GSM System Survey

Part I

Eng. Mohamed Salah

Mobile:0128 545 89 88

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Contents

Fundamentals of Cellular Systems

GSM (2G) Network Architecture

Air interface

Traffic Cases

GPRS

Company Logo
 Contents
1) Fundamentals of Cellular Systems
 Types of Telephones
 Modes of Communications.
 History of Mobile Communications
 Multiple Access technique
 Adaptive Power Control
 Frequency Reuse
 Cell Splitting
 Types of Cells
 Mobile Radio Channel Characteristics
2) GSM (2G) Network Architecture
 GSM Structure .
 GSM identities .
 Traffic Cases (Handover-location update-Call originating & terminating).
 GSM signaling ss7 protocols
3) GSM Air Interface
 Activities in Air Interface
 GSM Control Channels
 SDCCH and TCH congestion analysis

Eng/Mohamed Salah
4) GSM Planning
 Site Equipments
 Site Types
 Cell Planning Process
 Coverage & capacity Dimensioning.

5) GPRS (2.5G)
 GPRS Architecture
 GPRS Network Operation.
 GPRS Network Performance

Eng/Mohamed Salah
 Transmission system

Transmission medium
source Destination

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HISTORY OF COMMUNICATION

Transmission Medium

Wired Wireless
Transmission medium
1- Twisted-pair:
It has very low bandwidth and it is easily tapped either physically or by
monitoring its electromagnetic radiation

2- Coaxial cable:
It has greater bandwidth(GHZ)than twisted-pair but it is very expensive.

3- optical fibers:
It is very high bandwidth , very high bit rate and inherently transmission
medium.

4- Radio (wireless):
– Some of their advantages :
a- They are very flexible and suitable for all terrain.
b- Portable system can be installed very quickly
c- There are often the most cost-effective solution

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Types of Telephones

Types of Telephones :

1- Fixed (PSTN)
Telephones

2- Cordless telephone

3- Mobile Telephones

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Modes OF Transmission in wireless
Simplex communication system
 Example:
» Television , radio

TX Communication is possible in one direction only RX

Eng/Mohamed Salah
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Cellular FUNDEMENTALS

Full – Duplex communication system

 Example :
» GSM mobile radio

• simultaneous two-way communication

• Two simultaneous but separate channels are
TX+RX TX +RX
provided for communication to and from the
terminals

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Access techniques

Some techniques used in

wireless communication:

• FDM

• TDM

• FDMA

• TDMA

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Access techniques

TDM (time division multiplexing)

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Access techniques

FDM (frequency division multiplexing)

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Multiple Access Techniques

Eng/Mohamed salah
 Multiple Access Techniques

Three types of Multiple Access Technique are available:

Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

Eng/Mohamed salah
Multiple Access Techniques

FDMA
 Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), divide the available
bandwidth into smaller bandwidths and allocated to the users.

f1 f2 f3

Eng/Mohamed salah
Cellular FUNDEMENTALS

TDMA
 It allows several users to share the same radio frequency (RF)
by dividing it into different timeslots
Frequency

Eng/Mohamed salah
Cellular FUNDEMENTALS

TDMA/FDMA
Frequency

Time

Eng/Mohamed salah
 Second generation different standard

GSM: PDC:
Personal Digital Cellular
Global System for since 1993/94
Mobile Communication
Japan only
since 1992 800 & 1500 MHz
world-wide:  70 M. subscriber
 165 countries
900, 1800 &
1900 MHz
subscriber:  550 M.

IS-95:
D-AMPS: Interim Standard-95
Digital AMPS since 1995
since 1991/92 welt-wide,
USA, Canada America & S. Korea
800 & 1900 MHz 800 & 1900 MHz,
AMPS/D-AMPS 1700 MHz (Korea)
subscriber:  90 M.  100 M. subscriber
Mobile Evolution

 1G (Early 1980s)
 – Analog speech communications.
 – Analog FDMA.
 – Ex: AMPS.
 2G (Early 1990s)
 – Digital modulation of speech communications.
 – Advanced security and roaming.
 – TDMA and narrowband CDMA.
 -capacity increased

WCDMA HSDPA +HSDPA

EDGE
LTE
GSM/GPRS GSM/GPRS GPRS/EDGE WCDMA HSDPA
HSDPA +HSDPA
)100Mbps(
EDGE WCDMA

48Kbps 240Kbps 384Kbps Mbps 1.8/3.6/7.2/14.4 Mbps 21/28/42

Eng/Mohamed salah
Radio Coverage

Spectrum Allocation (GSM 900)

