IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

ACN

GSM
Global System for Mobile communication

Rainer Bernhard

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
1

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

Content
History GSM Architecture Radio Interface GSM Security GSM Services GPRS EDGE Possible Questions References

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
2

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

History of GSM
1982: Groupe Spcial Mobile created by CEPT 1987: GSM MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) 1989: Groupe Spcial Mobile becomes part of ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) 1990: GSM-900 Standard 1991: DCS-1800 Standard 1992: Launch of commercial GSM-900 providers 2000: Standardization activities transferred to 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project)

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
3

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Architecture Overview

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
4

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Architecture
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
The BSS is responsible for handling traffic and signaling between a mobile station (MS) and the Network Switching Subsystem (NSS).

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

- Equipment for transmitting and receiving radio signals - Antennas - Encrypting and decrypting communications with the BSC.

Base Station Controller (BSC)

- Allocation of radio channels - Receives measurement from the mobile phones - Controls handovers from BTS to BTS - Transcoding (compressing/decompressing)

Packet Control Unit (PCU)

- Processing tasks for packet data.

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
5

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Architecture (2)

Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)
The NSS carries out switching functions and manages the communications between mobile phones and the Publich Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Mobile Switching Center (MSC)

- Provides circuit switched calling - mobility management (roaming) - (traditional) GSM services

Home Location Register (HLR)

- central database containing details of each mobile phone subscriber

Authentication Center (AUC)

- function to authenticate each SIM card that attempts to connect to the GSM core network.

Visitor Location Register (VLR)

- temporary database of the subscribers who have roamed into the area it serves.

Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
6

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Architecture (3)

GPRS Core Network
The GPRS Core Network is the centralised part of the GPRS system and provides mobility managment, session management and transport for Internet Protocol packet services.

Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)

- packet routing and transfer - mobility management (roaming) - logical link management - authentication and charging functions

Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)

- interface to external packet data networks - packet conversion - IP address assignment - authentication and charging functions

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
7

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Architecture (4)

Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
The OMC is used to secure the operation of the GSM network. In case of big (regional) networks many OMCs are administrated by a Network Management Center (NMC).

Mobile Station (MS)

The MS is the mobile equipment with antenna, power supply, speaker, microphone used for communication.

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

- GSM network (provider) specific data

Transmission Power
- 2 watts for GSM-900 - 1 watt for DSC-1800

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
8

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Radio Interface

GSM uses two multiplexing methods: FDMA-frequency multiplexing and TDMAtime multiplexing. Frequency Division Multiple Access Time Division Multiple Access
Duplex distance 45 MHz

uplink
890 915

downlink
935 960

880

900

920

940

960

980

MHz

TDMA Frame frame duration 4.615 ms 8 time slots

GSM-900: 124 carrier frequency channels 200kHz

Duplex distance 95 MHz

uplink
1710 1785 1805

downlink
1880

1700

1750

1800

1850

1900

980

MHz

DCS-1800: 374 carrier frequency channels 200kHz

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
9

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Radio Interface (2)

Channel Codecs
Full Rate (FR)
- 13 kbit/s

Half Rate (HR)

- 6 kbit/s

Enhanced Full Rate (GSM-EFR)

- 12.2 kbit/s

Adaptive Multi-rate (AMR-NB)

- 8 codecs with 4.75 to 12.2 kbit/s - uses optimized link adaptation (selects one codec based on link conditions)
Rainer Bernhard Graz, 14.06.2007 GSM
10

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Security
designed with a moderate level of security several cryptographic algorithms
- A5/1 (stronger) and A5/2 (weaker) stream ciphers

Authentication using shared-secret cryptography

- Key stored on SIM card - Key never sent over air interface

Serious weaknesses in both algorithms

- Possible to break A5/2 in real-time

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
11

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Services
Standard collection of applications and features available to mobile phone subscribers all over the world.

Voice calls
outgoing calls
handled by the Visited MSC (Mobile Switching Center)

incoming calls
handled by the Gateway MSC

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
12

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Services (2)

Data transmission
Circuit-switched data protocols
Circuit Switched Data (CSD)
uses single radio time slot 9.6 kbit/s 14.4 kbit/s (single time slot) by using different error correction can use multiple time slots

High-Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCD)

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

packet-switched data transmission protocol incorporated into GSM standard in 1997

Short Message Service (SMS)

means of sending messages of up to 160 characters

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
13

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

GSM Services (3)

GSM supports a comprehensive set of supplemenatry services that complement and support the telephony and data services shown before.

Supplementary Services
- Call Forwarding - Barring of Outgoing/Incoming Calls - Call Hold - Call Waiting - Mulitparty Service (Conference) - Calling Line Identification

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
14

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

Enhancement to GSM standard introduced in 1997 GPRS is packet-switched
Supports Point-to-Point service (IP and X.25 networks)

Multiple users share same transmission channel

theoretical limit is 160 kbit/s (using 8 time slots 20 kbit/s) practical bit rates are 32-80 kbit/s (max. 4 time slots depending on channel coding)

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
15

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) (2)

GPRS data services
GPRS upgrades GSM data services providing: Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) Push to Talk (PTT) Instant Messaging Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Point-to-Point (PTP) service

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
16

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

EDGE
Enhanced Datarate for GSM Evolution (also EGPRS)
Technology that allows to increase data transmission and improve data transmission quality.

bolt-on enhancement to GSM/GPRS networks introduced in 2003

requires no HW or SW changes in the GSM core networks

uses 8 phase shift keying (8PSK)

produces a 3-bit word for every change in carrier phase

data rates up to 236.8 kbit/s for 4 timeslots (theoretical max. 473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots) accepted as part of the IMT-2000 family of 3G standards

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
17

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

Possible Questions
What are the components of a GSM network? Describe the GSM architecture. What GSM services do you know? Name some GSM services. What is the main advantage of GPRS?

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
18

IAIK - Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication

References
UMTSlink.at Das Mobilefunkportal
http://umtslink.at

GSM World
http://www.gmsworld.com

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_System_for_Mobile_Communications

Rainer Bernhard

Graz, 14.06.2007

GSM
19