Joint Traffic and Signalling Capacity Analysis in GSM
K. Allen1, P. Fitzpatrick2, M. Ivanovich2
1 2
Griffith University
Nathan, QLD 4111
Katherine.Allen@student.gu.edu.au,
Abstract – In this paper a joint traffic and signalling
capacity analysis of GSM/GPRS is undertaken with
the objective to investigate the optimal dimensioning
of a finite physical resource allocated across multiple
logical channels with multiple traffic types (for
example SMS, GPRS packet data and packet control
traffic). A network model was developed combining
simulations for paging, signalling and traffic channels.
Signalling channels are a natural bottleneck.
However, increased intensity for voice calls that utilise
both signalling and traffic channels requires greater
increases in the dimensions of the latter, due to the
disproportionate relative demands placed on these two
channels.
I. INTRODUCTION
Cellular systems, of which GSM is a classic example,
support a large number of logical channels for
transmission of user and signalling traffic over a shared
common and finite set of physical channels [1]. This
means that the finite physical resource, in the case of
GSM its radio frequency carriers and timeslots, must be
divided into the logical channels in such a way that the
maximum cell capacity is obtained. Neither the traffic
channels nor the signalling channels alone present the
major bottleneck to system performance. Rather, the
signalling and traffic channels act together to limit system
performance.
The evolution of cellular wireless networks to support
new traffic types has been progressing. The development
of packet data service for cellular radio is exemplified by
the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) for GSM [2].
This not only brings with it packet data traffic, but also
the additional signalling overhead for the control of data
traffic connections and traffic flow. The addition of this
new range of logical channels further complicates the
dimensioning problem. This is made more challenging
for GSM because there are different combinations of
logical channels that can be deployed [2], each potentially
with an optimum allocation of physical channels.
Interestingly, while this problem must deal with a range
of traffic types covering both signalling and user traffic,
the queueing regime that operates is not trivial. This is
because we have a mix of delayable and real time traffic
competing for a common resource. This study addresses
the complex problem arising from (i) the large number of
traffic types, (ii) the differences in the queueing regimes
and (iii) the requirement to achieve maximum overall
system capacity, taking into account both traffic and
signalling.
Telstra Research Laboratories
Clayton, Vic 3168
{paul.g.fitzpatrick, milosh.ivanovich}@team.telstra.com
The remainder of this paper is organised along the
following lines. In Section II the GSM channel and
traffic types are described as a prelude to introducing the
network model in Section III. Section IV discusses the
optimisation problem and cost function. An analysis of a
numerical example is detailed in Section V and the results
and conclusions are covered in Sections VI and VII
respectively.
II. GSM CHANNEL AND TRAFFIC TYPES
GSM traffic can be classified into circuit-switched and
packet-switched. The former includes voice calls, Short
Message Service and circuit-switched signalling traffic
such as IMSI Attach and Detaches and Location Updates.
Packet-switched traffic includes GPRS packet data, GPRS
Attach, GPRS Detach and Routing Area updates. Each of
these different traffic types places different demands on
the available radio resource.
Three common phases of operation can be identified
during the transmission of traffic streams; paging,
dedicated signalling and user traffic transmission. These
phases can be correlated to three logical channels, under
some assumptions.
• Paging – CCCH (Common Control Channel) – in
particular the PCH (Paging Channel)
• Dedicated Signalling – SDCCH (Standalone
Dedicated Control Channel)
• Traffic – TCH (Traffic Channel) for circuit-switched
voice traffic or PDTCH (Packet Data Traffic
Channel) for packet-switched data traffic.
The logical channels for paging and dedicated
signalling are classified as ‘signalling capacity’ with the
remaining resource classified as ‘traffic capacity’. The
specific usage of paging, dedicated signalling and traffic
resources for each traffic type is discussed below. The
underlying assumption is that other phases in system
operation such as random access and access grant are
more than adequately dimensioned and hence do not
impact on system performance.
A. Voice Calls [1]
The establishment and completion of a mobile
terminated (MT) GSM voice call comprises three main
