5G Quality Of Services (QoS)

The concept of QoS in 5G is flow based. Packets are classified and marked using QFI (QoS Flow Identifier). The 5G QoS flows are mapped in the AN (Access Network) to DRBs (Data Radio Bearers) unlike 4G LTE where mapping is one to one between EPC and radio bearers. It supports following QoS flow types. 

• GBR QoS flow, requires guaranteed flow bit rate.
• Non-GBR QoS flow, does not require guaranteed flow bit rate.
• Delay Critical  QoS flow, For Mission Critical  guaranteed flow bit rate.

The 5G QoS flows are mapped in the AN (Access Network) to DRBs (Data Radio Bearers) unlike 4G LTE where mapping is one to one between EPC and radio bearers.

5G NR QoS Architecture

New Quality Of Experience (QoE) in 5G

How 5G QoS is differ from 4G

General

The concept of QoS in 4G LTE is based on Bearers. The Concept of QoS in 5G is based on Flow Based.

In 4G, EPS Bearer ID (EBI) is used to distinguish between different Quality Of Services (QoS).

5G uses QoS Flows, each identified by a QoS Flow ID (QFI). As with 4G LTE both non-GBR flows and GBR flows are supported in 5G, along with a new delay-critical GBR. 5G also introduces a new concept – Reflective QoS.

The 5G QoS flows are mapped in the AN (Access Network) to DRBs (Data Radio Bearers) unlike 4G LTE where mapping is one to one between EPC and radio bearers.

4G vs 5G QoS flow parameters

5G – 5GC QoS Packet Filtering

In 5G, QoS Flow mapping happen two times. In the 5GC, there is only a single user plane network function – the UPF – for transport of data between the gNB and the core. In 5G, there is a one-to-many relationship between the GTP-U tunnel on N3 and the DRBs on the air interface. Each QoS flow on N3 is mapped to a single GTP-U tunnel. The gNB may map individual QoS flows to one more DRBs. Therefore, a PDU session may contain multiple QoS flows and several DRBs but only a single N3 GTP-U tunnel. A DRB may transport one or more QoS flows.

5G QoS Parameters / Attributes

QoS flow is identified by QFI within PDU session. This QFI is carried in an encapsulation header over NG-U. 
• For each UE, 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions and NG-RAN establishes at least one DRB together with PDU session. Additional DRBs are configured for QoS flows of that PDU session consecutively. 
• NG-RAN maps packets which belong to the different PDU sessions to different DRBs.

NAS level packet filters in UE and in 5GC associate UL/DL packets with QoS flows. At NAS level, QoS flow is characterised by QoS profile provided by 5GC to NG-RAN and QoS rules provided by 5GC to UE. 

AS-level mapping rules in UE and in NG-RAN associate UL/DL QoS flows with DRBs. At AS (Access Stratum) level, DRB defines packet treatment on radio interface (Uu). 

5G QoS Flow Descriptions

The network can also provide the UE with one or more QoS flow descriptions associated with a PDU session at the PDU session establishment or at the PDU session modification.

Each QoS flow description contains:

a)  a QoS flow identifier (QFI);

b)  if the flow is a GBR QoS flow:

1)  Guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) for UL;

2)  Guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) for DL;

3)  Maximum flow bit rate (MFBR) for UL;

4)  Maximum flow bit rate (MFBR) for DL; and

5)  optionally averaging window, applicable for both UL and DL;

 OR

If the flow is aNon-GBR QoS flow:

1. Reflective QoS Attribute (RQA) in DL
2. Additional QoS Flow Information

c)  5QI, if the QFI is not the same as the 5QI of the QoS flow identified by the QFI; and

d) ARP

e)  optionally, an EPS bearer identity (EBI) if the QoS flow can be mapped to an EPS bearer .

5G QoS Rules

5G Signaled QoS Rule

The NAS protocol enables the network to provide the UE with signalled QoS rules associated with a PDU session.The network can provide the UE with one or more signalled QoS rules associated with a PDU session at the PDU session establishment or at the PDU session modification.

Each signalled QoS rule contains:

a )        an indication of whether the QoS rule is the default QoS rule;

b)         a QoS rule identifier (QRI);

c)         a QoS flow identifier (QFI);

d)         optionally, a set of packet filters; and

e)         a precedence value.

5G Derived  QoS Rule

The reflective QoS in the UE creates derived QoS rules associated with a PDU session based on DL user data packets received via the PDU session.

Each derived QoS rule contains:

a)  a QoS flow identifier (QFI);

b)  a packet filter for UL direction; and

     c)  a precedence value of 80 (decimal)

5G QoS Flow Characteristics

• Resource Type (GBR, Delay critical GBR or Non-GBR);
• Priority Level;
• Packet Delay Budget (including Core Network Packet Delay Budget);
• Packet Error Rate;
• Averaging window (for GBR and Delay-critical GBR resource type only);
• Maximum Data Burst Volume (for Delay-critical GBR resource type only).

5G QoS Flow Table