GPRS

A STUDY OF
GENERAL PACKET RADIO SERVICE
(GPRS)
(BMS PROJECT)
SEEMA S. VETAL
PROF. RACHANA CHAWDA
D.G.RUPAREL COLLEGE.
MAHIM-16
MARCH-2015

GPRS

STATEMENT BY CANDIDATE
I, SEEMA S. VETAL, Wish To State That The Work Embodied In
The Project A Study Of General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS) Is Carried Out Under The Supervision Of PROF.
RACHANA CHAWDA Department Of BMS, D.G.Ruparel
College, Mumbai. This Work Has Not Been Submitted For Any
Other Degree Of This Or Any Other Universities.

________________

________________

PROF.RACHANA CHAWDA

SEEMA S. VETAL

(SUPERVISOR)

________________

________________

EXTERNAL SUPERVISOR

PROF. PRATHMA NEMANE

(BMS CO-ORDINATOR)

GPRS

ACKMOWLEDGEMENT

I Feel Deeply Indebted Toward People Who Have Guided

Me In This Project. It Would Have Not Been Possible To Make
Such An Extensive Report Without Their Guidance.
I Would Firstly Like To Express My Gratitude Towards My
Guide PROF. RACHANA CHAWDA For Having Shown So
Much Trust And Optimism In Guiding And Encouraged Me. She
Showed A Lot Of Openness In Her Approach And I Would Like
To Thank Her For Her Support In A Way That Has Lead To Proper
And Effective Learning.
Last But Not List I Am Grateful To My Family Members
And My Friends For Being My Side Always. Without Their Help
And Motivation It Would Have Been Impossible To Complete My
Project.

GPRS

1.

General Packet Radio Service(Gprs)-Introduction

2.

21st Century Information Technology Revolution

3.

Advantages Of Information Technology

4.

Internet Revolution

5.

What Is The Internet?

6.

Advantages Of The Internet Revolution

7.

Disadvantages Of The Internet Revolution

8.

MOBILE AND INTERNET

9.

GPRS-Benefits

10.

GPRS-Limitations

INDEX

GPRS

11.
12.

GPRS Charging Schemes

Survey

GPRS

GENERAL PACKET RADIO SERVICE

(GPRS)
INTRODUCTION:
General packet radio service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular
communication system's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was originally standardized
by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode
packet-switched cellular technologies. It is now maintained by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
GPRS usage is typically charged based on volume of data transferred, contrasting with circuit switched data,
which is usually billed per minute of connection time. Usage above the bundle cap is either charged per
megabyte or disallowed.
GPRS is a best-effort service, implying variable throughput and latency that depend on the number of other
users sharing the service concurrently, as opposed to circuit switching, where a certain quality of service (QoS)
is guaranteed during the connection. In 2G systems, GPRS provides data rates of 56114 kbit/second. 2G
cellular technology combined with GPRS is sometimes described as 2.5G, that is, a technology between the
second (2G) and third (3G) generations of mobile telephony. It provides moderate-speed data transfer, by using
unused time division multiple access (TDMA) channels in, for example, the GSM system. GPRS is integrated
into GSM Release 97 and newer releases.
Services offered
GPRS extends the GSM Packet circuit switched data capabilities and makes the following services
possible:
SMS messaging and broadcasting
"Always on" internet access
Multimedia messaging service (MMS)
Push to talk over cellular (PoC)
Instant messaging and presencewireless village
Internet applications for smart devices through wireless application protocol (WAP)
Point-to-point (P2P) service: inter-networking with the Internet (IP)
Point-to-Multipoint (P2M) service[citation needed]: point-to-multipoint multicast and point-tomultipoint group calls
If SMS over GPRS is used, an SMS transmission speed of about 30 SMS messages per minute may be
achieved. This is much faster than using the ordinary SMS over GSM, whose SMS transmission speed is about
6 to 10 SMS messages per minute.
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21ST CENTURY INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION

The term information revolution (sometimes called also the "informational revolution") describes current
economic, social and technological trends beyond the Industrial Revolution.
Many competing terms have been proposed that focus on different aspects of this societal development. The
British polymath crystallographer J. D. Bernal introduced the term "scientific and technical revolution" in his
1939 book The Social Function of Science to describe the new role that science and technology are coming to
play within society. He asserted that science is becoming a "productive force", using the Marxist Theory of
Productive Forces. After some controversy, the term was taken up by authors and institutions of the then-Soviet
Bloc. Their aim was to show that socialism was a safe home for the scientific and technical ("technological" for
some authors) revolution, referred to by the acronym STR. The book Civilization at the Crossroads, edited by
the Czech philosopher Radovan Richta (1969), became a standard reference for this topic.
Daniel Bell (1980) challenged this theory and advocated post-industrial society, which would lead to a service
economy rather than socialism. Many other authors presented their views, including Zbigniew Brzezinski
(1976) with his "Technetronic Society".
The computing power in the few micro processors that are now in a Ford Motor Car is much more than
all the computing power that was put in the space vehicle that landed the first men on the moon and brought
them back. In today's do-more-with-less business environment, with increasing demands from customers,
shareholders, and regulators, the IT organization is not only asked to work harder and smarter, but is being
asked to take on the role of assuring the business.
Humanity has progressed from agricultural revolution to the industrial revolution and is now moving to
an information revolution. It is this awesome computing power at continuously falling prices and the computers
being networked over global telecom highways that is leading to the use of Information Technology in every
sector of human activity be it communication, banking, trading, learning and teaching, entertainment,
socializing, government, management and librarying. Just as machines have extended man's mechanical power
and his convenience and comfort, Information Technology as commonly picturized by computers, is extending
man's mind or brain or intellectual power. The term information technology has ballooned to encompass many
aspects of computing and technology, and the term is more recognizable than ever before.

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Objective:
Looking at the present scenario, one can easily predict the dominance of Information Technology in daily
life. Despite of hectic schedules and lots of burdens, IT always wins in the long run. Globalization and
Liberalization has expanded their wings in the world and even beyond that in terms of bringing the global space
on to a common platform. Ranging from magnificent infrastructures to wearable transmitters, IT manages it all.
On the contrary, there are negation points of the same for different cases. A brief research has been portrayed in
this article.

Impacts of Technology
Technology, throughout history, has allowed people to complete more tasks in less time and with less
energy. Many herald this as a way of making life easier. However, work has continued to be proportional to the
amount of energy expended, rather than the quantitative amount of information or material processed.
Technology has had profound effects on lifestyle throughout human history, and as the rate of progress
increases, society must deal with both the good and bad implications.
In many ways, technology simplifies life:

The rise of a leisure class

A more informed society can make quicker responses to events and trends

Sets the stage for more complex learning tasks

Increases multi-tasking (although this may not be simplifying)

Global networking

Creates denser social circles

Cheap price

Advantages of Information Technology:

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To understand the importance of Information Technology, it is very important to know the advantages of using
IT applications.

Creation of new jobs

The jobs of Computer engineers, Hardware and Software personnel, Database Administrators, IT Managers
have all been a result of Information Technology. Undoubtedly we can say that IT has given us a lot of chance
to grow.

Communication
Another use of Information Technology is the way we communicate with our friends and family members.
Making voice or video calls through internet, sending text messages through mobile phones, sending e mails
have all been possible because of this invention of Information Technology.

Global Village
It refers to bring the world closer together by removing the political, economic, social and technical barriers.
It has enabled the world to become one entity and work as one interdependent system. The result is that we can
now share information in quick span of time all across the world. It has shaped the world into a global village
where a person sitting at one part of this village can communicate with a person sitting at the other part of the
village.

