The GSM System Global System

for Mobile Communications

Magne Pettersen
map@teleplan.no
(acknowledgements: Per Hjalmar Lehne, Rune Harald Rkken, Knut Erik
Walter, Anders Spilling)

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

GSM status (end 2006)

2.18 billion
connections in 212
countries

82 % market share
globally

An incredible
industry success!

But, let us take a few steps back

GSM The idea of a common European

mobile communications system

1982: A Nordic group is considering the next

generation of mobile telephone. NMT
(Nordisk Mobil Telefon), the analogue first
generation system has only just been started
These ideas are presented to CEPT
(European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations) in
June 1982
September 1982: The first meeting in CEPT
GSM Groupe Spcial Mobile
In 1988 ETSI (European
Telecommunications Standards Institute) is
established and the work is continued under
a new name: SMG Special Mobile Group

GSM - Specifications
Original specifications for the GSM system:
Good subjective voice quality
Low terminal and service cost
Support for international roaming
Support for handheld terminals
Support for new services
Spectrum efficient
Compatible with ISDN

GSM - Growth

80 %
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %

TM NMT

TM GSM

NetCom

9M01

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

1987

1986

1985

10 %
1984

3 200
3 000
2 800
2 600
2 400
2 200
2 000
1 800
1 600
1 400
1 200
1 000
800
600
400
200
0

1983

1991: First operational GSM network in Finland: Radiolinja

1993: Tele-mobil (later: Telenor Mobil) and NetCom GSM open their
networks in Norway
1998: GSM 1800 is deployed to increase capacity in cities and other
densely populated areas

1982

0%

GSM improvements 2.5 G

The need for data services increase:

In 1998-99 the HSCSD High Speed Circuit Switched Data - is
standardised. Introduced in Norway 1. July 2001 (Telenor)
I 1999 packet switching using GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service) is standardised. Introduced in Norway 1. February 2001
(Telenor)
Theoretical data rates up to 171 kbit/s

"2.5 G" EDGE Enhanced Datarates for GSM Evolution

Standardised in 2001-2002
Introduced in September 2004 deployment ongoing
Theoretical data rates up to 373 kbit/s

Some GSM terminals

Development..

Sony Ericsson W950i

the Walkman phone

HTC P4350
Pocket computer
running Windows

Some more GSM terminals

Nokia N95
iPhone

Apples
Samsung Blackjack
Mobile phone initiative with everything, e.g.
GPS built in

Competing standards
The CDMA family of standards is the second largest
group of mobile communications systems
340 million connections (November 2006)

Standard developed in USA

Strongest standing in the Americas
Also other

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

High level network architecture (1/2)

Services / Applications

Access Network
(AN)
SIM
ME:
Mobile equipment

UE: User equipment

Core Network
(CN)

Ext.
network

High level network architecture (2/2)

The network contains functionally of: User Equipment (UE),

Access Network (AN), and Core Network (CN)
User equipment: Interfaces the user, handles radio functionality
Access network: Communication to and from the user equipment,
handles all radio related functionality in the network
Core network: Communication between access network and external
networks, handles all switching and routing

Services and applications lie above the network

GSM user equipment

User equipment: Mobile equipment
(ME) + SIM card
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
contains encryption key and personal
data
The user is uniquely identified through
International Mobile Subscriber
Identity (IMSI)
The mobile equipment is uniquely
identified through International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI)
Both equipment and user uniquely
identified

SIM =
Subscriber Identity Module

SIM

ME

GSM Radio Access Network (GRAN)

cell
cell

Gb

Abis

cell

BTS

Packet domain

BSC

A
Circuit domain

BTS

BSC

Elements in GSM radio access network

Base Transceiver Station (BTS):
The base station, radio access point. The coverage area of one
BTS is a cell

Base Station Controller (BSC)

Controls a number of BTSs. Owns and controls the radio resources
within its domain

GRAN must handle interfaces towards both a packet switched

(packet domain) and a circuit switched (circuit domain) part of
the core network

Some base station equipment

Some more base station equipment

Typical macro cell

Typical micro cell

Open interfaces access network

The interfaces between network elements must be well defined
to achieve open interfaces, i.e. different network elements can
be delivered by different vendors
Interfaces in GRAN:
Um: The air interface between the mobile equipment and the BTS
Abis: Interface between BTS and BSC
A: Interface between GRAN and circuit switched part of core
network (CN).
Gb: Interface between GRAN and packet switched part of the core
network (CN)

