04/2009

Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
3. GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
ORGANIZATION
4. GSM NUMBERING
5. GSM CALLING (MOC, MTC)
 Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
a. What is GSM
b. GSM services
c. History
d. GSM advantages and disadvantages
 What is GSM?
 GSM (Global System for Mobile communication)
is a Worldwide Digital Cellular Communications
Network
 formerly: Groupe Spéciale Mobile (founded 1982)
 used in over 184 countries

 The GSM network provides for

 mobile voice communication
 international roaming
 mobile fax
 text messaging
 data services
What is GSM?
 GSM is a Second Generation (2G) digital radio
cellular network

 Time Division Multiplexing / Multiple access

(TDM/TDMA) are employed

 TDM / TDMA allows:

 One frequency channel to be subdivided
 Multiple conversations over a single physical
channel
 GSM Subscriber Services
Two basic types:

1. Telephony (Teleservices)
Mainly voice services providing capability to
communicate with other subscribers
2. Data (Bearer services)
Capacity necessary to transmit appropriate data
signals between two access points creating an
interface to the network
 GSM Subscriber Services
GSM supports the following subscriber services:

1. Dual tone multi frequency (DTMF)

tone signaling scheme used for control purposes
E.g. Remote control of an answering machine

2. Facsimile group III

GSM supports CCITT group III Facsimile
Special fax converter forms junction between
standard analogue fax and GSM FAX
 GSM Subscriber Services
3. Short Message Services (SMS)
Messaging facility consisting of maximum 160
alphanumeric characters to or from a mobile
station to another

4. Cell Broadcast
Variation of SMS where maximum number of
alphanumeric characters is 93
Can be broadcast to users in a certain
geographical area.
E.g. Traffic congestion warnings
 GSM Subscriber Services
5. Voice Mail
Answering machine within the network controlled by the
subscriber
Security code needed to access

6. Fax Mail
Subscriber can receive fax messages at any fax machine

7. Emergency number
common number
mandatory for all service providers
free of charge
connection with the highest priority (pre-emption of other
connections possible)
 GSM Supplementary Services
 GSM supports comprehensive list of supplementary
services supporting both data and voice services

 The following compromises a partial list:

1. Call forwarding

2. Barring of outgoing calls

3. Advice of charge (AoC)

GSM Supplementary Services
4. Call hold

5. Call waiting

6. Multiparty service

7. Calling line identification presentation / restriction

8. Closed user groups (CUGs)

 Multiple incompatible networks
 Before GSM, the technical incompatibilities
between networks were due to:
 operation on different radio frequencies
 use of incompatible signals to control the call setup,
handoff and end of the connection.

 Even when the same technological standard

existed between countries:
 there were usually organisational barriers
 pricing / charging schemes were incompatible
Analogue Networks
 An analogue cellular system:
 uses frequency modulation (FM) to send data and
signals
 Divides the spectrum only into physical channels
of different frequency
 Does not offer added services such as Caller ID or
Messaging
 1st Generation Analogue
Networks
AMPS 1983 USA, Australia
C-Netz 1981 Germany, Austria, Portugal, South
Africa
ETACS 1987 UK,
NMT450/900 1981/86 Scandinavia + 30 other countries
RadioCom 1985 France
RTMS 1985 Italy
TACS 1985 UK, Ireland, Spain
NTACS/JTACS 1991 Japan
NTT/NTT Hi Cap 1978/88 Japan
How did GSM get established
 CEPT formed a technical study group named
Groupe Spécial Mobile.

 The group’s mandate was to:

 formulate a specification for a pan-European
mobile cellular radio system in 900MHz band
 Tackle the associated technical, economic and
logistical problems.
Objectives of GSM
 To provide a European “second
generation” digital network standard

 Increase the market for Equipment

Manufacturers

 Allow Manufacturing to establish

economy of scale.
Development Timeline
 1985 – Digital Coded Speech over radio link
chosen as basis for GSM

 1986 – Validation Trials held in Paris

 1988 – Following successful validation

multiple invitations to tender issued

 1992 – Commercial Networks Launched

First portable units
 First portable units
were really big and
heavy.
 Called
transportables or
“luggables”.
“Curt” – The Hotline Pocket
 The first Ericsson
Handheld introduced
in 1987
 Adapted from a
police radio design
firstly into a NMT-
900 compatible unit.
 Later adapted for
the ETACS network.
“Olivia” - Hotline
 Introduced in 1989
 Originally introduced
in 1989 for the NMT-
900, ETACS and
AMPS networks
 Later adapted for
GSM, and is the first
Ericsson GSM
phone.
 First all digital
mobile
“Sandra”
 First introduced by
Ericsson in 1991
 First version used in
NMT-900 networks,
followed by version
for ETACS, D-
AMPS/AMPS
 Adapted for GSM in
1993
“Jane”
 Introduced by
Ericsson in 1996
 Several version
manufactured for
AMPS, GSM, DCS,
PCD1900/GSM
 GSM Specification
Frequency Band Uplink: 890 MHz – 915 MHz / 1710 MHz – 1785 MHz
Downlink: 935 MHz – 960 MHz / 1805 MHz – 1880 MHz
Duplex distance 45MHz / 95MHz

