From GSM to GPRS and Onwards

A presentation on
Global System for Mobile
Communication and Its Evolution
Dr. Md. Saifur Rahman
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology
Dhaka, Bangladesh

GSM Architecture
Network Elements an overview

AUC

HLR
BSC

VMS

EIR

PrePaid
Node

MSC

IN

PSTN
Fixed network

SMSC

INTERNET

PSTN
International

PABX

MSC

BSC

MS
BTS
BSC
HLR
MSC
VLR
AUC

Mobile Station = phone + SIM card

Base Transceiver Station
Base Station Controller
Home Location Register
Mobile services Switching Centre
Visitor Location Register
Authentication Centre
Stand-alone or integrated in HLR
EIR
Equipment Identity Register
For blacklisting stolen and unwanted
equipment
SMSC Short Message Service Support Centre
VMS Voice Messaging System
PrePaid Node Hosting prepaid service system
IN
Intelligent Network services
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network
PABX Private Automatic Branch Exchange

Mobile Station (MS)

MS consists of the mobile equipment (the terminal) and a smart
card called the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
The SIM provides personal mobility, so that the user can have
access to subscribed services irrespective of a specific terminal.
By inserting the SIM card into a GSM terminal, the user is able
to receive and make calls at that terminal, and receive other
subscribed services. Without the SIM, the terminal will not work.
The mobile equipment is uniquely identified by the International
Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).

The SIM card contains the International Mobile Subscriber

Identity (IMSI) used to identify the subscriber to the system, a
secret key for authentication, and other information.
The IMEI and the IMSI are independent, thereby allowing
personal mobility.
The SIM card may be protected against unauthorized use by a
password or personal identity number (PIN).

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

The BTS corresponds to the transceivers and antennas used in each
cell of the network.
It handles the radio-link protocols with the Mobile Station.
A BTS may be placed in the center of a cell (omni-directional) or
shooting in one or more specific directions (sectorized). Its transmitting
power defines the size of a cell.
Each BTS has typically between one and sixteen transceivers
depending on the density of users in the cell.
In a large urban area, there will potentially be a large number of BTSs
deployed, thus the requirements for a BTS are ruggedness, reliability,
portability, and minimum cost.

Base Station Controller (BSC)

The BSC controls a group of BTSs and
manages their radio resources.
The physical area the BSC covers is
divided into one or more Location Areas.

BSC handles radio-channel setup,

handover, frequency hopping and the radio
frequency power levels of the BTSs.
The BSC is the connection between the
mobile station and the Mobile service
Switching Center (MSC).
Before transmitting speech or data to the
MSC the information is transformed and
coded in an TRANSCODER.

Home Location Register (HLR)

The HLR is a network database that contains all the
administrative information of each subscriber registered in the
GSM network, along with the current location of the mobile.
Subscription data states the logical identity of each subscriber
(MS) and which services that are accessible or barred for the
respective subscriber.
The location of the mobile is typically in the form of the address
of the Visitor Location Register (VLR) associated with the
mobile station. This information is used to route calls and SMS
to the MSC/VLR where the mobile station is currently located.
The HLR also contains a number of functions for managing
these data, controlling services and enabling subscribers to
access and receive their services when roaming within and
outside their home GSM network.

Mobile services and Switching Centre

(MSC) /
Visitor
Location
Register
(VLR)
The MSC is a very central component of the GSM network. The
MSC performs the switching functions of the network and also
provides connection to other networks.

It additionally provides all the functionality needed to handle a

mobile subscriber, such as registration, authentication, location
updating, handovers, and call routing to a roaming subscriber.
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.
The VLR contains selected information from a subscriber's HLR
necessary for call control and provisioning of the subscribed
services to the visiting user.
Signaling between functional entities in the Network Subsystem
uses Signaling System Number 7 (SS7).

