5G/NR - LTM

 

 

 

LTM

LTM stands for L1/L2 Triggered Mobility. It is a mobility mechanism in which the UE is pre-configured by RRC with one or more candidate cell configurations, and the actual cell switch can then be triggered at lower layers or by configured execution conditions. Compared with a normal RRC handover that waits for a new RRC reconfiguration at the switching moment, LTM moves much of the target-cell preparation earlier.

The key idea is that RRC prepares the candidate configuration first, and L1/L2 measurements or MAC signaling later identify when a prepared candidate should be applied. This can reduce interruption time during a cell switch because the UE already has the candidate RRC configuration, measurement resources, TCI information, reset/security behavior, and optional early UL synchronization information.

Signaling Overview

At a high level, LTM is configured by RRC and executed later by a lower-layer trigger or by configured execution conditions. The network sends ltm-Config or ltm-ConfigNRDC in RRCReconfiguration. The UE stores the candidate configurations and the serving-cell state values used to decide whether reset, timing alignment, or security update handling is needed during the switch.

The candidate cell can be associated with SSB or CSI-RS resources. The UE evaluates L1 or L3 conditions for the candidate, or receives an LTM cell switch command MAC CE from lower layers. When the trigger is satisfied, the UE applies the stored RRCReconfiguration contained in the selected LTM-Candidate.

LTM signaling overview sequence diagram

  • Configuration: The serving gNB configures one or more LTM candidates using LTM-Config. In NR-DC, LTM-ConfigNRDC can be used for SCG LTM and can include MCG-related configuration.
  • Candidate storage: The UE stores candidate IDs, candidate PCI, candidate RRC configuration, SSB/CSI-RS measurement resources, optional TCI information, and optional early UL sync configuration.
  • Execution condition: The trigger can come from lower layers, from an LTM cell switch command MAC CE, or from configured L1/L3 execution conditions.
  • Cell switch: The UE selects the triggered candidate and applies the stored candidate RRCReconfiguration. The exact behavior depends on whether reset, UE-measured TA, and security-change IDs match the serving-cell state stored by the UE.
  • Completion: After applying the target configuration, the UE completes the RRC reconfiguration procedure using the configured bearer/security behavior for the selected cell group.

L1/L2 Process

The name LTM emphasizes that the final mobility decision can be driven below RRC. RRC prepares the candidate cells and measurement/reporting rules, but the fast part is handled by L1 measurement and MAC procedures. In this sense, RRC provides the configuration, L1 provides beam/cell quality information, and MAC performs event evaluation, event reporting, and cell-switch command handling.

The L1/L2 part can be viewed as three related procedures: L1 beam-level measurement and reporting, conditional LTM event evaluation, and MAC CE based cell switch execution.

L1 L2 process for LTM sequence diagram

L1 Measurement and Event Triggered Report

The network may configure an RRC_CONNECTED UE to measure beam level quality for LTM candidate cells and/or the serving cell. The measured reference signal can be SS/PBCH block or CSI-RS, and the trigger quantity for event evaluation is L1-RSRP. MAC uses the latest L1 measurement results from lower layers after L1 filtering for event evaluation and reporting.

  • Measurement source: LTM candidate beams are represented by SSBRI for SSB based measurement or CRI for CSI-RS based measurement.
  • Configured resource: The RRC LTM-CSI-ResourceConfig identifies which SSB, NZP CSI-RS, or CSI-IM resources belong to which LTM candidate ID.
  • Report configuration: The RRC LTM-CSI-ReportConfig defines the event type, time-to-trigger, hysteresis, thresholds, candidate report list, report content, and optional periodic reporting after the event is triggered.
  • Report delivery: When the event-triggered L1 measurement report is triggered and uplink resources are available, MAC includes the L1 measurement report MAC CE in UL-SCH.

LTM Events

TS 38.321 defines four LTM event types for L1 measurement/reporting. The same event family is also used when L1 measurement based conditional LTM is configured. The equations below use the same notation as the MAC specification: Ms is the serving beam measurement, Mn is the candidate beam measurement, Hys is hysteresis, Thresh is a threshold, and offsets are applied where configured.

Event

Meaning

Entering condition

LTM2

Serving beam becomes worse than an absolute threshold.

Ms + Hys < Thresh

LTM3

Candidate beam becomes offset better than the serving beam.

Mn + Obn - Hys > Ms + Obs + Off

LTM4

Candidate beam becomes better than an absolute threshold.

Mn + Obn - Hys > Thresh

LTM5

Serving beam becomes worse than threshold1 and candidate beam becomes better than threshold2.

