Chapter SEVEN 7

MOBILE SWITCHING
SYSTEM
C O N C E R N I N G A B O U T G S M S E RV I C E
INTRODUCTION
• A connection between two people – a caller and

the called person – is the basic service of all
telephone networks .
FIXED AND MOBILE SUBSCRIBER
• In a fixed telephone network providing and

managing connections is a relatively easy process
because the telephones are connected by wires
to the network and their location is permanent
from the networks.
• in practice the network has to find solutions to
three problems before it can even setup a call
OPEN INTERFACES OF GSM
• One of the main purpose behind the GSM

specification is to define several open interfaces .
• The GSM specifications defines two truly open
interface within the GSM network .
Air-interface and A-interface
GSM NETWORK DECENTRALIZED
INTELLIGENCE
• The whole network is divided into three separate
subsystem
Network
Base station
Network Switching Management
Subsystem
Subsystem (NSS) Subsystem
(BSS)
(NMS)
SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODEL (SIM)
The subscriber identity module (SIM) is a small

“information” card that contains service
subscription identity and personal information.
This information includes IMSI ( international

mobile subscriber identity ) phone number,
billing identification information and a small
amount of user specific data
this information is stored in the card rather than

programming this information into the phone itself.
 this diagram of a sim shows that SIM cards have 8
electrical contacts .
This allowed for power to be applied to the

electronic circuits inside the card and for data to be
sent and from the card
INTERNATIONAL MOBILE SUBSCRIBER
IDENTITY (IMSI)
Each registered user is uniquely identified by its
international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) It is
stored in the subscriber identity module (SIM).
A mobile station can only be operated if a SIM with a

valid IMSI is inserted into equipment with a valid IMEI.
 There are following parts of an IMSI :-

I. MCC : 3 decimal places , internationally
standardized
II. MNC : 2 decimal places
III. MSIN : Maximum 10 decimal places .
SOMALIA MCC AND MNC
MOBILE STATION (MS)
Mobile equipment is responsible for :
 voice encoding and transmission

Voice encryption / decryption
 measures the power from adjacent cells
( handover )
It stores IMEI (international mobile equipment
identifier )
NETWORK SWITCHING SYSTEM (NSS)
• The network switching subsystem (NSS) contains

the elements of :- MSC , VLR , HLR , AC and EIR
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF NSS
• The main functions of NSS are :
Call Chargin
control g
Subscriber data
handling
Mobility
Management Signaling
MOBILE SWITCHING CENTER (MSC)
 The MSC acts as a bridge between a mobile

network and fixed network .
The MSC (Mobile Switching Center) is responsible
for several tasks such as the following :
Call Initiatio Charging

.
.
control n of Data
paging collection
NOTE
the Mobile Switching Center is a critical

component of a mobile telecommunications
network. It provides call switching, routing,
mobility management, call control services,
interconnection with other networks, billing,
and security functions to enable reliable
and efficient communication between
mobile devices and other parts of the
network.
• Call Switching and Routing: The primary function of an MSC is to
switch and route voice and data calls between mobile devices
within the network. When a call is initiated or received by a
mobile device, the MSC handles the call setup, establishes the
necessary connections, and routes the call to the appropriate
destination, whether it's another mobile device, a fixed-line
phone, or a network service.
• Mobility Management: MSCs play a crucial role in managing the

mobility of mobile devices within a cellular network. They
handle tasks such as location tracking, registration, and
handover. When a mobile device moves from one cell to another
while in an active call, the MSC ensures a smooth handover
process, transferring the call from the serving cell to the target
cell without interrupting the call.
• Call Control and Supplementary Services: MSCs are responsible for providing
various call control and supplementary services to mobile subscribers.
These services include call forwarding, call waiting, call hold, conferencing,
caller ID, short message service (SMS), and more. The MSC handles the
signaling and control protocols required to deliver these services to mobile
users.
• Connection to Other Networks: MSCs act as interfaces between the mobile