Authentication Centre (AUC)

The AUC generates authentication and ciphering data.
The purpose of the authentication security feature is to
protect the network against unauthorized use. It also
protects subscribers by denying the possibility for intruders
to impersonate authorized users.
The ciphering data is used to ensure that confidentiality
and integrity is kept on the physical radio channels.
Ciphering prevents user information and signalling to be
available or disclosed to unauthorized individuals.

Call Setup

Each mobile set communicate with

MSC in every 5 seconds.
Update Location
Update signal strength
Prepare handover list

Call Setup

Logical Channels
Broadcast control channel
BCCH Broadcast control channel
FCCH Frequency synchronization channel
SCH Frame synchronization channel

Call Setup

Logical Channels
Common control channel
PCH Paging channel
AGCH Access Grant channel
RACH Random Access channel

Call Setup

Logical Channels
Dedicated control channel
SDCCH Authentication
SACCH Power measurement
FACCH Prepare handover list

Traffic channel
TCH Traffic channel

BSC

MSC

PSTN

Call Setup / Signal Flow

Channel Request ( RACH )

Channel Assignment (AGCH)

Set up
RR Connection

Service request (RACH)

Service
Indication

AuC request (SDCCH)

AuC response (SDCCH)

Authentication

Ciphering CMD (SDCCH)

Ciphering complete (SDCCH)

Transition to
Ciphered mode

BSC

MSC

PSTN

Call Set up (SDCCH)

Call processing (SDCCH)

Call Set up

TCH assign (SDCCH)

TCH complete (SDCCH)

TCH assign

Alerting

Call Confirm

Connect (TCH)
Connect ack (TCH)

Call accepted

Call setup / Signal Flow

GSM Call Setup

BSC

VMS

HLR

EIR

Voicemail

PrePaid

MSC

IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

BSC

VMS

HLR

EIR

Voicemail

PrePaid

MSC

IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

BSC
Base Station Controller

The call request reaches the BSC from the

BTS and is forwarded to MSC.
After call is established, the BSC will perform
decoding of the call (in typical config.)

BSC

VMS

HLR

EIR

Voicemail

PrePaid

MSC

IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Checks A number.
To whom is A subscriber calling?
(Checks B number)
Example : A subscriber has GP prepaid.

MSC
Mobile Switching Centre

BSC

VMS

HLR

EIR

Voicemail

PrePaid

MSC

IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Does the A subscriber have

money left on his/her account?
When the call is established and
on-going the subscribers account
is decremented accordingly.

PrePaid Node

HLR
BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

PrePaid

MSC

IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Where is the B subscriber?

MSC interrogates in HLR.
(HLR = Home Location Register)

MSC
Mobile Switching Centre

HLR
BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 HLR says I am the home of the B subscriber

and I know where he/she is right now (i.e.
which VLR)
Tells this VLR Give me a visitor address
for this subscriber (Roaming Number)

HLR
Home Location Register

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Hosting MSC/VLR returns B subscribers

assigned visitor address.

MSC
Mobile Switching Centre

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Thanks for the visitor address!

I will send this address to the MSC that
requested for it.

HLR
Home Location Register

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Thank you, HLR!

Speech connection is set up towards the
MSC/VLR where the B subscriber is
residing.

MSC
Mobile Switching Centre

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 Setting up a speech connection towards BSC.

MSC
Mobile Switching Centre

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 BSC will now send a paging signal to all the

BTSs that it covers.
Coding of speech when call is established.

BSC
Base Station Controller

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

 The B subscriber has now many choices:

He/she may answer.

He/she may be busy.
The mobile (MS) may be forwarded.
The mobile may be turned off or outside coverage area.
And more...

What happens next depends on the B subscribers

condition and what he/she chooses to do.

HLR

BSC

VMS

EIR

Voicemail

MSC

PrePaid
IN

SMSC
INTERNET

MSC
PSTN

PSTN

Fixed Network

International

PABX

BSC

Handover (HO)
- Intra BSC Handover
- Inter BSC Handover (as illustrated)
- Inter MSC Handover

BSC

BSC