Week 7 GSM Enhancements

• HSCSD
GPRS Architecture
Bearer Services
• GPRS Multiple Access

Advantages/Limitations of GPRS
Applications

• EDGE
 GSM Enhancements
• GSM has been designed for speech communication.
• Although the standard also offers data services, their
possibilities are limited by a data rate of 9.6 kbps.
• In the multimedia or Internet sector, higher data rates are
necessary.
• Additional bearer services to meet this DATA demand were
developed for GSM phase 2+, namely
• HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switch Data)
• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

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 HSCSD
• Higher data rates are achieved by multiple slot allocation
– between 2 and 8 time slots can be allocated
– with 9.6kb/s per time slot this yields a max of 78.6kb/s
• HSCSD is intended for video and multimedia communication
• The drawback to HSCSD is that at the air interface, a complete
traffic channel is allocated for a single user for the entire call
period. In case of bursty traffic (e.g., Internet traffic), this
results in a highly inefficient resource utilisation.

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 GPRS
• Packet switched service concept for wireless data
transmission within GSM
• Radio access based on extended GSM radio interface allowing
co-existance with standard radio access
• New fixed network elements to support IP based PLMN
intranet
• BS becomes an IP router

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Overview of GSM

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 GPRS System Architecture
• In order to integrate GPRS into the existing GSM architecture,
a new class of network nodes, called GPRS support nodes
(GSN), has been introduced.
• GSNs are responsible for the delivery and routing of data
packets between the mobile stations and the external packet
data networks (PDN).
• Two type of GSN’s are defined
– SGSN Serving GPRS support node
– GGSN Gateway GPRS support node

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 Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)
• A SGSN is responsible for the delivery of data packets from and to the mobile
stations within its service area.
• Its tasks include
– packet routing and transfer,
– mobility management (attach/detach and location management),
– logical link management
– authentication
– charging functions.
• The location register of the SGSN stores location information (e.g., current cell,
current VLR) and user profiles (e.g., IMSI, address(es) used in the packet data
network) of all GPRS users registered with this SGSN.

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 Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
• A GGSN acts as an interface between the GPRS backbone
network and the external packet data networks.
• It converts the GPRS packets coming from the SGSN into the
appropriate packet data protocol (PDP) format (e.g., IP or X.25)
and sends them out on the corresponding packet data network.
• In the other direction, PDP addresses of incoming data packets
are converted to the GSM address of the destination user. The
re-addressed packets are sent to the responsible SGSN.
• The GGSN also performs authentication and charging functions.

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GPRS System Architecture

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 Bearer Services
• The bearer services of GPRS offer end-to-end packet switched
data transfer.
• There are two different kinds:
– The point-to-point (PTP) service and
– The point-to-multipoint (PTM) service.
• It is also possible to send SMS messages over GPRS

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 GSM Multiple Access
• GSM uses a combination of FDMA and TDMA for multiple
access.
• Two frequency bands 45 MHz apart have been reserved for
GSM operation: 890 915 MHz for the uplink, and 935 960
MHz for the downlink.
• Each of these bands of 25 MHz width is divided into 124 single
carrier channels of 200 kHz width.
• A certain number of these frequency channels, the so-called
cell allocation, is allocated to a BTS, i.e., to a cell.
• Each of the 200 kHz frequency channels carries eight TDMA
channels by dividing each of them into eight time slots.

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 GSM Multiple Access

• The eight time slots in these TDMA channels form a TDMA

frame.
• Each time slot of a TDMA frame lasts for a duration of
156.25 bit so a frame takes 4.613 ms.
• The recurrence of one particular time slot defines a
physical channel.
• The channel allocation in GPRS is different from the
original GSM.

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 GPRS Multiple Access
• GPRS allows a single mobile station to transmit on multiple
time slots of the same TDMA frame (multislot operation).
• This results in a very flexible channel allocation: one to eight
time slots per TDMA frame can be allocated for one mobile
station.
• Moreover, uplink and downlink are allocated separately,
which efficiently supports asymmetric data traffic (e.g., Web
browsing, more data arriving on the downlink).
• 52 frame multiframe, divided into 12 blocks of 4 frames to
transmit logical channels and 4 frames for timing advance

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 Advantages of GPRS
• SPEED
– Theoretical maximum speeds of up to 171.2 kilobits per second (kbps)
are achievable with GPRS using all eight timeslots at the same time
• IMMEDIACY
– GPRS facilitates instant connections whereby information can be sent
or received immediately as the need arises, subject to radio coverage
• NEW APPLICATIONS
– GPRS fully enables the Internet applications you are used to on your
desktop from web browsing to chat over the mobile network. Other
new applications for GPRS, include file transfer and home automation

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 Advantages of GPRS
• SPECTRUM EFFICIENCY
– Packet switching means that GPRS radio resources are
used only when users are actually sending or receiving
data.
• SUPPORTS TDMA AND GSM
– It should be noted that the General Packet Radio Service is not only a
service designed to be deployed on mobile networks that are based
on the GSM digital mobile phone standard. The IS-136 Time Division
Multiple Access (TDMA) standard, popular in North and South
America, will also support GPRS

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 Limitations of GPRS
• LIMITED CELL CAPACITY FOR ALL USERS
– There are only limited radio resources that can be deployed for different uses- use
for one purpose precludes simultaneous use for another.
• SPEEDS MUCH LOWER IN REALITY
– The initial GPRS terminals are severely limited- supporting only one, two or three
timeslots.
• SUBOPTIMAL MODULATION
– GPRS is based on a modulation technique known as Gaussian minimum-shift keying
(GMSK). 8 PSK will be used for 3GSM
• TRANSIT DELAYS
– GPRS packets are sent in all different directions to reach the same destination so
potential transit delays can occur

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 Applications for GPRS
• CHAT
• TEXTUAL AND VISUAL INFORMATION
• STILL IMAGES
• MOVING IMAGES
• WEB BROWSING
• DOCUMENT SHARING
• AUDIO
• JOB DISPATCH
• CORPORATE EMAIL

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 Applications for GPRS
• INTERNET EMAIL
• VEHICLE POSITIONING
• REMOTE LAN ACCESS
• FILE TRANSFER
• HOME AUTOMATION

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EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution)
• Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) is a TDMA
technology concentrating on the air interface between the
mobile and the base station.
• Based on a new modulation process, 8 Phase Shift Keying, or
8-PSK, EDGE achieves three times the data rates of HSCSD and
GPRS at the air interface.
• A digital data unit at the air interface, a symbol, is not just one
bit, but three bits.
• With EDGE, the subscriber can use all 8 timeslots at the air
interface

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 EDGE
• EDGE allows a data rates of almost 474 kbps per user.
• The problem, with EDGE is very bit error sensitive
and requires careful planning and a sufficient number
of base stations
• 2.75G System

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GSM Evolution for Data Access
2 Mbps

UMTS

384 kbps

115 kbps EDGE

GPRS

9.6 kbps

GSM

1997 2000 2003 2003+

GSM evolution 3G

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