ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

SECTION A (Short Questions)

• Define the role of IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) in the Global System of
Mobile Communications (GSM) architecture.

An International Mobile Subscriber Identity or IMSI is a unique number associated with all
GSM and UMTS network mobile phone users.

• List 2 advantages of HSCSD System (High Speed Circuit-Switched Data).

Ready to use (Reuse the frame structure of GSM with dynamic allocation of slots)
Constant quality (Reuse GSM channel parameters like FEC, etc)
Simple (no hardware change)

• What does the acronym GSM stand for?

Global System for Mobile Communications

GPRS: General Packet Radio Service

LTE: Long Term Evolution

• What is the theoretical maximum data rate in GPRS (assuming all slots used)? What is the
maximum data rate in practice?

Theory: 171 kbps

Implementation / Practice: 57.6 kbps

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

• What are the functions of a Home Location Register (HLR) in a GPRS network?

The home location register (HLR) is a central database that contains details of each mobile
phone subscriber that is authorized to use the GSM core network.

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

SECTION B

1. Describe two basic reasons, that the system would initiate a handover process.
With the aid of diagram, describe the different types of handover that occur in GSM.

Solution Guide:

The two basic reasons for a handover initiation are as follows:

a) When the mobile station moves out of the range of a BTS, the received signal level
decreases continuously until it falls below a minimum threshold. The error rate may grow
due to interference where link and make radio transmission impossible in the near future.

b) The wired infrastructure (MSC, BSC) may decide that the traffic in one cell is too high and
shift some MS to other cells with a lower load. This is called load balancing.

There are four possible handover scenarios in GSM. These are described as follows:

Intra-cell handover:
Within a cell, narrow-band interference could make transmission at a certain frequency
impossible. The BSC could then decide to change the carrier frequency

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

Inter-cell, intra-BSC handover:

This is a typical handover scenario. The mobile station moves from one cell to another, but
stays within the control of the same BSC. The BSC then performs a handover, assigns a new
radio channel in the new cell and releases the old one.

Inter-BSC, intra-MSC handover:

As a BSC only controls a limited number of cells GSM also has to perform handovers between
cells controlled by different BSCs. This handover then has to be controlled by the MSC

Inter MSC handover:

A handover could be required between two cells belonging to different MSCs. Now both
MSCs perform the handover together

2. Briefly describe what measurements of data were made by the mobile station and base
transceiver station that would enable the BSC or MSC to decide a handover process.
Describe and illustrate the handover decision process with a diagram showing the MS
transiting from the current cell to a new cell.

Solution Guide:

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

To provide all the necessary information for a handover due to a weak link, the MS and BTS
both perform periodic measurements of the downlink and uplink quality respectively. Link
quality comprises signal level and bit error rate

Measurement reports are sent by the MS about every half-second and contain the quality of
the current link used for transmission quality of certain channels in neighboring cells.

These values are then compared to thresholds, i.e., the handover margin (HO_MARGIN),
which includes some hysteresis.

3. Illustrate and briefly describe the responsibilities of the main components within the
GPRS network.
In a table form, describe the requried upgrades in terms of hardware and software of the
existing GSM components in order to enable packet-switching services to be offered.

Solution Guide:

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

Main components of GPRS includes:

a) Base Transceiver Station (BTS). It is responsible to receive and transmit user and control
traffic from mobile station, handles power control and channel measurements.

b) Base Station Controller (BSC) manages radio resources and makes some handover
decisions.

c) Mobile switching centre (MSC) handles circuit-switched traffic to public telephone

networks. Manages visited location register (VLR) & home location register (HLR)

d) Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) responsible for delivering packets to mobiles in its
service area and receiving packets transmitted by mobiles

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 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

e) Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) interfaces to external packet networks

f) Mobile Station (MS), the user terminal

4. Describe clearly with the help of a diagram, the steps taken to make a mobile originated
and a mobile terminated call

Solution Guide:

Mobile Originated Call

(1), (2) Connection Request

- The MS transmits a request for a new
connection.
- BSS forwards this request to the MSC

(3), (4) Security Check

- MSC then checks if this user is allowed to set
up a call with the requested service

(5), (6), (7), (8) Check Resources (Free circuits)

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

- Checks the availability of resources through the GSM network and into the PSTN

(9), (10) Set up call

- If all resources are available, the MSC sets up a connection between the MS and the fixed
network

Mobile Terminated Call

(1) Call Initiation

- User dials the GSM subscriber
phone #

(2) Connects to GMSC

- The PSTN identifies number
belongs GSM network
- It forwards the call setup to the
Gateway MSC

(3) Security Check

- The GMSC identifies the
subscriber HLR
- HLR checks whether the number exists and valid subscriber

(4), (5) MSRN Assignment

- HLR requests an MSRN from the current VLR
- VLR assigns a MSRN number

(6), (7) MSC, BSS Routing

- HLR determines the MSC responsible for the MS
- forwards this information to the GMSC
- GMSC can now forward the call setup request to the MSC

(8), (9) MS Availability Check

- MSC requests the current availability status of the MS from the VLR

(10), (11) MS Paging Initiation

- MSC initiates paging in all its cells it is responsible
- BTSs of all BSSs transmit this paging signal to the MS

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

(12), (13) MS Response

- MS answers

(14), (15) Security Check

- VLR perform security checks
- Set up encryption

(16), (17) Connection Set Up

- VLR then signals to the MSC to set up a connection to the MS

5. Provide a block diagram of a typical GSM Network Architecture showing the various sub-
systems. Briefly explain the function of each sub-system.

Solution Guide:

GSM Network Architecture consists of 3 sub-systems

• RSS: Radio Sub-system containing radio specific entities

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017

 ENG3026M Tutorial Guided Solutions: Wireless Communications – GSM, GPRS

• NSS: Network & Switching Sub-system provides switching, mobile management,

interconnects other systems
• OSS: Operating Subsystem provide operations & management

Prepared by: FT Fam Apr 2017