• 1-- Introduction to GSM

• i.e Global system for mobile communication

• The objective of this lecture is to make the

Students understand the GSM basic technology
& to familiarize the students about the System
architecture of GSM & also the functions of the
channels involved in forward & reverse directions
•
G.S.M
• The idea of GSM ( Group Special
Mobile.) was conceived by European
community in early Eighties.
• The name was later changed to global system
for mobile communication
• European community wanted to have a
common standard for their mobile
communication so that the services could be
used in all the member countries.
 GSM Continued.
• GSM was the first Successful global
mobile technology which could easily cover
the whole world.
• Voice Coders have been used in GSM thus
enhancing the spectral efficiency&
providing the better quality of Service.
• GSM membership was open to the whole
world, as the GSM network is connected to
NSD & ISD besides having connectivity to
the local PSTN network.
 GSM MILESTONES
ETSI
1990 1982 GSM ACTIVITIES STARTED
1991 1986 FIELD TESTS WERE CONDUCTED
1992 1987 ACCESS METHOD TDMA WAS ADOPTED
1993 MOU WAS SIGNED BY 18 COUNTRIES
1994 1988 FIELD TRIALS OF THE EQUIPMENT WERE STARTED.
1995 1990 COMMERCIAL OPERATION WAS PROPOSED

DELAYED
SHIFTED TO 1992.
• COVERAGE OF CAPITAL CITIES AND AIRPORTS
• COVERAGE OF MAINROADS
 Coverage of countryside was also included

G.S.M. gave the first digital mobile communication standard

It is capable of transmitting both voice . Data & Fax.

GSM Architecture.
• It uses TDMA as multiple access.

• One Radio channel of 200 KHz BW can support 8 full rate traffic
channels.
• Spectral efficiency is better than Analog standards which
uses 25 KHz

• Because each radio channel is equivalent to 8 full rate or 16 half

rate voice channels thus having the capacity more than double when
compared with Analogue communication.
LIMITATION OF ANALOG
TECHNOLOGIES
• THE SYSTEM IS NOT AMENABLE TO MEET FUTURE TRENDS IN
TELECOM TO CATER FOR USER NEEDS OF DATA, ISDN etc.

• IT HAD CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS.

• BETTER QUALITY AND SECURITY WERE AREAS OF CONCERN.

BASIC OBJECTIVES OF GSM

• THE SYSTEM SHALL BE DESIGNED SUCH THAT MOBILES CAN

BE USED IN ALL PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES.
• TO ALIGN ITSELF WITH DEVELOPMENT OF FIXED
NETWORKS AND BE ABLE TO DEVELOP SERVICES ALONG
THE LINES OF EVOLUTIONS OF OTHER NETWORKS.

• TO BE DEVELOPED ON LINES OF ISDN, IN ITS STRUCTURE

AND IN DEFINING ACTUAL SERVICES.

• SHOULD BE POSSBILE TO USE ON BOARD The SHIPS AS AN

EXTENSION OF LAND MOBILE SERVICE.

• MOBILE COULD BE VEHICLE MOUNTED, HANDHELD AND

OF PORTABLE KIND

• SPEECH QUALITY SHOULD BE BETTER OR AS GOOD AS

ANALOGUE SYSTEMS.

• SHOULD HAVE HIGHER SPECTRAL EFFICIENCY.

 G S M

THE Prominent mobile technologies in

use are:-
• GSM 900 (GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE
COMMUNICATIONS- ADOPTED IN GENEVA
TELECOM 91)

•AMERICAN DIGITAL CELLULAR-ADC

•DIGITAL CELLULAR OR JAPAN – JDC

 The Necessity of GSM
• Different countries had different standards for
mobile communication.
• Some of the standards are TACS, Amps, Nordic
communication. Standard,(NTS) D Amps. etc.
• All these standards are incompatible.
• Using same mobile communication. Different
standards in different countries not possible.
• European community took the steps to
standardize the specifications.
• The standards will be applicable to whole of E.C..
G.S.M.(GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR
MOBILE COMMUNICATION)
• GSM is multi-operator system.
• Allows number of operators per country.
• The number of countries are not limited.
• GSM system Area is the Assembly of all GSM networks.
• GSM allows multi-vender system.
• The operator can buy elements of his network from different manufacturers.
• Every operator can design his network within certain frame work according
to his business decision.
• GSM is truly an open system and mobile stations from all manufacturers can
be used in all GSM networks.
SALIENT FEATURES OF GSM

 STANDARD FOR A GLOBLE SYSTEM FOR MOBILE

COMMUNICATION

 GSM 900 (900 MHz BAND, MAX. CELL RADIUS – 35 km)

 DCS 1800 (1800 MHz BAND, MAX. CELL RADIUS – 8 km)

 DIGITAL RADIO INTERFACE
 FREE MOVEMENT OF MOBILE SUBSCRIBER ON A
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BASIS
 G S M (continued)

• International Roaming.

