GSM

GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Wired Vs. Wireless Communication

Wired
Each cable is a different channel Signal attenuation is low No interference

Wireless
One media (cable) shared by all High signal attenuation

High interference
noise; co-channel interference; adjacent channel interference

Why go Wireless?
Advantages Sometimes it is impractical to lay cables User mobility Cost

Limitations Restricted frequency range Standards are often restricted Security

Objectives of Wireless Systems

Large Capacity Efficient use of Resources (Spectrum) Adaptability to traffic density Quality of Service Affordability

Advantages to Mobile Subscriber

Mobility Flexibility Convenience

Advantages to Network Provider

Network Expansion Flexibility Revenue\Profit Margins Efficiency Easier re-configuration

Definitions

MOBILE Broadly, it is a radio terminal that can be moved during operation. Difference between MOBILE & PORTABLE MOBILE: a radio terminal attached to a high speed mobile platform. (Cell phone in a fast moving vehicle) PORTABLE: a hand-held radio terminal that can be used by someone at walking speed. (Walkie-talkie or cordless phone inside a home)

Classification of Mobile Radio Communication Systems

Simplex Systems Half Duplex Systems Full Duplex Systems

Classification of Mobile Radio Communication Systems

Simplex Systems: Only one way communication possible. Messages can be received but not acknowledged. (paging systems)

Half-Duplex Systems: 2 way communication possible but the same radio channel used for both transmission and reception. At any given time a user can only transmit or only receive information; Push to talk and release to listen systems.

Classification of Mobile Radio Communication Systems

Full-Duplex Systems: Allow simultaneous transmission and reception b/w subscriber and Base Station

Simultaneous transmission and reception achieved by:

Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) Time Division Duplex (TDD)

Simplex Connection:
Over
transmit or receive

Duplex Connection:
simultaneous transmission and reception

Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)

Uses a pair of frequency bands one for Forward Channel and another for Reverse Channel

Forward Channel: used for transmission of information from Base Station to Mobile
Reverse Channel: used for transmission of information from Mobile to Base Station

Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)

FDD provides simultaneous radio transmission channels for subscriber and Base Station so that they both may constantly transmit while simultaneously receiving signals from one another

used in analog mobile radio systems requires good frequency separation filters

Time Division Duplex (TDD)

Shares a single radio channel in time;

a portion of the time is used to transmit from Base station to mobile the remaining time is used to transmit from mobile to Base Station

Sensitive to timing Used in Digital Systems

Simplex Systems Example: Paging Systems

Used to send a brief message or page to subscriber ( numeric, alphanumeric, voice message) Typically used to notify a subscriber of the need to call a specific phone number or travel to a particular location to receive further instructions

Paging Systems

A page is sent to a paging subscriber via paging system access number The paging system transmits the page throughout the service area using base stations which broadcast the page on a radio carrier Paging systems vary in their complexity and coverage area

Paging Systems

Full-Duplex Systems Example: Cordless Telephone Systems

Wireless connection between a portable handset and a dedicated Base Station which is then connected to a dedicated telephone line with a specific telephone number on a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)

Cordless Telephone Systems

Wireless Link PSTN Fixed Port (Base Station)

Cordless Handset

CELLULAR SYSTEMS

Cellular Telephone Systems

developed by Bell Labs 1960s-70s It is the subdivision of a relatively large coverage zone into small cells, each of which reuses portions of the spectrum to increase spectrum usage

a system approach, no major technological changes few hundred meters in some cities, 10 km at countryside each served by base station with lower power transmitter Each base station is allocated a portion of the total channels available to the system neighboring cells assigned different groups of channels, interference minimized

Cellular Concept

Cellular telephone systems replaced mobile systems serving large areas operating with a single base station and a single high-power transmitter with many smaller areas (cells), each with its own base station and low-power transmitter. With the cellular concept, each area is further divided into hexagonal-shaped cells that fit together to form a honeycomb pattern. The hexagon shape was chosen because it provides the most effective transmission by approximating a circular pattern while eliminating gaps inherently present between adjacent circles.

Quantum Leap in Mobile Communications: Single Cell Systems Cellular Systems

radius r

Single Cell System

re-use distance

Cellular System

The cells are normally represented by hexagon but in practice they are irregular in shape. This is as result of influence of the surrounding terrain , or of design by the network planners.

