SCO Internship Report
SCO Internship Report
SCO Internship Report
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Introduction
SCO is a public sector organization working under Ministry of IT (Government of Pakistan),
established in 1976 to develop, operate and maintain telecom services in Azad Jammu & Kashmir
and Gilgit Baltistan. Over the period of time, SCO has developed massive IT & Telecom
infrastructure including laying of over 2500 kilometer Optical Fiber Cable network across the
entire length and breadth of the area. Today, SCO stands the largest telecom network / service
provider equally focusing on urban and rural areas development. SCO is providing telecom
services to both public and private sector (general populous) in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit
Baltistan region. It has a unique distinction of providing all brands of telecom services from voice
to data under one platform. SCO services to the people include landline telephony (PSTN),
wireless local loop (WLL), cellular mobile (GSM) broadband internet (DSL), digital cross connect
(DXX), long distance international (LDI), domestic private leased circuits (DPLC) and co-location
facilities to telecom industry players operating in Azad Jammu &Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Our vision is to empower people through state of the art information, communication and telecom
services in the most difficult mountainous region of Pakistan. In recognition of SCO services and
contributions, PTA has declared SCO as Significant Market Player (SMP) for all offered services.
64 Composite Signal Battalion is providing communication in following districts of AJ&K:
Mirpur
Kotli
Bhimber
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Organizational structure of SCO
HQ SCO
In the above shown diagram, the working of SCO organization is mentioned from the main HQ
office to its sub branches. All the working is done from the main HQ of SCO Rawalpindi. The
main communication is controlled from there and from there onwards, all its communication is
carried out by its sub divided composite battalions.
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Services provided
Fixed line telephony
SCO is the only Landline (PSTN) service provider in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan
SCO Prepaid Calling Card services are also available. Internet access through Dial-Up networking
is available to all Landline customers. SCO also provides Integrated Subscribers Digital Network
(ISDN) circuits through Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and Primary Rate Interface (PRI).
SCO pioneered internet access services in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan in 2007
with brand name of SNET. SNET provides broadband internet access over DSL, Wi-Fi and fiber
optic cable. Internet access is also available over Dial-up networking, GPRS and SCO CDMA.
Attractive packages, quality of service and high speeds are hallmarks of SNET that have led to
phenomenal growth.
Online banking
Digital Cross Connect (DXX) offers high speed data connectivity of desired speed to meet
demands of corporate and banking sector. All major banks and other corporate clients are our
valued customers. Government sector departments like PIA, NADRA and PIFRA are also using
SCO DXX services. DXX supports online banking and ATM services facilitating people. Network
coverage is available in all major cities and towns.
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MOBILE SERVICES
First ever GSM cellular services in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan were launched
by SCO in 2004 with brand name of SCOM. SCOM provides largest network coverage in the area
with equal footprint in rural and urban terrain in nearly 450 major cities, towns and villages both
in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Lowest call rates, attractive packages, nationwide
roaming facility, GPRS and EDGE services are network key features.
Wireless SERVICES
SCO CDMA (WLL) network coverage is available in most of the major cities, towns and villages
both in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Provides reliable and efficient wireless
telephony services and is ideally suited for mountainous region. Offers prepaid and postpaid
services. Attractive packages, SMS and internet are key network features.
CO-LOCATION/DPLC
CO-Location
SCO provides co-location services to other telecom companies operating in Azad Jammu &
Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. SCO Co-location is also used by government, public and corporate
sectors.
SCO has established elaborate backhaul transmission network in entire Azad Jammu & Kashmir
and Gilgit Baltistan. Leading telecom industry players i.e. Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid,
Zong, PTCL, Wateen and World Call etc. are using SCO media / services at more than 100
locations.
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OBJECTIVES OF STUDYING THE
ORGANIZATION
The basic study of organization is to analyze the market trend regarding human resource
management. How the organizations are practicing in the business. Organization study is in fact
an opportunity to compare HR theories with the running practices in the market. It gives an
opportunity to generate new ideas and bring innovation in practices and policies.
The purpose of the study is to make sure this publication understandable to its readers by giving
the overview of the organization in detail it is also descriptive in nature through which one can
understand the working of a public sector corporation i.e. Special communication Organization.
