3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #84 R1-160447

St Julian’s, Malta, 15th - 19th February 2016

Title: NB-IoT Operation in Multiple PRBs

Source: Nokia Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell
Agenda Item: 7.2.1.1.3
Document for: Discussion and decision

1. Introduction
The following was agreed in RAN1 Adhoc meeting [1]:
• Multiple NB-IoT carriers operation for NB-IoT is supported at least for in-band, guard-
band operation modes
– FFS: Define one NB-IoT PRB containing NB-PSS/SSS and NB-PBCH as the
anchor PRB
• FFS: which PRB is defined as the anchor PRB
– Additional PRBs are configured by MIB and/or SIB and/or RRC signaling
• If more than one PRBs are allocated in the in-band operation, not all of
those PRBs need to satisfy 100 kHz channel raster requirements
• FFS: Detailed signaling
– FFS: Stand-alone operation

In this document we provide further details on the multiple NB-IoT operation, including
considerations about the above FFS topics. Note that except otherwise indicated the content of this
document is expected to be valid for all operation modes.

2. Discussion
2.1 General description
It has been agreed following the above to allow multiple 180 kHz bands to be allocated for NB-IoT
to support massive connectivity. Our proposal is to manage “multiple PRBs” introducing an
“anchor PRB”, i.e. a single DL PRB managing NB-PSS/NB-SSS/NB-PBCH physical channels.

As already mentioned within [2] such proposal limits the “100 kHz channel raster requirements” to
a single PRB, therefore allowing more flexibility for selecting the NB-IoT PRBs location in the in-
band case and a more efficient use of the spectrum (all operation modes) without introducing a
significant additional complexity compared to [4], at least for the symmetric configurations;
asymmetric configurations can be left for future releases.

Proposal #1: Support multiple NB-IoT PRBs for in-band and guard band operation modes
through the use of an “anchor PRB”.
It is proposed to manage “multiple PRBs” according to the following scheme:

Anchor PRB Additional PRB #0

Additional PRB #1 Additional PRB #1

Additional PRB #n Additional PRB #n

TX-RX frequency
DL direction separation UL direction

Such configuration is symmetric, i.e. :

• Same number of NB-IoT PRBs for DL and UL directions.
• For all DL/UL NB-IoT PRB pairs, same TX-RX frequency separation between a DL PRB
and its UL counterpart.
For the in-band case an asymmetric configuration is also described (see 2.2), but although such
configuration is expected to be more efficient it is proposed for the sake of a simpler
implementation to manage symmetric configurations only in R13 and to leave asymmetric
configurations for further Releases.

In order to ensure the maximum commonality with the single NB-IoT PRB case and to allow NB-
IoT UEs to make an efficient use of the additional PRBs resources, the following physical channel
mapping is proposed :

Proposal #2 :
• The anchor PRB carries NB-PSS/NB-SSS, NB-PBCH, NB-PDCCH, and NB-PDSCH
physical channels.
• Additional DL PRB(s) (other than the anchor PRB) carry NB-PDCCH and NB-PDSCH
physical channels only.
• Additional UL PRB(s) carry NB-PRACH and NB-PUSCH physical channels only.

A single anchor PRB is assumed in the following.

As a consequence of the above, only the anchor PRB needs to satisfy the 100 kHz channel raster
requirements; additional PRBs do not. This also means that all PRB locations suitable from this
perspective in the “single NB-IoT PRB” case are suitable for the anchor PRB as well.
On the other hand for the in-band case and as already proposed for the single NB-IoT PRB case
(see [3]), the anchor PRB shall be located outside of the inner 1.08 MHz bandwidth; as a
consequence in such a case NB-IoT can be only supported as guard band for the 1.4 MHz LTE
bandwidth. To ease the coexistence with LTE and for simplification reasons it is proposed that the
same constraint is applicable to all additional DL/UL PRBs.
For simplification reasons it is also proposed to leave frequency hopping management for further
Releases.
Observation #1: only the anchor PRB needs to satisfy the 100 kHz channel raster requirements;
additional DL PRBs do not.

Proposal #3:
• For the in-band case, anchor PRB and additional DL/UL PRBs shall be located outside
of the inner 1.08 Mhz bandwidth; as a consequence NB-IoT guard-band should be
supported for the 1.4 MHz LTE bandwidth.
• Frequency hopping should not be managed for R13.

