Module 5 - Basic GSM Network

REF-SPP-AAA-BBB-CCC-DDD-I01-R00-09262020 | 1
BASIC GSM AND

MOBILE NETWORKS
PECEC 3 – Communications 3: Data Communications (Lecture)
Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Talking Points
• What is GSM?
• Evolution of Mobile Communication
• GSM Architecture
• Elements of GSM

Global System for Mobile Communication

• formerly: Groupe Spéciale Mobile (founded 1982)
• now: Global System for Mobile Communication
• Pan-European standard (ETSI, European Telecommunications
Standardisation Institute)
• simultaneous introduction of essential digital cellular services in
three phases (1991, 1994, 1996) by the European
telecommunication administrations, seamless roaming within
Europe possible
• today many providers all over the world use GSM (more than 130
countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, America)
• more than 100 million subscribers

Global System for Mobile Communication

• The most popular wireless communication systems which gives us
the freedom to not only roam within a network, but also between
different networks.
• Users can, in fact, communicate with other different users (almost)
everywhere, and at (almost) any time. Failure dependencies can
vary from signal strength in all areas up to the subscription payment
of a user.
• GSM technology contains the essential intelligent functions for the
support of personal mobility, especially with regards to user
identification and authentication, and for the localization and
administration of mobile users.
• The evolution took place from a simple messaging service to
internet data usage and over-the-top (OTT) services.

Performance Characteristics of GSM

• Communication
• Total mobility
• Worldwide connectivity
• High Transmission quality
• Security functions

Disadvantages
• Offers less data rate compared to wired networks
• Macro cells are affected by multipath signal loss.
• The capacity is lower and depends on channels/multiple access
techniques employed to serve subscribers.
• As the communication is over the air, it has security vulnerabilities.
• Requires higher cost in order to setup cellular network
infrastructure.
• The wireless communication is influenced by physical obstructions,
climatic conditions and interference from other wireless devices.

Evolution of the Mobile Communication

Generations of Mobile Communication

GSM: Mobile Services

GSM offers
• several types of connections
- voice connections, data connections, short message service
• multi-service options (combination of basic services)
Three service domains

• Bearer Services or Data services – interface to the physical medium
(transparent for example in the case of voice or non-transparent for
data services)
• Teleservices or Telephony Services – services provided by the
system to the end user (e.g., voice, SMS, fax, etc.)
• Supplementary Services – associated with the tele services: call
forwarding, redirection, etc.

Bearer Services
• Data services or Bearer Services are used through a GSM phone.
• To receive and send data is the essential building block leading to

widespread mobile Internet access and mobile data transfer.
• GSM currently has a data transfer rate of 9.6k.
• New developments that will push up data transfer rates for GSM
users are HSCSD (high speed circuit switched data) and GPRS
(general packet radio service) are now available.
Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 9

Teleservices
The abilities of a Bearer Service are used by a Teleservice to
transport data. These services are further transited in the
following ways −

Voice Calls
The most basic Teleservice supported by GSM is telephony. This
includes full-rate speech at 13 kbps and emergency calls, where the
nearest emergency-service provider is notified by dialing three digits.
Videotext and Facsmile

Another group of teleservices includes Videotext access, Teletex
transmission, Facsimile alternate speech and Facsimile Group 3,
Automatic Facsimile Group 3 etc.
Short Text Messages

Short Messaging Service (SMS) service is a text messaging service that
allows sending and receiving text messages on your GSM mobile
phone. In addition to simple text messages, other text data including
news, sports, financial, language, and location-based data can also be
transmitted.

Supplementary Services
Supplementary services are additional services that are
provided in addition to teleservices and bearer services. These
services include caller identification, call forwarding, call waiting,
multi-party conversations, and barring of outgoing (international)
calls, among others. A brief description of supplementary
services is given here −
•Conferencing − It allows a mobile subscriber to establish a

multiparty conversation, i.e., a simultaneous conversation
between three or more subscribers to setup a conference call.
This service is only applicable to normal telephony.
•Call Waiting − This service notifies a mobile subscriber of an

incoming call during a conversation. The subscriber can
answer, reject, or ignore the incoming call.

