Mobile Systems

Robert Janowski
[email protected]
The goal of the course
• Transfer of knowledge in the field of architecture and principles of
operation of mobile systems:
• Cellular networks (consecutive generations) : 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G
• Positioning mechanisms in mobile systems (GPS and cellular networks)
 Content of the course
• 1. Introduction to mobile systems. Definitions, basic functions, system taxonomy, types of
connections, types of mobility, circuit switching, packet switching, evolution of mobile
systems technology, reasons why mobile systems are becoming more and more popular,
challenges related to mobile systems, mobile network planning, modulation and
demodulation , multiple access techniques: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, propagation models:
loss budget, noise and interference, multi-path propagation and fadings, error
management: forward error correction (FEC), automatic repetition request (ARQ),
• 2. Designing of cellular networks. Planning of 2G mobile network coverage, dimensioning
of 2G mobile network capacity, example of 2G mobile network design
• 3. Evolution of cell systems. The evolution of the mobile network and its main causes,
architecture and rules of the 1G mobile network, architecture and principle of the 2G
mobile network: technical parameters, implementation of physical channels, advance
synchronization mechanism, implementation of signaling channels, elements of the GSM
network: mobile station, access network, core network, mobility management, identifiers
used in the GSM network. Functions implemented by specific architecture: MS, BTS, BSC,
MSC, GMSC, HLR, VLR, AuC, user authentication mechanism, radio resource management,
session management.
 Content of the course
• 4. GSM network. Basic signaling scenarios in the GSM network: switching on
the mobile station, switching off the mobile station, connection configuration,
"handover" procedure, location update procedure, roaming.

• 5. GSM network - services. SMS (Short Message Service) service, USSD

(Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) service, data transmission in CSD
mode, data transmission in HS-CSD mode,

• 6. GPRS network: architecture and rules of the GPRS network, mobility

management in the GPRS network. User plane and control plane protocols in
the GPRS network, implementation of physical and signaling channels in the
GPRS network, session concept (PDP context), signaling procedures: GPRS
Attach and activation of the PDP context, EDGE network (Enhanced Data Rate
for GSM Evolution) - differences in the ratio to the GPRS network,
 Content of the course
• 7. UMTS network: User plane and control plane protocols in the GPRS network,
implementation of physical and signaling channels in the GPRS network, session
concept (PDP context), signaling procedures: GPRS Attach and activation of the PDP
context, EDGE network (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution ) - differences from
the GPRS network, UMTS network, UMTS network architecture, functions and
parameters of the access network (UTRAN), multiple Code Division (CDMA) access -
orthogonal codes, user plane protocols in the UMTS network, channels in the UMTS
network)

• 8. Positioning methods: Satellite positioning methods: history, principles, GPS as an

example. Mobile network positioning methods. Examples: cell ID, RSS, TOA, TDOA,
AOA.

• 9. Architecture of the 4G mobile network: (EPS system). Architecture Evolved Packet

System (EPS): backbone network (EPC) and access network (E-UTRAN), functions and
features of elements of the EPS system, OFDMA and SC-FDMA multiple access
techniques. Logical, transport and physical channels, radio resources. Communication
protocols: user plane, control plane, management of transfer services.
 Content of the course
• 9. EPS procedures: State diagrams. Radio resource control. Mobility Management.
Procedures for switching the terminal on and off in the EPS system.
• 10. EPS procedures: Quality of services, resource access control policies and tariffs.
QoS parameters and data flows in services. Architecture elements related to resource
access policies and tariffs. Session management procedures. Tariffing and billing.
• 11. VoLTE and IMS architecture: IMS architecture - division into layers, discussion of
individual functional elements, contacts. Signaling protocols: SIP, SDP, Diameter.
Signaling procedures: registration, setting up and disconnection of connections,
access network selection procedure. Service implementation - concept description,
case analysis. Discussion of the implementation of the Call Forward Unconditional
(CFU) in the openIMSCore environment - analysis of the configuration and operation
of the service.
• 12. Exam
 Introduction
• Mobile system - a set of functional elements communicating with each other,
some of which can move (e.g. cellular network)

• Basic types of functions:

• Call control (setting up, maintaining
and disconnecting calls)
• Mobility management (location
tracking, dynamic address
assignment, authentication, ...)
 Introduction

• Taxonomy
Network systems

Wired Wireless

Stationary Mobile (remotely controlled Stationary Mobile

(e.g. PSTN network) object e.g. bullet) (e.g. radiolines) (e.g. GSM, UMTS)

• Attention: Wireless doesn't imply mobile and vice versa

 Introduction
⚫ Types of wireless links (depending on the wavelength)
Wireless links

Radio (the range: 3kHz – 3 THz) Infrared (the range: 780nm – 1mm)
e.g. IrDa

Microwaves
Long waves < 0.3MHz (1-300GHz) e.g. radiolines
e.g. radiotelegraph Short and ultrashort waves
(4MHz-1GHz) e.g. television

Medium waves ⚫Simplified engineer formula:

(0.3MHz-4MHz)
 Introduction
• How is the energy radiated from the antenna?
• The relation of antenna dimensions to the length of the transmitted
electromagnetic wave