Carrier Separation 200 kHz

Modulation Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK)

Transmission rate 270 kbit/s

Access Method Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) (narrow band)

Speech coder Regular Pulse Excitation - Long Term Prediction (RPE-LPC)

13kbit/s
Diversity Channel coding, Interleaving, Frequency hopping, Adaptive
equalization
GSM compared to 1G Systems
 Communication
 mobile, 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

 High capacity if needed

 better frequency efficiency, smaller cells, more customers per cell

 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
What are some of disadvantages
of GSM?
There is no perfect system!!

 no end-to-end encryption of user data

 reduced concentration while driving
 electromagnetic radiation
 abuse of private data possible
 roaming profiles accessible
 high complexity of the system
 several incompatibilities within the GSM standards
What are the trends with mobile
phone subscribers worldwide?
Development of mobile
telecommunication systems
 Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
3. GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
ORGANIZATION
4. GSM NUMBERING
5. GSM CALLING (MOC, MTC)
 Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
a. Components
b. Interfaces
Components
Components
GSM is a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)

 RSS (Radio Subsystem): covers all radio aspects

 BSS (Base Station Subsystem): BSC, BTSs
 MS (Mobile Station)

 NSS (Network and Switching Subsystem): call forwarding,

handover, switching
 MSC (Mobile Switching Center)
 HLR (Home Location Register)
 VLR (Visitor Location Register)

 OSS (Operation Subsystem): management of the network

 OMC (Operation and Maintenance Center)
 AuC (Authentication Center)
 EIR (Equipment Identity Register)
 Components

BSC : Base Station Controller

BTS : Base Transceiver Station
MS : Mobile Station
PLMN : Public Land Mobile Network
Radio Subsystem
Radio Subsystem
Components

ISC : International Switching Center

MSC : Mobile Switching Center
GMSC : Gateway Mobile Switching Center
HLR : Home Location Register
VLR : Visitor Location Register

PLMN : Public Land Mobile Network

 Network and Switching
Subsystem
NSS is the main component of the public mobile
network GSM
 switching, mobility management, interconnection to other networks, system
control

What are the components of the NSS?

 Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC)
 controls all connections via a separated network to/from a mobile terminal within the
domain of the MSC - several BSC can belong to a MSC

 Home Location Register (HLR)

 central master database containing user data, permanent and semi-permanent data of
all subscribers assigned to the HLR (one provider can have several HLRs)

 Visitor Location Register (VLR)

 local database for a subset of user data, including data about all user currently in the
domain of the VLR
Network and Switching
Subsystem
 Components
AuC : Authentication Center
EIR : Equipment Identity Register
OMC : Operation and Maintenance Center

PLMN : Public Land Mobile Network

Operation Subsystem
The OSS (Operation Subsystem) enables centralized operation,
management, and maintenance of all GSM subsystems Components

 Authentication Center (AuC)

 generates user specific authentication parameters on request of a VLR
 authentication parameters used for authentication of mobile terminals and
encryption of user data on the air interface within the GSM system

 Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

 registers GSM mobile stations and user rights
 stolen or malfunctioning mobile stations can be locked and sometimes even
localized

 Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)

 different control capabilities for the radio subsystem and the network
subsystem
Network Databases
Summary
Interfaces
Interfaces
Interfaces
Interfaces
 Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
3. GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
ORGANIZATION
4. GSM NUMBERING
5. GSM CALLING (MOC, MTC)
Geographical network
organization
 MSC region
•The International GSM/DCS system area comprises all countries where PLMN
is implemented
•Within these countries, the PLMN are further subdivided into MSC areas
 Location area (LA)
•The MSC service areas, in turn, consists of cells which are organized as Location
Areas (LA)
•Allows MS to move freely without updating location information
•System uses LA’s to locate a MS using broadcast messages.
 Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
3. GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
ORGANIZATION
4. GSM NUMBERING
5. GSM CALLING (MOC, MTC)
GSM numbering
Permanent subscriber numbering
MSRN & TMSI
IMEI, LAI & CI
Summary
 Overview

1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
3. GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
ORGANIZATION
4. GSM NUMBERING
5. GSM CALLING (MOC, MTC)
 Overview
1. INTRODUCTION TO GSM
2. GSM ARCHITECTURE
3. GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
ORGANIZATION
4. GSM NUMBERING
5. GSM CALLING (MOC, MTC)
a. MOC (Mobile Originated Call)
b. MTC (Mobile Terminated Call)
 Mobile Originated Call
 1, 2: connection
request
 3, 4: security check
 5-8: check resources
(free circuit)
 9-10: set up call
Mobile Originated Call
 Mobile Terminated Call
 1: calling a GSM subscriber
 2: forwarding call to GMSC
 3: signal call setup to HLR
 4, 5: request MSRN from VLR
 6: forward responsible MSC to
GMSC
 7: forward call to current MSC
 8, 9: get current status of MS
 10, 11: paging of MS
 12, 13: MS answers
 14, 15: security checks
 16, 17: set up connection
Mobile Terminated Call
Detail Sequence of MTC
Future mobile
telecommunication networks