CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 The objectives of the internship are:

 Assist the student's development of employer-valued skills such as teamwork,

communications and attention to detail.
 Develop a solid work ethic and professional behavior, as well as a commitment to
ethical conduct and social responsibility.
 To identify personal strengths and weaknesses.
 Put theory into practice.

1.2 BACKGROUND

Establishment of Ethio Telecom

As a continuation of the 2005/06 – 2009/10 five-year plan and after concentrating its efforts on
education, health and agriculture, the Ethiopian government has decided to focus on the
improvement of telecommunication services, considering them as a key lever in the development
of Ethiopia Ethio telecom is born, on 29th November 2010, from this ambition of supporting the
steady growth of our country, within the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), with ambitious
objectives for the year 2015. The Ethiopian government has decided to transform the
telecommunication infrastructure and services to world class standard, considering them as a key
lever in the development of Ethiopia. Thus, ethio telecom is born from this ambition to bring
about a paradigm shift in the development of the telecom sector to support the steady growth of
our country.

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International connection links

Sut-1A is the largest satellite dish which has a radius of 32m and its direction is 335.5 Degree
East. This satellite earth station is built by a Japanese telecom equipment manufacturer NEC
(Nippon Electric Company) in collaboration with local engineers; it was officially launched to
carry traffic on September 9, 1979 E.C.

The station positioned itself to the satellite owned and operated by INTELSAT which was
positioned to cover the Atlantic Ocean region. The satellite station has a link capacity of 90.75X
E1 which is equivalent to 2722.5 channels and it is used for both voice and data. The second
satellite link was built in 1985; it is a medium sized satellite dish having a radius of 13m. This
earth station which is also built by the Japanese based company NEC has its direction at 60
Degree East and it has positioned itself to the satellite owned and operated by INTELSAT and
cover the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the station links the country with the Middle East and Far
East countries. The earth station has a capacity of 0.5 E1 which is equivalent to 16 channels and
is used to support voice services. The last digital satellite dish is the smallest of all the three and
has a radius of 7.3m. this satellite earth station is built by SKY VISION and it has positioned to
the satellite owned and operated by SKY VISION itself and positioned to cover the Indian Ocean
Region (IOR). This satellite is the latest and most sophisticated of the other three and was
launched in 2000 E.C. It has a capacity of 3X STM1 which is equivalent to 400/100 MB
uplink/downlink for internet service.

National Connection Links

So far, there are 661 fully automatic exchanges, as the high capacity exchanges are located in
Addis Ababa and larger cities of the country around 70% of the Public Switch Telephone
Network (PSTN) subscribers are located in Addis Ababa. To support the high bandwidth
requirement of the existing as well as the future telecom services of a high capacity optical fiber
(24 core) was installed from Addis Ababa to the main cities of the country in four different
routes, Addis Ababa – Jimma, Addis Ababa – Nekempt, Addis Ababa – Bahirdar – Gondar –

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Metema and Addis Ababa –Dessie – Mekelle. The legacy fiber has a strength 2350 km. total
number of nods in all the four routes is 85 and from which 48 towns have a capacity of STM –
(155 MB) and the rest 37 towns have a capacity of STM – 16 (2.4 GB). Through the NGN
project carried which was carried out since 2000 E.C, the optical transmission network has been
upgraded and additional optical fiber has been installed; this makes the total strength of the
optical network to 10,256 km. the capacity was upgraded to 400 GB in September 2008 and the
total number of towns covered reached 186. The total length of optical fiber installed during the
Next Generation Network project is 7906 Km. There is a metropolitan ring network in the
capital with a capacity equivalent to the backbone optical transmission network and a total length
of 69 Km.

Vision

 To be a world-class telecom service provider

Mission

 Connect Ethiopia through state of the art telecom services

 Provide high quality, innovative and affordable telecom products and services that
enhance the development of our nation and ensure high customer satisfaction
 Build reputable brand known for its customers’ consideration
 Build its managerial capability and man power talent that enables ethio telecom to
operate at international level
 Support community and environmental development

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 1.3 Service

VSAT: VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is an internet or VPN service using a satellite
access mechanism. It is a way of establishing private satellite communication network for large
organizations that have widely dispersed locations. Ethio offers VSAT service that is provided
through Broadband VSAT and more information will be presented to you in the future,

Broadband VSAT

It can also support Voice services in addition to internet and data.