The main objectives of studying SCO are as follows:
As it is my concern, this is the academic requirement of my Degree for bringing into practice my
valuable study of human resource management. This kind of study is evaluation basis as well.
By studying organization I can learn new skills and develop my personal and professional interests.
Expand my personal network and make connections. I can Gain valuable work experience and try
something new and exciting.
• Definition of CDMA
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Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio
communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters
can send information simultaneously over a single communication channel.
• Definition of GSM
GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is a digital mobile telephony system that is
widely used in Europe and other parts of the world’s uses a variation of time division multiple
access (TDMA) and is the most widely used of the three digital wireless telephony technologies
(TDMA, GSM, and CDMA).
Simultaneous conversations.
Increased efficiency, meaning that the carrier can serve more subscribers.
Smaller phones.
• Omni Antenna
• Directional Antenna
A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates or receives greater power in
specific directions allowing for increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted
sources .In a cellular NW a directional antenna covers 120 degrees each.
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Network switching subsystem (NSS) is the component of a CDMA/GSM system that carries out
call switching and mobility management functions for mobile phones roaming on the network of
base stations. It is owned and deployed by mobile phone operators and allows mobile devices to
communicate with each other and telephones in the wider public switched telephone network
(PSTN). The architecture contains specific features and functions which are needed because the
phones are not fixed in one location.
The NSS originally consisted of the circuit-switched core network, used for traditional GSM
services such as voice calls, SMS, and circuit switched data calls.
MSC: The mobile switching center (MSC) is the primary service delivery node for GSM/CDMA,
responsible for routing voice calls and SMS as well as other services (such as conference calls,
FAX and circuit switched data).
The MSC sets up and releases the end-to-end connection, handles mobility and hand-over
requirements during the call and takes care of charging and real time pre-paid account monitoring.
The Gateway MSC (G-MSC) is the MSC that determines which visited MSC the subscriber who
is being called is currently located at. It also interfaces with the PSTN. All mobile to mobile calls
and PSTN to mobile calls are routed through a G-MSC. The term is only valid in the context of
one call since any MSC may provide both the gateway function and the Visited MSC function,
however, some manufacturers design dedicated high capacity MSCs which do not have any BSSs
connected to them. These MSCs will then be the Gateway MSC for many of the calls they handle.
HLR: The home location register (HLR) is a central database that contains details of each mobile
phone subscriber that is authorized to use the GSM core network. There can be several logical,
and physical, HLRs per public land mobile network (PLMN), though one international mobile
subscriber identity (IMSI)/MSISDN pair can be associated with only one logical HLR (which can
span several physical nodes) at a time.
The HLRs store details of every SIM card issued by the mobile phone operator. Each SIM has a
unique identifier called an IMSI which is the primary to each HLR record.
Another important item of data associated with the SIM are the MSISDNs, which are the telephone
numbers used by mobile phones to make and receive calls. The primary MSISDN is the number
used for making and receiving voice calls and SMS, but it is possible for a SIM to have other
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secondary MSISDNs associated with it for fax and data calls. Each MSISDN is also a primary key
to the HLR record. The HLR data is stored for as long as a subscriber remains with the mobile
phone operator.
VLR: The Visitor Location Register (VLR) is a database of the subscribers who have roamed into
the jurisdiction of the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) which it serves. Each main base station in
the network is served by exactly one VLR (one BTS may be served by many MSCs in case of
MSC in pool), hence a subscriber cannot be present in more than one VLR at a time.
The data stored in the VLR has either been received from the HLR, or collected from the MS
(Mobile station). In practice, for performance reasons, most vendors integrate the VLR directly to
the V-MSC and, where this is not done, the VLR is very tightly linked with the MSC via a
proprietary interface. Whenever an MSC detects a new MS in its network, in addition to creating
a new record in the VLR, it also updates the HLR of the mobile subscriber, appraising it of the
new location of that MS. If VLR data is corrupted it can lead to serious issues with text messaging
and call services.
