GSM - Overview - Wcom

10/12/2014 WCOM : PROF.
POORNIMA TALWAI
GSM - OVERVIEW
COURSE: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
(ELECTIVE)
AUG 2014
10/12/2014 WCOM : PROF.POORNIMA TALWAI
Outline

GSM FEATURES & SERVICES
GSM BANDS
GSM ARCHITECTURE
FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS SUB SYSTEMS
DATABASES
SECURITY IN GSM
ROAMING IN GSM

GSM
GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE
COMMUNICATION

GSM is a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)
Several providers setup mobile networks
following the GSM standard within each
country

Features

Mobile and wireless Communication
Support for voice and data services
Total mobility
International access, chip-card enables
use of access points of different providers
Worldwide connectivity
One number, the network handles
localization
Features
High capacity
High transmission quality
High audio quality and reliability for wireless,
uninterrupted phone calls at higher speeds
(e.g., from cars, trains)
Security functions
Access control, authentication via chip-card
and PIN

The GSM Bands

Services

Teleservices (TS)
Telephony, emergency calls, voice
messaging
Bearer services (BS)
SMS and cell broadcast, 9.6kbit/s
Supplementary Services (SS)

Supplementary Service (SS)

Advice of charge
Barring outgoing call, International calls, roaming calls
Call forwarding under various conditions
Call hold
Call waiting
Call transfer to a third party
Completion of calls to busy subscribers notify the caller when
the caller is free
Closed user group ---- only among themselves
Caller ID and restrictions
Free phone service (just like 800 numbers)
Malicious call identification
Three-party conference calls

Multiple Access

FDMA/TDMA/FDD
GSM 900 uses 50 MHz in two 25 MHz bands
for up and down links.
Provides a maximum 125 carriers at 200
kHz spacing in each band.

GSM-1800 uses two 75 MHz bands with a
maximum of 375 carriers at 200 kHz spacing.
Each carrier is divided into 8 TDMA
channels.

Number of channels in GSM
Freq. Carrier: 200 kHz
TDMA: 8 time slots per freq carrier

No. of carriers = 25 MHz / 200 kHz = 125
Max no. of user channels = 125 * 8 =
1000

Considering guard bands = 124 * 8 = 992
channels

Air Interface: MS to BTS
Uplink/Downlink of 25MHz
890 -915 MHz for Up link
935 - 960 MHz for Down link
Combination of frequency division and
time division multiplexing
FDMA
124 channels of 200 kHz
TDMA
Burst
Modulation used
Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK)
GSM ARCHITECTURE
Interfaces: Abis , A , Um

GSM COMPONENTS
RADIO SUB SYSTEM(RSS)
MS + BSS
BASE STATION SUB SYSTEM(BSS)
BTS + BSC

NETWORK SWITCHING SUB SYSTEM(NSS)
MSC+GMSC+HLR+VLR

OPERATION & SUPPORT SUB SYSTEM(OSS)
AUC+ EIR ;OMC and NMC

MOBILE STATION (MS)
Terminal for the use of GSM services
Comprises several functional groups
ME (Mobile Equipment)
TE (Terminal Equipment)
SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)
ME : Performs: radio transmission and
reception, authentication, handoff,
encoding and channel encoding
: Identified by IMEI

Mobile Station (MS)
Mobile Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
Removable plastic card
Stores Network Specific Data such as list of carrier
frequencies and current LAI.
Stores International Mobile Subscriber Identity
(IMSI) + ISDN
Stores Personal Identification Number (PIN) &
Authentication Keys.
Also stores short messages, charging information,
telephone book etc.
Allows separation of user mobility from equipment
mobility

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

User authenticated via a Personal Identity
Number (PIN)
Unlock by a PIN unlocking key (PUK)
Some which is fixed by operator (may include
preferred network provider(s))
Some which is changeable by the user (list of short
numbers, phone list, SMS messages, )
Contains subscriber information:
Contains International Mobile Subscriber
Identity (IMSI)

SIM .(2)
Subscriber Identity Module Card (SIM
card) Stores these info:
IMSI
Authentication Key
Subscriber information
Access control class
Cipher key
Additional GSM services
Location Area Identity
Forbidden PLMN
Identities of mobile station
Mobile station has three identities