Benefits of the Service

It can work even on the remote areas

 Cost-effective
 Accessibility
 Availability
 Reliability

VPN/ DATA

 Virtual Private Network /VPN/ enables private and public institutions to connect
with their various branches and to establish their own private networks.
 VPN enables you to share information and activate all information technology
systems inside your branches via fixed and mobile options.
 The service is available all over Ethiopia in areas covered by ethio telecom
terrestrial and mobile network that support data services.

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Fixed Broadband VPN

 Fixed Broadband VPN uses wired or fixed wireless options to connect Branches.
 A Virtual private network, is a service that enables secured communications
inside an organization.
 The VPN uses a shared public telecommunication infrastructure, such as internet,
to provide remote offices or individuals secure access to their organization’s
network and data.
 Ethio telecom gives VPN service mainly through MPLS (Multi Protocol Labeled
Switch), the most cost effective way to have a secured connection between
different sites/branches of an organization

Benefits

 Secured Data Communication

 You can manage your geographically scattered branches from in one place
 business continuity
 Reduces operational cost of your business

Fixed Wireless CDMA

It is similar to the ordinary fixed telephone service. You can get the service using a fixed
wireless terminal (FWT) which enables you to get voice, data and other value-added services. It
works wherever CDMA network is available.

Services Offered
 CDMA fixed wireless Voice only
 It substitutes the service of the ordinary fixed telephone by providing the
voice service only

 CDMA fixed wireless with Voice and 1x data

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  This service provides all the services provided by Fixed Voice service and 1x internet
facility.
 1x internet service supports an internet data connection with a peak speed of
153.6 Kbps and with an average speed ranging from 70 Kbps to 80 Kbps.

Mobile Internet

 Mobile Internet enables your mobile phone, tablet or mobile broadband modem to
access the Internet while you are moving.
 It works both on 2G mobile (GPRS) and 3G Mobile (HSPA). The offer is
presented to you in two forms.

Pay as you go Mobile Internet:

 This is a mobile Internet service which allows you to pay for what you have used
in real time.
 The tariff is0.20 Birr per MB and works in 2G (GPRS) and 3G ( HSPA )
technologies.

Mobile Internet packages:

Ethio presents different mobile internet packages based on its customers’ needs

 Mobile internet packages is available in two ways. Internet on mobile package (daily,
night, weekly, weekend and monthly) and internet only package (monthly package).

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 CHAPTER 2

2. Management, training and employee information

2.1 The Major duty assigned to perform

The major duties we have performed during the intern-ship period: we are Understanding the
general purpose of the core section, IP section, RAN section, transmission section and, training
how to perform, control and manage.

The major duty we have been assigned are;

 To be punctual
 To respect rule and regulation of organization
 Remembering the reality of theoretical part that we have learned in the class.
 Asking question which ambiguous for us during practice relating the theoretical
ones.
2.2 Orientation with the responsibility of job:

At the first time we oriented by the engineering department head, about the whole system of
the organization and the qualification of the workers. He also informed us, the responsibilities
and duty for the time we stayed there.
Then we accept what they told us about what we should to do but, some of our
responsibilities are not comfortable. We were reading about our section from different
Website to understand simply what we should to know. Also, we were asking them about our
section.

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2.3 The role of supervisor in the given assignment:

Our supervisor was helping us by:

 Giving some soft copy about ethio telecom and our section.
 Also he was advising us how we will agree with his co-workers.
 He also makes us to know about other sections.
 He also tried as much as he can to make us technicaly professional.

2.4 Qualities developed which allowed succeeding in daily duties:

During our internship period we have developed many professional qualities. Like proper time
and resource management, technical knowledge, responsibility taking and implementing
properly and efficiently, proper communication to seniors, juniors and fellow workers. The
first one is the way jwe communicate with our worker mate to talk frequently and we also get the
knowledge of respecting each other. Another thing which we gain is we knew the difference
between being worker and student.

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 CHAPTER 3

Specific job information

In our 45 internship days we had done our job in three different sections those are:-
 Core network or local switch section and IP section
 RAN Section
 Transmission section
So in these chapters we will discuss about these sections.

3.1 Core network

3.1.1 What is core network means?

 What is the function of core network?

 How it is interconnected in telecommunication?
 Core network is the central part of telecommunications network that provide
various service to consumer who are connected by access network.
 The main function of core network is to route Telephone calls across the
PSTN.
 Core network was the backbone provides path for exchange of information
between different subnet works.
 Core network usually have Mesh topology that provide any to any
connection among a network device.
 Devices and facilities in core network are Router and switch
3.1.2 Function of core network?

 Aggregation: the highest level aggregation is service provider network.

 Authentication: the function to decide whether the user required service

from telecom network authorized to do so with in this network or not.

