GSM Network Overview

GSM Services

Tele Services:

Bearer Services:

Telephony (13 kbps) and emergency calls Fax Short message service
Data 300 9600 kbps

Supplementary Services:

Call Barring Call Forwarding Call waiting, hold and transfer Multiparty Line Identity

Frequency Spectrum

GSM 900 890 915 MHz uplink (MS -> BS) or Reverse Channel. 935 960 MHz downlink (BS -> MS) or Forward Channel. E-GSM 10 MHz 880 915 MHz uplink (MS -> BS) or Reverse Channel. 925 960 MHz downlink (BS -> MS) or Forward Channel. PCN/DCS/GSM-1800 1710 1785 MHz uplink 1805 1880 MHz downlink

ARFCN

UL and DL Frequencies

Speech Multiframe Structure

GSM Air Interface Specification

Network Overview

Access Network

Core Network Switching

Mobile Station Base Transceiver Station Base Station Controller Base Station Subsystem (BTS + BSC)
Mobile Switching Centre Gateway MSC

Core Network Mobility And Service Control

Maintenance And Management Control

Visitor Location Register Home Location Register Authentication Centre Equipment Identity Register

Network Management Centre Operation and Management Centre

Network Architecture

Architecture and Interfaces

Network Architecture

The Access Network

Consist of Mobile and BSS. BSS primary role to control the radio link with the MS. BSS Consists:

BTS define cell and handles the radio-link protocols. BSC and BTS communicate Abis interface. BSC manages the radio resources such as radio-channel setup and handovers. BSC hardware may be located same site as BTS or elsewhere.

Contd.

The Core Network Switching

MSC similar normal switching node but additional functions are:

Location updating Authentication Registration Handovers Call Routing

GMSC provides interface to external networks. Responsible for fetching location information. GMSC support MSC if network require more capacity.

Contd.

The Core Network Mobility and Service Control

HLR contains the service subscription. Stores the current location of user. VLR contains subset of the information. VLR and MSC are physically integrated. Authentication centre stores the authentication algorithm.

Public Land Mobile Network

PSTN is collection of MSC areas. MSC interfaces between fixed networks and PLMN. PLMNs may be interconnected through the ISDN/PSTN and PDNs.

PLMN

Mobile Station

Terminal Equipment. Terminal Adaptor Signal adoption. Mobile Equipment Contains transceiver signal processing, speech transcoder. Subscriber Identity Module Provides user identity, authentication, system and user data.

SIM Card

International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number. Mobile Service ISDN (MSISDN) number used to identify the subscriber to the system. Secret Key (Ki). Algorithms A3 to calculate the response to the network challenge. A5 the actual encryption. A8 generates the encryption key used for authentication. Four Digit PIN number which is stored on the card. Location area identifier (LAI). Accumulated call charges and Remaining call allocation.

Base Transceiver Station

BTS provides:

Single transceiver support eight radio channel. BTS can handle between 1 and 16 radio carriers. Carrying between 7 and around 115 simultaneously conversation.

Radio Transceiver Signal Processing Ciphering

Key Components of BTS

Functions of BTS

Each BTS transmits BCCH channel on one TRX with constant output. Encodes, and corrects, multiplexes, interleaves, modulates and feeds the RF signal to antenna. Ciphering and De-ciphering. Time and frequency synchronizes signals transmitted from the BTS. Random access detection. Timing advance. Uplink radio channel measurement. Frequency hopping.

Base Station Controller

Monitors and controls several base station between 10 to 100. Concerned frequency administration and exchange function. Assign and releases frequencies and time slots. Handover operation and reallocates frequencies to BTSs. Interface between BSC and MSC is standardized SS7 interface.

MSC and GMSC

Similar to exchange in a fixed network. Difference MSC has to cope with the mobility of the users. MSC functions are:

Management of handover. Billing Subscribers. Echo cancellation. Paging. Location registration.

