Terminology » LTE » LTE PMCH (Physical Multicast Channel) Explained

LTE PMCH (Physical Multicast Channel) Explained

lte pmch multicast mbms physical channel

This page describes the PMCH, or Physical Multicast Channel, within the context of the LTE system. This channel defines the physical layer structure responsible for carrying Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Services (MBMS).

This control channel occupies the first 1, 2, or 3 OFDM symbols in a subframe, extending across the entire system bandwidth. QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM modulations are used for the PMCH channel. The PMCH carries the MCH.

Multicast Channel (MCH) Characteristics

The Multicast Channel (MCH) is characterized by the following:

  • Requirement to be broadcast across the entire coverage area of the cell.
  • Support for MBSFN combining of MBMS transmissions across multiple cells.
  • Support for semi-static resource allocation, for example, with a time frame of a long cyclic prefix.

In the Downlink (DL), the MTCH logical channel can be mapped to both the DL-SCH and MCH transport channels.

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