4.

Wireless Telecommunication Systems

GSM
 Overview
 Services
 Sub-systems
 Components
Handover
 4.1.GSM

 Global System For Mobile(GSM) is a second generation cellular standard developed to cater voice services and
data delivery using digital modulation GSM digitizes and compresses data,then sends it on a channel with two
other streams of user data ,each in its own time slot.

It operates at either the 900 megahertz(MHZ)or 1800 MHZ frequency band

GSM:

 formerly: Groupe Spéciale Mobile (founded 1982 in European )

now: Global System for Mobile Communication

Today many providers all over the world use GSM (more than 184 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia,
America
 4.2. The Evolution Of GSM
1G -Voice Signals only
-Analogue cellular phones
-NMT,AMPS
2G -Voice and data signals
-Digital Fidelity Cellular phones
-GSM,CDMA,TDMA
3G -Voice,Data and videos signals
-Video Telephony/Internet Surfing
-3G,W-CDMA,UMTS
4G -Enhanced 3G/Interoperability Protocal
-High speed and IP-based
-4G,mobile IP
4.3.Advantages or Performance characteristics of GSM
• 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
• 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
4.4. Disadvantages of GSM
• There is no perfect system!!
no end-to-end encryption of user data
no full ISDN bandwidth of 64 kbit/s to the user, no transparent B-channel
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
Dropped and missed calls
Less efficiency
Security Issues
4.5. GSM: Mobile Services
• GSM offers
• several types of connections
• voice connections, data connections, short message service
• multi-service options (combination of basic services)
• Three service domains
• Bearer Services
• Telematic Services
• Supplementary Services
bearer services
MS
transit source/
TE MT GSM-PLMN network destination TE
R, S Um (PSTN, ISDN) network (U, S, R)

tele services
 4.5.1.Bearer Services
Telecommunication services to transfer data between access points
Specification of services up to the terminal interface (OSI layers 1-3)
Different data rates for voice and data (original standard)
• data service (circuit switched)
• synchronous: 2.4, 4.8 or 9.6 kbit/s
• asynchronous: 300 - 1200 bit/s
• data service (packet switched)
• synchronous: 2.4, 4.8 or 9.6 kbit/s
• asynchronous: 300 - 9600 bit/s
 4.5.2.Tele Services
Telecommunication services that enable voice communication via mobile phones
All these basic services have to obey cellular functions, security measurements etc.
Offered services
• mobile telephony
primary goal of GSM was to enable mobile telephony offering the traditional
bandwidth of 3.1 kHz
• Emergency number
common number throughout Europe (112); mandatory for all service
providers; free of charge; connection with the highest priority (preemption of
other connections possible)
• Multinumbering
several ISDN phone numbers per user possible
• Additional services
• Non-Voice-Teleservices
• group 3 fax
• voice mailbox (implemented in the fixed network supporting the
mobile terminals)
• electronic mail (MHS, Message Handling System, implemented in
the fixed network)
• ...

• Short Message Service (SMS)

alphanumeric data transmission to/from the mobile terminal
using the signaling channel, thus allowing simultaneous use of
basic services and SMS
 4.5.3. Supplementary services
Services in addition to the basic services, cannot be offered stand-alone
Important services
• identification: forwarding of caller number
• suppression of number forwarding
• automatic call-back
• conferencing with up to 7 participants
• locking of the mobile terminal (incoming or outgoing calls)
• ...
 4.6. GSM Components and its types
• GSM is a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)
• several providers setup mobile networks following the GSM standard within
each country
• components
• MS (mobile station)
• BS (base station)
• MSC (mobile switching center)
• LR (location register)
• subsystems
• RSS (radio subsystem): covers all radio aspects, comprises the cellular
mobile network up to the switching centers
• NSS (network and switching subsystem): call forwarding, handover,
switching
• OSS (operation subsystem): management of the network
Radio Subsystem
•Mobile Station(MS)

