Intro to GSM part 2

By
Muhammad Farhan Shafique
 Addressing in GSM
Call to Nr
085-123456

User SIM card Terminal

(identifier: IMSI) (identifier: IMEI)
(identifier: MSISDN)

MSISDN IMSI
SIM: Subscriber Identity Module 085-123456 208347854033
IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity
IMEI: International Mobile Equipment Identity
MSISDN: Mobile Station ISDN Number
 Base station controller
• BSC forms the center of BSS
• Depending on manufacturer BSC can be
connected to more than one BTS.
• Technically BSC is a small digital
exchange.
• It was defined with the object of removing
burden from MSC.
 Architecture of BSC

TCE terminal control element

 Architecture of BSC (cont)
Switch Matrix
• As BSC acts as digital exchange so its
function is to switch the incoming channels
to correct Abis interface.
• Switch matrix takes care of relay function
and it can be used as internal control bus.
 Base station controller (cont)
Terminal control element of Abis interface.
• The connection to BTS is established via TCE which
provides control function for TRX and BTS.
• The number of TCE in BSC depends upon number of
BTS and system manufacturer.
• Major task of TCE is to setup connections, transfer of
signaling data and payload.
• Depending on manufacturer TCE can be responsible for
administration of radio resources.
• Assignment and release of signaling and traffic
channels, and decision making of handover from one
BTS to other.
 Base station controller (cont)
Terminal control element of A interface.
• The connection of BSC to MSC is
established via A- TCE.
• Large number of A-TCE is required to
support A interface between BSC and
MSC as all payload and major part of
signaling data is to be transferred through
this interface.
 Base station controller (cont)
Data Base
• As BSC is the control center of BSS hence
it must maintain large data base in which
the maintenance status of whole system,
the quality of radio resources and
terrestrial resources are administrated.
• Data base also contain the complete BTS
operation software and BSS specific
information such as assigned frequencies.
 Base station controller (cont)
Central module
• As one of the main task of BSC is to
decide when the handover should take
place BSC may decide intra BSC
handover. In contrast for all BSC external
hand over MSC should be involved. The
handover decision and power control are
the main tasks of central module.
 Transcoding rate and adaptation
unit. (TRAU)
• One of the most interesting features of
GSM is TRAU. Its function is the compress
and decompress the speech between
TRAU and MS. Possible location are as
below.
 The network switching subsystem
(NSS)
The NSS plays central part in every mobile network
while BSS provides the radio access to MS. The various
components of NSS consists of complete set of control
and database functions required to setup call connection
using features like encryption, authentication and
roaming. NSS consists of following components
• MSC (mobile switching center)
• HLR (home location register)/authentication center (AuC)
• VLR (visitor location register)
• EIR (equipment identity register)
 Home location register and
authentication center (HLR/AuC)
• Every mobile network requires access to at least
one HLR as a permanent storage of data.
• HLR can be best regarded as the large
database with access time as short as possible.
The faster the response from database the
faster the call can be connected.
• HLR is capable of managing data for hundred of
thousand of subscribers.
• Each subscriber is assigned to one specific HLR
which acts as fixed reference points.
 HLR/AuC (cont)
• Because of central function of HLR and the
sensitivity of data it is essential that every effort
is taken to prevent the loss of subscriber data.
• Although there is a separate interface between
HLR and AuC but they are never considered as
different entities.
• The only function assigned to AuC is to calculate
and provide the authentication parameters to
HLR which forwarded them to VLR as input
parameters for authentication and ciphering.
 Visitor location register (VLR)
• VLR is a database like HLR but the function differs from
HLR, as HLR is responsible for static more static
functions while VLR provides dynamic subscriber data
management.
• For example when user is shifted from one zone to other
zone then the data from old VLR is transferred to new
VLR. New VLR might demand more required data from
HLR.
• Does HLR assume responsibility for the management of
those subscriber which are currently in its geographical
area? The answer is No. even if the subscriber is in area
of HLR the concerned VLR will deal with it directly.
Association of VLR with MSCs
The mobile service switching
center (MSC)
• (MSC) is an ISDN switch with (significantly)
enhanced processing capability. An MSC will
parent a number of BSCs. Responsible for call
handling of the mobile subscribers within its
domain; this includes generating call charging
records (for billing). Specific responsibilities of the
MSC include:
– call control
– generation of call records
– supplementary service execution
– inter BSC and inter MSC handover
 Gateway MSC (G-MSC)
• The MSC with an interface to other networks is
called GMSC.
• Network operator may equip all there MSCs with
gateway function or only few.
• MSC that don’t have gateway function has to
route call from GMSC.
• GMSC has some additional tasks like call from
outer network enters in GMSC which queries
HLR then forwarded the call to MSC where the
called party is located.
MSC & GMSC
 The relation between MSC and
VLR
• Sum of MSC areas determine the
geographical area of any PLMN.
• Each MSC has its own VLR so PLMN can
also be described as the sum of all VLR
areas.
• VLR can serve several MSC but one MSC
always use only one VLR.
Geographical area of PLMN
 Equipment identity register (EIR)
• The separation of subscriber identity from
the identifier of MS also bears a potential
pitfall for GSM subscribers.
• It is possible to operate any GSM MS with
any valid GSM SIM. An opportunity exists
for black market and stolen equipment.
• To combat this problem EIR is introduced
to identify and track such equipment.
 EIR (cont)
• Each GSM phone has a unique identifier IMEI which can
not be altered.
• Like HLR and VLR, the EIR is also a data base which
maintain three lists.
 EIR (cont)
• The processes of mobile equipment fallen
dramatically due to great success of GSM
consequently the theft rate reduced. So several
GSM operators have decided not to install the
EIR.
• If the EIR is installed there is no specification
when the EIR should be interrogated. The EIR
may be interrogated any time during call setup
or during location update.