INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT

(JUNE-JULY 2011)

At

(NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS) VODAFONE - HARYANA

Submitted by (KAPIL DHIMAN) Roll No- 19/ECE/08

Under the Supervision of Faculty Co-ordinator: Mr. Ajay kumar Manager- BSC,MSC NSN- Haryana. Industry co-ordinator: Mr. Narender Jeet Dhiman Circle Head NSN- Haryana

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to take the opportunity to express my deep sense of regards and sincere gratitude to Mr.Ajay Kr. (Manager, BSC,MSC) who allowed me to undergo practical training at NOKIA-SIEMENS NETWORKS(VODAFONE) HARYANA I admire the knowledge of Mr.Narender jeet(Team-Lead )and acknowledge profoundly a sense of gratitude to him for the help he rendered to me during my training. I would also like to thank : Mr. Pradeep Yadav(Team-Lead) , Mr. Brij Bhushan Sharma(Performance), Mr.Amit Kumar(NSS-Engineer) Mr.Varun Tyagi(NSS-Engineer) who provided me with time to time the guidance & help during my training period. And at Last but not the least Mr. Amrit Pal Singh(Project Engineer), NSN for directing me throughout the period of Six months training and also to help me a lot for undergoing training with NSN- Karnal I deeply indebted to all staff of NOKIA-SIEMENS NETWORKS and the other individuals at the work on the site who really contributed a lot in having training spell with a useful one by sharing their vast experience field with me.

NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading enabler of communications services.

The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals world-wide. Nokia SiemensNetworks is one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure companies with operations in150 countries and is headquartered in ESPOO-FINLAND. It combines Nokias Networks Business Group and carrier related business of Siemens Communications. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com As one of the top two players in global communications, NSN is committed to work with its customers and industry as a whole to bring communications services to an ever growing number of people throughout the world.

During the course of my training , at NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS,I work with an aim to get a complete overview of the GSM network and to understand the technology on the whole . Thus , with this in mind I laid greater emphasis on the basic concepts of cellular telephony rather than delving into various hardware details of the network . Such an approach enabled me to completely understand the working of a mobile network and the various technical aspects involved . Accordingly , this report is divided in various sections which throw light on the various aspects of mobile communication systems and the GSM technology .

TYPES OF MOBILE SYSTEMS

The different types of mobile systems ,in terms of frequency spectrum usage are summarized below .They differ primarily in modulation technique and carrier spacing. Analog FM The first -generation cellular systems in operation were analog FM radio systems which allocated a single carrier for each call . Each carrier was frequency modulated by the caller . The carriers were typically spaced at 25kHz intervals (i.e. carrier bandwidth).The allocated bandwidth was relatively narrow , and only a few channels ( typically 12) were available . DIGITAL FDMA The FDMA systems resemble analog FM , with the exception that the carrier is Mo-dulated by a digitally encoded speech signal . The bandwidth of each carrier is similar to the analog FM systems . DIGITAL NARROWBAND TDMA The TDMA systems operate with several customers sharing one carrier . Each user is allocated a specific time slot for transmission and reception of short bursts or packets of information . The bandwidth of each carrier is typically 200

kHz , and the total bandwidth available is in the region of 10 - 30 MHz , which allows a reasonably large channel capacity in the region of 500 - 1000 channels . DIGITAL WIDEBAND One form of digital wide band operation which has good future potential is CDMA ( Code Division Multiple Access ).In these systems there is a single carrier is modulated by the speech signals of many users . Instead of allocating each user a different time slot , each is allocated a different modulation code . Mobile users in adjacent cells all use the same frequency band .

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY NEWLY SETUP MOBILE COMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDERS: Government regulations & licensing process

Obtaining an operating license for mobile communication service from the government or associated regulatory body is a difficult process for an operator. It can be a very lengthy process depending on the country s regulatory policy . Selecting the appropriate technology

In selecting the appropriate technology , most companies look for an open standard e.g. GSM, AMPS, TACS, CDMA, DCS1800, DECT etc. The specifications of those Standards are carefully analyzed by a wide participation of industry experts allowing Multiple vendors to be used in the system if they comply with standards. The cost of the equipment, network systems and mobiles are generally lowered as the volume of production increases . Sometimes , the current technology may be more appropriate than the latest state - of -the -art technology under development . Selecting an appropriate mobile communication equipment

In selecting and approving mobile communication equipment ,a comprehensive test system may be required to make sure that the selected equipment meets the specif-ied standards . Testing is required to ensure that different network components will work in the network even before they are integrated . Network planning

Network planning is very important to ensure that complete coverage is offered to the Subscribers. An effective plan minimizes dead zones communication, minimizes Interference, and takes into consideration the natural and artificial obstacles to the Transmission and reception of signals. Simulation software may be required in the planning of the network . Subsequent field testing is required to verify the network plans . It is too late and expensive to change BTS site locations after installation . In developed cities , finding and acquiring a site for the antenna tower may be difficult and costly , specially with many competitors looking for the best site at the same time. When the best sites for an antenna tower are not available , a simulation can be use to predict potential alternate sites . The best possible plan can be achieved after a few iterations with the same process . A band clearing test may also be needed to ensure that there is no other unauthorised transmission in the spectrum allocated to the mobile communication services . Installation and commissioning of the network

Due to the lack of experienced and skilled people the need for quick time to market , Return on investment and customer expectations for high quality of service , it is very common that the installation work is done by the equipment suppliers . The equipment suppliers will usually send their engineers to do the installation ,after which the maintenance work will be left for the local service operators .

Commissioning of the network is to verify the functions of the system and the completeness and accuracy of the installation work . This is typically done by the service provider in conjunction with the equipment supplier . The local regulatory bodies ensure that the system is operating according to their requirements and not interfering the other mobile communication systems . Network expansion and optimisation

Most countries have high demand for mobile communication services and the pressure for greater capacity can be seen everywhere . Such demand puts pressure on the ser-vice providers to increase their capacity by adding more cells , breaking larger cells into smaller cells or micro cells , to provide coverage . Network expansion may be done by the equipment suppliers or it may be done by the engineering team of the service providers . Increasing the capacity can help to satisfy the increasing subscribers , provide area coverage and reducing call waiting time . Network optimisation is an important task for the service providers to improve the efficiency of the mobile network . Blind spots for radio communication need to be identified and eliminated by careful adjustments in the cell sites configurations , e.g. power output and antenna directions , tilting angles , etc. Sometimes additional cells may be needed to provide the best possible coverage . Spectral occupancy and utilisa-tion is measured and analysed to determine the efficiency of the frequency allocation plan . This process helps to improve coverage , reduce drop calls maximise capacity of the network . 1. Optimisation of the GSM network :

Field strength measurements and spectrum management is required in optimisation of the GSM network . The coverage is monitored to provide the best service to the subscribers and to eliminate any interference and communication blind spots . Some of these measurements are done prior to the installation of any network components , and others are performed as a continuos process in improving the network performance . 2. Site survey : Before putting up a base station at the site location , we need to find out more information about the spectrum that will be used in that cell site in order to avoid any interference afterwards . If some illegal transmission is detected , it needs to be removed before the cellular base station can operate . We have to clear the band to guarantee an interference free operation . 3. Network optimisation :

After the base station is installed , we need to determine cell coverage by each base station .This is done to maximise the utilisation of the infrastructure while maintaining good coverage throughout the cell . The field strength of the signal needs to be measured and corrective action at the cell sites configuration will need to be made e.g. out put power , antenna directions , tilting angle etc. 4. Spectrum Management :

While the system is in use , we may want to find out the utilization of the spectrum and the frequency channels in the system . We are also interested in any interference that may affect the normal operation of the system .