Ms + Hys < Thresh1 and Mn + Obn - Hys > Thresh2

For leaving conditions, the inequality direction is reversed with hysteresis on the opposite side. For example, LTM2 leaves when Ms - Hys > Thresh, and LTM3 leaves when Mn + Obn + Hys < Ms + Obs + Off.

Conditional LTM

When L1 or L3 execution conditions are configured, the UE can trigger an LTM cell switch after the configured condition is fulfilled, without waiting for a new RRC message at that moment. For L1 based conditional LTM, MAC evaluates the LTM event conditions using L1 measurement results from lower layers. For L3 based conditional LTM, RRC evaluates the configured measurement IDs as described in the RRC procedure.

  • L1 condition: LTM-ExecutionCondition points to an LTM-CSI-ReportConfigId. MAC evaluates the related LTM event using candidate-cell and serving-cell L1 measurements.
  • L3 condition: LTM-ExecutionCondition points to one or two MeasId values. RRC checks whether all configured events for that candidate are fulfilled.
  • Candidate selection: If more than one candidate satisfies the condition, UE implementation selects one candidate for the LTM cell switch.
  • Trigger indication: Once the condition is fulfilled, lower layers or RRC indicate the target candidate ID so that the stored candidate RRC configuration can be applied.

MAC CE Based Cell Switch

The network can also trigger the switch by sending an LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE or an Enhanced LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE. The MAC CE identifies the target candidate configuration and provides L2/L1 information needed at the switch point.

  • Target Configuration ID: Identifies the LTM candidate to apply. It corresponds to ltm-CandidateId - 1.
  • Timing Advance Command: Provides TA for the target SpCell. If the value is valid, the UE can process the TA and perform a RACH-less LTM cell switch. If the value is FFF, no valid timing adjustment is available from the command.
  • TCI state ID / UL TCI state ID: Activates the DL/joint TCI state and, when separate TCI is configured, the UL TCI state for the target cell.
  • Contention-free RA resources: If the C field indicates presence, the MAC CE can include Random Access Preamble index, SUL/NUL selection, SS/PBCH index, PRACH Mask index, and Msg1 repetition number.
  • Enhanced LTM Cell Switch Command: Adds the NCC value used for key update. It is used for MCG LTM when the target candidate requires a security key change according to the stored no-security-change ID comparison.

After receiving a valid LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE on a serving cell, MAC indicates to upper layers that the LTM cell switch is triggered and provides the target configuration ID. If the enhanced command is used, MAC also provides the NCC value. Upper layers then apply the stored ltm-CandidateConfig for that candidate as part of the RRC reconfiguration with sync procedure.

LCID / eLCID Values for LTM related MAC CE

The LTM specific MAC CEs are carried on DL-SCH using one-octet eLCID values. The tables below summarize the relevant LCID/eLCID tables from TS 38.321. Rows highlighted in yellow are directly related to LTM or LTM candidate-cell operation.

Table 6.2.1-1: Values of LCID for DL-SCH

Codepoint/Index

LCID values

0

CCCH

1-32

Identity of the logical channel of DCCH, DTCH and multicast MTCH

33

Extended logical channel ID field (two-octet eLCID field)

34

Extended logical channel ID field (one-octet eLCID field)

35-46

Reserved

47

Recommended bit rate

48

SP ZP CSI-RS Resource Set Activation/Deactivation

49

PUCCH spatial relation Activation/Deactivation

50

SP SRS Activation/Deactivation

51

SP CSI reporting on PUCCH Activation/Deactivation

52

TCI State Indication for UE-specific PDCCH

53

TCI States Activation/Deactivation for UE-specific PDSCH

54

Aperiodic CSI Trigger State Subselection

55

SP CSI-RS/CSI-IM Resource Set Activation/Deactivation

56

Duplication Activation/Deactivation

57

SCell Activation/Deactivation (four octets)

58

SCell Activation/Deactivation (one octet)

59

Long DRX Command

60

DRX Command

61

Timing Advance Command

62

UE Contention Resolution Identity

63

Padding

Table 6.2.1-1a: Values of two-octet eLCID for DL-SCH

Codepoint

Index

LCID values

0 to (2^16 - 1)

320 to (2^16 + 319)

Identity of the logical channel

Table 6.2.1-1b: Values of one-octet eLCID for DL-SCH

Codepoint

Index

LCID values

0 to 207

64 to 271

Reserved

208

272

On-demand SSB Activation/Deactivation (one octet Ci field)

209

273

On-demand SSB Activation/Deactivation (four octet Ci field)

