GSM
Abbreviation for Global System for Mobile Communications
Concurrent development in USA and Europe in the 1980’s
The European system was called GSM and deployed in the early 1990’s
GSM SERVICES
• Voice, 3.1 kHz
• Short Message Service (SMS)
– 1985 GSM standard that allows messages of at most 160 chars.
(incl. spaces) to be sent between handsets and other stations
– Over 2.4 billion people use it; multi-billion $ industry
• General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
– GSM upgrade that provides IP-based packet data transmission up to
114 kbps
– Users can “simultaneously” make calls and send data
– GPRS provides “always on” Internet access and the Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS) whereby users can send rich text, audio,
video messages to each other
– Performance degrades as number of users increase
– GPRS is an example of 2.5G telephony – 2G service similar to 3G
GSM CHANNELS
• Physical Channel: Each timeslot on a carrier is referred to as a physical channel
• Logical Channel: Variety of information is transmitted between the MS and BTS.
Different types of logical channels:
– Traffic channel
– Control Channel
GSM FREQUENCIES
• Originally designed on 900MHz range, now also available on 800MHz, 1800MHz
and 1900 MHz ranges.
• Separate Uplink and Downlink frequencies
– One example channel on the 1800 MHz frequency band, where RF
carriers are space every 200 MHz
GSM ARCHITECTURE
MOBILE STATION (MS)
• MS is the user’s handset and has two parts
• Mobile Equipment
– Radio equipment
– User interface
– Processing capability and memory required for various tasks
• Call signalling
• Encryption
• SMS
– Equipment IMEI number
• Subscriber Identity Module
SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE
• A small smart card
• Encryption codes needed to identify the subscriber
• Subscriber IMSI number
• Subscriber’s own information (telephone directory)
• Third party applications (banking etc.)
• Can also be used in other systems besides GSM, e.g., some WLAN access points
accept SIM based user authentication
BASE STATION SUBSYSTEM
• Transcoding Rate and Adaptation Unit (TRAU)
– Performs coding between the 64kbps PCM coding used in the
backbone network and the 13 kbps coding used for the Mobile
Station (MS)
• Base Station Controller (BSC)
– Controls the channel (time slot) allocation implemented by the
BTSes
– Manages the handovers within BSS area
– Knows which mobile stations are within the cell and informs the
MSC/VLR about this
• Base Transceiver System (BTS)
– Controls several transmitters
– Each transmitter has 8 time slots, some used for signaling, on a
specific frequency
NETWORK AND SWITCHING SUBSYSTEM
• The backbone of a GSM network is a telephone network with additional cellular
network capabilities
• Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
– An typical telephony exchange (ISDN exchange) which supports
mobile communications
– Visitor Location Register (VLR)
• A database, part of the MSC
• Contains the location of the active Mobile Stations
• Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC)
– Links the system to PSTN and other operators
• Home Location Register (HLR)
– Contain subscriber information, including authentication
information in Authentication Center (AuC)
• Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
– International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) codes for
e.g., blacklisting stolen phones
HOME LOCATION REGISTER
• One database per operator
• Contains all the permanent subscriber information
– MSISDN (Mobile Subscriber ISDN number) is the telephone number
of the subscriber
– International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) is a 15 digit code
used to identify the subscriber
• It incorporates a country code and operator code
– IMSI code is used to link the MSISDN number to the subscriber’s
SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)
– Charging information
– Services available to the customer
• Also the subscriber’s present Location Area Code, which refers to the MSC,
which can connect to the MS.
OTHER SYSTEMS
• Operations Support System
– The management network for the whole GSM network
– Usually vendor dependent
– Very loosely specified in the GSM standards
• Value added services
– Voice mail
– Call forwarding
– Group calls
• Short Message Service Center
– Stores and forwards the SMS messages
– Like an E-mail server
– Required to operate the SMS services
LOCATION UPDATES
• The cells overlap and usually a mobile station can ‘see’ several transceivers
(BTSes)
• The MS monitors the identifier for the BSC controlling the cells
• When the mobile station reaches a new BSC’s area, it requests an location
update
• The update is forwarded to the MSC, entered into the VLR, the old BSC is
notified and an acknowledgement is passed back
HANDOFF (HANDOVER)
• When a call is in process, the changes in location need special processing
• Within a BSS, the BSC, which knows the current radio link configuration
(including feedbacks from the MS), prepares an available channel in the new BTS
• The MS is told to switch over to the new BTS
• This is called a hard handoff
– In a soft handoff, the MS is connected to two BTSes simultaneously
ROAMING
• When a MS enters another operators network, it can be allowed to use the
services of this operator
– Operator to operator agreements and contracts
– Higher billing
• The MS is identified by the information in the SIM card and the identification
request is forwarded to the home operator
– The home HLR is updated to reflect the MS’s current location
