Wireless Telecommunication Systems

4.1
Mobile phone subscribers worldwide approx. 1.7 bn
1600

2016: 7.8 bn total

1400 4.7 bn unique human
4.7% growth/year

1200
Subscribers [million]

GSM total
1000 TDMA total
CDMA total
800 PDC total
Analogue total
W-CDMA
600
Total wireless
Prediction (1998)
400

200

0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 year

4.2
 GSM: Overview
GSM
Formerly: Groupe Spéciale Mobile (founded 1982)
Now: Global System for Mobile Communication
Pan-European standard (ETSI, European Telecommunications Standardization Institute)
Simultaneous introduction of essential services in three phases (1991, 1994, 1996) by the European
Telecommunication administrations (Germany: D1 and D2)
Seamless roaming within Europe possible

2008: Many providers all over the world use GSM (>220 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, America)
More than 4,2 billion subscribers in more than 700 networks
More than 75% of all digital mobile phones use GSM
Over 29 billion SMS in Germany in 2008, (> 10% of the revenues for many operators)
[be aware: these are only rough numbers…] See e.g. www.gsmworld.com

4.3
 GSM

• The primary goal of GSM was to provide a mobile phone system that allows users to roam throughout
Europe and provides voice services compatible to ISDN and other PSTN systems.
• GSM is a typical second generation system,
• GSM has initially been deployed in Europe using 890–915 MHz for uplinks and 935–960 MHz for
downlinks – this system is now also called GSM 900 , GSM at 1800 MHz (1710–1785 MHz uplink,
1805–1880 MHz downlink), also called DCS (digital cellular system) 1800, and the GSM system
mainly used in the US at 1900 MHz (1850–1910 MHz uplink, 1930–1990 MHz downlink), also called
PCS (personal communications service) 1900. A GSM system that has been introduced in several
European countries for railroad systems is GSM-Rail (GSM-R, 2002).
• GSM-R offers 19 exclusive channels for railroad operators for voice and data traffic

4.4
Performance characteristics of GSM (wrt. analog sys.)
Communication
mobile, wireless communication; support for voice and data services

Total mobility
international access, chip-card enables use of access points of different providers

Worldwide connectivity
one number, the network handles localization

High capacity
better frequency efficiency, smaller cells, more customers per cell

High transmission quality

high audio quality and reliability for wireless, uninterrupted phone calls at higher speeds (e.g., from cars, trains)

Security functions
access control, authentication via chip-card and PIN

4.5
Disadvantages of GSM
There is no perfect system!!
no end-to-end encryption of user data
no full ISDN bandwidth of 64 kbit/s to the user, no transparent B-channel

reduced concentration while driving

electromagnetic radiation

abuse of private data possible

roaming profiles accessible

high complexity of the system

several incompatibilities within the GSM standards

4.6
GSM: Mobile Services
GSM offers
several types of connections
voice connections, data connections, short message service
multi-service options (combination of basic services)

Three service domains

Bearer Services
Telematics Services
Supplementary Services

bearer services
MS
transit source/
TE MT GSM-PLMN network destination TE
R, S Um (PSTN, ISDN) network (U, S, R)

tele services

4.7
Bearer Services
Telecommunication services to transfer data between access points

Specification of services up to the terminal interface (OSI layers 1-3)

Different data rates for voice and data (original standard)

data service (circuit switched)
synchronous: 2.4, 4.8 or 9.6 kbit/s
asynchronous: 300 - 1200 bit/s
data service (packet switched)
synchronous: 2.4, 4.8 or 9.6 kbit/s
asynchronous: 300 - 9600 bit/s

Today (classical GSM!): data rates of approx. 50 kbit/s possible – will be covered later! (far more with new
modulation)

4.8
Tele Services I
Telecommunication services that enable voice communication via mobile phones

All these basic services have to obey cellular functions, security measurements etc.

