Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Abstract

Introduction

1.1

Comparative study between GSM network and UMTS

1.1.1 Modulation Methods and Data rates

1.1.3 Network Architecture

(3GPP release 99 and 3GPP release 4)

1.1.2 Types of traffic

High Speed Packet Access (HSPA)

11

2.1

High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)

11

2.3

3GPP Release 7 and 8

15

2.2
3

High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)

14

Development, Implementation and Architecture of LTE

16

3.0

LTE (Long Term Evolution) Overview

18

3.1

LTE Mobile devices and the LTE Uu interfaces

18

3.2

The e-NODE-B and the S1 and X2 Interfaces

18

3.3

The Mobility Management Entity (MNE)

20

3.4

The Serving Gateway (S-GW) and Gateway to Internet (PDN)

3.4.1 The Serving Gateway (S-GW)

21

3.4.2 The Gateway to the internet (PDN)

21

Conclusion

21

References

22

List of Figures and Tables

Table 1

Data Rates for Mobile Communication Systems

13

Figure 1

GSM Network Architecture

Figure 2

UMTS Network Architecture Release 99

10

HSDPA Architecture overview

12

Figure 3

UMTS Network Architecture release 4

10

Figure 5

HSUPA Architecture overview

15

Figure 4
Figure 6

LTE Network Architecture overview

17

Abstract
This report describes the comparison between Global System for Mobile
Communication (GSM) and Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

(UMTS). High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), which includes HSDPA (High Speed

Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), and
HSUPA+ were evaluated, with the analysis of its impact to network performance
was also evaluated.

And lastly, the development, implementation and overview of LTE (Long Term
Evolution) were reviewed.

1.0

Introduction
Mobile

communications

systems

modernized

the

way

people

communicate, joining together communications and mobility. A lot has been

achieved in a short time in the history of mobile wireless systems. Evolution of
mobile wireless access technologies is about to reach its Fifth generation (5G).

The cellular idea was introduced in the 1G technologies that made up the

large-scale mobile wireless communication possible; it became available in the

1980s. 1G uses analog cellular technologies for communication and was later

replaced by digital communication technology known as 2G in the 1990s, which

significantly improved the quality of mobile network. It introduced services such
as short messaging service (SMS) and lower speed data. GSM is generally known
as 2G technologies.

In addition to mobile network, Data and voice communication has been

the main focus on 3G technologies and a converged network for both voice and
data communication emerged. 3G requirements were specified by the ITU as

part of the International Mobile Telephone 2000 (IMT-2000) project, for which

digital networks had to provide 144 kbps of throughput at mobile speeds, 384

kbps at pedestrian speeds, and 2 Mbps in indoor environments. UMTS-HSPA and

CDMA2000 EV-DO are the major 3G technologies. However, 3G Systems

regardless of their enhanced features are still severely bandwidth-constrained,

particularly for handling video communication traffic (Chakraborty , 2013).

The Fourth generation (4G) which is considered as LTE (Long Term

Evolution) provides access to a wide range of telecommunication services,

including applications like wireless broadband access, Multimedia Messaging Service

(MMS), video chat, mobile TV, HDTV content, Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), minimal
services like voice and data, and other services that utilize bandwidth according to the

demands in multiuser environment (Sesia, Toufik and Baker, 2011).

1.1 Comparative Review between GSM and UMTS Network

1.1.1
A. GSM
GSM is the most widely used 2G air interfaces worldwide. Its strength lays in

its widespread global penetration, which enables consumers to use their

telephones when they travel. GSM phones have clip-on Subscriber Identity

Module (SIM) cards. These cards contain a microchip that stores user identity
and other information such as speed-dial lists. The SIM card encrypts voice
and data before they are transmitted.

GSM is the digital cellular standard that was originally decided on by

European governments and was first deployed in 1992. GSM divides channels
of 200 KHz spectrum into eight time slots. Seven of the time slots carry traffic

and the eighth carries control signals. At first GSM was used exclusively for

Voice communication but later, the control channel but soon it was also used
to carry text messages called Short Message Service (SMS), which is
otherwise known as text messaging. GSM uses a form of Time-Division

Multiplexing (TDM). The GSM uses Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK)
modulation method.
B. UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS) is considered to be an

effective and efficient 3G mobile communication systems in which there is an

incorporated radio interface system. Additionally, it has been observed that

the radio interface system is significantly based on Wideband Code Division

Multiple Access (WCDMA). The radio frequencies that have been used in this
system are of the order of 1900-2025 MHz as well as 2110-2200 MHz

In this mobile system, a range of wireless multimedia communications is

possible that are spread across the entire Internet protocol. It has been

observed that this system allows a number of different mobile Internet users
for the purpose of enabling them to access a variety of multimedia contents.

