Introduction to GSM

(Global system for MobileCommunications)

Architecture for GSM

Registration Message Flow

-- Inter-VLR Movement
HLR
7
VLR1
MSC1
LA1

MSC2
LA2

3
2

5
VLR2
1 6

Mobile terminated call in the visiting

network

Basic Features Provided by GSM

Call Waiting
- Notification of an incoming call while on the handset

Call Hold
- Put a caller on hold to take another call

Call Barring
- All calls, outgoing calls, or incoming calls

Call Forwarding
- Calls can be sent to various numbers defined by the user

Multi Party Call Conferencing

- Link multiple calls together

Advanced Features Provided by

GSM
Calling Line ID
- incoming telephone number displayed

Alternate Line Service

- one for personal calls
- one for business calls

Closed User Group

- call by dialing last for numbers

Advice of Charge
- tally of actual costs of phone calls

Fax & Data

- Virtual Office / Professional Office

Roaming
- services and features can follow customer from market to market

Advantages of GSM

Crisper, cleaner quieter calls

Security against fraud and eavesdropping
International roaming capability in over 100 countries
Improved battery life
Efficient network design for less expensive system expansion
Efficient use of spectrum
Advanced features such as short messaging and caller ID
A wide variety of handsets and accessories
High stability mobile fax and data at up to 9600 baud
Ease of use with over the air activation, and all account
information is held in a smart card which can be moved from
handset to handset

Air Interface

Air Interface
Radio Transmission Techniques
FDMA
TDMA
CDMA

Channels
Physical channels
Logical channels

FDMA
Frequency

Channel

Time

TDMA
Time Slot

Frequency
Channel

Time

Divison of spectrum into GSM

carrier

CDMA
Frequency

Code

Time
Code 1
Code 2
Code 3

Channels
Physical Channels
Associated with frequency bands, time slots, codes
Physical channels transfer bits from one network
element to another

Logical Channels
Distinguished by the nature of carried information
and the way to assemble bits into data units
Three types
one-to-one: traffic channels between a BTS and a MS
one-to-many: synchronization signals from BTS to MSs in a
cell
many-to-one: from MSs to the same BTS

Air Interface Layers

Messages

Layer 3
Messages

Messages

Logical
Channels

Layer 2
Packets

Logical
Channels

Radio
Transmission
Terminal

Layer 1
Bits

Radio
Transmission
Base
Station

GSM Frame Structure

Superframe
6.12 sec

...

51 Multiframe

120 msec

...

26 Frames

4.615 msec

Coded data Midamble

0.57692 msec
3
57
1
26
1
156.25 bits
Tail bit
Stealing Flag

8 Multiframe

57

3 8.25
Guard period

Frame Types
There are two types of multiframe
26 TDMA-frame multiframe is used to
carry TCH, SACCH and FACCH
51 TDMA-frame multiframe is used to
carry BCCH, CCH, SDCCH and SACCH

Burst and Frames

The information contained in one time
slot on the TDMA frame is call a burst.
Five types of burst
Normal Burst (NB)
Frequency Correction Burst (FB)
Synchronization Burst (SB)
Access Burst (AB)
Dummy Burst

Logical Channel List

TCH/F: Full-rate Traffic Channel

Traffic
channels
(TCH)

Two-way

TCH/H: Half-rate Traffic Channel

FCCH: Frequency correction
BCH

SCH: Synchronization
BCCH: Broadcast control

Signaling
CCCH
channel

PCH: Paging

Base-tomobile

AGCH: Access grant

RACH: Random access
SDCCH: Stand-alone dedicated control

DCCH

SACCH: Slow associated control

FACCH: Fast associated control

Two-way

Logical Channels
Control Channels
Broadcast Channels (BCH)
Common Control Channels (CCCH)
Dedicated Control Channels (DCCH)

Traffic Channels (TCH)

Full Rate (TCH/F)
Half Rate (TCH/H)

UP / Down-Link
Down-link: the transmission path from
Base Station to Mobile Station
Up-link: the transmission path from Mobile
Station to Base Station

