What is the difference between signalling and tunneling in LTE?

Question

Is it mandatory to establish a separate default bearer to exchange IMS signaling messages between UE and IMS network nodes ? Can't internet default bearer be used for the same ?

Answer 1

Signalling is referred to the signalling message flow which are used to govern services for a subscirber like attach detach, bearer creation updation or termination.
Tunneling is referred to as the tunnels created for the user data traffic where actually data transfer happen when a subscriber uses services like streaming, voice call or video call etc.

In LTE for signalling GTPv2 is used and for tunneling GTPv1 is used.

Comments

will you tel basic meaning of signalling in the context of lte?

---

The basic meaning is that whatever messages you send in LTE is related to signalling like Create Session Request, Create Bearer Request, Delete Session Request etc.
Signalling happens between MME, SGW and PGW along with PCRF



when you use any service and consume data, it happens through tunneling based on the tunnels maintained on the user plane
User plane tunnels in maintained between PGW,SGW and enodeB
Regards,
Peeyush

---

i still have a confusion you given example for signalling messages like(create session request,delete session request) but still dont know why these messages are called signlling messages?

---

They are called signalling messages because they are only used for communication between two nodes about the session like establishment modification termination.
They are used to manage a session and are not provide the actual service to the user

---

I believe to put it other words we can say that Signalling is another term for Control messages.