GSM Network

Architecture
ELET 6302

Motivation

Outline
Introduction and history.
GSM architecture.
Implementation.
Technology and standards.
Summary

Introduction
Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)

Anybody 500 million users (may 2001)

Anywhere 168 countries (may 2001)
Any media voice, messaging, data, multimedia

Source: Hillebrand, 1

GSM Architecture
Home Location Register

BTS = Base Transceiver Station

AuC

Network
Management
Center

AuC = Authentication Center

OMC = Operation and Maintenance Center

Equipment ID

PSTN = Public Switched Telephone Network

Visitor Location
Register

ME = Mobile Equipment

Subscriber
Identity
Module

ME

B
T
S

Subscriber
Identity
Module

ME

B
T
S

Subscriber
Identity
Module

ME

B
T
S

Base station
controller

Mobile
switching
center

OMC

Data
communication
network

PSTN

Source: Stallings, 313

Source: Mehrotra, 27

GSM Architecture
MS Transmission
Band : 890 915
MHZ
45 MHz

BS Transmission
Band : 935 960
MHZ
Year Introduced

1990

Access method

TDMA

Channel Bandwidth

200 kHz

Number of duplex
channels

125

Users per channel

Speech coding bit

rate

13 kbps

Data coding bit rate

12 kbps

Frame size

4.6 ms

SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)

Billions of Calls
Millions of Subscribers
Thousand of Different Types of Telephones
Hundreds of Countries
Dozens of Manufacturers.

Administrative data

And only one Card: The SIM

Security data
Subscriber data
Roaming data
PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network
Source: Hillebrand, 369
http://ucables.com/products/simcards/

Implementation
Receiver
>Channel Decoding

Voice decoding

Deciphering

>De-Interleaving

Demodulation

>Re-formatting

>Channel encoding

Voice encoding

>Interleaving
>Burst generation

Ciphering

Modulation

Amplifier

Transmitter
Central processor, clock and tone, internal bus system, keyboard
(HMI)

SIM = Subscriber Identity Module

Source: Heine, 14

Input filter

O&M Module

HF Transmitter
(HF-TX)
HF Receiver
(HF-RX)

TRX
Digital signal
processing (NF
functionality)

Transmission
system

Output filter

Slow frequency
hopping

Implementation

AbisInterface

Operation and maintenance functionality/clock distribution

Block Diagram of a BTS with one TRX

Source: Heine, 20

GSM Variants
Variant

Uplink
(MHz)

Downlink
(MHz)

Total
Bandwidth

DuplexChannels
frequency

GSM-400

451-458 and
479-486

461-468 and
489-496

Twice 14 MHz

10 MHz

Twice 72

GSM-900
(primary
band)

890-915

935-960

Twice 25 MHz

45 MHz

Twice 124

Extended
GSM-900

880-915

925-960

Twice 35 MHz

45 MHz

Twice 174

GSM-R

876-880

921-925

Twice 4 MHz

45 MHz

Twice 19

DCS-1800 1,710-1,785

1,805-1,880

Twice 75 MHz

95 MHz

Twice 373

PCS-1900

1,930-1,990

Twice 60 MHz

80 MHz

Twice 300

1,850-1,910

Source: Bekkers, 299

Summary
Network architecture
Implementation
Voice application
Data application

References
Bekkers, Rudi. Mobile Communications Standards: GSM, UMTS, TETRA, and
ERMES. Norwood, MA: Artech House, Inc., 2001.
Halonen, Romero, and Melero. GSM, GPRS, and EDGE Performance:
Evolution Towards 3G/UMTS. England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2003.
Hillebrand, Friedhelm. GSM and UMTS: The Creation of Global Mobile
Communications. England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2002.
Heine, Gunnar. GSM Networks: Protocols, Terminology, and Implementation.
Norwood, MA: Artech House, Inc., 1999.
Mehrotra, Asha. GSM System Engineering. Norwood, MA: Artech House, Inc.,
1997.
Harte, Levine, and Livingston. GSM Superphones. United States: APDG
Publishing, Inc. A Division of McGraw-Hill, 1999.