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GSM System Overview

Wireless and Mobile Network Architecture

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Contents
Introduction
GSMArchitecture
LocationTrackingandCallSetup
Security
Dataservices
UnstructuredSupplementaryServiceData
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Introduction
GSM(GlobalSystemforMobileCommunications)isdigital
wirelessnetworkstandard
MajorEuropeantelecommunicationsoperatorsand
manufacturers
ThebasicrequirementsofGSM
Service
Qualityofservicesandsecurity
Radiofrequencyutilization
Network
Cost
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GSMarchitecture

MS:MobileStation
BSS:BaseStationSystem
NSS:NetworkandSwitchingSystem
MSC:MobileSwitchingCenter
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Mobilestation
Composition
SIM(SubscriberIdentityModule)
Asmartcard,usuallythesizeofacreditcard
Asmaller-sizedplug-inSIM
ProtectedbyaPIN(PersonalIdentityNumber)
Modifiedbysubscriber
UpdatedovertheairthoughSIMToolkit
ME(Mobileequipment)
Containsthenoncustomer-relatedhardwareandsoftwarespecifictothe
radiointerface
Propertyofthesubscriber
TE(TerminalEquipment)
MEandSIMarecalledtheMT(MobileTerminal)

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BSS
Composition
BTS(BaseTransceiverStation)
Containstransmitter,receiver,signalingequipment
TRAU(Transcoder/RateAdapterUnit)
Speechencoding/decodingandrateadaptionindatatrasmission

BSC(BaseStationController)
ResponsiblefortheswitchingfunctionintheBSS
Supportsradiochannelallocation/releaseandhandoffmanagement
CommunicateswiththeBTSsusingISDNprotocolviatheA-bisinterface

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NSS
Supportstheswitchingfunctions,subscriberprofiles,and
mobilemanagement
Interface
Signalingprotocolusedinthetelephonenetwork
CurrentlocationofaMS
MaintainedbyHLRandVLR
AuC(AuthenticationCenter)
securitydatamanagementfortheauthenticationofsubscriber
MSC
GMSC(GatewayMSC)
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Radiointerface
Radiolink
FDMAandTDMAtechnologies
Frequencyband
Downlinksignal:935~960MHz
Uplinksignal:890~915MHz
200KHzcarrierfrequency:124pairsoffrequencyduplexchannel
Theframeisdividedintoeightbursts(timeslots)
GSMburststructure

Tailing Data Flag Training Guard

3 57 bits 1 26 bits 1 57 bits 3 8.25 bits
Burst (148 bits or 0.546 msec)
Time Slot (156.25 bits or 0.577 msec)
Flag Data Tailing
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Logicalchannel(1/2)
Twotypes
TCHs(TrafficChannels)
CCHs(ControlChannels)
TCH
TCH/F(Full-rateTCH)
Forspeech:13Kbps
Fordata:9.6,4.8,or2.4Kbps
TCH/H(Half-rateTCH)
Forspeech:6.5Kbps
Fordata:4.8or2.4Kbps
CCH
Carrysignalinginformation
Threetype
CCCHs(Commoncontrolchannels)
DCCHs(Dedicatedcontrolchannels)
BCHs(Broadcastchannels)

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Logicalchannel(2/2)
CCCH
PCH(pagingchannel)
AGCH(Accessgrantchannel)
RACH(Randomaccesschannel)
DCCH
SDCCH(Standarddedicatedcontrolchannel)
SACCH(Slowassociatedcontrolchannel)
FACCH(Fastassociatedcontrolchannel)
CBCH(Cellbroadcastchannel)
BCH
FCCH(Frequencycorrectionchannel)
BCCH(Broadcastcontrolchannel)

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Originationandtermination
PCH (page MS)
RACH (request signaling channel)
AGCH (assign signaling channel)
SDCCH (respond to paging)
MS BSS
Call setup procedure
GSM call termination
SDCCH message exchanges for call setup
RACH (request signaling channel)
AGCH (assign signaling channel)
SDCCH (request call setup)
SDCCH (assign TCH)
FACCH (complete assignment)
GSM call origination
MS BSS
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Locationtrackingandcallsetup(1/2)
Registration

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Locationtrackingandcallsetup(2/2)
Termination

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Security
Twoaspects
Authentication
Encryption

Ki
A8 A3 A8 A3
Ki
SRES
RAND
SRES Equal
?
Kc
Kc
Kc
ciphering
deciphering
deciphering
ciphering
Frame number
MS
Home system
Authentication
Encryption
Visited system
Chiphered
information
A5 A5
data
data data
data
reject
no
yes
accept
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Dataservices
GSMphase2supportstwodataservicegroups
Shortmessageservices
Bearerservices
Shortmessageservices
Partofthebasicsubscriptionpackage
Bearerservices
SimilartotheISDNservices
Datarate:9.6Kbps
Circuit-switchedconnection
Channelresourcesarereserved:callsetuptimeistoolong
GSMphase2+standard
HSCSD(HighspeedCircuit-SwitchedData)
GPRS(GeneralPacketRadioService)
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HSCSD(1/2)
HSCSDarchitecture

TE(TerminalEquipment)
IWF(InterworkingFunction)
TAF(TerminalAdaptionFunction)
PSDN(PublicSwitchedDataNetwork)
PSTN(PublicSwitchedTelephoneNetwork)

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HSCSD(2/2)
Circuit-switchedprotocolforlargefiletransferand
multimediaapplications
UsingmultipleTDMAtimeslotanddatacompression
techniques
Radiointerface
Multiple,independenttimeslot
RLP(RadioLinkProtocol)
Disadvantageofmultipletime-slot
Blockingrateofthesystemwillbeincreased
Solution
Flexibleresourceassignment

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GPRS(1/2)
GPRSarchitecture

SGSN(ServingGPRSSupportNode)
GGSN(GatewayGPRSSupportNode)

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GPRS(2/2)
Packet-switchedprotocol
Requiresitsowntransportnetwork
Twonewentities
SGSN:receivesandtransmitspacketsbetweentheMSandPSDN
GGSN:interworkswiththePSDN
Cache
Containinglocationinformationtospeeduptheroutingprocedure
Radiolink
MAC(MediaAccessControl)forpacketswitching
GPRSsupports
Upto100userswithonetoeightchannels
Broadcastandmultisessions

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USSD(UnstructuredSupplementaryServiceData)
SupportsnewservicesinoldMS
GSM02.90,03.90,04.90
UsedasaGSMtransparentbearerforoldMS
Flexiblemessagelength
Plustheasterisk(*)andpound(#)keys
Forexample
Commandcode159forcallforwarding
*159*5288128#
USSDarchitecture