Control Channels
Broadcast Channels (BCH)
Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH)
Synchronization Channel (SCH)
Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)

Common Control Channels (CCCH)

Paging Channel (PCH)
Random Access Channel (RACH)
Access Grant Channel (AGCH)

Dedicated Control Channels (DCCH)

Stand alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)

Cell Broadcast Channel (CBCH)
Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH)
Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH)

GPRS
(General packet radio service)

 Circuit switching
Dedicated communications path between two
stations
E.g., public telephone network

Packet switching
Message is broken into a series of packets
Each node determines next leg of
transmission for each packet

How Packet Switching Works

Data is transmitted in blocks, called packets
Before sending, the message is broken into a
series of packets
Typical packet length is 1000 octets (bytes)
Packets consists of a portion of data plus a packet
header that includes control information

At each node en route, packet is received,

stored briefly and passed to the next node

 Line efficiency is greater

Many packets over time can dynamically share the same
node to node link

Packet-switching networks can carry out data-rate

conversion
Two stations with different data rates can exchange
information

Unlike circuit-switching networks that block calls when

traffic is heavy, packet-switching still accepts packets,
but with increased delivery delay
Priorities can be used

Disadvantages of Packet Switching

Each packet switching node introduces a delay
Overall packet delay can vary substantially
This is referred to as jitter
Caused by differing packet sizes, routes taken and
varying delay in the switches

Each packet requires overhead information

Includes destination and sequencing information
Reduces communication capacity

More processing required at each node

Packetr Switching network

Datagram
Each packet treated independently, without
reference to previous packets
Each node chooses next node on packets path
Packets dont necessarily follow same route and
may arrive out of sequence
Exit node restores packets to original order
Responsibility of exit node or destination to
detect loss of packet and how to recover

 Advantages:
Call setup phase is avoided
Because its more primitive, its more flexible
Datagram delivery is more reliable

Packet Switching Networks-Virtual

Circuits
Preplanned route established before
packets sent
All packets between source and
destination follow this route
Routing decision not required by nodes for
each packet
Emulates a circuit in a circuit switching
network but is not a dedicated path
Packets still buffered at each node and
queued for output over a line

 Advantages:
Packets arrive in original order
Packets arrive correctly
Packets transmitted more rapidly without
routing decisions made at each node

USER FEATURES
3 TO 10 TIMES THE SPEED
The maximum speed of 171.2 kbps, available through GPRS, is nearly three times as fast as
the data transmission speeds of fixed telecommunications networks and ten times as fast as the
current GSM network services.
INSTANT CONNECTIONS IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF DATA
GPRS will allow for instant, continuous connections that will allow information and data to be
sent whenever and wherever it is needed.GPRS users are considered to be always connected, with
no dial-up needed.Immediacy is one of the advantages of GPRS (and SMS) when compared to
Circuit Switched Data.High immediacy is a very important feature for time critical applications such
as remote credit card authorization where it would be unacceptable to keep the customer waiting for
even thirty extra seconds. [23]
NEW AND BETTER APPLICATIONS
General Packet Radio Service offers many new applications that were never before available
to users because of the restrictions in speed and messaged length.Some of the new applications
that GPRS offers is the ability to perform web browsing and to transfer files from the office or home
and home automation, which is the ability to use and control in-home appliances.
SERVICE ACCESS
To use GPRS, the user will need:
A mobile phone or terminal that supports GPRS (existing GSM phones do not support GPRS)
A subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports GPRS use of GPRS must be enabled
for that user.Automatic access to the GPRS may be allowed by some mobile network operators,
others will require a specific opt-in
Knowledge of how to send and/or receive GPRS information using their specific model of mobile
phone, including software and hardware configuration (this creates a customer service requirement)
A destination to send or receive information through GPRS.(Whereas with SMS this was often
another mobile phone, in the case of GPRS, it is likely to be an Internet address, since GPRS is
designed to make the Internet fully available to mobile users for the first time.
Tremendously widening the limits and uses of mobile connections, GPRS users can access any
web page or other Internet applications. [23]


