1145133/8038-11/GTBKIET, Malout

MID-TERM REPORT
Of
Six Months Industrial Training
Held at

AIRTEL
(Gurgaon)
Submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirement
for the 8th semester curriculum degree of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
In
ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
of
PUNJAB TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, JALANDHAR
Under the Guidance of :Mr. Anubhav Raj

Submitted By :Shailesh Pratap Singh

Inst. Roll No. 8038/11
Uni. Regd. No. 1145133

Submitted To :Mr. Parminderjeet Singh Bhullar

H.O.D. (E.C.E.)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

GURU TEG BAHADUR KHALSA INSTITUTE OF

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
CHHAPIANWALI (MALOUT)

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Acknowledgement
With deep sense of gratitude, I Would like to take this opportunity to thank my Training
Co-ordinator Mr. Anubhav Raj (Training Guide), Airtel who gave his best
support & co-ordination during my summer training. His involvement & unstinted
support always gives his the confidence to do my work. Without His guidance this project
report would not have seen the light of the day.
I am also very thankful to Mr. Parminderjeet Singh Bhullar (H.O.D.)

Electronics

&

Communication

Engineering,

G.T.B.K.I.E.T.,

Chhapianwali (Malout) for their kind co-opration to complete this report. I would
like to thank the people who took their time to help me to complete this project. I would
like thanking my friends who were of immense help to me.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank my parents who were a source of support
throughout the making of the report.
Thanks
Shailesh Pratap Singh

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sr. No.

Description

Page No.

1.

Bharti Airtel

1-8

2.

GSM

3.

History of GSM

10

4.

Growth of GSM

11-12

5.

GSM Architecture

13-14

6.

Base Station and Network Subsystem

15-16

7.

Burst

17-18

8.

Speech Transmission

19

9.

User Data Transmission

20

10.

GPRS

21

11.

Introduction to Cell Phone Working

22-26

12.

Cell Phone & CBS

27

13.

Cellular Access Technologies

28

14.

FDMA

29

15.

TDMA

30

16.

TDMA/GSM

31-32

17.

Bibliography

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1. BHARTI ENTERPRISES
History
Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited was incorporated on July 7, 1995 for promoting
investments in telecommunications services. Its subsidiaries operate telecom services
across India. Bharti Tele-Ventures is India's leading private sector provider of
telecommunications services based on a strong customer base consisting of
approximately 11.84 million total customers which constitute, approximately 10.98
million mobile and approximately 857,000 fixed line customers, as of March 31, 2005.
The company was initially manufacturing telecom instruments but gradually moved on
the other areas of the telecom. Group has moved rapidly to be a Pan Indian integrated
telecom service provider as far as the cellular sector is concerned. It is the leader in
Northand has entered the western sector.
As a group, it stamps its presence in cellular, fixed line, national long distance, V-sat and
broadband including datacom and cyber solutions. Large investments are envisaged in
these projects during the next three years. For example, an investment of US $ 650
million is earmarked for submarine cable project along with SingTel, which will have
eight-tera bits/sec capacity.
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises. The Bharti
Group, has a diverse business portfolio and has created global brands in the
telecommunication sector. Bharti has recently forayed into retail business as Bharti Retail
Pvt. Ltd. under a MoU with Wal-Mart for the cash & carry business. It has successfully
launched an international venture with EL Rothschild Group to export fresh agri products
exclusively to markets in Europe and USA and has launched Bharti AXA Life Insurance
Company Ltd under a joint venture with AXA, world leader in financial protection and
wealth management.