stages; paging and access, standalone dedicated signalling
and the actual transmission along traffic channels. For
mobile originated (MO) calls paging is not required.
Paging and access is conducted on a subset of the GSM
Common Control Channels (CCCH); the Paging Channel
(PCH - downlink), Random Access Channel (RACH -
uplink) and Access Grant Channel (AGCH - downlink).
 An SDCCH (Standalone Dedicated Control Channel) is resource must be found such that neither is congested
assigned following paging and access, in order to when the other remains under-utilised.
negotiate the allocation of traffic channel resources. A Dimensioning boundary
traffic channel is then assigned for the transmission of the
voice call (TCH, and its associated signalling channel: the Signalling Traffic
slow associated control channel, SACCH).
Finite Radio Resource
B. Short Message Service and Circuit Switched Mobility (Allocated amount of spectrum)
Management Fig. 1 Conceptual Dimensioning of Radio Resource into Signalling and
Short Message Service (SMS), periodic GSM Location Traffic Channel Resources
Updates, IMSI Attach and IMSI Detach have similar In determining the optimal dimensioning of the radio
transmission characteristics and are therefore examined resource, a ‘cost function” is employed as a measure of
together. The only difference being that location updates overall network performance. Let the probability of
and IMSI Attach/Detach traffic are mobile-originating blocking for voice be PBV, the probability of delay for
and as such do not require paging whereas SMS is both GPRS data traffic be PDD and the probability of delay for
mobile originating and terminating and therefore uses a SMS traffic be PDSMS. The cost function C comprises the
paging channel for MT calls. sum of voice, GPRS data and SMS probabilities of
The major deviation from voice call transmission is the blocking and delay and is given by:
absence of traffic channel allocation. Since SMS and
management traffic comprise small amounts of data, the C = PBV + PDD + PDSMS (1)
allocation of a full rate traffic channel would waste
Human factors or other techniques could be applied to
bandwidth. Therefore a dedicated signalling channel is
this cost value with the addition of weighting
used instead to transmit these messages.
multiplicands to each probability, in order to reflect the
C. GPRS Data [2] relative importance of voice call blocking relative to data
or SMS delay. This will be the subject of further
The major difference between GSM voice calls and
research.
GPRS data transmission is the absence of a dedicated
Let the number of available physical channels in a cell
signalling phase for the negotiation of traffic channel
be N with the number allocated to signalling being Ns and
allocation. Importantly, all GPRS data sessions are
the number allocated to traffic being Nt, such that
mobile originated as GSM does not support mobile
terminated data sessions. N = N s + N t . However, the number of logical signalling
Access (also known as Temporary Block Flow (TBF) and traffic channels supported by these physical channels
set-up) allocates traffic channels for a GPRS data may not follow a one to one mapping. The overall aim
transmission (PDTCH and the packet associated control for any combination of voice, data and SMS traffic
channel or PACCH). intensities is to find the allocation of the physical
There are two main configurations possible for GPRS channels Ns and Nt, in timeslots, such that the value of C
paging and access; with PCCCH (Packet Common is minimised.
Control Channels – the GPRS equivalent of GSM’s
CCCH) or without PCCCH. This paper investigates IV. NETWORK MODEL
GPRS paging on GSM CCCH channels.
A network model is shown in Fig. 2. As described
D. Packet Switched Mobility Management previously, three major phases are utilised by different
GPRS Attach/Detach messages, Routing Area updates traffic types; paging on CCCH, dedicated signalling on
and combined notifications are transparent to the base SDCCH and traffic on TCH (voice) or PDTCH (GPRS).
station. Therefore, from a Base Station point of view,
λ LU
these messages follow a typical GPRS data transmission Location Update
λ IA
protocol. All GPRS management traffic is mobile IMSI Attach
λ ID
originating only and therefore does not require the use of IMSI Detach
λMO Signalling
SMS
a paging channel. MO SMS
λVMO
(SDCCH)
MO Voice
λMT
SMS
MT SMS
λVMT
Paging λV 1
III. DIMENSIONING MT Voice (PCH)
λD
The objective of GSM dimensioning is to partition the GPRS Data User Traffic
finite radio resource to achieve the combination of λGA (TCH /
PDTCH)
GPRS Attach
signalling (CCCH and SDCCH) and traffic (TCH and λGD
GPRS Detach
PDTCH) channels that provides the optimal network λ RU
Routing Area
performance. Update

