GSM

... a Global Mobile Communication System

 GSM System Architecture

 Mobile Billing System
 Operational Support Platform &
 GrameenPhone Network

December 7, 2021, Slide No 1

GSM System Architecture

 Network Elements
 An example: Call setup
 Running a GSM network
 Present and Future...

December 7, 2021, Slide No 2

 Network Elements – an overview

December 7, 2021, Slide No 3

 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM

BSC
card

VMS EIR

PrePaid MSC SMSC

Node VLR
Telenor Nett
INTERNET
IN

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 4

Mobile Station (MS)
 MS consists of the mobile equipment (the terminal) and a smart card
called the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
 The SIM provides personal mobility, so that the user can have access to
subscribed services irrespective of a specific terminal. By inserting the SIM
card into a GSM terminal, the user is able to receive and make calls at that
terminal, and receive other subscribed services. Without the SIM, the
terminal will not work.
 The mobile equipment is uniquely identified by the International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI).
 The SIM card contains the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
used to identify the subscriber to the system, a secret key for
authentication, and other information.
 The IMEI and the IMSI are independent, thereby allowing personal
mobility.
 The SIM card may be protected against unauthorized use by a password
or personal identity number (PIN).

December 7, 2021, Slide No 5

 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM

BSC
card
 BTS Base Transceiver Station

VMS EIR

PrePaid MSC SMSC

Node VLR
Telenor Nett
INTERNET
IN

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 6

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
 The BTS corresponds to the transceivers and antennas used in
each cell of the network.
 It handles the radio-link protocols with the Mobile Station.
 A BTS may be placed in the center of a cell (omni-directional)
or shooting in one or more specific directions (sectorized). Its
transmitting power defines the size of a cell.
 Each BTS has typically between one and sixteen transceivers
depending on the density of users in the cell.
 In a large urban area, there will potentially be a large number
of BTSs deployed, thus the requirements for a BTS are
ruggedness, reliability, portability, and minimum cost.

December 7, 2021, Slide No 7

Cell concept
 Dominant coverage area
of one BTS sector
 A sectorized BTS typically
shoots in 3 antenna
directions, thus covering
3 sectors or cells
 Because of limited
bandwidth, frequency
channels have to be
reused
 Identical and neighboring
frequencies need to be
distributed away from
each other in order to
avoid noise in terms of
interference.

December 7, 2021, Slide No 8

 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM

BSC
card
 BTS Base Transceiver Station
 BSC Base Station Controller
VMS EIR

PrePaid MSC SMSC

Node VLR
Telenor Nett
INTERNET
IN

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 9

Base Station Controller (BSC)
 The BSC controls a group of BTSs and
manages their radio resources.
 The physical area the BSC covers is divided into
one or more Location Areas.
 BSC handles radio-channel setup, handover,
frequency hopping and the radio frequency
power levels of the BTSs.
 The BSC is the connection between the mobile
station and the Mobile service Switching Center
(MSC).
 Before transmitting speech or data to the MSC
the information is transformed and coded in an
TRANSCODER.

December 7, 2021, Slide No 10

 Handover (HO)
- Intra BSC Handover
- Inter BSC Handover (as illustrated)
- Inter MSC Handover

BSC
BSC
December 7, 2021, Slide No 11
 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM

BSC
card
 BTS Base Transceiver Station
 BSC Base Station Controller
VMS EIR  HLR Home Location Register

PrePaid MSC SMSC

Node VLR
Telenor Nett
INTERNET
IN

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 12

Home Location Register (HLR)
 The HLR is a network database that contains all the
administrative information of each subscriber registered in the
GSM network, along with the current location of the mobile.
 Subscription data states the logical identity of each subscriber
(MS) and which services that are accessible or barred for the
respective subscriber.
 The location of the mobile is typically in the form of the address
of the Visitor Location Register (VLR) associated with the mobile
station. This information is used to route calls and SMS to the
MSC/VLR where the mobile station is currently located.
 The HLR also contains a number of functions for managing these
data, controlling services and enabling subscribers to access and
receive their services when roaming within and outside their
home GSM network.

December 7, 2021, Slide No 13

 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM

BSC
card
 BTS Base Transceiver Station
 BSC Base Station Controller
VMS EIR  HLR Home Location Register
 MSC Mobile services Switching
PrePaid MSC SMSC
Centre
Node VLR  VLR Visitor Location Register
Telenor Nett
INTERNET
IN

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 14

Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) /
Visitor Location Register (VLR)
 The MSC is a very central component of the GSM network. The MSC
performs the switching functions of the network and also provides
connection to other networks.
 It additionally provides all the functionality needed to handle a mobile
subscriber, such as registration, authentication, location updating,
handovers, and call routing to a roaming subscriber.
 The VLR is always implemented together with a MSC; so the area under
control of the MSC is also the area under control of the VLR.
 The VLR contains selected information from a subscriber's HLR necessary for
call control and provisioning of the subscribed services to the visiting user.
 Signaling between functional entities in the Network Subsystem uses
Signaling System Number 7 (SS7).

December 7, 2021, Slide No 15

 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM

BSC
card
 BTS Base Transceiver Station
 BSC Base Station Controller
VMS EIR  HLR Home Location Register
 MSC Mobile services Switching
PrePaid Centre
Node MSC SMSC
 VLR Visitor Location Register
Telenor Nett
 AUC Authentication Centre
INTERNET
IN

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 16

Authentication Centre (AUC)

 The AUC generates authentication and ciphering data.

 The purpose of the authentication security feature is to
protect the network against unauthorized use. It also
protects subscribers by denying the possibility for intruders
to impersonate authorized users.
 The ciphering data is used to ensure that confidentiality
and integrity is kept on the physical radio channels.
Ciphering prevents user information and signalling to be
available or disclosed to unauthorized individuals.

December 7, 2021, Slide No 17

 AUC

HLR  MS Mobile Station = phone + SIM card

BSC  BTS Base Transceiver Station
 BSC Base Station Controller
 HLR Home Location Register
 MSC Mobile services Switching Centre
 VLR Visitor Location Register
 AUC Authentication Centre
VMS EIR  EIR Equipment Identity Register
For blacklisting stolen and unwanted
equipment
PrePaid  SMSC Short Message Service ”Support” Centre
Node MSC SMSC  VMS Voice Messaging System
 PrePaid Node Hosting GP Prepaid services
Telenor Nett
 IN Intelligent Network
IN
INTERNET  PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network
 PABX Private Automatic Branch Exchange

PSTN PSTN PABX MSC BSC

Fixed network International

December 7, 2021, Slide No 18