Changing telecommunications and India In a developing nation like India , the 1980s saw the first signs of change . Some Value-added telephone arrived here and , by the end of the decade , private entrep--reneurs got in to the act . The National Telecom Policy , declared in 1994 , allowed private parties to operate cellular services in major cities of India . Following this,financial bids

for the country wide cellular services were invited . The highest bidders were allotted licenses for operating cellular services in different cities . New instruments with improved dialing facilities , memory storage and speakers were making their way into the markets . The nineties saw a sea change .India threw open the doors of its economy to foreign investors . Foreign investorsFlocked in , seeing a huge market . Giants like Motorola , Seimens , Alcatel , AT&T , Nokia and Ericsson have all now invested in India . With a cellular phone , the user has to pay for not only the calls that he makes but also for all incoming calls to his mobile . Moreover , while the fee for a three-minute regular call is about one rupee, making a cellular call could cost as high as rupees seven per minute . This fee varies as competition undercuts prices . Also , when one uses a cellular phone to call up a regular number , the cost per minute couldbe Rs. 7 + Re. 1 for the regular call which the cellular operator pays to the Government or MTNL . In India all service providers are deploying the GSM technology for mobile Comm-unication networks ; a detailed description of which is given in the ensuing chapters.

Introduction of GSM

A plain old phone is a luxury item but we know That the technology`s changed with day by day .In this day and age ,many folks need to be accessibly Every where ,whether they`re at work or play ,in the office or at home . To meet this demand ,the GSM standard (Global System For Mobile communication)for mobile telephony was introduced in the mid 1980sEuropean telecommunication standard institute (ETSI) has specified the GSM.Today the GSM is the most popular mobile radio Standard in a world .In Public Land Mobile Network ( PLMN ) mostly used GSM900 /GSM1800. GSM900 means that primary Band operated in the frequency 900MHz . GSM1800 means that primary band operated in the frequency 1800 MHz . GSM900/GSM1800 standard has two step. PHASE-1 is developed by ETSI in 1900 and it contain basic PLMN function plus telecommunication services and support full channel calls .PHASE-2 is developed by ETSI in 1995 and it contains supplementary telecomm--unication services and supports half - rate channel call .PHASE-2+ is the improvement of phase -2. It contains the following applications based on the GSM900 / GSM1800 standard e.g. Call transfer (CT) ,Call complition to busy subscribers (CCBS) ,access to DECT networks , to satellite networks and IN/CAMEL service . Siemen`s digital cellular mobile communication system D 900 / D 1800 implements the GSM900/ GSM1800 standard to phase-1 and phase-2/2+ for a PLMN . .

GSM HISTORY Frequency band reserved for cellular - Groupe Speciale Mobile created

The first significant step towards the development of mobile systems was taken at the World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) of 1979 where the radio frequency band for cellular mobile systems was agreed upon . This was followed by the formation of a special committee by the Conference of European Posts and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) in 1982 . This committee was called Groupe Speciale Mobile (GSM ) and its job was to ensure that the radio frequencies allocated for cellular mobile systems were being used correctly and it also had to coordinate plans for a common European standard . Four working parties were set up to specify the different parts of the GSM system . The GSM committee met regularly and eventually it was decided that a permanent body was required and hence in 1986 a small team of full time members was established in Paris . This team were to coordinate the working parties and manage the edition and updating of the specifications .( There are now 130 recommendations divided into12 series .) ETSI takes over GSM In 1988 , the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI ) was created and it took over most of the technical standardization activities of CEPT including GSM . The introduction of ETSI enabled network operators and telecommunications equipment manufacturers to become involved in the specifications of GSM . The GSM recommendations were now renamed the Interim ETSI Technical Specifications to comply with the ETSI standards . Phase 1 GSM Recommendations Frozen The first phase of recommendations for GSM were frozen in 1990 to enable development of the first GSM systems . At the end of 1991 the GSM committee was given responsibility for the next generation of mobile communications equipment . To avoid confusion between the GSM system and the GSM committee and with its wider responsibilities , the committee was renamed Special Mobile Group ( SMG ) in 1992 . The SMG committees are now responsible for GSM , Digital Communication System (DCS )1800 and the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS ) . Also during this year the GSM system was renamed - instead of being called Groupe Speciale Mobile it was now named Global System for Mobile Communications . Phase 2 GSM Technical Specifications Frozen (1993 ) Several major changes have been made to the GSM Technical Specifications since phase 1 was frozen in 1990 . These changes include rewriting number of specifications to remove ambiguities and faults . Many specifications have also been extended to detail new services and features . The GSM recommendations have now passed through the appropriate ETSI procedures and may now be referred to as ETSI Technical Specifications. The Technical Specifications make up only a part of the definition for GSM . Since so many countries are working together on this one system an MOU was put together to take into account the commercial and operational aspects . This memorandum was first signed in 1987 by operators and regulatory bodies in the participating countries . The MOU was updated in 1991 . Australia was the first non - European country to sign the MOU . Since then GSM has been adopted by many countries and can now be considered an international standard for mobile communication systems .

FUTHERS OF GSM

COMPATIBILITY GSM has been specified and developed by many countries working in cooperation with each other , as a result a cellular system is developed which enables the users to move from one place to another without dropping the call . An additional advantage resulting from this is that there will be a large market for GSM equipment which means that manufacturers will produce equipment in higher quantities which would make the equipment cheaper . NOISE ROBUST In the current cellular telephony , the mobile unit communicates with the cell site by means of digital radio signals . The signals when passed over a digital air interface can be protected against errors caused by noise .The noise may be produced by any of the following sources : 1. A powerful or nearby external source (a vehicle ignition system or lightning bolt ). 2. Another transmission on the same frequency (co-channel interference).

3.

Another transmission breaking through from a nearby frequency (adjacent channel interference). Background radio noise intruding because the wanted signal is too weak to exclude it . Digital cellular radio is able to tolerate far higher levels of noise and interference then analogue systems , leading to improvement in both quality and efficiency . FLEXIBILITY AND INCREASED CAPACITY The digital air interface used by GSM allows the radio spectrum to be used more efficiently . Eight simultaneous conversations can be carried out on one RF carrier . This means that separate RF hardware is only required for the eight subscribers , and as the system expands , hardware changes are required less frequently. The system is more versatile and it is possible to move capacity from one part of the network to another by reconfiguring the system database . IMPROVED SECURITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY GSM offers high speech and data confidentiality both inherent in the method of transmission over the air interface and the manner in which traffic is processed prior to transmission. Signaling and control data will be encrypted and this, together with sophisticated subscriber authentication techniques, will eradicate call theft. With GSM the mobile equipment can be identified independently from the mobile subscriber. The mobile has an identity number hard coded into it when it is manufactured. This no. is stored in a central database , therefore whenever a call is made the equipment can be checked to see if it has been reported stolen . The GSM system provides a high degree of confidentiality for the subscriber, calls will be digitized , encoded and then ciphered (encrypted) when sent over the air. This will make listening into someones call virtually. SUBSCRIBER IDENTIFICATION In the GSM system the subscriber and the mobile equipment are identified separately. The subscriber is identified by means of a Smart Card known as SIM (Subscriber Identification Module). This means that a subscriber needs to have only one subscription to the cellular system but may use several different types of mobile equipment (e.g. FAX, computer, telephone). Since the SIM identifies the user, wherever the call is made the bill will always be sent to the subscriber . ENHANCED RANGE OF SERVICES GSM has the potential to offer a greatly enhanced range of services comprising of supplementary services besides data and speech services . When services are specified on GSM the current land PSTN and ISDN system has to be taken into consideration, after all it is these systems we are most likely to be communicating with . The services available to a subscriber will be determined by four factors : The level of service provided by the network operator . The level of service purchased by the subscriber . The capabilities of the subscribers mobile equipment . The capabilities of the terrestrial network to which we are connected (ISDN,PSTN).

SPEECH SERVICES The following services listed involve the transmission of speech information and would make up the basic service offered by a network operator :

Telephony

- provides for normal mobile originated / terminated voice calls.

