Description
MCVideo Emergency Private Priority (MVEPP) is not a standalone service but a critical quality of service (QoS) attribute and procedural framework defined within the 3GPP MCVideo specifications. It represents the highest priority tier for MCVideo private calls, specifically engineered to guarantee the performance of MCVideo Emergency Private Call (MVEPC) sessions. MVEPP governs how the network reserves, allocates, and protects the necessary bandwidth, latency, and reliability for these life-critical video streams from end to end.
Technically, MVEPP is implemented through a combination of standardized QoS parameters and network policies. In LTE, it maps to specific QoS Class Identifiers (QCIs) with characteristics suitable for real-time conversational video, but with the additional attribute of being allocated for 'Mission Critical' use. In 5G systems, it maps to standardized 5G QoS Indicators (5QIs) that define similar packet delay budget, packet error rate, and priority level. The key differentiator of MVEPP is its priority level, which is set higher than that of any commercial service and even higher than other non-emergency mission-critical traffic. This priority is signaled during the session establishment procedure (defined in TS 24.281) from the MC client to the MCVideo server, which then interacts with the core network's Policy and Charging Control (PCC) architecture.
The PCC framework, comprising the Policy Control Function (PCF) and Session Management Function (SMF), translates the MVEPP service requirement into concrete network rules. These rules are enforced at the User Plane Function (UPF) in 5GC or the PGW in EPC for packet filtering and QoS marking, and crucially, at the Radio Access Network (RAN). The RAN uses these rules for uplink and downlink scheduling, ensuring packets for an MVEPP session are served before others. Furthermore, MVEPP enables pre-emption capabilities. In severely congested scenarios, the network may be authorized to pre-empt (i.e., downgrade or disconnect) resources from lower-priority existing sessions (like a commercial video stream) to admit or maintain an incoming MVEPP-based MVEPC session. This end-to-end enforcement chain—from service-level signaling to core network policy to RAN scheduling—is what defines and implements MVEPP.
Purpose & Motivation
The purpose of MVEPP is to provide the technical 'teeth' to the MCVideo Emergency Private Call service. Defining a service like MVEPC is insufficient if the network treats its data packets with the same best-effort priority as a social media video. MVEPP exists to solve the fundamental problem of resource scarcity and contention during emergency situations, ensuring that critical video communication is not degraded or blocked by network congestion.
Historically, public safety networks used dedicated, narrowband spectrum which inherently prioritized their traffic but lacked high-bandwidth capabilities like video. As public safety migrated to broadband LTE and 5G, sharing infrastructure with commercial users, a mechanism was needed to replicate and exceed the guaranteed access of traditional systems. MVEPP was created to be that mechanism within the 3GPP standards. It addresses the limitation of earlier priority schemes which were not specifically tailored or guaranteed for the unique requirements of emergency private video—requirements that include not just high priority, but also strict latency bounds for interactivity and reliability for situational awareness. It ensures that the promise of 'mission-critical' over commercial-grade networks is technically enforceable and reliable.
Classification
Detected Changes Across Releases
from 3GPP Change RequestsSpecific changes extracted from the „Change history“ tables of 3GPP specifications (117 CRs across 5 releases). Complements the general historical overview above with the evidence-based evolution of this function.
Studied in Rel-14, normative work from Rel-15.
In Release 15, the MVEPP (MCVideo Emergency Private Priority) function was introduced to support MCVideo emergency private calls between two users, which are a distinct call type alongside group calls. This release provided the call control protocol to support these emergency calls, as well as MCVideo imminent-peril calls and emergency alerts, without utilizing dedicated emergency bearers. The priority for such communications is determined by the MCVideo server based on the requested User Requested Application Priority and other implementation-specific factors.