GSM core network

Service platforms

External networks

HLR
PSTN/ISDN

GRAN

MSC

GMSC

Gb
SGSN
GGSN

IP network

Elements in GSM core network

MSC Mobile Switching Centre

Switch in the circuit domain. Contains copy of service profile for all users currently in
the MSC coverage area (Visiting Location Register VLR, not shown explicitly in figure)

GMSC Gateway MSC

Handles all traffic to and from GSM and external circuit switched networks, such as
PSTN, ISDN or other mobile networks

HLR Home Location Register

Database containing a master copy of all the mobile operators subscribers. There is
only one logical HLR per GSM network. HLR contains information about e.g. permitted
services and permitted roaming networks

SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node and GGSN Gateway GPRS Support
Node have similar functionality as MSC / GMSC, but for the packet switched part
of the network. GGSN handles connections to external IP networks

Also open interfaces between network elements. Not discussed here.

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

Fundamental functionality
The following functions are described:

Circuit switched connectivity

Packet switched connectivity
Mobile messaging
Security
Roaming
Choice of network
Location update
Handover

Circuit Switched connectivity

Mobile network

ISDN

Fixed connection and reserved resources while the communication lasts.

(Mobile) telephony
Circuit switched data, e.g. WAP, mobile office solutions using data cards etc.

Transparent channel with defined performance

Billing typically per time unit and dependant on transport data rate
Standard GSM: up to 14.4 kbit/s (more using HSCSD - High Speed Circuit
Switched Data)

Packet Switched connectivity

Mobile network

Internet or
different IP network

Resources allocated only when data is transferred

Same path through network can be maintained (but not necessarily)
Billing typically dependant on amount of data transferred (or fixed tarrifs)
GPRS: Theoretically up to 171 kbit/s, typically 40 50 kbit/s
4 different quality classes for packet bearer services:
Background

Typically automatic download of email, MMS

Interactive

Typically web/WAP-browsing, MMS, games

Streaming

Network radio, video streaming, web TV

Conversational

Voice, video conferencing

Mobile messaging formats

SMS: Short Message Service
Text based service to transfer up to 160 characters per message (solutions
exist to connect messages into longer messages, and also to carry other
types of content ring tones, logos)

MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service

A service for multimedia content, such as text, picture, sound, video

Both SMS and MMS are store and forward services, i.e.
messages are intermediately stored in the network

Security functions
The purpose of security functions is to protect users and
network against improper and illegal use:
Verify that the user has a valid subscription
Protect the users identity against tracking
Protection against wiretapping on the radio connection

The mechanisms in GSM are based on secure storage of

information in the users SIM card

Roaming (1/2)
Home network

ISDN (country A)

International
network
Visiting network

ISDN (country B)

Circuit switched call to a mobile in a visiting network

Roaming (2/2)
Home network

ISDN (country A)

International
network

ISDN (country B)

Visiting network

Mobile to mobile call in a visiting network

Effect referred to as tromboning

Choice of network
In GSM the following procedure is followed:
The latest used network is stored on the SIM
As long as a cell that fulfils the criteria is available from this
network, the mobile will not search for alternatives (the
exception is national roaming, in which case the mobile will
periodically search for the home network and connect when
this becomes available)
If the previously used network is not available, the mobile
searches for alternative networks
The mobiles can perform manually or automatic choice of
network

Location Area / Routing Area (1/2)

HLR
RA 1

LA 1

..IMSI
>LAI,RAI
..............

RA 2
LA 2

In GSM this is defined as follows:

Location area LA is the area in which the network is searching for a
registered mobile (not currently active) for circuit switched services
Routing area RA: Similarly for packet switched service

Location Area / Routing Area (2/2)

The dependency between LA and RA is dependant on the

practical realisation of the network. Normally they will be
identical
LA and RA contain a number of cells that can be reached from
the MSC or SGSN
LA and RA information for each mobile is stored in the HLR (in
the home network)
The mobile is responsible for updating the LA/RA information

Location update

A location update is performed when:

The mobile is connecting to a cell and discovers that the LAI read is
different than the one stored in the mobile
The mobile has been turned on, but not used, for a pre-defined period of
time since the last location update (periodic location update)

IMSI detach/attach:
An additional function where the mobile informs that it is turned on or off
(in the same LA), saves resources on the radio interface and leads to
fater response on incoming calls

Periodic detach
A network functionality where the network assumes that the mobile has
been turned off if periodic location update has not been performed and no
other activity has been observed for a pre-defined amount of time