Emergency calls ( with or without SIM card inserted in mobile ) - The number 112 has been agreed as the international emergency call number. This should place you in contact with the emergency services whichever country you are in . Short message service point to point - Provides the transmission of an acknow-ledged short message (160 bytes maximum ) from a service center to a mobile station. It is also intended that the mobile should be able to send short messages to land based equipment which depends upon the equipment owned by the land user. Short message cell broadcast - Provides the transmission of an unacknowledged Short message (93 bytes maximum ) from a service center in the fixed network to all mobile stations within one cell . This may carry information from the network operator e.g. traffic information or advertising . Advanced message handling service - Provides message submission and delivery from the storage from a Public Message Handling System (MHS ) i.e. electronic mail. Dual personal and business numbers - Permits the allocation of dual telephone numbers for a single subscriber . This will allow calls to be made and be billed either to business or personal numbers .

DATA SERVICES Data can be sent over the air using some of the present systems but this requires specially designed add ons to protect the data content in the harsh environment of the air interface . Special provision is made in the SMG technical specifications for data transmission . GSM can be considered as an extension of ISDN into the wireless environment .Text files , images , messages and FAX can be sent over the GSM network .The data rates available are 2.4 Kbps , 4.8 Kbps and 9.6 kbps .Following are the data services that GSM will support : Videotex access - Provides the access to computer based information stored in databases , utilising public transmission of networks , where the requested information generally in the form of text and / or pictures . Teletex - Provides for data transfer in a circuit or packet - switched network (ITU -TS X.200 ) i.e. document transmission. Alternate speech and Facsimile Group 3 - Allows the connection of ITU-TS group 3 FAX apparatus (send and / or receive ) to the mobile station .

SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES A supplementary service is a modification of ,or a supplement to a basic telecommunication service . The network operator will probably charge extra for these services or use them as an incentive to join their network . Some of the supplementary services offered to GSM subscribers are :

Number identification Receiving party requests calling number to be shown .

Calling party requests calling number not to be shown .

Call barring Bar all incoming or all out going calls . Bar specific incoming or outgoing calls . Call forwarding Forward all calls . Forward calls when subscriber is busy . Forward calls if subscriber does not answer . Forward calls if subscriber cannot be located . Call completion Enable incoming call to wait until subscriber completes current call . Enable subscriber to place incoming calls on hold . Charging Display current cost of call . Multiparty Three party service . Conference calling

ISDN COMPATIBILITY The GSM network has been designed to operate with the ISDN system and provide features which are compatible with it . GSM can provide a maximum data rate of 9.6 kbps while ISDN provides much higher data rates than this (standard rate 64 kbps , primary rate 2.048 MBPS). CLEANER HANDOVER Hand- Overs take place as the mobile moves between cells , gradually loosing the RF signal of one and gaining that of the other . The call switches from channel to channel and cell to cell as it moves to maintain call continuity. In GSM the handover is a tightly controlled process. The mobile itself carries signal strength measurements of upto 32 adjacent cells, and the quality of the traffic channel is measured by both mobile and the equipment at the cell site. The hand -over is therefore much more sophisticated and many more factors are taken into account.

GSM OVERVIEW

Before the GSM, there were public mobile radio networks (cellular). They normally used analog technology which varied from country to country or from one manufact-urer to another manufacturer . these analog networks did not comply with any unif orm standard . The speech quality in most network was not satisfactory . GSM is very popular because it provides speech quality .In GSM technology, It made possible to use a single telephone no. and mobile unit around the world . The ETSI adopted the GSM standard in 1991and GSM is now used in 135 countries.

The benefits of GSM includes --Support for international roaming Excellent speech quality Wide range of services Interworking (e.g. with ISDN , DECT ) Extensive security features Distinction between user and device identification

GSM also stands out from other technology with its wide range of services --Telephony Asychronous and synchronous data services (2.4/4.8/9.6 kbit/s) Telematic services (SMS, Fax) E-mail and internet connect Many value-added features (call forwarding, caller I D, voice mail box)

GSM System Architecture The mobile communication system GSM 900 architecture is consist of three Subsystem Switching subsystem (SSS) Radio subsystem (RSS) Operation &maintenance subsystem (OMS) SSS BSS RADIO CELL
BT M S

OTHER MSCs BSC/TRAU

SERVICE CENTERS (SMS, VMS CENTERS)

BT

* RADIO CELL *
BT

MSC/VLR

OTHER NETWORK

BSC/TRAU HLR /AC

BT M S

EIR

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OMS

OMC-B

OMP-B

OMP-S

OMC-S

OPERATION SYSTEM

OMT-B *, ***

OMT-B

OMT-S ***

OMT-S

FIGURE SHOWS STRUCTURE OF GSM SUBSYSTEMS

The switching subsystem consists of following networks ---123456Mobile-service switching center (MSC) Visitor location register (VLR) Authentication register (AUC) Home location register (HLR) Equipment identification register (EIR) Service centers

AC

HLR

VLR

EIR

To/ From BSS

To/From other networks

MSC

To/From other MSC For OMC-S

FIGURE SHOWS STRUCTURE OF THE SSS

MSC----The MSC is a stored program controlled digital switching center .It is connected a mobile to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) . The MSC can be physically located either in exchange site of the fixed Network or even out side the service area .The basic functions of MSC are Choice of the route Setting up traffic and signaling connections Call charge registration Supervision of connections Traffic measurement

Overload handling Support for telecommunication services Charge accounting

VLR---- The VLR is a database containing information about all mobile subscribers Currently active in its area of responsibility .The VLR can recognize a GSM Subscriber by the following identifiers The international mobile subscribers identity (IMSI) The local mobile sub scriber identification (LMSI) Mobile station roaming no. (MSRN) Tetemprary mobile station identity (TMSI)

HLR---- HLR is the main database for GSM subscribers. It contains the relevant data the aid of the international mobile subscriber identifiers (IMSI). It included in the relevant data is information about the VLR service area in which the GSM mobile subscriber is temporarily roaming .This is needed for directing calls to the GSM mobile subscriber. AUC----The AUC contains several security boxes with keys and algorithms required for the production of authentication parameters of a GSM subscribers are stored. In the AC for each GSM subscriber a no. of authentication response parameters RAND (random number) ,authentication response and Kc (cipher key) are generated Before the GSM subscriber obtains access to the network. The authentication parameters are used by VLR for authentication tests, i.e. to determine whether a GSM subscriber is authorize for access to the network and call setup. EIR---- The EIR is another database containing information about the device types and identity no. of mobile station (MS) admitted in its area of responsibility.In the EIR the mobile stations are arranged in three lists The white list for approved mobile stations The gray list for mobile stations to be observed The black list for barred mobile stations when the EIR receives a request from the MSC it looks for the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) concerned in the database (white, gray , black list) and sends back an acknowledgement to the MSC indicating whether it is white , gray or black list . subsequent actions taken by the MSC are dependent on this result. SC----- It is not a part of GMS system . For SMS center VMS for the called mobile Subscribers can be connected directly to the MSC or via a fixed networks . Service center are commercial computer centers . The radio subsystem has divided in two parts The mobile station (MS)The mobile station may be referred to MS as a mobile, a handset or mobile equipment. it also includes a subscribers identity module (SIM) that is normally removable and comes in two size. It is not a part of GSM . MOBILE EQUIPMENT (ME) The mobile equipment is the only part of the GSM network which the subscriber really sees. There are three main types of mobile equipment: 1. Vehicle mounted of the vehicle . These devices are mounted in a vehicle and the antenna is physically mounted to the outside

2.

Portable Mobile Unit the handset of the unit . 1.

This equipment can be handheld when in operation but the antenna is not connected to

Hand Portable Unit This equipment comprises of a small telephone handset not much bigger than a calculator and the antenna is connected to the handset .