The base station subsystem (BSS) is the section of a traditional cellular telephone network which
is responsible for handling traffic and signaling between a mobile phone and the network switching
subsystem. The BSS carries out transcoding of speech channels, allocation of radio channels to
mobile phones, paging, transmission and reception over the air interface and many other tasks
related to the radio network.
BSC: The base station controller (BSC) provides, classically, the intelligence behind the BTS’s.
Typically a BSC has tens or even hundreds of BTSs under its control. The BSC handles allocation
of radio channels, receives measurements from the mobile phones, and controls handovers from
BTS to BTS (except in the case of an inter-BSC handover in which case control is in part the
responsibility of the anchor MSC). A key function of the BSC is to act as a concentrator where
many different low capacity connections to BTSs (with relatively low utilization) become reduced
to a smaller number of connections towards the mobile switching center (MSC) (with a high level
of utilization). Overall, this means that networks are often structured to have many BSCs
distributed into regions near their BTSs which are then connected to large centralized MSC sites.
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The BSC is undoubtedly the most robust element in the BSS as it is not only a BTS controller but,
for some vendors, a full switching center, as well as an SS7 node with connections to the MSC
and serving GPRS support node (SGSN) (when using GPRS). It also provides all the required data
to the operation support subsystem (OSS) as well as to the performance measuring centers.
BTS: The base transceiver station, or BTS, contains the equipment for transmitting and receiving
radio signals (transceivers), antennas, and equipment for encrypting and decrypting
communications with the base station controller (BSC). Typically a BTS for anything other than a
Pico cell will have several transceivers (TRXs) which allow it to serve several different frequencies
and different sectors of the cell (in the case of sectored base stations).A BTS is controlled by a
parent BSC via the "base station control function" (BCF). The BCF is implemented as a discrete
unit or even incorporated in a TRX in compact base stations. The BCF provides an operations and
maintenance (O&M) connection to the network management system (NMS), and manages
operational states of each TRX, as well as software handling and alarm collection.
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PSTN
SCO is the pioneer landline service provider in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Public switched telephone Network (PSTN) hierarchy divided into five classes:-
Types of Exchanges
Class 5 Switches:-
C&C08 (Huawei) – Transit Exchanges
Class 4 Switches: -
Transit Exchange
The task of a transit exchange to transfer traffic between sub-ordinate exchanges in the network
and to those further up in the network hierarchy. C&C08 work as a transit exchange.
Local Exchange
The task of a local exchange to transfer traffic between subscribers to subscriber in the network.
Local exchange one side connected to local subscriber and other side connected to transit
exchange.ZXJ-10 working as a local exchanges in AOR.
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Difference between MSU/RSM/RSU
MSU:-
MSU is one of the basic independents modules in ZXJ10 (V10.0) whose main functions are
Perform the call handling and channel exchanging among the subscribers within this
switching Module(MSU)
Provide standard SS7 links so connects with any vendor equipment
O&M perform locally
Billing server install with MSU
RSM:-
RSM is the expand exchange of MSU, whose structure similar to the MSU.
Perform the switching between remote subscribers only.
Via the digital trunk interface, RSM can be accessed into the system through the digital
trunk interface
Provide proprietary signaling links so connects with only their Mother Exchange
O&M dependent on MSU
Billing save on MSUs Server
Media/Transmission
1. Optical transmission
2. Microwave transmission
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Optical fiber is used by many telecommunications companies to transmit telephone signals,
Internet communication, and cable television signals. Researchers at Bell Labs have reached
internet speeds of over 100 petabit×kilometer per second using fiber-optic communication.
Applications:
Technologies:
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multiple optical fibers that is routed through underground conduits and buildings, multiple kinds
of amplifiers, and an optical receiver to recover the signal as an electrical signal. The information
transmitted is typically digital information generated by computers, telephone systems, and cable
television companies.