Handover
To connect a call or communication session from one cell
to another (or to a different channel in the same cell)
Is normally performed because the signal level from the
current cell is becoming to low, but can also be done for
different reasons, such as too much traffic in a cell

Types of handover

Intra cell (to another channel in

the same cell) (1)
Inter cell, intra BSC (2)
Inter BSC, intra MSC (3)
Inter MSC (4)
In addition inter system handover
can sometimes be performed,
e.g. GSM to UMTS
Complicated, special rules apply

Type of handover has network

implications, but the algorithms to
decide handover are the same

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

GSM radio interface Main

characteristics
Frequency bands:
GSM 900:
890 915 MHz: Uplink (MS transmit)
935 - 960 MHz: Downlink (MS receive)

GSM 1800:
1710 - 1885 MHz: Uplink
1805 - 1880 MHz: Downlink

Carrier bandwidth: 200 kHz

Channels / carrier: 8
Multiple access:
TDMA / FDMA
Duplex:
FDD
Gross bit rate pr carrier:
270,833 kbit/s
Modulation: GMSK
Spectrum efficiency: 1.35 bps/Hz

Radio parameters:
MS:
Sensitivity: -104 (-102) dBm
Typical 106 dBm
Max. output power: 33 (30)
dBm

Numbers in parenthesis for GSM-1800

BTS:
Sensitivity: -104 (-104) dBm
Typical: 107 dBm
Max. output power: 43 dBm

Channels in GSM900

45 MHz

78
78
6
6
45
45
23
23
1
1
4
4
123 124

1 2

123124

200 kHz

890 MHz
MS transmit

915 MHz

935 MHz
MS receive

960 MHz

TDMA - principle

GSM uses TDMA within each carrier

Each user occupies the entire carrier one time slot pr. time frame
8 slots per frame

GSM Channel structure

25 MHz
124 carriers
Burst period

Time slot 1
Time slot 2
..

Logical channels built up

of physical channels
Control channels
Traffic channels

577 s
=Physical
channel

Logical channels divided

between:
Dedicated channels
Common channels
TDMA frame

= 4.615 ms
Time slot 8

GSM traffic channels

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 frame length: 120 ms
BP0 BP1 BP2 BP3 BP4 BP5 BP6 BP7 TDMA frame length: 4.6 ms

57
Data bit

26

Training
sequence

57

3 8.25

Data bit
Normal burst

Traffic channels (TCH) are used to carry voice or data

Typically uses one time slot per frame
Gross data rate per TCH: 22 kbps
Effective data rate lower because of forward error correction

Some GSM control channels

BCCH

Broadcast Control CHannel Continuously transmitted from the BTS. Contains

information about cell identity, frequency etc.

FCCH
SCH

Frequency Correction CHannel / Synchronisation CHannel Used to

correct/synchronise the frequency (FCCH) + time synchronise to the frame
structure. Each cell has a FCCH and a SCH

RACH

Random Access CHannel Used by the mobile to send a request to the

network for access. This is a slotted Aloha channel, no pre-allocation possible

AGCH

Access Grant CHannel Used by the network to inform the mobile that access
has been granted and information about which channel to use

PCH

Paging CHannel Used by the network to notify users about incoming calls.

Error correction coding in GSM

The different channels in GSM require different
degree of protection, and therefore have different
Forward Error Correction (FEC) schemes
However, three types of techniques are often
combined:
Block coding, well suited to detect and correct bursts of error
Convolutional coding, high performance but not optimal for
bursts of errors
Interleaving, spreading neighbouring bits out, to decorrelate
the relative position

Block coding

GSM uses two types of block codes:

Fire code 224 / 184 (control channels only)
k = 184
t = 20

Parity codes (only error detection, e.g. RACH)

No block codes used on data channels

Convolutional coding
When choosing depth (register length) in a
convolutional code there is a trade-off between
complexity and performance
GSM uses a register length of 5

Example of GSM rate convolutional code shown in

figure (used e.g. on a number of traffic channels)

Interleaving

Whitening process", optimising the conditions for the convolutional coder

Fundamentally important that the interleaving spreads the bit errors out
Interleaving depth improves performance, but also increases delay
GSM: Interleaving depth 4 19
Figure shows example with interleaving depth 4
Write in vertically, read out horizontally
On reception, do the reverse process