International Mobile Subscriber Identity
(IMSI)
International Mobile Equipment Identity
(IMEI)
Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI)

Identities of Mobile Station : IMEI

International Mobile Equipment Identity
(*#06#)
IMEI uniquely identifies the MS equipment
It is assigned by the equipment
manufacturer
It contains 15 digits
Type Approval Code (ATC) - 6 digits
Final Assembly Code (FAC) 2 digits
Serial Number (SNR) 6 digits
Spare (SP) 1 digit

Identities of mobile station: IMSI
International Mobile Subscriber Identity
IMSI is assigned to an MS at subscription time
It uniquely identifies a given MS
It contains 15 digits
Mobile Country Code (MCC) 3 digits (home
country)
Mobile Network Code (MNC) 2 digits (home GSM
PLMN)
Mobile Subscriber Identification (MSIN)
National Mobile Subscriber Identity (NMSI)
For example 262 02 454 275 1010

Identities of mobile station: TMSI
Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity : TMSI
it is assigned to MS by the Visitor Location
Register (VLR)
It uniquely identifies an MS within the area
controlled by a given VLR
A maximum of 32 bits can be used for TMSI

OTHER GSM IDENTIFIERS

MSRN : Mobile station roaming number
MSISDN :Mobile subscriber ISDN Number
LAI : LOCATION AREA IDENTIFIERS
CI : CELL IDENTIFIERS

LAI + CI IS GLOBAL CELL IDENTITY
MSISDN
real telephone number of a MS
It is stored centrally in the HLR
MS can have several MSISDNs depending
on SIM
It follows international ISDN numbering
plan
Country Code (CC): upto 3 decimal places
National Destination Code (NDC): 2-3 decimal
places
Subscriber Number (SN) : maximal 10 decimal
places
MSISDN = CC + NDC + SN

MSRN
Mobile Station Roaming Number
Temporary location-dependent on ISDN
number
Calls are routed to MS by using MSRN
Is assigned by locally responsible VLR to each
MS in its area
Is done either at each registration or when HLR
requests it for setting up a connection for incoming call
Is done in such a way that current MSC can be
determined from it
Structure same as that of MSISDN

GSM ARCHITECTURE
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

The BSS consists of BTSs and BSCs
Base Transreceiver Station (BTS)
responsible for communication with the MS
responsible for radio transmission and reception
includes antennas, modems, signal processing
Base Station Controller (BSC)
responsible for radio interface management of BTS
and MS, i.e.channel management and handovers
responsible for communication with the NSS
a single BSC typically manages 10-20 BTSs

Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

BTS (Base Transceiver Station)
Performs channel coding/decoding and
encryption/decryption
Includes radio transmitters and receivers,
antennas
BSC (Base Station Controller)
Manages radio resources
Call maintenance using the received
signal strength sent by mobile stations
normally

Network and Switching Subsystem (
NSS)

NSS contains the switching functions of
GSM, as well as databases for mobility
management
NSS contains
Mobile Switching Centre (MSC)
Gateway MSC (GMSC)
Home Location Register (HLR) - co-
located with GMSC
Visitor Location Register (VLR) - co-
located with MSC/GMSC

Network and Switching Subsystem
(NSS)

Perform functions such as call setup, paging,
resource allocation, location registration,
encryption, interfacing with other networks,
handoff control, billing, synchronization, echo
canceling and interface with external networks.
Consist of 4 elements
MSC, HLR, VLR, AUC and EIR
MSC is the processor, the others are database
units.

Network and Switching Subsystem (
NSS)

Signalling between MSC, GMSC,
HLR, VLR via SS7 signalling
network, using specifically the
mobile application part (MAP) of
Signalling System No 7 (SS7)

MSC
Mobile Switching Centre (MSC)
coordinates setup of calls to and
from GSM users
controls several BSCs

Functions of a MSC

Management of network resources
Interworking functions via Gateway MSC
(GMSC)
Integration of several databases
Specific functions for paging and call forwarding
Termination of SS7 (signaling system no. 7)
Mobility specific signaling: Location registration
and
forwarding of location information
Support of short message service (SMS)
Generation and forwarding of accounting and
billing information

