4G&5G Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP): A Comprehensive Overview

What's 4G&5G Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP)?

• Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP) in both 4G and 5G refers to the priority level assigned to a user or device within the network.
• This priority determines how network resources are allocated and whether a connection is retained during high network congestion or other challenging conditions.
• Below is the main parameters for Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP):
  • PriorityLevel (1 to 15): Identifies which preemptable QoS Flows should be targeted for pre-emption.
  • Pre-emption Capability: Allows the new connection to preempt the existing connection.
  • Pre-emption Vulnerability: Determines if the QoS Flow can be preempted by another.

How to check it from Traces ❓

• From the Initial Context Setup Request message sent by AMF/MME to BTS (Example given in the picture below).
  

What are the Use Cases ❓

• Quality of Service (QoS): ARP ensures different service quality levels for users, prioritizing high-priority users like emergency services.
• Emergency Situations: Prioritizes communication for essential services during network congestion.
• Network Optimization: Dynamically adjusts priority based on real-time conditions for efficient resource utilization.
• Mission-Critical Applications: Ensures critical services like autonomous vehicles get necessary resources for seamless operation.
  

Sources:

• The New Generation Wireless Access Technology Book
• 3GPP 23.401