Downlink 935 – 960 MHz

Uplink 890 – 915 MHz

KHz 200
890.2 890.6 Uplink
1 2 3 4 121
121 122 123 124

890 890.4 915 F (MHz)

935.2 935.6 Downlink

1 2 3 4 121
121 122 123 124

935 935.4 960 F (MHz)

GSM 900 Frequency Allocation

ARFCN Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number

Eng/Mohamed salah
Spectrum Allocation (GSM 1800)

Downlink 1805 – 1880 MHz

Uplink 1710 – 1785 MHz

KHz 200
1710.2 1710.6 Uplink
1 2 3 4 371 372 373 374

1710 1710.4 1785 F (MHz)

1805.2 1805.6 Downlink

1 2 3 4 371 372 373 374

1805 1805.4 1880 F (MHz)

GSM 1800 Frequency Allocation

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Radio Coverage

Cell Geometry

Dead Spots

Problem of omni directional antennas

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Radio Coverage

Cell Geometrical Shape

To solve the dead spot problem

R R R

Tradeoffs
• The number of cells required to cover a given area.

• The cell transceiver power.

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Radio Coverage

Transceiver Antenna

Sectorial Antenna Omni-Directional Antenna

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Sectorial Antenna

Sectorial Antenna

The cells will take the form of overlapping circles.

Due to the obstacles in the coverage area the actual shape of the
cells would be Random.

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Cell Classification
Macrocell
Umbrella Cell

Fast moving subscribers

Overlaid &
Normal Cell Underlaid Cells Normal Cell

Picocell

In building
coverage
Microcell

Eng/Mohamed
Eng/Mohamed Salah
Slow moving subscribers salah
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Radio Coverage

GSM Coverage Plan

To provide coverage for a large service area of a mobile network we have
two Options:

(A) Install one transceiver with high (B) Divide the service area into smaller
radio power at the center of the areas (cells)
service area

Drawbacks Advantages
• The mobile equipments used in • Each cell as well as the mobile
this network should have high handsets will have relatively small
output power in order to be able to power transceivers.
transmit signals across the
coverage area.
• The usage of the radio resources • The frequency spectrum might be
would be limited. “reused” in two far separated cells.
This yields:
Unlimited capacity of the system.
Good interference characteristics
Eng/Mohamed Salah
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 Frequency Reuse

Why do we need frequency reuse?

Total no of channels (frequencies) = 124

Every channel can be shared between a maximum of 8 subscribers.
Maximum no of simultaneous calls = 8 X 124 =992 !!

The frequency reuse is performed by dividing the whole available frequencies

between a group of neighboring cells which is called frequency reuse pattern or
a “Cluster”, and then repeat this cluster over the whole network on 2 conditions:

 The group of frequencies allocated to a given cell must not be used

in the adjacent cells.
 Enough distance between the cells where the same group of
frequencies are reused.

Eng/Mohamed salah
 A3 B3
A2 B2
3/9 Cluster A1 B1
A3 B3 C3 A3 B3
A2 B2 C2 A2 B2
A1 B1 C1 A1 B1
A3 B3 C3 A3 B3 C3
A2 B2 C2 A2 B2 C2
A1 B1 C1 A1 B1 C1
C3 A3 B3 C3 A3 B3
C2 A2 B2 C2 A2 B2
C1 A1 B1 C1 A1 B1
A3 B3 C3 A3 B3 C3
A2 B2 C2 A2 B2 C2
A1 B1 C1 A1 B1 C1
C3 A3 B3 C3 A3 B3
C2 A2 B2 C2 A2 B2
3/9 cluster in which the available
C1 A1 B1 A1
frequencies are divided into 9 C1 B1
C3
groups and distributed between 3 C3

