Ambo University Woliso Campus

School of Informatics and Technology

Department of Computer Science
1

Wireless Communication and

Mobile Computing
/CoSc3062/ Unit Four
Cellular Networks

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Cellular
Networks2

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 Outlin
e 3
⚫ Introduction to Cellular Networks
⚫ History of Cellular Networks
⚫ Generations of Cellular Networks
⚫ Fundamentals of Cellular Networks
⚫ Cellular System Services
⚫ Components of Cellular Networks
⚫ Components of Cellular Phone
⚫ Call processing in Cellular Network
⚫ Global System for Mobile Communications
(GSM)
⚫ GSM Characteristics
⚫ GSM Architecture
⚫ Handover in GSM
⚫ GSM Roaming
⚫ Localization
⚫ Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation
(Ethiotelecom)
⚫ GSM Call Processing
⚫ GSM Security 9/5/201
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 Introduction to Cellular
Network 4

⚫ Cellular Network
⚫ Is a communication network in which the link connecting two or
more devices is wireless.
⚫ Is also called mobile network.
⚫ Is a radio network distributed over land through cells where each
cell includes a fixed location transceiver known as base station.
⚫ Is the network that is distributed over land areas called cells, each
served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, known as a cell site
or base station. This base station provides the cell with the
network coverage which can be used for transmission of voice,
data and others.
⚫ Is the realisation of the “anytime, anywhere, anyone” concept.
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 Introduction to Cellular
Network 5

⚫ Cellular networks offer a number of desirable

features:
 More capacity than a single large transmitter, since

the same frequency can be used for multiple links as

long as they are in different cells.
 Mobile devices use less power than with a single

transmitter or satellite since the cell towers are closer

 Larger coverage area than a single terrestrial

transmitter, since additional cell towers can be added

and
A r e n o t l i m i t e d b y t h e h o r i z
 History of Cellular
Network 6

⚫ For the first time, Radio communication was invented by Nikola

Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi.
⚫ In 1893, Nikola Tesla made the first public demonstration of
wireless (radio) telegraphy.
⚫ Guglielmo Marconi conducted long distance (over sea) telegraphy
1896.
⚫ In 1940 the first walkie-talkie was used by the US military.
⚫ In 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain from AT&T’s Bell Labs
invented the transistor (semiconductor device used to amplify and
switch electronic signals).
⚫ AT&T introduced commercial radio communication; car phone two
way radio link to the local phone network.
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 History of Cellular
Network 7

⚫ In 1979 the first commercial cellular phone service was launched by the
Nordic Mobile Telephone (in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark). Then
after;
⚫ From voice communication to voice and data communication. (service)
⚫ From circuit switching to packet switching. (In case of technology).
⚫ Circuit Switching: is a method of implementing a telecommunications
network in which two network nodes establish a dedicated communication
channel through the network. Example early day communication through
operators.
⚫ Packet Switching: a means of directing digitally encoded information in a
communication network from its source to its destination, in which
messages may be divided into smaller entities called packets, each of
which travels independently through the network in paths.
⚫ Then after the time being, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM) were emerged.
⚫ Lastly, the concept of the realisation of “anytime, anywhere, anyone” came.

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History of Cellular
Network 8

Evolution of Cellular Network Development

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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 9

⚫ 0G: Zero Generation Cellular Network

 Is called Car-based telephones, and first introduced in mid 1940s.
⯍ Single large transmitter on top of a tall building.
⯍ Single channel used for sending and receiving.
⯍ To talk, user pushed a button, enables transmission.
⯍ Became known as “push-to-talk” in 1950s.
⯍ CB-radio, taxis, & police cars use this technology.
 Mobile radio telephones were used for military communications in early 20th
century.
 IMTS (Improved Mobile Telephone System) introduced in 1960s
⯍ Used two channels (one for sending, & the other for receiving)
⯍ No need for push-to-talk
⯍ Used 23 channels from 150 MHz to 450 MHz

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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 10