2.2 Indication of additional PRBs

The indication of the multiple PRBs for NB-IoT should be discussed. For NB-IoT with multiple
PRBs, the information of available additional PRBs can be conveyed by the system information
broadcast. An option to convey this information is provided below.
First, we propose to indicate whether multiple PRBs are configured for the NB-IoT system or not.
with a 1-bit flag in MIB, referred to as mb_flag; such mb_flag may either replace the legacy
‘downlink channel bandwidth’ flag (if found useless) or be a new MIB field. Next, we define a new
SIB (named as ‘SIB_mb’ in this document) to carry the detailed information of all the available
additional PRBs in the cell. Then the information related to the location of each additional PRB is
included in SIB_mb. The transmission of SIB_mb is optional: the SIB_mb is transmitted by the
base station only when additional PRBs are configured for NB-IoT. Otherwise, the base station
does not transmit SIB_mb. Alternatively, the detailed information for additional PRBs can be an
optional field in a new SIB message, transmitted together with other necessary system information.
A NB-IoT UE searches NB-PSS/NB-SSS on the anchor PRB. Once it gets synchronized, it is
capable of receiving MIB. After decoding MIB, it gets the value of mb_flag, and then may receive
the information of the available NB-IoT bands via SIB_mb.
It is proposed to adopt the control-less transmission of SIB (as for eMTC), thus the NB-IoT UE
could receive SIB_mb on the anchor PRB and be aware of the additional PRBs location, then
receive additional SIBs on the PDSCH without the need for decoding the anchor PRB PDCCH.

Proposal #4: The presence of multiple PRBs configuration is indicated in MIB with a 1-bit flag.
In the case multiple PRBs are configured, the locations of additional PRBs are indicated via a
new SIB broadcast by the anchor PRB.

The precise way to indicate each additional PRB location is proposed below:
• Assuming there are NDL DL PRBs configured (NDL ≥ 1), each corresponding to a given
center frequency, the center frequency of the anchor PRB being fanc.
• All DL PRBs are indexed by k (0 ≤ k ≤ NDL-1).
• Each additional DL PRB #k is associated to its center frequency fk (fanc for the anchor
PRB).
• Δfk = fk – fanc is provided within SIB_mb (Δfk = 0 for the anchor PRB).
• Since for every k the TX-RX frequency separation between a DL PRB #k and its UL
counterpart is the same (know via the SIB2), there is no need for an explicit description of
the UL PRBs location.
Proposal# 5: the DL/UL PRBs location in multiple PRBs can be indexed according to their
central frequency and provided as such within the new SIB. For a symmetric configuration it is
enough to provide the DL PRBs location.

Note that such PRB configuration can be static; however as it is indicated via MIB/SIB it can also
be changed slowly or semi-statically via OAM means or adaptive algorithms at the eNB, allowing
e.g . to define different day/night configurations.
The above PRB location indication is valid for a symmetric configuration. It is however possible
for the in-band case to manage asymmetric configurations, i.e. configurations for which the number
of NB-IoT PRBs is not the same for DL and UL directions, by indicating within SIB_mb two
different sets of PRB locations (one for DL and the other one for the UL).
An example of asymmetric configuration is shown below :

This would allow a more flexible and efficient use of the spectrum, given the asymmetric nature of
the NB-IoT traffic model, for which data traffic is mostly on the UL direction. On the other hand
and (again) via OAM means it would allow to manage temporarily situations for which more traffic
is needed on the DL direction, e.g. for NB-IoT UEs SW/FW purposes.

Observation #2: multiple PRBs allocation as described in chapter 2.2. can be used to manage :
• Semi-static configurations that can vary slowly (e.g. day/night) via OAM means or
adaptive algorithms at the eNB.
• DL/UL asymmetric configurations (for further Releases). Both DL and UL PRBs
location have to be provided in this case.

