GSM

Netw or ks:
T he Basi cs
Agenda

Structure of a GSM network

Architecture of a GSM network as a typical cellular
network
GSM functional entities
GSM network interfaces
GSM protocols

Slide 2
GS M
Ne tw or ks
GSM Design Goals

Good subjective speech quality

Low terminal and service cost
Support for international roaming
Ability to support handheld terminals
Support for range of new services and facilities
Spectral efficiency
ISDN compatibility

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 GSM Network Overview
:Access Network :Core Network
Base Station Subsystem GSM CS network

HLR VLR EIR AuC

BSC
BTS SS7
Mobile
Station MSC
PSTN

BTS

Um Abis A
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GSM Interfaces

Um Interface
Mobile station and base station subsystem
communicate across Um interface, also known as air
interface or radio link
Abis interface
Base transceiver station (BTS) and base station
controller (BSC) communicate across Abis interface
A interface
Base station subsystem communicates with mobile
service switching center across A interface

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GS M
Functional
En tit ies
GSM Network Architecture

MS: Mobile Station

BSS: Base Station Subsystem
MSC: Mobile Switching Center
O&M: Operations and Maintenance Center
VLR, HLR, AuC, EiR …

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Mobile Station (MS)

Mobile Equipment (ME)

SIM: Subscriber Identity Module
While subscriber roams or is stationary, the MS
transmits a radio signal to one of the many BTS
using a radio-link protocol via the Um interface

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BSS (Base Station Subsystem)

The BSS is composed of two parts:

BTS: Base Transceiver Station
BSC: Base Station Controller
BTS handles:
RF interface

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BSS (Base Station Subsystem)

BSC handles (through the Abis interface):

Radio-channel setup
Frequency hopping
Handovers
BSC also connects MS
to MSC using
A interface

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BSS (Base Station Subsystem)

Sometimes a Transcoder Rate Unit (TRAU) is placed

on BTS to perform transcoding between 64 Kbps
A-law and 13 Kbps RPE/LTP speech channels
HLR VLR EIR AuC

BTS BSC SS7

MSC
PSTN

BTS

Um Abis A
TRAU
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MSC (Mobile Switching Center)

Interface between radio system and fixed networks

(PSTN and ISDN)
Connected to BSS through
A interface; usually an E-1,
either wireline or microwave

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MSC (Mobile Switching Center) (2)

Each MSC covers several cells (BSSs)

BTS BTS BTS

BTS BTS

BTS BTS

BSC BSC

MSC

Slide 14
MSC (Mobile Switching Center) (3)

Also performs signaling between MSC and other

functional entities using SS7:
Registration
Authentication
Location updating
Handovers
Call routing to a roaming subscriber

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Other GSM Network Entities

HLR: Home Location Register

VLR: Visitor Location Register
EIR: Equipment Identity Register
AuC: Authentication Center

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HLR (Home Location Register)

Central database for all subscribers:

Identity of the subscriber
Services accessible to the subscriber
Current location of the subscriber
Given a Mobile Subscriber ISDN number
(MS-ISDN), call is routed to IMSI number-VLR
Each subscriber appears only once in database
HLR might be physically distributed in several sites
(e.g., using first two digits to identify physical HLR)

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VLR (Visitor Location Register)

Database with information on MS within area served by MSC:

MS Roaming number
TMSI if applicable
Location area in which was last registered
Supplementary services
Used by an MSC to retrieve information for various purposes:
Handling of calls to or from a roaming mobile station currently
located in its area
Typically part of MSC

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Call Routing

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AuC (Authentication Center)

Entity associated to HLR for authentication: allow

International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) to be
authenticated
Allows ciphering of communication over radio path
between mobile station and network ciphered
Transmits data needed for authentication and
ciphering via HLR to VLR, MSC and SGSN which
need to authenticate a mobile station (SIM validation)

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EIR (Equipment Identity Register)

Logical entity responsible for storing International

Mobile Equipment Identities (IMEIs) in network used
in GSM system
Equipment classified as "white listed", "grey listed”
and "black listed”
Ensures that MEs being used are valid and
authorized to function on the Public Land Mobile
Network (PLMN)

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PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)

Functionally may
be regarded as
BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS

BTS BTS BTS BTS

independent BTS BTS BTS BTS

telecommunications
entities BSC BSC BSC BSC

A collection of
MSC’s areas within MSC MSC

a common
numbering plan PSTN

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GS M
Pr otocols
GSM Radio Transmission

Combination of FDMA and TDMA to send information

Frequencies: 800, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
For example, GSM 900:
Uplink = 890-915 MHz
Downlink = 935-960 MHz
Each 25 MHz bandwidth is divided into 124 carrier
frequencies spaced 200 KHz with one or more
frequencies allocated to each base station

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GSM Framing

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TCH (Traffic Channels)

Used to carry speech and data

Types of TCH
Full-rate (TCH/F)
Half-rate (TCH/H): double capacity, but half the quality
Eighth-rate or Stand-alone Dedicated Control
Channels (SDCCH)
26 TDMA frames
24 traffic channels
1 slow associated control channel
1 unused channel

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Control Channels

Accessed by:
Idle mode mobiles to exchange signaling information
required to change to dedicated mode
Dedicated mode mobiles to monitor surrounding base
stations for handover and other information
51 TDMA frame format
Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)
Broadcasts on the downlink information such as base
station identity, frequency allocation, frequency-
hopping sequences

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Control Channels (2)

Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH) and

Synchronization Channel (SCH)
Synchronize mobile to time slot structure of cell
Random Access Channel (RACH)
Used by mobile to request access to GSM network
Paging Channel (PCH)
Alerts mobile to incoming call
Access Grant Channel (AGCH)
Allocates an SDCCH to mobile for signaling following
a request on the RACH

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GSM Network Protocols

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GSM Signaling Protocols

Layer 1 (physical layer)

Uses many channel structures
Layer 2 (data link layer)
Across Um interface uses LAPDm (a slight
modification of LAPD protocol used in ISDN)
Across Abis uses LAPD
Across A interface, uses MTP and SCCP of SS7
SAPI=0 Identifies radio signaling procedures
Layer 3 is sub-divided into 3 sub-layers

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Layer 3 Signaling Protocols

RR: Radio Resources Management

Establishment, maintenance, and termination of radio channels
that allow point-to-point dialogue between network and mobile
stations; including cell selection and handover procedures
MM: Mobility Management
Manages location updating, registration, security and
authentication procedures
CM: Connection Management
Handles general call control, similar to CCITT Recommendation
Q.931, and provides supplementary services & Short Message
Services (SMS)

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Handover

Four types of handovers:

Channels (time slots) in same cell
Between cells within same BSC
Between BSCs, within same MSC
Between MSCs
BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS

BTS BTS BTS BTS

BTS BTS BTS BTS

BSC BSC BSC BSC

MSC MSC

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MAP (Mobile Application Part)

SS7 top layer protocol

Responsible for signaling between different entities
in network, such as between HLR and VLR
MAP specification is complex
Several variants for the big manufacturers (Ericsson,
Motorola …)

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Su mmar y
Summary

GSM is the dominant cellular technology today

GSM offers high quality voice with advanced services
GSM is the stepping-stone to 3G networks

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