Conceptually, this problem is shown in Fig. 1. A Fig. 2 Network Model

balance between the amount of signalling and traffic A complicating factor in this model is the requirement
to be able to split the voice and SMS traffic into MO and
MT traffic because only the MT traffic uses the paging λV 1 = λV (1 − PBS ) (2)
channel. Importantly, based on the analysis presented in
[4] it is observed that for a GSM system using 3 paging Where PBS is the probability of voice call blocking due
blocks, 8 paging groups and a paging period of Tp = to signalling congestion. The overall blocking probability
0.942s, the probability of queue overflow for the paging for voice (PBV) and delay probability for data (PDD) and
channel does not become significant until the arrival rate SMS (PDSMS) traffic is then given by:
exceeds 3 to 3.5 pages per second. In the example studied
in Section V the highest total arrival rate of paging traffic PBV = 1 − (1 − PBS )(1 − PBT ) (3)
(including both MO and MT traffic) is 1.03 pages per sec.
Given that the same paging channel dimensions used in
PDD = PDT (4)
[4] are also used in this study and that this total arrival
rate is pessimistically based on the total MO and MT
traffic, we observe that both the probability of voice PDSMS = PDS (5)
blocking and probability of data delay due to paging
congestion approach zero. Thus the model in Fig. 2 can be Where PBT is the probability of blocking due to traffic
simplified by removing the paging channel and the mean channel congestion, PDT is the probability of delay due to
total arrival rate for voice becomes an aggregated figure traffic channel congestion and PDS is the probability of
λV and for SMS becomes λSMS. delay due to signalling channel congestion. Each of these
Assumptions are also made with regard to each traffic delay and blocking probabilities is calculated
type and its behaviour when incident on a busy system. independently using the simulation models and under the
Voice calls are assumed to be blocked and cleared from assumptions stated earlier.
the system (blocking), whereas all other types of traffic
are assumed to queue for service (delaying). Uplink V. NUMERICAL EXAMPLE
RACH (Random Access Channel) capacity is assumed to
be fully adequate. In this example a 3 RF carrier cell configuration is
In Fig. 2 each of the offered traffic types is assumed to studied. This gives a total of 24 time slots (TS) that are
have a Poisson arrival distribution with the mean rate as divided between signalling and user traffic. Six
shown for each traffic type in Fig. 2. The service time for configurations for the CCCH are considered and shown in
each traffic type is assumed to follow a negative Table I. In GSM the CCCH are allocated on a BCCH
exponential distribution. (Broadcast Control Channel) timeslot as either a small set
The SDCCH was simulated using a discrete-event (BCCH timeslot comprises BCCH, CCCH and 4 SDCCH
simulation of a mixed blocking and delay system. This channels) or a basic set (BCCH timeslot comprises only
enables the modelling of both the blocking of voice calls BCCH and CCCH) with 8 SDCCH channels per separate
and delaying of SMS and mobility management additional time slot. In this example Configuration 1 uses
messages. In contrast to well known Erlang B (Erlang the small BCCH configuration with 4 SDCCH,
Loss) or Erlang C (Erlang Delay) systems, this tool caters configurations 2, 4, and 6 use a basic set up with separate
for a combination of blocking and delaying traffic. time slots for SDCCH and configurations 3 and 5 use a
TCH/PDTCH allocation is also modelled using a small configuration plus additional TS for extra SDCCH
discrete event simulation of a mixed blocking and delay (8 per TS) [1].
system. The difference between this model and the
previous one is that it can support multiple service rates Table I Division of Radio Resource between Signalling and User Traffic
for the Three RF Carrier System under Study
for the delayable traffic. A multi-dimensional state-space
Signalling Traffic
is used in the simulation of the behaviour of first-come- Configuration CCCH TS SDCCH TCH/PDTCH
first-served (FCFS) allocation of traffic channels to voice (NS) (channels) (channels) (NT)
and data calls. Thus it captures the effect of both voice 1 Small 1 4 23
blocking and GPRS packet data delay where the GPRS 2 Basic 2 8 22
traffic can be serviced by multiple time slots. 3 Small 2 12 22
4 Basic 3 16 21
Two key assumptions (further to those inherent in the 5 Small 3 20 21
above models) were made with regard to the compilation 6 Basic 4 24 20
of the individual simulations into one network model.
These are: The voice, SMS and GPRS data loads are varied for
i. That the probability of delay/blocking at one stage is each of these scenarios. The resultant cost factor C is
independent of the probability of delay/blocking at evaluated and the optimal allocation of physical resource
any other stage. is found for each set of loads.
ii. The Markovian properties of each traffic stream are Loads were altered by varying the arrival rates of voice
maintained as carried traffic passes from one section calls, SMS and GPRS data while mean holding times
of the model to another. remained fixed. Table II shows the mean holding times
This leads to the following relationships for the voice for all of the traffic types across both the SDCCH and
traffic serviced by the signalling system. TCH channels. Note that the duration of GPRS data calls
is based on an average byte volume per call, so that the
figure given represents the mean time to serve these bytes and (H,VL,H)) the minimum cost factor tends towards
with a single PDTCH (timeslot). When a data call has dimensioning configuration 1 and we need to trade off
access to n timeslots, the mean holding time is 18/n less signalling channel capacity for more traffic channel
seconds. capacity, because the latter is the primary factor driving
the cost function.
Table II Mean Holding Times
Traffic Type SDCCH Traffic
1
(sec) (sec)
0.9
Voice Calls 3 100 L,VL,L L,VL,M M,VL,L M,VL,M
0.8
SMS 5 M,VL,H H,VL,L H,VL,H