210

274

SP CLI Measurement Resource Set Activation/Deactivation

211

275

UL Rate Control

212

276

Pathloss Offset Update

213

277

SP CSI-RS/CSI-IM Resource Set Activation/Deactivation for Candidate Cell

214

278

Enhanced LTM Cell Switch Command

215

279

LTM Candidate Timing Advance Command

216

280

Aggregated SP Positioning SRS Activation/Deactivation

217

281

Enhanced SP CSI reporting on PUCCH Activation/Deactivation

218

282

Cross-RRH TCI State Indication for UE-specific PDCCH

219

283

LTM Cell Switch Command

220

284

Candidate Cell TCI States Activation/Deactivation

221

285

PSI-Based SDU Discard Activation/Deactivation

222

286

Enhanced Unified TCI states Activation/Deactivation MAC CE for Joint TCI States

223

287

Enhanced Unified TCI states Activation/Deactivation MAC CE for Separate TCI States

224

288

NCR Access Link Beam Indication

225

289

NCR Downlink Backhaul Link Beam Indication

226

290

NCR Uplink Backhaul Link Beam Indication

227

291

Serving Cell Set based SRS TCI State Indication

228

292

SP/AP SRS TCI State Indication

229

293

BFD-RS Indication

230

294

Differential Koffset

231

295

Enhanced SCell Activation/Deactivation (one octet Ci field)

232

296

Enhanced SCell Activation/Deactivation (four octet Ci field)

233

297

Unified TCI States Activation/Deactivation

234

298

PUCCH Power Control Set Update for multiple TRP PUCCH repetition

235

299

PUCCH spatial relation Activation/Deactivation for multiple TRP PUCCH repetition

236

300

Enhanced TCI States Indication for UE-specific PDCCH

237

301

Positioning Measurement Gap Activation/Deactivation Command

238

302

PPW Activation/Deactivation Command

239

303

DL Tx Power Adjustment

240

304

Timing Case Indication

241

305

Child IAB-DU Restricted Beam Indication

242

306

Case-7 Timing advance offset

243

307

Provided Guard Symbols for Case-6 timing

244

308

Provided Guard Symbols for Case-7 timing

245

309

Serving Cell Set based SRS Spatial Relation Indication

246

310

PUSCH Pathloss Reference RS Update

247

311

SRS Pathloss Reference RS Update

248

312

Enhanced SP/AP SRS Spatial Relation Indication

249

313

Enhanced PUCCH Spatial Relation Activation/Deactivation

250

314

Enhanced TCI States Activation/Deactivation for UE-specific PDSCH

251

315

Duplication RLC Activation/Deactivation

252

316

Absolute Timing Advance Command

253

317

SP Positioning SRS Activation/Deactivation

254

318

Provided Guard Symbols

255

319

Timing Delta

  • Index 278 / Codepoint 214: Enhanced LTM Cell Switch Command, used when additional key update information such as NCC is needed.
  • Index 279 / Codepoint 215: LTM Candidate Timing Advance Command, used to provide TA for a CLTM candidate cell before switch execution.
  • Index 283 / Codepoint 219: LTM Cell Switch Command, the basic MAC CE that triggers applying a prepared LTM candidate configuration.
  • Index 284 / Codepoint 220: Candidate Cell TCI States Activation/Deactivation, used for TCI state handling of LTM candidate cells.

RACH-based and RACH-less Cases

Whether the switch needs Random Access depends mainly on whether the UE already has enough uplink information to transmit toward the target cell immediately after applying the LTM candidate configuration. The most important item is valid timing alignment for the target SpCell. The TA may come from the LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE, from an LTM Candidate Timing Advance Command MAC CE stored before the switch, or from UE-based TA measurement if that feature is configured and the measured TA is still valid.

Valid TA alone is not always sufficient. For a RACH-less switch, the UE also needs a usable uplink transmission opportunity for the target cell, such as a configured uplink grant associated with the LTM/CLTM target. In that case, the UE can transmit in the configured-grant occasion without first sending PRACH and without receiving a RAR PUSCH allocation. If valid TA or a valid configured-grant opportunity is not available, the UE has to perform Random Access on the target SpCell. The LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE may provide contention-free RA information, such as preamble index, SSB index, PRACH mask index, SUL/NUL selection, and Msg1 repetition number, to make that Random Access procedure faster and more deterministic.

  • RACH-less LTM: Possible when valid TA is available and a configured uplink grant for the LTM target cell can be selected. The first UL transmission is performed in the available configured-grant occasion, not from a PUSCH grant delivered by RAR.
  • RACH-based LTM: Used when Random Access is still needed. The LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE may provide contention-free RA resources for the target cell.
  • LTM Candidate Timing Advance Command: A separate MAC CE can provide TA for a CLTM candidate configuration before the switch. It identifies the candidate configuration ID and the TA command to apply during CLTM.