The process in which the same set of frequencies (channels) can be allocated to more than one cell, provided cells are separated by sufficient distance

Frequency Reuse

The idea springs from the FCC allocation of specific channels for radio or TV stations in one region of the country and then the reallocation of exactly the same channels to different stations in completely different part of the country

Frequency Re-use

Cellular Telephone Systems

Provide wireless connection to PSTN for any user within range of system Accommodate large number of users over a large geographical area, within limited frequency spectrum Provide high quality service comparable to landline telephone systems

Basic Cellular System Components

Mobile Stations (MS) Base Stations (BS) Mobile Switching Centre (MSC)

Basic Cellular System Components

Mobile stations constitute a transceiver, antenna and control circuitry maybe mounted in a vehicle or used as a hand held unit. Base stations generally constitute towers supporting several transmitting and receiving antennas

BS handles full duplex communication Serves a bridge between mobile users in a cell and MSC

MSC coordinates activities of all BSs and connects all mobiles in a cellular system to PSTN

Base Station-Mobile Network

Control channels used for transmission of call setup, call request, call initiation and other control signals

Brief Outline of Cellular Process

Telephone call placed to mobile user Telephone call made by mobile user When a cell phone is turned on, it first scans the group of FCC to determine the one with the strongest BS signal. That CC is monitored until the signal drops below a usable value upon which the cell phone again scans the CCs in search of the strongest signal. CCs are defined and standardized over the entire geographic area covered and constitute about 5% of the total channels available in the system. Rest 95% is dedicated to voice and data traffic.

Handover
When a mobile moves into a different cell while a conversation is in progress, the MSC automatically transfers the call to a new channel belonging to the new base station

EVOLUTION OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

EVOLUTION OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

The wireless landscape is characterized by continual evolution, rapid innovation and technological change Researches are persistently investigating techniques that make efficient use of available spectrum and offer consumers greater range, quality of service, and data transfer rates

First Generation (1G)

1G systems emerged in the late 1970s and lasted through the 1980s These analog systems were the first true mobile phone systems, known at first as "cellular mobile radio telephone."

Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) and Total Access Communication System (TACS).

Problems with 1G

Numerous incompatible 1G services emerged around the world during 1980s each carrier delivered service to a limited serving area there were no standards to enable roaming channel capacity was rapidly being exhausted.

Second Generation (2G)

Designed in the 1980s Based on digital technology rather than analog Provided circuit- switched data communication services at a low speed This allowed multiple conversations on the same channel, vastly increasing the capacity of cellular frequencies Primary use: speech transmission New features:

Fax Data transmission Message services New fraud prevention and encryption technologies in response to the security concerns of cellular users

2G

A negative consequence of these technological advances was a competitive rush to design and implement digital systems leading to a variety of different and incompatible standards, mainly

Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Interim Standard-54 (IS-54) / Interim Standard -136 (IS136) Time Division Multiple Access (IS-54 / IS-136 TDMA) Extended TDMA (E-TDMA) Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) Interim Standard -95 CDMA (IS-95 CDMA)

2.5 G

During 1990s, the telecommunications industry, recognizing the need for a single global standard of wireless communication, began making efforts to define a Third Generation (3G) system which would eliminate previous incompatibilities and become a truly global standard However, the consumer market was pressing for improved data transmission and features in the present, not sometime in the future. In 2001, this led to an intermediate step between 2G and 3G, called 2.5G.

2.5 G
Key Features: Use digital packet switching technology, providing increased capacity on the 2G radio channels and higher throughput (up to 384 kbps) for data service The data channels are optimized for packet data, which introduces access to the internet from mobile devices, streaming video and enhanced multimedia applications

2.5 G
Primary 2.5G technologies General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) CDMA2000TM Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT)

Third Generation (3G)

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) made an effort to establish a single standard for wireless networks in 1999 to standardize wireless communications and make global roaming with a single handset possible The concept of a single standard evolved into a family of 3G wireless standards of which the most widely accepted are:

CDMA2000 Wide-band CDMA (WCDMA) Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA).

Fourth Generation (4G)

The official name for 4G is 3G and beyond, an expression used to describe the next complete evolution in wireless communications A formal definition of 4G has not been formulated yet; however, there are certain objectives defined:

A network must be a fully IP based integrated system Capable of providing speeds between100 Mbps-1 Gbps (both indoors and outdoors) Premium quality High security Affordable cost

GSM OVERVIEW

Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)

Initially created to provide a single standard panEuropean cellular system Uses TDMA technology Its development began in 1982, and the first commercial GSM digital cellular system was activated in 1991 GSM has evolved to be used in a variety of systems and frequencies (900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz) including Personal Communications Services (PCS) in the U.S. and Personal Communications Network (PCN) systems throughout the world

GSM

GSM uses time division multiplexed 200 kHz channels to enable up to 8 users to access each carrier by the assignment of a particular time slot To allow duplex operation, GSM voice communication is conducted on two different radio frequencies The duplex distance (distance between uplink and downlink frequencies) is 45MHz A GSM carrier transmits at a rate of 270 Kbps, but a single GSM channel or time slot is capable of transferring only 1/8th of that (about less than 33 Kbps due to the transmission of non-information bits such as synchronization bits).