Offered services
mobile telephony
primary goal of GSM was to enable mobile telephony offering the traditional bandwidth of 3.1 kHz
Emergency number
common number throughout Europe (112); mandatory for all service providers; free of charge; connection with
the highest priority (preemption of other connections possible)
Multi-numbering
several ISDN phone numbers per user possible

4.9
Tele Services II
Additional services
Non-Voice-Teleservices
group 3 fax
voice mailbox (implemented in the fixed network supporting the mobile terminals)
electronic mail (MHS, Message Handling System, implemented in the fixed network)
...

Short Message Service (SMS)

alphanumeric data transmission to/from the mobile terminal (160 characters) using the signaling channel, thus
allowing simultaneous use of basic services and SMS
(almost ignored in the beginning then the most successful add-on! – but more and more replaced by IP-based
messaging)

4.10
Supplementary services
Services in addition to the basic services, cannot be offered stand-alone

Similar to ISDN services besides lower bandwidth due to the radio link

May differ between different service providers, countries and protocol versions

Important services
identification: forwarding of caller number
suppression of number forwarding
automatic call-back
conferencing with up to 7 participants
locking of the mobile terminal (incoming or outgoing calls)
...

4.11
Architecture of the GSM system
GSM is a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)

several providers setup mobile networks following the GSM standard within each country

components
MS (mobile station)
BS (base station)
MSC (mobile switching center)
LR (location register)

subsystems
RSS (radio subsystem): covers all radio aspects
NSS (network and switching subsystem): call forwarding, handover, switching
OSS (operation subsystem): management of the network

4.12
GSM: overview
OMC, EIR,
AUC
HLR
GMSC
NSS fixed network
with OSS

VLR MSC MSC

VLR

BSC

BSC

RSS

4.13
System architecture: radio subsystem

radio network and switching

subsystem subsystem Components
-MS (Mobile Station)
MS MS -BSS (Base Station Subsystem):
consisting of
-BTS (Base Transceiver Station):
Um sender and receiver
-BSC (Base Station Controller):
BTS Abis controlling several transceivers
BSC MSC
BTS Interfaces
-Um : radio interface
-Abis : standardized, open interface with
16 kbit/s user channels
-A: standardized, open interface with
64 kbit/s user channels
A
BTS
BSC MSC
BTS
BSS

4.14
Radio subsystem
The Radio Subsystem (RSS) comprises the cellular mobile network up to the switching centers
Components
-Base Station Subsystem (BSS):
-Base Transceiver Station (BTS): radio components including sender, receiver, antenna - if directed antennas are
used one BTS can cover several cells
-Base Station Controller (BSC): switching between BTSs, controlling BTSs, managing of network resources, mapping
of radio channels (Um) onto terrestrial channels (A interface)

-BSS = BSC + sum(BTS) + interconnection

-Mobile Stations (MS)

4.15
GSM: cellular network

segmentation of the area into cells

possible radio coverage of the cell

idealized shape of the cell

cell

• use of several carrier frequencies

• not the same frequency in adjoining cells
• cell sizes vary from some 100 m up to 35 km depending on user density, geography, transceiver power
etc.
• hexagonal shape of cells is idealized (cells overlap, shapes depend on geography)
• if a mobile user changes cells handover of the connection to the neighbor cell

4.16
Base Transceiver Station and Base Station Controller
Tasks of a BSS are distributed over BSC and BTS
BTS comprises radio specific functions
BSC is the switching center for radio channels

Functions BTS BSC

Management of radio channels X
Frequency hopping (FH) X X
Management of terrestrial channels X
Mapping of terrestrial onto radio channels X
Channel coding and decoding X
Rate adaptation X
Encryption and decryption X X
Paging X X
Uplink signal measurements X
Traffic measurement X
Authentication X
Location registry, location update X
Handover management X

4.17
Mobile station
Terminal for the use of GSM services

A mobile station (MS) comprises several functional groups

-MT (Mobile Terminal):
-offers common functions used by all services the MS offers
-corresponds to the network termination (NT) of an ISDN access
-end-point of the radio interface (Um)
-TA (Terminal Adapter):
-terminal adaptation, hides radio specific characteristics
-TE (Terminal Equipment):
-peripheral device of the MS, offers services to a user
-does not contain GSM specific functions
-SIM (Subscriber Identity Module):
-personalization of the mobile terminal, stores user parameters – more and more replaced by eSIM