RACH-based LTM cell switch

RACH based LTM cell switch sequence diagram

RACH-less LTM cell switch

RACH less LTM cell switch sequence diagram

Technical Challenges

LTM reduces the delay of mobility execution by preparing the candidate cell configuration before the actual switch, but this shifts a number of difficult decisions from the switching moment to the configuration and lower-layer execution phase. The network has to prepare enough information for fast execution, while still avoiding premature switches, stale candidate configurations, wrong timing alignment, and unnecessary Random Access.

The main difficulty is that LTM crosses the boundary between RRC, MAC, and PHY. RRC owns the candidate configuration, MAC may deliver the actual switch command and timing-related commands, and L1 provides the fast measurements used for event evaluation. If these layers do not use a consistent view of the target cell, beam, timing, and security state, the UE may apply a valid stored configuration at the wrong time or toward the wrong target condition.

Measurement Reliability and False Triggers

LTM relies heavily on L1 measurements such as L1-RSRP over SSB or CSI-RS resources. These measurements can react quickly, but they can also fluctuate quickly due to beam sweeping, blockage, Doppler, measurement periodicity, and reporting delay. For this reason, the event condition cannot be treated as a simple instantaneous comparison.

  • Threshold and offset tuning: LTM2/LTM3/LTM4/LTM5 style conditions need proper threshold, offset, hysteresis, and time-to-trigger settings. Aggressive values reduce interruption but increase ping-pong risk.
  • Serving-cell reference quality: The target candidate may look better only because the serving beam is temporarily blocked. The network may need to consider current serving-cell L1 reporting as well as candidate-cell reporting.
  • Beam versus cell decision: A strong beam does not always mean that the target cell is the best mobility target. The target beam, TCI state, CSI-RS resource, and candidate cell identity have to remain aligned.

RACH-less Execution

RACH-less LTM is attractive because it avoids the PRACH, RAR, and contention-resolution steps, but it is only safe when the UE already has enough uplink information to transmit to the target cell. In practical terms, the UE needs valid timing alignment and a usable uplink transmission opportunity for the target cell, such as a configured grant or another configured UL resource that the network can monitor after the switch.

  • Timing alignment validity: TA may be delivered by the LTM Cell Switch Command MAC CE, by the LTM Candidate Timing Advance Command MAC CE, or by UE-based TA measurement. The challenge is deciding whether the value is still valid when the switch is executed.
  • First UL transmission: Without RAR, the candidate cell does not allocate PUSCH dynamically during Random Access. The first UL transmission must use a pre-configured or otherwise already-known UL resource that the candidate cell is prepared to receive.
  • Fallback behavior: If TA, configured grant, target TCI state, or required UL resource information is missing or expired, the UE should fall back to RACH-based execution or recovery behavior rather than attempting an undecodable uplink transmission.

Candidate Configuration Consistency

The stored LTM candidate configuration may be complete, or it may be a delta configuration that depends on a reference configuration. This reduces signaling overhead, but it also creates a consistency problem. The UE and network must have the same interpretation of the reference configuration, candidate ID, release list, no-reset ID, no-security-change ID, TCI information, and early UL synchronization information.

  • Stale candidates: A candidate that was valid when configured may become invalid after serving-cell reconfiguration, beam reconfiguration, carrier activation changes, or security/key changes.
  • Delta configuration risk: A delta candidate is compact, but it is harder to validate because missing information is inherited from the reference configuration.
  • Multiple candidates: When several candidate cells or execution conditions are configured, the UE and network need deterministic rules for selecting the triggered candidate and for releasing candidates that should no longer be used.

TCI, Beam, and UL Synchronization

For FR2 and beam-centric deployments, the cell switch is not only a cell-ID change. The UE also needs to know which DL and UL beam assumptions are valid after the switch. Candidate Cell TCI States Activation/Deactivation and related TCI state indication MAC CEs reduce this ambiguity, but the network must still coordinate them with measurement resources and switch timing.

  • DL reception after switch: The UE needs a valid PDCCH/PDSCH TCI state for the target cell so it can decode scheduling and data immediately after applying the candidate configuration.
  • UL transmission after switch: For RACH-less operation, UL spatial relation, pathloss reference RS, and timing alignment have to be usable before the first UL transmission.
  • Joint and separate TCI states: Networks supporting both joint and separate TCI state activation need to make sure the UE applies the intended DL and UL assumptions for the selected candidate.