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  Call control: decides the future calls of based on the call signaling
processing.

Calls control refers to the software with in telephone switch that supplies its central function,
it decodes addressing information and routes telephone call.
Under core network the following component are there:-
 Public switch telephone network(PSTN)
 Multi-service access gate way (MSAG)
 Mobile core
Public switch telephone network

 Circuit switches telephone networks that are operated by national, regional

or local telephone operator for providing infrastructure and service for
public telecommunication. This network is also referred to as the plain old
telephone service (pots).
 How does the PSTN Network work? Use’s circuit switching to allow user to
make land line telephone calls to another.
 Voice signal are able to travel over the connected phone line
 When two telephones are connected analog voice is transmitted over copper
wire.
 How message is transmitted under public switch telephone network?
 PSTN used to serve voice signal only. Under this administrator module and
communication module are used to control and maintain remote subscriber
module.
Multiservice access gateway (MSAG):
A multiservice access node (MSAN),also known as a multi service access gateway
(MSAG),is a device typically installed in a telephone exchange (although sometimes in a
roadside serving area interface cabinet)which connects customers’ telephone lines to the core
network ,to provide telephone ISDN,and broadband such as DSL all from a single platform.

Prior to the deployment of MSAN s ,telecom providers typically had a multitude of separate
equipment including DSLAM s to provide the various types of services to customers .

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Integrating all services on a single node, which typically backhauls all data streams over IP or
Asynchronous Transfer Mode can be more cost effective and may provide new services to
customers quicker than previously possible.

Mobile core

Reduce cost and exceed customer expectations by deploying a simpler and more flexible mobile
core. Our cloud ready mobile core portfolio delivers the Performance, scale, and reliability you
need to extend a seamless customer experience across all mobile broadband services.
3.2 RAN (Radio access Network) section and IP
A radio access network (RAN) is part of a mobile telecommunication system. It implements a
radio access technology. Conceptually, it resides between a devices such as a mobile phone, a
computer, or any remotely controlled machine and provides connection with its core
network (CN). Depending on the standard, mobile phones and other wireless connected devices
are varyingly known as user equipment (UE), terminal equipment, mobile station (MS), etc.
RAN functionality is typically provided by a silicon chip residing in both the core network as
well as the user equipment.

Examples of radio access network (RANs) types are:

GRAN: GSM radio access network .Under this there is a mobile service;

GERAN: essentially the same as GRAN but specifying the inclusion of EDGE packet
radio services.

UTRAN:UMTS radio access network

EU-TRAN: The long term evolution (LTE) high speed and low latency radio access
network

3.2.1 GSM Mobile (prepaid/postpaid)

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 The service is given using SIM (subscriber identity module). It has voice, data, SMS, and other
value added capabilities, in order to use the service in prepaid scenario; it is required to charge
using stretchable cards and for postpaid services, users are charged at the end of every month
(usage charge + rent).
Services offered in addition to voice are:
 SMS (short messaging services)- Before using this service the message service
center should be set by putting +251988649562
 Call diverts: It allows an incoming call to called party to redirect to another
mobile or fixed telephone number. It can be activated from the phone.
 Call waiting: Is a future that alerts someone using the phone to an incoming
call and allows switching between calls. It can be activated from the phone.
 Call barring: This service enables to restrict or bar certain or all types of calls
to and from your mobile phone. To use this service it needs to visit nearby
sales office and subscription is required.
3.2.2 Mobile Station (MS)

Mobile Station (MS), mobile Equipment (ME) or as they are most widely known, cell or phones
are the section of a GSM cellular network that the user sees and operates. Simply MS is the
user’s handset.

Mobile station has two parts:

 Mobile Equipment
 Subscriber Identity Module(SIM)

Mobile Equipment

 Radio Equipment
 User interface
 Processing capability and memory required for various tasks
• Call signaling
• Encryption
• Short message services(SMS)
 Equipment IMEI number

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Subscriber Identity Module

 A small smart card

 Encryption codes needed to identify the subscriber
 Subscriber IMSI number
 Subscriber’s own information (telephone directory)
 Third party applications (banking etc.)
 Can also be used in other systems besides GSM, e.g., some WLAN access points
accept SIM based user authentication

3.2.2.1 Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

The Base Station Subsystem (BSS) section of the GSM network architecture that is
fundamentally associated with the mobiles on the network.