⚫ 1G: First Generation Cellular Network

 Is called Basic mobile telephony service.
⯍Based on analog cellular technology.
⯍Early 1980s and Used in England and Japan.
⯍Analog transmission.
⯍AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Systems) is an example of
1G.
⯍This (AMPS) invented at Bell Labs and first installed in 1982.
 Key ideas:

⯍Exclusively analog.
⯍Geographical area divided into cells (typically 10-25km).
⯍Smaller cells also required less powerful, cheaper, smaller
devices.
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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 11

⚫ 2G: Second Generation Cellular Network

 Mobile telephony services: for mass users with encryption and
efficient utilization of the radio spectrum.
⯍Based on digital cellular technology
⯍Circuit switching
⯍Digital transmission
⯍low bit-rate data (9.6 Kbps)
 Provides:
 Short Messaging Service (SMS) i.e. text messaging
 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) i.e. image, video and
text messaging.
 Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) i.e. accessing internet
service.
 The concept of this 2G was emerged in USA and Europe.
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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 12

⚫ Difference between First Generation and Second

Generation Cellular Network
 Digital traffic channels – first-generation systems are
almost purely analog; second-generation systems
are digital.
 Encryption – all second generation systems provide
encryption to prevent corruption.
 Error detection and correction – second-generation
digital traffic allows for detection and correction, giving
clear voice reception.
 Channel access – second-generation systems allow
channels to be dynamically shared by a number of users

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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 13

⚫ 2.5G: Enhanced 2G Cellular Network

 Called the upgraded second generation network.
 Packet Switching system

 Provides Mobile Internet/data services together with voice services, i.e.

Packet switching technology adding into 2G.

⚫ 3G: Third Generation Cellular Network
 Called Future Broadband Multimedia.
 Enhanced 2.5G services with improved mobile Internet services
and e m e r g i n g n e w a p p l i c a t i o n s . E x a m p l e U n i v e
r s a l M o b i l e Telecommunication System.
 High speed, data, and Internet services
 Broad Band internet, multimedia, and emerging new applications.
 144 kbps - 384 kbps for high-mobility, high coverage.
 2 Mbps for low-mobility and low coverage.
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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 14

⚫ 4G: Fourth Generation Cellular Network

 Called Long Term Evolution (LTE) Technology
 “anytime, anywhere” voice, data, and multimedia telephony
at faster data rates than 3G.
⯍Faster and more reliable, & 100Mbps data transmission.
⯍Lower cost than previous generations
⯍Multi-standard wireless system
⯍Supports Bluetooth, Wired, Wireless
⯍Ad Hoc Networking
⯍IPv6 Core
⯍Potentially IEEE standard 802.11n &IEEE 802.16d
Standards.
⯍Most information is proprietary.

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 Generations of Cellular
Networks 15
Data Rates
2Mbps

3G
1Mbps (144Kbps to
2Mbps)
100Kbps
2.5G
(10-150Kbps)
10Kbps
2G
(9.6Kbp
s)
1Kbps
1G
(<1Kb
p s)
1980 1990 2000 2010
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 Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 1
6
⚫ Frequency Reuse
 is a method used by service providers, to improve the
efficiency of a cellular network and to serve millions of
subscribers using a limited radio spectrum.
 is based on the fact that after a distance a radio wave gets

attenuated and the signal falls bellow a point where it can no

longer be used or cause any interference.
 a transmitter transmitting in a specific frequency range will

have only a limited coverage area.

 beyond this coverage area, that frequency can be reused by

another transmitter.