Security, Reset, and State Handling

LTM attempts to avoid unnecessary protocol reset and security changes when the serving and candidate states are compatible, but it must still preserve security correctness. Release 19 adds more explicit support for key update handling, including enhanced cell switch command behavior with NCC. This is useful, but it increases the number of state combinations that have to be tested.

  • No-reset behavior: Avoiding MAC/RLC reset can reduce interruption, but the UE and network must agree which serving-cell and candidate-cell states can safely continue.
  • No-security-change behavior: The no-security-change ID and related SK counter configuration have to match the intended security context, especially in NR-DC cases.
  • Key update case: If key update is required during LTM, the MAC CE, RRC stored configuration, and PDCP/security processing order must be unambiguous.

NR-DC and Multi-Cell Operation

In NR-DC, LTM may apply to MCG, SCG, or combined operation depending on UE capability and network configuration. The complexity increases because the master node and secondary node may not have identical timing, measurement visibility, or security context ownership.

  • MCG and SCG separation: The network has to distinguish whether the LTM candidate belongs to MCG mobility, SCG mobility, SCG addition/change, or a dual-connectivity recovery case.
  • Inter-node coordination: The node preparing the candidate cell must coordinate with the node that owns the relevant RRC, security, and bearer state.
  • Bearer continuity: Low interruption requires PDCP/RLC/MAC state handling that matches the configured no-reset and security behavior.

Recovery and Test Coverage

The most important implementation rule is that LTM failure must not leave the UE in an ambiguous state. If the selected candidate cannot be applied, if the first target-cell transmission fails, or if the UE cannot decode the target-cell control channel after the switch, recovery behavior must be clearly specified and tested.

  • Recovery trigger: The UE needs clear criteria for declaring LTM failure, such as inability to apply the candidate configuration, TA invalidity, RACH-less UL failure, or target-cell control-channel failure.
  • Return or re-establish: Depending on the failure point, recovery may mean falling back to RACH-based access, returning to the old serving cell if possible, or starting RRC re-establishment.
  • Interoperability testing: Testing should cover complete versus delta candidate configuration, RACH-based versus RACH-less execution, key update versus no-security-change, MCG versus SCG operation, and multiple simultaneous candidate triggers.

UE Capability

The network should only configure an LTM feature that the UE has indicated as supported. The most direct UE capability indicators for LTM are in measurement/mobility capability IEs and in CA/PHY capability IEs that describe L1 measurement, reporting, TCI, and CSI-RS/CSI-IM support.

The following ASN snippets are extracted from 3GPP TS 38.331 V19.2.0. Only the fields directly related to LTM are shown; unrelated fields are collapsed with ....

MeasAndMobParameters ::=                    SEQUENCE {
    measAndMobParametersCommon              MeasAndMobParametersCommon              OPTIONAL,
    measAndMobParametersXDD-Diff            MeasAndMobParametersXDD-Diff            OPTIONAL,
    measAndMobParametersFRX-Diff            MeasAndMobParametersFRX-Diff            OPTIONAL
}

MeasAndMobParametersCommon ::=              SEQUENCE {
    ...
    [[
    -- R4 39-2a: SSB based inter-frequency L1-RSRP measurements with measurement gaps
    ltm-InterFreqMeasGap-r18                ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    dummy-ltm-FastUE-Processing-r18         SEQUENCE {
        fr1-r18                                 ENUMERATED {ms10, ms15},
        fr2-r18                                 ENUMERATED {ms10, ms15},
        fr1-AndFR2-r18                          ENUMERATED {ms20, ms30}
    }                                                                            OPTIONAL,
    ...
    ]],
    [[
    ltm-InterFreq-r18                       ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-MCG-NRDC-r18                        ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-RACH-LessDG-r18                     ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-RACH-LessCG-r18                     ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-Recovery-r18                        ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-ReferenceConfig-r18                 ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-MCG-NRDC-Release-r18                ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    -- R4 39-7: Faster UE processing time during cell switch
    ltm-FastUE-Processing-r18               SEQUENCE {
        fr1-r18                                 ENUMERATED {ms10, ms15}             OPTIONAL,
        fr2-r18                                 ENUMERATED {ms10, ms15}             OPTIONAL,
        fr1-AndFR2-r18                          ENUMERATED {ms20, ms30}             OPTIONAL
    }                                                                            OPTIONAL,
    ...
    ]],
    [[
    ltm-interFreqL1-OnlyInBC-r18            ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL
    ]],
    [[
    ltm-KeyUpdateMCG-r19                    ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-KeyUpdateSCG-r19                    ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    cltm-EarlyTA-Indication-r19             INTEGER (1..8)                          OPTIONAL,
    cltm-ExecutionConditionL1-r19           ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    cltm-ExecutionConditionL3-r19           INTEGER (1..2)                          OPTIONAL,
    ltm-EventMeasAndReport-r19              ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-RecoveryWithKeyUpdate-r19           ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ltm-MCG-SCG-AdditionOrChange-r19        ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ...
    ltm-SR-ConfIdInCellSwitchCommand-r19    ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ...
    ]]
}

