The GSM System Global System for Mobile Communications

Magne Pettersen map@teleplan.no (acknowledgements: Per Hjalmar Lehne, Rune Harald Rkken, Knut Erik Walter, Anders Spilling)

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

GSM status (end 2006)

2.18 billion connections in 212 countries 82 % market share globally An incredible industry success!

But, let us take a few steps back

GSM The idea of a common European mobile communications system

1982: A Nordic group is considering the next generation of mobile telephone. NMT (Nordisk Mobil Telefon), the analogue first generation system has only just been started These ideas are presented to CEPT (European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) in June 1982 September 1982: The first meeting in CEPT GSM Groupe Spcial Mobile In 1988 ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) is established and the work is continued under a new name: SMG Special Mobile Group

GSM - Specifications
Original specifications for the GSM system:
Good subjective voice quality Low terminal and service cost Support for international roaming Support for handheld terminals Support for new services Spectrum efficient Compatible with ISDN

GSM - Growth

1991: First operational GSM network in Finland: Radiolinja 1993: Tele-mobil (later: Telenor Mobil) and NetCom GSM open their networks in Norway 1998: GSM 1800 is deployed to increase capacity in cities and other densely populated areas
3 200 3 000 2 800 2 600 2 400 2 200 2 000 1 800 1 600 1 400 1 200 1 000 800 600 400 200 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 20 % 10 %
9M01 1983 1985 1991 1993 1987 1982 1988 1989 1995 1996 1997 1984 1986 1990 1992 1994 1998 1999

0%

TM NMT

TM GSM

NetCom

2000

GSM improvements 2.5 G

The need for data services increase:
In 1998-99 the HSCSD High Speed Circuit Switched Data - is standardised. Introduced in Norway 1. July 2001 (Telenor) I 1999 packet switching using GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is standardised. Introduced in Norway 1. February 2001 (Telenor)
Theoretical data rates up to 171 kbit/s

"2.5 G" EDGE Enhanced Datarates for GSM Evolution

Standardised in 2001-2002 Introduced in September 2004 deployment ongoing Theoretical data rates up to 373 kbit/s

Some GSM terminals

Development..

Sony Ericsson W950i the Walkman phone

HTC P4350 Pocket computer running Windows

Some more GSM terminals

Nokia N95 Samsung Blackjack iPhone Apples Mobile phone initiative with everything, e.g. GPS built in

Competing standards
The CDMA family of standards is the second largest group of mobile communications systems
340 million connections (November 2006)

Standard developed in USA Strongest standing in the Americas Also other

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

High level network architecture (1/2)

Services / Applications

Access Network (AN) SIM ME:

Mobile equipment

Core Network (CN)

Ext. network

UE: User equipment

High level network architecture (2/2)

The network contains functionally of: User Equipment (UE), Access Network (AN), and Core Network (CN)
User equipment: Interfaces the user, handles radio functionality Access network: Communication to and from the user equipment, handles all radio related functionality in the network Core network: Communication between access network and external networks, handles all switching and routing

Services and applications lie above the network

GSM user equipment

User equipment: Mobile equipment (ME) + SIM card
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) contains encryption key and personal data The user is uniquely identified through International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) The mobile equipment is uniquely identified through International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) Both equipment and user uniquely identified SIM = Subscriber Identity Module

SIM

ME

GSM Radio Access Network (GRAN)

cell

cell

Abis BTS

Gb

Packet domain

BSC

A Circuit domain

BTS

BSC

Elements in GSM radio access network

Base Transceiver Station (BTS):
The base station, radio access point. The coverage area of one BTS is a cell

Base Station Controller (BSC)

Controls a number of BTSs. Owns and controls the radio resources within its domain

GRAN must handle interfaces towards both a packet switched (packet domain) and a circuit switched (circuit domain) part of the core network

Some base station equipment

Some more base station equipment

Typical macro cell

Typical micro cell

Open interfaces access network

The interfaces between network elements must be well defined to achieve open interfaces, i.e. different network elements can be delivered by different vendors Interfaces in GRAN:
Um: The air interface between the mobile equipment and the BTS Abis: Interface between BTS and BSC A: Interface between GRAN and circuit switched part of core network (CN). Gb: Interface between GRAN and packet switched part of the core network (CN)

