Fundamentals of

Communications
GSM I
Modified from original by Prof. Ian Groves,
Kings College London

GSM I
Basic components of GSM
MS / SIM / ME / BTS / BSC
MSC / VLR / HLR / IN / AuC / EIN

Basic Processes of GSM

Handover
Paging
Location Updating
Incoming / Outgoing Call

Message flow sequences

GSM I

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Basic Components of GSM

AuC

HLR
BTS

other BSSs
BSC

BTS

Mobile
Services
Switching
Centre
(MSC)

BTS

MS including SIM

GSM I

MS:
SIM:
BTS:
BSC:
HLR:
VLR:
AuC:
IN:

VLR

IN

Fixed line
telephone
network

Mobile Station
Subscriber Identity Module
other MSCs
Base Transceiver Station
Base Station Controller
Home Location Register
Visited Location Register
Authentication Centre
Interrogating Node

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1. Mobile Station
MS is the physical equipment used by a
GSM subscriber (their mobile handset).
It comprises two parts:
a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) and
the Mobile Equipment (ME).

GSM I

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2. Subscriber Identity Module

(SIM) is a smart card which carries all the subscriber specific
information used by an MS. Major functions are to identify the
current user of an MS and to take part in security and confidentiality
procedures. It also stores recent location data and may also store
personal information for the user such as abbreviated dialling codes
(telephone directory). Specific functions include:
Permanent storage of a subscribers International Mobile
Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and Authentication key (Ki)
Semi permanent storage of system information e.g. current
Location Area Identity (LAI), encryption key Kc and lists of
preferred / forbidden GSM networks
Semi permanent storage of user data, telephone directory,
short messages
Participation in mobility procedures e.g. user authentication,
generation of ciphering key, instigation of location updates.
Protected by PIN

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3. Mobile Equipment
(ME) provides the radio and processing
needed to access the GSM network, plus a
man machine interface MMI to enable the user
to access services. Specific functions
radio transceiving and signal processing
radio related operations: power control; timing
advance; discontinuous transmission (DTX); slow
frequency hopping (SFH).
Call handling
man-machine interface, display, keypad,
speech transducers.
interfaces to external equipment e.g. laptops /
palmtops

GSM I

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4. Base Transceiver Station

(BTS) provides GSM radio coverage within a
cell. It comprises radio transmitting and
receiving equipment (including antennas) and
associated signal processing. A sophisticated
radio modem. Specific functions include:
antennas (with diversity)
radio transceiving and signal processing
sending TDMA timing advance instructions to MS

implementation of radio related operations:

slow frequency hopping (SFH); discontinuous
transmission (DTX); ciphering and power
control.
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5. Base Station Controller

(BSC) is a small switch with enhanced
processing capability. It acts as a local
concentrator of traffic and provides local
switching to effect handover between a number
of BTSs. It manages the radio channel and
undertakes control of a variety of radio related
procedures ensuring that reliable radio links are
maintained. Its responsibilities include:

co-ordination and control of a number of BTSs

traffic concentration
low level switching operations
network management interface to all radio elements

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5. Base Station Controller 2

radio channel management
handover between BTSs within its domain
scheduling of paging request
passing system information e.g. LAI (Location Area
Identity) to BTSs for onward transmission
queuing
control of radio related operations: slow frequency
hopping (SFH); discontinuous transmission (DTX);
ciphering and power control
service transcoding, changing air interface
rates to network rates e.g. converting speech
from 13 kbit/s to 64 kbit/s

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6. Mobile Switching Centre

(MSC) is an ISDN switch with (significantly)
enhanced processing capability. An MSC will parent a
number of BSCs. Responsible for call handling of the
mobile subscribers within its domain; this includes
generating call charging records (for billing). Specific
responsibilities of the MSC include:

call control
generation of call records
supplementary service execution
inter BSC and inter MSC handover

Whilst they are identified as distinct entities within

the specifications, the Mobile-services Switching
Centre and Visitor Location Register (VLR) are
invariably implemented as a single MSC/VLR unit.

GSM I

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7. Visitor Location Register

(VLR) is an intelligent database and service control
function. It stores (on a temporary basis) the information
needed to handle calls set up or received by MSs registered
with it and controls certain services (primarily those
associated with outgoing calls). This includes their
International Mobile Subscriber Identities (IMSI), current
Location Area Identities (LAIs) and supplementary service
entitlements. Responsibilities of the VLR include:
executing supplementary service programs (outgoing calls
barred)
initiating authentication and ciphering
initiating paging
mapping of various identities (MSISDN, IMSI, TMSI, MSRN)
passing location information to HLR

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8. Interrogating Node
(IN) is the target for calls bound for GSM users.
It is responsible for determining the location of
a called subscriber and for routeing calls
accordingly. The IN is commonly combined
with an MSC forming what is known as a
Gateway MSC (GMSC).