Variable Location Register

Database of mobile users. Data contained in HLR and VLR are same. Data stored in VLR:

The IMSI, MSISDN, MSRN, TMSI. Location area (LA) of MS. ID of the MSC. Authentication key, query and response obtained from the AuC.

Home Location Register

Mobile subscriber information

Temporary data is also stored

IMSI. Call Divert settings. Subscription basis. Authentication Key The subscribers permitted supplementary services.
The current location area. The mobile station roaming number. The address of the current visitor location register.

Equipment Identity Register

Responsible for tracking mobile terminals. Each mobile phone equipped with an unambiguous identification code (IMEI). EIR internally consists of three databases:

The WHITE LIST contains all certified mobile equipment that may be used in a network operators PLMN. The BLACK LIST contains all mobile that shall be barred because f theft or technical problems. The GREY LIST for mobiles with faulty software, that are dropping an excessive number of calls or seem to have odd usage.

International Mobile Equipment Identifier

IMEI is a unique 15 digit code. The IMEI can be displayed on most phones by dialing the code *#06#. Usually printed on the compliance plate under the battery. IMEI code is divided into four section e.g. 490520 30 123456 0:

TAC Type Approval Country 490520 FAC Final Assembly Code 30 SNR Serial Number 123456 SP Spare 0 usually this digit is zero.

Burst Structure of TDMA Slot

GSM have five different Burst structure

Normal Burst Synchronization Burst Frequency Correction Burst Access Burst Dummy Burst

Normal Burst

Almost every kind of data transmission. Normal burst contain 114 bit of useful data. Tail bits at the start and the end of data are used as guard time. Stealing flag used to indicate special signaling data than the normal burst traffic e.g. in Handover.

Contd.

Uses of Training sequence:

Training sequence is placed in the middle of data. Because channel condition change very rapidly, so we can protect our data easily. Guard period protects messages from overlapping into adjacent time slots.

Mobile synchronize their receivers with the base station. Used to compensate for multipath fading by the help of equalizer. Equalizer detects the impulse response of the transmission channel. Equalizer can compensate for timing delays up to 16 usec.

Synchronization Burst

Tail and Guard bit are used for same purpose as Normal burst. Coded data contains information such as TDMA frame number. Training sequence contains information about the base station number. Synchronization burst appears with synchronization channel SCH.

Frequency Correction Burst

Enables the mobile to synchronize its frequency with the master frequency. Base station transmits fixed sequence of zeroes within time slot. GMSK modulator to produce sine wave of fixed frequency, which is exactly 67.7 kHz. This constant transmission frequency allows an MS to lock on to the BCCH frequency. Frequency correction burst appears on frequency correction channel. Synhronization channel always follows the frequency correction channel.

Random Access Burst

When first switched on, mobile needs to orientate itself within the network. Mobile firstly synchronizes itself in frequency. Then synchronizes itself in time using the synchronization burst. Burst is only 88 bits and there are 68.25 guard bits at the end of burst. If mobile is far away 37 Km radius, then random access burst will not interfere or overlap with adjacent slots.

Dummy Burst

Dummy burst are sent out from the base station on the base channel. In order to fill idle time slots on this channel. So base channel power density broadcast higher than that all other frequency. This enables mobile station to detect the base channel, when first switched on. The dummy burst is coded with pseudorandom bit sequence to prevent accidental confusion with frequency correction burst.

Logical Channels

Logical channels are really just structures of data or signaling information. Which are in certain forms and be presented in certain order onto the physical channel. Ten general logic channels. That can be mapped onto physical channel in seven combination. Two types:

Traffic channels, used for speech or data. Control channels, used for managing the network.

Logical Channels

Traffic Channels

Full rate speech traffic channel (TCH/F)

Carries raw speech at 13 kbps. Which is encoded and operates at a gross rate of 22.8 kbps. Can be used to double the capacity of the system. By compressing speech by factor of two and operates at gross rate of 11.4 kbps.

Half rate speech traffic channel (TCH/H)

Control/Signaling Channels

Broadcast Channels

Transmitted only by the base station, Downlink only. Enable the mobile station to synchronize with the network. Obtain key information to facilitate communication.

Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH)

Provides the mobile with the reference frequency and is mapped onto frequency correction burst. When mobile first switched on, enables to lock on the broadcast channel frequency on BCCH and SCH.

Contd.

Synchronization Channel (SCH)

Channel is mapped onto the synchronization burst. Carries the Base Station Identity Code (BSIC) plus current Frame Number (FN) of BTS. Absolute value of the FM is not transmitted, but the relative position of an FN in the frame hierarchy. FN is sent as a combination of the parameters T1, T2 and T3. BSIC does not uniquely identify single BTS. BSIC consist:

Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)

3 bit long network color code (NCC). 3 bit long base station color code (BCC).

Gives the mobile to identify and gain access to the network e.g.
Location area code. The radio frequency channels. RF Channel number for allocation. The hopping sequence.

GSM Frame Hierarchy

Common Control Channels

Used to carry signaling information for access management and call setup. Random Access Channel (RACH)

Random access burst is mapped on this channel. This uplink channel is used by the mobile to request dedicated channel on the network. The channel operates on slotted ALOHA protocol. Answered is not received within specific time, mobile assumes collision has occurred and repeat the request. Analysis shows that if load on the RACH exceeds 35% so many collision occurs. System can control make a group is called an ACCESS LIST.

Contd.

Paging Channel (PCH)

Access Grant Channel (AGCH)

This downlink channel is used by the base station to call the mobile when an incoming call has arrived. This channel is mapped to normal burst. MS responds to paging call with the RACH. Once allocated channel (frequency and time slot) the MS sends message like I am MS qqqq you paged me. BSC does not immediately reserve a channel when paging request is sent as it does not know which cell within LA contains the MS.
This downlink is used by the base station to inform the mobile on which channel it should transmit. Channel also contains the timing advance information and response to the random access channel message. This channel is mapped to normal burst.

Dedicated Control Channels

Used for general message transfer between the mobile station and vice versa. Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)

Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH)

Bi-Directional channel used for mobile registration, location update and authentication. Bi- Directional channel. In the downlink the base station to inform the mobile of the latest system changes. In the uplink direction the mobile informs the base station about power measurements made on the neighboring cells. This channel always used in association with an SDCCH or a traffic Channel. The word slow is used because the data rate is low as SACCH is sent only once in every 26 frames.

Contd.

Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH)

Bi- Directional channel is used to replace traffic channel when some heavy duty signaling, such as handover is needed. This channel is used to transmit long signaling messages. To replace the traffic channel with this channel the sealing flags on the traffic channel are set. The word fast is used because a higher data rate is used than SACCH.

Logical Channel Combinations

Seven possible combinations

1) TCH/F+FACCH/F+SACCH/F 2) TCH/H(0,1)+FACCH/H(0,1)+SACCH/H(0,1) 3) TCH/H(0)+FACCH/H(0)+SACCH/H(0)+TCH/H(1) +FACCH/H(1)+SACCH/H(1) 4) FCCH+SCH+CCCH+BCCH 5) FCCH+SCH+CCCH+BCCH+SDCCH/4+SACCH/4 6) CCCH+BCCH 7) SDCCH/8+SACCH/8

Combinations Based on Cell Utilization

Low Capacity Cell With 1 TRX

Medium Capacity Cell With 4 TRXs

TN 0: FCCH+SCH+BCCH+CCCH+SDCCH/4 +SACCH/4 TN 1-7: TCH/F+FACCH/F+SACCH/F

TN 0: FCCH+SCH+BCCH+CCCH TN 2+4: SDCCH/8+SACCH/8 29 TNs: TCH/F+FACCH/F+SACCH/F TN 0: FCCH+SCH+BCCH+CCCH TN 2+4+6: BCCH+CCCH 5 TNs: SDCCH/8+SACCH/8 87 TNs: TCH/F+FACCH/F+SACCH/F

High Capacity Cell With 12 TRXs