GSM core network

Service platforms HLR

External networks

PSTN/ISDN

GRAN
Gb SGSN

MSC

GMSC

IP network GGSN

Elements in GSM core network

MSC Mobile Switching Centre
Switch in the circuit domain. Contains copy of service profile for all users currently in the MSC coverage area (Visiting Location Register VLR, not shown explicitly in figure)

GMSC Gateway MSC

Handles all traffic to and from GSM and external circuit switched networks, such as PSTN, ISDN or other mobile networks

HLR Home Location Register

Database containing a master copy of all the mobile operators subscribers. There is only one logical HLR per GSM network. HLR contains information about e.g. permitted services and permitted roaming networks

SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node and GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node have similar functionality as MSC / GMSC, but for the packet switched part of the network. GGSN handles connections to external IP networks Also open interfaces between network elements. Not discussed here.

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

Fundamental functionality
The following functions are described:
Circuit switched connectivity Packet switched connectivity Mobile messaging Security Roaming Choice of network Location update Handover

Circuit Switched connectivity

ISDN Mobile network

Fixed connection and reserved resources while the communication lasts.

(Mobile) telephony Circuit switched data, e.g. WAP, mobile office solutions using data cards etc.

Transparent channel with defined performance Billing typically per time unit and dependant on transport data rate Standard GSM: up to 14.4 kbit/s (more using HSCSD - High Speed Circuit Switched Data)

Packet Switched connectivity

Mobile network

Internet or different IP network

Resources allocated only when data is transferred Same path through network can be maintained (but not necessarily) Billing typically dependant on amount of data transferred (or fixed tarrifs) GPRS: Theoretically up to 171 kbit/s, typically 40 50 kbit/s 4 different quality classes for packet bearer services:
Background Interactive Streaming Conversational Typically automatic download of email, MMS Typically web/WAP-browsing, MMS, games Network radio, video streaming, web TV Voice, video conferencing

Mobile messaging formats

SMS: Short Message Service
Text based service to transfer up to 160 characters per message (solutions exist to connect messages into longer messages, and also to carry other types of content ring tones, logos)

MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service

A service for multimedia content, such as text, picture, sound, video

Both SMS and MMS are store and forward services, i.e. messages are intermediately stored in the network

Security functions
The purpose of security functions is to protect users and network against improper and illegal use:
Verify that the user has a valid subscription Protect the users identity against tracking Protection against wiretapping on the radio connection

The mechanisms in GSM are based on secure storage of information in the users SIM card

Roaming (1/2)
Home network

ISDN (country A)

International network Visiting network

ISDN (country B)

Circuit switched call to a mobile in a visiting network

Roaming (2/2)
Home network

ISDN (country A)

International network Visiting network

ISDN (country B)

Mobile to mobile call in a visiting network

Effect referred to as tromboning

Choice of network
In GSM the following procedure is followed:
The latest used network is stored on the SIM As long as a cell that fulfils the criteria is available from this network, the mobile will not search for alternatives (the exception is national roaming, in which case the mobile will periodically search for the home network and connect when this becomes available) If the previously used network is not available, the mobile searches for alternative networks The mobiles can perform manually or automatic choice of network

Location Area / Routing Area (1/2)

HLR RA 1 LA 1
..IMSI >LAI,RAI ..............

RA 2 LA 2

In GSM this is defined as follows:

Location area LA is the area in which the network is searching for a registered mobile (not currently active) for circuit switched services Routing area RA: Similarly for packet switched service

Location Area / Routing Area (2/2)

The dependency between LA and RA is dependant on the practical realisation of the network. Normally they will be identical LA and RA contain a number of cells that can be reached from the MSC or SGSN LA and RA information for each mobile is stored in the HLR (in the home network) The mobile is responsible for updating the LA/RA information

Location update
A location update is performed when:
The mobile is connecting to a cell and discovers that the LAI read is different than the one stored in the mobile The mobile has been turned on, but not used, for a pre-defined period of time since the last location update (periodic location update)

IMSI detach/attach:
An additional function where the mobile informs that it is turned on or off (in the same LA), saves resources on the radio interface and leads to fater response on incoming calls

Periodic detach
A network functionality where the network assumes that the mobile has been turned off if periodic location update has not been performed and no other activity has been observed for a pre-defined amount of time

Handover
To connect a call or communication session from one cell to another (or to a different channel in the same cell) Is normally performed because the signal level from the current cell is becoming to low, but can also be done for different reasons, such as too much traffic in a cell

