Selecting multiple radio access technologies in oFono
Hi all,
Could it be possible to extend current TechnologyPreference setting in radio-settings-api in a way which would enable user to limit usage of certain
radio accesses? For example user could choose to limit technology usage to technologies like GSM and UMTS even if the LTE coverage would be available. Following value could be introduced to current API to enable this kind of selection:
"gsm" Only GSM used for radio access.
"umts" Only UMTS used for radio access.
"gsm_umts" Only GSM or UMTS used for radio access.
"lte" Only LTE used for radio access.
Other approach could be that we would rephrase existing API so that instead of
using "only" LTE, we would use LTE whenever available and some older technology
when LTE coverage is lacking. So user would select "highest" allowed radio access without restrictions to use only one technology which has been selected.
This would save us from polluting value selection with options like "gsm_umts",
a decision we'd be grateful when we'll run oFono on 10G modems. ;)
Use case for this could be energy conservation. At least I have habit to set network preference to 'GSM' to conserve battery life when I know I'm going to
travel places where 3G coverage is not that good or I'm not going to need it.
Br,
Paavo
Quoted 11 lines · you
Hi all,
Could it be possible to extend current TechnologyPreference setting in radio-settings-api in a way which would enable user to limit usage of certain radio accesses?
For example user could choose to limit technology usage to technologies like GSM and UMTS even if the LTE coverage would be available. Following value could be introduced to current API to enable this kind of selection:
Quoted 4 lines
"gsm" Only GSM used for radio access.
"umts" Only UMTS used for radio access.
"gsm_umts" Only GSM or UMTS used for radio access.
"lte" Only LTE used for radio access.
Oh my, no.
If you want to control technologies one by one, use a string and a boolean. If you really want atomicity w.r.t. D-Bus, then make it a dictionary.
Signature · 2 lines
Rémi Denis-Courmont Nokia Devices R&D, Maemo Software, Helsinki
Hi Paavo,
Quoted 8 lines · ext Paavo Leinonen
Could it be possible to extend current TechnologyPreference setting in radio-settings-api in a way which would enable user to limit usage of certain
radio accesses? For example user could choose to limit technology usage to technologies like GSM and UMTS even if the LTE coverage would be available. Following value could be introduced to current API to enable this kind of selection:
Quoted 4 lines
"gsm" Only GSM used for radio access.
"umts" Only UMTS used for radio access.
"gsm_umts" Only GSM or UMTS used for radio access.
"lte" Only LTE used for radio access.
The current API has 'gsm', 'umts', 'lte' and 'any'. I think you are suggesting something like 'all-but-lte', right?
Quoted 7 lines
Other approach could be that we would rephrase existing API so that instead of
using "only" LTE, we would use LTE whenever available and some older technology
when LTE coverage is lacking. So user would select "highest" allowed radio access without restrictions to use only one technology which has been selected.
This is what 'any' essentially is for.
Quoted 9 lines
This would save us from polluting value selection with options like "
gsm_umts",
a decision we'd be grateful when we'll run oFono on 10G modems. ;)Use case for this could be energy conservation. At least I have habit to set network preference to 'GSM' to conserve battery life when I know I'm going to
travel places where 3G coverage is not that good or I'm not going to need it.
I think this will also get gradually better as networks and handsets are upgraded to use better power saving features, such as CPC.
Cheers,
Aki
Quoted 7 lines
Br,
Paavo_______________________________________________
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Hi Aki,
Quoted 2 lines · Aki Niemi
The current API has 'gsm', 'umts', 'lte' and 'any'. I think you are suggesting something like 'all-but-lte', right?
I think it would be nice if user could be able to select multiple preferred bands, not just only one. The use case I came up with was this 'all-but-lte'.
Quoted 8 lines
Quoted 7 lines
Other approach could be that we would rephrase existing API so that instead of
using "only" LTE, we would use LTE whenever available and some older technology
when LTE coverage is lacking. So user would select "highest" allowed radio access without restrictions to use only one technology which has been selected.This is what 'any' essentially is for.
You can't limit preferred bands with 'any'. I was trying to find an alternative for polluting API by listing all the possible combinations ('gsm_umts', 'gsm_lte', 'umts_lte') in API.
However, I don't think we need this anymore as Rémi kindly pointed out a solution earlierwhich involves dictionary with strings and booleans.
Br,
Paavo
Hi Paavo,
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 2 lines
The current API has 'gsm', 'umts', 'lte' and 'any'. I think you are suggesting something like 'all-but-lte', right?
I think it would be nice if user could be able to select multiple preferred bands, not just only one. The use case I came up with was this 'all-but-lte'.
can we first be clear that we are talking about technology selection and not band selection. They are different.
Right now I have no idea on how the hardware will ever support this properly. RAT selection is already so different that I prefer to keep it like this. It is simple. We can cross the LTE bridge once this becomes a real problem.
Regards
Marcel
Quoted 4 lines · you
Right now I have no idea on how the hardware will ever support this properly. RAT selection is already so different that I prefer to keep it like this. It is simple. We can cross the LTE bridge once this becomes a real problem.
As far as 3GPP 27.007 is concerned, I reckon a specific technology can be chosen (with or w/o fallback), not an arbitrary set of technologies.