• Standard Interfaces.
• Digital signal processing.

• Short Message Service.

GSM DRIVING FORCES

AMENABLE TO ISDN SERVICES

• CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT
• BETTER SPEECH QUALITY
• DATA & FACSIMILE
• SMALL, LOW COST HANDHELD PHONES
• PRIVACY
 G.S.M System Specifications.
NUMBER OF RF : 124
CARREIRS
DELAY EQUALI- : 6Microsecs
SATION
. C/I (CO-CHANNEL) : 9 Db
Diversity Methods- : ADAPTIVE
EUALISATION
FREQUENCY
STABILITY :
(BS) : 0.05ppm
(MS) : 1.00ppm
ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS
BASE STATION TRANSMITS :935-960Mhz
BASE STATION RECEIVES :890-915Mhz
DUPLEX SPACING :45Mhz
ACCESS METHOD
NARROW BAND TDMA
CHANNEL BAND : 200 KHZ
WIDTH
TIME SLOTS : 8
MODULATION :GMSK

TRANSMISSION : 270.83kb/s
BIT RATE
. SPEECH CODEC : 13 kb/s
• TX/RX SPACING :45 MHz
• MODULATION : 0.3 GMSK
• VOICE CODER BIT RATE : 13KBPS
• TX/RX SPACING TIMING : 3 TS
• TRANSMISSION BIR RATE : 270.833 Kbps
• FEC 9.8 kbps
• Base station Receiver - 104 dbm MS
HANDHELD - 102 dbm
Other MS - 104 dbm
• Overhead Bits = 11.054 Kbps
• Total /TS = 13 Kbps + 9.8 Kbps
+ 11.05 Kbps
= 33.854 Kbps
• Data transmission :- 9.6 Kbps
• CHAPTER 2

• G.S.M Architecture.
GSM ARCHITECTURE

• BASE STATION SYSTEM (BSS)

• SWITCHING SUBSYSTEM (SSS)

• OPERATION & MAINTENANACE

SUBSYSTEM (OMS)
NETWORK COMPONENTS OF BSS

1. MOBILE STATION (SIM + ME) MOBILE EOPT.

2. BASE STATION Trans receiver & Base station

controller

3. RADIO INTERFACE (NMC)

It provides an overall view of network and traffic flow.

 ISDN PSTN
PSTN

MSC MSC
MSC DELHI MSC
BOMBAY

INET INET

TELEX TELEX

RABMN RABMN
 GSM SYSTEM

RADIO OR BASE SWITCHING OR NETWORK

STATION SUB SYSTEM SUB SYSTEM
(RSS/BSS) (SSS/NSS)

BASE BASE STATION MOBILE LOCATION

TRANSCEIVER CONTROLLER SWITCHING REGISTERS
STATION (BSC) CENTRE
(BTS) (MSC)
BTS : Base Transceiver Station
BSC: Base Station Controller
MSC : Mobile Switching Center.
EIR : Equipment identity Register
HLR : Home Location Register
AUC : Authentication Center
VLR : Visitor Location Register
RADIO SUB SYSTEMS

• (Base Stn Sub. System) Includes Base STN Tran

receiver and base Stn controller BSC
• BTS acts as radio repeater covering Geographical
area of the cell.
• BTS is usually located in the center of the cell.

• BTS has 1 to 16 RF channels

• These channels are to be different from those of the
adjacent cells
• It acts as mobile interface to the cellular network.
GSM SYSTEM
AUC
EIR
VLR HLR

PSTN
BTS
VLR
VLR
VLR BSC
VLR PSPDN
VLR
VLR MSC RABMN
MOBILE
NETWORK

NETWORK MANAGEMENT
GSM Network Components
VLR
• Network has BTS B
HLR
many BSC
C
functional BTS AUC
components MSC
• Components EIR
BTS
are integrated BSC E
F
through a
network BTS VLR
MSC
protocol- Um A-Bis A
MAP Interface Interface Interface PSTN
BTS – Base Station
BSC – Base Station Controller
MSC – Mobile Switching Center
B,C,D,E,F –MAP Interfaces VLR – Visitor Location Register
HLR – Home Location Register
ALIC – Authentication Center
EIR – Equipment Identify Register
 GSM Network Layout
BSS - Base Station Sub-System
BSS PLMN - Public Land Mobile
BSS Network
BTS BTS TRAU- Trans-coder and Rate
Adaptation Unit
BSC TRAU MSC VLR
BTS
BTS

MSC Area BSS

MSC Area MSC Area

PSTN
Gateway
PLMN MSC Area
MSC
Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
• BTS is a set of transceivers (TX/RX).