Cell Size

Frequency Re-use

Standard GSM has total 124 frequencies available for use in a network. Most network providers are unlikely to be able to use all of these frequencies and are generally allocated a small subset of the 124. Co-Channel Interference Adjacent Channel Interference

GSM PHASES

GSM PHASES

In the late 1980s, the groups involved in developing the GSM standard realized that within the given time-frame they could not complete the specifications for the entire range of GSM services and features as originally planned. Because of this, it was decided that GSM would be released in phases with phase 1 consisting of a limited set of services and features. Each new phase builds on the services offered by existing phases.

Phase 1 Phase 1 contains the most common services including: Voice telephony International roaming Basic fax/data services (up to 9.6 kbits/s) Call forwarding Call barring Short Message Service (SMS) Phase 1 also incorporated features such as ciphering and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. Phase 1 specifications were then closed and cannot be modified

Phase 2 Additional features were introduced in GSM phase 2 including: Advice of charge Calling line identification Call waiting Call hold Conference calling Closed user groups Additional data communications capabilities

Phase 2+ The standardization groups have already begun to define the next phase, 2+. The phase 2+ program will cover multiple subscriber numbers and a variety of business oriented features.

Some of the enhancements offered by Phase 2+ include: Multiple service profiles Private numbering plans Access to Centrex services Internetworking with GSM 1800, GSM 1900 and the Digital

GSM SERVICES

GSM GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK STRUCTURE

GSM GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK STRUCTURE

Every telephone network needs a specific structure to route incoming calls to the correct exchange and then on to the subscriber. In a mobile network, this structure is very important because the subscribers are mobile. As subscribers move through the network, these structures are used to monitor their location.

The System Architecture of GSM:A Network of Cells

The System Architecture of GSM:A Network of Cells

Besides the advantage of reusing frequencies, a cellular network also comes with the following disadvantages:

An increasing number of base stations increases the cost of infrastructure and access lines All cellular networks require that, as the mobile station moves, an active call is handed over from one cell to another, a process known as handover The network has to be kept informed of the approximate location of the mobile station, even without a call in progress, to be able to deliver an incoming call to that mobile station.

CELL

A cell is the basic unit of a cellular system and is defined as the area of radio coverage given by one BS antenna system. Each cell is assigned a unique number called Cell Global Identity (CGI). In a complete network covering an entire country, the number of cells can be quite high.

LOCATION AREA (LA)

A Location Area (LA) is defined as a group of cells. Within the network, a subscribers location is known by the LA which they are in. The identity of the LA in which an MS is currently located is stored in the VLR. When an MS crosses a boundary from a cell belonging to one LA into a cell belonging to another LA, it must report its new location to the network1. When an MS crosses a cell boundary within an LA, it does need to report its new location to the network. When there is call for an MS, a paging message is broadcast within all cells belonging to an LA.

MSC SERVICE AREA

An MSC service area is made up of a number of LAs and represents the geographical part of the network controlled by one MSC. In order to be able to route a call to an MS, the subscribers MSC service area is also recorded and monitored.
The subscribers MSC service area is stored in the HLR.

PLMN SERVICE AREA

A Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) service area is the entire set of cells served by one network operator and is defined as the area in which an operator offers radio coverage and access to its network. In any one country there may be several PLMN service areas, one for each mobile operators network.

GSM SERVICE AREA

The GSM service area is the entire geographical area in which a subscriber can gain access to a GSM network. The GSM service area increases as more operators sign contracts agreeing to work together. Currently, the GSM service area spans dozens of countries across the world from Ireland to Australia and South Africa. International roaming is the term applied when an MS moves from one PLMN to another.

TERMS FOR MOBILE STATION

During the development of mobile systems, many terms arose which are used to describe the call cases and situations involving MSs. The primary terms used are described below. An MS can have one of the following states:

IDLE the MS is ON but a call is not in progress ACTIVE the MS is ON and a call is in progress DETACHED the MS is OFF (no traffic)

DATA SERVICES OF GSM

GPRS

GPRS allows packet radio service on the GSM system Adds (defines) new packet channels and switching nodes within the GSM system Provides for theoretical data transmission rates up to 172 Kbps

EDGE

An evolved version of GSM Uses 8 levels Phase Shift Keying (8PSK) and packet transmission for advanced high-speed data services 8PSK allow one symbol change to represent 3 bits of information This is 3 times the amount of information that is transferred by a 2 level Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) signal used by the first generation of GSM system

CDMA2000TM, (1xRTT)

A 3G standard allowing evolution of IS-95 networks to offer 3G services

CDMA2000TM, (1xRTT)
Evolved versions of CDMA2000TM 1xRTT Evolution Data Only (1xEVDO) Evolution Data and Voice (1xEVDV) They use the same 1.25 MHz channel bandwidth as the IS-95 system

1xEVDO provides multiple voice channels and data services allowing data transmission rates up to 2.5 Mbps. 1xEVDV provides for both data and voice service with a maximum data transmission rate of approximately 2.7 Mbps.