What Is General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)?

GPRS ( General Packet Radio Service ) is a data service for GSM, the European standard digital cellular service. It is a packet-switched mobile data service, a wireless
packet based network. GPRS, further enhancing GSM networks to carry data, is also an important component in the GSM evolution entitled GSM+. High-speed mobile
data usage is enabled with GPRS.
The GSM system architecture includes, the air interface (Um) the Abis, the A Interface and others mentioned later in this document. The GSM functionality is between
the Mobile station (MS), the Base Station Subsystem (BSS) and the Mobile Switching Centre (MSC). The BSS includes two types of elements: the Base Transceiver
Station (BTS) that handles the radio interfaces towards the MS and the Base Station Controller (BSC) that manages the radio resource and controls handovers. A BSC
can manage several BTSS. through the MSC, the GSM system communicates to other networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN), Circuit Switched Public Data Network (CSPDN) and Packet Switched Public Data Network (PSPDN). GSM specifies four databases, the
Home Location Register (HLR), the Visitor Location Register (VLR) and the Authentication Centre (AUC) and Equipment Identity Register (EIR).
IF GPRS is compared to GSM data services, the following applies:
In GSM all the data that has to be sent, is sent via a circuit switched connection. This means, that a link has to be established and is used and maintained from setup
until release. The data is sent via one physical timeslot and has a maximum data rate of 9.6 kbps.
In GPRS all the data that has to be sent, is split into several smaller data packets first. Those packets are then sent individually across the GPRS network and each of
those packets can travel on a different route.
The packets arrive at the right destination address and could be reassembled in the right order, because every single packet contains the destination address and
information about the sequencing of the different packets.
In GPRS, one user can occupy more than one timeslot or more than one user can be on a single timeslot.
Depending on different aspects, a maximum data rate of 171.2 kbps could be achieved.
For GPRS the ETSI Standard introduces two new elements, the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) (Shown in the
diagram ) is introduced to create an end-to-end packet transfer mode.

New and affected Network Elements;

The HLR is enhanced with GPRS subscriber data and routing information. Two services are provided:

Point -To-Point (PTP)

Point-To-Multipoint (PTM) (not yet specified by the Standards)

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has specified GPRS as an overlay to the existing GSM network to provide packet data services. In order
to operate a GPRS service over a GSM network, new functionality has to be introduced into existing GSM network elements and new network elements have to be
integrated into the existing operators GSM networks. The Base Station Subsystem (BSS) of GSM has to be upgraded to support GPRS. The BSS works with the GPRS
Support Node (GSN) to provide GPRS service in a similar manner to its interaction with the Switching subsystem for the circuit switched services.
A new logical network node called the GPRS Support Node (GSN) supports independent packet routing and transfer within the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). The
Gateway GPRS support Node (GGSN) acts as a logical interface to external packet data networks. The Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) is responsible for the
delivery of packets to the MSs within its service area. Within the GPRS network, Protocol Data Units (PDUs) are encapsulated at the originating GSN and decapsulated
at the destination GSN, In between the originating GSN, Internet Protocol (IP) is used as the backbone to transfer PDUs. This whole process is defined as tunneling in
GPRS. The GGSN also maintains routing information used to tunnel the PDUs to the SGSN that is currently serving the MS. All GPRS user related data needed by the
SGSN to perform the routing and functionality is stored within the HLR.