The mobile equipment is capable of operating at a certain maximum power output dependent on its type and use. GSM900 mobiles have a maximum power of 8W. There is another aspect of the power transmitted by the mobile equipment - as the mobile moves around the cell; its transmitter power needs to be varied. When it is close to the base station, power levels are set low to reduce the interference to other users and when the mobile is further from the base station, its power level needs to increase to overcome the increased path loss .All GSM mobiles are able to control their output power in 2dB steps . The base station commands the mobile to a particular MS transmission level (power level ) . The mobile types have distinct features, which must be known by the network e.g. their maximum transmission power and the services they support. The mobile stations are therefore identified by means of a class mark, which is sent by the mobile station in its initial message. The following pieces of information are held in the class mark: Revision level - Identifies the phase of the GSM specifications the mobile complies with. RF Power Capability - The maximum power the mobile is able to transmit - used for power control and handover preparation. This information is held in the mobile class no. Ciphering Algorithm - Indicates which ciphering algorithm is implemented in the mobile station. Frequency Capability - Indicates the frequency bands the mobile can receive and transmit on. Currently all GSM mobiles use one frequency band, however in the future this band will be extended. Short Message Capability - Indicates whether the mobile station is able to receive short messages.

SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE (SIM) The SIM, which is a smart card, plugs into the mobile equipment and contains the following information: International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) - this number identifies the mobile subscriber and is only transmitted over the air during initialization. Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) - this number identifies the subscriber , it is periodically changed by the system management to protect the subscriber from being identified by someone attempting to monitor the radio interface Location Area Identity (LAI) - identifies the current location of the subscriber so that he can be paged within only a certain region. Subscriber Authentication Key (Ki) - this is used to authenticate the SIM card and is never transmitted over air interface. Mobile Station International Services Digital Network (MSISDN) - this is the telephone number of the mobile. It comprises of a country code, a national code and a subscriber number. Most of the data contained within the SIM is protected against reading (e.g. Ki) or alterations (e.g. IMSI) after the SIMs time of issue. Some of the parameters (e.g. LAI) are continuously updated to reflect the current location of the subscriber. The SIM is capable of storing additional information such as accumulated call charges. This information will be accessible to the customer via handset / keyboard key entry. The base station system (BSS)The BSS is a part of the GSM. The BSS consists of the following network elements. Base station controller (BSC) Base transceiver station (BTS) Transcoding and adoption unit (TRAU)

BTSE

BTS

Abi s

BSC
REMOTE * * BTS * * Abi s

TRAU

REMOTE

BTS Together With BSC

LMT

LMT

LMT

LMT

FIGURE SHOWS THE STRUCTURE OF BSS Base Station Controller- The BSC forms the intelligent part of the base station system. They control the radio connections, local safeguarding functions and local operation & maintenance functions .One or more BSCs are linked to a MSC. Physically the BSCs can be grouped together at a central point on MSC sites or remotely in a shelter or in a confined space. The BSC can then act as a concentrator for the links between the Abis and Asub interface. A BSC serves one or more BTSs. The BSC supports various BSC-BTS configurations (e.g. star, multidrop and loop) and has a separate transcoding and rate adoption unit (TRAU). Figure 1 shows the hardware structure of the BSC and it contains the following elements. a- BSC control b- Line interface c- Switch unit

The Base Transceiver Station The BTSs are the radio stations which provides all function necessary at the antenna site. They supports the GSM radio interface i.e. the radio link between the GSM network and mobile station (MS). The BTSs are integrated in BTS equipments (BTSE). There are either the standard type BTSE (with two or six BTS) or the micro BTSE(with two BTS, which are suitable for the introduction of micro cells). In ESSAR CELLPHONE the standard type BTSE with six BTS with double combiner (DUCOM). One BTSE can serves as one radio cell (omni directional radio cell) or several radio cells (sectorized radio cell) if necessary together they cover the whole service area of a GSM system. The BTSs supports as wall full-rate/enhanced full-rate channels as half-rate channels. Figure 2-A and Figure 2-B shows the hardware structure of the standard type BTSE and micro BTSE respectively. The standard type BTSE has the following functional blocks. 1234BTSE control Link interface Duplex combiner (DUCOM) Rx pre-amplifier (RXAMOD)

56-

Rx splitter (RXMUCO) Transceiver it has the following blocks Base band &signal processing Transceiver and processors Power amplifier

The micro type BTSE (BS-11) has the following blocks 1- Transceivers (TRX1, TRX2)-It has the following modules Power amplifier (PA) Radio frequency transmitter noise (RFTN) Low noise amplifier & band filter (LNA&BF) Radio frequency receiver unit (RFRU) Multi channel base band unit (MBBCU) 2- Site manager (SMU) BTSE CONTROL The BTSE control is represented by the core controller (CCTRL) which controls all O&M tasks of an entire BTSE and also controls all radio cells (BTS) belonging to one Site. The CCTRL is installed a single time in the master rack. LINK INTERFACE The LI extracts the network clock information for the common clock generator and passes all BTSE relevant data to BUS 2.It provides on OSI layer 1 a PCM30 link to the BSC (Abis-interface). The physical part of the LI may change, depending on the Transmission link type, which must be supported on the Abis-interface. BASEBAND & PROCESSING It received the traffic channels from the LI via bus 2 and receives OSI layer 3 message via Bus 1.it encodes, encrypts and interleaves signalling and user data in a accordance With the channel type used and executes pre-processing of up-link measurments and measurment reports sent from mobile station and perform control and hand-over reco-gnization. TRANSCIEVER AND PROCCESSORS It is denoted by TPU which consists of two main blocks ,TRXA and TRXD. The TRXA part contains all the analogue signal processing parts and has a transmit and receive part . The TRXD part contains all the digital signal processing parts . POWER AMPLIFIER The power amplifier provides the required RF power in the down link path . There are separate low power and high power PA modules for the frequency bands of D900/ D1800. For D900/D1800there are a low power version and a high power version. TX ANTENNA COMBINER(ACOM) There are two following kinds of TX antenna combiner (ACOM): HYBRID COMBINER (HYCOM) Hybrid combiner can be devided in two parts. One part is the hybrid network which uses A combining technique useable for up to 4 carriers. The other part is the transmit antenna module ( TXAMOD) which consists of a transmission band filter and a directional coupler. The transmission band filter provides the required suppression of inter modulation products outside the transmit band and protects the receiver against TX phase noise and spurious emission impacts. HYCOM can be used with base band frequency hopping and with synthesizer frequency Hopping. FILTER COMBINER Filter combiner are remote tunable and enable a combination of up to 6 carriers in a rack. FICOM can only be used with base band frequency hopping. RX PRE-AMPLIFIER (RXAMOD) The RX pre-amplifier is represented by the receiver antenna module (RXAMOD) which is the first part of the receiver , it can be mounted near to the receiving antenna , and therefore is of up most importance for the reciver`s performance . The content is a band filter for the whole receiving pre-amplifier.the parallel architecture Provides, in case of malfunction of one low noise amplifier, a degraded but ongoing operation of the BTSE.

RX SPLITTER (RXMUCO) The RX splitter is reprsented by the receiver multi coupler(RXMUCO) which provides a multi coupler for the rack internal distribution of the received signals .The multi coupler consists of an amplifier and a splitter. DUPLEX COMBINER (DUCOM) The DUCOM can be devided in two main parts. One part is a band-pass filter for the transmit(TXFIL)and second part is a band-pass filter for the receiving path(RXFIL). DUPLEX AND NOISE AMPLIFIER MODULE (DULAMO) The DULAMO consists of a duplexer section (with TXFIL and RXFIL)and a low noise Amplifier (LNA) . It provides the means to have simultaneously with every type of antenna combiner two antenna per cell, a LNA close to the antenna and to take advantage of on air combining. DULAMO can be utilized with every type of antenna Combining (FICOM,HYCOM , DUCOM). RECEIVER ANTENNA MODULE AND MULTICOUPLER (RXAMCO) The receiver antenna module and multi coupler module (RXAMCO) amplifies the RX Signal with low noise figure and splits the RX into four receiving signals, plus a separate high level output.

