GSM

Global System for

Mobile
Communications

Contents
GSM Principles
Cellular Technology
GSM Network
Call Processing
Handoffs
GPRS
EDGE

MOBILE COMMUNICATION
OBJECTIVES
Any time Anywhere
Mobility & Roaming
High capacity & subs. density
Efficient use of radio spectrum
Seamless Network Architecture
Low cost
Flexibility
Innovative Services
Standard Interfaces

Public Land Mobile

Network
INDIA has adopted GSM standard

for PLMN.
Digital Cellular System.
Operates at 900 MHz.
International Roaming facility.
Power class 0.8 to 20W.
Cell Radius upto 35 Kms.
Maximum mobility speed 250 Km/hr.

Allocated GSM Frequency

Bands
GSM900 :
up: 890~915MHz
down: 935~960MHz
duplex interval: 45MHz
bandwidth: 25MHz
frequency interval:
200KHz
GSM1800 :
up: 1710-1785MHz
down: 1805-1880MHz
duplex interval: 95MHz
working bandwidth: 75MHz
frequency interval: 200KHz

EGSM900 :
up: 880~890MHz
down: 925~935MHz
duplex interval: 45MHz
bandwidth: 10MHz
frequency interval: 200KHz

GSM1900MHz:
up:1850~1910MHz
down:1930~1990MHz
duplex interval: 80MHz
working bandwidth: 60MHz
frequency interval: 200KHz

GSM PRINCIPLES
BANDWIDTH MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES
FDMA
TDMA
Cellular Technology &

Frequency Re-use Scheme

FDMA
Frequency Division Multiple

Access

Scheme
Uplink Frequency Band = (890 915) MHz
Downlink Frequency Band = (935 960)
MHz

Absolute Radio Freq Carrier Number

(ARFCN)
Bandwidth = 915 890 or 960 935
= 25 MHz

GSM
FDMA
890

915

25 MHz
1

890.4 890.6

200 kHz

45MHz

960

25 MHz
1

Mobile to Base
890.2

935

Base to Mobile
(MHz)

935.2

935.4

935.6

200 kHz

Channel layout and frequency bands of operation

TDMA
Time Division Multiple Access Scheme
One Radio Frequency = Eight Time Slots
One TDMA Frame = Eight Time Slots
One Time Slot = One Physical Channel
One Time Slot Duration = 0.577 msec

GSM
TDMA
Amplitude

45 MHz

F1
(Cell Rx)

5 6

7 8

F2

5 6

7 8

F1
F2
(Cell transmit)

Typical TDMA/ FDMA frame structure

Frequency

CELLULAR
TECHNOLOGY

11

Cellular Technology
Cell
Site
Cluster

CELLULAR MOBILE CONCEPTS

WHAT IS A CELL ?
A base station (transmitter) having a number of RF

channels is called a cell

Each cell covers a a limited number of mobile subscribers
within the cell boundaries ( Coverage area)
Typical Cell Radius Aprrox = 30 Km (Start up), 1 Km
(Mature)

Types of Cells
OMNI

CELLS
SECTOR CELLS
- Two Sector Cells
- Three Sector Cells

Fundamental problems
Radio range, or coverage
no. of channels, or voice

circuits
Full, seamless service
coverage
Large no. of subscribers in
the range of millions

Frequency Re-use Scheme

Frequency Re-use Scheme

CLUSTER

CELLULAR MOBILE CONCEPTS

GIVEN FREQ.
RESOURCE

7
1

6
5

A CLUSTER OF CELLS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

CELLULAR MOBILE CONCEPTS

CO-CHL INTERFERENCE :Interference caused by
another cell/mobile using the same frequency

Co Chl Interference is
a Function of Q
the re-use ratio:
Q =D / R

Higher Q

Reduced Co-Chl Interference

Lower Q

Increased Co-Chl Interference

CLASSIFICATION OF CELLS
MICRO CELL
MACRO CELL
UMBRELLA CELL

GSM subsystems
1. Network Subsystem includes the equipments

and functions related to end-to-end call.

2. Radio Subsystem includes the equipments

and functions related to the management of the

connections on the radio path.
3. Operations and Maintenance subsystem
includes the operation and maintenance of GSM
equipment for the radio and network interface.