These contents are available across the entire Internet and they are
5

considered to be arranged in a seamless fashion with data rates that are as

much as up to 2 Mbps inside and 384 Kbps outside.

1.1.2 Types of Traffic

GSM: It basically supports three types of traffic which includes:
1. Signaling: 16k, 32k, and 64k.
2. Voice/Fax

3. GSM Data: GPRS, EDGE, and Extended Data.

UMTS: It has basically has four main classes of traffic types which includes:
1. Conversational class (voice, video telephony, video gaming).
2. Streaming class (multimedia, video on demand, webcast).

3. Interactive class (Web browsing, network gaming, database access).

4. Background class (Email, SMS, and Downloading).

1.1.3

Network Architecture

A. GSM
The GSM architecture can be divided into three categories, which includes: the

Mobile Station (MS), the Base Station Subsystem (BSS), and the Network
Subsystem.

The mobile Station (MS): A mobile may be known as Mobile Equipment (ME),

Mobile Terminal (MT) or Handset. The mobile Station usually contains the
Subscriber Identity module (SIM). And they come in three sizes. Each device

comes with an IMEI (international Mobile equipment Identity) and also each SIM

has Unique Identification number known as IMSI (international Mobile

Subscriber Identity).

The Base Station subsystem (BSS): This consists of the Base Station Controller
(BSC) and the Base Transceiver Station (BTS).
6

Base Station Controller (BSC): This manages a group of BTSs which are

usually connected together. The major function of the BSC is call

maintenance.

Base Transceiver Station (BTS): GSM uses a series of radio transmitters

called BTSs to connect the mobile stations to the radio network.

The Network Subsystem: The network subsystem consists of: The mobile
Switching Center (MSC), The Home Location Register (HLR), The Visitor Location

Register (VLR), The Authentication center (AuC), and the Equipment Identity
Register (EIR).

The Equipment Identity Register (EIR): The EIR is a database that

contains the list of all valid mobile station equipment within the network.

The Mobile Switching Center (MSC): The MSC is responsible for

functions relating to a mobile subscriber which includes registration,

authentication, location updating, handovers and call routing.

The Home Location Register (HLR): This is a database that is used for

handling and managing mobile subscriber information. It stores the IMSI,

IMEI, and the VLR address.

The Visitor Location Register (VLR): This is database that contains the
details of a Mobile Station such as information about last location, the
power usage and details about other services.

The Authentication Center (AUC): This is a database that holds the

secret key used for the authentication and encryption of a mobile station
within a network.

Figure 1: GSM Network Architecture (Eberspacher et al., 2009)

B. UMTS
As shown from the diagram, the key components of an UMTS system are:

UTRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access network), CN (Core network), UE

(user Equipment), and NMS (Network Management Station), which is also the
only vendor specific component.

UTRAN: This is located between two open interfaces which are Uu and lu. It is

the part that controls and manages the WCDMA radio resources. And it can also
further handle handover.

BSs: These are located between the interface Uu and lub in UTRAN architecture.
Their main task is to establish physical implementation of the Uu and the lub
interfaces by making use of protocol stack.

RNC: This is located between the lub and lu interfaces, it acts as the switching
and the controlling element in the UTRAN.

UMTS CN: This is located between the access networks and the external

networks. It is the basic medium for all communications services provided to the
UMTS users. While the PS and the CS services are the two basic communication
services provided by the Core network.

Figure 2: UMTS Network Architecture Release 99 (Atayero et al., 2011)

Figure 3: UMTS Network Architecture Release 4 (Holma and Toskala, 2000).

3GPP Release 99 and 3GPP Release 4 are the same in terms of the UTRAN

(Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network), with the UE and NMS. The only

differences in 3GPP Release 4 and 3GPP Release 99 were on the CN (Core

Network). Especially in 3GPP R4 in which the CN CS domain, MSC/VLR and

GMSC have evolved into (G) MSC server and MGW. In the whole connection

process is controlled by the server and the MGW acting as a switch. MGW
contains the functionality of performing actual switching and network inter-

working. And also in some instances, few MSC/GMSC servers can control
numerous MGWs (Sauter, 2011; Abdullah et al., 2014).