network and other networks, such as the public switched telephone network
(PSTN) or the Internet. They facilitate the interconnection and
interoperability of different networks, allowing mobile users to communicate
with subscribers on other networks, make international calls, access Internet
services, and more.
• Billing and Charging: MSCs generate the necessary call detail records
(CDRs) that contain information about mobile calls, including call duration,
time, date, and other relevant data. These records are used for billing
purposes, allowing mobile network operators to charge subscribers
accurately for their voice and data usage.
• Security and Authentication: MSCs play a role in ensuring the security and
authentication of mobile devices within the network. They verify the identity
of mobile
HOME LOCATION REGISTER (HLR)
Mobile subscribers must be permanently registered

somewhere in the system.
In a fixed network, every subscriber belongs to a local

exchange; a mobile subscriber belongs to the network.
That is why mobile networks include one or more
databases (HLRs) for permanent storage of subscriber
data.
HLR maintains a permanent register of the subscribers

for instance subscriber identity numbers and the
subscriber service .
VISITOR LOCATION REGISTER (VLR)
• The visitor location register ( VLR ) is integrated with

the MSC . VLC is a database which contains
information about subscribers current being in the
service area .
Identification numbers of the subscribers
Security information for authentication of the sim-card
Services that the subscribe can use
the VLR carries out location registrations and updates .
It means that when a mobile station comes to a new
MSC serving area it must register itself in the VLR .
• The VLR database is temporary in the sense that the
data is held as long as the subscriber is with in the
service area.
AUTHENTICATION CENTER (AUC)
• The authentication center provides security

information to the network . So that we can verify
the simcard against an authorized access.
EQUIPMENT IDENTITY REGISTER (EIR)
• As for AC , the equipment identity register is used
for security reasons . EIR is responsible for IMEI
Checking ( checking the validity of the mobile
equipment)
The EIR contains three lists
White List
Gray List
Black List
INTERNATIONAL MOBILE STATION
EQUIPMENT IDENTITY (IMEI)
 The international mobile station equipment
identity (IMEI) uniquely identifies a mobile station
internationally.
There are following parts of an IMEI

Type Approval Code (TAC) : 6 decimal
places
Final Assembly Code (FAC) : 6 decimal
places. M
Serial Number (SNR) : 6 decimal places . M
Spare (SP) : 1 decimal place
BASE STATION SUBSYSTEM (BSS)
• The base station subsystem is responsible for

managing the radio network , and it is controlled
by an MSC.
• Typically one MSC contains several BSS’s
• The BSS consists of the following elements :
BSC : Base station controller
BTS :Base Transceiver station
TC :- Transcoder
BASE STATION CONTROLLER (BSC)
• A base station controller, also referred to as the
radio switch, sets up the radio channels for traffic
and for signaling to the MSC and monitors the
access network portion of the connection. A BSC
also performs traffic concentration and handles
handover between the base stations that it
controls. BSCs are only found in the GSM standard.
In other standards, the MSC also handles radio
switch functions.
BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION (BTS)
:A base transceiver station contains equipment for

transmission and reception, antennas for one or
more cells, plus equipment for
encryption/decryption and signal strength
measurement and for communication with the BSC.
CHAPTER 7
END

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MOBILE SWITCHING

• A connection between two people – a caller and

• In a fixed telephone network providing and

• One of the main purpose behind the GSM

The subscriber identity module (SIM) is a small

This information includes IMSI ( international

this information is stored in the card rather than

This allowed for power to be applied to the

A mobile station can only be operated if a SIM with a

 There are following parts of an IMSI :-

Mobile equipment is responsible for :

 voice encoding and transmission

• The network switching subsystem (NSS) contains

• The main functions of NSS are :

 The MSC acts as a bridge between a mobile

Call Initiatio Charging

the Mobile Switching Center is a critical

• Mobility Management: MSCs play a crucial role in managing the

• Connection to Other Networks: MSCs act as interfaces between the mobile

Mobile subscribers must be permanently registered

In a fixed network, every subscriber belongs to a local

HLR maintains a permanent register of the subscribers

• The visitor location register ( VLR ) is integrated with

• The authentication center provides security

There are following parts of an IMEI

• The base station subsystem is responsible for

:A base transceiver station contains equipment for

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