1. Describe mobile computing.

Mobile Computing is a technology that allows us to transmit data, audio, and video via devices
that are not connected with any physical link. The key features of mobile computing are that the
computing devices are portable and connected over a network.

2. What are the limitations of mobile computing?

Low bandwidth
Mobile internet access is slower than the fixed desktop connection while using GSM and other
advanced technologies such as 3G, 4G, and 5G. Local wireless connection offers Mbit/s of
speed and wide wireless connection offers only Kbit/s of speed. There is a requirement of using
more bandwidth while using such advanced mobile technologies so that the user can transfer
data at a higher speed while the user is mobile.

Lower security
When working with mobile people are completely dependent on the public network which can be
easily tracked and hacked by hackers. There is a big problem with the security of data while
transferring from one mobile device to another device. Therefore to protect the data from
eavesdropping there is a need for strongly secured algorithms of authentication and security.
Money transaction is a very sensitive area and it is the target of hackers. Internet frauds related
to money are huge. Therefore more research and development is needed to provide more
secure methods to transfer the information.

Transmission interferences
Radio transmission cannot be protected therefore there is higher transmission interference due
to electric engines, lightning, high buildings, mountains, weather conditions, etc., all this results
in a higher loss of data rate and bit errors.

Regulations and spectrum

Due to technical and political reasons, very limited frequencies are available. This is also a
serious issue in mobile computing that needs to be addressed and researched.

3. Explain the role of BSC & MSC.

The base station controller BSC manages the radio resources for one or more BTSs. It
handles radio channel setup, frequency hopping, and handovers. The BSC is the connection
between the mobile and the MSC. The BSC also translates the 13 Kbps voice channel used
over the radio link to the standard 64 Kbps channel used by the Public Switched Telephone
Network (PSDN) or ISDN.
It assigns and releases frequencies and time slots for the MS. The BSC also handles intercell
handover. It controls the power transmission of the BSS and MS in its area. The function of the
BSC is to allocate the necessary time slots between the BTS and the MSC. It is a switching
device that handles the radio resources. Additional functions include:
Control of frequency hopping
Performing traffic concentration to reduce the number of lines from the MSC
Providing an interface to the Operations and Maintenance Center for the BSS
Reallocation of frequencies among BTSs
Time and frequency synchronization
Power management
Time-delay measurements of received signals from the MS

4. Explain the cell in detail.

The different types of cells are given different names according to their size and function:
Macro cells: Macro cells are large cells that are usually used for remote or sparsely populated
areas. These may be 10 km or possibly more in diameter.
Micro cells: Micro cells are those that are normally found in densely populated areas which
may have a diameter of around 1 km.
Pico cells: Picocells are generally used for covering very small areas such as particular areas
of buildings, or possibly tunnels where coverage from a larger cell in the cellular system is not
possible.
Obviously for the small cells, the power levels used by the base stations are much lower and the
antennas are not positioned to cover wide areas. In this way the coverage is minimized and the
interference to adjacent cells is reduced.
Femtocells : Femtocells are small, low-powered cellular base stations that are used
predominantly within homes and small businesses. A femtocell is able to connect to a service
provider's network via broadband to deliver connectivity to mobile devices.
Selective cells: Sometimes cells termed selective cells may be used where full 360 degree
coverage is not required. They may be used to fill in a hole in the coverage in the cellular
system, or to address a problem such as the entrance to a tunnel etc.
Umbrella cells: Another type of cells known as an umbrella cell is sometimes used in instances
such as those where a heavily used road crosses an area where there are microcells.
Under normal circumstances this would result in a large number of handovers as people driving
along the road would quickly cross the microcells.
An umbrella cell would take in the coverage of the microcells (but use different channels to
those allocated to the microcells).
However it would enable those people moving along the road to be handled by the umbrella cell
and experience fewer handovers than if they had to pass from one microcell to the next.

5. What is a cluster? What should be the size of a cluster? What is the hidden
terminal problem?
A cluster is a group of cells in which no frequency is reused within a cluster. Frequencies used
in one cell cluster can be reused in another cluster of cells.
Cluster is used to reduce co-channel interference and adjacent channel interference.

Reducing the cluster size N while keeping the cell size constant, more clusters are required to
cover the given area and hence more capacity. N = i2 + ij+ j2 ▪ N, the cluster size is typically 4, 7
or 12. In GSM normally N =7 is used.