2.0

High Speed Packet Access (HSPA)

High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) is a broadband access that is an improvement

to the WCDMA networks (FDD, and TDD) which is used in improving network

performance. It is a combination of HighSpeed Downlink Packet Access or 3GPP

Release 5, which was specified in 2002, and High Speed Uplink Packet Access

(HSUPA), which is 3GPP Release 6, and specified in December 2004. HSPA is

needed to increase the data rates of mobile networks, in comparison with fixed

line broadband services. Therefore, HSPAs can support high data consuming and
low latency applications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP).

2.1

High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)

HSDPA stands for High Speed Downlink Packet Access. It is referred to as
a mobile telephony protocol. It is a new improved downlink packet data
transfer structure for 3GPP systems. HSDPA is not just an ordinary

transformation to a 3GPP specification, but an important upgrade that

brings clear distinctive improvements and far higher data speeds than the

normal 3G systems. HSDPA offers a technique by which the downlink

capacity was improved within the current spectrum. With this, HSDPA
downlink air interface is doubled or tripled.

The present 3G system can only tolerate few maximum data rate per
users at a particular time before the cell capacity runs out of downlink
10

data from the spectrum. A normal mobile user consumes more downlink
that uplink resources (Enan and Mustafa, 2014). Since the downlink

consumes more payload data for most applications compared to the

uplink.

The HSDPA aims to expand downlink data capacity, and thus this possible

bottleneck from the entire system. It helps to upgrade the entire system
capacity as a whole by increasing the data rate allotted to a user (Holma
and Toskala , 2006)

.
Figure 4: HSDPA Architecture (Abdullah et al., 2014)

Features of HSDPA
1. The HSDPA differs from the UMTS, which is observed by its ability to

provide higherorder 16QAM modulation mode is used to improve

spectral efficiency.

2. Both code division and time division are used in scheduling User
Equipment (UEs).

3. The highest maximum transmission rate is the downlink. And also the rate
reaches up to 14.4Mbit/s.

11

4. The hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) and Adaptive Modulation

and Coding (AMC) technologies are applied at the physical layer. It means
the factors such as modulation and a number of different coding formats

have the ability to change themselves in relation to the differences in the

channel conditions.
Advantages

1. HSDPA uses relatively shorter length of frame thereby displaying faster

response to problems relating to radio channels.

2. HSDPA works best for applications that have unusual changeable and
uneven requirement of bandwidth.

3. Some specific delays tend to occur in HSDPA, which may in turn assist
novel applications such as interactive networked systems.

4. The HSDPA technology adds extra wideband downlink shared channel

that is optimized for higher speed data transfer. HSDPA increases only the

downlink throughput.

System
Typical Max. data
rate (Kbit/s)
Theoretical Max. data
rate (Kbit/s)

GSM

GPRS

EDGE

3G(R99)

HSDPA

9.6

50

130

384

2048 (or more)

14.4

170

384

2048

14400

Table 1. Data Rates for Mobile Communication Systems (Holma and

Toskala, 2000).

12

2.2

High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)

High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) is a release 6 Specification in

3GPP systems. And it is among the High Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
family. It is more often known as technologies of 3.75G or Enhanced
Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) by the technically mindful people,

which is higher that most of the 3G technologies that are available. The
main target of the HSUPA is to increase the data transfer speed in UMTS

evolution technologies, thereby achieving a data speed of up to 5.8Mbps

in the uplink. High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) has the ability to
improve the symmetric data rates such as emails in the mobile and video
and gaming and data applications that vary from person to person.

In addition to this, contrary to HSDPA, HSUPA has a dedicated channel

and also, there is a series of channel for the purpose of traffic and signal
so that all the uplink capabilities can be significantly improved. HSUPA
can also be used in a number of different applications for the purpose of
improving the DVD quality, live and heavy streaming and the ability to

play real-time games in different modes readily and easily (Enan and

Mustafa, 2014).

Furthermore, if HSUPA is compared to the technology of dedicated channel, it

may be found that the former has the ability to enable a higher user throughput.
Features of HSUPA

Transmission rate of about 5.8 Mbps.

BPSK method of modulation.

It supports Soft handover technique and Hybrid ARQ (HARQ).

It supports fast packet scheduling with multicode transmission.

