SENG42283 – Mobile

Networks
Cellular Networks

Sadeepa Sepala
[email protected]
Cellular Networks - Overview
■ Areas divided into cells
■ Each served by its own antenna
■ Served by base station consisting of transmitter, receiver,
and control unit
■ Band of frequencies allocated
■ Cells set up such that antennas of all neighbors are
equidistant (hexagonal pattern)
Cellular Networks - Overview
Cellular Networks - Overview
Cellular Networks - Overview
Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Analog Cellular Mobile Systems

■ Analog transmission of speech
■ One traffic channel (TCH)
■ Only Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) is used
■ Many different systems
AMPS – Advanced Mobile Phone System
TACS – Total Access Communication Systems
NMT - Nordic Mobile Telephone
Etc…
Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Advanced Mobile Phone System - AMPS

■ Predominant cellular system used in US
■ Original system : 666 channels ( 624 Voice and 42 Control
channels )
■ EAMPS - Extended APMS
- 832 channels ( 790 Voice and 42 Control channels )
- Used as standard system in US
■ NAMPS - Narrow band AMPS
- That has three times more voice channels than EAMPS
with no loss of quality
- Backward compatible : If the infrastructure is properly
designed, older phones can work on the new system
■ Evolved into DAMPS - Digital AMPS
Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Advanced Mobile Phone System - AMPS

Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Advanced Mobile Phone System - AMPS

Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Total Access Communication System - TACS

■ Based on AMPS system and mainly used in Europe
■ Original system : 600 or 1000 channels ( 558 or 958 Voice
and 42 Control channels )
■ RF band used : 890MHz - 960MHz
- Uplink : 890 - 915
- Downlink : 935 - 960
■ Channel spacing : 25KHz
■ ETACS - Extended TACS
- 1320 channels ( 1278 Voice and 42 Control channels )
■ Different TACS Systems
- ITACS - International TACS
- JTACS - Japanese TACS
- NTACS - Narrow band TACS
Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Total Access Communication System - TACS

Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Total Access Communication System - TACS

Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Why Digital Cellular Mobile Networks ?

■ Easy adaptation to digital Networks
■ Digital signalling serves for flexible adaptation of
operational needs
■ Possibility to use wide spectrum of non-voice services
■ Digital transmission allows for high cellular
implementation flexibility
■ Digital signal processing gains results in high interference
immunity
■ Possibility to use wide spectrum of non-voice services
■ Privacy of radio transmission ensured by digital voice
■ Cost performance trends to modern microelectronics are in
favour of digital solutions
Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Global System of Mobile communication (GSM)

■ Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSM) Committee based in Paris
■ Objectives of GSM
- Common Radio Spectrum in all countries
- Integrated European system with international roaming
- Create large single market
- Increase available cellular radio capacity
- Standardization of network components and network
interfaces
- Better security functions
- Compatibility with fixed digital networks
- Accommodate new services
■ Now developed and standardized by European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Global System of Mobile communication (GSM)

Cellular Networks - Overview

■ Global System of Mobile communication (GSM)

Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ GSM - Network Reference Model

Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model
■ GSM - Network Reference Model
■ A Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) as represented by
the GSM reference model includes the following system
entities
- Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC)
- Home Location Register (HLR)
- Visitor Location Register (VLR)
- Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
- Authentication Center (AUC)
- Base Station System (BSS)
- Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
- Base Station Controller (BSC).
- Mobile Station (MS)
- Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
- Other Network Elements
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC)

Performs the switching functions for all mobile stations located in
the geographic area covered by its assigned BSSs. Functions
performed include interfacing with the Public Switched Telephone
Network (PSTN) as well as with the other MSCs and other system
entities, such as the HLR, in the PLMN.
■ Call handling that copes with mobile nature of subscribers
(e.g., paging)
■ Management of required logical radio-link channel during
calls
■ Management of MSC-BSS signaling protocol

■ Handling location registration and ensuring interworking

between Mobile Station and VLR
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC)

■ Control of inter-BSS and inter-MSC handovers
■ Acting as a gateway MSC to interrogate the HLR
■ Exchange of signaling information with other system
entities
■ Standard functions of a local exchange switch in the fixed
network (example: charging)
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Home Location Register (HLR)

Contains the identities of mobile subscribers (called
International Mobile Subscriber Identities or IMSIs), their
service parameters, and their location information. In summary
the HLR contains:
■ Identity of mobile subscriber

■ ISDN directory number of mobile station

■ Subscription information on teleservices and bearer

services
■ Service restrictions (if any)

■ Supplementary services

■ Location information for call routing.

Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Visitor Location Register (VLR)

Contains the subscriber parameters and location information
for all mobile subscribers currently located in the geographical
area (i.e., cells) controlled by that VLR. In summary the HLR
contains:
■ Identity of mobile subscriber

■ ISDN directory number of mobile station

■ Any temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI)

■ A directory number to route calls to a roaming station

■ Location area where the mobile station is registered

■ Copy of (part of) the subscriber data from the HLR.

Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

EIR is accessed during the equipment validation procedure
when a mobile station accesses the system. It contains the
identity of mobile station equipment (called International
Mobile Station Equipment Identity or IMEI) which may
be valid, suspect, or known to be fraudulent.
This contains:
■ White or Valid list - List of valid MS equipment identities

■ Grey or Monitored list - List of suspected mobiles under

observation
■ Black or prohibited list - List of mobiles for which service
is barred.
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Authentication Center (AUC)

■ Contains subscriber authentication data called
Authentication Keys (Ki)
■ Generates security related parameters needed to authorize
service using Ki
■ Generates unique data pattern called a CipherKey (Kc)
needed for encrypting user speech and data.
■ Operations and Maintenance Center (OMC)
■ The centralized maintenance and diagnostic heart of the
Base Station System (BSS). It allows the network provider
to operate, administer, and monitor the functioning of the
BSS.
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Base Station System (BSS)

■ The BSS is responsible for communicating with mobile
stations in cell areas
■ One BSC controls one or more BTSs and can perform
inter-BTS and intra-BTS handovers
■ The BTS serves one or more cells in the cellular network
and contains one or more TRXs (Transceivers or radio
units)
■ The TRX serves full duplex communications to the MS.
■ Commonly, BSC includes the TRAU (Transcoder/Rate
Adapter Unit). The TRAU adapts the transmission bit rate
of the A-interface (64 kbit/s) to the A bis -interface (16
kbit/s).
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Mobile Station (MS)

The terminal equipment used by the wireless subscriber supported
by the GSM Wireless system. The MS consists of two entities:
■ Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

■ Mobile equipment.

The SIM may be a removable module. A subscriber with an

appropriate SIM can access the system using various mobile
equipments. The equipment identity is not linked to a particular
subscriber. Validity checks made on the MS equipment are
performed independently of the authentication checks made on the
MS subscriber information.
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Mobile Station (MS)

■ The Mobile Station (MS) performs the following:
- Radio transmission termination
- Radio channel management
- Speech encoding/decoding
- Radio link error protection
- Flow control of data
- Rate adaptation of user data to the radio link
- Mobility management
- Performance measurements of radio link
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model
■ Mobile Station (MS) Identifiers
■ International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)
- IMSI is stored in the SIM and has 15 digits
- Mobile Country Code (MCC) — 3 digits (home
country)
- Mobile Network Code (MNC) — 2 digits (home
network)
- Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (MSIN)
■ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
- uniquely identifies the mobile station equipment and it
is 15 digits
- Type of Approval Code — 6 digits
- Final Assembly Code — 2 digits
- Serial Number — 6 digits
- Spare (Check Digit) — 1 digit
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Mobile Station (MS) Identifiers

■ Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI)

- The TMSI is assigned to a mobile station by the visitor
location register (VLR) in NSS. it uniquely identifies a
mobile station within the area controlled by a given
VLR.
- Maximum of 32 bits can be used for TMSI.
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Other (optional) network elements

■ Billing Center:
- Each MSC writes call accounting records to local disk
memory. The Billing Center periodically polls the disk
records of each MSC to collect the billing data for the
PLMN.
■ Service Center:
- The Service Center interfaces with the MSCs to
provide special services, such as the Short Message
Service (SMS), to mobile subscribers in the PLMN.
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model
■ Mapping Model to Network
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Interfaces
For the connection of the different nodes in the GSM network,
different interfaces are defined in the GSM specifications. The
main GSM interfaces are:
■ Air interface or Um -interface

■ A bis -interface

■ A-interface

■ Proprietary M-interface.
Cellular Networks - GSM Reference Model

■ Um - Interface (Air Interface)

One of the most important interfaces is the Um or Air interface.
This interface is thoroughly specified to achieve a full
compatibility between mobile stations of various manufacturers
and networks of different operators.
■ Physical Channels : Determined by the 200Khz GSM Channel

