Introduction to GSM

1
Background and Fundamentals
` Global System for Mobile (GSM) is a second
generation cellular standard developed to cater voice
services and data delivery using digital modulation
` Developed by Group Spéciale Mobile (founded
1982) which was an initiative of CEPT (Conference
of European Post and Telecommunication )
` Ai : tto replace
Aim l th
the iincompatible
tibl analog
l system
t
` Presently the responsibility of GSM standardization
resides with special mobile group under ETSI
(European telecommunication Standards Institute )

2
Background and Fundamentals
` Full
set of specifications phase-I became available in
1990
` UnderETSI, GSM is named as “ Global System for
Mobile communication “
` Today many providers all over the world use GSM
((more than 135 countries in Asia,, Africa,, Europe,
p ,
Australia, America)
` More than 1300 million subscribers in world and 45
million subscriber in India.

3
GSM in World

Figures:
g March,, 2005 Arab World

3% Asia Pacific
3%
3% Africa
3% (INDIA)
East Central Asia
4% 37% Europe
Russia
43% 4% India
1%
North America
South America
4
GSM Coverage

5
GSM Services
` Tele-services

` Bearer or Data Services

` Supplementary services

6
Tele Services
` Telecommunication services that enable voice
communication via mobile phones
` Offered services
` Mobile telephony
` Emergency calling

7
Bearer Services
` Include various data services for information transfer
between GSM and other networks like PSTN,, ISDN etc
at rates from 300 to 9600 bps
` Short Message Service (SMS)
` up to
t 160 character
h t alphanumeric
l h i ddata
t ttransmission
i i tto/from
/f th
the
mobile terminal
` Unified Messaging Services(UMS)
` Group 3 fax
` Voice mailbox
` Electronic mail

8
GSM and IP data services
` GSM can be used to offer pervasive data services
(was much more interesting in the pre WLAN era)
` Voice is encoded as digital data stream, thus GSM is
able to offer other data services to its users too

9
Supplementary Services
` Call related services :
` Call Waiting
Waiting- Notification of an incoming call while on the
handset
` Call Hold- Put a caller on hold to take another call
` Call Barring- All calls, outgoing calls, or incoming calls
` Call Forwarding- Calls can be sent to various numbers defined
byy the user
` Multi Party Call Conferencing - Link multiple calls together
` CLIP – Caller line identification presentation
` CLIR – Caller line identification restriction
` CUG – Closed user group

10
Advantages of GSM over Analog system
` Capacity increases
` Reduced RF transmission power and longer battery
life.
` International roamingg capability.
p y
` Better security against fraud (through terminal
validation and user authentication).
` Encryption capability for information security and
privacy.
` Compatibility with ISDN, leading to wider range of
services

11
Evolution of GSM
` 2nd Generation
` GSM -9.6 Kbps
p ((data rate))
` 2.5 Generation ( Future of GSM)
` HSCSD (High Speed ckt Switched data)
` D t rate
Data t : 76.8
76 8 Kb
Kbps (9
(9.6
6 x 8 kb
kbps))
` GPRS (General Packet Radio service)
` Data rate: 14.4 - 115.2 Kbps
` EDGE (Enhanced data rate for GSM Evolution)
` Data rate: 547.2 Kbps (max)
` 3 Generation UMTS
` WCDMA (Wide band CDMA)
` Data rate : 0.348 – 2.0 Mbps

12
Evolution of GSM

13
System Architecture Overview
` Functional Architecture broadly divided into
4 parts:
1. Mobile Station (MS).
2. B
Base St
Station
ti Subsystem
S b t (BSS).
(BSS)
3. Network Switching Subsystem (NSS).
4. O
Operation
ti and d Support
S t Subsystem
S b t (OSS)

14
GSM architecture

15
 Overview of the GSM System
PLMN EIR
MSC
MSC area
MSC area
PLMN area HLR
MSC
MSC area
HLR EIR
EIR
MSC area
MSC area
PLMN
MSC EIR
area MSC
area HLR
MSC MSC area
MSC area
MSC area
HLR EIR area HLR
MSC
area
MSC area
HLR EIR
EIR MSC area
area
MSC MSC
PLMN area area HLR
MSC
HLR
MSC
area EIR
area GSM

The GSM system is made up of sub-networks called: Public Land

Mobile Network's (PLMN). Each member country has one or more
PLMN depending on its size.
GSM 1