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Airtel comes to you from Bharti Airtel Limited, Indias largest integrated and the first
private telecom services provider with a footprint in all the 23 telecom circles. Bharti
Airtel since its inception has been at the forefront of technology and has steered the
course of the telecom sector in the country with its world class products and services. The
businesses at Bharti Airtel have been structured into three individual strategic business
units (SBUs) - Mobile Services, Airtel Telemedia Services & Enterprise Services. The
mobile business provides mobile & fixed wireless services using GSM technology across
23 telecom circles while the Airtel Telemedia Services business offers broadband &
telephone services in 95 cities and has recently launched India's best Direct-to-Home
(DTH) service, Airtel digital TV. The Enterprise services provide end-to-end telecom
solutions to corporate customers and national & international long distance services to
carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand.
Businesses
Bharti Tele-Ventures current businesses include
Mobile services
Fixed-line
National and international long distance services
VSAT, Internet services and network solution
Airtel Digital
Airtel Broadband
& Many More

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PRESENT STRATEGY AND VISION
Bharti Tele-Ventures' strategic objective is: to capitalise on the growth opportunities that
the Company believes are available in the Indian telecommunications market and
consolidate its position to be the leading integrated telecommunications services provider
in key markets in India, with a focus on providing mobile services. The Company has
developed the following strategies to achieve its strategic objective:
Focus on maximizing revenues and margins;
Capture maximum telecommunications revenue potential with minimum
geographical coverage;
Offer multiple telecommunications services to provide customers with a "one-stop
shop" solution;
Position itself to tap data transmission opportunities and offer advanced mobile
data services;
Focus on satisfying and retaining customers by ensuring high level of customer
satisfaction;
Leverage strengths of its strategic and financial partners; and
Emphasize on human resource development to achieve operational efficiencies.
Competitive Strengths
Bharti Tele-Ventures believes that the following elements will contribute to the
Company'ssuccess as an integrated telecommunication services provider in India and will
provide the Company with a solid foundation to execute its business strategy:
Nationwide Footprint - As of March 31, 2005, 100% of India's total mobile
subscribers resided in the Company's twenty three mobile circles. These 23 circles
collectively /accounted for approximately 100% of India's land mass;
Focus on telecommunications to enable the Company to better anticipate industry
trends and capitalise on new telecommunications-related business opportunities;
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The strong brand name recognition and a reputation for offering high quality
service to its customers;
Quality management team with vision and proven execution skills; and
The Company's strong relationships with international strategic and financial
investors such as SingTel, Warburg Pincus, International Finance Corporation,
Asian Infrastructure Fund Group and New York Life Insurance.
The key demographics of Bharti Tele-Ventures' mobile circles are set forth below:

1145133/8038-11/GTBKIET, Malout
Bharti Tele-Ventures has also come out with a unified brand strategy for all telecom
services, with Airtel as the flagship brand. The unified brand strategy will make life
simple for customers, providing them with more choice, a larger distribution network,
best value plans and unique bundling offers.Under the Airtel brand, the company plans to
offer a suite of world-class telecom services and solutions ranging from wireless to fixedline, from data and broadband to long distance and enterprise services. Bhartis unified
brand strategy is pursuant to the coming in of the unified license regime and the
companys high growth strategy. The unified brand will result in cost-efficiencies,
economies of scale and quality advantages for Bharti while also making Airtel Indias
first truly integrated telecom services brand.Consequent to the unified brand strategy,
Touchtel and IndiaOne brands will now be Airtel
Under the new brand architecture, Bhartis telecom services are being clubbed under four
Heads:
Airtel Mobile Services - Mobile Services
Airtel Telephone & Broadband Services
Airtel Long Distance Services
Long distance service (ILD & NLD)
Airtel Enterprise Services
Single window end-to-end telecom solutions for large corporates
An integrated brand also brings in the benefits of a larger distribution network, best value
plans, and unique bundling offers.
Enhanced Convenience:
Being countrys first truly integrated telecom services brand, Airtel will be a one-stop
provider of telecom services, thereby bringing in added convenience to its customers.
More than 9 million customers will now have a uniform, special service experience at
nearly 600 Airtel Connects in the country spread, across its length and breadth. There will

