Telecommunication Engineering

GSM
Global System for Mobile
Communications

Telecommunication Engineering
 Introduction
GSM is short for Global System for Mobile Communications, one of the
leading digital cellular systems. GSM uses a mixture of FDMA and TDMA,
which allows eight simultaneous calls on the same radio frequency.

GSM was first introduced in 1991. As of the end of 1997, GSM service was
available in more than 100 countries and has become the de facto standard
in Europe and Asia.

GSM networks are the pioneers in many typically "digital" services including
the Short Message Service (SMS), Over the air (OTA) configuration and GSM
positioning. The SIM card (Subscriber Identification Module) is also a unique
and essential component of GSM phones.

Considering its technology and presence both in Americas and the rest of the
world, GSM is in a good position for global roaming and many new GSM
phones are called "global phones", since they can be used in any country. 2
Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Services

GSM was designed to do 3 things:


1. Bearer data services: Faxes, text messages, web pages.

Basic GSM had a basic data rate that is limited to 9.6 kbps

Extended by GPRS and EDGE to around 384 Kbps

2. Voice traffic

But, at a lower quality than analog.

3. Other features: Call forwarding, Call Waiting, Caller id, SMS Delivery
Reports etc.

Telecommunication Engineering
 Frequency Usage


In order to provide full duplex conversations to end users,
Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) is used.

This means that separate frequency bands are used for forward and
reverse links.

Forward and reverse links are used interchangeably with terms such
as uplink and downlink.
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Telecommunication Engineering
 Frequency Usage
There is some separation between forward and reverse link frequencies in
order to ensure that in the analogue part of the physical radio interface no
damage is done to the very sensitive receiver by the relatively high power
(relative to the receiver - all mobile phones use very little transmit power -
maximum of about 1W) of the transmitter.

In GSM the separations are 45MHz using the 900MHz band and 95MHz for
the 1,800MHz (1.8GHz) band.
There is also a gap of 20MHz (at 900MHz) between the set of forward and
the set of reverse channels.

This separation is enough that a filter can ensure that no damage occurs to
the receiver components when the transmitter is operating.

Communication is carried out using one or more Absolute Radio Frequency

Channel Numbers (ARFCNs)

124 x 200 kHz ARFCNs in 25 MHz (900 MHz band)

374 x 200 kHz ARFCNs in 75 MHz (1800 MHz band) 5

Telecommunication Engineering
 Frequency Usage

It is important to remember that it

is seldom possible to use all 124 or
374 frequencies at the same time
in the same location. If you could,
then it would be impossible to
provide coverage in all locations.

The standard model uses 7 sets of

frequencies.

Frequencies were initially fixed per

cell but it was soon realized that
this was too inflexibly and the
extra cost of dynamic assignment
had the benefits of allowing
capacity to be re-assigned to
match demand to some extent.
6

Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Architecture
MS Mobile Station VLR Visitor Location Register
BTS Base Transceiver System AUC Authentication Center
BSC Base Station Controller OMC Operational Maintenance
MSC Mobile Switching Center PSTN Public Switch Telephone Network
HLR Home Location Register

Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Architecture

The Mobile Station (MS) is the cellular phone carried by the subscriber.
The MS represents the only piece of equipment that a user sees from the
system.

The Base Station Subsystem (BSS) and its components. This also called the
RSS (radio subsystem) and covers all radio aspects. It controls the radio
link to the Mobile Station.

The Network Switching Subsystem (NSS) and some of its components
which handles, for example, call forwarding, handover, switching.

The Switching Subsystem (SSS) is the main part of which is the
Mobile Switching Center (MSC), performs the switching of calls
between a mobile user and other fixed or mobile network users, as
well as mobility management.

The Operation Subsystem (OSS) oversees the proper operation and
setup of the whole network.

The public networks to which GSM is also attached. The Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN) is the normal wired telephone system. The
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a fairly general purpose data
and control network and of course many other types of data networks as
well. 8

Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Architecture

Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Architecture

The main interfaces of interest are:


The Radio Air Interface which is often called U m .

The Abis interface that is used by individual BTS's to communicate
with their cell's controlling BSC. This provides 16 kbit/s user channels.

The A interface which links several cell's into a cluster controlled by
an MSC. 64 kbit/s channels

The O interface which uses the Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) interface
which carries much of the management data.

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Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Architecture in Details

BSS Base Station Subsystem

RSS Radio Subsystem
NSS Network and Switching Subsystem
OSS Operational Subsystem
BTS Base Transceiver System
BSC Base Station Controller
MSC Mobile Switching Center
HLR Home Location Register
VLR Visitor Location Register
EIR Equipment Identity Register
AUC Authentication Center
OMC Operational Maintenance
GMSC Gateway Mobile Switching Center
IWF Inter-Working Function

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Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Architecture in Details
The OSS (Operational Subsystem has 3
The main databases are: main components:

HLR (Home Location 
Authentication Center (AUC):
Register): central master Generates user specific
database containing user data, authentication parameters on
permanent and semi- request of a VLR.
permanent data of all Authentication parameters
subscribers assigned to the used for authentication of
HLR (one provider can have mobile terminals and
several HLRs). encryption of user data on the

VLR (Visitor Location air interface within the GSM
Register): local database for a system
subset of user data, including
data about all users currently

Equipment Identity Register
in the domain of the VLR. (EIR): Registers GSM mobile
stations and user rights.

EIR (Equipment Identity
Register): part of OSS, 
Operation and Maintenance
registers GSM mobile stations Center (OMC): Different
and user rights. Stolen or control capabilities for the
malfunctioning mobile stations radio subsystem and the
can be locked and sometimes network subsystem. 12
even localized.
Telecommunication Engineering
 Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

The Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) should also be considered of being
part of the MS, since normally the MS can not be operated without a SIM.