Reducing the cultural gap

IT also allows the people to communicate more freely without any cultural or social differences. People from
all across the world come together and share their views on different aspects. All these features of IT help us
understand

What Information Technology is

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Affordability
IT enabled services are not only fast and efficient but also very economic and affordable. IT services has
streamlined the process thereby reducing the wastage and number of resources required. In other words,
reduction in the processing and transaction time has further lead to the reduction in the cost.

Continuous Service
Now all the businesses are open all the time to help the customers sitting in the other time zone. Features like
24 hours customer support service, email support and BPO industries are an example to show round the clock
services of IT.

INTERNET REVOLUTION
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Why a Revolution?

Not very long ago, the only people talking about the Internet were the small number of individuals who
were engaged in engineering it, building it, and nurturing its growth. That was during the 1970s. But even
during the 1980s, as the Internet expanded its reach and diversified its information resources and services, the
Internets existence went largely unnoticed by the general public and it managed to retain its quiet, remote, and
unassuming presence. The only national press coverage the Internet received during the first two decades of its
existence was when there was a sudden and sizable failure in one of its component systems or a debilitating
network attack, like the Internet worm of 1988. And the only individuals who took an interest in the Internet
were computer enthusiasts, and their numbers were still very small. Moreover, in order to have any access to
the Internet, you had to work at a major research facility, like AT&T Bell Laboratories, or attend one of the
lucky few Internet-connected academic institutions, like MIT or Stanford, or be employed by one of the United
States government agencies that controlled it. In other words, for the first twenty or so years of its existence,
the Internet remained predominantly hidden from public view and functioned as the private and entirely
commerce-free playground of researchers and scientists, students and computer centre workers, and some
members of the military.
Nowadays, its difficult to avoid some reference to the Internet, no matter how hard we may try. It comes up in
conversations with friends and family and in meetings at work as people complain about the latest email virus
or some interminable network slowdown or as they rave about a site they have just discovered for managing
their stock portfolio or playing poker. We hear about the Internet on radio and television programs as
broadcasters awkwardly spell out their Internet site addresses in an effort to entice us to get more in-depth
information on a particular subject, such as a recent news story or the upcoming episodes of a popular show.
We see the Internets effect on commerce everywhere we look, in its role as an entirely new and powerful
medium for the distribution of all forms of advertising, as evidenced by the Web site names that confront us on
everything and anything that can contain printed text, from billboards to baseball caps, t-shirts to tattoos, the
sides of cars, trucks, trains, and planes, the walls of sports stadiums, the cellophane wrappers enclosing heads
of lettuce, and even those annoying stickers attached to each and every grapefruit, tomato, and cucumber. This
change didnt happen overnight, but it definitely feels like it did. It took less than ten years after the Internet
was privatized and opened up to

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GPRS

Commercial traffic in the early 1990s for it to become a basic and essential part of our daily lives. It became,
quietly and unobtrusively, an integral component of our home life, our jobs, and the worlds communication
infrastructures, economies, and cultures. This change was so compelling and pervasive that it raises the
question: what kind of vacuum or void existed before the Internets creation and its evolution into such a
powerful and ubiquitous presence? In the course of a few, frenetic years, the Internet has grown into an
inexorable force that businesses, non-commercial organizations, governments, scientific and academic
institutions, and individuals throughout the industrialized world have not only accepted but embraced.
Consequently, the Internets impact can be seen all around us. The Internet has transformed how business is
conducted, and it has provided powerful new ways to locate, learn about, and buy all types of products and
services. It has inspired and made possible the creation of entirely new business enterprises, including the much
touted and highly speculative business of ecommerce. It has enabled governments to better share information
about and distribute information to their citizens, and better collect information about those citizens. It has
facilitated collaboration on research, which, incidentally, fulfilled one of the visions of its original creators. It
has dramatically changed the way we communicate and has enabled the creation of new social structures in the
form of virtual communities. It has forever altered how we access information and the variety and quantity of
information we can access, empowering us to gain knowledge through a richness of resources that was
previously only imagined in science fiction. It has allowed us to become publishers of family photos, shared
genealogies, journals, diaries, diatribes, musical compositions, short stories, full length novels, and just about
anything else that can be stored and distributed in the form of a computer file. For the purposes of a simple
comparison, consider an earlier revolution incited by a different, but just as pronounced, leap in technology.
The Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the 18th century and resulted from the invention and
refinement of the steam engine, brought us the mechanization of labor. Machines were created that performed
the labor of men, women, and farm animals, and they performed this work faster, cheaper, with fewer problems
and interruptions, and often with greater precision. For a fortunate minority, the Industrial Revolution meant
new-found wealth, provided one understood how to apply the new technology and succeeded in financing and
managing a new type of business venture. For the majority of the population, it meant a change in employment
and, more often than not, a resulting change for better or worse in ones financial situation, as many old,
established jobs were eliminated or greatly changed and new, very different jobs were created. The impact of
the Industrial Revolution and the mechanization of labor was immediately evident in changes in the job market,
the creation of new businesses and new products, and the quality and quantity of products that could be
produced. But its most profound and lasting impact albeit less

