UNIVERSAL MOBILE

TELECOMMUNICATION
SYSTEM (UMTS)
 INTRODUCTION
(HISTORY)
Universal Mobile Telecommunication System
(UMTS)
UMTS is a third generation mobile cellular system
for networks based on the GSM standard.
• UMTS is an umbrella term for the third generation
radio technologies developed within 3GPP
• It uses wideband code division multiple access (W-
CDMA) radio access technology to offer greater
spectral efficiency and bandwidth to mobile
network operators.
UMTS offers a consistent set of services to mobile
computer and phone users at any location world
wide.
 INTRODUCTION
(HISTORY) CONT.…
They are intended to provide a global mobility with
range of services including telephony, paging,
messaging, Internet and broadband data.

The plan was once UMTS is fully available,

computer and phone users can be constantly attached
to the Internet wherever they travel and, as they
roam, will have the same set of capabilities.

Unlike EDGE and CDMA2000, UMTS requires new

base stations and new frequency allocations.
 UMTS CHARACTERISTICS

• Higher peak data rates for the end user.

International Telecommunications Union
(ITU) has not provided a clear definition of
the data rate that users can expect from 3G
equipment or providers. A minimum data rate
of 2 Mbit/s for stationary or walking users,
and 348 Kbit/s in a moving vehicle.
UMTS CHARAX CONT. …
• Security
3G networks offer greater security than their 2G
predecessors by allowing the User Equipment (UE)
to authenticate (show) the network it is attaching to,
the user can be sure the network is the intended one
and not an impersonator(pretender).
• More bandwidth due to new radio spectrum in
UMTS
UMTS uses wideband CDMA as the radio transport
mechanism and the UMTS frequency channels are
spaced by 5 MHz
 UMTS ARCHITECTURE

The UMTS Network architecture has three main

entities:
1. UMTS Core Network (CN)
2. UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network
(UTRAN)
3. User Equipment (UE)
 UMTS ARCHITECTURE
CONT. …

User Equipment (UE)

• The mobile station (MS) of GSM is referred
as user equipment (UE) in UMTS.
• It is enabled with an UMTS SIM (USIM-
Universal Subscriber Identity Module).
 UMTS ARCHITECTURE
CONT...
UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network
(UTRAN)
UTRAN consist of Radio Network Subsystems
(RNSs).
The Radio Network Subsystems has two main
elements:
o Node B
o Radio Network Controllers (RNC).
 UTRAN CONT.…
Radio network controller (RNC)
• The RNC is responsible for control of the radio
resources in its area. One RNC controls multiple
nodes B.
• The RNC in UMTS provides functions equivalent
to the Base Station Controller (BSC) functions in
GSM/GPRS networks.
• The major difference is that RNCs have more
intelligence built-in than their GSM/GPRS
counterparts. For example, RNCs can
autonomously(freely) manage handovers without
involving MSCs and Serving GPRS Support Node
(SGSNs).
 THE FUNCTIONS OF RNC
Radio Resource Control
Admission Control
Channel Allocation
Power Control Settings and Handover
Control
Segmentation / Reassembly
Broadcast Signaling
Open Loop Power Control
 NODE B:
• Node B is responsible for air-interface processing and
some radio-resource management functions.
• Node B in UMTS networks provides functions
equivalent to the base transceiver station (BTS) in
GSM/GPRS networks. UMTS operates at higher
frequencies than GSM/GPRS and therefore the signal
coverage range is less.

• The functions of Node-B

Air interface Transmission / Reception
Modulation / Demodulation
CDMA Physical Channel coding
Error Handing
Closed loop power control
 UMTS ARCHITECTURE CONT.…

Core Network (CN)

The UMTS network architecture is partly based on
existing 2G network components and some new 3G
network components. It inherits the basic functional
elements from the GSM architecture on the core
network (CN) side.

The core network provides all the central processing

and management for the system. It is the equivalent of
the GSM Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)
 3G UMTS CORE NETWORK
CONT.…
The UMTS Core Network may be split into two
different areas:
• Circuit switched elements
These elements are primarily based on the GSM network
entities and carry data in a circuit switched manner, i.e. a
permanent channel for the duration of the call.
• Packet switched elements
These network entities are designed to carry packet data.
This enables much higher network usage as the capacity
can be shared and data is carried as packets which are
routed according to their destination.
 CIRCUIT SWITCHED ELEMENTS

The circuit switched elements of the UMTS core

network architecture include the following network
entities:
• Mobile switching center (MSC): This is essentially
the same as that within GSM, and it manages the
circuit switched calls under way. The 3G MSC
provides the interconnection to external networks like
PSTN.
• Gateway MSC (GMSC): This is effectively the
interface to the external networks and handle the SMS
from point to point.
 CIRCUIT SWITCHED ELEMENTS
CONT.….
SMS-Gateway Mobile Switching Center
The SMS-Interworking MSC (IWMSC) is an MSC
capable of receiving a short message from the mobile
network and submitting it to the appropriate SMSC