16
Geographical areas of the GSM network

17
Geographical areas of the GSM network

18
GSM Systems Worldwide
` There are now 3 GSM systems: GSM 900, GSM
1800 and GSM 1900 (others 850
850, 400
400, 450)

GSM 900 DCS 1800

Uplink Band 890 - 915 MHz 1710 - 1785 MHz
Downink Band 935 - 960 MHz 1805 - 1880 MHz
Channel Spacing 200 kHz 200 kHz
Total Number of Channels 124 374
Duplex Spacing 45 MHz 95 MHz
No of Timeslots per Channel 8 8

19
Frequency reuse
` Frequencies can not be reused in every
cell due to co-channel interference
(CCI)
` A cell cluster uses all the operator’s
frequencies (A, B, C, E, F, G, H in Figure)
` Co channel
C h l interference
f level
l l decided
d d d
by
` Cell cluster size, and thereby Frequency
reuse distance (D in Figure)
` Propagation properties
` Can be reduced by different techniques:
` Sectorization
` Cell splitting

` Typical cell cluster size in GSM: 7

20
System Architecture Overview

BS: Billing System

OMC O
OMC: Operation
i and dM
Maintenance
i C
Centre OMC PABX VAS
PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network

Um
U Abis
bs A
MSC/

AuC
EIR
BTS BSC HLR
VLR

SIM

MS PSTN MSCs BS

Base Station
B S i S Sub-system
b (BSS) Network
N kSSub-system
b (NSS) Value
V l Added
Add d Services
S i (VAS)
MS: Mobile Station MSC: Mobile Switching Centre SCP: Service Control Point
BTS: Base Transmitter Station HLR: Home Locatio Register SMSC: Short Message Service Centre
BSC: Base Station Controller VLR: Visitor Location Register VMS: Voice Mail System
SIM: Subscriber Identity Module AuC: Authentication Centre
EIR: Equipment Identity Register

21
GSM Protocol Interfaces
` Databases
` VLR (visitor location register)
` HLR (h
(home llocation
ti register)
i t )
` AuC (authentication center)
` EIR (equipment identity register)
` Used to maintain a list of legitimate
legitimate, fraudulent
fraudulent, or faulty mobile stations
` Works with HLR to block calls from illegitimate MS
` Switches
` MSC (mobile switching center)
` GMSC (gateway MSC)
` SSP (service switching point)
` Radio systems
` BSC (base station controller)
` BTS (base transceiver station)
` MS ((mobile station))

22
GSM Protocol Interfaces
Databases
D G
HLR VLR VLR EIR

Switches C B
F

SSP SS7/ISUP
GMSC

PSTN MSC MSC

SS7/ISUP E

SSP
A

Radio Systems BSC

A-bis A-bis

Um
BTS BTS BTS MS

23
GSM MAP protocol Hierarchy
OSI GSM MAP
Service
S i U User Mobile
Application Service Application
Presentation Provider Part (MAP)
Session
T
Transport t
Transaction Capabilities
Application Part (TCAP)

Network
Signaling Connection
Control Part(SCCP)

Data Message Transfer Part (MTP)

link
Physical

24
GSM Protocol Suite

25
GSM protocol layers for signaling

MS BTS BSC MSC

CM CM
MM MM
RR BSSAP BSSAP
RR RR
BTSM BTSM SCCP SCCP
MTP3 MTP3
LAPDm LAPDm LAPD LAPD
MTP2 MTP2
Um Abis A

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Protocols involved in the radio interface
` Level 1-Physical
` TDMA frame
` Logical channels multiplexing
` Level 2-LAPDm(modified from LAPD)
` No flag
` No error retransmission mechanism due to real time
constraints
` Level 3-Radio Interface Layer (RIL3) involves three sub layers
` RR: paging, power control, ciphering execution, handover
` MM:
MM security,
it llocation
ti IMSI attach/detach
tt h/d t h
` CM: Call Control(CC), Supplementary Services(SS), Short
Messageg Services(SMS),
( )

27
28
Mobile Station
` A Mobile Station consists of two main elements:
` The mobile equipment or terminal.

` Th Subscriber
The S b ib Id Identity
i M Module
d l (SIM)
(SIM).