In wireless LANs ( wireless local area networks), the hidden terminal problem is a transmission
problem that arises when two or more stations who are out of range of each other transmit
simultaneously to a common recipient. This is prevalent in decentralized systems where there
aren’t any entities for controlling transmissions. This occurs when a station is visible from a
wireless access point (AP), but is hidden from other stations that communicate with the AP.

6. What is a co-channel? Explain co-channel interference. What is a safe reuse

distance? How is it calculated?

Co-channel interference is not actually an interference but more a sort of congestion. It hinders
the performance by increasing the wait time as the same channel is used by different devices.
The CCI forces other devices to defer transmissions and wait in a queue until the first device
finishes using the transmission line and the channel is free.
The 802.11 protocol is designed to address this situation and to utilize the channel in the most
efficient way.
The closest distance between the centers of two cells using the same frequency (in different
clusters) is determined by the choice of the cluster size C and the lay-out of the cell cluster. This
distance is called the frequency 'reuse' distance. It is
ru = SQRT{3 C}
For hexagonal cells, i.e., with 'honeycomb' cell lay-outs commonly used in mobile radio, possible
cluster sizes are C = i2 + ij + j2, with integer i and j (C = 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, ...). Integers i and j
determine the relative location of co-channel cells.

7. Draw and explain the GSM architecture. What are subsystems in a GSM system?
What are the logical channels in GSM? What are the different services provided by
GSM?

What are home location registers and visitor location registers used for?
Home Location Register (HLR) is a database that contains data regarding authorized
subscribers using a global system for mobile communication (GSM) core network. The home
location register stores information ranging from phone numbers to current location of the
subscriber. Some data contained in the home location register include the mobile Station
International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) which is a list of the telephone numbers
used by the subscribe

8. What is a channel? Explain FCA, DCA, HCA.

Fixed Channel Allocation (FCA):

Fixed Channel Allocation (FCA), is a strategy of fixed channels or voice channels allocations to
be allocated to cells. Once channels are allocated, they are not changed. This type of allocation
is used to maximize frequency usage. If a user makes a call and the cell is occupied then the
call is blocked. Borrowing channels from other cells solves this problem.

Dynamic Channel Allocations (DCA)

Dynamic Channel Allocations (DCA), is a strategy of allocation of channels or voice channels on
request basis. Whenever a user makes a call request then Base Station makes a request to
Mobile Station Center to allocate the channel. Allocation increases when traffic increases.

Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA):

Dynamic Channel allocation is a strategy in which channels are not permanently allocated to the
cells. When a User makes a call request then Base Station (BS) sends that request to the
Mobile Station Center (MSC) for the allocation of channels or voice channels. This way the
likelihood of blocking calls is reduced. As traffic increases more channels are assigned and
vice-versa.

9. What are various challenges/issues in mobile computing?

Mobile Computing is defined as a computing environment which is mobile and moves along with the user.
There are various challenges that affect mobile computing and it has to be overcome. Some of the major
technical challenges faced by mobile computing are:
1. Mobility
2. Wireless Medium
3. Portability
These are explained as following below:
1. Mobility:
It is the most important aspect of mobile computing, but it has to face the certain challenges which are :

● Auto configuration of the system, as the environment of the system is developing continuously.
Hence for every change, it has to configure itself to the new situation.
● Location management is also a big objection in mobility. To manage the location, following tasks
are to be performed regularly over a fixed period of time.
● Track user’s call.
● Update user’s position and data.
● To maintain the heterogeneity is also a big task as the system is keep moving in a large variation
of situations
 ● Range of spectrum.
● Verification of security.

2. Wireless Medium:
The transmission medium in mobile computing is wireless, therefore the following points are considered:

● Various interferences occur in mobile computing by the different elements in the environment.
● Accuracy and quantity of bandwidth should be sufficient.
● Network cost is feasible.

3. Portability:
This means that the communication device moves, for eg. mobile phones. The following mobile
constraints are to be considered as the devices are also mobile:

● Minimum number of resources are used.

● Security is very less, as security risks include the processing of fake transactions, unauthorized
access of data and program files, and the physical theft or damage of the device.
● Restrictions of the battery.

10 Cellular Network Architecture.