Forward error correction - Overview

Modulation
Assuming that everyone is familiar with digital
modulation :-)
Considerations upon choosing modulations scheme:
Spectrum efficiency
Out of band emission (rapid drop off desired to limit adjacent
channel interference)
Constant envelope desired for low cost amplifiers, e.g. in
handheld equipment

Always a trade off

In GSM: GMSK Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying is
used

GMSK (1/2)

Leftmost figure show spectrum for MSK, QPSK and BPSK

Rightmost figure shows envelope for different QPSK type
modulation schemes
MSK has constant envelope, relatively low sidelobes

GMSK (2/2)
GMSK further reduces sidelobes by using a Gaussian filter
Cost: introduces inter-symbol-interference (ISI)

Figures show time and frequency response

GSM uses BT = 0.3

Channel equaliser

Because of reflections, diffractions etc. in the radio channel, time

dispersion is often experienced
Transmitted signal arriving at the receiver from various directions over a
multiplicity of paths
Broadening of transmitted pulse, inter symbol interference (ISI)
Frequency selective fading

Must be counteracted by using some sort of equalisation

Maximum likelihood sequence estimator

GSM uses a Maximum Likelihood Sequence estimator (MLSE)

MLSE looks conceptually like shown in the figure below
The impulse response of the radio channel is calculated
A Viterbi algorithm is used to estimate the most likely (Maximum Likelihood - ML)
symbol sequence
MLSE is an optimal technique in terms of removing ISI, but the complexity
increases exponentially with the length of the channel response
GSM uses a MLSE which operates over 5 bit periods (approx. 16 s)

Power control
GSM uses power control, adjusting transmit power level in
accordance with path loss
Advantages:
Reduces interference
Reduces power consumption

Can also be used on downlink

Manner of operation, GSM:

The system (BSC) measures bit error rate (BER)

Transmit power adjusted up or down according to target value
Step size 2 dB
Maximum update interval: 60 ms

Power control - Example

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

Fundamentals
Planning and deploying a GSM network is from an
operators point of view a question of:
Build as few sites as possible, while maintaining required
coverage and capacity
Trade off

Coverage limited and capacity limited

A network can be either
Coverage limited:
The radio coverage decides the
BTS density
Typically rural areas, large cells,
high masts
Macrocells

Capacity limited:
The traffic decides the BTS
density
Typically urban areas, small cells,
low BTS position
Microcells

Frequency reuse

Frequencies can not be reused in every

cell due to co-channel interference (CCI)
A cell cluster uses all the operators
frequencies (A, B, C, E, F, G, H in Figure)
Co channel interference level decided by
Cell clustre size, and thereby Frequency
reuse distance (D in Figure)
Propagation properties
Can be reduced by different techniques:
Sectorisation
Cell splitting

Typical cell cluster size in GSM: 7

Coverage map example

Unfortunately cell
coverage is normally
neither hexagonal or
circular
Figure shows
coverage example
from a city centre
Complicates radio
planning

Hierarchical cell structures

In a GSM system it is common that cells of different sizes co-exist in that

same area:
Picocells, microcells, macrocells
This is called hierarchical cell structure
Can make handover (cell change) complicated. Often different types of
users are reserved for one cell type, e.g.:
Users walking indoors on picocell, users walking outdoor on microcell,
users driving use macrocell

Radio planning tools

Radio planning is most often performed assisted by an
automated process using a computer
Underlying functionality

Digital maps
Propagation modelling
System parameters and system performance
Traffic assumptions and theory

Often theoretical computer based modelling can be

tuned by real life data
Propagation measurements
Live network traffic data

Example Astrix

Content

Introduction
Network architecture
Fundamental functionality
Physical layer / radio interface
Radio planning
GSM in the future

GSM development

GPRS and EDGE has introduced packet data and support for
higher data rates into GSM
UMTS is a 3G technology building on GSM core network, which
is backwards compatible with GSM
GSM-UMTS handover supported
Almost all UMTS terminals are also GSM terminals

HSDPA / HSUPA (High Speed Downlink/Uplink Packet Access)

supports real mobile broadband

Trends (1) Convergence

Mobile communications system become more
broadband
At the same time computer network solutions start to
support mobility (e.g. WiFi, WiMAX)
Mobile goes broadband and broadband goes mobile?
Everything comes together?

Trends (2) Horizontal integration

Service 1

Service 2

Service n

WiMAX

WLAN

3G

GSM

IP
Satellite

The same services become available on different platforms and

on different devices
IP is the glue
Will mobile circuit switch disappear?

Fixed
line

Thank you for

your attention!