29
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
` The BSS connects the Mobile Station and the
NSS.
NSS
` It is in charge of the transmission and reception.
` The BSS can be divided into two parts:
1. The Base Transceiver Station (BTS) or Base Station.
2. The
e Base
ase S
Station
a o CoController
o e ((BSC).
SC)

30
Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
` The BTS corresponds to the transceivers and
antennas used in each cell of the network.
` A BTS is usually placed in the center of a cell. Its
transmitting power defines the size of a cell.
` Each BTS has between one and sixteen transceivers
(TRx) depending on the density of users in the cell.
` It has an International cell global Identity (CGI)
` It performs channel coding, ciphering and
modulation

31
Base Transceiver station

32
Base Transceiver station

33
Base Station Controller (BSC)
` The BSC controls a group of BTS and manages their
radio resources.
` A BSC is principally in charge of
` handovers,
` frequency hopping,
` exchange functions and control of the radio frequency
and power levels of the BTSs.
BTSs

34
Base Station Controller

35
Network and Switching Subsystem (NSS)
` It includes
1. Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
2. Home Location Register (HLR)
3. Visitor Location Register (VLR)
4. Authentication Center (AUC)
( )
5. Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
` Its main role is to manage the communications between
the mobile users and other users
users, such as
` mobile users,
` ISDN users,
` fixed telephony users
users, etc
etc.
` It also includes data bases needed in order to store
information about the subscribers and to manage their
mobility.
bilit
36
Mobile services Switching Center (MSC)
` It is the central component of the NSS.
` The MSC performs the switching and call routing
functions of the network.
` Charging
g g
` Communication with HLR and VLR
` Communication with other MSCs
` Control of connected BSCs

37
Mobile services Switching Center (MSC)

38
Mobile services Switching Center (MSC)
` The MSC is connected to:
1 HLR (Home location register)
1.
2. VLR (Visitor location register)
3. AUC (Authentication Center)
4. EIR (Equipment identity register)

39
Home Location Register (HLR)
` The HLR is considered as a very important database that
g g to the
stores information of the subscribers belonging
covering area of a MSC.
` It also stores the current location of these subscribers
and d th
the services
i tto which
hi h th
they h
have access.
` The location of the subscriber corresponds to the SS7
address of the Visitor Location Register
g ((VLR)) associated
to the terminal.

40
Visitor Location Register (VLR)
` The VLR contains information from a subscriber's HLR
necessaryy in order to provide
p the subscribed services to
visiting users.
` When a subscriber enters the covering area of a new MSC,
the VLR associated to this MSC will request information
about the new subscriber to its corresponding HLR.
` The VLR will then have enough information in order to
assure the subscribed services without needing to ask the
HLR each time a communication is established.
` The VLR is always implemented together with a MSC; so
the area under control of the MSC is also the area under
control of the VLR.

41
Authentication Center (AuC)
` The AuC register is used for security purposes.
` It provides the parameters needed for
authentication and encryption functions.
` These parameters help to verify the user's
user s
identity.

42
Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
` The EIR is also used for security purposes.
` It is a register containing information about the mobile
equipments.
` More particularly, it contains a list of all valid terminals. A
terminal is identified by its International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI).
` The EIR allows then to forbid calls from stolen or
unauthorized terminals (e.g, a terminal which does not
respect the specifications concerning the output RF
power). )

43
Gateway Mobile services Switching Center
(GMSC)
` A gateway is a node interconnecting two networks.
` The GMSC is the interface between the mobile
cellular network and the PSTN.
` It is in charge
g of routing
g calls from the fixed network
towards a GSM user.
` The GMSC is often implemented in the same
machines as the MSC.

44
Operation and Support Subsystem (OSS)
` The OSS is connected to the different components of the NSS
and to the BSC, in order to control and monitor the GSM
system.
` It is also in charge of controlling the traffic load of the BSS.
` However the increasing number of base stations,
However, stations due to the
development of cellular radio networks, has provoked that
some of the maintenance tasks are transferred to the BTS.
This transfer decreases considerably the costs of the
maintenance of the system.

45
Operation, and Maintenance (OM)
` Operation &
Maintenance
Subsystem (OSS) is
the whole systems
management layer
` Network
measurement and
control functions,
network
administration
` Security
Management, e.g.
M
Equipment Identity
Register (EIR)
management

46
GSM-managed
GSM managed object class containment
Network

plmnNetwork

managedElement

(a) bssFunction (f) callRecording Function

(b) hlrFunction (g) elrFunction

(c) wlrFunction (h) Sms G JW Function

Sms_G_JW_Function

(d) mscFunction (i) CommonManagedObegects

(e) aucFunction Other Object Classes

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