Transmitters:-
The most commonly used optical transmitters are semiconductor devices such as light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes. The difference between LEDs and laser diodes is that LEDs
produce incoherent light, while laser diodes produce coherent light. For use in optical
communications, semiconductor optical transmitters must be designed to be compact, efficient,
and reliable, while operating in an optimal wavelength range, and directly modulated at high
frequencies. In its simplest form, a LED is a forward-biased p-n junction, emitting light through
spontaneous emission, a phenomenon referred to as electroluminescence. The emitted light is
incoherent with a relatively wide spectral width of 30-60 nm. LED light transmission is also
inefficient, with only about 1% of input power, or about 100 microwatts, eventually converted into
launched power which has been coupled into the optical fiber. However, due to their relatively
simple design, LEDs are very useful for low-cost applications.
Receivers:-
The main component of an optical receiver is a photo detector, which converts light into electricity
using the photoelectric effect. The primary photo detectors for telecommunications are made from
Indium gallium arsenide the photo detector is typically a semiconductor-based photodiode. Several
types of photodiodes include p-n photodiodes, p-i-n photodiodes, and avalanche photodiodes.
Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photo detectors are also used due to their suitability for circuit
integration in regenerators and wavelength-division multiplexers.
Optical-electrical converters are typically coupled with a trans impedance amplifier and a limiting
amplifier to produce a digital signal in the electrical domain from the incoming optical signal,
which may be attenuated and distorted while passing through the channel. Further signal
processing such as clock recovery from data (CDR) performed by a phase-locked loop may also
be applied before the data is passed on.
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Amplifier:-
The transmission distance of a fiber-optic communication system has traditionally been limited by
fiber attenuation and by fiber distortion. By using opto-electronic repeaters, these problems have
been eliminated. These repeaters convert the signal into an electrical signal, and then use a
transmitter to send the signal again at a higher intensity than was received, thus counteracting the
loss incurred in the previous segment. Because of the high complexity with modern wavelength-
division multiplexed signals (including the fact that they had to be installed about once every 20
km), the cost of these repeaters is very high.
An alternative approach is to use an optical amplifier, which amplifies the optical signal directly
without having to convert the signal into the electrical domain. It is made by doping a length of
fiber with the rare-earth mineral erbium, and pumping it with light from a laser with a shorter
wavelength than the communications signal (typically 980 nm). Amplifiers have largely replaced
repeaters in new installations.
Microwave Transmission:-
Uses:
Microwaves are widely used for point-to-point communications because their small wavelength
allows conveniently-sized antennas to direct them in narrow beams, which can be pointed directly
at the receiving antenna. This allows nearby microwave equipment to use the same frequencies
without interfering with each other, as lower frequency radio waves do. Another advantage is that
the high frequency of microwaves gives the microwave band a very large information-carrying
capacity; the microwave band has a bandwidth 30 times that of all the rest of the radio spectrum
below it. A disadvantage is that microwaves are limited to line of sight propagation; they cannot
pass around hills or mountains as lower frequency radio waves can.
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Microwave Radio relay:
Microwave radio relay is a technology for transmitting digital and analog signals, such as long-
distance telephone calls, television programs, and computer data, between two locations on a line
of sight radio path. In microwave radio relay, microwaves are transmitted between the two
locations with directional antennas, forming a fixed radio connection between the two points. The
requirement of a line of sight limits the distance between stations to 30 or 40 miles.
Because the radio waves travel in narrow beams confined to a line-of-sight path from one antenna
to the other, they don't interfere with other microwave equipment, and nearby microwave links can
use the same frequencies. Antennas used must be highly directional (High gain); these antennas
are installed in elevated locations such as large radio towers in order to be able to transmit across
long distances. Typical types of antenna used in radio relay link installations are parabolic
antennas, dielectric lens, and horn-reflector antennas, which have a diameter of up to 4 meters.
Highly directive antennas permit an economical use of the available frequency spectrum, despite
long transmission distances.
• Have very limited penetration capabilities through obstacles such as hills, buildings and
trees
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• Telecommunications, in linking remote and regional telephone exchanges to larger (main)
exchanges without the need for copper/optical fiber lines.
Conclusion:
During the internship period at SCO, I was able to achieve the main difference between theoretical
work and practical work. I was able to implement and learn on practical level of my theoretical
knowledge that I learned from my university. SCO is a brilliant organization working leaps and
bounce to provide services to their customers and I feel privileged to work at this firm.
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