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Immediately apparent was revealed in how individuals lived their lives and interacted with others. It not
only
Affected what people did for employment, it affected how people performed their jobs. It also affected peoples
home life and the amenities in their homes, their health and the general comfort and quality of their lives, their
opportunities for education and advancement, and how fast and how far they (and their information) traveled
the world. In some way, shape, or form, the Industrial Revolution eventually affected every region of the world
and nearly every member of society. Even the few, isolated areas of the world that, for whatever reason, failed
to feel its direct impact, were eventually indirectly affected either through the trade and transportation of goods,
the communication of information, the expansion of urban areas into rural communities, or the increased
movement and migration of people. Today, more than two centuries later, some segments of society remain
distant or disconnected from the Industrial Revolutions mechanization and associated modernization, a few
through choice (e.g., the Amish) and others due to lack of financial resources or other limiting economic
factors. Even so, whether people rejoiced in its arrival, felt indifferent to it, shunned its existence, or somehow
avoided its impact, the Industrial Revolution changed forever the face and form of the world, and, directly or
indirectly, these changes had consequences for everyone. The Internet Revolution, which began in the U.S. in
the early 1990s and resulted from the proliferation and internetworking of computers, is reshaping our world
right now, whether or not we are a willing and eager participant and whether or not we want to acknowledge it.
It has brought about a different sort of mechanization than that brought about by the Industrial Revolution, but
one equally broad and far-reaching in its impact: the mechanization of information and communication.
Moreover, there is no going back, no undoing of its effects, any more than one could undo the effects of the
Industrial Revolution. Also, much as the Industrial Revolution changed the lives of individuals in different
ways, the Internet and its revolution in how we communicate, acquire information and educate ourselves,
perform our jobs, entertain ourselves, contribute to our communities, and interact with others, means something
different to each of us. If you currently use the Internet, consider for a moment how much time you spend
online at home, at work, or elsewhere. Think about the information you routinely access through the Internet or
the amount of email you send and receive. Two of the most popular Internet services email and the Web
are used by millions of people across the globe each and every day. These services constitute only a small
fraction of those the Internet offers. But they alone have changed the way we interact with our friends, family,
and others, the variety and volume of information at our disposal, and, more generally, how we conduct our
lives. The Industrial Revolution was not a revolution because the mechanization it brought changed the way
products were manufactured. Nor was it a revolution because it enabled the creation of entirely new types of
products and services or new sorts of jobs. Although it did all these things and the effects were both permanent
and far-reaching, what made it a revolution was how it transformed us. The same is true of the Internet
Revolution. Everywhere we look, we see more and more references to the

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Internet. Thats because it is becoming part and parcel of everything we do. The Internet is changing how we
raise and educate our children, how we stay connected with our families and friends, how, when, and where we
perform our jobs, how we purchase our goods, how we read the weather forecast or our horoscope or send a
birthday card. These changes in our behavior are fundamental and permanent, and they are becoming more
pervasive with each passing year. Consequently, the Internet is changing us, our communities, our societies,
and, as you will understand after reading this book, the very interconnectedness of our world.