sites C2 C2
C1 C1
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 Radio Coverage
A3 B3 A3 B3 A3 B3 A3 B3
A2 B2 A2 B2 A2 B2 A2 B2
A1 B1 A1 B1 A1 B1 A1 B1
C3 D3 C3 D3 C3 D3 C3 D3
C2 D2 C2 D2 C2 D2 C2 D2
C1 D1 C1 D1 C1 D1 C1 D1
A3 B3 A3 B3 A3 B3 A3 B3
A2 B2 A2 B2 A2 B2 A2 B2
A1 B1 A1 B1 A1 B1 A1 B1
C3 D3 C3 D3 C3 D3 C3 D3
C2 D2 C2 D2 C2 D2 C2 D2
C1 D1 C1 D1 C1 D1 C1 D1
A3 B3 A3 B3 A3 B3 A3 B3
A2 B2 A2 B2 A2 B2 A2 B2
A1 B1 A1 B1 A1 B1 A1 B1
C3 D3 C3 D3 C3 D3 C3 D3
C2 D2 C2 D2 C2 D2 C2 D2
C1 D1 C1 C1
D1 D1 C1 D1

4/12 cluster in which the available frequencies are divided into 12

groups and distributed between 4 sites 4 /Eng/Mohamed
12 Cluster Salah
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 7 / 21 cluster in which the available
A3 E3 frequencies are divided into 21 groups
A2 E2 and distributed between 7 sites
A1 E1
B3 D3 F3 A3 E3
B2 D2 F2 A2 E2
B1 D1 F1 A1 E1
C3 G3 B3 D3 F3 A3 E3
C2 G2 B2 D2 F2 A2 E2
C1 G1 B1 D1 F1 A1 E1
A3 E3 C3 G3 B3 D3 F3
A2 E2 C2 G2 B2 D2 F2
A1 E1 C1 G1 B1 D1 F1
B3 D3 F3 A3 E3 C3 G3
B2 D2 F2 A2 E2 C2 G2
B1 D1 F1 A1 E1 C1 G1
C3 G3 B3 D3 F3
C2 G2 B2 D2 F2
C1 G1 B1 D1 F1
C3 G3
C2 G2
C1 G1
7 /Eng/Mohamed
21 Cluster
salah
Radio Coverage

Which Cluster Size to use?

Carrier to interference ratio

It’s the difference in power level between the carrier in a given

cell and the same carrier received from the nearest cell that reuses
the same frequency.

Number of frequencies Traffic Channels

per site C/I Ratio

3/9 High High Low

4/12 Medium Medium Medium
7/21 Low Low High

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Spectrum Allocation (GSM 900)

Downlink 935 – 960 MHz

Uplink 890 – 915 MHz

KHz 200
890.2 890.6 Uplink
1 2 3 4 121
121 122 123 124

890 890.4 915 F (MHz)

935.2 935.6 Downlink

1 2 3 4 121
121 122 123 124

935 935.4 960 F (MHz)

GSM 900 Frequency Allocation If this duration = 1 sec, the
frequency of this wave will be 4 Hz

Eng/Mohamed Salah
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Spectrum Allocation (GSM 1800)

Downlink 1805 – 1880 MHz

Uplink 1710 – 1785 MHz

KHz 200
1710.2 1710.6 Uplink
1 2 3 4 371 372 373 374

1710 1710.4 1785 F (MHz)

1805.21805.6 Downlink
1 2 3 4 371 372 373 374

1805 1805.4 1880 F (MHz)

GSM 1800 Frequency Allocation

Eng/Mohamed salah
 Basic GSM Network Structure
PSTN
ISDN
PDN
BSC
MS BTS
MSC

GMSC

BTS BSC
VLR
MS

BTS EIR
AUC
MS HLR

Eng/Mohamed salah
Basic GSM Network Structure

HLR

BTS BSC MSC/VLR

Another
Radio Interface Switching Node

GW Of another network
ISDN
MS PSTN
Another MSC

Eng/Mohamed
 Radio Coverage

Radio team is the responsible of handling the Air

Interface network in terms coverage, capacity & quality
HLR

BTS BSC MSC/VLR

Radio Interface Planning team is the responsible of dimensioning and

designing the new sites that need to be added to the network

MS
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The Mobile Station (MS)

• The Mobile Equipment is said to be a Mobile Station

if the Subscriber Identity Module ( SIM Card ) is
added to it

• The Mobile Station (MS) is the interface between the

user and the network. The MS consists of two
independent parts:
 Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card
 Mobile Equipment (ME)

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 Mobile Station (MS)

• MS features are defined as mandatory or optional

Mandatory features are:
 Display of called number: Check the dialed number before call setup.

 Short message indication and acknowledgment: This feature

allows the reception of the delivery report of short messages
to a MS from a service center.

