This presentation will introduce IMT-2020 fixed mobile convergence (FMC) scenarios and requirements, such as service continuity among different access networks in a 5G environment. Based on the requirements, a FMC solution, Unified Network Integrating Cloud (UNIC), will also be introduced, including the high level architecture and some key technologies, such as unified access control for both fixed and mobile, edge computing for user plane, converged subscriber database, Telecom Integrated Cloud (TIC), etc. Author : Yachen Wang, China Mobile Presented at ITU-T Focus Group IMT-2020 Workshop and Demo Day, 7 December 2016. More details on the event : http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/201612/Pages/Programme.aspx

1. FMC Network Architecture in 5G
UNIC (Unified Network Integrating Cloud )
Yachen Wang
China Mobile

2. Content
• Background for FMC
• Overview of FMC in 5G
• FMC Key Technologies in 5G
• Summary

3. Motivation of FMC
Fixed BB
Cellular WLAN
Service perspective
• Unified user identity
• Unified charging
• Service continuity
• Service consistency
Network perspective
• Simplify network architecture
• Reduce OPEX & CAPEX

4. What is on the table for FMC
IMS provides a service level convergence
IMS
• Devices can access IMS using
any access type as far as there
is an IP connectivity.
• Different devices can share the
same subscriber profile (e.g.
IMPI/IMPU/iFC) as well as the
service features.

5. What is on the table for FMC (cont.)
I-WLAN provides service continuity b/w LTE and WLAN
• EPC acts as the unified core
network for LTE and WLAN
• When device moving b/w LTE
and WLAN, the IP address
keeps unchanged, and the
service flow uninterrupted.
• See also ITU-T SG13 Q10 Y MC-
VCC for I-WLAN
ePDGS-GW
P-GW
EPC

6. What is missing for FMC
• Fixed BB is not converged with other accesses at
network level (BRAS, EPC)
• User data is not fully converged (AAA, HSS, HLR)
• Dedicated vertical for each access
• Others ?

7. Content
• Background for FMC
• Overview of FMC in 5G
• FMC Key Technologies in 5G
• Summary

8. MM
5G Vision- Functional View
Fixed Access
5G NR
Evolved LTE
WLAN
UP(local)
UP(centra
l)
SM Policy
NRF AU UDM AF
CP
UP
• Service-based Architecture and
function interconnection
• Modularized function
• Network slicing
• Flexible UP
• C/U Separation
• C/D Separation
• FMC through converged CP and
simplified UP
Softwarization Customization Flexibility

9. AP Central Office
Core TIC（with Mgmt. Platform）
Hardware
VIM
SDN
Ctrl.
VNFM
NFVI
Orchestrat
or
WAN SDN
Ctrl.
Data Center: TIC Layer
AP
Dedicated
BBU
PTN
OLT
OTN
AP
Virtualized
NFVI
OLT
PTN
OTN
Dedicated
Core TIC（with Mgmt. Platform）
Hardware
VIM
SDN
Ctrl.
VNFM
NFVI
Orchestrat
or
WAN SDN
Ctrl.
AP
Virtualized
NFVI
OLT
PTN
OTN
Dedicate
d
NFVI/Cloud OS
NFVI
NFVI/Cloud OS VIM
SDN Ctrl.
VNFM
Edge TIC
NFVI
NFVI/Cloud OS VIM
SDN Ctrl.
VNFM
Edge TIC
NFVI
NFVI/Cloud OS VIM
SDN Ctrl.
VNFM
Edge TIC
NFVI/Cloud OS
5G CP NF
5G UP NF
5G CP NF
5G UP NF
5G CP NF5G CP NF
5G EC
BBU-CP5G EC BBU-UP
5G UP NF 5G UP NF
5G EC
5G UP NF 5G UP NF
5G EC
BBU-CP5G EC BBU-UP
5G Vision- Networking View
• Network infrastructure is being transformed into TIC+AP
• TIC(Telecom integrated cloud): two layer data center with core TIC and edge TIC; TIC is based on NFV and
SDN; TIC can be unified managed.
• AP(Access Point): central office closer to the user, and mainly accommodate RAN and transmission
equipment
• 5G NFs can be flexibly deployed in TIC+AP based on the service scenarios. 5G CP NFs can be deployed in Core
TIC, 5G UP NFs and MEC application can be deployed in Edge TIC or AP to meet MEC requirement

10. Architecture of UNIC
Authentication
Authorization
Address
Allocation
Charging … ...Policy
Lawful
Interception
Common Functionalities
Cellular Dedicated Functionalities WLAN Dedicated Functionalities Fixed BB Dedicated Functionalities
MM SM QoS
UNIC - CP
UNIC - UP
User Plane
For 5G
User Plane
For 4G
User Plane
For WLAN
User Plane
For Fixed BB
Firewall DPI … ...
Converged
User Data
Cloud
Cloud
Service Chain
Uc
Ud
QoS
Management
and
Orchestration
• Separated control and user
plane
• Unified control plane for
different accesses
• Converged user data for
different accesses
• Service chain as a
supplementary to user plane
• Cloud based deployment
• UNIC-CP could be deployed in
core TIC, UNIC UP could be in
edge TIC or AP
Unified Network Integrating Cloud (UNIC) is an unified CN for different accesses

