Report about theoretical concepts on 2G/3G Networks

1. 2G Network:
Second generation wireless telephony technology (2G) refers to telecom network
technologies that were launched on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
standard in 1991 by Radiolinja in Finland.
This technology uses CODEC (compression-decompression) algorithms to compress and
multiplex voice data.
2G is primarily divided into two technologies. Time division multiple access (TDMA)
standards include GSM which is predominant worldwide, the Japan-exclusive PDC, iDen
which is used in some parts of the US and Canada, and D-AMPs which is a predecessor to
GSM. The other 2G slice is code division multiple access (CDMA), which is now in lesser use
compared to TDMA because of GSM.
The 2G network provides separation between the RF-specific functions, known as the Base
Station Subsystem (BSS), and the Core Network (CN). This makes the CN relatively
unaffected by changes in the RF equipment, such as RF band, or encoding techniques. This
approach is continued in 2.5G and 3G systems. The 2G core network provides the
connection to the circuit-switched Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The control
functions required to achieve this are generally based on SS7 signaling, commonly used in
the PSTN. The basic elements of the 2G system include the mobile equipment (handset),
base station, mobile-services switching center (MSC) and gateway into the PSTN (GMSC).
1.1. 2G architecture:
Mobile Station (MS): is the users handset and has two parts
o Mobile Equipment
o Subscriber Identity Module
Base Station Subsystem:
o Transcoding Rate and Adaptation Unit (TRAU): Performs coding between the
64kbps PCM coding used in the backbone network and the 13 kbps coding
used for the Mobile Station (MS)
o Base Station Controller (BSC) : Controls the channel (time slot) allocation
implemented by the BTSes, Manages the handovers within BSS area, Knows
which mobile stations are within the cell and informs the MSC/VLR about this
o Base Transceiver System (BTS): Controls several transmitters, Each
transmitter has 8 time slots, some used for signaling, on a specific frequency
Network and Switching Subsystem :
o Mobile Switching Center (MSC) : A typical telephony exchange (ISDN
exchange) which supports mobile communications
o Visitor Location Register (VLR) :
A database, part of the MSC
Contains the location of the active Mobile Stations
o Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) : Links the system to PSTN and
other operators.
o Home Location Register (HLR) : Contain subscriber information, including
authentication information in Authentication Center (AuC)
o Equipment Identity Register (EIR) : International Mobile Station Equipment
Identity (IMEI) codes for e.g., blacklisting stolen phones
Other Systems: Operations Support System, Value added services, Short Message
Service Center.

2. 3G Network:
Third Generation Mobile Telecommunications (3G), is a set of standards that came about as
a result of the International Telecommunication Unions (ITU) initiative known as IMT-2000
(International Mobile Telecommunications-2000). 3G systems are expected to deliver quality
multimedia to mobile devices by way of faster and easier wireless communications as well as
anytime, anywhere services.
There are two specifications-setting groups that cater to the objectives to 3G worldwide:
3GPP and 3GPP2.
3GPP 3G specifications are focused on evolved GSM (Global System for Mobile
communication) core networks, known as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications
Systems), and the radio access technologies based on them. This therefore includes UTRA
(Universal Terrestrial Radio Access), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), and EDGE
(Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution).
3GPP2 3G specifications, on the other hand, are designed for CDMA2000 systems, which are
based on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Of the two, 3GPP specifications are more
widely used owing to the fact that majority of the cellular networks on the planet are based
on GSM.
2.1. Radio Access Network (RAN):
The 3G RAN adds an ATM-based transport infrastructure that enables connection setup
capabilities with guaranteed QoS levels. The 3G RAN is designed to inter-work with both
circuit-switched and packet-switched core networks. Benefits include more flexible voice
services, higher bit rate data services, and higher service quality levels.
2.2. Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS):
Is a 3G broadband, packet-based transmission of text, digitized voice, video, and multimedia.
UMTS is essentially the 3G upgrade path to GSM, and it uses 5 MHz channels in place of the
narrowband (but still digital) approach used in GSM. As you may know, more spectrum is the
best way to improve both overall network capacity and data throughput, two key goals of
3G.
2.3. Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA):
Is an ITU standard derived from Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), is officially known as
IMT-2000 direct spread. W-CDMA is a third-generation (3G) mobile wireless technology that
promises much higher data speeds to mobile and portable wireless devices than commonly
offered in today's market.
W-CDMA can support mobile/portable voice, images, data, and video communications at up
to 2 Mbps (local area access) or 384 Kbps (wide area access). The input signals are digitized
and transmitted in coded, spread-spectrum mode over a broad range of frequencies. A 5
MHz-wide carrier is used, compared with 200 KHz-wide carrier for narrowband CDMA.
2.4. RAN Network Elements : UMTS/W-CDMA
The network elements referred to in the 3GPP specifications are User Equipment, NodeB,
Radio Network Controller, and Core Network Interface.
User Equipment (also called Mobile Station or Handset): includes mobile cellular
telephones, handheld Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), and cellular modems
connected to PCs.
Node B (also called the Base Station Controller or Radio Base Station): provides the
gateway interface between the handset/RF interface, and the Radio Network
Controller via the Iub interface. It is involved in handover decisions, which are based
on RF signal quality measurements.