 Emergency call capabilities: It must be possible to make an emergency

call even without a valid SIM.

Eng/Mohamed salah
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card

 A SIM card is an electronic smart card, which stores information about the
subscription.
 it contains a microprocessor and a memory(EPROM).

 The SIM stores three types of subscriber related information:

 Fixed data stored before the subscription: IMSI, authentication key and security
algorithms.
 Temporary network data: e.g. TMSI ,LA the location area of the subscriber and
other data of the subscriber.
 Service data.

 On the SIM card the following data is

included:
 IMSI
 TMSI
 KI
 KC
 A3/A8 Algorithm
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 AUC
 Authentication center (AUC).

 To protect GSM systems, the following

security functions have been defined:
  Subscriber authentication: by performing authentication, the
network ensures that no unauthorized users can access the
network, including those that are attempting to impersonate
others.
  Radio information ciphering: the information sent between
the network and a MS is ciphered. A MS can only decipher
information intended for it.

Eng/Mohamed salah
Basic GSM Network Structure

Triplets Authentication Center

RAND SRES Kc

Triplet

Home Location Register

RAND SRES Kc

Triplet

Visitor Location Register

RAND SRES Kc
Eng/Mohamed salah
Basic GSM Network Structure

Producing Triplets

Authentication
Authentication
Algorithm SRES
Algorithm SRES
SRES
A3
A3

Ki
RAND

Random
Random
Number RAND
Number RAND
RAND
Generator
Generator

IMSI RAND
Ki Ki
Ciphering
Ciphering
Algorithm Kc
Algorithm Kc
Kc
A8
A8

Eng/Mohamed salah
The Authentication Procedure
Visitor Location Register
Rand SRES AUC Kc

SRES AUC = SRES MS Access

Barred

Base Station Subsystem

Rand SRES MS Kc

SIM Card
SRES MS

Rand A3 Ki

Rand A8 Kc

Eng/Mohamed salah
Basic GSM Network Structure

To the BSC The Ciphering Procedure From the BSC

DATA DATA
Base Transceiver Station
Decryption
Algorithm Kc

TDMA Encryption
Frame Number Algorithm
Encrypted

Encrypted
DATA

DATA
Air Interface

Mobile Station
Encryption
Algorithm Kc

TDMA Decryption
Frame Number Algorithm

DATA DATA
 OSS

• The operation and Maintenance center (OMC) is connected to all

equipment (the GMSC, MSC, HLR, VLR, AUC, EIR and the BSC).

• It can be viewed as a computerized monitoring center were staff can

monitor and control the network remotely.

MSC

OMC
HLR LAN

BSC
SMC
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

BTS BSC

MS BSS

The Base Station Sub-system (BSS) is responsible for all the

radio-related functions in the system.
 The Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

 Record and passes to the BSC the Signal strength measurements.

 A BTS acts as the interface between MS’s and the
. network, by providing radio access to the network
subscribers.
 Converts the GSM radio signals into a format that can be
recognized by the BSC.
 Ciphering using the ciphering key.
 Channel coding and interleaving.
 Records and passes to the BSC the Signal strength
measurements.

Eng/Moha
Base Station Controller (BSC)

• The BSC is the central node within a BSS and co-ordinates the
actions of Base Stations. The BSC controls a major part of the radio
network.
• Its main functions can be divided into two types:

During Call Set Up:

» Finding the called mobile station by paging.
» Allocate the frequency for setting the call.

 BSC During Call Progress:

» Monitoring the call quality.
» Controlling the transmitted power to the MS
depending on the location of the MS.
» Control the handover for the MS after receiving the
power measurements from BTS
The Visitor Location Register (VLR)

Data base that stores and manages subscriptions.

Stores for each mobile:  Current location.

 Allowed services.
HLR
 Authentication data.

The Visitor Location Register (VLR)

In our network, the VLR is integrated with the MSC

It stores a copy of the HLR Profile for all the currently registered
subscribers who are covered by cells belonging to the MSC
coverage area:
 Identity numbers for the subscriber
 Supplementary service information (e.g. Does the subscriber has
call waiting activated or not)
 Activity of MS (e.g. idle or busy)
 Current Location Area of MS

Eng/Mohamed salah
 The Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC)

MSC/VLR
 Administers its Base Station Controller(s) BSC(s).

 Records charging and accounting details.