• GSM BTS can host up to 16 TX/RX.

• In GSM one TX/RX is shared by 8 users.

• The main role of TX/RX is to provide conversion between traffic data

on the network side and RF communication on the MS side.

• Depending on the application, it can be configured as MACRO

CELL MICRO CELL, OMNI directional or sectored, etc.
• A Group of BTS are controlled by one BSC.

• BTS does channel coding Interleaving Frame building Modulation UP

Conversion. Amplification in the TRANS direction & down
conversion demodulation de-scrambling de-coding &digital to
analogue conversion in the receive direction.

• A Group of BSC’s are controlled by MSC.

• BSC handles up to 350 Erlangs of traffic

• Through a maximum of 720 Traffic chls. i.e 45 or 90 carriers of 200

KHz each.
 Base stn Controller :-

It controls a group of BTS.

•

Function :- Allot and control traffic channels.

•

Undertakes hand over.

•

Radio performance measurements

•

Allotment of a bi directional signaling Channel once the mobile has linked to BTS.
•
 FUNCTIONS Mobile Switching Centre
(MSC)
• It is considered as heart of GSM Radio network.
• It undertakes Radio resource management’s
• Signaling protocol with BSC
• Paging and short message services.
• Routing of traffic and signaling
• Verifying IMSI
• Authentication
• Interrogation of HLR
MSC FUNCTIONS (CONTINUED)

• MSC is responsible for establishing a

traffic channel connection to :-
• (1) (B.S.S.)
• (2) To other MSC”s.
• (3) To other networks.
• (4) To PSTN
MOBILITY MANAGEMENT

1. INTERROGATION
2. PAGING
3. HANDOVER
4. LOCATION UPDATE
FUNCTIONS OF HLR
1. DATABASE
2. LOCATION REGISTRATION
3. CALL HANDLING
4. CALL SETUP
AUTHENTICATION (Authentication
center AUC)
 SECURITY RELATED FUNCTIONS
 VERIFIES INDIVIDUAL PARAMETERS
ASSIGNED TO EACH MOBILE SUBSCRIBER
 SIM.
 SIM allows to distinguish between subscriber
mobility & equipment mobility.
 Each GSM subscriber can be assigned one or
several ISDN numbers.
 IMEI (continued)

• IMEI is allocated by the equipment manufacturer & is

registered by the Mobile network operator.It is stored in
Equipment identification register

• It helps to identify obselete , non functional & stolen

Equipment.

• IMEI=TAC+ FAC +SNR +SP It uniquelly characterises a

mobile station & gives information about Manufacturer &
the date of manufacturing.
 FUNCTIONS OF EIR
EIR CONTAINS THREE LISTS FOR IMEI CHECK:
1. WHITE LIST – CONTAINS MOBILE EQUIPMENT
APPEOVED WITHOUT RESTRICTION
2. GREY LIST – CONTAINS THE EQUIPMENT TO BE
OBSERVED
3. BLACK LIST – CONTAINS THE UNAPPROVED
EQUIPMENT
EIR CHECKS WHETHER THE IMEI FITS INTO ONE OF
THESE LISTS AND PASSES REUSLT TO MSC.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF ME FITS INTO THE BLACK LIST,
IT CONNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE CALL SETUP
 FUNCTIONS OF VLR

• LOCATION REGISTRATION
• When a GSM subscriber goes to the host
area he is registered in VLR of that area.
• It takes part in the following activities
• (a)AUTHENTICATION
• (b)CALL SETUP
• © CALL HANDLING
 FUNCTIONS OF HLR

• It is located with MSC.