Signature · 2 lines
Rémi Denis-Courmont Nokia Devices R&D, Maemo Software, Helsinki
Hi Marcel & Aki
Quoted 11 lines
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 2 lines
The current API has 'gsm', 'umts', 'lte' and 'any'. I think you are suggesting something like 'all-but-lte', right?
I think it would be nice if user could be able to select multiple preferred bands, not just only one. The use case I came up with was this 'all-but-lte'.
can we first be clear that we are talking about technology selection and not band selection. They are different.
Right now I have no idea on how the hardware will ever support this properly.
FYI, as far as I know the STE will supports the following technology combinations:
- GSM only (WCDMA/E-UTRAN off)
- WCDMA only (GSM/E-UTRAN off)
- GSM +WCDMA (E-UTRAN off)
- E-UTRAN only (GSM/WCDMA off)
- E-UTRAN+GSM (WCDMA off)
- E-UTRAN+WCDMA (GSM off)
*If* we want to expose this kind of granularity on the oFono API, we should probably go with Remi's proposal with a boolean for each technology.
Quoted 3 lines
RAT selection is already so different that I prefer to keep it like this. It is simple. We can cross the LTE bridge once this becomes a real problem.
If you want to keep it simple it's fine with me. But personally I agree with Paavo
it could be useful to be able to set the radio in "all-but-lte" mode...
Regards,
Sjur
Hi Sjur,
Quoted 21 lines
Quoted 11 lines
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 2 lines
The current API has 'gsm', 'umts', 'lte' and 'any'. I think you are suggesting something like 'all-but-lte', right?
I think it would be nice if user could be able to select multiple preferred bands, not just only one. The use case I came up with was this 'all-but-lte'.
can we first be clear that we are talking about technology selection and not band selection. They are different.
Right now I have no idea on how the hardware will ever support this properly.
FYI, as far as I know the STE will supports the following technology combinations:
- GSM only (WCDMA/E-UTRAN off)
- WCDMA only (GSM/E-UTRAN off)
- GSM +WCDMA (E-UTRAN off)
- E-UTRAN only (GSM/WCDMA off)
- E-UTRAN+GSM (WCDMA off)
- E-UTRAN+WCDMA (GSM off)
Quoted 3 lines
*If* we want to expose this kind of granularity on the oFono API, we should probably go with Remi's proposal with a boolean for each technology.
right now I prefer to keep it simple.
We also have to think about the CDMA+LTE combination and CDMA+GSM combo chips. There is still a bit a uncertainty how these are going to look like. And more important how we have to expose them.
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RAT selection is already so different that I prefer to keep it like this. It is simple. We can cross the LTE bridge once this becomes a real problem.
If you want to keep it simple it's fine with me. But personally I agree with Paavo
it could be useful to be able to set the radio in "all-but-lte" mode...
Couldn't this be achieved by actual band selection if you really really wanted this? Do we actually have different LTE band at all. I am still not all that familiar with the low-level radio technology behind LTE.
Regards
Marcel
Hi Marcel,
Quoted 3 lines · Marcel
Couldn't this be achieved by actual band selection if you really really wanted this? Do we actually have different LTE band at all. I am still not all that familiar with the low-level radio technology behind LTE.
When you say "band selection", I assume you are talking about frequency bands. AFAIK, the frequency band is a setting within the radio access technology, and I don't think it is possible to "disable" LTE by deselecting certain frequency bands. Furthermore, AFAIK, there are no AT commands for doing frequency band selection.
Anyway, if you do not want to use LTE, then you should specifically tell the UE to disable/deactivate the part of the radio stack that handles EUTRAN.
Regards,
Kjetil
Hi Kjetil,
Quoted 3 lines · Kjetil ASDAL
When you say "band selection", I assume you are talking about frequency bands. AFAIK, the frequency band is a setting within the radio access technology, and I don't think it is possible to "disable" LTE by deselecting certain frequency
I don't know about LTE, but I can effectively disable umts in my huawei modem just by choosing a frequency not available in my country. Then, when going online the modem is forced to use one of the GSM ones.
Quoted 2 lines
bands. Furthermore, AFAIK, there are no AT commands for doing frequency band selection.
It depends on the modem. See the implementation for huawei in drivers/huaweimodem/radio-settings.c:huawei_set_band(). It uses the AT^SYSCFG command that is specific to huawei modems.
regards,
Lucas De Marchi
Hi Lucas,
Quoted 4 lines · Lucas
I don't know about LTE, but I can effectively disable umts in my huawei modem just by choosing a frequency not available in my country. Then, when going online the modem is forced to use one of the GSM ones.
That may very well be so, but I still think this is at best a funny way to disable LTE (or any other RAT for that matter). I should come right out and say that I am far from an expert on how the radio stack operates, but I suspect that by doing what you propose, the radio will have to do periodical "measurements" to see if the chosen frequency band has become available, and this could result in some extra power consumption.
Quoted 3 lines
It depends on the modem. See the implementation for huawei in drivers/huaweimodem/radio-settings.c:huawei_set_band(). It uses the AT^SYSCFG command that is specific to huawei modems.
Of course you are right; it definitely depends on the modem and what AT commands are supported. What I meant (but did not write) was that there are no standard AT commands (i.e. from 3GPP TS 27.007) for this.
Regards,
Kjetil