General Packet Radio Service

KIRAN. R
(1nh02ec058)
 Outline

• History
• What is GPRS & It’s need
• Comparison
• GPRS architecture
• Application
• Limitations
• Conclusion
 GPRS History

• Established by ETSI(European
Telecommunications Standards Institute)
• GSM phase 1 --- 1992
• GSM phase 2 --- 1996
• GPRS begin in 1994 and published at the
end of 1997
 What is GPRS?
• A new bearer service for GSM that greatly
improves and simplifies wireless access to
packet data networks,e.g to the internet.
 Need for GPRS….
• Existing Cellular networks have problems:
– Data Rates too slow – about 9.6 kbps
– Connections setup too long & complicated
– Proves expensive for bursty traffic utilization
– Inefficient resource utilization for bursty traffic
– No efficient method for packet transfers
– Not User friendly billing
 GPRS Objectives
• GPRS uses packet switched resource allocation
• Dynamic channel allocation
– 1 to 8 time slots
– Available resources shared by active users
– Up and down link channels reserved separately
– GPRS and circuit switched (GSM) services can use
same time slots alternatively
• GPRS also carries SMS in data channels rather
than signaling channels as in GSM
• Connections with data networks
– IP network,X.25,GPRS own protocols
 Packet-switched technique
vs. circuit-switched
• In circuit-switching, resources (e.g. a channel) are
allocated to user for duration of connection
– Inefficient use of resources
– User pays for the whole connection
• In packet-switching, resources are allocated to
user only for the time it takes to send each packet
– A channel can serve many users
– User pays by the packet
– Ideal for bursty data connections
– High QoS: channel maintains real-time connection
 Comparison
 Packet-switched
– High bit rates (up to
170kbit/s)
– Shared bandwidth
– Variable access times
– Friendly bill (based on
volume)
– Robust application
support
• Frequent transmission of
small volumes
• Infrequent transmission of
small or medium volumes
 Circuit-switched
– Low bit rates
(14.4kbit/s)
– Reserved bandwidth
– Fixed access time
– Unfriendly bill (based
on duration)
– Limited application
support
• Large volumes
Comparison between GPRS &
Circuit-switched
GPRS architecture
 GPRS architecture

• Requires addition of a new class of

nodes called GSNs (GPRS Support
Nodes)
– SGSN: Serving GPRS Support Node,
– GGSN: Gateway GPRS Support Node
 GPRS Components
• GPRS support node(GSN)
– Packet routing and transfer within
PLMN(Public Land Mobile Network)
• Gateway GPRS support node(GGSN)
– Acts as a logical interface to external
PDN(Packet Data Network)
• Serving GPRS support node(SGSN)
– Delivery of packets to the MSs within its
service area
 GGSN : Gateway GPRS support
node

• Interfaces GPRS backbone network &

external packet data networks

• PDP (Packet data protocol)addresses

change to GSM addresses

• many-to- many relations among SGSNs &

GGSNs
 SGSN : Serving GPRS Support
Node

• Delivers data packets from and to

mobile stations
• Packet Routing and Transfer
• Mobility Management
• Logical Link Management
 Service type of GPRS
• GPRS provides two types of services:
– PTP (Point-To-Point)
• Connectionless: IP
• Connection-oriented: X.25
– PTM (Point-To-Multipoint)
• Multicast Service (PTM-M)
• Group Call Service (PTM-G)
 Three Modes of Operation

• Class A
– possibility to have simultaneously a circuit switched
connection and a packet switched connection
• Class B
– possibility to be attached for both Circuit and Packet
Switching but can not use both services at the same
time.
• Class C
– allow to be attached to only one service at a time. (pure
GSM or pure GPRS)
 GSM v/s GPRS
Auth.
Auth. Email via GPRS
Email via GSM Server Email
Server Email
Server
Modem Modem
Server User
User
GPRS Internet
GSM PSTN Internet

Virtual GPRS Authenticated path to

Data Tunnel Email server

INITIAL CALL PROCESS TIME (s) INITIAL CALL PROCESS TIME (s)

• GSM Call 4 • GPRS Call 4

• Train Modem 30 • Login and Authenticate 11
• Login and Authenticate 11 • Download mail 180
• Download mail 180

Total 3 min 45s Total 3 min 15s

SUBSEQUENT CALL SUBSEQUENT CALL

• Repeat Above 3 min 45s • Not applicable –

Permanent Virtual Circuit 0min 0s
 Applications….
• Web browsing •Chat
• E-mail
•Image
• Banking
Transactions •Audio
• Stock Market
•Video
Updates
• News •GPS(Global Positioning
• Weather & Traffic System)
reports
 Limitations

• New Terminals required

• Actual Speeds may vary – may come down
to about 38.4 kbps
• Packet switching can lead to delays
affecting the Quality of Service
• Could have an impact on cell capacity
• Its data rate is limited by the availability of
time slots
 Conclusions
• GPRS is a part in the transition from 2G to 3G
• GPRS is economical for the operators
• Because of its salient features & implementations
over different cellular bearers, over 100 million
subscribers of 2G TDMA based technologies will
benefit
• With little cost & major benefits, GPRS provides
easy solution to ISPs
• Will pave the way for UMTS & EDGE