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9. Home Location Register

(HLR) is an intelligent database and service control
function responsible for management of each
subscribers records and control of certain services
(primarily those associated with incoming calls). It
carries subscription details for a subscriber and
location information enabling the routeing of incoming
calls towards the subscriber, i.e. the MSC/VLR currently
serving the MS. Responsibilities of the HLR include:

management of service profiles

mapping of subscriber identities (MISDN, IMSI)
supplementary service control and profile updates
execution of supplementary service logic e.g. incoming
calls barred.
passing subscription records to VLR

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10. Authentication Centre

(AuC) is an intelligent database concerned with the
regulation of access to the network ensuring that services
can be used only by those who are entitled to do so and
that the access is achieved in a secure way.
The principle is that the AuC and the SIM have a unique key
for every subscriber (K i) which is used as the basis for
generating a response (SRES) to a random number (RAND)
generated by the AuC. Only the true SIM will be able to
generate the correct response and thus gain access to the
network.
The AuC is generally integrated with the HLR.
[Also EIR the Equipment Identity Register - another
database that holds a list of allowed equipment identities,
i.e. ME numbers: white / grey / black lists]

GSM I

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GSM Processes
Handover
brief introduction

Paging
Location Area
Location Update
Location Area Message Sequence as example

Incoming Call
Outgoing Call

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Handover
Handover is the means of maintaining a call when a user
moves outside the coverage area of the serving cell.
The call must be switched to an alternative cell to
provide service, automatically and without loss of
service.
Handover is a complex process requiring synchronisation
of events between the mobile station and the network.
In particular, there is the need to route the call to the
new cell before handover can be effected whilst
maintaining the old connection until the new connection
is known to have succeeded.
Handover is a time critical process requiring action to be
taken before the existing radio link degrades to such an
extent that the call is lost.

GSM I

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Paging
Paging is a process of broadcasting a message which
alerts a specific mobile to take some action, for
example if there is an incoming call to be received.
If the system does not know the precise cell in which
a mobile is located it must perform paging in a
number of cells.
An extreme approach would be to undertake paging
throughout the entire coverage area of a cellular
system whenever a mobile is to be alerted; however,
in anything but the smallest system this would be
wasteful of valuable signalling capacity, particularly
over the air interface.
The problem is addressed by the use of location
areas and location updating.

GSM I

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Location Updating
Location updating is used to reduce the area over which
paging must be undertaken in a cellular system.
The cellular coverage area is divided up into a number of
location areas.
All cells broadcast the identity of their Location Area (LAI).
Each time a mobile station observes that it has moved
into a new location area it informs the network by
performing a location update; this enables the network to
perform paging over a smaller area than would otherwise
be necessary.
In the extreme case each cell could be a location area, the
system would know very precisely where a mobile was but
at the expense of a very high level of location update
signalling. As a compromise location areas are generally
defined as a group of cells.

GSM I

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Location Area
Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)
MSC / VLR
Area
Location
Area
Cel
l

GSM Network Areas...

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GSM Network Areas

Public Land Mobile Network
the area served by one operator, e.g. Vodafone / Orange
etc.

MSC / VLR Area

a group of Location Areas served by one MSC / VLR, i.e.
all the cells connected to that MSC / VLR

Location Area
a Group of Cells within one MSC/VLR Area identified by
its Location Area Identity (LAI)

Cell
identified by its Cell Global Identity number (CGI)
corresponds to the radio coverage are of one base
transceiver station

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Location Update
The MS detects that it has entered a new location area
by comparing the last known LA (stored on the SIM)
with the information broadcast by the local cell.
The MS gains access to a radio channel and requests a
location update.
If the serving MSC/VLR is unchanged the network can
immediately authenticate the MS and note the change of
LA.

If the MS has moved MSC/VLR, the MSC/VLR addresses

a message to the HLR.
The HLR notes the new location (VLR) and downloads
security parameters to allow the network to
authenticate the mobile, it also passes on subscription
details of the user to the new VLR and informs the old
VLR to delete its records.

GSM I

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GSM I

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LA Update Message Sequence

MS to NEW MSC (via BSS)

location updating request
New MSC to NEW VLR
update location area
New VLR to HLR
update location
HLR to OLD VLR
cancel location
OLD VLR to HLR
cancel location ACK
HLR to NEW VLR
insert subscriber data
NEW VLR to HLR
insert subscriber data ACK
HLR to NEW VLR
update location ACK
NEW VLR to NEW MSC
update location area ACK
NEW VLR to MS
location updating accept
ACK = acknowledge

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Revision

Components of GSM System

Handover
Location Areas
Location Area Update
Location Area Update Message Sequence

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Syllabus Semester 1
1. Introduction
2. Basic networks
3. Analogue Systems / Telephony
4. Time/Frequency Representation of Signals
5. Basic Digital Signals
6. Source Coding
7. Data Transmission Fundamentals
8. Baseband Data
9. Modulation Bandpass Digital
10. Modulation Analogue

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Syllabus Semester 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

GSM I

Multiple Access
Protocols I
Protocols II
Telecommunications Traffic
Radio Channels
Cellular Radio Principles
GSM I
GSM II
Revision

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Recommended Books
Course Text to own!
Digital Communications Andy Bateman, AddisonWesley 1999, ISBN 0 201 34301 0 - 29-99
Course Background your choice!
The GSM Network Joachim Tisal, Wiley 2001, ISBN 0 471
4 9816 5 - 34.95
Data & Computer Communications 6th Edition William
Stallings Prentice Hall 2000, ISBN 0 13 086388 2 - 32-99
Modern Engineering Mathematics Glyn James, Addison
Wesley 1996, ISBN 0 201 87761 9 - 24-99
Advanced Modern Engineering Mathematics Glyn James,
Addison Wesley 1999, ISBN 0 201 59621 0 - 27-99
Digital & Analogue Communications Systems Leon
Couch, Prentice Hall 2001, ISBN 0 13 081223 4 - 34.99

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Recommended Books
General Background to read not (necessarily)
own
The Death of Distance Frances Cairncross, Orion
Business Books 1998, ISBN 0 75281 252 1 - 9-99.
www.deathofdistance.com second edition DOD 2, 2001
ISBN 158799089 - 14-99
A Brief History of the Future John Naughton, Phoenix
2000, ISBN 0 75381 093 X - 7-99.
www.briefhistory.com
Being Digital Nicholas Negroponte, Hodder &
Stoughton 1996, ISBN 0 340 649305 - 6-99

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