CA-ParametersNR-v1830 ::=                   SEQUENCE {
    -- R1 45-1: Intra-frequency L1 measurement and reports for LTM
    intraFreqL1-MeasConfig-r18              SEQUENCE {
        supportedMaxIntraFreqCellsConfig-r18                INTEGER (1..8),
        supportedMaxIntraFreqCellsPerReport-r18             INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxReportBeamsPerReportedCell-r18          INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxReportBeamsReports-r18                  ENUMERATED {n1,n2,n3,n4,n6,n8,n9,n12,n16},
        supportedMaxAperiodic-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r18      INTEGER (0..4),
        supportedMaxPeriodic-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r18       INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxSemiPersistent-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r18 INTEGER (0..4)
    }                                                                            OPTIONAL,
    -- R1 45-1a: Inter-frequency L1 measurement and reports for LTM
    interFreqL1-MeasConfig-r18              SEQUENCE {
        supportedMaxIntraInterFreqCellsConfig-r18           INTEGER (1..8),
        supportedMaxIntraInterFreqCellsPerReport-r18        INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxIntraInterFreqBeamsPerCellReports-r18   INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxIntraInterFreqBeamsReports-r18          ENUMERATED {n1,n2,n3,n4,n6,n8,n9,n12,n16}
    }                                                                            OPTIONAL,
    currentSpCellInclL1-Report-r18          ENUMERATED {supported}                  OPTIONAL,
    ...
}

CA-ParametersNR-v1900 ::=                   SEQUENCE {
    -- Network-triggered L1-RSRP measurement based on periodic CSI-RS for LTM
    intraFreqL1-MeasConfigPeriodicCSI-RS-r19    SEQUENCE {
        supportedMaxIntraFreqCellsConfig-r19                INTEGER (1..8),
        supportedMaxIntraFreqCellsPerReport-r19             INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxReportBeamsPerReportedCell-r19          INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxReportBeamsReports-r19                  ENUMERATED {n1,n2,n3,n4,n6,n8,n9,n12,n16},
        supportedMaxAperiodic-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r19      INTEGER (0..4),
        supportedMaxPeriodic-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r19       INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxSemiPersistent-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r19 INTEGER (0..4)
    }                                                                            OPTIONAL,
    interFreqL1-MeasConfigPeriodicCSI-RS-r19    SEQUENCE {
        supportedMaxInterFreqCellsConfig-r19                INTEGER (1..8),
        supportedMaxInterFreqCellsPerReport-r19             INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxReportBeamsPerReportedCell-r19          INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxReportBeamsReports-r19                  ENUMERATED {n1,n2,n3,n4,n6,n8,n9,n12,n16},
        supportedMaxAperiodic-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r19      INTEGER (0..4),
        supportedMaxPeriodic-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r19       INTEGER (1..4),
        supportedMaxSemiPersistent-LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r19 INTEGER (0..4)
    }                                                                            OPTIONAL,
    ...
}
  • ltm-InterFreqMeasGap / ltm-InterFreq: Indicates UE support for inter-frequency LTM measurement behavior, including whether measurement gaps are needed.
  • ltm-MCG-NRDC: Indicates support for LTM related to the MCG in NR-DC operation.
  • ltm-RACH-LessDG / ltm-RACH-LessCG: Indicates whether the UE supports LTM cell switch execution without RACH for delta or complete candidate configurations.
  • ltm-Recovery / ltm-RecoveryWithKeyUpdate: Indicates support for recovery handling after LTM-related failure cases, including the Release 19 key-update case.
  • ltm-ReferenceConfig: Indicates support for using a reference configuration with delta LTM candidate configurations.
  • ltm-FastUE-Processing: Indicates the UE processing time supported during LTM cell switch execution for FR1, FR2, or combined FR1/FR2 operation.
  • cltm-ExecutionConditionL1 / cltm-ExecutionConditionL3: Indicates support for conditional LTM execution based on L1 or L3 conditions.
  • ltm-EventMeasAndReport: Indicates support for LTM event measurement and event-triggered reporting.
  • supportedMax...LTM-CSI-ReportConfig: Provides the supported maximum number of LTM CSI report configurations for aperiodic, periodic, and semi-persistent reporting.

