GSM Originating Call Flow

A Mobile User calling a Land Line Subscriber.

1. MS after dialing a number & pressing SEND key, sends Channel Request(Chan_Req) message on
RACH to ask for a signalingchannel (Radio Resources). [RACH - Random Access channel]

2. The BSC allocates a Traffic Channel(TCH) using AGCH. TCH allocation assigns a specific
Frequency & a Timeslot on that frequency. [AGCH - Access Grant Channel]

3. The MS sends a call setup request through SDCCH, to the MSC/VLR. [SDCCH - slow dedicated
control channel]. Over SDCCH, all signaling takes place. This includes: marking the MS status as active in the VLR 4. Then comes Authentication Procedure which includes Ciphering (The channel is ciphered so as to protect the call), Equipment Identification, etc. 5. The MSC/VLR instructs the BSC to allocate an Idle TCH (this message contains the dialed digits and other information needed for call establishment). The BTS and MS are told to tune to the TCH. 6. The MSC allocates a voice circuit on one the digital trunks between the MSC and the BSS. 7. MSC informs the BSS about the allocated voice circuit. The call is also switched from signaling to voice. 8. The BSS notifies the Mobile about the changeover to voice mode. 9. The MSC routes the call and sends the call towards the called subscriber. 10. The PSTN indicates to the MSC that it has received all the digits and the called subscriber is being rung. 11. The MSC informs the mobile that the called subscriber is being alerted via a ring. 12. The called subscriber answers the call. There are various control channels involved in setting up of a voice call in a GSM network. On Broadcast Channels system information and various parameters along with synchronization and frequency correction information is transmitted. Common Control Channels are used for informing the mobile or the GSM network about a service(voice, data, SMS) initiation and Dedicated Control Channels are used for call setup, authentication, location updating and SMS. A mobile is informed on a paging channel(PCH) that it has a call or SMS, to which the mobile station responds with a Random Access Channel (RACH) request. The mobile station is notified on an Access Grant Channel (AGCH) that it may tune to a specific Stand-alone dedicated control channel (SDCCH) which is called Immediate Assignment. The user is authenticated and ciphering commands are received on this channel. After successful authentication the mobile station is requested to tune to an assigned traffic channel(TCH). This process is called TCH assignment. Then the user starts to move from one cell to another and the process of smooth transitioning of call from one cell to the other is called a handover. While on the SDCCH or TCH a call may get dropped which is accounted to SDCCH drop or TCH drop respectively.