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also be added convenience on bill payment, query redressal, access to drop boxes and
other best in class common quality standards and processes.
The change to leverage opportunities:
With a vision to be "a globally admired company that delights customers", the integrated
brand Airtel, will bring in the virtues of trust, innovation and scale to the entire spectrum
of telecom services being offered by Bharti. Airtel will also bring simplicity in identity,
build greater product and brand differentiation, offer enhanced value for every segment
and be a single window provider of customized telecom service and solutions, thereby
delivering simple but special brand experience at all touch points - every single time.
This will help the company emerge as a leader, which offers the largest menu of
relevantworld-class telecom products and services for all segments across the length and
breadth of India.With a view to target 5 million expats, NRIs and ethnic Indians across
the globe, the Bharti group has its prepaid cards sold overseas in the local currency of a
country. Distribution of AirTel prepaid cards in Singapore, Malaysia and across the Gulf
is already being done. Off-the-shelf distribution of prepaid cards is done across the US,
UK, Canada, Thailand and Indonesia. Under the proposed distribution model,
international travelers can buy AirTel prepaid cards in their home country and activate
them on landing in India.

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2. GSM Introduction

Global System for Mobile Communications

The name says it all. GSM is a system for connecting mobile communications, such as
mobile phones, on a worldwide basis.

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3. The History of GSM
The history of GSM stretches back as far as 1982, when Groupe Spciale Mobile, (which
originally gave the standard its acronym) was formed within the European Conference of
Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). The Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) Group was set up in September 1987 and subsequently evolved
into the GSM (MoU) Association, a non-profit organization with its headquarters in
Dublin. Starting as a GSM network operators club, the GSM Association now also roofs
equipment manufacturers, suppliers and operators for satellite and 3G systems, as well as
regulators and administrative bodies.
The GSM Association represents over 460 members from 150 countries, with 200
networks currently in operation worldwide. It claims to represent 66% of the digital
cellular market, a total of more than 360 million subscribers.
The GSM standard was set when the major players in the European telecommunications
industry got together and discussed a new digital mobile communications standard, which
would suit everybody. The standard evolved with a lot of work by different groups of
engineers, combining their ideas. These committees comprised of experts from
manufacturers, future network providers and some permanent expert staff assigned from
European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI).
The GSM standard, originally aimed at the 900 MHz band in Europe, has proved so
robust that it has been adopted for the PCN service at 1800 MHz, initially in Europe and
later for one of the 1900 MHz PCS services in North America. New bands have been
identified where analog networks are being phased out: in the 450/480 MHz range in
Europe and Asia, and at 850 MHz in America.

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4. Growth of GSM
At the start of GSM in 1992, it was a system intended to ensure that Europeans could
roam their continent and use their handset wherever they chose to travel. A system
designed by Europeans for deployment in Europe.
Four years later the GSM network had over one million subscribers. The worldwide trend
towards the deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications meant that a host of
new players were entering the mobile market. The GSM specifications were feature-rich
and offered a range of services that would enable new operators to differentiate
themselves from their rivals. And at the heart of the trend towards GSM ascendancy was
its capacity for global roaming. In short, the world was ready for GSM. By the middle of
the nineties GSM had expanded beyond Europe and Australia, establishing a presence in
areas as diverse as India, Africa, Asia and the Arab world and it is not stopping there.

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Global Cellular Market Trends

As you can see on the diagram below, GSM is the largest cellular system, with some
market research organizations predicting users of 1 billion by the year 2005.

Benefits and Features of GSM

Users benefit from the following capabilities:
Superior speech quality (equal to or better than the analog cellular technologies)
Low terminal, operational and service costs
High level of security (confidentiality and fraud prevention)
International roaming (under one subscriber directory number)
Support of low-power hand-portable terminals
Long talk time and standby time due to constant envelope modulation

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5. GSM Architecture
The functional architecture of GSM can be broadly divided into:
Mobile station (MS)
Base station (BS)
Network subsystem
Mobile Station

The mobile station can be divided into two parts. The first part is the mobile equipment,
which in network terms is anonymous. The subscriber information, which includes a
unique identifier called the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) is stored in
the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). The SIM is a smart card with a processor and
memory chip permanently installed in a plastic card, which is either the size of a credit
card, or in a smaller version called the plugin SIM (see next page).

