GSM A interface - BSS

Application Part
The A interface is located between the MSC (mobile service switching centre) and the
BSS (base station system or radio sub-system).

Standard reference: GSM 08-08 § 2, MSC to BSS - Layer 3

The A interface supports several Applications Parts:

 BSSMAP: Base Station System Management Application Part.

 DTAP : Direct Transfer Application Part.
o RR:Radio Resources.

o MM:Mobility Management.

o CC:Call Control.

BSSMAP messages

Standard reference: GSM 08-08 § 3, MSC to BSS - Layer 3

BSSMAP messages (Base Station System Management Application Part), for a GSM
A interface located between the MSC (mobile service switching centre) and the BSS
(base station system or radio sub-system) are listed and ordered according to their
hexadecimal code or their type (abreviation).

Message list: hex codes 

Code Abreviation BSSMAP: message designation

01 ASS-REQ Assignment request.
02 ASS-COM Assignment complete.
03 ASS-FAIL Assignment failure.
20 CLEAR-COM Clear command.
21 CLEAR-COMP Clear complete.
22 CLEAR-REQ Clear request.
23 SAPI-CL-COM SAPI "n" clear request.
24 SAPI-CL-COMP SAPI "n" clear complete.
25 SAPI-REJ SAPI "n" rejected.
30 RESET Reset.
31 RESET-ACK Reset acknowledge.
32 OVERLOAD Overload.
33 TRACE-INV Trace investigation.
34 RESET-CIR Reset circuit.
35 RST-CI-ACK Reset circuit acknowledge.
40 BLOCK Resource blocked.
41 BLOCK-ACK Acknowledgement resource blocked.
42 UNBLOCK Resource un-blocked.
43 UNBLOCK-ACK Acknowledgement resource un-blocked.
50 RESOURC-REQ Resource request.
51 RESOURC-IND Resource indication.
52 PAGING Paging.
53 CYPHER-COM Cypher mode command.
54 CLASS-UPD "Classmark" update.
55 CYPHER-COMP Cypher mode complete.
56 QUEUEING-IN Queuing-in.
57 LAYER-3-INF Layer 3 information.
80 HAND-REQ Handover request.
81 HAND-RQD Handover requested.
82 HND-RQ-ACK Handover request acknowledge.
83 HAND-COM Handover command.
84 HAND-COMP Handover complete.
86 HAND-FAIL Handover failure.
87 HAND-PERFORM Handover performed.
88 HND-CAND-ENQ Handover candidate enquiry.
89 HND-CAND-REQ Handover candidate request.
8A HAND-REQ-REJ Handover request rejection.
8B HAND-DETECT Handover detection.

Message list: types

Abreviation Code BSSMAP: message designation

ASS-COM 02 Assignment complete.
ASS-FAIL 03 Assignment failure.
ASS-REQ 01 Assignment request.
BLOCK 40 Resource blocked.
BLOCK-ACK 41 Acknowledgement resource blocked.
CLASS-UPD 54 "Classmark" update.
CLEAR-COM 20 Clear command.
CLEAR-COMP 21 Clear complete.
CLEAR-REQ 22 Clear request.
CYPHER-COM 53 Cypher mode command.
CYPHER-COMP 55 Cypher mode complete.
HAND-COM 83 Handover command.
HAND-COMP 84 Handover complete.
HAND-DETECT 8B Handover detection.
HAND-FAIL 86 Handover failure.
HAND-PERFORM 87 Handover performed.
HAND-REQ 80 Handover request.
HAND-REQ-REJ 8A Handover request rejection.
HAND-RQD 81 Handover requested.
HND-CAND-ENQ 88 Handover candidate enquiry.
HND-CAND-REQ 89 Handover candidate request.
HND-RQ-ACK 82 Handover request acknowledge.
LAYER-3-INF 57 Layer 3 information.
OVERLOAD 32 Overload.
PAGING 52 Paging.
QUEUEING-IN 56 Queuing-in.
RESET 30 Reset.
RESET-ACK 31 Reset acknowledge.
RESET-CIR 34 Reset circuit.
RESOURC-IND 51 Resource indication.
RESOURC-REQ 50 Resource request.
RST-CI-ACK 35 Reset circuit acknowledge.
SAPI-CL-COM 23 SAPI "n" clear request.
SAPI-CL-COMP 24 SAPI "n" clear complete.
SAPI-REJ 25 SAPI "n" rejected.
TRACE-INV 33 Trace investigation.
UNBLOCK 42 Resource un-blocked.
UNBLOCK-ACK 43 Acknowledgement resource un-blocked.