RRC Parameters

The main RRC configuration entry point is RRCReconfiguration. In Release 18, the MCG LTM configuration is carried by ltm-Config-r18. In Release 19, NR-DC SCG LTM can be carried by ltm-ConfigNRDC-r19. The candidate itself is represented by LTM-Candidate, which can contain the target-cell RRC reconfiguration to apply when the LTM switch is triggered.

RRCReconfiguration-v1800-IEs ::=        SEQUENCE {
    ...
    ltm-Config-r18                      SetupRelease {LTM-Config-r18}                  OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    nonCriticalExtension                RRCReconfiguration-v1830-IEs                   OPTIONAL
}

RRCReconfiguration-v1900-IEs ::=        SEQUENCE {
    ...
    ltm-ConfigNRDC-r19                  SetupRelease {LTM-ConfigNRDC-r19}              OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    nonCriticalExtension                SEQUENCE {}                                    OPTIONAL
}

LTM-CandidateId-r18 ::=                 INTEGER (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-r18)

LTM-Candidate-r18 ::=                   SEQUENCE {
    ltm-CandidateId-r18                 LTM-CandidateId-r18,
    ltm-CandidatePCI-r18                PhysCellId                                      OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-SSB-Config-r18                  LTM-SSB-Config-r18                              OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-CandidateConfig-r18             OCTET STRING (CONTAINING RRCReconfiguration)    OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-ConfigComplete-r18              ENUMERATED {true}                               OPTIONAL, -- Need R
    ltm-EarlyUL-SyncConfig-r18          OCTET STRING (CONTAINING EarlyUL-SyncConfig-r18) OPTIONAL, -- Need R
    ltm-EarlyUL-SyncConfigSUL-r18       OCTET STRING (CONTAINING EarlyUL-SyncConfig-r18) OPTIONAL, -- Need R
    ltm-TCI-Info-r18                    LTM-TCI-Info-r18                                OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-NoResetID-r18                   INTEGER (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-plus1-r18)       OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-UE-MeasuredTA-ID-r18            INTEGER (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-plus1-r18)       OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ...,
    [[
    ltm-NoSecurityChangeID-r19          LTM-NoSecurityChangeId-r19                      OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-ExecutionCondition-r19          SetupRelease {LTM-ExecutionConditionList-r19}   OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-CSI-ReportConfig-r19            SetupRelease {LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r18}         OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ...
    ]]
}

LTM-SSB-Config-r18 ::=                  SEQUENCE {
    ssb-Frequency-r18                   ARFCN-ValueNR,
    subcarrierSpacing-r18               SubcarrierSpacing,
    ssb-Periodicity-r18                 ENUMERATED {ms5, ms10, ms20, ms40, ms80,
                                                    ms160, spare2, spare1}              OPTIONAL, -- Need S
    ssb-PositionsInBurst-r18            CHOICE {
        shortBitmap                         BIT STRING (SIZE (4)),
        mediumBitmap                        BIT STRING (SIZE (8)),
        longBitmap                          BIT STRING (SIZE (64))
    }                                                                                    OPTIONAL, -- Need R
    ss-PBCH-BlockPower-r18              INTEGER (-60..50)                               OPTIONAL, -- Need R
    ...
}

LTM-Config-r18 ::=                      SEQUENCE {
    ltm-ReferenceConfiguration-r18       SetupRelease {ReferenceConfiguration-r18}        OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-CandidateToReleaseList-r18       SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-r18))
                                            OF LTM-CandidateId-r18                       OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ltm-CandidateToAddModList-r18        SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-r18))
                                            OF LTM-Candidate-r18                         OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ltm-ServingCellNoResetID-r18         INTEGER (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-plus1-r18)       OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ltm-CSI-ResourceConfigToAddModList-r18
                                         SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofLTM-CSI-ResourceConfigurations-r18))
                                            OF LTM-CSI-ResourceConfig-r18                OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ltm-CSI-ResourceConfigToReleaseList-r18
                                         SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofLTM-CSI-ResourceConfigurations-r18))
                                            OF LTM-CSI-ResourceConfigId-r18              OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    attemptLTM-Switch-r18                ENUMERATED {true}                               OPTIONAL, -- Cond LTM-MCG
    ltm-ServingCellUE-MeasuredTA-ID-r18  INTEGER (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-plus1-r18)       OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ...,
    [[
    ltm-ServingCellNoSecurityChangeID-r19 LTM-NoSecurityChangeId-r19                     OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ltm-ServingCellExecutionCondition-r19 CHOICE {
        release                              NULL,
        setup                                LTM-ExecutionConditionList-r19
    }                                                                                    OPTIONAL -- Need N
    ]]
}

