GSM Architecture

BSS Rao

GSM Faculty
GSM Architecture
1. What is GSM?
2.History of GSm
3.NE s in GSM
4.Physical connectivity
5.Interfaces
 GSM
• Global Mobile System
• A digital mobile system enabled for more
sophisticated services
 History of GSM
• GSM began in 1982
• GSM was a European wide project from
beginning
• GSM used in more than 130 countries
• Originated from 1G ->2G->2.5G->3G
• 3G version is named as UMTS
• 3G Network provide higher capacity than
the older generations
 Subsystems in GSM
BSS Base Station Subsystem
NSS Network Switching Subsystem
NMS Network Management Subsystem
 BSS
• BTS (Base Tranceiver Station)
• BSC (Base Station Controller)
• TC (Transcoder )
 NSS
• GMSC(Gateway Mobile services switching
Centre)
• MSC (Mobile Services switching centre)
• VLR (Visitor Location Register)
• HLR (Home Location Register)
• AC (Authentication centre)
• EIR (Equipment Identity Register)
 NMS
• OMC R( R for Radio)
• OMC S( S for Switch)
 Functions of BSS
• Managing Radio Network
• Radio Path control
• Synchronization
• Mobility management
• Speech transcoding
 Functions of NSS
• Call control
• Charging
• Signaling
• Subscriber data handling
• Mobility management
 Functions of NMS
• Monitoring network
• gives info. in the form of reports
 Mobile Station
• Mobile Phone is called MS
• ME + SIM= MS
 MS
• Operator issues SIM card when user joins
• Serial no. of the mobile Instrument is IMEI
(International Mobile equipment identity)
• IMEI is unique number in universe
 SIM
• SIM means Subscriber Identity Module
• Data contained in the SIM Card is
1. IMSI of the subscriber
2. Location area identity of the subscriber
3. List of missed calls , Received calls and
List of SMSs etc.
4. List of operators available in the location
area of the subscriber
 BTS Functions
• Synchronization of signals of transmission
• Radio resources management
 BSC Functions
• Control BTSs connected to it
• Performs Inter BTS Handovers
 BSC Functions
• The BSC may decide on intra-BTS
handover and intra-BSC handover without
needing the MSC.
• In contrast, for all BSC external
handovers, the BSC needs to involve the
MSC.
 TC Function
• Conversion of 64kbps to 16kbps and vice
versa
• Used to compact the signals.
• Also used to reduce the data rate at which
traffic is transmitted over air interface
 Necessity of TC
• The 64kbps information if transmitted on
the air interface without modification would
occupy an excessive amount of
bandwidth.
• Therefore the required bandwidth is
reduced to 16Kbps.
 TRAU functions
• The task of the TRAU is to compress or
decompress speech between the MS and the
TRAU.
• The used method is called regular pulse
excitation–long term prediction (RPE-LTP).
• It is able to compress speech from 64 Kbps to
16 Kbps, in the case of a full rate channel (net
bit rate with full rate is 13 Kbps) and to 8 Kbps in
the case of a half rate channel (net bit rate with
half rate is 6.5 Kbps).
 MSC Functions

• Call Control
• Routing of call
• Billing
 VLR
• Maintains subscriber information who are
currently in its service area.
• Gives current location of the subscriber
• Temporary Database
 HLR
• Permanent Register of the subscribers
• maintains facilities given to subscriber
 AC
• Verifies SIM cards
• Authentication of SIM is done using
authentication triplets
 EIR
• Used for security purposes
• Checks IMEI
• Contains 3 Lists ( White LIST
GREY LIST
Black LIST )
 Black List

• List consisting of Stolen mobile

Instrument’s Serial nos ie., IMEIs
 BSNL
Network Architecture
1 MSC=16 BSC
1 BSC=1024 TRU
OSS
HLR

B
T
PSTN
S ISDN

B TC TC
T
BSC MSC VLR
S BSC Data
Networks
A Interface
B A-bis interface
T
S

Air interface MSC VLR

14
 GMSC
• GMSC: Call connections between PLMNs ,
routed to a GMSC.The GMSC contains the
Inter working functions to make these
connections
 Interfaces
• MS to BTS ( Air interface)
• BTS to BSC ( Abis Interface)
• BSC to TC ( Ater interface)
• TC to MSC ( A Interface)
• MSC to VLR ( B Interface)
• MSC to HLR ( C Interface)
• HLR to VLR ( D Interface)
 Interfaces
• MSC to other MSC ( E interface)
• MSC to EIR ( F Interface)
• VLR to other VLR ( G Interface)
THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS
OF THE GSM NETWORK