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Certain subscriber parameters are stored on the SIM card, together with personal data
used by the subscriber, such as personal phone directory numbers. The SIM

card

identifies the subscriber to the network. Since only the SIM can personalize a phone, it is
possible to travel abroad, taking only the SIM card, rent a mobile phone at the
destination, and then use the phone just as if it were a personal mobile phone at home. To
protect the SIM card from improper use, a security feature is built-in. Before the mobile
phone can be used, a four-digit personal identification number (PIN) must be entered.
The PIN is stored on the card.

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6. BASE STATION AND NETWORK SUBSYSTEM

With the SIM card, each mobile phone is given a unique identity. As soon as the mobile
phone is switched on, it registers with the network and is authenticated. This way the
network can always find the mobile phone. A large amount of data is transferred to and
from the following:
Visitor Location Register (VLR)
Contains the relevant data of all mobiles currently located in a serving Mobile Services
Switching Center (MSC), but not belonging to the area. Home Location Register (HLR)
Stores the identity and user data of all the subscribers belonging to the area.
Authentication Center (AC)
Provides the HLR with different sets of parameters to complete the authentication
of a mobile station.
Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
An option that the network operator can use to enforce security. With this feature the
network can identify whether the mobile phone is stolen or due to some defect in the
hardware, may not be used in the network. A subscriber wishing to make an outgoing
phone call, dials the requested number, sending a signal to the nearest base station. The
base station sends the data to the MSC, whose job is to switch calls between the mobile
users and between mobile and fixed network users. In this case the data is transferred
over the Public. Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a fixed telephone.
Channel Utilization

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A key feature of GSM is channel utilization. Each radio frequency (RF) channel of 200
kHz uses TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) to provide 8 time slots. FDMA
(Frequency Division Multiple Access) is used to provide other 200 kHz wide RF
channels. On each RF channel, a stream of bits is transmitted, carrying information
to/from various mobile stations. This bit stream is divided into units called time frames
and then each frame is split into eight time slots. When you make a phone call, the
information is compressed into one of these time slots, which is then transported to the
person you are having a conversation with, and then decompressed. It all happens
incredibly quickly, at a rate of 4.615 ms for a whole frame. This means that eight people
can be having a conversation at the same time, using the same carrier frequency.
One time frame consists of eight time slots. Data is compressed and sent, for example,
in time slot 3, as shown in the figure below.

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7. BURST
A mobile station may only transmit data during the time slot assigned to it. Apart from
this, it must not emit any power. Therefore, it must increase the transmitted power very
quickly (within less than 30 s) from zero to nominal. And once it has transmitted data, it
must abruptly decrease the power again. This radio pulse is called a burst.
Below you can see a diagram of the Power/Time Template. The radio is only allowed
to transmit RF power contained within the Power/Time Template shown.

There are five types of burst defined in GSM. These carry data or process speech or
provide other network functions within the time slot.
Normal Burst
With the normal burst the actual information about the conversation is carried. 116 of the
148 bits are the real data, the other bits are basically for synchronization. The normal
burst is shown in the figure below.

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Frequency Correction Burst
Since frequency timing is critical in the system, the BS has to allow an MS to
synchronize with the master frequency of the system. To do this, the BS transmits a
pure sine wave signal for one time slot. It is 148 bits long and made up of zeros to
provide a reference carrier.
Synchronization Burst
This burst helps the MS to synchronize its timing with the network, using a longer
training sequence.
Random Access Burst
The MS transmits this kind of burst randomly and only when the MS is trying to
gain initial access to the system.
Dummy Burst
Basically, this burst is transmitted by the BS on unused time slots. In order to increase the
system capacity, GSM utilizes TDMA in combination with FDMA. This means that n
different carrier frequencies are used within a radio cell to establish communication.
Consequently, the combined use of TDMA and FDMA increases the number of possible
concurrent calls within one radio cell by a factor of n. Example of the TDMA being used
in combination with FDMA.

