Wireless Communication An Overview

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Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of wires.
The term is commonly used in telecommunications to refer to systems which communicate using:
1) Radio frequency (RF)
2) Microwaves
3) Infrared light
4) Laser light
5) Visible light
6) Acoustic energy
Information is transferred in this manner over both short and long distances.

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What is Radio Communication?
It is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of
visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass
through the air and the vacuum of space.

Radio Communication Technologies:

1) FDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access
2) TDMA Time Division Multiple Access
3) CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
Mobile Phones also work on these Radio Communication Technologies.
Disclaimer: Though you will see Wireless Communication mentioned over this and the next few slides, we will limit ourselves only
to Mobile Phone technologies and services.

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Evolution of Mobile Communication Technologies
Just as radio communication saw an evolution from FDMA to CDMA, Mobile Communications also
evolved
First Generation (1G)

Analog Cellular

Second Generation (2G):

2G GSM & cdmaone, 2.5G GPRS, 2.75G EDGE

Third Generation (3G)

CDMA2000, WCDMA

Fourth Generation (4G) :

3GPP LTE (Third Generation Partnership Project - Long Term

Evolution)

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Parts of a Mobile

Display

Battery

Keypad

Antenna

Charging block

Phone flex cable

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The mobile phone (also called a wireless phone or cellular

phone) is a short-range, portable electronic device used for
mobile voice or data communication over a network of
specialized base stations known as cell sites.

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Base Transceiver
Station

Base Station
Controller

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Mobile Switching
Center

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Wireless network connectivity
BTS: Base Transceiver Station the radio transceivers that define a cell and handles the radio link
protocols with the mobile station

BTS

BSC

M
S
C

HLR
VLR

PSTN
BSC: Base Station Controller manages the radio resources for one or more
channel setup.

BTS. It handles radio

MSC: Mobile Service Switching Center acts like a normal switching node of the PSTN, and additionally
provides all the functionality needed to handle a mobile subscriber, such as registration, authentication,
location updating and call routing to a roaming subscriber

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PSTN Exchange

Main Switch - POI

Mobile Switching Center

Base Transceiver Station

Base Station Controller

Call Scenario - Mobile To Fixed

<landline no.>

<mobile no.>

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Call Scenario - Mobile To Mobile

Base Station Controller

Mobile Switching Center

Base Transceiver Station

Base Station Controller

Base Transceiver Station

<mobile no.>

<mobile no.>

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Mobile Phone Communication Technology - Standards

Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is a cellular network, which means that mobile phones
connect to it by searching for cells in the immediate vicinity. The SIM contains all the subscriber-related
information stored on the user's side of the radio interface. This works on TDMA technology, and GSM
belongs to 2G technology.
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented Mobile Data Service available to users of Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM) mobile phones. It provides data rates from 56 kbps up to 114 kbps.
GPRS is referred to as 2.5G.
Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) or Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS) is a digital mobile phone
technology that allows increased data transmission rates and improved data transmission reliability. EDGE is
generally classified as 2.75G, although it is part of ITU's 3G definition. EDGE can carry data speeds up to
473.6 kbps.
CDMAONE - GSM used TDMA technology, which limited the no. of communication channels at a given point of
time. However, cdmaone worked on the CDMA technology, which allowed sharing of all frequencies by coding
each channel of communication. cdmaone belonged to the 2G era. An advancement in this saw the
development of CDMA2000, which is a CDMA technology, working in the 3G arena.

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GPRS: General Packet Radio Service
Its a new non-voice value added service that allows information to be sent and received across a
mobile telephone network.
Supplements Circuit Switched Data and Short Message Service
Features:
Speed
Immediacy
New Applications, Better Applications
To use GPRS users specifically need:
a mobile phone that supports GPRS
a subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports GPRS
knowledge of how to send and/ or receive GPRS information
a destination to send or receive information through GPRS.

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GPRS

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EDGE: Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution

EDGE is a 3G Technology offering a common migration path and convergence of GSM and TDMA
operators.
EDGE supports IP packet data at peak rates
EDGE is three times faster than GPRS.
EDGE is easy to install (Compatible with existing equipment)
EDGE is a GSM technology.

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WCDMA: Wideband Code Division Multiple Access

WCDMA: Wideband Code Division Multiple Access is the worlds leading 3G technology, with data
rates up to 100 times those of todays networks.
It helps in providing mobile users with data rates up to 2 mbps.
WCDMA is an Ultra high speed, Ultra high-capacity radio technology that generates and carries a
new range of rich, fast, colorful media.

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WCDMA

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Abbreviations

Explanation

AUC

Authentication Centre

BSC

Base Station Controller

BSS

Base Station Subsystem

BTS

Base Transceiver Station

CDMA
EIR

Code Division Multiple Access

Equipment Identity Register

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service

GSM

Global System for Mobile Communication

HLR

Home Location Register

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

VLR

Visitor Location Register

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol

WML

Wireless Markup Language

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Roaming An Important Feature
It is extending of connectivity service in a location that is different from the home location where the
service was registered
It is the ability for cellular customers to make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, access
other services when traveling outside of the home network.
Types of Roaming
SIM based roaming
Username/password based roaming
Mobile Signature Roaming
Trombone roaming

Scope of Roaming:
Regional
National
International

Roaming Process
New "visited" network sees the device
Visited network gathers service information from home network with reference to IMSI
The visited network begins to maintain a temporary subscriber record

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Mobile Value Added Services
SMS Based Services

Subscription Alert Services

MMS Multimedia Messaging Services

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Mobile Value Added Services

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Mobile Value Added Services

Subscription Alert Services

The Service provides a customer the ability to subscribe for Alerts, which
will be pushed to him or her on a regular basis as an SMS. Service
provider brings you a daily dose of New Information. Each service @ Rs
30 p.m.

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Mobile Value Added Services
MMS Multimedia Messaging Services
This is an advanced version of SMS but works on GPRS technology
Enables the user to send pictures, text and voice at one go through their MMS
handsets.
Colour pictures can be sent.
Photographs can be clicked and sent.
Voice/Sound clips can be attached to the messages.
Messages can be sent to either another phone or an e-mail ID.

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Pre-requisites for MMS
MMS enabled handset.
Activate the facility in the system
Settings for MMS. Settings can be done through automatic mode & manual
mode.
For automatic settings Type MMS and SMS to 2567
Charges : Rs.5/ outgoing message & no rental.
Both prepaid & postpaid customers can use this facility. Can be used while
roaming with network.

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Questions?

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