Unit 3 : Digital Cellular Mobile

Standards

S. B. Bhosle
Government Polytechnic, Yavatmal
 Contents
 Global System for Mobile (GSM): Features and Services, GSM radio
aspects, GSM architecture, GSM Channel Types, Security AspectsX
 GSM call routing: mobile terminated call and mobile originated call
sequence, stages of call processing in GSM

IS-95/CDMA One: features, radio aspects, comparison with GSM standard

Signaling System No. 7 (SS7): Network Service Part (NSP), Message
Transfer Part (MTP), Signalling Correction Control Part (SCCP), Services
and perfoemance of SS7
 Global System for Mobile (GSM)

World’s most popular 2G Standard


World’s first cellular standard to specify digital modulation and network level
architectures and services
 GSM: Services

Telephone Services, Emergency call and Fascimile.

Bearer Services or data services limited to layer 1, 2 and 3 of OSI model.
– Supported Services : packet switched protocols, data rate from 200 bps to 9.6 kbps
– Data maybe transmitted using transparent mode or nontransparent mode


Supplementary ISDN Services:
– Digital in nature, include call diversion, closed user group (CUG), caller identification,
– Short Messaging Service (SMS) – allows GSM subscribers and base stations to
transmit alphaneumeric pages of limited length while simultaneously carrying voice
traffic.
 GSM: Features

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM):
– A memory device
– Stores information such as
– subscriber’s identification number
– the networks and countries where the subscriber is entitled fto service
– Privacy keys
– Other user specific information
– Subscriber uses SIM with four digit personal ID number to activate activate from any GSM
service
– Available as smart cards
– Without a SIM, all GSM mobiles are identical and nonoperational
 GSM: Features

On-the-air Privacy:
– It is virtually impossible to eavesdrop on a GSM radio subsystem
– Privacy is made possible by encrypting digital bit stream sent by GSM
transmitter according to specific secret cryptographis key that is known
only to cellular carrier
– Key changes with time for each user
– Every carrier and GSM equipment manufacturer must sign an MoU before
developing GSM equipment or deploying GSM system
– MoU allows the sharing of cryptographic algorithms and other proprietory
information between countries and carriers
 GSM: Features

On-the-air Privacy:
– It is virtually impossible to eavesdrop on a GSM radio subsystem
– Privacy is made possible by encrypting digital bit stream sent by GSM
transmitter according to specific secret cryptographis key that is known
only to cellular carrier
– Key changes with time for each user
– Every carrier and GSM equipment manufacturer must sign an MoU before
developing GSM equipment or deploying GSM system
– MoU allows the sharing of cryptographic algorithms and other proprietory
information between countries and carriers
GSM: System Architecture
 GSM: System Architecture

Three Major interconnected subsystems
– Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
– Network and Switching Subsystem (NSS)
– Operation Support Subsystem (OSS)
 GSM: System Architecture

Base Station Subsystem
– Known as radio subsystem
– Provides and manages radio transmission paths between mobile station
(MS) and Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
– Also manages radio interface between mobile stations and all other
subsystems of GSM
– Consists of many Base Station Controllers (BSCs)
– BSCs connect MS to NSS via the MSCs
GSM: System Architecture
 GSM: System Architecture

Abis Interface:
– Connects BTS and BSC
– Carries traffic and maintain data
– Specified by GSM to be standardized for all manufacturers
– In practice, each GSM base station manufacturer has a subtle
differences
– This forces service providers to use same manufacturer for BTS and
BSC equipment
 GSM: System Architecture

A Interface:
– Connects BSC and MSC
– Standardized within GSM
– Uses SS7 protocol
– Supports communication between MSC and BSS
– Allows service providers to use base station and switching equipment
made by different manufacturers
 GSM: System Architecture

Network and Switching Subsystem
– Handles switching of GSM calls between external networks and BSCs in radio
subsystem
– Responsible for managing and providng external access to several customer
databases
– MSC- Central Unit of NSS, controls traffic among BSCs
– Three different databases
• Home Location Register (HLR)
• VisitorLocation Register (VLR)
• Authentication Center (AUC)
 GSM: System Architecture

HLR
– a database containing subscriber information and location information
for each user who resides in the same city as the MSC.
– Each subscriber in a particular GSM market is assigned a unique
International Mobile Subscrther Identity (IMSI), and this number is used
to identify each home user
 GSM: System Architecture

VLR
– a database which temporarily stores the IMSI and customer information
for each roaming subscriber who is visiting the coverage area of a
particular MSC.
– The VLR is linked between several adjoining MSCs in a particular market
or geographic region and contains subscription information of every
visiting user in the area.
– Once a roaming mobile is logged in the VLR, the MSC sends the
necessary information to the visiting subscriber's FILE so that calls to the
roaming mobile can be appropriately routed over the PSTN by the
roaming user's HUt
 GSM: System Architecture

AUC
– a strongly protected database
– handles the authentication and encryption keys for every single
subscriber in the HLR and VLR.
– contains a register called the Equipment Identity Register (EIR) which
indentifies stolen or fraudulently altered phones that transmit identity
data that does not match with information contained in either the HLR
or VLR.
 GSM: System Architecture

Operation Support Subsystem
– Supports operation and maintenance of GSM
– Allows system engineers to monitor, diagnose and troubleshoot all
aspects of GSM system