What is the Internet?

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The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol
suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion devices worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of
private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad array
of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of
information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World
Wide Web (WWW), the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to-peer networks for file
sharing and telephony.
The origins of the Internet date back to research commissioned by the United States government in the 1960s to
build robust, fault-tolerant communication via computer networks. This work, combined with efforts in the
United Kingdom and France, led to the primary precursor network, the ARPANET, in the United States. The
interconnection of regional academic networks in the 1980s marks the beginning of the transition to the modern
Internet. From the early 1990s, the network experienced sustained exponential growth as generations of
institutional, personal, and mobile computers were connected to it.
The funding of a new U.S. backbone by the National Science Foundation in the 1980s, as well as private
funding for other commercial backbones, led to worldwide participation in the development of new networking
technologies, and the merger of many networks. Though the Internet has been widely used by academia since
the 1980s, the commercialization of what was by the 1990s an international network resulted in its
popularization and incorporation into virtually every aspect of modern human life. As of June 2012, more than
2.4 billion peopleover a third of the worldshave used the services of the Internet; approximately 100 times
more people than were using it in 1995. Internet use grew rapidly in the West from the mid-1990s to early
2000s and from the late 1990s to present in the developing world. In 1994 only 3% of American classrooms
had access to the Internet while by 2002 92% did Most traditional communications media, including telephony
and television, are being reshaped or redefined by the Internet, giving birth to new services such as voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Internet Protocol television (IPTV). Newspaper, book, and other print publishing
are adapting to website technology, or are reshaped into blogging and web. The entertainment industry,
including Music, film, and gaming, was initially the fastest growing online segment. The Internet has enabled
and accelerated new forms of human interactions through messaging, Internet, and social networking. Online
shopping has grown exponentially both for major retailers and small artisans and traders. Business-tobusiness and financial services on the Internet affect supply chains across entire industries.

The Internet has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and
usage; each constituent network sets its own policies. Only the overreaching definitions of the two
principal name spaces in the Internet, the Internet Protocol address space and the Domain Name System (DNS),
are directed by a maintainer organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN). The technical underpinning and standardization of the core protocols is an activity of
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the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a non-profit organization of loosely affiliated international
participants that anyone may associate with by contributing technical expertise.

Advantages of The Internet Revolution

Speed of communication

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The internet means that people can communicate using a variety of media types in real time over long distances
now. In the past, the telephone and fax machines were the only devices that could communicate in real time and
they had major limitations.

Interactive link-up
Unlike traditional media such as books, which are static and read-only, the internet can provide services that
constantly update and are genuinely interactive. That means that many sources of information, at least in
theory, never go out of date, as happens with traditional media such as printed books or newspapers.

Global scale
The world wide web links up the entire planet in a way that has never existed before. It is truly international
and brings humanity together.

Freedom of ideas/democracy
For the first time in history, there can be a free exchange of ideas on local, national and international scale.
Oppressive regimes now struggle to control their populations access to news and other information and the
internet can be a useful tool for those organizing protests.

Pooling of knowledge
The entirety of human knowledge and experience can be stored online and be made accessible to anyone in the
world who has a computer and an internet connection.

Disadvantages of The Internet Revolution

Information overload

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It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to keep up with the amount of information they can receive over
the internet. Many workers now spend a large proportion of their lives just reading and answering emails, for
instance.

Lack of privacy
It is virtually impossible to control what personal information people put on internet and once it is out there,
you cannot take it back. Everything from embarrassing photographs to slurs on your character, or information
such as phone number or address can all cause problems.

Increasing government controls and restrictions

Recent scandals have shown that it is not just oppressive regimes like in North Korea and Iran, where
governments have taken an interest in spying on internet users. The Edward Snowden revelations revealed the
extent of internet spying in Western countries like the USA and UK.