Types of handover

Intra cell (to another channel in the same cell) (1) Inter cell, intra BSC (2) Inter BSC, intra MSC (3) Inter MSC (4) In addition inter system handover can sometimes be performed, e.g. GSM to UMTS
Complicated, special rules apply

Type of handover has network implications, but the algorithms to decide handover are the same

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

GSM radio interface Main characteristics

Frequency bands:
GSM 900:
890 915 MHz: Uplink (MS transmit) 935 - 960 MHz: Downlink (MS receive)

GSM 1800:
1710 - 1885 MHz: Uplink 1805 - 1880 MHz: Downlink

Carrier bandwidth: Channels / carrier: Multiple access: Duplex: Gross bit rate pr carrier: Modulation: Spectrum efficiency:

200 kHz 8 TDMA / FDMA FDD 270,833 kbit/s GMSK 1.35 bps/Hz

Radio parameters:
MS: Sensitivity: -104 (-102) dBm Typical 106 dBm Max. output power: 33 (30) dBm BTS: Sensitivity: -104 (-104) dBm Typical: 107 dBm Max. output power: 43 dBm

Numbers in parenthesis for GSM-1800

Channels in GSM900

45 MHz
8 8 7 7 6 6 45 45 23 23 4 1 1 4 123 124

1 2

123124

200 kHz

890 MHz MS transmit

915 MHz

935 MHz MS receive

960 MHz

TDMA - principle
GSM uses TDMA within each carrier Each user occupies the entire carrier one time slot pr. time frame
8 slots per frame

GSM Channel structure

25 MHz 124 carriers

Burst period
Time slot 1 Time slot 2 ..

Logical channels built up of physical channels

Control channels Traffic channels

577 s
=Physical channel

Logical channels divided between:

Dedicated channels Common channels
TDMA frame

= 4.615 ms
Time slot 8

GSM traffic channels

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 frame length: 120 ms

BP0 BP1 BP2 BP3 BP4 BP5 BP6 BP7 TDMA frame length: 4.6 ms

57 Data bit

26 Training sequence

57

3 8.25

Data bit
Normal burst

Traffic channels (TCH) are used to carry voice or data

Typically uses one time slot per frame Gross data rate per TCH: 22 kbps
Effective data rate lower because of forward error correction

Some GSM control channels

BCCH FCCH SCH RACH AGCH PCH
Broadcast Control CHannel Continuously transmitted from the BTS. Contains information about cell identity, frequency etc. Frequency Correction CHannel / Synchronisation CHannel Used to correct/synchronise the frequency (FCCH) + time synchronise to the frame structure. Each cell has a FCCH and a SCH Random Access CHannel Used by the mobile to send a request to the network for access. This is a slotted Aloha channel, no pre-allocation possible Access Grant CHannel Used by the network to inform the mobile that access has been granted and information about which channel to use Paging CHannel Used by the network to notify users about incoming calls.

Error correction coding in GSM

The different channels in GSM require different degree of protection, and therefore have different Forward Error Correction (FEC) schemes However, three types of techniques are often combined:
Block coding, well suited to detect and correct bursts of error Convolutional coding, high performance but not optimal for bursts of errors Interleaving, spreading neighbouring bits out, to decorrelate the relative position

Block coding
GSM uses two types of block codes:
Fire code 224 / 184 (control channels only)
k = 184 t = 20

Parity codes (only error detection, e.g. RACH)

No block codes used on data channels

Convolutional coding
When choosing depth (register length) in a convolutional code there is a trade-off between complexity and performance
GSM uses a register length of 5

Example of GSM rate convolutional code shown in figure (used e.g. on a number of traffic channels)

Interleaving
Whitening process", optimising the conditions for the convolutional coder Fundamentally important that the interleaving spreads the bit errors out Interleaving depth improves performance, but also increases delay GSM: Interleaving depth 4 19 Figure shows example with interleaving depth 4
Write in vertically, read out horizontally On reception, do the reverse process

Forward error correction - Overview

Information bits from source (voice, data)

Outer Block Coding

Inner Convolutional coding

Interleaving

Encryption, modulation

Forward error correction

Radio channel + noise

Information bits to receiver

Block decoding

Convolutional decoding

Denterleaving

Demod., ch. equalising, decryption

Modulation
Assuming that everyone is familiar with digital modulation :-) Considerations upon choosing modulations scheme:
Spectrum efficiency Out of band emission (rapid drop off desired to limit adjacent channel interference) Constant envelope desired for low cost amplifiers, e.g. in handheld equipment