Trans coding Rate and Adaptation Unit (TRAU)

 Performs coding between the 64kbps PCM coding used in the backbone
network and the 13 kbps coding used for the Mobile Station (MS)

BSS consists of two elements:

 Base Transceiver station (BTS)

 Base Station Controller (BSC)

3.2.2.2 Base Transceiver station (BTS)

BTS: houses the radio transceiver of the cell and handles the radio links protocols with the
mobile.

 Connects to a number of mobile stations (MSs) and each MS establishes

connection through the user interface Um where um is the ISDN U interface for
mobile.
 BTS is also connected to a BSC at through the Abis interface which transmits and
receives data. With four multiplexed channels of 16 kbps or with a 64 kbps
channel.
 Controls several transmitters

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  Each transmitter has 8 time slots, some used for signaling, on a specific frequency

Including DireDawa Eastern region of Ethio telecom has 514 BTSs.

Main function performed by the BTS:

 Formation of cells using appropriately directed antennae

 Processing of signals
 Amplification of signals to acceptable strength so that they can be transmitted without
loss of data.
 Channel coding and decoding (for example, coding voice into bits so that it can be
transmitted at 13kbps and decoding received coded signals back to voice).
 Frequency hopping so that multiple channels for various mobile stations can operate
simultaneously using different channel band frequencies

3.2.2.3 Base Station Controller (BSC)

The BSC forms the next stage back into the GSM network. It controls a group of BTSs in its
group. It manages the radio resources and controls item such as handover within the group of
BTSs, allocates channels and the like. It communicates with BTS over what is termed the Abis
interface.

There are two racks of BSC in dire dawa ethio telecoms BSC01 and BSC02.BSC01 controls up
to 270 of BTSs.

BSC:-

 Controls the channel (time slot) allocation implemented by the BTSs.

 Manages the handovers within BSS area.
 Knows which mobile stations are within the cell and informs the MSC/VLR
about this.

3.2.2.4 Network Switching Sub System (NSS): The backbone of a GSM network is a
telephone network with additional cellular network capabilities.

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 3.2.2.5 Mobile Switching Center (MSC)

 The main element within the core network area of the overall GSM network
architecture is mobile switching center.
 A typical telephony exchange (ISDN exchange) which supports mobile
communications.
 The MSC acts like a normal switching node within a PSTN or ISDN, but also
provides additional functionality to enable the requirements of mobile user to
be supported. These includes registration, authentication, call location,
handover and call routing to a mobile subscriber.
 Visitor Location Register (VLR)
 A database, part of the MSC
 Contains the location of the active Mobile Stations
 Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC)
 Links the system to PSTN and other operators
 Home Location Register (HLR)
 Contain subscriber information, including authentication information in
Authentication Center (AUC)
 Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
 International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) codes for e.g.,
blacklisting stolen phones
 Authentication center(AUC)
 AUC is a protected database that contains the secret key also contained in the
users SIM card. It is used for authentication and ciphering on the radio
channel.

3.3 TRANSMISSION

3.3.1 MICROWAVE TRANSMISSION

Microwaves can propagate through a guided medium, such as a transmission line, which could
be cable or waveguide. They can also propagate through an unguided medium as plane waves in

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free space and through the atmosphere. In all networks, selecting a physical medium is generally
a matter of budget, capacity needs, availability, reliability and how quickly the solution can be
deployed. Common options include twisted-pair copper cable, coaxial cable and fiber-optic
cable. In some instances, however, conflicting requirements defeat all these options; for instance,
capacity requirements may demand a fiber-optic backhaul link, but the budget may not allow for
the time and cost needed to install it. MW transmission holds a unique position as a solution
where cost, capacity, flexibility and timing all intersect. In theory, electromagnetic (EM) waves
may exist with frequencies from zero to infinity. However, in practice the generation,
transmission, detection and processing of EM waves requires frequencies within a certain range
called the EM spectrum. Microwave (MW) is a part of this spectrum, comprising the bands
between 1 GHz and 300 GHz. Sending and receiving information via microwaves is collectively
called microwave transmission.

Microwave communication is the transmission of signals via radio using a series of microwave
towers. Microwave communication is known as a form of "line of sight" communication,
because there must be nothing obstructing the transmission of data between these towers for
signals to be properly sent and received.

The use of microwave communications to aggregate and transmit cellular voice and data to and
from the main network.

Within the broader spectrum of radio frequency (RF) communications, point-to-point

communications are usually carried out using microwave frequencies between 1 GHz and 100
GHz along line-of-sight (LOS) paths called links.

Microwave frequencies and their propagation characteristics allow the transmission of vast
amounts of data between remote communication sites without the need to lay cables between
them.

Line of sight (LOS): -A clear path—free of any obstructions—between points of microwave

signal transmission and reception.

