.
Femtocell is an important technology and service offering that enables new Home and Enterprise service capabilities for
Mobile Operators and Converged Mobile Operators. The Femtocell network consists of a plug-n-play customer premise
device generically called a Home eNodeB (HeNB) with limited range radio access in home or Enterprise. Femtocells’
biggest advantage is their capability to off-load traffic from the macrocell network and enable new applications, for
example: location based services.
Mobile Operators and Converged Mobile Operators. The Femtocell network consists of a plug-n-play customer premise
device generically called a Home eNodeB (HeNB) with limited range radio access in home or Enterprise. Femtocells’
biggest advantage is their capability to off-load traffic from the macrocell network and enable new applications, for
example: location based services.
The figure given describes a high level view of LTE network with Femtocell and HeNB-GW.
Figure 1. Home eNodeB Gateway Network Architecture
In the above figure, the S1 interface has been defined as an interface between
HeNB-GW and the Core Network (CN)/EPC
HeNB and the HeNB-GW
HeNB and the CN
An HeNB-GW provides standards-based S1-MME and S1-U network interfaces. As shown in the above high level LTE
Femto network architecture diagram, The HeNB-GW appears to the MME as an eNodeB. The HeNB-GW appears to
the HeNB as an MME. The S1 interface between HeNB and EPC whether the HeNB is connected to the CN/EPC via an
HeNB-GW or not. The HeNB-GW connects to the EPC in a way that inbound and outbound mobility to cells served by
the HeNB-GW does not necessarily require inter MME handovers.
Femto network architecture diagram, The HeNB-GW appears to the MME as an eNodeB. The HeNB-GW appears to
the HeNB as an MME. The S1 interface between HeNB and EPC whether the HeNB is connected to the CN/EPC via an
HeNB-GW or not. The HeNB-GW connects to the EPC in a way that inbound and outbound mobility to cells served by
the HeNB-GW does not necessarily require inter MME handovers.
In accordance with 3GPP LTE standards, the HeNB-GW hosts the following functions and procedures in LTE core
network:
network:
Relaying UE-associated S1 application part messages between the MME serving the UE and the HeNB serving
the UE.
Terminating non-UE associated S1 application part procedures towards the HeNB and towards the MME.
Important:
When an HeNB-GW is deployed, non-UE associated procedures shall be run
between HeNBs and the HeNB-GW and between the HeNB-GW and MME.