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 Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 17

⚫ Cellular Network Cells

 the entire network coverage area is divided into cells based on the principle of
frequency reuse.
 a cell = basic geographical unit of a cellular network;
 is the area around an antenna where a specific frequency range is used;
 is represented graphically as a hexagonal shape, but in reality it is
irregular in shape.
 when a subscriber moves to another cell, the antenna of the new cell takes
over the signal transmission.
 a cluster is a group of adjacent cells, usually 7 cells; no frequency reuse is
done within a cluster.
 the frequency spectrum is divided into subbands and each subband is
used within one cell of the cluster.
 Remember that in heavy traffic zones cells are smaller, while in isolated
zones cells are larger.
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 Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 1
8
⚫ Cell Design
⚫ Cell design (around 10 mile radius)
 Served by base station consisting of transmitter, receiver, and
control unit
 Base station (BS) antenna is placed in high places (churches,
high rise buildings) -
⯍Operators pay around $500 per month for BS
 10 to 50 frequencies assigned to each cell
 Cells set up such that antennas of all neighbors are equidistant
(hexagonal pattern)
⚫ In North America, two 25-MHz bands allocated to AMPS
 One for transmission from base to mobile unit
 One for transmission from mobile unit to base
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 Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 1
9
• Cell Design
• Cells grouped into a cluster of seven
• Letters indicate frequency use
• To add more users, smaller cells (microcells) are used
• Frequencies may not need to be different in CDMA (soft handoff).

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 Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 20

⚫ Types of cells
1. femtocell – smallest unit of the hierarchy; – Covers only few
meters where devices are in the physical range of the user.
Sometimes called Home cell. Example WPANs.
2. picocell – covers areas such as building or a tunnel; i.e. covers
few tens of meters. Example. WLAN
3. microcell – their coverage is small (half a mile in diameter) and
are used in urban zones; low-powered transmitters and
receivers are used to avoid interference with cells in another
clusters.
4. macrocell – their coverage is large (aprox. 6 miles in diameter);
used in remote areas, high-power transmitters and receivers are
used.
5. Megacell – national wide coverage. Sometimes it is called
Satellite cell. Example. Satellite system
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Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 2
1

Graphical representation of cell types 9/5/201

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 Fundamentals of Cellular
Network 22

⚫ Approaches to Increase Capacity

 When we say approaches to increase capacity it deals
with how to accommodate many users in a given
cell.
⯍Adding/reassigning channels - some channels are not
used.
⯍Frequency borrowing – frequencies are taken from
adjacent cells by congested cells. In this case high
traffic cells borrows channel from low traffic cells.
⯍Cell splitting – cells in areas of high usage can be
split into smaller cells. But this decreases the
transmission power.
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 Cellular System
Services 2
3
⚫ Services given by cellular networks are:
⯍Voice communication
⯍Data communication
⯍Short Messaging Service (SMS)
⯍Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
⯍Global Positioning System (GPS)
⯍Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

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Components of Cellular
Network 2
4

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 Components of Cellular
Network 25

⚫ Base Transceiver Station (BTS) – main component of a

cell and it connects the subscribers to the cellular
network; for transmission/reception of information it uses
several antennas spread across the cell.
⚫ Base Station Controller (BSC) – it is an interface
between BTSs and linked to BTSs by cable or microwave
links; it routes calls between BTSs; it is also connected to
the MSC
⚫ Mobile Switching Center (MSC) – the coordinator of a
cellular network, it is connected to several BSCs, it
routes calls between BSCs; links the cellular network
with other networks like PSTN through fiber optics,
microwave or copper cable
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 Components of Cellular
Phone 26

⚫ Radio transceiver – low power radio transmitter and

receiver

⚫ Antenna - usually located inside the phone

⚫ control circuitry – formats the data sent to and from the BTS;
controls signal transmission and reception.

⚫ Man-machine Interface – consists from a keypad and a display;

is managed by the control circuitry

⚫ Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) – integrated circuit card that

stores the identity information of subscriber.