• When there are a no of MSC”s involved in the
network HLR can be located with GMSC.
• There could be more than one MSC in the network.It
allocates traffic channel to the mobile subscriber.
• Has the role in call handling/call setup.
• Is the permanent Data base of the subscriber
 IMSI

IMSI CONSISTS OF
1. MOBILE COUNTRY CODE (MCC)
2. MOBILE NETWORK CODE (MNC)
3. MOBILE SUBSCRIBER IDDENTICATION No.
( MSIN)
4. IMSI is stored in the SIM. Mobile Station can be
operated if SIM with the valid IMSI is inserted in the
equipment.
5. The Equipment should have valid IMEI
 MSRN (Mobile station roaming
number)
• It is the temporary location dependant ISDN Number.
• MSRN is assigned by locally responsible VLR to each
Mobile stn in the area. Calls are routed to Mobile by using
MSRN .On request MSRN is passed from the HLR to
GMSC
• It has the same structure as the MSISDN
• That is country code of the visited Network.
• NDC (National destination code ) of the visited Network.
• Subscribers Number of the Current mobile.
(LMSI) Local mobile subscribers
Identity
• To accelrate DATA base access VLR can assign an additional
searching key to each mobile station within its area like TMSI
LMSI is also assigned in operator specific
way.
CALL identifier(CI)
Individual calls are uniquely identified with a call identifier
It is maximum 2x8 bits together with the global call identity (LAI
+ CI)
GSM service presentation.

• CLIP Calling line Identification

Presentation.
• CLIR Calling line Identification
restriction.
• COLP connected line Identification
presentation.
• COLR Connected line identification
restriction
 TMSI

• TMSI IS A DIGIT COMBINATION

WHICH IDENTIFIES A MOBILE
SUBSCRIBER ONLY IN THE CURRENT
VLR. FOR REASONS OF
CONFINDETIALITY AND PRIVACY,
THE IMSI IS REPLACED BY TMSI ON
THE RADIO INTERFACE
•
 MSISDN

MSISDN CONSISTS OF
1. COUNTRY CODE (CC) (Up-to 3 decimal places)
2. NATIONAL DESTINATION CODE (NDC) (2to 3
places.)
3. SUBSCRIBER NUMBER (SN) Max up-to 10
digits.
4. MSISDN = CC + NDC + SN
5. A subscriber can hold several ISDN’s for selection
of different services.
LOCATION UPDATE

A LOCATION UPDATE IS INITIATED BY THE

MS, IF IT MOVES INTO ANOTHER
LOCAITON AREA AFTER A LOCATION
UPDATE
1. VLR CONTAINS ALL SUNSCRIBER DATA
FOR CALL HANDLING
2. HLR CONTAINS ADDRESS OF CURRENT
VLR
3. VLR AND SIM CARD CONTAIN THE LAI.
SIGNALLING CONNECTIONS

THE SIGNALLING PROCESS

EMPLOYES CCS # 7 SIGNALLING
1. BETWEEN THE SSS NETWORK ELEMENT
2. BETWEEN MSC AND BSC
 Numbering Schemes

• MSISDN (MOBIN STATION ISDN NO.)

• IMSI (INTERNATIONAL MOBILE
SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY)
• TMSI (TEMPORARY MOBILE
SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY)
• SUBSCRIBER AUTHENTICATION
KEY – Ki
• PROTECTS POSSIBLE FRAUD
STOLEN SIM CARD OR UNPAID
BILLS.
• WORKS IN CLOSE ASSOCIATION
WITH HLR
Technical Description of the GSM Architecture
Freq of operation :- 890 MHZ to 915 MHZ
935 – 96 MHZ U/L
Radio chl Bandwidth = 200
It supports 8 full rate traffic chls
Or
16 half rate traffic chls
The peak power of MS depends upon the “clan” of mobile.
Class 1. Vehicle or portable 20 W
Class 2 Vehicle or portable 8 W
Class 3 Hand held 5W
Class 4 Hand held 2W
Class 5 Hand held 0.8 W
The mean power is 1/8 the of these freq res.
GSM Corresponding Interfaces

1. MS – BSS
Radio Interface
2. BSC – MSC Interface
This can be optical fiber or digital M/W
3. MSC – NMC , BSC – NMC
NM Interface
4. MSC – HLR/VLR/AUC/EIR Interface
5. Network Inter working Interface
6. Such interface of MS/Data for special modem
connections
 A Trans-receiver can receive or transmit continuously.
On one Frequency at a time.
Can change frequency at each slot.
Cannot transmit or receive two bursts on different frequency
Slots at the same time.
A BS includes several trans-receivers to manage several links

Channels are gathered in order to fill the maximum number of slots.

Each cell broadcasts.

One FCCH & One SCH.

At least one BCCH one PCH one AGCH or RACH

 Tutorial.
1.What is the frequency band allotted for GSM in 900 MHz
frequency band & how many carriers are available in this band.
2. What are the functions of the following
a. BTS
b. BSC
c. MSC
d. HLR
e. VLR
f. EIR & AUC
3. There are total 270.833 Kbps transmitted per carrier in one
second please give the break up.
4. What is the frequency band allotted for DCS 1800 MHz & how
many carriers are available in this band.