- MCVideo ambient viewing client procedures TS 24.281CR0033
- MCVideo ambient viewing participating MCVideo function procedures and controlling MCVideo function procedures TS 24.281CR0034
- MCVideo ambient viewing general description TS 24.281CR0035
- Usage of MBMS for MCVideo - signaling control TS 24.281CR0037
- Correction to session-type in XML schema for MCVideo Information TS 24.281CR0039
- Fix issues with encoding of IEs in MONP messages for MCVideo TS 24.281CR0046
+ 8 more changes
In Release 16, the MVEPP function was enhanced to support off-network MCVideo operations and included corrections and fixes for parameters, emergency upgrade procedures, alert elements, and location schemas. These updates were complemented by the completion of the IANA registration for the MCVideo resource-priority namespace. The changes solidified the protocol's support for emergency private calls across both on-network and off-network environments.
In Release 17, the MVEPP (MCVideo Emergency Private Priority) function was enhanced through new call control procedures for restricting MCVideo private communications, which builds upon the existing support for MCVideo emergency private calls. Furthermore, the release introduced specific interconnect procedures for MCVideo Emergency Alerts and Functional Alias handling, expanding the operational scope of emergency communications. These updates were integrated within the broader MCVideo call control protocol framework specified for both on-network and off-network scenarios.
- Functional Alias usage in MCVideo Call TS 24.281CR0093
- Add altitude, timestamp to MCVideo location XML schema TS 24.281CR0095
- Add preconfigured regroup to MCVideo TS 24.281CR0096
- Control per service authorizations limit for MCVideo service TS 24.281CR0100
- Call control - Restricting MCVideo private communications TS 24.281CR0105
- Emergency alert area notification functionalities handling for MCVideo TS 24.281CR0106
+ 33 more changes
In Release 18, the MVEPP (MCVideo Emergency Private Priority) function was enhanced to support emergency private calls within ad hoc group sessions, including procedures for initiating emergency and imminent peril ad hoc group calls. The release also introduced mechanisms for location requests using functional aliases and for configuring location reporting by authorized users to support these priority calls. Furthermore, it defined specific handling for emergency alerts to clients affiliating after a group has already entered an emergency alert state.
- Use of 5G MBS transmission in MCVideo signalling plane TS 24.281CR0199
- Add the description of 5MBS in MCVideo TS 24.281CR0220
- MCVideo support of multiplexing - SDP offers and answers TS 24.281CR0215
- Support MCVideo over 5G ProSe TS 24.281CR0225
- General adhoc group call procedures in single system - Protoc impl for MCVideo TS 24.281CR0221
- Adhoc group call participants modify procedures in single system - protoc impl MCVideo TS 24.281CR0226
+ 35 more changes
In Release 19, the MVEPP function was enhanced by modifying the criteria for determining participants during an ongoing MCVideo ad hoc group emergency alert, including changes to the SIP message containing participant lists sent to authorized users. These updates also involved corrections to the ad hoc group emergency alert and ad hoc group call procedures to improve the handling of criteria for this group communication. Furthermore, the release introduced a mechanism to prevent multiple participations in a group regroup scenario.
- Modify list of participants by changing the criteria during an ongoing MCVideo ad hoc group call TS 24.281CR0278
- Adhoc group emergency alert add criteria to the SIP message containing the participant lists sent to the authorised users TS 24.281CR0279
- MCVideo adhoc group call to migrated user TS 24.281CR0280
- Modifying the criteria for determining the participants during an ongoing ad hoc group emergency alert TS 24.281CR0282
- FRMCS_Ph5 Adding reason to leave a session in MCVideo TS 24.281CR0290
- Enhance handling of criteria for ad hoc group communication (MCVideo) TS 24.281CR0267
+ 11 more changes
Explore further
Broader topics and technologies where MVEPP plays a role.
Defining Specifications
3GPP specifications that define or reference MVEPP, with the latest known release. Sourced from the 3GPP document catalog — see methodology.
| Specification | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
| TS 24.281 vj40 | MCVideo Signalling Control Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.579 vi40 | Mission Critical services conformance testing | Rel-18 |