LTM-ConfigNRDC-r19 ::=                  SEQUENCE {
    ltm-ConfigurationSCG-r19             LTM-Config-r18                                  OPTIONAL, -- Need M
    ltm-SK-CounterConfigToAddModList-r19 SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxSecurityCellSet-r18))
                                            OF SK-CounterConfigLTM-r19                   OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ltm-SK-CounterConfigToReleaseList-r19
                                         SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxSecurityCellSet-r18))
                                            OF LTM-NoSecurityChangeId-r19                OPTIONAL, -- Need N
    ...
}

LTM-CSI-ReportConfig-r18 ::=            SEQUENCE {
    ltm-CSI-ReportConfigId-r18           LTM-CSI-ReportConfigId-r18,
    ltm-ResourcesForChannelMeasurement-r18 LTM-CSI-ResourceConfigId-r18,
    ltm-ReportConfigType-r18             CHOICE {
        periodic-r18                         SEQUENCE { ... },
        semiPersistentOnPUCCH-r18            SEQUENCE { ... },
        semiPersistentOnPUSCH-r18            SEQUENCE { ... },
        aperiodic-r18                        SEQUENCE { ... },
        ...,
        eventTriggered-r19                   SEQUENCE {
            eventId-r19                          CHOICE {
                eventLTM2-r19                      SEQUENCE { ... },
                eventLTM3-r19                      SEQUENCE { ... },
                eventLTM4-r19                      SEQUENCE { ... },
                eventLTM5-r19                      SEQUENCE { ... },
                ...
            },
            eventTriggeredReportConfig-r19       SEQUENCE { ... } OPTIONAL,
            ...
        }
    },
    ltm-ReportContent-r18                LTM-ReportContent-r18,
    ...
}

LTM-ExecutionConditionList-r19 ::=      SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofLTM-Configs-r18))
                                            OF LTM-ExecutionCondition-r19

LTM-ExecutionCondition-r19 ::=          SEQUENCE {
    ltm-CandidateId-r19                  LTM-CandidateId-r18,
    executionCondition-r19               CHOICE {
        l1-Conditions-r19                    LTM-CSI-ReportConfigId-r18,
        l3-Conditions-r19                    SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..2)) OF MeasId
    }                                                                                    OPTIONAL, -- Need R
    ...
}
  • ltm-Config-r18: Main RRC container for LTM on the MCG. It adds, modifies, releases, and triggers candidate configurations.
  • ltm-ConfigNRDC-r19: NR-DC container for SCG LTM. It wraps an SCG LTM configuration and security counter configuration for no-security-change operation.
  • ltm-CandidateConfig-r18: Holds the RRCReconfiguration that the UE applies when the candidate is selected for LTM cell switch execution.
  • ltm-ConfigComplete-r18: Indicates whether the candidate configuration is complete. If it is absent, the UE uses the LTM reference configuration and applies the candidate as a delta configuration.
  • ltm-CandidatePCI-r18: Identifies the physical cell ID of the candidate SpCell.
  • ltm-SSB-Config-r18: Provides SSB frequency, SCS, periodicity, burst positions, and SSB power used for candidate-cell measurement.
  • ltm-CSI-ResourceConfig...: Configures SSB, NZP CSI-RS, or CSI-IM resources used for LTM measurement and reporting.
  • ltm-CSI-ReportConfig-r18: Configures scheduled or event-triggered LTM measurement reporting. Release 19 adds LTM2/LTM3/LTM4/LTM5 event choices.
  • ltm-ServingCellExecutionCondition-r19: Configures serving-cell execution conditions for MCG LTM.
  • LTM-ExecutionConditionList-r19: Maps a candidate ID to either L1 conditions using an LTM CSI report configuration ID or L3 conditions using one or two measurement IDs.
  • ltm-NoResetID / ltm-ServingCellNoResetID: Controls whether radio/RLC reset behavior can be avoided across the LTM switch when candidate and serving-cell IDs match.
  • ltm-UE-MeasuredTA-ID / ltm-ServingCellUE-MeasuredTA-ID: Controls whether UE-based timing advance measurements are associated with a candidate.
  • ltm-NoSecurityChangeID / ltm-ServingCellNoSecurityChangeID: Controls whether a security key change is needed during the LTM switch.

Reference

  • 3GPP TS 38.331 V19.2.0, Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification.
  • 3GPP TS 38.321, Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification.
  • 3GPP TS 38.213, Physical layer procedures for control.
  • 3GPP TS 38.214, Physical layer procedures for data.
  • 3GPP TS 38.322, Radio Link Control (RLC) protocol specification.
  • 3GPP TS 38.323, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) specification.