13

Advantages
1. HSUPA significantly improves the data transmission rates, which aids in

the fast transmission of data and retransmission of failed data, thereby

enhancing the network performance of a system.

2. It supports the utilization of Soft hand over technique. The user receives
control signals related to Node B cell scheduling from every radio link.

After this, the transmission rate signals are combined together from
different cells with the help of user terminal.

Figure 5: HSUPA Architecture (Abdullah et al., 2014)

2.3

3GPP Release 7 and 8

The Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) specifications has
important enhancements in the downlink data rates and capacity in
release 5 (HSDPA) which is also similar to the increase in uplink data
rates and capacity in release 6 (HSUPA).

3GPP release 7 and release 8 are advancement to the High Speed Packet

Access (HSPA) (3gpp, 2008).The 3GPP release 7 is known as HSPA

14

evolution or HSPA+. While release 8 is categorized under the LTE

specification. 3GPP release 7 supports the easy breakdown of network

architecture. And the number of network elements is reduced as

compared to release 6. And also the release 8 has further increased the
radio capabilities and data rates thereby reducing the latency of the entire

system as compared to the former technology releases. The LTE

performance aim is to provide 2 to 4 times the performance of the HSPA

release 6. 3GPP release 7 and 8 solutions for the HSPA evolution was

merged in parallel together with the LTE development, and some aspects
of the LTE work are reflected on the HSPA evolution as well (3gpp, 2008).
.

Features of 3GPP Release 7 and Release 8

The challenges faced in earlier 3GPP specifications from release 99 to

release 6 is the continuous reception and transmission when the mobile

device. In former specifications the mobile device keeps transmitting the

physical control channel even if there is no data. In release 7 and 8, the

mobile terminal cuts off the CCT when there is no data channel

transmission, allowing it to shut down the transmitter completely.

In 3GPP release 7 and 8, the VOIP capacity is enhanced. A number of

features have been introduced to 3GPP release 7 and 8 to improve the

efficiency of low-bit rate, delay critical applications like Voice over IP.

3GPP 7 and 8 has far more flat and flexible architecture compared to

lower 3GPP release. 3GPP release 6 has four network elements while,

release 8 (LTE) has only two network elements.

3.0 LTE - Overview

LTE, which stands for Long Term Evolution, is Third Generation Partnership

Project (3GPP), which was proposed in November 2004. It is a system, which

advanced from the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and

15

also in turn from the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Related

specifications which were formally known as the evolved UMTS terrestrial radio

access (E-UTRA) and evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN).
The First version of LTE was documented in Release 8 of the 3GPP specifications.

The main aim of LTE is to offer a high data rate, low latency and packet
optimized

radio

access

technology

supporting

flexible

bandwidth

implementation. At the same time its network architecture has been designed
with the aim to support packet-switched traffic with seamless mobility and great
quality of service (Dahlman et al., 2011).

PDN-GW
S5
CP

S6

HSS

MME

CP

eNode-B

Internet

UP

S11

Serving-GW

S1

UP

X2

eNode-B

Mobile Device

Figure 6: LTE Network Architecture overview (Sauter, 2011)

16

3.1

LTE Mobile devices and the LTE Uu interfaces

In the LTE, just like in Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems
(UMTS), the mobile devices are called User Equipment (UE). In 3GPP

Release 8, five different UE classes was defined and unlike in HSPA where

devices support a wide range of different modulation and coding schemes

because the standard evolved over time, all LTE UEs support the very fast
64-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) in the downlink direction

and antenna diversity. In the uplink direction, only the support of the
slower but more reliable 16-QAM is required.

LTE User Equipments (UEs) are categorized into five classes, 1-4

and these mobile devices under this category support MIMO transmission

in the downlink direction. With this advanced transmission scheme,

several data streams are transmitted on the same carrier frequency from
multiple antennas from the base station to multiple antennas in the

mobile device. LTE networks and devices use 2 2 MIMO, that is, two

transmit and two receive antennas. In the future, 4 4 MIMO might be

used with category 5 UEs class.

Most LTE mobile devices also support other radio technologies

such as GSM and UMTS. As a result, a typical LTE device today does not

only support more LTE frequency bands but also supports those for the
other radio technologies (Sauter, 2011).