Transcoding and Rate Adoption Unit For each traffic channel the TRAU adopt The different transmission rates for speech and data connections on the radio side (Asub interface ) to the standardized 64kbit/s transmission at the SSS network side (A interface) of the system . It also performs the allocation between the different speech coding algorithems used within the SSS network side and on the radio side . The TRAU serves as a multipluxer between the 64kbit/s traffic channels of the SSS network side (A interface ) and the 16kbit/s traffic channels for full-rate / enhanced full-rateand half-rate on the radio side (Asub interface ). It is designed to be physically located at the MSC sites .This helps to save transmission capacity on the Asub interface . Figure 3 shows the hardware structure of the TRAU , it contains the Following elements. 123BSC interface MSC interface Transcoder boards

Interfaces The following interfaces are used in the GSM system: A-interface is the interface of the TRAU towards the MSC. The A-interface comprises traffic channels and as signalling link the common channel signaling no.7 (CCS7) system. Asub- interface is the interface from the TRAU to the BSC .The interface comprises traffic and control channels sub-multiplexing of the traffic channels are generally Applied. Abis -interface is the interface of the BSC towards the BTSs. Even if the BSC and the BTSs are collocated the Abis interface is implemented. O-interface is the interface of the BSC towards the OMC-B. It is a packet-switched data network (PSDN) interface based on the X.25 interface. T-interface is the interface of the BSC, BTS and TRAU towards the LMTs. it is also Based on the X.21/V.11 interface specification of the ITU-T. Um-interface is the GSM radio interface between the BTS (antenna) and the GSM mobile Station. this interface provides a no. of logical channels. Mobile user information (voice, data) is transmitted via traffic channels, control signal and short message are transmitted via control channels.

RADIO FREQUENCY CHANNELS ( RFC ) IN GSM In GSM the sub -bands i.e. the UPLINK and the DOWNLINK, are divided into carriers or radio frequency channels with a bandwidth of 200 KHz. The carrier access procedure in the frequency range is called Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA). Physical channels Similar to the PCM 30 system ( 1 link with 32 channels ) , 1 RFC consists of 8 channels . Several mobile subscribers can therefore access 1 RFC at the same time. This access procedure is called Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). A physical channel is defined by a specific carrier pair ( i.e. by an RFC ) and by the time slot number in the TDMA frame . Logical Channels A physical channel can function as traffic channel ( for the transmission of speech and data information ) and as control channel respectively ( for the transmission of signaling and control information ) . The generic term for traffic and control channel respectively is logical channel . Traffic Channels ( TCH ) The TCH differ with regard to the type of information they transfer , the channel rate ( i.e. available transmission rate ) and the rate for data transmission ( i.e. actual transmission rate . ) Control Channels The main groups of control channels are as follows : 1. 2. 3. Broadcast Control Channel - BCCH Common Control Channel - CCCH Dedicated Control Channel - DCCH

BROADCAST CONTROL CHANNEL ( BCCH ) This is transmitted by the BTS at all times . The RF carrier used to transmit the BCCH is referred to as the BCCH carrier . The information carried on the BCCH is monitored by the mobile periodically (at least every 30 seconds) when it is switched on and not in a call . The information consists of : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Location area Identity (LAI) List of neighbouring cell which should be monitored by the mobile List of frequencies used in the cell Cell identity Power control indicator DTX permitted Access control ( e.g.. emergency calls , call barring ) Cell broadcast channel (CBCH ) description

The BCCH is transmitted at constant power at all times and its signal strength is measured by all mobiles which are use it Dummy bursts are transmitted to ensure continuity when there is no BCCH carrier traffic . It consists of following two parts :

Synchronisation channel ( SCH ) - it carries the information to enable the mobile to synchronise to the TDMA frame structure and know the timing of the individual time slots . The following parameters are also carried :

1) Frame no. 2) Base Site Identity Code Frequency Correction Channel ( FCCH )-This is transmitted frequently and is more easily detected by the mobile than the SCH . When it is detected the mobile corrects the frequency of its internal timebase and is then able to detect the SCH which contains the precise synchronisation information it requires .

COMMON CONTROL CHANNELS (CCCH) It is responsible for transferring control information between all mobiles and the BTS which is necessary for the implementation of call organization and call paging functions. It consists of the following: Random Access Channel ( RACH )-------- It is transmitted by the mobile when it wishes to gain access to the system . This occurs when the mobile initiates a call or responds to a page . Paging Channel ( PCH) ------ It is transmitted by the BTS when it wishes to contact a special mobile . Access Grant Control Channel ( AGCH ) ---- It is transmitted by the BTS and is used to assign dedicated resources to an MS such as a Standalone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH ) .

Cell Broadcast Channel ( CBCH ) - This is used to transmit messages to be broadcast to all mobiles within a cell e.g.. traffic information . The CBCH steals time from an SDCCH to do this . Active mobiles (i.e. switched to the system ) must frequently monitor both BCCH and CCCH. The CCCH is transmitted on the RF carrier with the BCCH . DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNELS (DCCH) These are assigned to a single mobile connection for call setup or for measurement and handover purposes . It comprises of the following parts : Standalone Dedicated Control Channel ( SDCCH ) - This supports the tranfer of data to and from the mobile during call setup . It also carries information for call forwarding and transmission of short messages . Associated Control Channels ( ACCH ) - These can be associated with either an SDCCH or a TCH . They are used for carrying information associated with the process being carried out on either the SDCCH or the TCH . It comprises of two parts : Slow Associated Control Channel ( SACCH ) Conveys power control and timing information in the down link direction ( towards the MS ) and Receive Signal Strength Indicator ( RSSI ) and link quality reports in the up link direction. Fast Associated Control Channel ( FCCH ) - It steals the TCH burst and inserts its own information.. It is used to carry out user authentication and handovers .

1.

2.

GSM BURSTS

A burst is the sequence of bits transmitted by the BTS or mobile over the radio interface. The bit structure of a channel (ARFCN) depends on whether it is used as a traffic channel or a control channel. The different elements of a GSM burst areas follows: Info - This is the area in which the speech, data or control information is held . Guard Period - the receiver can only receive the burst and decode it if it is received within the timeslot designated for it . The timing , therefore , must be extremely accurate but the structure does allow for a small margin of error be incorporating a guard period . The timeslot is 0.577 ms long , whereas the burs is 0.546 ms long , therefore there is a time difference of 0.031 ms to enable the burst to hit the timeslot . Stealing Flags - these two bits are set when a traffic channel burst has been stolen by a FACCH (Fast Associated Control Channel ) . One bit set indicates that half of the block has been stolen . Training Sequence - is used by the receivers equalizer as it estimates the transfer characteristics of the physical path between the BTS and the mobile . It is 26 bits long. Tail Bits - are used to indicate the beginning and end of the burst .

Burst Types The five types of GSM bursts are : 1. 2. Normal Burst -It carries traffic channels and all types of control channels apart form those mentioned specifically below . It is bi-directional in nature . Frequency Correction Burst - This burst carries FCCH downlink to correct the frequency of the mobiles local oscillator , effectively locking it to that of the BTS . Synchronization Burst - It is so called because its function is to carry SCH Down link , synchronizing the timing of the mobile to that of the BTS . Dummy Burst - It is used when there is no information to be carried on the unused timeslots of the BCCH carrier . It is present in the down link only . Access Burst - This burst is of much shorter duration than the other types .The increased guard period is necessary because the timing of its transmission is not known . When this burst is transmitted the BTS does not know the location of the mobile and therefore the timing of the message from the mobile cannot be accurately accounted for . It is present in uplink only .

3. 4. 5.

GSM TDMA POWER BURST Since GSM is a TDMA system and there are 8 users on a frequency pair , each user must only turn on his transmitter at the allowed time and have his transmitter off in time so that he does not interfere with other users in the adjacent time slots . because of this need ,GSM has specified an amplitude envelope for the RF burst of thetime slots . There is also a demanding flatness specification over the active part of the useful bits of the time slot . The amplitude envelope has greater than 70 dBof dynamic range yet needs to measure less than +/- 1 dB flatness over the active part of the timeslot .

