Content for TS 32.273 Word version: 17.0.0

3.1 Definitions 3.2 Symbols 3.3 Abbreviations 4.1 High level MBMS architecture 4.2 MBMS offline charging architecture 4.3 MBMS online charging architecture
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1 Scope p. 6

The present document is part of a series of Technical Specifications (TSs) that specify charging functionality and charging management in GSM/UMTS networks. The GSM/UMTS core network charging architecture and principles are specified in TS 32.240, which provides an umbrella for other charging management TSs that specify:

the content of the CDRs per domain / subsystem / service (offline charging);
the content of real-time charging messages per domain / subsystem / service (online charging);
the functionality of online and offline charging for those domains / subsystems / services;
the interfaces that are used in the charging framework to transfer the charging information (i.e. CDRs or charging events).

The complete document structure for these TSs is defined in TS 32.240.

The present document specifies the Offline and Online Charging description for the Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS), based on the functional stage 2 description in TS 23.246.

This charging description includes the offline and online charging architecture and scenarios specific to MBMS, as well as the mapping of the common 3GPP charging architecture specified in TS 32.240 onto MBMS.

It further specifies the structure and content of the CDRs for offline charging, and the charging events for online charging. The present document is related to other 3GPP charging TSs as follows:

The common 3GPP charging architecture is specified in TS 32.240;
The parameters, abstract syntax and encoding rules for the CDRs are specified in TS 32.298;
A transaction based mechanism for the transfer of CDRs within the network is specified in TS 32.295;
The file based mechanism used to transfer the CDRs from the network to the operator's billing domain (e.g. the billing system or a mediation device) is specified in TS 32.297;
The 3GPP Diameter application that is used for MBMS offline and online charging is specified in TS 32.299.

All terms, definitions and abbreviations used in the present document, that are common across 3GPP TSs, are defined in the 3GPP Vocabulary, TR 21.905. Those that are common across charging management in GSM/UMTS domains or subsystems are provided in the umbrella document TS 32.240 and are copied into clause 3 of the present document for ease of reading. Finally, those items that are specific to the present document are defined exclusively in the present document.

Furthermore, requirements that govern the charging work are specified in TS 22.115.

2 References p. 7

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.
For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.

[1]

TS 32.240: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Charging architecture and principles".

[2] - [9] Void.

[10]

TS 32.250: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Circuit Switched (CS) domain charging".

[11]

TS 32.251: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Packet Switched (PS) domain charging".

[12] - [19] Void.

[20]

TS 32.260: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) charging".

[21] - [29] Void.

[30]

TS 32.270: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) charging".

[31] - [49] Void.

[50]

TS 32.299: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Diameter charging application".

[51]

TS 32.298: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Charging Data Record (CDR) parameter description".

[52]

TS 32.297: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Charging Data Record (CDR) file format and transfer".

[53] Void.

[54]

TS 32.295: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Charging Data Record (CDR) transfer".

[55] - [99] Void.

[100]

TR 21.905: "Vocabulary for 3GPP specifications".

[101]

TS 22.115: "Service aspects; Charging and billing".

[102] - [199] Void.

[200]

TS 23.246: "Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS); Architecture and functional description".

[201]

TS 22.146: "Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS); Stage 1".

[202]

TS 22.246: "Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) user services; Stage 1".

[203]

TS 26.346: "Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS); Protocols and codecs".

[204]

TS 29.061: "Interworking between the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) supporting packet based services and Packet Data Networks (PDN)".

[205]

TS 23.468: "Group Communication System Enablers for LTE (GCSE_LTE); Stage 2".

3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations p. 8

3.1 Definitions p. 8

For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in TR 21.905, TS 32.240, TS 23.246 and the following apply:

2G- / 3G-:

prefixes 2G- and 3G- refer to functionality that supports only GSM or UMTS, respectively, e.g. 2G SGSN refers only to the GSM functionality of an SGSN.

accounting:

process of apportioning charges between the Home Environment, Serving Network and Subscriber.

Advice of Charge (AoC):

real-time display of the network utilization charges incurred by the Mobile Station (MS). The charges are displayed in the form of charging units. If a unit price is stored by the MS then the display may also include the equivalent charge in the home currency.

AoC service:

combination of one or more services, both basic and supplementary, together with a number of other charging relevant parameters to define a customized service for the purpose of Advice of Charge (AoC).

billing:

function whereby CDRs generated by the charging function(s) are transformed into bills requiring payment.