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8. Speech Transmission

Three different algorithms are currently in use for speech transmission:

Full Rate Speech (TCH/FS)
The TCH/FS was the first method for speech transfer over a digital GSM channel. The
algorithm is called RPE-LTP (Regular Pulse Excited Codec with Long Term Prediction),
with a data rate of 13 kbit/s before channel encoding.
Half Rate Speech (TCH/HS)
The TCH/HS codec uses the VSELP (Vector Sum Excited Linear Predictor) algorithm
which can be used to multiplex two calls into one time slot, so that more calls can be
made on the same number of carriers. It usually saves some power from the battery as
well. The bit rate is 5.6 kbit/s.
Enhanced Full Rate Speech (TCH/EFS)
The TCH/EFS codec uses an ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction)
algorithm at 12.2 kbit/s. It is a development of the mid-90s yielding superior voice
quality.
Another method is currently being implemented:
Adaptive Multirate (AMR) (TCH/AFS, TCH/AHS)
The AMR codec allows fast switching between full- and half-rate operation, depending
on the network operator's priority for either higher capacity or higher quality (especially
at bad reception quality). In the full-rate mode, it gives the radio link 4 to 6 dB more
sensitivity, whereas in the half-rate mode, there is still wireline quality at low error
conditions.

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9. User Data Transmission

In addition to speech, mobile phones may also be able to transmit user data, e.g. from a
connected PC or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The standard rate supported by GSM
is 9.6 kbit/s. This rate may be sufficient for fax transfer but seems inadequate in todays
high-speed communications world, where e-mails may contain large attachments and the
World Wide Web is multimedia-oriented. A higher data rate of 14.4 kbit/s has been
introduced lately. This 50% gain is, however, achievable under good radio conditions
only, and the data rate perceived by the user may drop below the 9.6 kbit/s rate under less
than ideal conditions. So many operators are hesitant to introduce 14.4 kbit/s over a
single channel, and are looking for other, improved ways to offer better data
communications.
HSCSD
High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) bundles several time slots to achieve higher
data rates (e.g. three time slots can carry 28.8 kbit/s). This mechanism is called multislot
operation. The multislot operation demands of the network only a software update, but
novel mobile phones supporting HSCSD are required. The downlink typically carries
more data than the uplink, so HSCSD can have asymmetric time slot usage normally
two or three slots in the downlink and one in the uplink. The HSCSD is not very
widespread yet. Just 20 to 25 networks worldwide deploy the service or plan to install it,
starting in 1999. First handsets came on the market in September 2000. The disadvantage
of the HSCSD from the users point of view is that the user pays as long as he or she is
connected, even if no data are transferred just as with a speech call. Consequently, this
makes it rather expensive for Web browsing. Network operators, on the other hand, have
to contend with congested cells in some urban areas and are not able to afford to make
more channels available to a single user.

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10. GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) proves to be a solution to this problem. Using the
GPRS, one or more channels are offered to all users for data transfer, but the channel is
dynamically shared between multiple users. The mobile phone or network assigns a time
slot for a block of data only when there is data to be transferred. Channel assignment is
very fast and the mechanism is similar to the Ethernet on a Local Area Network, where
many users share a physical line. GPRS is a completely new protocol reusing the lowest
(physical) GSM layer. Running on a single channel, it does not offer higher data rates, but
in conjunction with channel bundling (multislot operation), it can be very powerful, costand bandwidth-efficient.
Depending on the channel coding algorithm chosen for a given network and radio
channel situation, a data rate of 9 to 22 kbit/s is achievable for each time slot; so in
a data transfer using two slots, the resulting rate may be 18 to 44 kbit/s, at least for
a short period of time.
As GPRS uses radio resources only when data needs to be transmitted, it allows a
user to be virtually always connected, which is an advantage when e.g. browsing
the World Wide Web.
EDGE
Enhanced Data rates for the Global Evolution (EDGE) involves a new modulation
format, 8PSK, that will provide three times the data rate of GSM/GPRS on the
same physical channel. It can be used together with GPRS to result in EGPRS. It
is expected on the market in late 2001.