Pirate media and illegal file sharing

The ease with which digital media can be copied and shared means that artists and creators now struggle to
keep their intellectual property rights on things that they create, whether it is music, movies, writing, or
software.

Attention span shortened

There is evidence that the internet is influencing the way that we think and that we are now more focused on
absorbing only short snippets of information. This means that we often have a broad coverage of knowledge,
but it is shallow traditional media, such as books, gave us far more depth.

MOBILE AND INTERNET

"Mobile to overtake fixed Internet access by 2014" was the huge headline summarising the bold prediction
from 2008 by Mary Meeker, an analyst at Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers who reviews technology trends
annually in May (see latest KPCB mobile technology trends).
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Well, we're now past the mobile Tipping Point as this report from comScore shows. So it's no longer a case of
asking whether mobile marketing important, we know it is! It's now a question of using the statistics to
understand how consumers behave when using different types of mobile devices and what their preferences are.

Q1. Percentage of consumers using mobile devices?

We've created a new summary showing the global popularity of using different digital devices using data from
Global Web Index to include in for our State of Digital Marketing 2015 infographic.
It clearly shows the popularity of smartphone ownership and emerging mobile devices like Smartwatches.

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Q3. Mobile media time - app vs mobile site usage?

Consumer preference for mobile apps vs mobile sites should also be thought through as part of mobile strategy.
This data from Nielsen on mobile media time shows the consumer preference for mobile apps which account
for 89% of media time in mobile as might be expected from the use of the most popular social network, email
and news apps.

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GPRS-Benefits
GSM's new GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) data transmission technology is optimized for "bursty"
datacom services such as wireless Internet/intranet and multimedia services. It is also known as GSM-IP
(Internet Protocol) because it will connect users directly to Internet Service Providers.
One of the main benefits of this new packet-switched technology is that users are always connected, always online, and may be charged only for the amount of data that is transported. Voice calls can be made
simultaneously over GSM-IP while a data connection is operating - depending on the phone Class and Type.
In a Class 8 device for example, there are four times as many receive channels as there are transmit channels, to
accommodate the higher bandwidth demands of data reception.
A class B terminal means that in the idle mode, there is a choice of whether to make a voice call, which would
be with a circuit switched connection or whether to transmit data, which would be sent in a packet format.
Users will also benefit from fast and easy up to 170 kbps data access to different services.
Two major new core network elements are introduced with GPRS: the SGSN and the GGSN. The SGSN
monitors the state of the mobile station and tracks its movements within a given geographical area. It is also
responsible for establishing and managing the data connections between the mobile user and the destination
network.
The GGSN provides the point of attachment between the GPRS domain and external data networks, such as the
Internet and corporate Intranets. Each external network is given a unique Access Point Name (APN) which is
used by the mobile user to establish the connection to the required destination network.
The GSM Base Station Subsystem (BSS) has been adapted to support the GPRS connectionless packet mode of
operation. A new functional node called the Packet Control Unit has been introduced (as part of the BSS) to
control and manage the allocation of GPRS radio resources to mobile users.
The modifications to the radio infrastructure and the additional functionality introduced with GPRS mean that
new Mobile Stations(MS) - typically handsets, PDA's, PCMCIA radio cards - are required.
Ericsson for example offers a robust IP end-to-end GPRS solution with open interfaces enabling integration
into multi-vendor networks.
The company's GPRS solution also offers leading-edge security for wireless use of intranet and corporate LAN
services.
GPRS is a smooth add-on to integrate into existing networks. For new operators, it's also attractive to launch
GPRS networks to provide competitive datacom services.
GPRS roaming
GPRS roaming is a basic requirement for making future global mobile Internet services possible for GPRS
subscribers in other operators' GPRS networks.