Network
Architecture
OSS

1 MSC=16 BSC
1 BSC=1024 TRU

HLR

B
T
S

PSTN
ISDN
B
T
S

BSC
BSC

MSC VLR

A Interface
B
T
S

Air interface

Data
Networks

A-bis interface
MSC VLR

BSC:BASE STATION CONTROLLER, BTS: BASE TRANSRECEIVER STATION, OSS: OPERATION AND SUPPORT
SUBSYSTEM.ss

GSM Network Structure

GSM Service Area: Total area served by

the combination of all member countries

where a mobile can be served.
PLMN Service Area:It is one N/W area.
MSC Service Area:There can many
MSC/VLR in one PLMN area.It is one
Mobile Exch. Area.
Location Area: A LA is a part of the
MSC/VLR service area in which a MS may
move freely without updating location
information to the MSC/VLR exchange that
control the LA.
Cells

GSM
PLMN Service Area
II
II
MSC

MSC
MSC

VLR
VLR
MSC
II
I

IV

VLR

GSM

LA2

MSC Service
Area
VLR
LA1

LA3

MSC
LA4
LA5

LA6

LA2
LA3
LA1
VLR

GSM
Cells

LA4
MSC
LA5

C1
C6

LA6
C3
C2
C5

C4
C=CELL

GSM
Relation between areas in GSM

CellArea
Location
Area served by a BTS
Location Area
MSC Service Area
PLMN Service Area
GSM Service Area

Call Processing

28

Mobile To Land Call Set-up Scenario

Phases of Mobile To Land Call
( Mobile Originated Call- MO Call )

SETUP PHASE
RINGING PHASE
CONVERSATION PHASE
RELEASE PHASE

Mobile To Land Call Set-up Scenario

SETUP PHASE
- REQUEST FOR SERVICE ( CHANNEL ) BY MS
- CM SERVICE REQUEST
- AUTHENTICATION
- CIPHERING
- EQUIPMENT VALIDATION ( EIR CHECK )
- SETUP MESSAGE
- VALIDATION AT VLR
- ASSIGNMENT

Mobile To Land Call Set-up Scenario

Call Setup message
MSC/VLR
Release Complete
message to MS

Is the requested basic service

No

provisioned for the subscriber ?

Yes

Release Complete
message to MS

Preliminary Digit Analysis

Yes

Is the number of digits less than the

minimum expected?
No

1. Check of ODB( BAOC/BOIC/ BOIC Ex HC )

2. Subscriber call barring checks ( BAOC/BOIC e

ASSIGNM ENT

Land To Mobile Call Set-up Scenario

Phases of Land To Mobile Call
( Mobile Terminating - MT Call )

Routing Analysis
Paging
Authentication
Ciphering
Call-Setup
Call Release

Handover
Hard Handover Break before

make
Soft Handover make before break
Softer Handover

Evolution from GSM to 3G

The GSM Growth Phases
3G
EDGE
GPRS
2.5G
HSCSD
GSM
2G

GSM
Evolution

2G

2.5G

GSM

GPRS

GSM
GPRS
200 KHz carrier
200 KHz carrier
8 full-rate time slots 115 Kbps peak data rates
16 half-rate time slots

HSCSD
HSCSD
Circuit-switched data
64 Kbps peak data rates

3G

EDGE

UMTS

UMTS
EDGE
5 MHz carrier
200 KHz carrier
Data rates up to 384 Kbps 2 Mbps peak data rates
New IMT-2000 2 GHz spectrum
8-PSK modulation
Higher symbol rate

MAIN ADVANTAGES FOR OPERATORS

More Revenue :
By providing more than a mobile connection.
Also operator can charge on the basis of type and
amount of content accessed.
Huge Potential Market for Data Sevices :
Mobile Phone and Internet, both are fastest growing
technologies and GPRS is the merger of two.
Fast Roll-out and Continuous Network Expansion :
GPRS is an integral part of GSM.
GPRS uses excess voice capacity for data :
GPRS Packets are transmitted in short, free periods
between busy hour calls.

GPRS Vs GSM
GPRS
1. SUPPORTS BOTH CKT.
SWITCHED as well as
packet switched service.

GSM
Only circuit switched.

2. MS Utilizes Automatic
retransmission (ARQ) at
data link layer to re-transmit
error frames.

No re-transmission is
provided.

3. Multiple time slots can be

allotted to a single user

Single time slot per user.

4. One time slot can be allotted

to several users.

Single time slot per user.

5. Charging/ billing more complex

(Volume based, Q.O.S. based)

Simple time-based billing.

TYPICAL GPRS SERVICES

* Communications-

E-mail, fax,
intranet/ internet access.

* Value added services -

Information services, games,

e-commerce.

* Location-based applications - Navigation, traffic conditions,

airline/rail schedule, location finde
* Vertical applications -

Freight delivery, fleet managemen

sales-force automation

* Location sensitive
Advertising -

A user nearing a cinema hall or

a restaurant receives flashes of
advertisement

GPRS Network
MSC/
VLR

HLR

SMSGMSC

EIR

Signalling and data

Gr

Gs

Gd

Gf

Signalling

SGSN

BSC

Gb

Air (Um)

Gn

Gn

GGSN

GGSN

Gp

Gi

External
packet
network

Inter-PLMN
GPRS
Backbone

EDGE
Enhanced Data rates for GSM
Evolution
GPRS = General Packet Radio
System
EGPRS = GPRS + EDGE modulation

What EDGE would mean to

subscribers
Streaming Applications
Very high speed downloads
Corporate Intranet connections
Quicker MMS
Video Phone
Vertical corporate applications Video
Conference, Remote presentations