Billing Domain (BD):

part of the operator network, which is outside the core network, that receives and processes CDR files from the core network charging functions. It includes functions that can provide billing mediation and billing or other (e.g. statistical) end applications. It is only applicable to offline charging (see "Online Charging System" for equivalent functionality in online charging).

chargeable event:

activity utilizing telecommunications network infrastructure and related services for:

user to user communication (e.g. a single call, a data communication session or a short message); or
user to network communication (e.g. service profile administration); or
inter-network communication (e.g. transferring calls, signalling, or short messages); or
mobility (e.g. roaming or inter-system handover); and
that the network operator may want to charge for.

charged party:

user involved in a chargeable event that has to pay parts or the whole charges of the chargeable event, or a third party paying the charges caused by one or all users involved in the chargeable event, or a network operator.

charging:

function within the telecommunications network and the associated OCS/BD components whereby information related to a chargeable event is collected, formatted, transferred and evaluated in order to make it possible to determine usage for which the charged party may be billed (offline charging) or the subscribers account balance may be debited (online charging).

Charging Data Record (CDR):

formatted collection of information about a chargeable event (e.g. time of call set-up, duration of the call, amount of data transferred, etc.) for use in billing and accounting. For each party to be charged for parts of or all charges of a chargeable event a separate CDR shall be generated, i.e. more than one CDR may be generated for a single chargeable event, e.g. because of its long duration, or because more than one charged party is to be charged.

charging function:

entity inside the core network domain, subsystem or service that is involved in charging for that domain, subsystem or service

Fully Qualified Partial CDR (FQPC):

partial CDR that contains a complete set of the fields specified in the present document. This includes all the mandatory and conditional fields as well as those fields that the PLMN operator has provisioned to be included in the CDR. The first Partial CDR is a FQPC.

GPRS:

packet switched bearer and radio services for GSM and UMTS systems.

GTP':

GPRS protocol used for CDR transport. It is derived from GTP with enhancements to improve transport reliability necessary for CDRs.

inter-system change:

change of radio access between different radio access technologies such as GSM and UMTS.

middle tier TS:

term used for the 3GPP charging TSs that specify the domain / subsystem / service specific, online and offline, charging functionality.

These are all the TSs in the numbering range from TS 32.250 to TS 32.27x, e.g. TS 32.250 for the CS domain, or TS 32.270 for the MMS service. Currently, there is only one "tier 1" TS in 3GPP, which is TS 32.240 that specifies the charging architecture and principles. Finally, there are a number of top tier TSs in the 32.29x numbering range ([50] ff) that specify common charging aspects such as parameter definitions, encoding rules, the common billing domain interface or common charging applications.

near real time:

near real time charging and billing information is to be generated, processed, and transported to a desired conclusion in less than one (1) minute.

offline charging:

charging mechanism where charging information does not affect, in real-time, the service rendered.

online charging:

charging mechanism where charging information can affect, in real-time, the service rendered and therefore a direct interaction of the charging mechanism with bearer/session/service control is required.

Online Charging System (OCS):

the entity that performs real-time Credit-Control. Its functionality includes transaction handling, rating, online correlation and management of subscriber account balances.

packet switched domain:

domain within GSM / UMTS in which data is transferred in packet switched mode. Corresponds to the term "GPRS".

partial CDR:

CDR that provides charging information on part of a subscriber session. A long session may be covered by several partial CDRs. Two formats are considered for Partial CDRs. One that contains all of the necessary fields; the second has a reduced format.

real time:

real time charging and billing information is to be generated, processed, and transported to a desired conclusion in less than one (1) second.

Reduced Partial CDR (RPC):

partial CDRs that only provide mandatory fields and information regarding changes in the session parameters relative to the previous CDR.

EXAMPLE: Location information is not repeated in these CDRs if the subscriber did not change its location.

settlement:

payment of amounts resulting from the accounting process.

subscriber:

entity (associated with one or more users) that is engaged in a subscription with a service provider. The subscriber is allowed to subscribe and unsubscribe services, to register a user or a list of users authorized to enjoy these services, and also to set the limits relative to the use that associated users make of these services.

successful call:

connection that reaches the communication or data transfer phase e.g. the "answered" state for speech connections. All other connection attempts are regarded as unsuccessful.

tariff period:

part of one (calendar) day during which a particular tariff is applied. Defined by the time at which the period commences (the switch-over time) and the tariff to be applied after switch-over.

tariff:

set of parameters defining the network utilization charges for the use of a particular bearer / session / service.