11. Content
• Background for FMC
• Overview of FMC in 5G
• FMC Key Technologies in 5G
• Summary

12. Separation of Control and User Plane
Authentication
Charging
Policy
Access Control
MM
SM
… …
Packet Forwarding
Authentication Access Control
Charging MM SM
Policy … …
Packet Forwarding
Legacy NW entity User plane entity
Control plane entity
• 3GPP is working on CUPS for EPC entities. UNIC is to extend the idea to fixed BB,
WLAN and cellular accesses.
• Different user plane equipments can be under control of an unified control plane
equipment.
• Open issue: To choose the protocol(s) used b/w CP and UP
Is it possible to use an unified protocol?

13. Reconstruction and convergence of Control Plane
Authentication
Charging
Policy
Addr Allocation
MM
SM
… …
Packet Forwarding
Authentication
Charging Policy
Addr Allocation
… …
Packet Forwarding
QoS
QoS
Cellular
Fiexed
Authentication
Charging Policy
Addr Allocation
… …
Packet ForwardingWLAN
1. Common CP modular function
• Enable unified identification and control to multiple access
Authentication Access Control Charging Policy
… …
QoS MM QoS
… …
2. Dedicated CP modular function for each access
• Enable specific control to some access
3. Converged UP function
• Simplified local UP of cellular and UP of fixed access are converged
Packet Forwarding
cellular fixed
FE for 5G
Cache URL FilterFirewall
FE for WLAN FE for Fixed BB
4. Dedicated UP function
• Simplified local UP of cellular and UP of fixed access are converged

14. Service Chain
Chain 1
Fixed BB
Cellular
Traffic
classifier
FirewallURL Filter Cache
• Deploy a set of shared value-add services(e.g., URL filter, cache, FW) instead of deploying dedicated
services for each kind of access type
• Traffic classifier is used to classify the traffic and assist to steer a flow through a chain on demand. It can
be a separate function behind each kind of network or supported by user plane of each network
WLAN
Chain 2
Open issue:
1. What scenarios is fitful for shared service chain of fixed and mobile network
2. How to balance the flexibility to introduce new service and added latency
brought by separate service

15. Converged User Data
HSS
AAA
AAA
Unique user ID
Common Data
Fixed BB
Specific
data
WLAN
Specific
data
Cellular
Specific
data
• To merge user data in HSS and AAA
together, with an unique user ID as
the main index
• Unified authentication and
authorization
• To provide unified data management
• Large scale database
• To define unified access protocols as
few as possible
• Open issue:
- mapping b/w different data models
- Is it possible to use an unified
protocol?

16. UE
app
RAN
UE
UP for 5G
UP for 4G
UP for WLAN
UP for Fixed BB
BRAS
EC Platform
CDN Cache
Video
Optimization
…
Edge Computing
UNIC can provide facilities for edge computing capability for both fixed and mobile users, by enabling required
functions of IT service and cloud computing.
Advantages brought by edge computing:
• enhance user experience by saving bandwith resources;
• innovate edge services by introducing computing
capabilty close to the user.
Features:
• Edge computing component is deployed in UNIC-UP, for both fixed and mobile users;
• Edge computing platform can provide various service functions, such as CDN, cache, video optimization etc.
• Access network is able to interactive with edge computing component, by providing required feedback
information, such as wireless status, downlink bandwith usage etc.
④
①
②
③
Example(CDN for Fixed BB):
① UE sends a request of a picture of a webserver;
② The request is redirected to CDN’s cache by
load balance server deployed in UP;
③ UE requests the picture from CDN’s cache in
EC platform;
④ Cache responds the content to UE.

17. Content
• Background for FMC
• Overview of FMC in 5G
• FMC Key Technologies in 5G
• Summary

18. Summary
1. As a complicated design, FMC is now facing a lot of problems:
a) a lack of coherence among various protocols
• for UNIC-UP, there is a lack of coherence among 4G, 5G, WLAN, Fixed BB Protocols
• also a lack of coherence between both UNIC-UP and UNIC-UC
b) a lack of coherence among identification types of different access technologies
• cellphone number for 4G/5G wireless access
• broadband ID for Fixed BB access
• WLAN ID for WLAN access
c) unify user plane module of different access technologies use
2. To advance FMC among different SDOs
a) collaborate with 3GPP:
• For ITU: focus on fixed access convergence and common architecture of 5G module in FMC
• For 3GPP: focus on architecture of celluar network.
b) collaborate with related Open Source Organizations:
• such as ONF, ONOS, ODL, OPEN-O etc.

19. Thank You!