⚫ Battery - usually Li-ion, the power unit of the phone 9/5/201

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 Call Processing in Cellular
Network 2
7
⚫ Setting up a call process
1. when powered on, the phone does not have a frequency/ time
slot/ assigned to it yet; so, it scans for the control channel of
the BTS and picks the strongest signal.
2. then it sends a message (including its identification number) to
the BTS to indicate its presence.
3. the BTS sends an acknowledgement message back to the cell
phone.
4. the phone then registers with the BTS and informs the BTS of
its exact location.
5. after the phone is registered to the BTS, the BTS assigns a
channel to the phone and the phone is ready to receive or make
calls
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 Call Processing in Cellular
Network 2
8
⚫ Making a call process
1. the subscriber dials the receiver’s number and sends it
to the BTS.
2. the BTS sends to its BSC the ID, location and number
of the caller and also the number of the receiver.
3. the BSC forwards this information to its MSC.
4. the MSC routes the call to the receiver’s MSC which
is then sent to the receiver’s BSC and then to its BTS.
5. then, communication with the receiver’s cell phone is
established
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 Call Processing in Cellular
Network 2
9
⚫ Receiving a call process
1. when the receiver’ phone is in an idle state it listens for
the control channel of its BTS.
2. if there is an incoming call the BSC and BTS sends a message
to the cells in the area where the receiver’s phone is located.
3. the phone monitors its message and compares the number from
the message with its own.
4. if the numbers matches the cell phone sends an
acknowledgement to the BTS.
5. after authentication, the communication is established between
the caller and the receiver.

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 Global System for Mobile Communications
(GSM) 30

⚫ Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a

second generation cellular standard developed to give voice
services and data delivery using digital modulation.
⚫ What makes GSM different from other networks
 Previous standard in cellular communication were

restrictive.
 GSM – global digital standard for cellular phones that
offered roaming facility.
 GSM operate in frequency bands: 900MHz, 1800 MHz,
1900 MHz
 GSM provides voice and other data services.

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 GSM
Overview
3
1
⚫ Formerly: Groupe Spéciale Mobile (founded 1982).
⚫ Now: Global System for Mobile Communications.
⚫ Developed by Pan-European standard (ETSI, European
Telecommunications Standardization Institute).
⚫ Goal : was to provide a mobile phone system that allows users to
roam throughout Europe and provides voice services compatible to
other network systems.
⚫ Today many providers all over the world use GSM (219 countries
in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, America)
 more than 5 billion subscribers in more than 800 networks

 more than 80% of all digital mobile phones use GSM

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 GSM
Services
3
2
⚫Services given by GSM
are:
⯍Tele-services
⯍Beareror Data Services
⯍Supplementary services

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 GSM
Services
3
3
⚫Tele-services
Telecommunication services that enable voice
communication via mobile phones.
 Offered services like
Mobile telephony.
Emergency calling

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 GSM
Services
34

⚫ Bearer or Data Services

 Include various data services for information transfer
between GSM and other networks like PSTN, etc. at
rates from 300bps to 9600bps.
 Short Message Service (SMS)
up to 160 character alphanumeric data transmission

to/from the mobile terminal

 Faxing services
 Voice mailbox
 Electronic mail

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 GSM
Services
35

⚫Supplementary services
 Call related services :
 Call Waiting- Notification of an incoming call while on the handset.
 Call Hold- Put a caller on hold to take another call.
 Call Barring- All calls, outgoing calls, or incoming calls.
 Call Forwarding- Calls can be sent to various numbers defined by
the user.
 Multi Party Call Conferencing - Link multiple calls together.
 CLIP – Caller line identification presentation.
• CLIR – Caller line identification restriction.
• CUG – Closed user group.

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 Performance Characteristics of
GSM 36

⚫ Comparing to First generation Network

⚫ Communication
 mobile, wireless digital communication; support for voice and data services
⚫ Total mobility
 international access, chip-card enables use of access points of different
providers
⚫ Worldwide connectivity
 one number, the network handles localization

⚫ High capacity
 better frequency efficiency, smaller cells, more customers per cell

⚫ High transmission quality

 high audio quality
 uninterrupted phone calls at higher speeds (e.g., from cars, trains) – better
handoffs and
⚫ Security functions
 access control, authentication via chip-card and PIN 9/5/201
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GSM
Architecture
3
7

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GSM
Architecture
3
8

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 GSM
Architecture
39

1. Mobile Station (MS)

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
Mobile Equipment (ME)
2 Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
Base Station Controller (BSC)
3 Network Switching Subsystem(NSS)
Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
Home Location Register (HLR) Visitor
Location Register (VLR)
Authentication Center (AUC)
Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
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 GSM
Architecture
4
0
⚫Mobile Station (MS) - is a device which is
composed of all users equipment and software
needed for communication with a mobile
network.
 is made up of two entities:

1. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

2. Mobile Equipment (ME)

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 GSM
Architecture
4
1
1. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card
 SIM – Smart card contains the International
Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI).
 SIM – a memory card (integrated circuit) holding

identity information, phone book etc.