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The Charging Gateway (CG) provides the means to collect and co-ordinates the billing information produced
by the SGSN and GGSN before processing by the billing system.
The IP Domain Name Server (DNS) is needed to enable the user to establish a data session with the destination
network. It provides the mapping between APNs and GGSN IP addresses.
Earlier in 1999, Motorola and Cisco Systems Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet,
announced a strategic alliance to develop and deliver a New World framework for Internet-based, wireless
networks. This collaboration will deliver the first all-IP platform for the wireless industry, which unites
different standards for wireless services worldwide, and introduce an open, Internet-based platform for
integrated data, voice and video services over cellular networks.
Reliability
Currently, the support of differentiated Quality of Service (QoS) is minimal. However, GPRS does make it
possible to ensure the integrity of received data through the implementation of two reliable modes of operation:
RLC Acknowledged and LLC Acknowledged.
RLC acknowledged mode is used by default to ensure that the data received by/from the MS is without error.
LLC acknowledged mode is an optional feature that may be provided. This protocol ensures that all LLC
frames are received without error. However, use of this protocol has an impact on throughput since the correct
receipt of all LLC frames has to be acknowledged.
Latency & jitter
Latency is the time taken for data packets to pass through the GPRS bearer, normally measured as a round-trip
time. Jitter is the variability in this time.
In GPRS there are a number of factors contributing to the overall latency. These include:
the Mobile Station (MS)
radio resource procedures
the effective data throughput
the GPRS core network nodes.

GPRS Limitations
It should already be clear that GPRS is an important new enabling mobile data service which offers a major improvement
in spectrum efficiency, capability and functionality compared with today's nonvoice mobile services. However, it is
important to note that there are some limitations with GPRS, which can be summarized as:

Limited Cell Capacity for All Users

GPRS does impact a network's existing cell capacity. There are only limited radio resources that can be deployed for
different uses - use for one purpose precludes simultaneous use for another. For example, voice and GPRS calls both use
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the same network resources. The extent of the impact depends upon the number of timeslots, if any, that are reserved for
exclusive use of GPRS. However, GPRS does dynamically manage channel allocation and allow a reduction in peak time
signalling channel loading by sending short messages over GPRS channels instead.
RESULT: NEED FOR SMS as a complementary bearer that uses a different type of radio resource.

Speeds Much Lower in Reality

Achieving the theoretical maximum GPRS data transmission speed of 172.2 kbps would require a single user taking over
all eight timeslots without any error protection. Clearly, it is unlikely that a network operator will allow all timeslots to be
used by a single GPRS user. Additionally, the initial GPRS terminals are expected be severely limited - supporting only
one, two or three timeslots. The bandwidth available to a GPRS user will therefore be severely limited. As such, the
theoretical maximum GPRS speeds should be checked against the reality of constraints in the networks and terminals.
The reality is that mobile networks are always likely to have lower data transmission speeds than fixed networks.
RESULT: Relatively high mobile data speeds may not be available to individual mobile users until Enhanced Data rates
for GSM Evolution (EDGE) or Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) are introduced.

Support of GPRS Mobile Terminate by Terminals is Not Ensured

At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation from any handset vendors that mobile terminated GPRS calls (i.e.
receipt of GPRS calls on the mobile phone) will be supported by the initial GPRS terminals. Availability or not of GPRS
MT is a central question with critical impact on the GPRS business case such as application migration from other
nonvoice bearers.
By originating the GPRS session, users confirm their agreement to pay for the delivery of content from that service. This
origination may well be performed using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) session using the WAP microbrowser
that will be built into GHPRS terminals. However, mobile terminated IP traffic might allow unsolicited information to
reach the terminal. Internet sources originating such unsolicited content may not be chargeable. A possible worse case

GPRS Charging Schemes

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Existing and Future Charging

Schemes
Metered Charging
In metered charging the subscriber is charged for the connection to the service provider and in addition for
metered usage. The charge for the connection is usually paid on monthly basis and can include a certain amount
of free metered units. Three different types of metered charging are described below.