DTAP Call Control messages

Standard reference: GSM 04-08 § 5, §9.3, §10.4, MSC to BSS - Layer 3

DTAP (Direct Transfer Application Part) Call Control messages , for a GSM A
interface located between the MSC (mobile service switching centre) and the BSS
(base station system or radio sub-system) are listed and ordered according to their
hexadecimal code or their type (abreviation).

Message list: hex codes

Code Abreviation DTAP Call Control message

01 ALERTING Alerting.
02 CALL-PROCEED Call proceeding.
03 PROGRESS Progress.
05 SETUP Setup.
07 CONNECT Connect.
08 CALL-CONFIRM Call confirmed.
0D EMERG-SETUP Emergency setup.
0F CONNECT-ACK Connect acknowledged.
10 USER-INFO User information.
13 MODIFY-REJ” Modify reject.
17 MODIFY Modify
1F MODIFY-COMP Modify complete.
25 DISCONNECT Disconnect.
2A RELEASE-COMP Release complete.
2D RELEASE Release.
31 STOP-DTMF Stop DTMF.
32 STOP-DTMF-ACK Stop DTMF acknowledge.
34 STATUS-ENQ Status enquiry.
35 START-DTMF Start DTMF.
36 START-DTMF-AC Start DTMF acknowledge.
37 START-DTMF-RE Start DTMF reject.
39 CONGEST-CTRL Congestion control.
3D STATUS Status.
3E NOTIFY Notify.

Message list: types

Abreviation Code DTAP Call Control message

ALERTING 01 Alerting.
CALL-CONFIRM 08 Call confirmed.
CALL-PROCEED 02 Call proceeding.
CONGEST-CTRL 39 Congestion control.
CONNECT 07 Connect.
CONNECT-ACK 0F Connect acknowledged.
DISCONNECT 25 Disconnect.
EMERG-SETUP 0D Emergency setup.
MODIFY 17 Modify
MODIFY-COMP 1F Modify complete.
MODIFY-REJ” 13 Modify reject.
NOTIFY 3E Notify.
PROGRESS 03 Progress.
RELEASE 2D Release.
RELEASE-COMP 2A Release complete.
SETUP 05 Setup.
START-DTMF 35 Start DTMF.
START-DTMF-AC 36 Start DTMF acknowledge.
START-DTMF-RE 37 Start DTMF reject.
STATUS 3D Status.
STATUS-ENQ 34 Status enquiry.
STOP-DTMF 31 Stop DTMF.
STOP-DTMF-ACK 32 Stop DTMF acknowledge.
USER-INFO 10 User information.
DTAP Radio Resources Management messages

Standard reference: GSM 04-08 § 3, §9.1, §10.4, MSC to BSS- Layer 3

DTAP (Direct Transfer Application Part) Radio Resources Management messages ,

for a GSM A interface located between the MSC (mobile service switching centre)
and the BSS (base station system or radio sub-system) are listed and ordered
according to their hexadecimal code or their type (abreviation).

Message list: hex codes

Code Abreviation DTAP Radio Resources Management

0A PARTIAL-REL Partial release.
0D CHANNEL-REL Channel release.
0F PART-REL-COM Partial release complete.
10 CHAN-MODIFY Channel mode modify.
12 RR-STATUS RR status.
14 FREQ-REDEF Frequency redefinition.
15 MEASUR-REP Measurement report.
16 CLASSM-CHG Classmark change.
17 CHAN-MOD-ACK Channel mode modify acknowledge.
19 SYS-INFO-T1 System information type 1.
1A SYS-INFO-T2 System information type 2.
1B SYS-INFO-T3 System information type 3.
1C SYS-INFO-T4 System information type 4.
1D SYS-INFO-T5 System information type 5.
1E SYS-INFO-T6 System information type 6.
21 PAG-REQ-T1 Paging request type 1.
22 PAG-REQ-T2 Paging request type 2.
24 PAG-REQ-T3 Paging request type 3.
26 ASS-COMMAND Assignment command.
27 PAGING-REP Paging response.
28 HAND-FAILURE Handover failure.
29 ASS-COMPLETE Assignment complete.
2B HAND-COMM Handover command.
2C HAND-COMP Handover complete.
2D PHYS-INFO Physical layer information.
2F ASS-FAILURE Assignment failure.
32 CIPH-M-COMP Ciphering mode complete.
35 CIPH-M-COMM Ciphering mode command.
39 IMM-ASS-EXT Immediate assignment extended.
3A IMM-ASS-REJ Immediate assignment reject.
3B ADD-ASS Additional assignment.
3F IMM-ASS Immediate assignment.