Radio Network Controller (RNC): connects to and co-ordinates as many as 150 base
stations. It is involved in managing activities such as hand-over of active calls
between base stations.
Core Network Interface (also called Mobile Switching Center or Mobile Multimedia
Switch): refers to other terrestrial core network infrastructure connected to the RAN
through the Iu interface; for example, the Internet and PSTN.
2.5. High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) :
High-speed packet access (HSPA) refers to a set of technologies that came about as a result
of enhancements to wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems. HSPA is
composed of the High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) protocol and the High-Speed
Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) protocol. It features peak data rates of up to 14 Mbps
downlink and up to 5.7 Mbps uplink.
HSPA is usually considered to be a 3.5G technology because it substantially improves on 3G
standards.
2.6. Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) :
Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), also known as the HSPA Evolution, is a 3G
wireless communication technology developed by the 3GPP (starting with Release 7) as an
upgrade to the HSPA standard. It offers download speeds of up to 168 Mbps and upload
speeds of up to 22 Mbps (as of Release 10). The platforms features were first enabled in
2008.
HSPA+ is based on wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), and has been touted
by some as a 4G network. In reality, its just an improved version of 3G with faster user data
rates similar to the latest version of Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
3. Information System :
All fixed and mobile telecommunications service providers have physical equipment with
embedded software that enable them to offer services. Beyond this embedded network
software, there are two other kinds of software that are critical to a service provider's day-
to-day business: business support systems and operations support systems.
3.1. Business Support System (BSS) :
software applications are used by operations, customer care, and other functional groups to
manage business operations focusing on external business such as billing, rating, sales
management, customer-service management and customer databases.
3.2. Operations Support System (OSS) :
software applications allow operations and IT personnel to administer the operational
processes focusing on the network and services, including service quality monitoring,
network and server performance, logical and physical resources management (also referred
to as element and network management), and provisioning.
Putting together OSS and BSS applications, which are generally provided by multiple ISVs,
into a coherent solution for a service provider is usually done by a Systems Integrator (SI).
Traditionally this was accomplished using point-to-point integration with mediations and
adaptations; or using a proprietary Enterprise Application Infrastructure (EAI) provided by IT
vendors. A more recent trend is to deploy a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) using SOA
middleware, such as orchestration, to support the implementation of the processes across
the various systems.
Whatever the integration means, each OSS/BSS system needs to be integrated with the
other OSS/BSS of this service provider's operational environment (for example, their billing
system and/or their available Element Management Systems (EMS) and Network
Management Systems (NMS)).
3.2.1. Network Management System (NMS) :
Is an application or set of applications for managing NEs on the network element that lets
network administrators manage a network's independent components inside a bigger
network management framework. NMS may be used to monitor both software and
hardware components in a network. It usually records data from a network's remote points
to carry out central reporting to a system administrator.
The key benefit to NMS is that it permits users to monitor or manage their entire business
operations using a central computer.
3.2.2. Element management system (EMS) :
An element management system (EMS) consists of systems and applications for managing
network elements (NE) on the network element-management layer (NEL) of the
Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) model.
Typically, the EMS manages the functions and capabilities within each NE but does not
manage the traffic between different NEs in the network. To support management of the
traffic between itself and other NEs, the EMS communicates upward to higher-level network
management systems (NMS) as described in the telecommunications management network
layered model. The EMS provides the foundation to implement TMNlayered operations
support system (OSS) architectures that enable service providers to meet customer needs
for rapid deployment of new services, as well as meeting stringent quality of service (QoS)
requirements. The TeleManagement Forum common object request broker architecture
(CORBA) EMStoNMS interface heralds a new era in OSS interoperability by making the
TMN architecture a practical reality.
4. The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) :
Is a specification developed by the Object Management Group (OMG). CORBA describes a
messaging mechanism by which objects distributed over a network can communicate with
each other irrespective of the platform and language used to develop those objects.
There are two basic types of objects in CORBA. The object that includes some functionality
and may be used by other objects is called a service provider. The object that requires the
services of other objects is called the client. The service provider object and client object
communicate with each other independent of the programming language used to design
them and independent of the operating system in which they run. Each service provider
defines an interface, which provides a description of the services provided by the client.
5. Northbound Interface (NBI) :
A northbound interface (NBI) is the interface to a component of higher function or level
layer. The lower layer's NBI links to the higher layer's southbound interface (SBI).
A NBI is an output-oriented interface that is usually found in carrier-grade networks and
telecommunications network elements. An example of a NBI implementation is a device that
only sends SYSLOG messages and cannot be manipulated to take any kind of input.
It involves support for a specific protocol or mechanism for distributed communications
between the EMS and the NMS.
6. Telnet (TN) :
Telnet (TN) is a networking protocol and software program used to access remote
computers and terminals over the Internet or a TCP/IP computer network. Telnet was
conceived in 1969 and standardized as one of the first Internet standards by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Designed for remote server access, management and client/server architectures, Telnet
works through a purpose-built program that provides connectivity between a remote
computer/server and host computer. Upon providing correct login and sign-in credentials, a
user may access a remote system's privileged functionality. Additionally, Telnet's commands
may be executed on a supported client or server device.
Telnet sends all messages in clear text and has no specific security mechanisms.