Link: - The connection of two fixed microwave sites via a line-of-sight (LOS) path. Also
referred to as a “hop.”

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Antennas:- are devices that radiate or receive EM waves of certain frequencies. The antenna is
a transition structure between a guided structure (that is, a cable or waveguide) and the open air.
An antenna designed to radiate and receive microwave frequencies, therefore, is called a
microwave antenna.

We have seen different types of microwave dishes directed to different microwave repeaters.
This microwave repeater increases the power gain which will be transmitted from BSC. So that,
there are several microwave repeaters available for this region.
Waveguide
Microwave energy travels through guided media indifferent modes. A microwave waveguide
with a single conductor is a high pass filter; these structures have a cutoff frequency.

Single-conductor options include:

 Rectangular waveguide
 Circular waveguide
 Elliptical waveguide
 Ridged waveguide
 Corrugated waveguide
Attenuation in waveguide can be caused by dielectric loss, if the waveguide is full of
dielectric, or by conductor loss due to the metal structure’s finite conductivity. The various
modes of operation available depend on the desired frequency, as well as the size and shape of
the waveguide itself. The maximum attenuation values—measured in decibels per meter (dB/m)
are published by the International Electro technical Commission based in Switzerland (IEC).
Waveguide attenuation is published by Manufacturer. For example, an EWP52 elliptical
waveguide (attenuation: 3.93 dB/100 m (1.2 dB/100 ft) @ 6.175GHz will attenuate 2.4 dB over a
61 m (200 ft) length. Microwave waveguides are maintained under dry air or dry nitrogen
pressure to avoid moisture condensation that would impede their performance.

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 3.3.2 Optical Fibers (Fiber Optics) Transmission

Fiber-Optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to

another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic
carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Fiber optic data transmission systems send
information over fiber by turning electronic signals into light.

Types of optical fiber

 Multi-Mode:
 Step-Index-Core and Cladding material has uniform but different
refractive index.
 Graded Index – Core materials has variable index as a function of the
radial distance from the center.
 Single Mode: -The core diameter is almost equal to the wavelength of the emitted
light so that it propagates along a single path.

Ethio telecom uses Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology for fiber optics
communication.

WDM technology is a fiber communication technology transmitting multiple optical carriers

with information (analog or digital) on one fiber. Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology
involves using a multiplexer to combine wavelengths traveling on different fibers into a single
fiber. At the receiver end of the link, a Demultiplexer separates the wavelengths and routes them
into different fibers, which all terminate at separate receivers.

Wavelength Division Multiplexing is classified into two types depending on spacing between
individual wavelengths transmitted through same fiber.

 CWDM: Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing

 DWDM: Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing

CWDM (Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing):

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Advantages;
 Lower power consumption 20%
 Smaller space requirement 30%
 Can use laser or LED for power
 Smaller and cheaper wave filters
 Cost saving on startup and expansion

Disadvantages;

 Less capacity than DWDM

 Less range

DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing):

Advantages;

 Maximum system available

 Maximum distance capability

Disadvantages;

 High space

 High power

 Expensive

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 Chapter 4

Reflection and Conclusion

During my whole stay in Dire Dawa ethio telecom for Internship program it helped me to
have experience on the work that’s related to my field,to know the society and environment how
it looks like on the work place. This internship had been enlightening. And also I gained skill and
some theories that I did not gained in the classroom. In these times I had been able to
differentiate theoretical aspects, methodologies and how to interpret a telecommunication. So,
this all things that I was working with the professional worker’s in
The office is what I got from this program. And the benefit I got here was it answer my
question “how it looks like working with the professional workers?” So, I gained knowledge,
skills and experience from different sections of the company workers. Besides of technical,
practical and theoretical knowledge, I gained experiences in real life work. During my stay in
ethio telecom, I developed my confidence in communication engineering. Especially how the
information is exchanged between two distance destination by using modern equipment
technology. And also, I can differentiate the difference between many types vendor’s equipment
exists in dire dawa ethio telecom.
Generally, the internship program develops my confidence that I have in my stream and
introduced me to the world of telecommunication.

4.1 Recommendation

Now I want to recommend in the internship program to be improved for the future student from
what I faced when in the intern.
 First of all, the university must hire different advisor that correctly supervises the
student on each types of company.
 The internship student must be evaluated once per month by advisor. And also
must have to be report what they have done on the intern at least once per month.

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 Reference

 www.Ethio telecom.com
 Wikipedia
 Microwave communication basics
 Introduction to DWDM Technology
 A Brief Survey of Radio Access

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