 Allows user to send and receive calls and receive

other subscribed services.

 Protected by a password or PIN.

 Can be moved from phone to phone – contains key

information to activate the phone

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 GSM
Architecture
42

⚫ International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) key

 IMSI – an n-digit unique number provided by the service
provider and incorporated in the SIM card which identifies the
subscriber.
 IMSI enables a service provider to link a phone number with a
subscriber
 first 3 digits of the IMSI are the country code.


Example. Phone number “ +251917111213 ”
 country code (CC)……… (+251) Ethiopia.

 National Destination code (NDC)…. ( 917 ) Naqamtee.

 Subscriber number ( SN )………………..
( 111213 ) individual.

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 GSM
Architecture
43

⚫ Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) key

 TMSI – is a temporary number, shorter than the IMSI,
assigned by the service provider to the phone on a
temporary basis.
 TMSI key identifies the phone and its owner in the
cell it is located; when the phone moves to a different
cell it gets a new TMSI key.
 as TMSI keys are shorter than IMSI keys they are
more efficient to send.
 TMSI key are used for securing GSM networks.

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 GSM
Architecture
44

⚫ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) key

 IMEI – a unique 15 digit number identifying each phone,
is incorporated in the cellular phone by the
manufacturer.
 IMEI ex.: 994456245689001
 when a phone tries to access a network, the service
provider verifies its IMEI with a database of stolen phone
numbers; if it is found in the database, the service provider
denies the connection
 the IMEI is located on a white sticker/label under the
battery, but it can also be displayed by typing *#06# on
the phone.
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 GSM
Architecture
45

2. Mobile Equipment
 Portable, vehicle mounted, hand held device.
 Uniquely identified by an IMEI (International Mobile
Equipment Identity).
 Voice and data transmission
 Monitoring power and signal quality of surrounding
cells for optimum handover
 Power level : 0.8W – 20 W
 160 character long SMS.

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 GSM
Architecture
46

⚫ Base Station Subsystem - is composed of two parts that communicate across the
standardized interface allowing operation between components made by
different suppliers.
1. Base Transceiver Station (BTS) – main component of a cell and it
connects the subscribers to the cellular network.
 communicates with Mobile station and BSC.
 Encodes, encrypts, multiplexes, modulates and feeds the RF
signals to the antenna.
2. Base Station Controller (BSC) – it is an interface between BTSs and it is
linked to BTSs by cable or microwave links.
 it routes calls between BTSs; it is also connected to the MSC

 It communicates with MSC and BTS.

 Manages Radio resources for BTS.

 Assigns Frequency and time slots for all MS’s in its area.

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 GSM
Architecture
47

⚫ Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)

1. Mobile Switching Center (MSC) – the coordinator of a cellular network.
 Heart of the network, & it is connected to several BSCs.
 it routes calls between BSCs, & Billing information and collection.
 links the cellular network with other networks like PSTN through fiber optics,
microwave or copper cable.
2. Home Location Register (HLR) - is a database maintained by the service provider
containing permanent data about each subscriber.
3. Visitor Location Register (VLR) – database that stores temporary data about a
subscriber.
4. Authentication Center (AUC) – Protects against intruders in air interface.
- Maintains authentication keys and algorithms and provides security.
- Generally associated with HLR

