GSM & GPRS

By: Tamal Chakraborty

GSM Architecture

Components of a GSM network

Mobile Station

Provides access to the GSM network

Communicates across Um interface (air interface)
with base station transceiver in same cell as mobile
unit
Consists of a mobile equipment (ME) and a
subscriber identity module (SIM)
GSM subscriber units are generic until SIM is
inserted
SIMs roam, not necessarily the subscriber devices

Components of a GSM network

Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

BSS

consists of base station controller and one

or more base transceiver stations (BTS)
Each BTS defines a single cell
Includes

radio antenna, radio transceiver and a

link to a base station controller (BSC)

BSC

reserves radio frequencies, manages

handoff of mobile unit from one cell to another
within BSS, and controls paging
The BSC Communicates directly with MSC
The BSS also includes a transcoder (XCDR),
used to convert the speech or data output from
MSC into the form specified by GSM for
transmission over the air-interface.

Base Station Subsystem

Base Station Subsystem

Base Station Subsystem

Components of a GSM network

Network Subsystem

NS provides link between cellular network and

public switched telecommunications networks
Controls handoffs between cells in different BSSs
Authenticates users and validates accounts
Enables worldwide roaming of mobile users
Central element of NS is the mobile switching center
(MSC) and its associated system-control databases
and processors together with the required
interfaces.

MSC Databases

Home location register (HLR) database stores

information about each subscriber that belongs to
it
Visitor location register (VLR) database
maintains information about subscribers
currently physically in the region
Authentication center database (AuC) used for
authentication activities, holds encryption keys
Equipment identity register database (EIR) keeps
track of the type of equipment that exists at the
mobile station

MSC Databases

OMC & NMC

The Operation and maintenance

Center (OMC) is the centralized
maintenance and diagnostic
heart of the base station system
(BSS).
It allows the network provider
to operate, administer and
monitor the functioning of the
BSS.
Multiple NMCs are managed by
a Network Management Centre
(NMC)

GSM Radio Interface

AIR INTERFACE
BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION

Hz
60 M

-9
935
NK
I
L
N
DOW

MOBILE

0
89
LI
UP

NK

z
MH
15
9
-

GSM Radio Channels

GSM uses paired radio channels

890 to 915mhz
mobile to base UPLINK
935 to 960mhz
base to mobile DOWNLINK

124 radio carriers,

inter carrier
spacing 200khz.
8 channels/carrier

890MHz

915MHz

124

935MHz

960MHz

124

FDMA, TDMA, CDMA

FDMA
Separation of the whole spectrum into smaller frequency bands
A channel gets a certain band of the
spectrum for the whole time
Advantages:
k1
k2
k3
k4
no dynamic coordination
c
necessary
works also for analog signals
Disadvantages:
waste of bandwidth
if the traffic is
distributed unevenly
inflexible
guard spaces t

k5

k6

TDMA
A channel gets the whole spectrum for a certain amount of
time
Advantages:
only one carrier in the
medium at any time
throughput high even
for many users

Disadvantages:

k1

k2

k3

k4

k5

k6

c
f

precise
synchronization
necessary
t

Frequency-Time Multiplex
A channel gets a certain frequency band for a
certain amount of time. Example: GSM
Advantages:
Better protection against
tapping
Protection against frequency
selective interference
Higher data rates compared to
code multiplex

But: precise coordination

required
t

k1

k2

k3

k4

k5

k6

c
f

GSM Multiplexing
GSM combines FDM and
TDM:
bandwidth is subdivided
into channels of 200kHz,
shared by up to eight
stations, assigning slots for
transmission on demand.

GSM Frame Format

TRAFFIC CHANNELS

SIGNALLING CHANNELS

GSM TDMA Frame

Trail bits allow synchronization of transmissions

from mobile units
Encrypted bits encrypted data
Stealing bit - indicates whether block contains data or
is "stolen"
Training sequence used to adapt parameters of
receiver to the current path propagation characteristics

Strongest signal selected in case of multipath propagation

Guard bits used to avoid overlapping with other

bursts

Capacity & Spectrum

The need:
Optimum spectrum
usage
More capacity
High quality of
service
Low cost

increase capacity
without adding NEW BTS!

I wish I could

What can I do?

Network capacity at required QoS

with conventional frequency plan
Out of
Capacity!!!
Subscriber
growth
Time

Cell Size & Capacity

Cell size determines number of cells available to

cover geographic area and (with frequency reuse)
the total capacity available to all users
Capacity within cell limited by available
bandwidth and operational requirements
Each network operator has to size cells to handle
expected traffic demand

Cell structure

Implements space division multiplex: base station covers a certain

transmission area (cell)
Mobile stations communicate only via the base station
Advantages of cell structures:
higher capacity, higher number of users
less transmission power needed
more robust, decentralized
base station deals with interference, transmission area etc. locally
Problems:
fixed network needed for the base stations
handover (changing from one cell to another) necessary
interference with other cells

Cell-Sectoring

The problem with employing Omni-directional cells (Radiate

waves to 360 degrees) is that as the number of MSs increases
in the same geographical region, we have to increase the
number of cells to meet the demand.
To gain a further increase in capacity within the geographic
area we can employ a technique called sectorization.
Sectorization splits a single site into a number of cells, each cell
has transmit and receive antennas and behaves as an
independent cell.
This has a number of advantages: firstly, as
we are now concentrating all the energy from the cell in a
smaller area 60, 120, 180 degrees instead of 360 degrees, we
get a much stronger signal, which is beneficial in locations
such as in-building coverage.
Secondly, we can now use the same frequencies in a much
closer re-use pattern, thus allowing more cells in our
geographic region which allows us to support more MSs.

Cell-Sectoring

Cell-Splitting

Split a bigger cell into number of smaller cells

Decrease

transmission power in base and mobile

Results in more and smaller cells
Reuse frequencies in non-contiguous cell groups
Example: cell radius leads 4 fold capacity increase

Cell-Splitting

Cell Distribution in a
Network

Rural
Highway
Suburb

Town

GSM Signaling Protocol Architecture

Abis

Um

BTS

BSC

MSC

GPRS Network Architecture

GBS

GBS consists of:

Serving

GPRS Support Node (SGSN)

Gateway GPRS Support Node GGSN)

GPRS Benefits

Optimal support for packet switched traffic. The

operator can join the Internet boom with true IP
connectivity
The possibility to offer new, innovative services. New
user segments such as telemetry of electric meters will
become accessible to the operator
The ability to profit with idle capacity that would
otherwise be used only to cover peak-hour traffic.
Many users can use one time-slot simultaneously
It is economical to the user as it supports multiple
users on the same channel(s)

Thank You!!