TE TA MT
Um
R S

4.18
Network and switching subsystem
NSS is the main component of the public mobile network GSM
-switching, mobility management, interconnection to other networks, system control

Components
-Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC)
controls all connections via a separated network to/from a mobile terminal within the domain of the MSC - several
BSC can belong to a MSC
-Databases (important: scalability, high capacity, low delay)
-Home Location Register (HLR)
central master database containing user data, permanent and semi-permanent data of all subscribers assigned to
the HLR (one provider can have several HLRs)
-Visitor Location Register (VLR)
local database for a subset of user data, including data about all user currently in the domain of the VLR

4.19
Mobile Services Switching Center
The MSC (mobile services switching center) plays a central role in GSM
-switching functions
-additional functions for mobility support
-management of network resources
-interworking functions via Gateway MSC (GMSC)
-integration of several databases

Functions of an MSC
-specific functions for paging and call forwarding
-termination of SS7 (signaling system no. 7)
-mobility specific signaling
-location registration and forwarding of location information
-provision of new services (fax, data calls)
-support of short message service (SMS)
-generation and forwarding of accounting and billing information

4.20
Operation subsystem
The OSS (Operation Subsystem) enables centralized operation, management, and maintenance of all GSM subsystems

Components
-Authentication Center (AUC)
-generates user specific authentication parameters on request of a VLR
-authentication parameters used for authentication of mobile terminals and encryption of user data on the air
interface within the GSM system
-Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
-registers GSM mobile stations and user rights
-stolen or malfunctioning mobile stations can be locked and sometimes even localized
-Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
-different control capabilities for the radio subsystem and the network subsystem

4.21
GSM protocol layers for signaling

Um Abis A
MS BTS BSC MSC

CM CM

MM MM

BSSAP
BSSAP
RR RR’
RR’ BTSM BTSM
SS7 SS7
LAPDm LAPDm LAPD LAPD

radio radio PCM PCM PCM PCM

16/64 kbit/s 64 kbit/s /

2.048 Mbit/s

4.22
Mobile Terminated Call

1: calling a GSM subscriber

4
2: forwarding call to GMSC HLR VLR
5
3: signal call setup to HLR 3 6
8 9
14 15
4, 5: request MSRN from VLR
calling 7
6: forward responsible station 1
PSTN
2
GMSC MSC

MSC to GMSC 10 10 13 10
7: forward call to 16
current MSC BSS BSS BSS
11 11 11
8, 9: get current status of MS
10, 11: paging of MS 11 12
12, 13: MS answers 17
14, 15: security checks MS

16, 17: set up connection

4.23
Mobile Originated Call
1, 2: connection request
3, 4: security check
5-8: check resources (free circuit)
9-10: set up call VLR

3 4
6 5
PSTN GMSC MSC
7 8
2 9
1
MS BSS
10

4.24
MTC/MOC
MS MTC BTS MS MOC BTS
paging request
channel request channel request
immediate assignment immediate assignment
paging response service request
authentication request authentication request
authentication response authentication response
ciphering command ciphering command
ciphering complete ciphering complete
setup setup
call confirmed call confirmed
assignment command assignment command
assignment complete assignment complete
alerting alerting
connect connect
connect acknowledge connect acknowledge
data/speech exchange data/speech exchange

4.25
4 types of handover
1
2 3 4
MS MS MS MS

BTS BTS BTS BTS

BSC BSC BSC

MSC MSC

4.26
Handover decision

receive level receive level

BTSold BTSnew

HO_MARGIN

MS MS

BTSold BTSnew

4.27
Handover procedure
MS BTSold BSCold MSC BSCnew BTSnew
measurement measurement
report result

HO decision
HO required HO request
resource allocation
ch. activation

HO command HO request ack ch. activation ack

HO command HO command
HO access
Link establishment
Hard handover HO complete
HO complete
clear command clear command
clear complete clear complete

4.28