 Provides the Visitor Location Register (VLR) functionality.

 Provides the gateway to other networks.

Eng/Mohamed salah
 IMEI
ME is uniquely identified by the IMEI

TAC FAC SNR SVN Final Assembly Codes (FAC)

(2 digits) (6 digits) (2 digits)
(6 digits) 01 ,02 AEG
07 ,40 Motorola
TAC: Type Approval Code 10 ,20 Nokia
Places that is centrally assigned by 40,41,44, Siemens
a GSM body. 47 Optional International
51 Sony
SNR: Serial Number 51 Siemens
Unique serial number assigned by 51 Ericsson
the manufacturer 60 Alcatel

SVN: Software version Number

Refer to the version of software
 GSM Identities

Mobile Station ISDN Number

(MSISDN)

44 385 196099 20 10 1100477

(CC) (NDC) (SN) (CC) (NDC) (SN)

VF UK MSISDN VFE MSISDN

CC : Country Code
NDC: Network Destination Code
SN : Subscriber Number
 IMSI Structure

International Mobile Subscriber Identity

234 15 1021000899 602 02 1234567890

(MCC) (MNC) (MSIN) (MCC) (MNC) (MSIN)

VF UK IMSI VFE IMSI

MCC: Mobile Country Code.

MNC: Mobile Network Code.
MSIN: Mobile Station Identification Number.

Eng/Mohamed salah
Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity Number (TMSI)

 The TMSI is allocated to the mobile subscriber in order to be used

instead of his IMSI during all radio communications. The purpose is to

keep subscriber information confidential on the air interface. So that this

make the call is so difficult to be traced.

 The VLR is the device responsible for the allocation of the TMSI for the

mobile subscriber.

 This TMSI is changed at certain events or after a certain time.

 The TMSI consists of 4 bytes and determined by the telecom operator.

Location Update
Logical Channels-Control Channels

CCH Control Channels

DCCH BCH

SDCCH ACCH
BCCH Synch. CH.

FACCH SACCH CCCH

SCH FCCH

RACH
CBCH

PCH/AGCH
Control Channels

 These are used to carry signaling or synchronization

data. They are divided into three types:-

 Broadcast Channels (BCH)

 Common Control Channels (CCCH)
 Dedicated Control Channels (DCCH)
From Single BTS to all the mobiles in the area
• Frequency Correction Control Channel (FCCH)
• Pure signal is transmitted to help the MS to lock on the
frequency on the BTS
•
• Synchronization
From
Frequency
BTS Channel
Single Correction (SCH)
to all Control
the mobiles
Channel
in (FCCH)
the area
• Carries 2 important pieces of information
• Pure signal is transmitted to help the MS to lock on the
• TDMA frame number (max = 2715684 )
frequency on the BTS
• Base station identity
• Synchronization Code (SCH)
(BSIC)
Channel
• Broadcast
• Carries 2Control Channel
important pieces (BCCH)
of information
• Broadcasts some number
• TDMA frame general cell
(max information
= 2715684 such
) as:
• Location Area Identity
• Base station identity(LAI),
Code (BSIC)
• maximumControl
• Broadcast output power
Channelallowed in the cell
(BCCH)
•• BCCH carriers
Broadcasts for neighboring
some cells.
general cell information such as:
• Location Area Identity (LAI),
• maximum output power allowed in the cell
• BCCH carriers for neighboring cells.
Common Control Channels

• To or from a certain BTS to a single mobile

 Paging Channel (PCH)
 BTS Transmits a paging message to indicate an incoming call or short message.
The paging message contains the identity number of the mobile subscriber that
the network wishes to contact.

 Random Access Channel (RACH)

 MS Answers paging message on the RACH by requesting a signaling channel
of SDCCH.

 Access Grant Channel (AGCH)

 Assigns a signaling channel (SDCCH) to the MS.

Dedicated Control Channels

 Stand alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH).

 Used for signaling purposed: call setup, location update, IMSI attach – detach.
 Used to send / receive SMS in idle mode.

 Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH).

 Always allocated with traffic channel to transmit measurement reports.
 DL: Commands from the network to the MS to adjust its power, Timing advance (TA).
 UL: information about the MS own power, received signal strength, quality and SS
for neighbor cells.
 Used to send SMS in active mode.

 Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH).

 Transmits handover information.
Eng/Mohamed salah
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