MOBILE CALL AND HANDOVER SEQUENCES

MOBILE TURN - ON

When a mobile first turns on , it searches all 124 channels in the downlink fro signals . It then arranges the channels on the basis of received signal strengths and checks to determine if the channel was a BCCH . Once the MS finds a BCCH , it adjusts internal frequency and timing from the FCCH and SCH , then checks to determine if the BCCH is from its PLMN . This involves comparing the allowed network and country codes stored on the SIM card with the information encoded on the BCCH. The mobile repeats this cycle until a good broadcast channel is found.If the mobile recognises that itis in a different cell from the last time it was used,it needs to tell the network where it is . The network has to keep track of where every mobile is so that it can route calls to the correct cell for any particular mobile.This process of telling the network here I am is called a location update .

LOCATION UPDATE LOCATION REGISTRATION Location registration is the main function of roaming .Location registration Includes: Very First Location Update . Next Location Update .

Very First Location Update The subscriber has not done location update till now with the new SIM card . So, the data stored on this new SIM card are : IMSI Ki A3 A8 LAI

BTS always broadcasts CGI (Cell Global Identity ) in its Broadcast Channel . If the LAI stored in the SIM differs from the LAI received in the broadcast channel by the cell ( which is the most suitable at that particular moment ) , the MS initiates a location update . Suppose , the mobile subscriber , registered under the HLR of Delhi , has moved to Bangalore and when he inserts his SIM card for the first time , MS detects a mismatch between LAIs . The complete sequence is as under : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. MS sends a location update request to VLR Bangalore via BTS to BSC to MSC. MS sends its IMSI , LAI alongwith the request . VLR checks for this IMSI in its database . No entry is found . So ,VLR makes an entry of this IMSI against LMSI . Now , VLR has to check the authentication of this MS. So, it requires triples and thus, VLR sends a signal to HLR to send triples . VLR finds HLR - ID from HLR asks AUC for triples . AUC returns triples to HLR . HLR sends them to VLR . Authentication check is done by VLR . VLR sends location update request alongwith its address (i.e.VLR address) IMSI, and LMSI to HLR. Now , HLR stores VLR address & LMSI in its database against IMSI & its services and restrictions . . IMSI.

10. 11. 12. 13.

Then HLR sends location update response i.e. subscriber data , MSISDNs , IMSI to VLR . VLR assigns a TMSI against IMSI and sends it to the MS along with its LAI . MS stores the received TMSI and LAI in its SIM card . Now onwards , MS uses this TMSI as its identity in the air interface . This TMSI is valid till MS is under this VLR area . A new TMSI will be as-signed when he enters a new VLR area ( of course after location update in the new VLR area ) .

Subsequent Location Update Mobile subscriber has changed its location from A to B . So ,there is a mismatch between the LAI stored in its SIM card and the broadcasted LAI .The call sequence is as shown : A. B. MS initiates a location update request (with old LAI & TMSI ) to new VLR via BSS and MSC. Now , new VLR has to do authentication check . Also , IMSI is not known to new VLR . Now , new VLR determines the old VLR address by of database of external location area present in MSC . With this information , new VLR asks old VLR , the IMSI and unused triples of this TMSI . Old VLR retunes it to new VLR . New VLR performs authentication . New VLR asks subscriber data from HLR .

C. D.

E. HLR returns it to new VLR and stores new VLR address , LMSI against IMSI F. HLR initiates detection of the mobile subscriber data in the old VLR . A New VLR assigns a new TMSI to the MS and sends it to MS along with its LAI . Now , this new TMSI and LAI get stored in the SIM . If the old and new MSCs are not neighbouring MSCs , then new VLR cannot locate the old VLR .In this case , new VLR asks for the IMSI from the MS. Now , MS will send IMSI to VLR and VLR uses this IMSI to locate HLR and the process continues . GSM BASIC CALL SEQUENCE When a mobile user dials a no. , and presses the send button on the mobile call ,origination takes place . The mobile transmits a short RACH burst on the up link using the same ARFCN as the BCH is using on the downlink . The base station response to the RACH by posting an AGCH on the CCCH . These ( i.e. the RACH and AGCH ) are logical channels on the CCCH physical channel . The mobile listens on the BCH for AGCH , when it receives it and decodes the instructions it retunes to another ARFCN and/or time slot and begins a two way dialog with the base station on an SDCCH . One of the first things that the mobile receives is the SACCH associated with the SDCCH . Once it receives the SACCH , it gets timing advance and transmitter power information from the base station. The base station calculates the correct timing advance from the arrival time of the RACH .Once the mobile gets timing advance information, it can send normal length bursts.The SDCCH is used to send messages and froth taking care of alerting and authentication . After a short period of time , the mobile is commanded over the SDCCH to retune to a TCH . Once on the TCH , speech data is transferred on the Up link and down link . The process for base station originated calls is very similar - the base station posts a PCH (paging channel) on the CCCH . When the receives the PCH , it responds by sending a RACH . The remainder of the process is identical to the mobile originated case. The diagram opposite shows the basic components and processes involved in setting up a call between a GSM mobile and an ordinary land telephone . In the Mobile - Land direction , the BTS receives a data message from the mobile which it passes to the BSC . The BSC relays the message to the MSC via C7signaling links , and the MSC then sets up the call to the land subscriber via the PSTN.The MSC connects the PSTN to the GSM network, and allocates a terrestrial to the BSS serving the MSs location . The BSC of that BSS sets up the air interface channel to the MS and then connects that channel to the allocated terrestrial circuitcompleting the connection between the two subscribers .

In the Land - Mobile direction , the MSC receives its initial data message fromthe PSTN via C7 signaling links and then establishes the location of the mobileby referencing the HLR . It then knows which other MSC to contact to establish the call and that MSC then sets up the call via the BSS serving the MSs location .

HANDOVER When an MS moves to another cell during an ongoing connection , the BTS takes on the radio supply of the new cell without interrupting the call . This procedure is called a handover . Thus besides receiving and transmitting information, the mobile must switch frequency and get ready to receive and measure the level of the adjacent cell s broadcast channels . It then reports this ( RX level ) information to its own base station in order to determine when a handover is appropriate between cells . This information is reported back to the base station at least every 30 seconds so that the base station can determine the appropriate time to do a hand-off . The RX level information is reported back to the base station onthe uplink SACCH .

Types of Handover There are numerous types of handovers :

Intra - cell handover - between the physical channels of a serving cell . As an exception , the intra-cell handover is not used if the subscriber moves it another cell , but if the level of interference on a specific channel is high a switchover to another physical channel must be performed . Inter - cell handover - between cells Intra - BSC handover - between the various BSCs connected to an MSC Inter - MSC handover - between two MSCs

Basically , a handover is effected in four stages : 1. 2. 3. 4. The BSC decides that a handover must be carried out . A new connection is established in parallel to the existing one . The MSC switches over to the new connection . The original connection is released .

Operation & Maintenance subsystem

Operation & maintenance subsystem enables the operators to the manage the GSM network remotely . the OMS comprises of two parts: network management center (NMC) operation & maintenance center (OMC) Network management center The network management centre offers the ability to provide hierarchical regionalised network management of a complete GSM system. It is responsible for operation and maintenance at the network level supported by the OMCs which are responsible for regional network management .The NMC is therefore a single logical facility at the top of the network management hierarchy . The NMC can take regional responsibility when an OMC is not manned with the OMC acting as a transit point between the NMC and the network equipment .

Operation and Maintenance Center - OMC The OMC provides a central point to control and monitor the other network entities (i.e. base stations , switches , database ., etc.) as well as to monitor the quality of service being provided by the network as a whole . There are two types of OMCs : OMC(R) - OMC assigned specifically to the base station system . OMC(S) - OMC assigned specifically to theOPERATION network switching system .

