GSM (Global System for Mobile communication)

GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is a digital mobile telephony system
that is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world. GSM uses a variation of time division
multiple access (TDMA) and is the most widely used of the three digital wireless telephony
technologies (TDMA, GSM, and CDMA). It operates at either the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz
frequency band.
Mobile services based on GSM technology were first launched in Finland in 1991.
Today, more than 690 mobile networks provide GSM services across 213 countries and GSM
represents 82.4% of all global mobile connections.
GSM utilizes two bands of 25 MHz which have been set aside for system use in all
member countries. The 890-915 MHz band is used for subscriber to base station (reverse link),
and 935 to 960 MHz is used for base to subscriber transmissions (forward link).
GSM
The GSM architecture consists of three major interconnected subsystems that interact
between themselves and with the users through certain network interfaces. The subsystems are
the Base Station Subsystems (BSS), Network and Switching Subsystems (NSS), Operation
Support Subsystems (OSS).
In GSM the hand-sets carried by the users are called Mobile Stations (MS). The Mobile
Stations communicate to the Base Stations (BS) through a pair of frequency channels, one for
up-link and another for down-link. All the base stations of a Cellular systems are controlled by a
central switching station called Mobile Switching Center (MSC) or Mobile Telephone Switching
Office (MTSO). The MSC is responsible for all kinds of network management functions such as
channel allocations, Handoffs, billing, power control etc. The MSC is also connected to the
Public Subscriber Telephone Network (PSTN) or Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) so as to
allow the MS to talk to a Land Line telephone or vice versa

Figure: GSM Network

Mobile Station
It consists of mobile equipment and a smart card called subscriber identity module(SIM)
SIM is a memory device that stores information such as the subscribers identification
number, the networks and countries where the subscriber is entitled to serveice,privacy keys,

and other user specific information. provides security and authentication of the subscriber so
that the users have access to subscribed services.
The mobile equipment is uniquely identified by the international mobile equipment identity
(IMEI). An IMEI is marked invalid if it has been reported stolen or is not type supported.
The SIM card contains an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) used to identify the
subscriber to the system.
Base Station Subsystem(BSS)
Also known as radio subsystem
It manages radio transmission paths between the MS and all other subsystems of GSM
Each BSS consists of many BSCs which connect the MS to the NSS via the MSCs
BSC
Manages the radio resources for one or more BTSs. It handles radio channel
setup, frequency hopping and handover. It is the connection between the mobile station
and mobile switching centre (MSC)
BTS
Each cell consists of an antenna and is controlled by a small office called BTS. It
is located at the center of a cell and acts as mobile interface to the cellular network. A
group of BTS are controlled by a BSC. All subscribers in a particular cell are monitored
and tracked continuously by BTS and data is passed to MSC
Network Subsystem
The NSS handles the switching of GSM calls between the external networks(PSTNPublic switched telephone network and ISDN- Integrated service digital network) and
the BSCs in the radio subsystem and is also responsible for managing and providing
external access to several customer databases.
The MSC is the central unit in the NSS and controls the traffic among all the BSCs and
provides all the functionalities needed to handle a mobile subscriber, such as registration,
authentication, location updating, handover and cell routing to a roaming subscriber.
In the NSS three different databases called the Home Location Register (HLR), Visitor
Location Register (VLR), and the Authentication center (AUC).
The Home Location Register(HLR) and Visitor Location Register (VLR), together with
the MSC provides call routing and roaming capabilities of GSM.

 The HLR is a database which contains 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
subscriber identity (IMSI) and this number is used to identify each home user.
The VLR is a database which temporarily stores the IMSI and customer information for
each roaming subscriber who is visiting the coverage area of particular MSC.
The VLR is linked between several adjoining MSCs in a particular market or geographic
region and contains subscription information to the visiting subscribers HLR so that calls
to the roaming mobile can be appropriately routed over the PSTN by the roaming users
HLR.
The other two registers are Equipment Identity Register (EIR) used for security purpose,
and authentication center (AUC) used for authentication.
The authentication center is a strongly protected database which handles the
authentication and encryption keys for every single subscriber in the HLR and VLR. The
authentication center contains a register called Equipment Identity Register (EIR) which
identifies stolen or fraudulently altered phones that transmit identity data that does not
match with information contained in either the HLR or VLR.
OSS
The OSS supports one or several operation maintenance centers (OMC) which are used to
monitor and maintain the performance of each MS,BS,BSC,and MSC with in a GSM system.
The OSS has three main functions which are 1)To maintain all telecommunication hardware
and network operations with a particular market 2)manages all charging and billing
procedures and 3) manage all mobile equipment in the system.
GSM SERVICES
Tele services: It include standard mobile telephony and mobile originated or base
originated traffic.
Data Service: It include computer to computer communication and packet switched
traffic
User service:

Telephone service: Includes emergency calling, facsimile

Bearer service or data service: Packet switched protocols and data rates from 300
bps to 9.6 kbps.

Supplementary ISDN services: include caller identification, SMS

Advantages of GSM
The use of SIM allows the users to switch networks and handsets at will.
GSM is open standard and therefore operators do not pay royalties to utilize it.
Stable network with robust features
Talk time is generally higher in GSM phones due to pulse nature of transmission.
Ability to use repeaters.
They provides on the air privacy(no eavesdropping)
CALL PROCESSING
a) Fixed network to Mobile
The call from a fixed landline is originated in the normal manner. Getting the
mobile subscribers number, the local exchange knows that the called party is a mobile
user. The call is routed to MSC of that particular mobile service provider( in Kerala, BPL
,escotel/airtel-MSC is at ernakulam). The MSC then verifies the details of the called
subscriber regarding the genuineness (post paid, prepaid etc). It then tracks the cell in
which the called party is currently located. The data is available at MSC, which are
obtained from the BTS of that particular cell. The data will be continuously updated. The
called subscribers number is transmitted to the particular BTS and is transmitted from
the antenna there. It is received by the called subscriber handset and the ringing tone is
actuated. Getting called subscribers response, one channel frequency is allotted by MSC
for communication. The airtime used for communication is recorded at MSC for billing
purpose.
b) Mobile to Fixed Network
The mobile subscriber first enters the number into units memory using the
keypad. The subscriber then presses a send key which transmits the number and the
mobile subscribers identification number to the switch. If the identification number is

valid, the switch routes the call over a leased line to the PSTN. The switch assigns the
mobile unit a channel and instructs the mobile unit to tune to that channel. Afterwards,
the mobile subscriber receives an audible call progress tone from the switch. When the
called party picks up the phone, the switch terminates the call progress tones and the
conversation can begin.
c) Mobile to Mobile
The calling subscriber enters 10-digit number of the called subscriber and presses the
send/call key on his handset. This number is transmitted along with some data from the
handset to all direction. The nearest base station receiving antenna within the cell
captures this and sends this to MSC. At MSC, after verifying the authenticity of both
numbers, the current location of called number is traced. MSC sends the called number to
that cell. The transmitter at that cell transmits this to all directions, inside the cell. This is
received by the called subscribers handset and ringing tone is actuated. When the called
mobile unit is responded one channel frequency is allotted for communication.
CELL STRUCTURE
With the cellular concept, the geographical area is 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 approximately a circular pattern while
eliminating gaps inherently present between adjacent circles.

Fig: Honey-comb pattern

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

The cell B1 in the second cluster can allot the same frequency as cell A1 in the cluster 1
and so on. While selecting cells, it should be ensured that there is no interference between the
two.
Roaming
Roaming is when a mobile unit moves from one cell to another-possibly from one
companys service area into another companys service area (requiring roaming agreements).
Hand Offs
When mobile moves in to a different cell while a conversation is in progress, the
MSC is automatically transfers the call to a new channel belonging to the new base station is
called hand off and the decision of hand-off is taken based on the received signal strength
and the carrier to interference ratio information.
Hard handoff:- A hard handoff is a handoff technique used with cellular networks that
requires the user's connection to be entirely broken with an existing base station before being
switched to another base station. It enables mobile/cellular service providers to provide
continuous service to users, especially when they are moving away from the connected base
station/cell toward another base station/cell.
A hard handoff is also known as a hard handover or break-before-make handover.

Soft handoff:- If new connection is established before the old connection is released. It is also
called make before break operation.
The different types of hand-over/Hand-off: Channels in the same cell
Cells under same BSC(internal hand-over)
Cells under different BSCs in the same MSC
Cells under the control of different MSCs (external handover)