GSM QUESTION BANK:

1. How is the shape of a Cell? Why?

2. What is ARFCN? What is its relation with RF?
3. How many ARFCNs are needed for a 3+2+2 site of GSM?
4. Why UL frequencies in mobile systems are lower than DL frequencies?
5. Why UL frequencies in Satellite systems are higher than DL frequencies?
6. Among Mobile, Microwave and Satellite systems, which system/s works on
LOS and why?
7. Whether the cell radius is uniform in a given PLMN, if no what are the
reasons for non-uniformity?
8. What is frequency reuse in GSM? Is it in CDMA? If not, why? If yes, how?
9. Why two frequencies of same bandwidth are not used in neighboring cells?
10. When can an Adjacent Channel Interference can occur in GSM?
11. What is the technique used to increase the capacity within an area and
how?
12. In the above pattern, what is its merits and de-merits? What is the
difference between dual band MS & dual SIM MS?
14. What is a multi band network in GSM?
15. How a handover is initiated in roaming network for a visiting MS?
16. GSM can route calls and perform billing based on the identity of the
‘subscriber’ rather than the equipment or its location. True or False, If
False explain.
17. What are the GSM units responsible for power control?
18. What is co-located and remotely located BTS? How these BTSs are
connected to BSC?
19. How a legitimate MS is identified by the network and where the relevant
data is stored?
20. Whether the authentication of MS is mandatory to terminate a call? If not
why?
21. What is hardware identity of MS? Is it mandatory for allowing every
outgoing call?
24. Where the subscriber permanent data is stored? How a MSC or VLR will
access the subscriber data?
25. What is MSRN? How it is useful in home network and visited network?
26. The database in EIR is concerned solely with ME and not with the MS. True
or False, If False, explain.
27. If a network operator puts the status of his subscriber into “black list”,
whether the subscriber can make a call in another network by using a SIM
of that network? Explain.
28. The MS with the SIM card of Idea network doesn’t work with Airtel network
at Mumbai, but the same works with Airtel network at Chennai, Justify.
29. What is the difference between NMC and OMC? How many will be there in
a
network? Who uses these?
30. What is the protocol used between the BSC and OMC?
31. What is the protocol used between BSC and BTS?
32. In a PLMN network serving with three MSCs and one GMSC, how many
HLRs and VLRs need to be there? Justify your statement.
33. What is the type of modulation used in GSM air interface and why?
34. When a MS is switched on, what happens in network and MS itself?
35. What is a logical channel in GSM system? Whether it will carry speech?
36. How a network identifies an active MS to terminate a call?
37. What is IMSI? Where it is stored in MS? Will it change, when MS moves out
of his home network?
38. How a MS knows that the call received is belongs to it?
39. When a MS is active for an outgoing or incoming call, whether it can receive
SMS, if so how?
40. What is the role of SACCH and FACCH? Which uses TCH burst? What is
TRAU? What is its roll?
41. Whether the transmit power of MS and BTS can be controlled in GSM? If so
name the unit which performs this and how it controls the power?
42. What is LAI? Why a LA is necessary in a network?
43. Explain Location area, VLR area, MSC area.
44. What is BSC area? Is it same as LA, if not explain?
45. Under what circumstances, a HLR is updated or not updated about the
Location of MS?
46. What is IMSI? Why is it required? What is its format?
47. How a cell in a GSM system is identified?
49. What is the signaling protocol used between BSC and BTS?
50. Why two receive antennas are used? Why it is used only at BTS?
51. What is a path loss? Is it controllable, if so how?
52. What is network optimization?
53. What is the interface between MS and BTS? What measures are adopted for
a secured transmission?
54. How a locked SIM card can be activated?
55. A mobile subscriber of Mumbai makes an outgoing call by dialing
02225881234, what are the various equipments involved to set up this
call? From where he gets ring back tone?
56. What are the various interfaces and signaling links involved at every stage
for a call originated from a mobile No 9869236767 of Mumbai gets
terminated on phone No 25881234 of Mumbai?
57. How a mobile subscriber of Network-H is charged when he roams in
Network-V and makes an outgoing call to a Network-X at a distance of 500
KMs? Who raises the bill and on what basis?
58. What are the various possibilities for a call drop? What is the solution?
60. What is feeder loss and how it is calculated?

61. Differentiate between GSM and CDMA?