Location Update 3 0.7

Cost Factor
IMSI Attach 3 0.6
IMSI Detach 3 0.5
GPRS Data Calls (per single timeslot) 18 0.4
GPRS Attach 0.375 0.3
GPRS Detach 0.375
0.2
Routing Area Update 0.375
0.1

0
Arrival rates of the signalling traffic mobility 1 2 3 4 5 6

management were kept constant and are shown below in Dimensioning Configuration

Table III. Fig. 3 Traffic and Signalling Channel Dimensioning with Fixed SMS
Intensity
Table III Mobility Management Traffic Arrival Rates
Time Between Arrival Rate (per Fig. 4 shows the results obtained with voice demand
Notifications (mins) sec) held at a constant arrival intensity of L and for varying
Location Update 60 0.0002778
IMSI Attach 60 0.0002778
SMS and data intensities. Increasing the SMS demand
IMSI Detach 60 0.0002778 results in the largest increases of the cost factor, but only
GPRS Attach 60 0.0002778 for systems with smaller signalling dimensions; for
GPRS Detach 60 0.0002778 example compare (L,VL,L) and (L,H,L) in configurations
Routing Area Update 54 0.0003086
1 and 2 to the same demands with configurations 3 to 6.
In contrast, for increased data demand the cost factor
Table IV shows the variable arrival rates used for incurs moderate increases, for example (L,VL,L) and
voice, SMS and data. GPRS data is assumed to be using (L,VL,M) across the range of configurations 1 to 6 and
CS-2 coding scheme [2] and delivering 11.3 kbps (L,L,L) to (L,L,M) for the range of configurations 3 to 6.
throughput per timeslot. Here we see that for configurations 3 to 6 SMS has
sufficient capacity and the change in cost factor is driven
Table IV Arrival Loads for Each Intensity Level by the increasing data demand.
Traffic Voice SMS Aggregate GPRS Data
Intensity (calls/sec) (messages/min) Rate (kbps)
VL 10 2.5
L 0.126 25 15kbps L,VL,L