5. Equipment Identity Register (EIR) – database located near the MSC and
containing information identifying cell phones.
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 GSM
Architecture
4
8
⚫ Generally, the architecture of GSM are organized from:
1. Mobile Station,
2. Base Station Subsystem, and
3. Network Subsystem.
 There is one BTS per cell.
 One BSC can control multiple BTS.
 BSC:
 allocates radio channels among BTSs.
 Manages call handoffs between BTSs.
 Mobile Switching Center (MSC) connects to PSTN and switches
calls between BSCs. Provides mobile registration, location,
authentication. Contains Equipment Identity Register.
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 GSM
Architecture
4
9
⚫ Home Location Register (HLR) and Visitor Location
Register (VLR) provide call routing and roaming.
⚫ VLR + HLR + MSC functions are generally in one
equipment.
⚫ Equipment Identity Register (EIR) contains a list of all valid
mobiles.
⚫ Authentication Center (AuC) stores the secret keys of all
SIM cards; used to protect user identity and data
transmission.
⚫ Each handset has an International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. You can get the
IMEI
device of
by your
dialing *#06#. 9/5/201
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 Handover in
GSM 50
⚫ Handover – moving a call from one zone to another zone due to
subscriber’s mobility. Remember that when we say zone, it is cell.
 Changing the point of connection while communicating.

 A situation that occurs when mobile station switches from one radio

resources to another set.

⚫ Types of handover
⚫ Hard Handover – old connection is broken before new connection is activated.
⚫ Soft Handover – new connection is activated before the old one is broken.
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 GSM
Roaming
5
1
⚫ Roaming – allowing the subscriber to send/receive calls
outside the service provider’s coverage area.
 The ability for a cellular customer to automatically make and
receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other
services when travelling outside the geographical coverage
area of the home network, by means of using a visited network.
⚫ Roaming Agreements between network operators required.
⚫ National Roaming(visited network in the same country as the
home network.
⚫ International Roaming( visited network is outside the home
country.
⚫ Note that when roaming you have to pay both for calls that you
make and receive.
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 GSM
Roaming
52
⚫ Example. International roaming issue from the customer’s perspective
 John is a subscriber of GSM service in Korea
 Suppose that he travels from Korea to Japan ,which have a GSM roaming agreement.
 Then what will happen when John makes communication with his colleagues???
⚫ Scenarios #1
 If a person in Korea call John

⯍ The caller is charged for a local GSM call

⯍ John is charged for an international call from Korea to Japan
⚫ Scenarios #2
 If the caller is from a third country (say, Hong Kong)

⯍ The caller is charged for an international call from Hong Kong to Korea
⯍ John is charged for an international call from Korea to Japan
⚫ Scenarios #3
 If the caller is in Japan

⯍ international call
⯍ This scenario is in fact a special case of scenario #2, and is referred to as
tromboning.

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 Localizati
on 53
⚫ Localization is the ability of the architecture of the
mobile application to accommodate logic that allows
the selection of different business logic, level of work
flow, and interfaces based on a given set of location
information commonly referred to as locales.
⚫ Example.
⯍Location in Ethiopia currency ETB, TAX, e-
commerce Web sites are able to take into account
the different taxation rules depending on the locale
of the sale and the location of the purchase.

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 Ethioteleco
m 5
4

⚫ Network Information
 Operator:Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation
also known as: ETMTN
 What is ETMTN???
 Currently : Ethiotelecom
 Technology: GSM

 Frequency: 900MHz.

 Launch Date: APR 1999GC.

 Read more from: http://www.ethiotelecom.com.
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 Ethiotelecom Roaming
Partners 55

