MITA seminar

GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network

Mobile Internet Technical Architecture
Vol.1, pp.169–183

Riitta Ahola, Kimmo Koskinen, Radek Spáčil

October 29th, 2003

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 1/16
Contents
1 Evolution from GSM 3

2 Introduction to EDGE 4

3 Radio Access Networks (RAN) 7

4 GERAN architecture 8

5 GERAN interfaces 9

6 Quality of Service 11

7 Radio protocols 12

8 Questions 15

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 2/16
1 Evolution from GSM
• GSM - circuit switched
– First GSM call made in 1991
– Data transfer with HSCSD (High Speed Circuit
Switched Data)

• GPRS - packet switched, maximum data rate 115 kbps

– GSM and GPRS users share the same Radio Access
Network

→ EDGE is a transition step in migrating towards packet

switching oriented UMTS (3G) networks

[4]

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 3/16
2 Introduction to EDGE
• Supported by (3GPP) Nokia, Ericsson, . . .

• “Add-on” to GSM/GPRS → requires hardware changes

in MS and BSS only
– New physical layer

• New modulation technique allows higher speeds

– Error-tolerant transmission methods
– Link adaptation

• Data rates up to 384 kbps (3x more than GPRS)

• Does not require licence

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 4/16
2 Introduction to EDGE
• EDGE is used with other GSM technologies

• EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS)

– “Light” version of 3G
– Different protocol and behaviour on BTS side
– Uses old protocols with the core network

EGPRS changes only the BSS part of the network [3]

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 5/16
2 Introduction to EDGE
• EHSD (Enhanced High Speed Data)
– More efficient network usage
– Same data speeds, but with fever timeslots

• EAMR (EDGE Adaptive Multi-Rate)

– High quality speech and music
– Same restrictions as in EHSD

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 6/16
3 Radio Access Networks (RAN)
Functional split between the core network and Radio Access
Network

• GERAN (GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network)

3GPP Release 5 defines how to connect to 3G core
network

• UTRAN (UMTS Terrestial Radio Access Network)

WCDMA based RAN for the UMTS

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 7/16
4 GERAN architecture
circuit switched
UTRAN packet switched
signalling
Iur−g

Um BSS 2G − GSM CN
A
MSC

Gb
BTS BSC SGSN

MS Iu−cs
MSC

BTS Iu−ps
SGSN

GERAN 3G − UMTS CN

Iur−g BSC − Base Station Controller

BSS − Base Service Set
BTS − Base Station
another GERAN CN − Core Network
GERAN − GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network
GSM − Global System for Mobile Communications
MS − Mobile Station
MSC − Mobile Switching Center
SGSN − Serving GPRS Support Node
UMTS − Universal Mobile Telecommunication System
UTRAN − UMTS Terrestial Radio Access System

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 8/16
5 GERAN interfaces
Interfaces between RAN and the core network:

• 2G interfaces
A GSM circuit switched interface (voice)
Gb GPRS packet switched interface

• 3G interfaces
Iu-cs UMTS interface to the circuit switched part of
core network
Iu-ps UMTS interface to the packet switched part of
core network

• A mobile terminal may operate either in A/Gb mode or

in Iu mode

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 9/16
5 GERAN interfaces
Other interfaces:

Um Interface between MS and BTS

Iur-g Interface between different RAN—control signalling

only

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 10/16
6 Quality of Service
GERAN provides the QoS classes defined within UMTS and
GSM/EDGE

conversational real time services, low latency, low jitter

streaming real time but mostly one way

interactive request-response (HTTP), low round-trip delay

background best effort traffic (email)

QoS implementation is divided into Control Plane and User
Plane
• User Plane: Link Adaption, Traffic Conditioning, packet
Scheduler, Power Control

• Control Plane: Connection Admission control, QoS preserving

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 11/16
7 Radio protocols
PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) + RLC (Radio
Link Control)

• Packet data over radio

• Header compression for efficient transfer

User plane protocol stack towards the PS CN domain [4]

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 12/16
7 Radio protocols
RRC (Radio Resource Control)

• Connected mode: connection mobility without CN

(Core Network) control

• Idle mode: GERAN does not have it’s own information

about the MS

Control plane protocol stack towards the PS CN domain [4]

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 13/16
7 Radio protocols
RLC (Radio Link Control)

• Transparent mode: no functionality, PDU’s to upper

level are not modified

• Nontransparent mode: ciphering, mapping RAB (Radio

Access Bearer) to traffic channels

MAC (Medium Access Control)

• Multiplexing and access of traffic flows over the physical

subchannels

PHY (Physical Layer)

• Traffic and control channels

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 14/16
8 Questions
• What is the signifficance of GSM/EDGE and GERAN
for the MITA architecture platform layer?

• GERAN has been specified to be usable with both

2(,5)G and 3G core networks. How to handle future
changes between the core network and the RAN?

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 15/16
References
[1] Müller F., Sorelius J., Turina D:
Further evolution of the GSM/EDGE radio access network, available:
http://www.ericsson.com/about/publications/
review/2001 03/files/2001033.pdf (visited: 22.10.2003)

[2] Hamiti S., Nikula E., Parantainen J., Rantalainen T., Sebire B.,
Sebire G.:
GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) - Evolution of
GSM/EDGE towards 3G Mobile Services, available:
http://www.ifrance.com/benoa/publication/ict2001.pdf (visited:
22.10.2003)

[3] Ericsson white paper: EDGE, available:

http://www.ericsson.com/products/
white papers pdf/edge wp technical.pdf (visited 22.10.2003)

[4] Nokia: MITA, Mobile Internet Technical Architecture, Vol. 1

Technologies and Standardisation, ISBN 951-826-668-9

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Department of Information technology 16/16