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11. INTRODUCTION ABOUT CELL PHONE WORKING
Millions of people in the United States and around the world use cellular phones. They
are such great gadgets -- with a cell phone, you can talk to anyone on the planet from just
about anywhere!
These days, cell phones provide an incredible array of functions, and new ones are being
added at a breakneck pace. Depending on the cell-phone model, you can:
Store contact information
Make task or to-do lists
Keep track of appointments and set reminders
Use the built-in calculator for simple math
Send or receive e-mail
Get information (news, entertainment, stock quotes) from the Internet
Play simple games
Integrate other devices such as PDAs, MP3 players and GPS receivers
But have you ever wondered how a cell phone works? What makes it different from a
regular phone? What do all those confusing terms like PCS, GSM, CDMA and TDMA
mean? In this article, we will discuss the technology behind cell phones so that you can
see how amazing they really are.
The Cell Approach
One of the most interesting things about a cell phone is that it is actually a radio -- an
extremely sophisticated radio, but a radio nonetheless. The telephone was invented by
Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, and wireless communication can trace its roots to the
invention of the radio by Nikolai Tesla in the 1880s (formally presented in 1894 by a
young Italian named Guglielmo Marconi). It was only natural that these two great
technologies would eventually be combined!
In the dark ages before cell phones, people who really needed mobile-communications
ability installed radio telephones in their cars. In the radio-telephone system, there was

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one central antenna tower per city, and perhaps 25 channels available on that tower. This
central antenna meant that the phone in your car needed a powerful transmitter -- big
enough to transmit 40 or 50 miles (about 70 km). It also meant that not many people
could use radio telephones -- there just were not enough channels.
The genius of the cellular system is the division of a city into small cells. This allows
extensive frequency reuse across a city, so that millions of people can use cell phones
simultaneously. In the next section, we'll look closer at these cells.
Cell Engineering
In a typical analog cell-phone system in the United States, the cell-phone carrier receives
about 800 frequencies to use across the city. The carrier chops up the city into cells. Each
cell is typically sized at about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers). Cells are normally
thought of as hexagons on a big hexagonal grid, like this:
Because cell phones and base stations use low-power transmitters, the same frequencies
can be reused in non-adjacent cells. The two purple cells can reuse the same frequencies.
Each cell has a base station that consists of a tower and a small building containing the
radio equipment (more on base stations later
COOL FACTS

Most newer digital cellular phones have some sort of entertainment programs on
them, ranging from simple dice-throwing games to memory and logic puzzles.

Approximately 20 percent of American teens (more girls than boys) own a

cellular phone.

Cellular phones are more popular in European and Asian countries than they are
in the United States -- more than 90 percent of Europeans or Asians own a cell
phone, compared to about 50 percent of Americans.

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FREQUENCIES
A single cell in an analog system uses one-seventh of the available duplex voice
channels. That is, each cell (of the seven on a hexagonal grid) is using one-seventh of the
available channels so it has a unique set of frequencies and there are no collisions:

A cell-phone carrier typically gets 832 radio frequencies to use in a city.

Each cell phone uses two frequencies per call -- a duplex channel -- so there are
typically 395 voice channels per carrier. (The other 42 frequencies are used for
control channels -- more on this on the next page.)

Therefore, each cell has about 56 voice channels available.

In other words, in any cell, 56 people can be talking on their cell phone at one time. With
digital transmission methods, the number of available channels increases. For example, a
TDMA-based digital system can carry three times as many calls as an analog system, so
each cell has about 168 channels available
TRANSMISSION
Cell phones have low-power transmitters in them. Many cell phones have two signal
strengths: 0.6 watts and 3 watts (for comparison, most CB radios transmit at 4 watts). The
base station is also transmitting at low power. Low-power transmitters have two
advantages:

The transmissions of a base station and the phones within its cell do not make it
very far outside that cell. Therefore, in the figure above, both of the purple cells
can reuse the same 56 frequencies. The same frequencies can be reused
extensively across the city.

The power consumption of the cell phone, which is normally battery-operated, is

relatively low. Low power means small batteries, and this is what has made
handheld cellular phones possible.