Mobile equipment(ME)
Subscriber Identity Module(SIM)
•Base Station Subsystem(BSS)
Base Transceiver Station(BTS)
Base station controller(BSC)
Networking Switching Subsystem(NSS)
Mobile Switching Center(MSC)
Home Location Register(HLR)
Visiter Location Register(VLR)
Authentication Center(AUC)
Equipment Identity Register(EIR)
 4.6.1.Radio Subsystem
Mobile stations(MS)
Mobile stations (MS), mobile equipment (ME) or as they are most widely known,
cell or mobile phones are the section of a GSM mobile communications network
that the user sees and operates.
Although the two main elements are the main hardware and the SIM, there are a
number of elements to the cell phone.
Main Hardware
• The hardware itself contains the main elements of the mobile phone including the
display, case, battery, and the electronics used to generate the signal, and process
the data receiver and to be transmitted.
Subscriber Identity Module(SIM)
• Smart card contains IMSI
• Allows user to send and receive calls.
• Protected by a password or pin
• Can be moved from phone to phone
Terminal for the use of GSM services
A mobile station (MS) comprises several functional groups
• MT (Mobile Terminal):
• offers common functions used by all services the MS offers
• corresponds to the network termination (NT) of an ISDN access
• end-point of the radio interface (Um)
• TA (Terminal Adapter):
• terminal adaptation, hides radio specific characteristics
• TE (Terminal Equipment):
• peripheral device of the MS, offers services to a user
• does not contain GSM specific functions
• SIM (Subscriber Identity Module):
• personalization of the mobile terminal, stores user parameters
TE TA MT
Um
R S
 Base Station Subsystem(BSS)
The Base Station Subsystem (BSS) section of the 2G GSM network architecture that is fundamentally
associated with communicating with the mobiles on the network consists of two elements:
Base Transceiver Station (BTS):
• The BTS used in a GSM network comprises the radio transmitter receivers, and their associated
antennas that transmit and receive to directly communicate with the mobiles.
• The BTS communicates with the mobiles and the interface between the two is known as the Um
interface with its associated protocols.
Base Station Controller (BSC): switching between BTSs, controlling BTSs,
managing of network resources, mapping of radio channels (Um) onto
terrestrial channels (A interface)
 Base Station Controller (BSC): BSS = BSC + sum(BTS) + interconnection
 The BSC forms the next stage back into the GSM network. It controls a group of BTSs, and is
often co-located with one of the BTSs in its group.
 It manages the radio resources and controls items such as handover within the group of
BTSs, allocates channels and the like.
 4.6.2.Networking Switching Subsystem(NSS)

The GSM system architecture contains a variety of different elements, and is often
termed the core network. It is essentially a data network with a various entities that
provide the main control and interfacing for the whole mobile network.
NSS is the main component of the public mobile network GSM switching, mobility
management, interconnection to other networks, system control
Components
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.
Databases (important: scalability, high capacity, low delay)
The major elements within the core network include:
Home Location Registers(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)
Permanent database about mobile subscribers in a large services ares
(generally one per GSM network operator)
Database contains IMSI,MSISDN,prepaid/postpaid restrictions,Supplementray
services
Visitor Locations Registers(VLR): local database for a subset of user data,
including data about all user currently in the domain of the VLR
Temporary database which updates whenever new MS enters its area by HLR
database
Controls those mobiles roaming in its area and it also reduces the number of
quries to HLR
Authentication Centre(AUC)
The AuC is a protected database that contains the secret key also contained in
the user's SIM card.

It is used for authentication and for ciphering on the radio channel.
SMS Gateway(SMS-G)
• The SMS-G or SMS gateway is the term that is used to collectively describe
the two Short Message Services Gateways defined in the GSM standards.
• The two gateways handle messages directed in different directions.
• The SMS-GMSC (Short Message Service Gateway Mobile Switching Centre)
is for short messages being sent to an ME.
• The SMS-IWMSC (Short Message Service Inter-Working Mobile Switching
Centre) is used for short messages originated with a mobile on that
network.
Mobile Services Switching Center
• The MSC (mobile switching center) plays a central role in GSM
• switching functions
• additional functions for mobility support
• management of network resources
• interworking functions via Gateway MSC (GMSC)
• integration of several databases
Functions of a MSC
• specific functions for paging and call forwarding
• termination of SS7 (signaling system no. 7)
• mobility specific signaling
• location registration and forwarding of location information
• provision of new services (fax, data calls)
• support of short message service (SMS)
• generation and forwarding of accounting and billing information
 4.6.3. 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
 4.7 GSM architecture
OMC, EIR,
AUC
HLR GMSC
NSS fixed network
with OSS
VLR MSC MSC
VLR

BSC
BSC

RSS
GSM: elements and interfaces
radio cell
BSS
MS MS

Um radio cell

RSS BTS MS

BTS

Abis

BSC BSC
A

MSC MSC

NSS signaling
VLR VLR
ISDN, PSTN
HLR GMSC
PDN
IWF
O

OSS
EIR AUC OMC
GSM: system architecture
radio network and fixed
subsystem switching subsystem partner networks

MS MS
ISDN
PSTN
Um MSC

BTS Abis
BSC EIR
BTS

SS7
HLR

BTS VLR
BSC ISDN
BTS MSC PSTN
A
BSS IWF
PSPDN
CSPDN
System architecture: radio subsystem
radio network and switching
subsystem subsystem

MS MS • Components
• MS (Mobile Station)
Um • BSS (Base Station Subsystem):
consisting of
BTS Abis
• BTS (Base Transceiver Station):
BSC MSC sender and receiver
BTS
• BSC (Base Station Controller):
controlling several transceivers

• Interfaces
• Um : radio interface
A
BTS • Abis : standardized, open interface with
MSC
BSC 16 kbit/s user channels
BTS
• A: standardized, open interface with
BSS
64 kbit/s user channels
GSM: cellular network
segmentation of the area into cells

possible radio coverage of the cell

idealized shape of the cell

cell

• use of several carrier frequencies

• not the same frequency in adjoining cells
• cell sizes vary from some 100 m up to 35 km depending on user density,
geography, transceiver power etc.
• hexagonal shape of cells is idealized (cells overlap, shapes depend on geography)
• if a mobile user changes cells
 handover of the connection to the neighbor cell