SYSTEM

PSDN / LAN

OMC-S

OMC-B

PSDN OMS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SSS NET. ELE.

BSS NET. ELE.

FIGURE SHOWS THE STRUCTURE OF OMS An OMC should support the following functions as per ITS - TS recommendations : Event / Alarm Management Fault Management Performance Management Configuration Management Security Management

Event / Alarm Management The OMC provides event and alarm handling functions to report and log events and alarms generated by the network entities . Events are messages which provides the information on the status of network entities and processes . Fault Management It provides the means to isolate and minimise the effects of faults in the network there by enabling the network to operate in an efficient manner . Fault management has two main functions : to inform the operator about problems in the operation of devices at each of the network elements . to provide the operator with facilities to change thestateof the network element devices and to run test diagnostics on network elements , devices to determine their capability to function correctly .

The fault management functions of the OMC allow network devices to be manually or automatically removed from or restored to service . Performance Management The performance management functions include collecting traffic statistics from GSM network entities and archiving them in a database or displaying them for analysis .Since there exists a potential to collect large amounts of data , maintenance staff can select which of the detailed statistics will be collected.Performance managementenables the operator to monitor network traffic and equipment loading. It performs the following functions : performance management administration performance data collection performance data processing performance data presentation performance data summary reports graphical presentation of key statistics

Using these functions , both a network element and region wide view of performance can be obtained providing the operating personnel with the information necessary for efficient network management and planning . Configuration Management The OMC provides NE software load management for the software versions in thenetwork entities . Software loads can be downloaded from the OMC to other netw-ork entities or uploaded to the OMC . The OMC keeps track of which network entitiesare running which versions of software. Software upgrades can be co-ordinated from the OMC . Configuration management allows the operator to adapt the network to changing traffic requirements . The introduction of new features and network up--grading is also controlled by the configuration management . Security Management It provides an extensive range of features to ensure that access to the OMC functions is restricted to authorised users . The security features are as follows : password authentication of OMC operators policing of inward traffic from X.25 network logging of OMC access attempts Configurable user access restrictions automatic log-off Auto log user for displaying alarms when no operator is logged on dial back authentication on dial-in access line.

THE CELL Cellular radio involves dividing a large service area into regions called cells which are hexagonal regions and represent the geographic area covered by one RF carrier. A cell houses a base station at the centre which gives radio coverage to that cell and connects into the public telephone network . The hexagonal cell pattern arises from the best method of covering a given area , remembering that radio coverage is ideally radial in nature . The area of coverage of a hexagon is twice that of a triangle , with a square midway between the two.The hexagon has a small overlap as compared to the triangle . To cover an area of three hexagonal cells , or 7.8 r2 , would require six triangular or four square cells . The obvious conclusion from this simple analysis is that the regular hexagon is the most advantageous and therefore the most widely used structure , with the triangle suitable only in difficul propagation areas which require deep overlapping of radio zones. Each cell has the equipment to switch , transmit and receive calls from any subscriber located within the borders of its radio coverage area . If cells are not used the transmitter will need to use very high power to cover a large area.However ,by using the concept of cells the area covered by a single transmitter is reduced , thereby reducing the need for high powered transmission . Cells are conventionally regarded as being hexagonal , but in reality they are irregularly shaped. The cell shape is determined by the nature of the surrounding area . The cell pattern becomes more complex as the number of cells in the system increases .

ANTENNAS Mobile station radios require antennas to be omni - directional in the horizontal plane (looking from above ) but to have very little upward radiation . This is because, at any time , the mobile unit could be at any point around the full 3600 range of the base station antenna .There are several styles of antenna used for this purpose which are generally variations of the dipole antenna . BASE STATION ANTENNAS The several types of antenna used for the mobile base station are :

1. 2. 3. 4.

Bent or Folded Dipole Antenna - It is constructed as a bent or folded conductor whose horizontal dimension is one-half wave length . Ground Plane Antenna - The co-axially fed antenna is physically convenient for many applications . The finite ground plane tends to incline the radiation pattern maximum slightly upward instead of horizontal plane . Stacked Antenna - A stack of several half - wave dipole antennas reduces the radiation in the vertical direction and effectively increases the omni - directional horizontal gain . Corner Reflector Antenna - For the case of cell sectorisation, the base station antenna must radiate only over a specific angle (e.g..600 ) . For this antenna , a half wave dipole is placed in the corner of a V -shaped wire plane reflector at 0.25 to 0.65 spacing from the vertex and wires are typically spaced less than 0.1 apart .

MOBILE UNIT ANTENNAS The two types of antennas used are :

1.

Car Mobile Radio Antenna - it must be omni directional and as small as possible and must not be adversely affected by the car body . The location of the antenna is usually on the roof , trunk , and the rear fender (bumper) .The whip antenna is one possibility which is a/4 vertical conductor with the body acting as a ground plane . 2. Portable Radio Antenna - are usually either short (l/4 or less) vertical conductor whip antennas or normal - mode helical designs . Ideally , for maximum convenience,

the antenna should not even protrude from the body of the portable radio .The antenna used for portables encounters the following problems : There is no ground plane as in the case for mobiles , so its efficiency is reduced . The user may not be pointing the antenna in the optimum direction , or , even worse , it may be held horizontally .In either case the antenna may not be in the best orientation for the correct polarisation reception . The users head may cause disturbances by mis-matching the antenna impedance, the long term health effects of holding portable telephone close to the head for extended periods of time are at present unknown .

The Frequency Spectrum The Frequency spectrum is very congested with only a narrow bandwidth allocated for cellular telecommunications which means that the bandwidth must be very efficiently used. Each cell in the cellular network requires an RF carrier . An RF carrier comprises of a pair of radio frequencies , one used in each dir-ection (transmit and receive ) so that information may be passed in both directions simultaneously . The transmit and receive frequencies are separated by 45 MHz in GSM . Due to the narrow bandwidth there are not enough frequencies available for every cell to have a different RF carrier . There are 124 RF carrier in the GSM freuency band , therefore if each carrier can carry 7 phone calls , a maximum of 868 ( 124 *7) calls may be made which is clearly not enough and therefore the frequencies must be reused . Frequency Reuse In frequency reuse the same RF carrier frequency is used for many conversations in several different cells at the same time and thus many more phone calls may be made .The available radio frequencies are allocated according to a regular pattern which repeats over the whole coverage area . In this way , each carrier is used repeatedly throughout the coverage area according to a frequency reuse pattern . Frequencies are commonly reused every 2 , 4 or 7 cells , these patterns combine adequate coverage density with efficient usage of the available RF pattern . A 7- cell pattern is illustrated in the diagram in which each number represents a different RF carrier .Care must be taken to position the cells which are using the same frequency far enough apart from one another to prevent interference . Co - channel Interference -occurs when RF carriers of the same frequencies are transmitting in nearby cells.The transmission from one interferes with the other.Adjacent Channel Interference - occurs when an RF source of a different frequency interferes with the carrier . CELL SIZE The number of cells in any geographic area is determined by the number of mobile subscribers who will be operating in that area and the geographic layout of the area .The maximum cell size is determined by the distance radio waves can travel and still be of practical use . This is a function of the propagation characteristics of the frequency used . Present cellular systems use UHF frequencies in the bands 872 - 960 MHz , at these frequencies the normal maximum cell radius is about 32 Km . Large cells are generally used in remote areas where there are very few subscribers . The minimum cell size is determined by the number of mobile subscribers who will be using the cell .In an urban area where a large number of people are located , very small cells will be used which are about 0.8 Km in radius . Small cells have the advantage of being able to use a low transmit power , this means that small light-waight hand portable phones may be used.When traffic density is very high and thus particularly small cells are required , cells can be reduced in size by sectorizing . The diagram opposite illustrates a cell with 1200 sectorization - the original cell is divided into three smaller cells , these cells share the same cell site but each has its own . RADIO INTERFACE OPTIMIZATION