2.3 PRB allocation

According to the above description synchronization (using the NB-PSS/NB-SSS) and MIB/SIB
reading is always performed using the anchor PRB ; additional PRBs can be allocated to NB-IoT
UEs from the random access phase and choosen by the UE.
Two possible algorithms to be used by the NB-IoT UE to select a given DL/UL PRB from the
random access phase are described below for a symmetric configuration. In any case the anchor
PRB is given the index #0, NDL being the number of additional DL PRBs. Either :
• The NB-IoT UE uses its ID (i.e. the GUTI) to compute the DL (and UL) PRB index as :
PRB_indexDL = GUTI mod (NDL). As N is expected to be small such algorithm works only
if the least significant bits of the GUTI are « fairly random », or,
• The UE computes a random integer between 0 and NDL-1 using a pseudo-random algorithm
based e.g. upon linear congruential generators.
Proposal #6 : the NB-IoT UE computes the NB-IoT PRB index PRB_indexDL based upon NDL
only and assumes PRB_indexUL = PRB_indexDL to be used from the random access phase.

In the case of an asymmetric configuration the « PRB_indexDL = PRB_indexUL » assumption does

not hold anymore since NUL ≠ NDL, but the above method can be improved to manage such
configurations as well.

Such PRB allocation is static, i.e. the NB-IoT UE is expected to use the same PRB resources in idle
and connected states. On the other hand it is found beneficial for e.g. load balancing purpose or to
take into account UE coverage/traffic pattern to allow the network to change such PRB allocation
via RRC signalling.

Proposal #7 : the network should be able to change the NB-IoT PRB allocation via RRC
signalling.

3. Conclusions
In this contribution we have the following proposals and observations:

Proposal #1: Support multiple NB-IoT PRBs for in-band and guard band operation modes through
the use of an “anchor PRB”.

Proposal #2 :
• The anchor PRB carries NB-PSS/NB-SSS, NB-PBCH, NB-PDCCH, and NB-PDSCH
physical channels.
• Additional DL PRB(s) (other than the anchor PRB) carry NB-PDCCH and NB-PDSCH
physical channels only.
• Additional UL PRB(s) carry NB-PRACH and NB-PUSCH physical channels only.

Observation #1: only the anchor PRB needs to satisfy the 100 kHz channel raster requirements;
additional DL PRBs do not.

Proposal #3:
• For the in-band/guard-band cases, only the anchor PRB needs to satisfy the same 100 kHz
channel raster requirements as for the single NB-IoT PRB case; additional DL PRBs do
not.
• For the in-band case, anchor PRB and additional DL/UL PRBs shall be located outside of
the inner 1.08 Mhz bandwidth; as a consequence NB-IoT guard-band should be supported
for the 1.4 MHz LTE bandwidth.
• Frequency hopping should not be managed for R13.

Proposal #4: The presence of multiple PRBs configuration is indicated in MIB with a 1-bit flag. In
the case multiple PRBs are configured, the locations of additional PRBs are indicated via a new
SIB broadcast by the anchor PRB.
Proposal# 5: the DL/UL PRBs location in multiple PRBs can be indexed according to their central
frequency and provided as such within the new SIB. For a symmetric configuration it is enough to
provide the DL PRBs location.

Observation #2: multiple PRBs allocation as described in chapter 2.2. can be used to manage :
• Semi-static configurations that can vary slowly (e.g. day/night) via OAM means or
adaptive algorithms at the eNB.
• DL/UL asymmetric configurations (for further Releases). Both DL and UL PRBs location
have to be provided in this case.

Proposal #6 : the NB-IoT UE computes the NB-IoT PRB index PRB_indexDL based upon NDL only
and assumes PRB_indexUL = PRB_indexDL to be used from the random access phase.

Proposal #7 : the network should be able to change the NB-IoT PRB allocation via RRC signalling.

References

[1] “RAN1 Chairman’s Notes” - RAN1 Adhoc meeting, Jan. 2016, Budapest, Hungary.
[2] R1-160180, “Considerations of Multi-Band NB-IoT” – Alcatel-Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent
Shanghai Bell - RAN1 Adhoc meeting, Jan. 2016, Budapest, Hungary.
[3] R1-160039, “Basic system design for DL NB-IoT” – Nokia Networks - RAN1 Adhoc
meeting, Jan. 2016, Budapest, Hungary.
[4] R1-160078, “NB-IoT - Support for operation with Multiple PRBs” – Ericsson - RAN1
Adhoc meeting, Jan. 2016, Budapest, Hungary.