Registration of the Subscriber

Subscribers must register with a network whenever they turn their phones on During registration the network:
checks the validity of the subscriber (AuC) updates the dynamic information the network holds on the subscriber (VLR)

A registered subscriber will have one entry in an HLR and one in a VLR

Location Updating
The service area is divided into location areas The VLR stores which location area the subscriber is/was last known to be in The network (VLR) does not know which cell the subscriber is in!!! Whenever a subscriber crosses a location area boundary it must inform the network

Call Establishment From Mobile

Mobile Station requests a channel from the network If channel is available connection to MSC is established MSC collects subscriber information from the HLR to see if subscriber is allowed the requested service The MSC checks with AuC that the subscriber is valid Also MSC may check the mobile stations IMEI a) If call is to PSTN, call is routed to the nearest point of interconnect b) If call is to another AirTel mobile subscriber MSC sets up call to the called subscriber

Call Setup
A CM procedure Distinguish two types
Mobile Terminating Call
i.e. a call from the fixed network to a Mobile Station

BTS

Mobile Originating Call

i.e. a call from a Mobile Station to the fixed network

Mobile Terminating Call

Problems and answers
BTS

Where in the world is the Mobile Station

Look it up in the HLR (The HLR may have to ask the VLR)

How to Make the Mobile Station Aware that a call is waiting

Page it in the cell where it is located

What does the MS do when being paged ?

Asks for a Radio channel Tells the system that it is ready

Now the usual setup flow follows

Incoming Call
MS BTS BSC MS C VLR HLR

GMS C

ISD N

IAM (MSISDN, service)

Send Routing Info (MSISDN) Provide Roaming Number (IMSI) Roaming Number (MSRN) Routing Info (MSRN) IAM (MSRN, service)Call (MSRN, Send Info Incoming service)

Paging Request (TMSI) Page (IMSI, TMSI, LAI) [RR] Channel Request [RR] Paging Response (TMSI) Assign [RR] Immediate [RR] Page Result Complete Call (service) SETUP (service) [CM]
Call Confirm [CM] Assign Command [RR]Assign Req [RR] Assign Complete [RR] Alerting [CM] ACM Connect [CM] ANM Complete Call Connect Ack [CM] Result
Um/A-bis/A signalling MAP signalling ISUP/TUP signalling

Mobile Originating Call

BTS

Problems and Answers How the mobile gets in contact with the network Switch the MS on Request a channel Tell the network what kind of service is wanted How does the network respond Verifies the Mobile identity (authentication) Assigns a traffic channel And then everything proceed as usual

Outgoing Call from MS

BTS MS Channel Request/Required
[RR] Immediate Assign [RR] CM Service Req (IMSI, transact) [MM]

BSC

MSC
Process Access Request Authenticate (RAND)

VLR

ISDN

CM copy [MM] Authentication Request (RAND) [MM] Authentication Response (SRES) [MM]

Authentication Response (SRES)

Set ciphering mode (key) Ciphering Mode Command (key) Access Request [RR] Ciphering Mode Complete Ack [RR] SETUP (service, called number) [CM] Send info for o/g (service, called number) Call Proceeding Complete [CM] Command Assign Request call Assign [RR] Assign Complete [RR] Alerting [CM] Connect [CM] Ack Connect [CM] [RR] IAM ACM AN M

Um/A-bis/A signalling MAP signalling ISUP/TUP signalling

Call Establishment To Mobile

PSTN sees a 98100XXXXX number and delivers the call to the AirTel Network (to the MSC) MSC collects subscriber information from the HLR and checks with AuC that the subscriber is valid MSC interrogates the VLR to determine which location area the subscriber was last known in All BTSs in the location area page the subscriber The Mobile Station monitors the paging channel and responds to its own pages Mobile Station identifies itself MSC optionally checks IMEI and connects the call

Hand Over
Hand Over (Handoff) of the call between BTSs allows subscribers to move freely around the service area whilst maintaining an established call GSM is able to use sophisticated hand over algorithms based on mobile assisted hand over (MAHO) techniques

Location Updating (Roaming)

An MM procedure Reasons for roaming:
MS has detected that it has entered into a new location area (by listening to Broadcast system info)

VLR

MSC Area 1

Types of roaming:
Inside same VLR area
The HLR does not need to know

BTS

BTS

SONOFON M N

Another VLR area

In this case the HLR is informed
BTS BTS

VLR

MSC Area 2

Handovers.
A RR procedure The Handover process is the situation where a Mobile Station changes from being served by one Antenna to another Handovers take place during a call Handover are done automatically Crossing the boundary of two adjacent cells is the typical example of a Handover

BTS

BTS

Handovers.
Major types of handovers
Intra BSC Inter BSC Inter MSC
MSC - A Inter MSC MSC - B Inter BSC

Purpose of handover
Poor quality connection
Avoid loosing contact to the mobile station
Intra BSC

BSC

BSC
BSC
SONOFON M N

Fault in the MS or BTS/BSC Network management

BTS BTS
SONOFON M N SONOFON M N

BTS

BTS

Mobile Assisted Hand Over

During a call the mobile monitors the signals from all the neighboring BTSs When a different BTS is better able to support the call the mobile station requests a hand over to the new BTS The network evaluates the request and may then set up a new channel for the call on the new BTS