EDGE
(Enchanced Data Rates for Global
Evaluation)

EDGE : Enhanced Data for

GSM Evolution

GPRS

EDGE

Modulation

GMSK

8-PSK/GMSK

Symbol rate

270ksym/s

270ksym/s

Modulation bit rate

270kbs

810kbs

Radio data rate per time slot

22.8kbs

69.2kbs

User data rate per time slot

20kbs (CS4)

59.2kbs (MCS9)

User data rate (8 time slots)

160kbs

473.6kbs

Network implementation of EDGE

Technology

Radio Performances

Continuity of Service

EDGE status wordwide

 UMTS
(universal mobile telecommunication systems)

UMTS : Universal Mobile

Telecommunication System
Third Generation mobile telecoms 3G
to cope with increasing volumes of traffic
and new capacity-demanding apps such as video streaming & music
download

developed as a global standard to assure international roaming

though now unlikely to be universal e.g. USA, China may use different
standards

a development from GSM and CDMA also known as W-CDMA

auction of licenses for spectrum
for 2 or 3 paired 5MHz channels
Vodafone paid 5.96billion, BT (now Mmo2), One2One and Orange paid
4bn
all now regretting the amounts paid!

auctions also in other countries but beauty contests in some

extremely expensive to set up the new infrastructure needed

new handsets required to deal with new CDMA technology and

applications
dual purpose handsets have to be back-operable with GSM

3G UMTS
Contents
Why 3G
UMTS
Use of 3G at the moment

3G
Third Generation (3G)
We have looked at current and older technologies over
the last few weeks

TACS
GSM
GPRS
EDGE

3G is the currently widely available state of the art

technology

In terms of high speed data access over a cellular environment

The user can get access anywhere any time!

3G UMTS
The Dream (intention)
2G and 2.5G systems are incompatible around the
world

Although GSM is dominant there are still lots of other

technologies

Worldwide devices need to have multiple technologies

inside of them, i.e. tri-band phones, dual-mode phones

To develop a single standard that would be

accepted around the world

One device should be able to work anywhere !

Access to Information from Anyplace, Anytime

3G UMTS
The Dream (continued)
Worldwide positioning available

Able to pinpoint a device and direct services to it.

Mostly to be used for Push services

Increased data rate

Maximum 2048Kbps

Operational

in Europe by 2002
Japan 2001 (this was achieved)
Worldwide usage by 2005 (Did not happen)

3G UMTS

The reality

Different standards with some operators in difference countries and

the rest of the world

For example

In the US market forces dictate the adopted technologies in Europe this is

done by the EU with the agreement of the member states

In the future market forces may move towards a single standard

i.e. VHS and Betamax video tapes, currently being seen in the
new DVD standards
Difficulties
World wide identical available spectrum
Agreement on the encoding/decoding technique used
Local influence groups

Manufacturers who have invested in one technology

3G UMTS
Standard
The 3G standard was written by the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

The standard was referred to as IMT-2000

The key to the standards was the available data over the
air interface
2Mbps in fixed or in-building environments
384 kbps in pedestrian or urban environments
144 kbps in wide area mobile environments
Variable data rates in large geographic area systems
(satellite)

3G UMTS
Other parts of the standard

Frequency Spectrum
Technical Specification
Radio and Network components
Tariffs and Billing
Technical Assistance

3 Main technical implementations were agreed

UMTS - Europe
CDMA2000 - America
TD-SCDMA China

3G Standards
Added Confusion
Two specification groups create the standards within the ITU
specifications

3GPP

Developed the standards for the UMTS system which is built upon GSM

3GPP2

Developed the standards building upon the US CDMA networks,

specifically the CDMA-2000 standard

The Chinese group is referred to as

Chinese Academy of Telecommunications Technology
(CATT)

3G UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunication system
(UMTS)
UMTS

Builds upon the successful European GSM network

Incorporates the developments made for the GPRS and

EDGE networks

Five areas of standardisation

Radio
Core Network
Terminals
Services

3G UMTS
The core network
Asynchronous Transfer Method (ATM)

Has been defined as the core networking technology

ATM allows circuit switched transfer of data using packets.