•Call Hold − This service allows a subscriber to put an incoming call on

hold and resume after a while. The call hold service is applicable to
normal telephony.
•Call Forwarding − Used to divert calls from the original recipient to

another number. It is normally set up by the subscriber himself. It can be
used by the subscriber to divert calls from the Mobile Station when the
subscriber is not available, and so to ensure that calls are not lost.
•Call Barring − Useful to restrict certain types of outgoing calls such as

ISD or stop incoming calls from undesired numbers. Call barring is a
flexible service that enables the subscriber to conditionally bar calls.

• Number Identification − There are following supplementary

services related to number identification −
- Calling Line Identification Presentation − displays the
telephone number of the calling party on your screen.
- Calling Line Identification Restriction − A person not
wishing their number to be presented to others subscribes to this
service.
- Connected Line Identification Presentation − is provided
to give the calling party the telephone number of the person to whom
they are connected. This service is useful in situations such as
forwarding's where the number connected is not the number dialed.
- Connected Line Identification Restriction − There are
times when the person called does not wish to have their number
presented and so they would subscribe to this person. Normally, this
overrides the presentation service.

- Malicious Call Identification − was provided to combat

the spread of obscene or annoying calls.
•Advice of Charge (AoC) − This service was designed to give the

subscriber an indication of the cost of the services as they are used.
Furthermore, those service providers who wish to offer rental
services to subscribers without their own SIM can also utilize this
service in a slightly different form. AoC for data calls is provided on
the basis of time measurements.
•Closed User Groups (CUGs) − This service is meant for groups of

subscribers who wish to call only each other and no one else.
•Unstructured supplementary services data (USSD) − This allows

operator-defined individual services.


GSM Architecture
GSM is a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)
• several providers setup mobile networks following the GSM
standard within each country
• components
- MS (mobile station)
- BS (base station)
- MSC (mobile switching center)
- LR (location register)
• subsystems
- RSS (radio subsystem): covers all radio aspects
- NSS (network and switching subsystem): call forwarding,
handover, switching
- OSS (operation subsystem): management of the network

GSM System Architecture

radio network and fixed
subsystem switching subsystem partner networks
MS MS
ISDN
PSTN
Um MSC
BTS Abis
BSC EIR
BTS
SS7
HLR
BTS VLR
BSC ISDN
BTS MSC PSTN
A
BSS IWF
PSPDN
CSPDN


• Mobile Station (MS)

Mobile Equipment (ME)
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
• Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
Base Station Controller (BSC)
• Network Subsystem
Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
Home Location Register (HLR)
Visitor Location Register (VLR)
Authentication Center (AUC)
Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

System Architecture
Mobile Station (MS)
The Mobile station is made up of two entities

1. Mobile Equipment (ME)
2. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

System Architecture
Mobile Station (MS)
Mobile Equipment
- Produced by many different manufacturers
- Uniquely identified by an IMEI (International Mobile
Equipment Identity)
- Power level : 0.8 W – 20 W
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
- Smart card containing the International Mobile
Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
- Allows user to send and receive calls and receive
other subscribed services
- Protected by a password or PIN
- Can be moved from phone to phone – contains key
information to activate the phone.

System Architecture
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
Base Station Subsystem is composed of two parts

that communicate across the standardized
interface allowing operation between
components made by different suppliers
1. Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
2. Base Station Controller (BSC)

System Architecture
Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

• Houses the radio transceivers that define a cell
• Speech and data transmissions from the MS are

recorded
• Requirements for BTS
- Reliability
- Minimum costs

System Architecture
Base Station Controller (BSC)

• Manages Resources for BTS
• Handles call set up
• Location update
• Handover for each MS

System Architecture
Network Subsystem
Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
• Switch speech and data connections between:
Base Station Controllers
Mobile Switching Centers
GSM-networks
Other external networks
• Heart of the network
• Three main jobs:
1. connects calls from sender to receiver
2. collects details of the calls made and
received
3. supervises operation of the rest of the
network components