3.2

The E-NODE-B and the S1 and X2 Interfaces

In LTE specification, the Base station is usually known as eNode-B and it

is a complex system. The name, which was gotten from UMTS base station

which was called (Node-B) with the e meaning evolved. This changes

was also done to UTRAN (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

Terrestrial

Radio Access Network) which is now referred to as eUTRAN in LTE

networks.

17

The eNode-B in LTE networks consists of three key elements

which includes; The Antennas, radio modules that (modulate and

demodulate all signals transmitted in the air interface and the digital

modules that processes all signals transmitted and received on the air
interface. In LTE networks, the eNode-B is not only responsible for the air
interface but also focuses on management in general and scheduling air

interface resources. The following are some of the other functions of

eNode-B in LTE radio networks:

For ensuring QoS such as ensuring latency and minimum

bandwidth requirements for real-time users and maximum

throughput for some applications.

For load balancing between the different simultaneous radio

network users.

Mobility management

For interference management, that is, to reduce the impact of its

downlink transmissions on neighboring base stations in cell edge

situations.

The S1 as defined in LTE radio network serves two purposes which are:
the eNode-B uses the S1 interface for interaction with the core network

for its own purposes, i.e. to make itself known to the network, to send
status and connection keep-alive information and for receiving

configuration information from the core network (Atayero, 2011). And

secondly, the S1 interface is used for transferring signaling messages that

concern the users of the system. And it can also be used to maintain the
connection, to organize a handover of the connection to another LTE,

UMTS or GSM base station, in which user data packets can be forwarded
between the two base stations involved in a handover process.

The X2 interface is in the communication between two base

stations in LTE radio networks. It has two major functions it performs,

which are: The X2 interface with the core network are used in the
18

implementation of handovers and secondly, it is used in the coordination

of interferences (Atayero, 2011).
.

3.3

The Mobility Management Entity (MNE)

Since the eNode-Bs separately handles users and their radio bearers once

they are established in LTE networks. There is need for a single point over
which data flows between the user and the Internet, a centralized user

database is required, which can be accessed from anywhere in the home

network and also from networks abroad in case the user is roaming
(Sauter, 2011).

The network node responsible for all signaling exchanges between the

base stations and the core network and between the users and the core

network is the Mobility Management Entity (MME). In larger networks,

there are usually many MMEs to manage the amount of signaling. Other
functions of MMEs are stated below:

Authentication. When a subscriber first attaches to the LTE

network, the eNode-B communicates with the MME over the S1

interface and helps to exchange authentication information

between the mobile device and the MME.

Establishment of bearers. The MME itself is not directly involved

in the exchange of user data packets between the mobile device

and the Internet. It is responsible for selecting a gateway router to

the Internet.

Handover support. In case no X2 interface is available, the MME

helps to forward the handover messages between the two eNode

Bs involved.

Interworking with other radio networks. When a mobile device

reaches the limit of the LTE coverage area, the eNode-B can decide

to hand over the mobile device to a GSM or UMTS network or

instruct it to perform a cell change to suitable cell. MME is largely

in charge of instance and communication with the GSM or UMTS

network components during this operation.
19

3.4

The Serving Gateway (S-GW) and Gateway to Internet

(PDN).
3.4.1 The Serving Gateway (S-GW)
The S-GW is responsible for managing user data tunnels between the

eNode-Bs in the radio network and the Packet Data Network Gateway

(PDN-GW), which is the gateway router to the Internet. For example, a

handover is performed by the eNode-B under the control of the MME and
Serving Gateway (S-GW).

3.4.2 Gateway to the Internet (PDN)

The third LTE core network node is Gateway to the Internet (PDN. In the
LTE network, this node is the gateway to the Internet and some network
operators also use it to interconnect to intranets of large companies over

an encrypted tunnel to offer employees of those companies direct access

to their private internal networks (Sauter, 2011).

PDN also has the function of assigning IP addresses to LTE mobile

devices. When a mobile device connects to the network after being

switched on, the eNode-B connects to the MME, which then authenticates

the subscriber and requests an IP address from the PDN-GW for the
device (Sauter, 2011).

Conclusion
In todays world Mobile communication is getting faster and speedy and it is the

backbone of every business and day-to-day life. Mobile technologies have played

a very vital role in rapid advancement and growth of technology over the past
half-decade.

With the rapid growth of user demands, and the limitations of some mobile

communication technologies, it is expected that new technologies will eventually

hit the market and are expected to become a platform capable of delivering
20

increased data rates, greater interoperability across communication protocols,

user-friendly innovative and secure applications.

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