High speed data transfer currently maximum 10 Gbps
Guarantee of quality of service for the duration of packet transfer
Small packets used called cells for the transfer of data to minimise the
impact on the routers, network and switches.

IPv6

Arguments are being pushed for the core network to allow IPv6
RFC3314, September 2002

This would allow packets to be transferred directly from the internet to

the device with no translation
IPv6 does contain QOS headers, which can be used with the correctly
configured hardware
All 3G devices could have a single IP address that would not need to
change

3G UMTS
UMTS
Full packet driven architecture

For voice and for data transmissions.

Packet based networks allow for an increased amount of
traffic on a medium.
The only time part of that medium is blocked is when a
device is transmitting or receiving.

Consider how often in your phone calls you actually say nothing
Natural pause between words
Taking a breath
Waiting for a response
Thinking of something to say

3G UMTS
Intended Data Rates
Actual data rates will be effected by

Interference (other devices, background, buildings)

Over use of the frequency
Weather!
Amount of other traffic
Base station / cell actually attached to
Speed you are moving at !

3G UMTS
Types of Cells and Base station to use them
Macro Cell

These cover a large area and will give slow access

144 Kbps max speed of 500 Km/h

Micro Cell

These should cover a medium area

384 Kbps max speed 120 Km/h

Pico Cell

Less than 100 metres

2 Mbps max speed of 10 Km/h

Difficult to predict
Actual distances and bandwidth depend on local conditions

3G UMTS
Types of Cells and Base station to use them
Cells will operate in a hierarchy overlaying each
other
Global
Satellite
Suburban
Urban
In-Building

Micro-Cell
Macro-Cell

Pico-Cell

3G UMTS
Consider
These data rates are in Mega Bits per Second and Kilo Bits

In terms of data rate the measure of a kilo bit is 1000 bits

Not the 1024 which is used for data storage

So

2 Mega Bits per Second = 244 Kilo Bytes per second (roughly)

3G UMTS Hierarchy of Cells

3G UMTS

Radio Interface

UMTS uses Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)

Also known as IMT-2000 Direct Spread

Extremely complex algorithms
Uses 10x the current 2G processing power!
Modulation is done with Quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK)

This encodes 2 bits with each change

Supports two modes of operation

Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)

Time Division Duplex (TDD)

3G UMTS
W-CDMA
Operates in the same manner as the CDMA used in the
US

CDMA allows multiple users to communicate at the same time

over the same frequency

Each of the devices is given a Chipping code this is known by

the device and the base station.
This chipping code is then used to identify the signal and allows
the BS to receive the signal
The chipping code is used to adjust the frequency of data
transferred during the transfer
The essential point of CDMA is the use of power control

3G UMTS
W-CDMA
Wideband CDMA operates the same but this takes
place over a wider area of frequency

UMTS uses 5MHz for the signal

CDMA (narrowband) uses 200 KHz
These communications are secure by the nature that
unless the chipping code is known, the sequence of the
data can not be known
Communications can take place as soon as the device is
ready and frequency reuse factor is now one

3G UMTS
W-CDMA
Frequency Reuse Factor

This is the distance which needs to be left between cells

As the same frequency is reused and the chipping code
which is used is change and unique to a BS
The frequency can be reused in adjoining cells
Temporary Base stations can be added to the
infrastructure if required, as long as the chipping code
was unique

3G UMTS
Power Control
If you consider a group of people speaking, Chinese,
English and Italian

If these all speak at the same volume you can then listen for the
parts which you understand.