GSM Architecture Overview

OMC, EIR,
AUC
HLR
GMSC
NSS fixed network
with OSS
VLR MSC MSC

VLR
BSC
BSC
RSS

GSM Elements and Interfaces
radio cell
BSS
MS MS
Um radio cell
RSS BTS MS
BTS
Abis
BSC BSC
A
MSC MSC
NSS signaling
VLR VLR
ISDN, PSTN
HLR GMSC
PDN
IWF
O
OSS
EIR AUC OMC

Radio Subsystem
Components
• MS (Mobile Station)
• BSS (Base Station Subsystem): consisting of
- BTS (Base Transceiver Station): sender and receiver
- BSC (Base Station Controller): controlling several
transceivers
Interfaces
• 𝑈𝑚 : radio interface
• 𝐴𝑏𝑖𝑠 : standardized, open interface with 16 kbit/s user channels
• 𝐴: standardized, open interface with 64 kbit/s user channels

Radio Subsystem
• The Radio Subsystem (RSS) comprises the cellular mobile network
up to the switching centers
• Components
- Base Station Subsystem (BSS):
1. Base Transceiver Station (BTS): radio components
including sender, receiver, antenna - if directed antennas are used one
BTS can cover several cells
2. Base Station Controller (BSC): switching between BTSs,
controlling BTSs, managing of network resources, mapping of radio
channels (Um) onto terrestrial channels (A interface)
BSS = BSC + sum(BTS) + interconnection
- Mobile Stations (MS)

What are some limitations of GSM?
Electronic interference. Because GSM uses a pulse-transmission

technology, it is known to interfere with electronics like hearing aids.
This electromagnetic interference is why certain places like airports, gas
stations and hospitals require mobile phones be turned off.
Bandwidth lag. When using GSM technologies, multiple users access the
same bandwidth, sometimes resulting in considerable latency as more
users join the network.
Limited rate of data transfer. GSM offers a somewhat limited data transfer
rate . To achieve higher data rates, a user must switch to a device with
more advanced forms of GSM.
Repeaters. GSM technologies require carriers to install repeaters to

increase coverage.

35
Cellular Network
• use of several carrier frequencies
• not the same frequency in adjoining cells
• cell sizes vary from some 100 m up to 35 km depending on user
density, geography, transceiver power etc.
• hexagonal shape of cells is idealized (cells overlap, shapes depend
on geography)
• if a mobile user changes cells – handover of the connection to the
neighbor cell.
segmentation of the area into cells
possible radio coverage of the cell
idealized shape of the cell

cell

BTS and BSC

• Tasks of a BSS are distributed over BSC and BTS
• BTS comprises radio specific functions
• BSC is the switching center for radio channels
Functions BTS BSC

Management of radio channels X
Frequency hopping (FH) X X
Management of terrestrial channels X
Mapping of terrestrial onto radio channels X
Channel coding and decoding X
Rate adaptation X
Encryption and decryption X X
Paging X X
Uplink signal measurements X
Traffic measurement X
Authentication X
Location registry, location update X
Handover management X

Network and Switching Subsystem

Components
• MSC (Mobile Services Switching Center):
• IWF (Interworking Functions)
• ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
• PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)
• PSPDN (Packet Switched Public Data Network)
• CSPDN (Circuit Switched Public Data Network)
Databases
• HLR (Home Location Register)
• VLR (Visitor Location Register)
• EIR (Equipment Identity Register)

Network and Switching Subsystem

• NSS is the main component of the public mobile network GSM –
switching, mobility management, interconnection to other networks,
system control
• Components
1. Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC) controls all
connections via a separated network to/from a mobile terminal within
the domain of the MSC - several BSC can belong to a MSC
2. Databases (important: scalability, high capacity, low delay)
- Home Location Register (HLR) central master database
containing user data, permanent and semi-permanent data of all
subscribers assigned to the HLR (one provider can have several
HLRs)
- Visitor Location Register (VLR) local database for a subset of
user data - data about all users currently visiting in the domain of the
VLR

Mobile Service Switching Center

• The MSC (mobile switching center) plays a central role in GSM
- switching functions
- additional functions for mobility support
- management of network resources
- interworking functions via Gateway MSC (GMSC)
- integration of several databases
• Functions of a MSC
- specific functions for paging and call forwarding
- termination of SS7 (signaling system no. 7)
- mobility specific signaling
- location registration and forwarding of location information
- provision of new services (fax, data calls)
- support of short message service (SMS)
- generation and forwarding of accounting and billing
information