M 0.149 35 27kbps L,VL,M

2
H 0.197 50 50kbps L,L,L
L,L,M
Cost Factor

1.5 L,M,H
Note that the labelling of arrival intensities as L, M and L,H,L
H is solely to represent illustrative relationships between 1

an individual traffic type’s arrival rates; it is not

representative of real light, medium and heavy network 0.5

loads.
VI. RESULTS
The results in Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 plot the cost
factor associated with differing arrival intensities and
dimensioning configurations (see Table I for
corresponding signalling and traffic dimensioning
configurations). Each tuplet of results (e.g. L,VL,L)
refers in order to: Voice, SMS and Data loading as given
in Table IV.
If SMS traffic intensity remains fixed (Fig. 3), higher
voice and data intensities incur higher cost factors. Also,
as the SMS traffic load becomes insignificant in
comparison to voice and data loads ((H,VL,L), (M,VL,H)
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Dimensioning Configuration
Fig. 4 Traffic and Signalling Channel Dimensioning Optimisation with
Fixed Voice Intensity
When data loads are fixed, increases in voice intensity
shift the minima towards systems with less signalling
capacity (see (M,VL,L) and (H,VL,L) in Fig. 5), with an
overall increase in the cost factor for all dimensions.
Increasing SMS demand has a similar effect to that
described for Fig. 4; increases in SMS loads only incur a
significant increase in C for systems with small signalling
dimensions (i.e. configuration 1 and 2).
 investigate the optimal dimensioning of the finite physical
2.5
resource which is allocated across multiple logical
L,VL,L
2 L,L,L
channels with multiple traffic types (for example SMS,
L,H,L GPRS packet data and packet control traffic). The
M,VL,L network is modelled using simulation models for paging,
Cost Factor

1.5
M,L,L signalling and traffic channels and based on a first come
H,VL,L
1 first served regime for voice and data traffic. A simple
optimisation problem is developed to minimise the overall
0.5 voice blocking probability and probability of delay for
SMS and packet data traffic.
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
It was found that a global minimum in the cost function
Dimensioning Configuration can be achieved. Signalling channels are a natural
bottleneck. As voice calls utilise both signalling and
Fig. 5 Traffic and Signalling Channel Dimensioning Optimisation with
Fixed GPRS Data Intensity traffic channels an increase in voice call intensity causes
an overall increase in the cost factor with a shift in
minima towards systems with less signalling capacity.
Table V Dimensioning Configuration of Minimum Cost Factor
Therefore, a voice call imposes a greater demand on
Traffic Intensities (Voice, SMS, Dimensioning Configuration of traffic channel capacity than signalling capacity. This
GPRS) Minimum Cost Factor
L, VL, L 3 causes systems with large voice loads to require smaller
L, VL, M 3 signalling dimensions to account for excessive traffic
L, L, L 3 channel congestion compared to signalling channel
L, L, M 3 congestion. GPRS data utilises only traffic channels and
L, M, H 3
L, H, L 3 so increasing GPRS data loads increases the overall cost
M, VL, L 3 factor particularly for systems with less traffic capacity.
M, VL, M 3 Two areas of future research are the division of
M, VL, H 1 signalling dimensions into different types of signalling
M, L, L 3
M, L, M 3 capacity and the application of human factors in refining
M, M, M 3 the cost factor. Different signalling dimensions include
H, VL, L 1 Common Control Channels for paging etc., Packet
H, VL, H 1 Common Control Channels for GPRS paging and
signalling and SDCCH channels for dedicated signalling.
Table V shows the dimensioning configuration that yields In determining the cost factor, further investigation could
the minimum cost factor for each arrival intensity (load) determine from a user perspective the relative importance
combination. Interestingly the combination of higher placed on the delay or blocking of the different traffic
voice and data demand with very low SMS demand types.
requires the lowest dimensioning configuration. This is
because the traffic channel capacity is causing the cost
factor to rise more rapidly than signalling capacity and so ACKNOWLEDGMENT
there is a requirement to change the balance of capacity in The authors acknowledge Telstra for permission to
favour of traffic channel capacity. Compare for example publish this paper.
(H,VL,H) and (L,VL,L) remembering that these scenarios
may not have the same value of C. With lower data and
voice traffic the SMS demand is now making an impact REFERENCES
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VII. CONCLUSIONS ITC-18, Berlin 2003
This paper presents a joint traffic and signalling
capacity analysis of GSM/GPRS with the objective to