L << λ L~λ

• Conclusion: the design and size of the antenna depend on the

frequency of the transmitted signal (high frequency - small antenna)
 Introduction
• Antenna dimensions - • Shortwave antenna - Duga,
examples: Ukraine:
• Radio station in Gąbin - half- • f = 7 to 19MHz, antenna
wave antenna, height 646m. dimensions 150 x 500 m
 Introduction
⚫ Taxonomy with respect to criteria that is to keep call countinuity during the
movements ( ITU-T Q.1706 recommendation)
Mobility

Call countiunity Lack of call countiunity

Seamless handover Handover Nomadism Portability

Introduction - the evolution of mobile systems:
⚫ Cellular systems of the consecutive generations:
⚫ 1G – analog, in Poland since 1992 year system NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephony; polish

operator „PTK Centertel”

⚫ 2G – digital (circuit switched), in Poland since 1996 system GSM (ERA network)

⚫ 3G – digital (packet switched), in Poland since 2003, system UMTS (ERA network)

⚫ 4G – heteregenous network, delivering multiple services, separated roles: network

provider, service provider, content providers)

• Criteria:
• Capacity of the radio interface
• Applied technology e.g. analog or digital, circuit or packet switched, …
• Types of offered services: voice, narrowband data transfer, wideband data transfer
Introduction - popularity of mobile systems
⚫ Tremendous growth in the number of cellular users,
• The fastest pace of growth as compared to any previously introduced technology,
• Currently the most popular and widespread communication technology
Introduction - popularity of mobile systems

• Market saturation with

smartphone type mobile
terminals (2017)
 Introduction - popularity of mobile systems
• Dynamic changes in the area of mobile systems, mainly mobile telephony.
• These changes are very spectacular and widely felt, mainly due to the scale of
the phenomenon.
• Mobile network services (telephony, data transmission, video on demand)
have dominated the telephony and Internet access market in the last few
years.
• According to Central Statistical Office (GUS), the number of SIM cards in
Poland has already exceeded 56 million, which means that statistically there
are 1.5 SIM cards per capita
• Rapid evolutionary changes also take place in the area less visible to
subscribers, i.e. in the area of mobile access and backbone architecture (from
2G to 4G networks)
Introduction - reasons for cellular systems becoming so
popular
⚫ Technical reasons - technical progress:
– miniturization – ease of the use,
– small power consumption – less often batery charging,
– higher capacity wireless links
– variety of services e.g. video,
⚫ Economical reasons – cheapper devices:
– starting with military applications (very expensive)
– Mass usage makes the prices go down,
⚫ Business reasons:
– Higher mobility of peoples,
– New habbits (getting used to) using telephones, e-mails, browsing Internet,
– Attractive services making the life easier e.g. Navigation, localization, mobile
telephony, remote workers
Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
„Explosion” in the needs for higher capacity
– New mobile terminals stimulate the need for higher capacity
• E-reader = 2 x the volume of traffic generated by tradditional cellular telephone
• Smartphone = 10 x the volume of traffic generated by tradditional cellular telephone

• Digital frame = 10 x the volume of traffic generated by tradditional cellular telephone

• Video camera = 10 x the volume of traffic generated by tradditional cellular telephone

• Wireless film projector = 300 x the volume of traffic generated by tradditional cellular
telephone
• Laptop = 1300 x the volume of traffic generated by tradditional cellular telephone
 Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
• „Explosion” in the needs for higher capacity
• Tremendous gowth in the traffic volumen
• The change in the traffic profile

1) Exponential growth in traffic volume

2) Faster growth than for fixed networks

3) Video traffic is dominating type of

traffic

4) Most of traffic comes from the

mobile networks of newest
technologies
 Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
• „Explosion” in the needs for higher capacity
• Tremendous gowth in the traffic volumen
• The change in the traffic profile
 Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
• Statistics of the traffic generated from mobile devices
• Traffic growth per region

Source: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-
networking-index-vni/white-paper-c11-738429.html
 Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
• Statistics of the traffic generated from mobile devices
• Percentage share of different types of mobile devices

Source: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/white-paper-
c11-738429.html
 Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
• Statistics of the traffic generated from mobile devices
• Traffic share with respect to type of device the traffic comes from

Source: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-
networking-index-vni/white-paper-c11-738429.html
 Introduction – factors stimulating the growth
• Statistics of the traffic generated from mobile devices
• Traffic share with respect to the type of the access netowrk

Source: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-
vni/white-paper-c11-738429.html
Introduction- trends in the area of communication
technologies

⚫ Summary of the trends:

⚫ Significant growth in the number of mobile users,
⚫ The growth in both sectors: individual and business users,
⚫ The change (shift) from wired to wireless mobile communication,
⚫ The change in services: from telephony to data transfer.
Introduction - challenges of mobile systems
⚫ Wireless links:
⚫ The propagation of waves: multipath, non-stationary
⚫ transmission medium more prone to errors
⚫ impact of external interferences (e.g. From other users)
⚫ limited range
⚫ Users' mobility
⚫ the destination address doesn't determine the location (the point in space);
this is in contrary to stationary systems,
⚫ power management – balance between parformance, generated
interferences and power consumption,
⚫ switching users between the access points – (hand-over),
⚫ mobility management – tracking users' movements, providing the
communication capabilitoes in visited networks (roaming),