Message list: types

Abreviation Code DTAP Radio Resources Management
ADD-ASS 3B Additional assignment.
ASS-COMMAND 26 Assignment command.
ASS-COMPLETE 29 Assignment complete.
ASS-FAILURE 2F Assignment failure.
CHAN-MOD-ACK 17 Channel mode modify acknowledge.
CHAN-MODIFY 10 Channel mode modify.
CHANNEL-REL 0D Channel release.
CIPH-M-COMM 35 Ciphering mode command.
CIPH-M-COMP 32 Ciphering mode complete.
CLASSM-CHG 16 Classmark change.
FREQ-REDEF 14 Frequency redefinition.
HAND-COMM 2B Handover command.
HAND-COMP 2C Handover complete.
HAND-FAILURE 28 Handover failure.
IMM-ASS 3F Immediate assignment.
IMM-ASS-EXT 39 Immediate assignment extended.
IMM-ASS-REJ 3A Immediate assignment reject.
MEASUR-REP 15 Measurement report.
PAG-REQ-T1 21 Paging request type 1.
PAG-REQ-T2 22 Paging request type 2.
PAG-REQ-T3 24 Paging request type 3.
PAGING-REP 27 Paging response.
PART-REL-COM 0F Partial release complete.
PARTIAL-REL 0A Partial release.
PHYS-INFO 2D Physical layer information.
RR-STATUS 12 RR status.
SYS-INFO-T1 19 System information type 1.
SYS-INFO-T2 1A System information type 2.
SYS-INFO-T3 1B System information type 3.
SYS-INFO-T4 1C System information type 4.
SYS-INFO-T5 1D System information type 5.
SYS-INFO-T6 1E System information type 6.

DTAP Mobility Management messages

Standard reference: GSM 04-08 § 4, §9.2, §10.4, MSC to BSS - Layer 3

DTAP (Direct Transfer Application Part) Mobility Management messages , for a

GSM A interface located between the MSC (mobile service switching centre) and the
BSS (base station system or radio sub-system) are listed and ordered according to
their hexadecimal code or their type (abreviation).

Message list: hex codes 

Code Abreviation DTAP Mobility Management message

01 IMSI-DET-IND IMSI detach indication.
02 LOC-UPD-ACC Location updating accept.
04 LOC-UPD-REJ Location updating reject.
08 LOC-UPD-REQ Location updating request.
11 AUTHENT-REJ Authentication reject.
12 AUTHENT-REQ Authentication request.
14 AUTHENT-RESP Authentication response.
18 IDENTITY-REQ Identity request.
19 IDENTITY-RESP Identity response.
1A TMSI-REA-COMM Temporary mobile identity reallocation command.
1B TMSI-REA-COMP Temporary mobile identity reallocation complete.
21 CM-SERV-ACC Connection management service accept.
22 CM-SERV-REJ Connection management service reject.
26 CM-SERV-REQ Connection management service request.
28 CM-REESTABL Connection management re-establishment request.
31 MM-STATUS Status.

Message list: types

Abreviation Code DTAP Mobility Management message

AUTHENT-REJ 11 Authentication reject.
AUTHENT-REQ 12 Authentication request.
AUTHENT-RESP 14 Authentication response.
CM-REESTABL 28 Connection management re-establishment request.
CM-SERV-ACC 21 Connection management service accept.
CM-SERV-REJ 22 Connection management service reject.
CM-SERV-REQ 26 Connection management service request.
IDENTITY-REQ 18 Identity request.
IDENTITY-RESP 19 Identity response.
IMSI-DET-IND 01 IMSI detach indication.
LOC-UPD-ACC 02 Location updating accept.
LOC-UPD-REJ 04 Location updating reject.
LOC-UPD-REQ 08 Location updating request.
MM-STATUS 31 Status.
TMSI-REA-COMM 1A Temporary mobile identity reallocation command.
TMSI-REA-COMP 1B Temporary mobile identity reallocation complete.