■ Logical Channels : Determined by the carrying information 3

Main Categories :
- Traffic Channels (TCH) : Carry user information such as voice and
data
- Control Channels (CCH) : Used to transmit control and signaling
information
- Broadcast Channels (BCH) : Unidirectional, downlink to broadcast
user information. SMS uses CBCH (Cell broadcast channel)
Cellular Networks - Um Interface
■ Logical Channels
Cellular Networks - Um Interface
■ Logical Channels
Cellular Networks - Um Interface
■ Logical Channels - Traffic Channels
The traffic channels are used to send speech or data services. There are three
types of traffic channels. They are distinguished by their transmission rates:
■ TCH/F (Traffic CHannel Full rate)
The TCH/F carries information at a gross bit rate of 22.8 kbit/s. The net (or
effective) bit rate at the TCH/F is for speech 13 kbit/s and for data 12, 6 or
3.6 kbit/s. The transmission rates of the data services allow services which
are compatible to the existing, 9.6, 4.8 and 2.4 kbit/s PSTN services.
■ TCH/H (Traffic CHannel Half rate)
The TCH/H carries information at a gross bit rate of 11.4 kbit/s. The net bit
rate at the TCH/H is for speech 5.6 kbit/s and for data 6 or 3.6 kbit/s.
■ TCH/EFR (Enhanced Full rate)
The EFR provides a voice coding algorithm offering improved speech
quality. The algorithm is fully compatible with a GSM 13kbit/s speech
channel.
A TCH/F or a TCH/H may also be used to send signaling information(for
example call forwarding and short messages).
Cellular Networks - Um Interface
■ Logical Channels - Broadcast Channels
The broadcast channels are point-to-multipoint channels which are
only defined for the downlink direction (BTS to the mobile station).
There are four types:
■ BCCH (Broadcast Control CHannel)
Via the BCCH the mobile station is informed about the system
configuration parameters (for example Local Area Identification, Cell
Identity and Neighbor Cells). Using this information the mobile
stations can choose the best cell to attached to. The BCCH is also
known as beacon.
■ FCCH (Frequency Correction CHannel)
To communicate with the BTS the mobile station must tune to the
BTS. The FCCH transmits a constant frequency shift of the radio
frequency carrier that can be used by the mobile station for frequency
correction.
Cellular Networks - Um Interface

■ Logical Channels - Broadcast Channels

■ SCH (Synchronization CHannel)

The SCH is used to time synchronize the mobile stations. The data
on this channel carries the TDMA frame number and the BSIC
(Base Station Identity Code).

■ CBCH (Cell Broadcast CHannel)

The CBCH is used for the transmission of generally accessible
information (Short Message Service messages) in a cell, which can
be polled by the mobile station.
Cellular Networks - Um Interface

■ Logical Channels - Common Control Channels

Common control channels are specified as point-to-multipoint channels
which only operate in one direction of transmission, either in the uplink or
downlink direction. There are three types:
■ PCH (Paging CHannel)
The PCH is used in the downlink direction for paging the mobile
stations.
■ AGCH (Access Grant CHannel)
The AGCH is also used in the downlink direction. A logical channel for a
connection is allocated via the AGCH if the mobile station has requested
such a channel via the RACH.
■ RACH (Random Access CHannel)
The RACH is used in the uplink direction by the mobile stations for
requesting a channel for a connection. It is an access channel that uses the
slotted Aloha access scheme.
Cellular Networks - Um Interface

■ Logical Channels - Dedicated Control Channels

Dedicated control channels are full-duplex, point-to-point channels. They are
used for signaling between the BTS and a certain mobile station.There are
three types:
■ SACCH (Slow Associated Control CHannel)
The SACCH is a duplex channel which is always allocated to a TCH or
SDCCH. The SACCH is used for transmission of signaling data, radio link
supervision measurements, transmit power control and timing advance data.
Note that the SACCH is only used for non-urgent procedures.
■ FACCH (Fast Associated Control CHannel)
The FACCH is used as a main signaling link for the transmission of
signaling data (for example handover commands). It is also required for
every call set-up and release. During the call the FACCH data is transmitted
over the allocated TCH instead of traffic data; this is marked by a flag called
a stealing flag. The process of stealing a TCH for FACCH data is called pre-
emption.
Cellular Networks - Um Interface

■ Logical Channels - Dedicated Control Channels

■ SDCCH (Stand-alone Dedicated Control CHannel)

The SDCCH is a duplex, point-to-point channel which is used for
signaling in higher layers. It carries all signaling between the BTS and
the mobile station when no TCH is allocated. The SDCCHs are used for
service requests (for example Short Message Service), location updates,
subscriber authentication, ciphering initiation, equipment validation and
assignment to a TCH. The net SDCCH bit rate is about 0.8 kbit/s.
Thank You !