The SIM is a smart card that contains all the subscriber-related
information that is needed on the user's side of the radio interface.

The insertion of SIM to a MS personalizes the MS, so that actions of
the MS can be associated with a specific subscriber (e.g. for
charging).


The SIM card may be protected against unauthorized use by a password
or personal identity number. The mobile station is uniquely identified by
its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).


The SIM card contains the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
used to identify the subscriber to the system.


The IMEI and the IMSI are independent, thereby allowing users to utilize
any GSM MS without being tied to a particular piece of hardware. 13

Telecommunication Engineering
 Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

The BSS contains the network infrastructure, which is specific to cellular
radio aspects of GSM.


The BSS includes two types of machines:

The Base Transceiver Station (BTS), which takes care of
communication to the MSs through the radio interface.

The BTS is responsible for providing an error-corrected data path
over the radio interface.

It is typical that several BTSs are located at the same site, sharing a
common antenna tower and serving sectored cells.

The Base Station Controller (BSC), which takes care of communication
to the MSC through the A interface (a signaling system number 7 link).

The BSC is in charge of the radio interface management within a
region, especially the allocation of radio channels and control of
handovers.

For each cell of the system a BTS is needed, but a BSC can control
several (typically 20 to 30) BTSs and several cells through some
protocol. 14

Telecommunication Engineering
 Switching Sub-System (SSS)

Within a SSS the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) performs all the
switching functions needed for the operation of the MSs within the group
of cells that it services.


The MSC acts like a normal switching node of the PSTN, and additionally
provides all the functionality needed to handle a mobile subscriber, such
as:

Registration

Location updating

Handovers

Call routing to a roaming subscriber.


The MSC takes also care of internetworking with PSTN and other
networks (ISDN, circuit and packet switched data networks etc.).


An MSC controls several BSCs, and typically one MSC can serve a
relatively large city of about 1 million inhabitants. 15

Telecommunication Engineering
 More about HLR, VLR, AuC and EIR
Besides MSCs, the SSS includes several databases: HLR, VLR, AuC and EIR.

The Home Location Register (HLR) contains all the data of each mobile
subscriber registered in the GSM network of the associated MSC, along with
the current location of the subscriber.

The permanent data in the HLR include the international mobile subscriber
identity (IMSI), phone number, and permitted supplementary services.

The temporary data in the HLR include the address of the current Visitor
Location Register (VLR), which currently administrates the user, forwarding
number in case of call forwarding and some transient parameters for
authentication and encryption.

The information about the current location of the subscriber (the address of
the current VLR) allows the MSC to route the incoming calls to the MSC in
command of the area, where the MS roams. 16

Telecommunication Engineering
 More about HLR, VLR, AuC and EIR

There is logically one HLR per GSM network, although it may be implemented
as a distributed database. The Authentication Center (AuC) is defined as an
independent machine in SSS, but in practice it is often implemented as a
module within HLR.

The logical separation of AuC and HLR is important, since AuC is only used for
security functions, especially the authentication of MSs.

A SIM card issued in the area assigned to AuC contains the same
authentication algorithm as the AuC does.

The AuC issues an input and the corresponding output of the authentication
algorithm to either HLR or VLR for authentication of subscribers.
17

Telecommunication Engineering
 More about HLR, VLR, AuC and EIR
The Visitor Location Register (VLR) is used for temporarily storing the
information of mobile subscribers that are currently located in the service
area of the corresponding MSC.

Specifically the VLR contains more accurate location of a subscriber than

what is stored in the HLR of the subscriber and the Temporary Mobile
Subscriber Identity (TMSI), which is used for limited periods of time to avoid
the transmission of the IMSI over radio interface.

In practical implementations the VLR is integrated as a part of each MSC, so

that the geographical area controlled by the MSC corresponds to that
controlled by the VLR.

The last database of SSS is the Equipment Identity Register (EIR) that contains
the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of all MSs that are known
to be stolen or faulty, or that have been used fraudulently.

The IMEI identifies the manufacturer, the country of production and the type
18
approval of the MS.
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 Processes of Originating (Starting) and
(Receiving) Calls

19

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 Mobile Originated (Outgoing) Call

 1, 2: Connection Request
 3, 4: Security Check
 5, 6, 7, 8: Check Resources (free
circuits)
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 9, 10: Call Setup
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 Mobile (Incoming) Call
1: Calling a GSM
subscriber
2: Forwarding call to
GMSC
3: Signal call setup to HLR
4, 5: Request to VLR
6:Forward responsible
MSC to GMSC
7: Forward call to current
MSC
8, 9:Get current status of
MS
10, 11: Paging to MS
12, 13: MS answers
14, 15: Security check
16, 17: Setup connection 21

Telecommunication Engineering
 GSM Handover

Handover is required as a MS moves from one BTS coverage area to another.

In practice, especially in urban areas,

the MS may be able to communicate
with several different cells ate the
same time.

This is because in urban areas the cells are

often quite small and the propagation
conditions can vary greatly over relatively
small distances due to variations in shadowing
(buildings etc blocking the direct signal).

To minimize interference, generally handover takes place when a new BTS

signal is found to be stronger than the existing one.
22

Telecommunication Engineering
 Types of Handover

Intra-cell: Change of cell sector
or radio channel within the
same BTS coverage area. The
handover is controlled by the
local BSC.

Inter-cell, intra-BSC: Handover
is to a new BTS under control of
the same BSC. The handover is
controlled by the local BSC.

Inter-BSC, intra-MSC: Handover
to a new BTS that is controlled
by a different BSC, but the same
MSC. The handover process is
controlled by the MSC.

Inter-MSC: Handover to a new
BTS that is controlled by a
different MSC. The handover is
controlled by inter-MSC
signaling 23

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