Always a trade off

In GSM: GMSK Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying is used

GMSK (1/2)
Leftmost figure show spectrum for MSK, QPSK and BPSK Rightmost figure shows envelope for different QPSK type modulation schemes
MSK has constant envelope, relatively low sidelobes

GMSK (2/2)
GMSK further reduces sidelobes by using a Gaussian filter
Cost: introduces inter-symbol-interference (ISI)

Figures show time and frequency response

GSM uses BT = 0.3

Channel equaliser
Because of reflections, diffractions etc. in the radio channel, time dispersion is often experienced
Transmitted signal arriving at the receiver from various directions over a multiplicity of paths Broadening of transmitted pulse, inter symbol interference (ISI) Frequency selective fading

Must be counteracted by using some sort of equalisation

Maximum likelihood sequence estimator

GSM uses a Maximum Likelihood Sequence estimator (MLSE) MLSE looks conceptually like shown in the figure below The impulse response of the radio channel is calculated A Viterbi algorithm is used to estimate the most likely (Maximum Likelihood - ML) symbol sequence MLSE is an optimal technique in terms of removing ISI, but the complexity increases exponentially with the length of the channel response GSM uses a MLSE which operates over 5 bit periods (approx. 16 s)

Power control
GSM uses power control, adjusting transmit power level in accordance with path loss Advantages:
Reduces interference Reduces power consumption

Can also be used on downlink Manner of operation, GSM:

The system (BSC) measures bit error rate (BER) Transmit power adjusted up or down according to target value Step size 2 dB Maximum update interval: 60 ms

Power control - Example

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

Fundamentals
Planning and deploying a GSM network is from an operators point of view a question of:
Build as few sites as possible, while maintaining required coverage and capacity Trade off

Coverage limited and capacity limited

A network can be either
Coverage limited:
The radio coverage decides the BTS density Typically rural areas, large cells, high masts Macrocells

Capacity limited:
The traffic decides the BTS density Typically urban areas, small cells, low BTS position Microcells

Frequency reuse
Frequencies can not be reused in every cell due to co-channel interference (CCI) A cell cluster uses all the operators frequencies (A, B, C, E, F, G, H in Figure) Co channel interference level decided by
Cell clustre size, and thereby Frequency reuse distance (D in Figure) Propagation properties Can be reduced by different techniques:
Sectorisation Cell splitting

Typical cell cluster size in GSM: 7

Coverage map example

Unfortunately cell coverage is normally neither hexagonal or circular Figure shows coverage example from a city centre Complicates radio planning

Hierarchical cell structures

In a GSM system it is common that cells of different sizes co-exist in that same area: Picocells, microcells, macrocells This is called hierarchical cell structure Can make handover (cell change) complicated. Often different types of users are reserved for one cell type, e.g.: Users walking indoors on picocell, users walking outdoor on microcell, users driving use macrocell

Radio planning tools

Radio planning is most often performed assisted by an automated process using a computer Underlying functionality
Digital maps Propagation modelling System parameters and system performance Traffic assumptions and theory

Often theoretical computer based modelling can be tuned by real life data
Propagation measurements Live network traffic data

Example Astrix

Content
Introduction Network architecture Fundamental functionality Physical layer / radio interface Radio planning GSM in the future

GSM development
GPRS and EDGE has introduced packet data and support for higher data rates into GSM UMTS is a 3G technology building on GSM core network, which is backwards compatible with GSM
GSM-UMTS handover supported Almost all UMTS terminals are also GSM terminals

HSDPA / HSUPA (High Speed Downlink/Uplink Packet Access) supports real mobile broadband
2G 2.5G
1999

2.75G

3G
2002

3.5G
2006/2007

GSM

GPRS

UMTS (WCDMA)

HSDPA / HSUPA

171 kbit/s EDGE

2 Mbit/s

14.4 Mbit/s

384 kbit/s

Trends (1) Convergence

Mobile communications system become more broadband At the same time computer network solutions start to support mobility (e.g. WiFi, WiMAX)
Mobile goes broadband and broadband goes mobile? Everything comes together?

Trends (2) Horizontal integration

The same services become available on different platforms and on different devices IP is the glue Will mobile circuit switch disappear?
Service 1 Service 2 Service n

IP
WiMAX Satellite WLAN Fixed line GSM 3G

Thank you for your attention!