Operation Subsystem
• The OSS (Operation Subsystem) enables centralized operation,
management, and maintenance of all GSM subsystems
• Components
1. Authentication Center (AUC)
- generates user specific authentication parameters on request
of a VLR
- authentication parameters used for authentication of mobile
terminals and encryption of user data on the air interface within the
GSM system
2. Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
- registers GSM mobile stations and user rights
- stolen or malfunctioning mobile stations can be locked and
sometimes even localized

Operation Subsystem
• Components
3. Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
- different control capabilities for the radio subsystem and the
network subsystem

GSM Spectrum Allocation (900MHz)

https://news.txtbuff.com/list-of-mobile-frequency-bands-in-the-philippines/

GSM Spectrum Allocation (1800MHz)

https://news.txtbuff.com/list-of-mobile-frequency-bands-in-the-philippines/

TDMA/FDMA
935-960 MHz
124 channels (200 kHz)
downlink
890-915 MHz
124 channels (200 kHz)
uplink
higher GSM frame structures
time
GSM TDMA frame
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4.615 ms
GSM time-slot (normal burst)

guard guard
space tail user data S Training S user data tail space
3 bits 57 bits 1 26 bits 1 57 bits 3
546.5 µs
577 µs

Call Simulation on 2G
Sub A calls Sub B

SMS Simulation on 2G
Sub A sends SMS to Sub B

GPRS
Addition of the GPRS Network

Internet Surfing Simulation using GPRS

Sub A connects to the Internet

GSM Trends Worldwide

Countries who partially or completely shutdown their 2G networks

Other Current Use of GSM (2G)

• POS Machines
• Self-service eLoad
• GPS Tracker
• Network in a Box (NIB)

Course References
• Forouzan, Behrouz (2007) Data Communications and Networking
(4th ed.) McGraw-Hill Education
• Tomasi, W. (2004) Electronic Communication Systems (5th ed.)
• Sapak, M. (2017) Digital Communications (1st ed.)
• Ciora, J (2008) CCNA Exam Prep (2nd ed.) Pearson Education Inc.
• Odom, W. (2019) CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide Library vol. 1
& 2 (1st ed.) Cisco Press
• https://courses.mnet-it.com/learn
• Eberspacher, J et. al (2009) GSM – Architecture, Protocols and
Services (3rd edition) John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Research Work
• Research and differentiate 3G, 4G and 5G architectures.

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REF-SPP-AAA-BBB-CCC-DDD-I01-R00-09262020 | 1

BASIC GSM AND

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Global System for Mobile Communication

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Global System for Mobile Communication

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Performance Characteristics of GSM

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Evolution of the Mobile Communication

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

GSM: Mobile Services

Three service domains

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

• To receive and send data is the essential building block leading to

• GSM currently has a data transfer rate of 9.6k.

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 9

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 10

Videotext and Facsmile

Short Text Messages

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 11

•Conferencing − It allows a mobile subscriber to establish a

•Call Waiting − This service notifies a mobile subscriber of an

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 12

•Call Hold − This service allows a subscriber to put an incoming call on

•Call Forwarding − Used to divert calls from the original recipient to

•Call Barring − Useful to restrict certain types of outgoing calls such as

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 13

• Number Identification − There are following supplementary

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 14

- Malicious Call Identification − was provided to combat

•Advice of Charge (AoC) − This service was designed to give the

•Closed User Groups (CUGs) − This service is meant for groups of

•Unstructured supplementary services data (USSD) − This allows

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 15

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 16

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

GSM System Architecture

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 19

GSM System Architecture

• Mobile Station (MS)

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 20

GSM System Architecture

The Mobile station is made up of two entities

2. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 21

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 22

Base Station Subsystem is composed of two parts

2. Base Station Controller (BSC)

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 23

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

• Speech and data transmissions from the MS are

Technological University of the Philippines - Manila 24

Base Station Controller (BSC)

• Handles call set up