The SMS-GMSC is an MSC capable of receiving a

terminated short message from a service center,
interrogating an HLR for routing information and
SMS information, and delivering the short message to
the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of the
recipient UE.
 PACKET SWITCHED ELEMENTS
UMTS Packet Switched Elements core network
architecture include the following network entities:
Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)
SGSN was first developed when GPRS was introduced,
and its uses has been carried over into the UMTS network
architecture. SGSN functions within the UMTS network
architecture:
• Mobility management and Billing
• Session management
• Interaction with other areas of the network.
• Also provides the appropriate signaling and data
interfaces including connection to an IP-based network
toward the 3G-GGSN, toward the HLR/EIR/AUC and
TCP/IP or SS7 toward the UTRAN.
 PACKET SWITCHED ELEMENTS
CONT.…

Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)

The Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) is the
central element within the UMTS packet switched
network. It handles inter-working between the UMTS
packet switched network and external packet switched
networks and can be considered as a very sophisticated
router. In operation, when the GGSN receives data
addressed to a specific user, it checks if the user is active
and then forwards the data to the SGSN serving the
particular UE.
 UMTS FREQUENCIES
The UMTS frequency bands are radio
frequencies used by third generation
(3G) wireless Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System networks. They were
allocated by delegate to the World Administrative
Radio Conference (WARC-92) held in Málaga-
Torremolinos, Spain in 1992, adopted at the World
Radiocommunication Conference held in Geneva,
Switzerland in 1997, endorsed the bands
specifically for the International Mobile
Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000)
specification by referring to S5.388, which states “
 UMTS FREQUENCIES

The electromagnetic radiation spectrum for

UMTS has been identified as frequency
bands 1885-2025 MHz for future IMT-2000
systems, and 1980-2010 MHz and 2170-
2200 MHz for the satellite portion of UMTS
systems.
 UMTS ENHANCEMENT

The basic 3G UMTS cellular system enabled data

rates up to 2048kbps to be achieved. However as
the use of data rapidly increased, these figures
were no longer enough and further data rate
increases were required.
 UMTS ENHANCEMENT CONT…

A scheme known as HSDPA, high speed

downlink packet access was first introduced to
enable the downlink speed to be increased.
 This was followed with HSUPA, high speed
uplink packet access was introduced. The
combined suite was then known as HSPA,
high speed packet access.
 UMTS ENHANCEMENT
CONT.…
• The basic 3G UMTS was able to provide a good
increase in data performance over that of GPRS
and EDGE, although the expected use of video did
not occur when the basic form of UMTS was
introduced. It was too slow especially when many
users were connected. However the enhancements
in terms of HSPA helped increase the performance
and data usage increased at a much greater rate.
 UMTS ENHANCEMENT
CONT…
With the change from 2G to 3G, the emphasis for the
systems changed from a focus on mobile voice
communications to mobile data and general
connectivity.
The foundations for the UMTS network had been set in
place when GSM was launched. This provided the basic
access elements as well as circuit switched voice. The
additional of packet data with GPRS required additional
network entities to be added. It was the combination of
these two network elements that provided the basis for
the 3G UMTS network architecture.
 ADVANTAGES OF UMTS
• Fast Internet
• Video calling capabilities
• Overcrowding is relieved in existing systems with
radio spectrum
• Bandwidth, security and reliability are more
• Provides interoperability among service providers
• Availability of fixed and variable rates
• Support to devices with backward compatibility with
existing networks
• Always online devices – 3G uses IP connectivity
which is packet based
• Multimedia services are available
 DISADVANTAGES OF UMTS
The cost of cellular infrastructure , upgrading base
stations is very high
Needs different handsets.
Roaming and data/voice work together has not yet
been implemented
Power consumption is high
The frequency of 3G transmission is different so
this means that the cellular service provider must
install the proper configuration at each base station
which can be costly .
Requires Spectrum-license costs, network
deployment costs and handset subsidies subscribers
are tremendous.
 REFERENCES
• McGraw-Hill publishing company ltd,. (2019). 3G networks
Architecture, Protocols and Procedures (Based on 3GPP specifications
for UMTS WCDMA networks) (2nd ed.). New Delhi.
• Holma, H., & Toskala, A. (2010). WCDMA for UMTS - HSPA evolution
and LTE. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
• What is UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service)? -
Definition from WhatIs.com. (2019). Retrieved from
https://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/UMTS
• notes, e. (2019). What is 3G UMTS | WCDMA Tutorial | Electronics
Notes. Retrieved from https://www.electronics-
notes.com/articles/connectivity/3g-umts/what-is-umts-wcdma-
tutorial.php
• http://www.ques10.com/p/2624/what-is-the-umts-list-important-
features-of-the--1/
 UMTS GROUP
NAME REG. NUMBER

1. EVODI KESSY

2. ELINAIKE O MATHERU 17051013031