The cellular approach requires a large number of base stations in a city of any
size. A typical large city can have hundreds of towers. But because so many
people are using cell phones, costs remain low per user. Each carrier in each city
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also runs one central office called the Mobile Telephone Switching Office
(MTSO). This office handles all of the phone connections to the normal landbased phone system, and controls all of the base stations in the region.
CELL PHONE CODES
All cell phones have special codes associated with them. These codes are used to identify
the phone, the phone's owner and the service provider.
Let's say you have a cell phone, you turn it on and someone tries to call you. Here is what
happens to the call:

When you first power up the phone, it listens for an SID (see sidebar) on the
control channel. The control channel is a special frequency that the phone and
base station use to talk to one another about things like call set-up and channel
changing. If the phone cannot find any control channels to listen to, it knows it is
out of range and displays a "no service" message.

When it receives the SID, the phone compares it to the SID programmed into the
phone. If the SIDs match, the phone knows that the cell it is communicating with
is part of its home system.

Along with the SID, the phone also transmits a registration request, and the
MTSO keeps track of your phone's location in a database -- this way, the MTSO
knows which cell you are in when it wants to ring your phone.

The MTSO gets the call, and it tries to find you. It looks in its database to see
which cell you are in.

The MTSO picks a frequency pair that your phone will use in that cell to take the
call.

The MTSO communicates with your phone over the control channel to tell it
which frequencies to use, and once your phone and the tower switch on those
frequencies, the call is connected. You are talking by two-way radio to a friend!

As you move toward the edge of your cell, your cell's base station notes that your
signal strength is diminishing. Meanwhile, the base station in the cell you are
moving toward (which is listening and measuring signal strength on all
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frequencies, not just its own one-seventh) sees your phone's signal strength
increasing. The two base stations coordinate with each other through the MTSO,
and at some point, your phone gets a signal on a control channel telling it to
change frequencies. This hand off switches your phone to the new cell.
CELL PHONE CODES

Electronic Serial Number (ESN) - a unique 32-bit number programmed into the
phone when it is manufactured

Mobile Identification Number (MIN) - a 10-digit number derived from your

phone's number

System Identification Code (SID) - a unique 5-digit number that is assigned to

each carrier by the FCC

AS YOU TRAVEL, THE SIGNAL IS PASSED FROM CELL TO CELL.

While the ESN is considered a permanent part of the phone, both the MIN and SID codes
are programmed into the phone when you purchase a service plan and have the phone
activated.
ROAMING
If the SID on the control channel does not match the SID programmed into your phone,
then the phone knows it is roaming. The MTSO of the cell that you are roaming in
contacts the MTSO of your home system, which then checks its database to confirm that
the SID of the phone you are using is valid. Your home system verifies your phone to the
local MTSO, which then tracks your phone as you move through its cells. And the
amazing thing is that all of this happens within seconds!

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12. CELL PHONES AND CBS
A good way to understand the sophistication of a cell phone is to compare it to a CB radio
or a walkie-talkie.
Full-duplex vs. half-duplex - Both walkie-talkies and CB radios are half-duplex devices.
That is, two people communicating on a CB radio use the same frequency, so only one
person can talk at a time. A cell phone is a full-duplex device. That means that you use
one frequency for talking and a second, separate frequency for listening. Both people on
the call can talk at once.
Channels - A walkie-talkie typically has one channel, and a CB radio has 40 channels. A
typical cell phone can communicate on 1,664 channels or more!

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13. CELLULAR ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES
There are three common technologies used by cell-phone networks for transmitting
information:

Frequency division multiple access (FDMA)

Time division multiple access (TDMA)

Code division multiple access (CDMA)

Although these technologies sound very intimidating, you can get a good sense of how
they work just by breaking down the title of each one.
The first word tells you what the access method is. The second word, division, lets you
know that it splits calls based on that access method.

FDMA puts each call on a separate frequency.

TDMA assigns each call a certain portion of time on a designated frequency.

CDMA gives a unique code to each call and spreads it over the available
frequencies.

The last part of each name is multiple access. This simply means that more than one user
can utilize each cell.