Gateway MSC (GMSC)

gateway to external network
incoming call is routed to GMSC,
which then determines MS location
GMSC function is often in the
same machine as the MSC

DATA BASE
Registers
HLR - Home Location Register
VLR - Visitor Location Register
AUC - Authentication Center
EIR - Equipment Identity
Register

Home Location Register (HLR)

HLR contains a list of subscribers belonging to
one or more MSC areas.
Permanent subscriber data including IMSI, MSISDN,
roaming restriction, permitted
supplementary services and authentication key.
Temporary subscriber data consist of MSRN,
data related to encryption, VLR address, MSC
address and roaming restriction.
HLR is usually centralized within a network.

Visitor Location Register (VLR)

Similar to HLR but for visitors
When a roamer appears, his HLR
data is transferred to the local VLR.
VLR is usually co-located with
MSC.

Authentication Center (AuC)

Protected database which has a
copy of the secret key stored in
each subscribers SIM card
This secret key is used for
authentication and encryption over
the radio channel

Performs authentication function for each
subscriber within the system.
A key Ki kept in SIM and AuC. This key
is never transmitted over air.
Authenticate by using a random
challenge.
Vulnerability is present when encrypted
authentication keys must be transmitted
from HLR to VLR.

Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

Contains a list of all valid mobile station
equipments within the network ,identified by their
IMEI

Records the IMEI of all subscribers in three lists.
White list ---- all known Good & clean equipment
Black list ---- bad or stolen equipment
Gray list ---- equipment with minor problems

Operational & Maintenance
Subsystem

Manages the GSM functional blocks: MSC,
BSC (and indirectly the BTSs)
Maintains satisfactory operation of the GSM
network based on observing system load,
blocking rates, handoffs
Service management
Subscription management for registering
new subscriptions, modifying and removing
subscriptions,as well as billing information

Operational & Maintenance
Subsystem

Responsibility
The OMS is responsible for handling system
security based on validation of identities of
various telecommunication entities.
Performed by
Authentication Center (AUC):
Equipment Identity Register (EIR):
In charge of remote operation and
maintenance of PLMN.

Operational and Maintenance Center (OMC)
The functional entity through which the
service provider monitors and controls

Operation and Support Subsystem
(OSS)

OSS consists of two entities not fully specified
in GSM. They are
Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
Network Management Center (NMC)
Performs alarm handling, fault management,
performance management, configuration
management, traffic data acquisition, activate and
deactivate functions, and long term planning.
Normally centralized in a network.
Implementation of these functions are operator
specific.

GSM roaming
VLR registers users roaming in its area
Recognizes mobile station is from another
PLMN
If roaming is allowed, VLR finds the mobiles
HLR in its home PLMN
VLR constructs a global title from IMSI to allow
signaling from VLR to mobiles HLR via public
telephone network
VLR generates a mobile subscriber roaming
number (MSRN) used to route incoming calls
to mobile station
MSRN is sent to mobiles HLR

GSM roaming
VLR contains
MSRN
TMSI
Location area where mobile station has
registered
Info for supplementary services (if any)
IMSI
HLR or global title
Local identity for mobile station (if any)

GSM Summary

Uplink frequencies 890-915 MHz
Downlink frequencies 935-960 MHz
Total GSM bandwidth 25 MHz up + 25 MHz down
Channel bandwidth 200 kHz
Number of RF carriers 124
Multiple access TDMA
Users/carrier 8
Number of simul. users 992
Speech coding rate 13 kb/s
FEC coded speech rate 22.8 kb/s
GSM 900 and GSM 1800
GSM 900 GSM 1800
Frequency band 890-915 MHz
935-960 MHz
1710-1785 MHz
1805-1880 MHz
Border spacing 25 MHz 75 MHz
Duplex spacing 45 MHz 95 MHz
Carrier spacing 200 kHz 200 kHz
Carriers 124 374
Timeslots per carrier 8 8
Multiple access TDMA/FDMA TDMA/FDMA
Typical cell range <300m 35 km <100m 15 km
Handset Power 0.8 & 8 W 0.25 & 1 W
Contd. In next class !!!
BYE..

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10/12/2014 WCOM : PROF.

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