⚫ A Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,

Austria, Azerbaijan, B Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, C Cameroon,
Canada, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote D Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, D Denmark, Djibouit, E Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, F Finland,
France, G Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea
Bissau, H Hong Kong, Hungary, I Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, J Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, K Kazakhstan, Kenya,
Korea, Kuwait, L Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, M Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali ,Malta
Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, N Namibia,
Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, O Oman, P Pakistan, Panama,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Q Qatar, R
Romania, Russia, Rwanda, S Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Syria, T Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, U Uganda, Ukraine, United
Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Y Yemen,
Z Zambia, Zimbabwe.
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 GSM Call
Processing
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⚫ Initializing Call
1. when the cell phone is turned on it scans all the available frequencies for the control channel.
2. all the BTS in the area transmit the Frequency Correction Channel ( FCCH),
Synchronization Channel (SCH) and Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) that contain the
BTS identification and location .
3. out of available beacon (A radio station that broadcasts a directional signal for navigational
purposes) frequencies from the neighboring BTSs, the cell phone chooses the strongest
signal.
4. based on the FCCH of the strongest signal, the cell phone tunes itself to the frequency of the
network.
5. the phone send a registration request to the BTS.
6. the BTS sends this registration request to the MSC via the BSC.
7. the MSC queries the AUC and EIR databases and based on the reply it authenticates the cell
phone.
8. the MSC also queries the HLR and VLR databases to check whether the cell is in its home
area or outside.
9. if the cell phone is in its home area the MSC gets all the necessary information from the
HLR if it is not in its home area, the VLR gets the information from the corresponding HLR
via MSCs.
10. then the cell phone is ready to receive or make calls.

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GSM Call
Processing
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 GSM Call
Processing
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⚫ Making a Call
1. when the phone needs to make a call it sends an access request
(containing phone identification number) using Random Access
Channel (RACH) to the BTS; if another cell phone tries to send an
access request at the same time the messages might get corrupted, in
this case both cell phones wait a random time interval before trying
to send again.
2. then the BTS authenticates the cell phone and sends an
acknowledgement to the cell phone.
3. the BTS assigns a specific voice channel and time slot to the cell
phone and transmits the cell phone request to the MSC via BSC.
4. the MSC queries HLR and VLR and based on the information
obtained it routes the call to the receiver’s BSC and BTS.
5. the cell phone uses the voice channel and time slot assigned to it by
the BTS to communicate with the receiver
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GSM Call
Processing
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 GSM Call
Processing
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0
⚫ Receiving a Call
1. when a request to deliver a call is made in the network, the MSC or the
receiver’s home area queries the HLR; if the cell phone is located in its
home area the call is transferred to the receiver; if the cell phone is
located outside its home area, the HLR maintains a record of the VLR
attached to the cell phone.
2. based on this record, the MSC notes the location of the VLR and
indicated the corresponding BSC about the incoming call.
3. the BSC routes the call to the particular BTS which uses the paging
channel to alert the phone.
4. the receiver cell phone monitors the paging channel periodically and once
it receives the call alert from the BTS it responds to the BTS.
5. the BTS communicates a channel and a time slot for the cell phone to
communicate.
6. now the call is established
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GSM Call
Processing
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1

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 GSM
Security
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⚫ Personal Identification Number (PIN)
⚫ User Authentication
⚫ TMSI-based Security

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 GSM
Security
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⚫ Personal Identification Number (PIN)

 the PIN is stored on the SIM card of the cell phone.
 when the cell phone is turned on, the SIM checks the PIN; in case
of 3 consecutive faulty PIN inputs a PUK (Personal Unblocking
Key) is asked for.
 in case of 10 faulty PUK inputs, the SIM is locked and the
subscriber must ask a new SIM.
 this security measure is within the cell phone and the service
provider is not involved.

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 GSM
Security
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⚫ User Authentication
 a mechanism for encrypting messages in a GSM network
 the network sends random data to the cell phone (RAND)
 each cell phone is allocated a secret key (KI)
 using RAND and KI and the A3 encryption algorithm the cell
phone generates a signed result (SRES) which is then sent to
the network
 a similar process takes place in the network which generates a
signed result specific to the cell phone
 the network compares its SRES with the SRES generated by
the phone and in case of a match the cell phone is connected to
the network

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 GSM
Security
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⚫ TMSI-Key Based Security
 is most used in a GSM cellular network
 a TMSI key provides a temporary identification to a cell phone

and is provided by the network upon authentication

 a TMSI key keeps changing according to the location of the

cell phone this way preventing unauthorized access to a

channel and preventing intruder from tracing location.
 the mapping between IMSI and TMSI keys is handled by the

VLR
 ISMI are used only when the SIM is used for the first time.

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You are
Welcome!6
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