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14. CELLULAR ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES: FDMA
FDMA separates the spectrum into distinct voice channels by splitting it into uniform
chunks of bandwidth. To better understand FDMA, think of radio stations: Each station
sends its signal at a different frequency within the available band. FDMA is used mainly
for analog transmission. While it is certainly capable of carrying digital information,
FDMA is not considered to be an efficient method for digital transmission.

In FDMA, each phone uses a different frequency

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15. CELLULAR ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES: TDMA
TDMA is the access method used by the Electronics Industry Alliance and the
Telecommunications Industry Association for Interim Standard 54 (IS-54) and Interim
Standard 136 (IS-136). Using TDMA, a narrow band that is 30 kHz wide and 6.7
milliseconds long is split time-wise into three time slots.
Narrow band means "channels" in the traditional sense. Each conversation gets the radio
for one-third of the time. This is possible because voice data that has been converted to
digital information is compressed so that it takes up significantly less transmission space.
Therefore, TDMA has three times the capacity of an analog system using the same
number of channels. TDMA systems operate in either the 800-MHz (IS-54) or 1900-MHz
(IS-136) frequency bands.

TDMA splits a frequency into time slots.

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16. CELLULAR ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES: TDMA/GSM
TDMA is also used as the access technology for Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM). However, GSM implements TDMA in a somewhat different and
incompatible way from IS-136. Think of GSM and IS-136 as two different operating
systems that work on the same processor, like Windows and Linux both working on an
Intel Pentium III. GSM systems use encryption to make phone calls more secure. GSM
operates in the 900-MHz and 1800-MHz bands in Europe and Asia, and in the 1900-MHz
(sometimes referred to as 1.9-GHz) band in the United States. It is used in digital cellular
and PCS-based systems. GSM is also the basis for Integrated Digital Enhanced Network
(IDEN), a popular system introduced by Motorola and used by Nextel.
GSM is the international standard in Europe, Australia and much of Asia and Africa. In
covered areas, cell-phone users can buy one phone that will work anywhere where the
standard is supported. To connect to the specific service providers in these different
countries, GSM users simply switch subscriber identification module (SIM) cards. SIM
cards are small removable disks that slip in and out of GSM cell phones. They store all
the connection data and identification numbers you need to access a particular wireless
service provider.
Unfortunately, the 1900-MHz GSM phones used in the United States are not compatible
with the international system. If you live in the United States and need to have cell-phone
access when you're overseas, the easiest thing to do is to buy a GSM 900MHz/1800MHz
cell phone for traveling. You can get these phones from Planet Omni, an online
electronics firm based in California. They offer a wide selection of Nokia, Motorola and
Ericsson GSM phones. They don't sell international SIM cards, however. You can pick up
prepaid SIM cards for a wide range of countries at Telestial.com.

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COOL FACTS

The GSM standard for digital cell phones was established in Europe in the mid1980s -- long before digital cellular phones became commonplace in American
culture.

It is now possible to locate a person using a cellular phone down to a range of a

few meters, anywhere on the globe.

3G (third-generation wireless) phones may look more like PDAs, with features such as
video-conferencing, advanced personal calendar functions and multi-player gaming
CELLULAR ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES: CDMA
CDMA takes an entirely different approach from TDMA. CDMA, after digitizing data,
spreads it out over the entire available bandwidth. Multiple calls are overlaid on each
other on the channel, with each assigned a unique sequence code. CDMA is a form of
spread spectrum, which simply means that data is sent in small pieces over a number of
the discrete frequencies available for use at any time in the specified range.

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17. BIBLIOGRAPHY

The GSM system for mobile communication-Michel Mouly & Marie- Bernadette
Pautet.

GSM system Engineering-Asha Mehrotra (Artech House Publisher) haug,

T.,Developing GSM standard, pan-European Digital Cellular Radio Conf., Nice,
France, 1991.

Mouly, M., and pautet Marie-Bernadette,Current Evolution of the GSM system,

IEEE Personal Communications, October 1995, PP.9-19.

Beddoes, E, W., GSM Network Architecture, GSm Seminar, Budapest, October

1990, Session 2.1.

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