If the English person starts talking louder than the rest, the all you
will hear is English
The other languages will be drowned out

CDMA Works on the same basis

One point of CDMA is the power control, so that the power sent out
is just enough to allow data transfer to take place.
As a side effect of this technology this controlling of the power
that the radio interface uses, also saves the battery on the
device

3G UMTS
W-CDMA
Infrastructure

3G UMTS
W-CDMA UTRAN
The core network for 3G will remain the same as
GSM

This is a purely cost issue, in the future the infrastructure

will be upgraded

GSM

UMTS

Mobile device/station (MS)

User Equipment (UE)

Base Station (BS)

Node-B

Base Station Controller (BSC)

Radio Network Controller (RNC)

3G UMTS
W-CDMA
UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

A device which wishes to communicate needs to request

access to the network

This is to prevent too many devices communicating at once

Although CDMA will theoretically allow a very large number
of user to communicate at once
What actually happens is the quality of the calls is
reduced considerably
This is a issue for voice but is a disaster for data calls

3G UMTS
W-CDMA
Handover

UMTS will use a soft handover technique

Node-B

GSM used a hard handover technique

In a handover the device is always attached to at least one BS

Node-B

Node-B

Node-B

Node-B

Node-B

3G UMTS - WCDMA
The technology which UMTS is based upon (WCDMA)
has some patented content
On this basis any manufacturer who builds a handset needs
to pay royalties to Qualcomm
On the 1st of October 2007 the European Community started
looking into this to investigate if Qualcomm was overcharging

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/01/business/cell.php
"If the other patent holders were to do as Qualcomm is doing,
royalties could raise the cost of WCDMA handsets considerably - thus
raising the prices to consumers.
In April 07 Nokia paid to Qualcomm $20 Million which they claimed
was 3% of the handset

This was rejected by Qualcomm and this is currently being negotiated

(http://www.qualcomm.com/press/releases/2007/070412_rejects_nokias_
20.html)

3G UMTS

3G UMTS was tested in the Isle of Man for Europe

The equipment was run and operated by O2

The license spectrum used on this island was given free by the government
The actual devices used were given to some of the islanders

The idea was to trial the equipment in a limited manner

Also they wanted to see if there was a pattern of usage for the technology i.e. the killer app
A single killer app, like SMS was for GSM, is unlikely

It is more likely a series of applications will be popular

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd/electronics/links/killer_applications_for_3g.asp

3G is now widely available

Most of the operators started to get the infrastructure working in 2004 and this is
continuing to cover the country
The devices to make use of the technology are also now widely available and the
cost is coming down.
PCMCIA cards are available for laptops to give data access

Japan

When we consider Japan for the killer app it was email!

3G bandwidth is not needed for email!

 Rules for Efficient Multiple Access

Three laws
Know the channel
Minimize interference to others
Mitigate interference received from others

Requirements of wireless multiple access

Channel measurement
Channel control and modification
Multiple user channel isolation

 What is Third Generation? [1]

Flexible support of multiple services

Voice
Messaging email, fax, etc.
Medium-rate multimedia Internet access, educational
High-rate multimedia file transfer, video
High-rate interactive multimedia video telecon-ferencing,
telemedicine, etc.

Mobility: quasi-stationary to high-speed platforms

Global roaming: ubiquitous, seamless coverage
Evolution from second generation systems

 W-CDMA Versus
cdma2000 [2]
Parameter

W-CDMA

cdma2000

Carrier spacing

5 MHz

3.75 MHz

Chip rate

4.096 MHz

3.6864 MHz

Data modulation

BPSK

FW QPSK; RV - BPSK

Spreading

Complex (OQPSK)

Complex (OQPSK)

Power control frequency

1500 Hz

800 Hz

Variable data rate implement.

Variable SF; multicode

Repet., puncturing, multicode

Frame duration

10 ms

20 ms (also 5, 30, 40)

Coding

Turbo and convolutional

Turbo and convolutional

Base stations synchronized?

Asynchronous

Synchronous

Base station acquisition/detect

3 step; slot, frame, code

Time shifted PN correlation

Forward link pilot

TDM dedicated pilot

CDM common pilot

Antenna beam forming

TDM dedicated pilot

Auxiliary pilot