Charging Based on Units of Time

In this model charging is based on the time the connection is open between the user and the service
provider. GPRS characteristics produce problems in this kind of situation, because the connection can be left
open even if the terminal equipment is turned off. That is one reason why GPRS charging should be based on
another session parameters than time. Another problem in time based charging is that during
the GPRS session the connection is most of the time in idle state, so the there wouldnt actually be anything to
charge for. Charging based on time units is justified in circuit switched connections like GSM telephony, but
there isnt any suitable use for it in GPRS network.

Charging Based on Number of Packets

Charging based on number of transmitted or received packets is the proposed method of metering Internet
traffic. It gives accurate information of customers network usage and the absolute usage of the network and
the services . This charging model is also known as charging based on volume. The problem of this charging
model is the implementation of the packet counting systems and the packet data processing systems. Packet
based charging requires a complex system, which increases capital expenses. Also operational expenses of
packet based charging system rise because of the increased amount of the traffic information in the network.
The cost of measuring the sent and received packets can be even greater than the actual value of the packets.

Single Fee Charging

In single fee charging one fixed fee per service discharged from the user. These fees might differ
depending on the service used. For example MMS(Multimedia Messaging Service) is based on single fee
charging. Single fee charging might easily produce charging environment that is too complicated for the user. If
the network contains a lot of different services with different fees it might be real hard for the customer to keep
track of expectable expenses.

Conclusions
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GPRS

To develop effective and feasible charging models it is significant to find the balance between the complexity
of the charging system and the advantage the network provider will receive for having the system in place. It is
also important to be able to offer to the customers such services that there is enough control over the way they
are charged and the quality of service they receive but the services and charging are not too complicated.
Among Finnish GPRS operators block price charging seems to offer the most feasible way to produce a
flexible service environment to an average customer. Block price charging also enables operator to predict the
network usage of potential new customers. By using large unit of measurements (blocks) its possible to get
more accurate numerical information on future network usage. Linking of service level charging and network
level charging can be combined in various ways, but in all cases the result will be multivariable environment
that requires highly organized charging structures to enable operating in an effective and profitable way. While
combining service level charging with the network level charging it is crucial to define just a few different
methods to combine tariffs, because otherwise the complexity of the charging system will expand.

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GPRS

SURVEY
1. DO YOU USE MOBILE PHONE WITH GPRS
o YES
o NO
o SOMETIMES
2. WHAT COMPANYS GPRS FACILITY YOU ARE USING?
o AIRTEL
o VODAFONE
o MTNL
o IDEA
o OTHER
o
3. WHAT AMOUNT DO YOU SPEND ON GPRS?

o 50-100
o 100-150
o 150 & More

4. WHO FINACE THIS EXPENSE?

o POCKET MONEY
o YOURSELF BY WORKING PART TIME
5. HOW IT IS USEFUL TO YOU?
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

TO GET ACADEMIC INFORMATIONT

TO KEEP UPDATED WITH THE CURRENT AFFAIRS
TO KNOW ABOUT MARKET MOVEMENTS
TO GET HELP IN PRESENTATION
AS IT EASES MANUAL WORK
IT IS ECONOMICAL
IT SAVES TIME
LESS PAPER WORK

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GPRS

6. WHAT ILL EFFECTS YOU SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THIS?

o
o
o
o
o

WASTE OF TIME
EXESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY INFORMATION
OVER EXPOSURE TO SOCIAL MEDIA
LACK OF SINCERITY
FALSE, CULTURED UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION

7. IS IT USEFUL IN YOUR STUDIES?

o YES
o NO
o SOMETIMES

8. ARE YOU ENCOURAGED TO USE GPRS BY TEACHER AS A NEW TOOL TO GET

INFORMATION AND WIDEN THE KNOWLEDGE?
o ALWAYS
o SOMETIMES
o NEVER

9. SHOULD IT BE BANNED FROM SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES?

o YES
o NO
o CANT SAY
10. HOW THE ILL EFFECTS CAN BE CONTROLLED?

o LIMIT THE USE OF GPRS

o BLOCK CERTAIN SITES AND APPS
o NO USE OF MOBILE IN CLASS

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