Mobile Communications

A Brief Overview
Generations of Mobile Communications
• 1 G – Analog (AMPS)

• 2 G – Digital (GSM, CDMA)

• 3 G – IMT 2000
 International Mobile Telecommunications

 2000 meant

 Year it was supposed to go into service

 Frequency to operate in MHz

 Bandwidth in kHz
 Introduction – Air Interface

• FDMA : Frequency Division Multiple Access

• TDMA : Time Division Multiple Access

• CDMA : Code Division Multiple Access

 FDMA
FDMA puts each call on a separate channel
(frequency band).

Frequency

Channel

Time
 TDMA
TDMA assigns each call a certain portion of time on
a designated frequency.

Frequency Time Slot

Channel

Time
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 CDMA
CDMA gives a unique code to each call and
spreads it over the available frequencies and time
slots
 Multiple Band
• A phone that has multiple-band capability can
switch frequencies.

• A quad-band GSM phone could use GSM

service in the 850-MHz, 900-MHz, 1800-MHz or
1900-MHz band.
 Multiple Mode
• In cell phones, "mode" refers to the type of
transmission technology used.
• A phone that supports GSM and CDMA
could switch back and forth as needed.
• GSM and CDMA SIM cards available in
single handset.
• Introduced in INDIA by SPICE Telecom.
System Architecture
 Mobile Station

The Mobile Station is made up of two entities:

• Mobile Equipment (ME)

• Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

 Mobile Station
Mobile Equipment

• Produced by many different manufacturers

• Must obtain approval from the standardization
body
• Uniquely identified by an IMEI (International
Mobile Equipment Identity)
 Mobile Station
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

• Smart card containing the International Mobile

Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
• Allows user to send and receive calls and receive
other subscribed services
• Encoded network identification details
• Protected by a password or PIN
• Can be moved from phone to phone – contains
key information to activate the phone
 Base Station Subsystem
Base Station Subsystem is composed of two
parts that communicate with each other

• Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

• Base Station Controller (BSC)

 Base Station Subsystem

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

• Houses the radio transceivers

that define a cell
• Towers that mark the
boundaries of the cell
• Requirements for BTS:
• Ruggedness
• Reliability
• Portability
• Minimum costs
 Base Station Subsystem
Base Station Controller (BSC)

• Manages resources for BTS

• Handles call set up

• Location update

• Handover for each MS

 Network Subsystem
Mobile Switching Center (MSC)

• Switch speech and data connections between:

• Base Station Controllers
• Mobile Switching Centers
• GSM-networks
• Other external networks

• Three main jobs:

1) connects calls from sender to receiver
2) collects details of the calls made and received
3) supervises operation of the rest of the network
components
 Network Subsystem
• Home Location Registers (HLR)
contains administrative information of each subscriber
current location of the mobile
• Visitor Location Registers (VLR)
contains selected administrative information from the
HLR
authenticates the user
tracks which customers have the phone on and ready
to receive a call
periodically updates the database on which phones are
turned on and ready to receive calls
A MOBILE or A CELL phone??
 CELL Structure
• The carrier chops up an area,
K=7
such as a city, into cells
• Cell size depends on current load.
E.g. IMT N
4
• Additional traffic appears as noise 3 5
to other users “Network Busy” 1
2 6
• If the noise level is too high users 7
drop out of calls.
• Each cell has a base station that
consists of a tower and a small
building containing the radio
equipment.
 Handoff
• Continuous signal strength measurement by
the home base station
• Coordination between the home BS and the
one being approached through the MTSO
• This handoff switches your phone to the new
cell.
 HANDOFF – HARD and SOFT
Hard handover

• When a call is in process the changes in location

require more processing
• Within a BSS the BSC, which knows the current radio
link configuration, prepares an available channel in
the new BTS
• The MS is told to switch over to the new BTS
 HANDOFF – HARD and SOFT

Soft handover

In a soft handover the MS is connected to

two BTS’s simultaneously
 Types of Handoff
Intra MSC movement

HLR

3 VLR1 VLR2
2
MSC1 MSC2
4
1
LA1 LA2
 Types of Handoff
Inter-MSC movement
HLR
4
3
VLR2 VLR1
5
2
MSC1 MSC2
6
1
LA1 LA2
 Types of Handoff
Inter-VLR movement
HLR
7 5
8 4
VLR1 3 VLR2
2

MSC1 MSC2 1 6

LA1 LA2
 Call Flow Process
Landline - Mobile
• The telephone number associated with the
phone user is dialled.
• The call is routed to the mobile phone
operator s GMSC.
• The GMSC, as the name suggests, acts as
the "entrance" from exterior portions of the
network.
 Call Flow Process
Landline - Mobile
• So the first job of the Gateway MSC is to
determine the current location of the
mobile phone in order to connect the call.

• It does this by consulting the Home

Location Register (HLR), which, knows
which Visitor Location Register (VLR) the
phone is associated with.
Determine how to route the call
• When the HLR receives this query
message, it determines whether the call
should be routed to another number (called
a divert), or if it is to be routed directly to the
mobile.
• If the owner of the phone has previously
requested that all incoming calls be diverted
to another number, known as the Call
Forward Unconditional (CFU) Number, then
this number is stored in the HLR.
Determine how to route the call
• If that is the case, then the CFU number is
returned to the Gateway MSC for immediate
routing to that destination.

• If the mobile phone is not currently

associated with a VLR then the HLR returns
a number known as the Call Forward Not
Reachable number to the Gateway MSC,
and the call is forwarded there
 Determine how to route the call

• If the HLR knows that the phone is roaming in a

particular VLR area,

• then it will request a temporary number from that VLR.

• This number is relayed back to the Gateway MSC

• Then used to route the call to the MSC where the

called phone is roaming
 Ringing the phone
• When the call arrives at the Visiting MSC

• It pages all the mobile phone in the area in

order to inform the phone that there is an
incoming call for it.

• If the subscriber answers, a speech path is

created through the Visiting MSC and
Gateway MSC back to the network of the
person making the call, and a normal
telephone call follows.
 Wireless challenges
• Path loss and fading
– Buildings, trees etc. block or weaken
signals
• Reflected signals
– Multiple copies of a signal with small timing
differences
– Even fading due to interference
• Flash crowds
– The customer's traffic patterns are difficult
to predict
Revolutionising Urban INDIA

• Business Transactions
– Banking Industry
• Mobile Banking
• SMS Alerts
– Share Transactions
– Ticketing
 Revolutionising Urban INDIA
• Facilitating Marketing
– SMS Advertisements
– Product Information
– General Awareness
– Mass Campaigning
 Revolutionising Urban INDIA…
• Booming Entertainment
Industry
• RINGTONES
• VIDEO CLIPS
• WALLPAPERS
• MOBILE GAMES
• CAMERA
• RADIO
• MUSIC
 Substituting Computers
• MOBILE INTERNET
• GRPS
• GPS
 Revolutionising life in Rural INDIA
A Research By Nokia
• HEALTH CARE
Better connect rural communities
Networks to share information & advice
• Education
Via mobiles to children in remote villages
• Governance
Platform to access Information & Services
Using TEXT,DATA,AUDIO
Revolutionising Economic & Social
life in Rural INDIA
• Finance
 Tool for financial transactions by swapping
airtime for goods and services
 Transfer credits into cash
• Micro-commerce
 Significant distances Between markets
 Change the logistical issues
• Transport
 Provide real-time information about public
transport services
THANK YOU