Cellular Networks

Wireless Transmission Cellular Concept Frequency Reuse Channel Allocation Call Setup Location Management Cell Handoffs Optimizations: Power control, Cell capacity Implementations: AMPS, GSM, GPRS, 3G

Basic Idea
Single hop wireless connectivity to the wired world
Space divided into cells A base station is responsible to communicate with hosts in its cell Mobile hosts can change cells while communicating Hand-off occurs when a mobile host starts communicating via a new base station

Factors for determining cell size

No. of users to be support Multiplexing and transmission technologies

Wireless Transmission
Communication Frequencies
Frequencies in the VHF SHF range are used Regulation bodies

Antennas
Theoretically: equal radiation in all directions Reality: directive effects, sectorized antennas

Signal Propagation
Classification: Analog/Digital, Periodic/Aperiodic Parameters: Amplitude, Frequency and Phase shift

Modulation Techniques
Amplitude, Frequency, Phase

Multiplexing Mechanisms
Space (SDM), Frequency (FDM), Time (TDM), Code (CDM)

Cellular Concept
Limited number of frequencies => limited channels Single high power antenna => limited number of users Smaller cells => frequency reuse possible => more number of users Base stations (BS): implement space division multiplex
Each BS covers a certain transmission area (cell) Each BS is allocated a portion of the total number of channels available Cluster: group of nearby BSs that together use all available channels

Mobile stations communicate only via the base station

FDMA, TDMA, CDMA may be used within a cell

As demand increases (more channels are needed)

Number of base stations is increased Transmitter power is decreased correspondingly to avoid interference

Cellular Concept
Cell size:
100 m in cities to 35 km on the country side (GSM) even less for higher frequencies Umbrella cell: large cell that includes several smaller cells Avoid frequent handoffs for fast moving traffic

Cell shape:
Hexagonal is useful for theoretical analysis Practical footprint (radio coverage area) is amorphous

BS placement:
Center-excited cell: BS near center of cell omni-directional antenna Edge-excited cell: BSs on three of the six cell vertices sectored directional antennas

Cellular Concept
Advantages:
higher capacity, higher number of users less transmission power needed more robust, decentralized base station deals with interference, transmission area etc. locally

Problems:
fixed network needed for the base stations handover (changing from one cell to another) necessary interference with other cells: co-channel, adjacent-channel

Important Issues:
Cell sizing Frequency reuse planning Channel allocation strategies

Bottom line: Attempt to maximize availability of channels in an area

Cellular System Architecture

Each cell is served by a base station (BS) Each BS is connected to a mobile switching center (MSC) through fixed links Each MSC is connected to other MSCs and PSTN

MSC
HLR VLR

MSC
HLR VLR

To other MSCs

PSTN

PSTN

Cellular System Architecture

Each MSC is a local switching exchange that handles
Switching of mobile user from one base station to another Locating the current cell of a mobile user Home Location Register (HLR): database recording the current location of each mobile that belongs to the MSC Visitor Location Register (VLR): database recording the cell of visiting mobiles Interfacing with other MSCs Interfacing with PSTN (traditional telephone network)

One channel in each cell is set aside for signalling information between BS and mobiles
Mobile-to-BS: location, call setup for outgoing, response to incoming BS-to-Mobile: cell identity, call setup for incoming, location updating

Call Setup
Outgoing call setup:
User keys in the number and presses send (no dial tone) Mobile transmits access request on uplink signaling channel If network can process the call, BS sends a channel allocation message Network proceeds to setup the connection MSC determines current location of target mobile using HLR, VLR and by communicating with other MSCs Source MSC initiates a call setup message to MSC covering target area Target MSC (covering current location of mobile) initiates a paging msg BSs forward the paging message on downlink channel in coverage area If mobile is on (monitoring the signaling channel), it responds to BS BS sends a channel allocation message and informs MSC Network completes the two halves of the connection

Network activity:

Incoming call setup:

Network activity:

Hand-Offs
Hand-off necessary when mobile moves from area of one BS into another BS initiated:
BS monitors the signal level of the mobile Handoff occurs if signal level falls below threshold Increases load on BS Monitor signal level of each mobile Determine target BS for handoff Each BS periodically transmits beacon Mobile, on hearing stronger beacon from a new BS, sends it a greeting changes routing tables to make new BS its default gateway sends new BS identity of the old BS New BS acknowledges the greeting and begins to route mobiles call Mobile moves across areas controlled by different MSCs Handled similar to mobile assisted case with additional HLR/VLR effort Local call may become long-distance

Mobile assisted:

Intersystem:

Cellular Implementations
First-generation: Analog cellular systems (450-900 MHz)
Frequency shift keying for signaling FDMA for spectrum sharing NMT (Europe), AMPS (US)

Second-generation: Digital cellular systems (900, 1800 MHz)

TDMA/CDMA for spectrum sharing Circuit switching GSM (Europe), IS-136 (US), PDC (Japan)

2.5G: Packet switching extensions

Digital: GSM to GPRS Analog: AMPS to CDPD

3G:
High speed, data and Internet services IMT-2000