Transmission Timing - Concept Of Timing Advance

To simplify the design of the mobile , the SMG specifications specify an offset of three timeslots between the BSS and MS timing thus avoiding the necessity for the mobile to transmit and receive simultaneously . The synchronization of a TDMA system is critical because bursts have to be transmitted and received within the real-time timeslots allotted to them . The further the mobile is from the base station then , obviously, the longer it will take for the bursts to travel the distance between them . The GSM BTS caters for this problem by instructing the MS to ad-vance its timing ( i.e. transmit earlier ) to compensate for the increased propogation delay . This advance is then superimposed upon the three time slot nominal offset . The timing advance information is sent to the mobile twice every second using the SACCH . Battery Life One of the main factors which restrict reducing the size of a mobile station is the bat-tery . A battery must be large enough to maintain a telephone call for an acceptable amount of time without needing to be recharged . Since there is demand for mobiles to become smaller and lighter the battery must also become smaller and lighter . four features which enable the life of the GSM mobile battery to be extended : 1. 2. 3. 4. Power Control Voice Activity Detection - VAD Discontinuous Transmission - DTX Discontinuous Reception - DRX

Voice Activity Detection - VAD VAD is a mechanism whereby the source transmitter equipment identifies the pres-ence or absence of speech . VAD implementation is effected in speech mode by encoding the speech pattern silences at a rate of 500 bps rather than the full 13 kbps This results in a data transmission rate for background noise which is regenerated in the receiver , known as comfort noise . Without comfort noise the total silence between the speech which would be considered to be disturbing by the listener .

Discontinuous Transmission - DTX This increases the efficiency of the system through a decrease in the possible radio transmission interference level . It does this by ensuring that the mobile station does not transmit unnecessary message data . DTX can be implemented , as necessary on a call by call basis , its effect will be most noticeable in communications between two mobile stations . DTX in its extreme form , when implemented at the mobile station can also result in considerable power saving . If the mobile does not transmit during silences there is a reduction in the overall power output requirement .

Discontinuous Reception - DRX DRX allows the mobile station to effectively switch - off during times when recep-tion is deemed unnecessary . By monitoring the BCCH , the FCCH and the SCH the mobile is aware of the Frame Number and repetition format for Frame Syncronisation , it can therefore , after initially locking on to a BCCH , determine when the next rele-vant information is to be transmitted . This allows the mobile to go to sleep and listen - in only when necessary , with the effective saving in power usage . It is used only when the mobile is not in a call .

Multipath Fading This results from a signal traveling from a transmitter to a receiver by a variety of routes because of reflection from objects or influence of atmospheric conditions e.g. varying temperatures and humidity . The received signals therefore arrive at different times and are out of phase with each other and hence experience time dispersion . On arrival at the receiver , the signals combine either constructively or destructively , the overall effect being to add together or to cancel each other out . If the latter applies there may be hardly any usable signal at all . When the receive antenna is moving , the exact phase of each path changes and consequently the combined signal - strength is also continually changing . When the antenna is moving rapidly this loss is recovered by interleaving and channel cod-ing . When it is slow moving or stationary , however the receiver may be in a null ( point of minimum signal ) for several consecutive frames . GSM offers five techn-iques which combat multipath fading effects : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Equalization Diversity Frequency Hopping Interleaving Channel Coding

Equalization Due to the signal dispersion caused by multipath signals , this receiver cannot be sure exactly when a burst will arrive and how distorted it will be . To help the receiver id-entify and synchronize to the burst a Training Sequence is sent at the center of the burst. This is a set sequence of bits which is known by both the transmitter and receiver . When a burst of information is received , the equalizer searches for the training sequence code.When it has been found , the equalizer measures and then mimics the distortion which the signal has been subjected to . The equalizer then compares the received data with the distorted possible transmitted sequences and chooses the most likely one .

Diversity Signals arrive at the receive antenna from multiple paths and therefore are received by the antenna at different phases , some at a peak and some at a trough . Thus some signals add together to form a strong signal while others will subtract causing a weak signal .When diversity is implemented , two antennas are situated at the receiver . These antennas are placed several wave lengths apart to ensure minimum correlation between the two received parts . The two signals are then combined , this ensures that a low signal strength is less likely to occur . Frequency Hopping This technique is employed to reduce multipath fading effects . Each time the BTS or mobile transmits a burst , it does so on a different RF carrier frequency . There are two methods of implementing frequency hopping :

Synthesizer Hopping In this case , each timeslot on a given transceiver can transmit at a different frequency. The transceiver retunes between timeslots . This is an efficient met-hod for small sites with few transceivers .

Baseband Hopping In this case , each transceiver stays at the same frequency and the data is swit-ched to the appropriate transceiver . The numbers of hopping frequencies is limited to the number of transceivers .

DIAGONAL INTERLEAVING It spreads the contents of one traffic block across several TDMA time slots . Due to this , even if a burst is lost due to interference , enough bits still get through to allow the error correction algorithms to work , maintaining reasonable speech quality . The 456 bits of data are sliced up into eight blocks of 57 bits each . Then each TCH frame carries two 57 -bit blocks of data from two different 20 ms , 456-bit speech segments . Thus , effectively each TCH burst carries 114 bits .

CHANNEL CODING To protect the logical channels from transmission errors introduced by the radio path, many different coding schemes are used depending on the type of logical channel to be encoded . All logical channels require some form of convolutional encoding ;but since protection needs are different , the code rates also differ . There are three coding protection schemes : Speech channel encoding Common control channel encoding Data channel encoding SPEECH CHANNEL ENCODING

The BTS receives transcoded speech over the Abis Interface from the BSC .At this point the speech is organized into its individual logical channels by the BTS .these logical channels of information are then sent for channel coding before beingtransmitted over the air interface . The transcoded speech information is received in frames each containing 260 bits . The speech bits are grouped into the following three classes of sensitivity to errors , depending on their importance to the intelligibility of speech : Class 1(a) : Three parity bits are derived from the 50 class 1(a) bits . Transmission errors within these bits are catastrophic to speech intelligibility , there -fore the speech decoder is able to detect incorrectable errors within the class 1(a) bits . If there are class 1(a) bits errors , the whole block is usually ignored . Class 1(b) : The 132 class 1(b) are not parity checked but are fed together with the class 1(a) and parity bits to a convolutional encoder .Four tail bits are added which set the registers in the receiver to a known state for dec-oding purposes . Class 2 : The 78 least sensitive bits are not protected at all . The resulting 456- bit blocks is then interleaved before being sent over the air interface .

CONTROL CHANNEL ENCODING When control information is received by the BTS it is received as a block of 184 bits.These bits are first protected with a cyclic block code of a class known as Fire Codes

, which are particularly suitable for the detection and correction of burst errors , it uses40 parity bits . Before the convolutional encoding , four tail bits are added which set the registers in the receiver to a known state for decoding purposes . The output from the encoding process for each block of 184 bits of signaling data is 456 bits , exactly the same as for speech . The resulting 456 bit block is then interleaved before being sent over the air interface .

DATA CHANNEL ENCODING Data channels are encoded using a convolutional code only . With the 9.6 Kbps data some coded bits need to be removed punctuated before interleaving so that like the speech and control channels , they contain 456 bits every 20 ms . Thedata traffic channels require a higher net rate ( net rate means the bit rate before coding bits have been added ) than their actual transmission rate . The output from the encoding process for each block of 240 bits of data traffic is 456 bits , exactly the same as for speech and control . The resulting 456 bit block is then interleaved before being sent over the air interface . Encryption One of the key features of the GSM system is security . This comes about because of the use of encryption or ciphering . The base station controls whether ciphering is on or off . The encryption of the data occurs after the data is interleaved and formed into the eight data blocks ( before the actual bursts are built ) . The encryption algorithms are very tightly controlled . The security of this is enhanced with the fact that the encryption algorithms change from call to call ( even if it is deciphered for one call , the encryption on the next call will be different ) .