3.2 Symbols p. 10

For the purposes of the present document, the following symbols apply:

Bmb Reference point for the CDR file transfer from the MBMS CGF to the BD

Reference point for the CDR file transfer from the OCF CGF to the BD

Reference point for the CDR file transfer from the GPRS CGF to the BD

Reference point between any (generic) 3GPP domain, subsystem or service CGF and the BD

Reference point for CDR transfer between a CDF and the CGF

Interface between the Packet-Switched domain and an external packet data network

Interface between two GSNs within the same PLMN

Interface between two GSNs in different PLMNs

kbit/s

Kilobits per second. 1 kbit/s = 210 bits per second

Mbit/s

Megabits per second. 1 Mbit/s = 220 bits per second

Offline charging reference point between a BM-SC and the CDF

Online charging reference point between a BM-SC and the OCS

3.3 Abbreviations p. 10

For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations defined in TR 21.905, TS 32.240, TS 23.246 and the following apply:

ABNF

Augmented Backus-Naur Form

ACA

ACcounting-Answer

ACR

ACcounting-Request

Application Function

AMF

Account balance Management Function

AoC

Advice of Charge

AVP

Attribute Value Pair

BCF

Bearer Charging Function

BCSM

Basic Call State Model

Billing Domain

BMD

Billing Mediation Device

BM-SC

Broadcast Multicast - Service Centre

Billing System

CAI

Charge Advice Information

CCA

Credit-Control-Answer

CCR

Credit-Control-Request

CDF

Charging Data Function

CDR

Charging Data Record

Charging Gateway

CGF

Charging Gateway Function

CSE

CAMEL Service Environment

CTF

Charging Trigger Function

DRP

Data Record Packet

ECF

Event Charging Function

ECUR

Event Charging with Unit Reservation

EDP

Event Detection Point

EPS

Evolved Packet System

FCI

Furnish Charging Information

FQPC

Fully Qualified Partial CDR

FTAM

File Transfer, Access and Management

GCS AS

Group Communication Service Application Server

GTP'

The GPRS protocol used for CDR transport. It is derived from GTP with enhancements to improve transport reliability necessary for CDRs

IEC

Immediate Event Charging

IHOSS:OSP

Internet Hosted Octet Stream Service: Octet Stream Protocol

MBMS GW

Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Gateway

M-CDR

Mobility management generated - Charging Data Record

MME

Mobility Management Entity

OAM&P

Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning

OCS

Online Charging System

Protocol Type (Field in GTP' header)

Rating Function

RPC

Reduced Partial CDR

SCI

Subscriber Controlled Input

SCI

Send Charging Information

SCUR

Session Charging with Unit Reservation

TAP

Transferred Account Procedure

TDP

Trigger Detection Point

TID

Tunnel IDentifier

TLV

Type, Length, Value (GTP header format)

TMGI

Temporary Mobile Group Identifier

Type, Value

VAS

Value Added Service

VASP

Value Added Service Provider

4 Architecture considerations p. 12

4.1 High level MBMS architecture p. 12

The high level MBMS architecture is as defined in TS 23.246 with extensions for Group Communication System Enablers for LTE (GCSE_LTE) in TS 23.468.

The following clauses detail only service level charging. MBMS related aspects of bearer level charging are defined in TS 32.251.

4.2 MBMS offline charging architecture p. 12

Figure 4.2.1 depicts the MBMS offline charging architecture. As defined in TS 32.240, the BM-SC contains an integrated CTF that generates charging events that are passed to the CDF via the Rf reference point.

Copy of original 3GPP image for 3GPP TS 32.273, Fig. 4.2.1: Charging architecture for MBMS offline charging

Figure 4.2.1: Charging architecture for MBMS offline charging
(⇒ copy of original 3GPP image)

4.3 MBMS online charging architecture p. 12

Figure 4.3.1 depicts the MBMS online charging architecture.

Copy of original 3GPP image for 3GPP TS 32.273, Fig. 4.3.1: Charging architecture for MBMS online charging

Figure 4.3.1: Charging architecture for MBMS online charging
(⇒ copy of original 3GPP image)

For online charging, the BM-SC utilizes the Ro interface and the protocol and application towards the OCS is as specified in TS 32.299 and the present document.