Signalling Protocols

The Um interface is directly associated with radio transmission.

Other interfaces occur between entities in fixed networks
Three layers in Um
Physical
Data link
Networks
 Functions of Um Protocols
• Physical layer
– All radio-specific functions including
• Channel coding, burst creation, multiplexing, synchronisation, error
detection/correction, idle channel detection and channel quality
measurement
• Data link layer
– LAPDm (link access procedure for the D-channel for mobile)
– LAPDm offers reliable data transfer over connections, re-
sequencing of data frames, flow control, segmentation,
reassembly of data, and acknowledgement of data transfer
• Network layer
– Radio resource management (RR)
• Set-up, maintenance and release of radio channel
– Mobility management
• Registration, authentication, identification location updating, et al
– Call management (CM)
• Call control, short message services and supplementary services
3.2.6 Localization and Calling
 User Localization
• GSM performs periodic location updates no matter the user use the MS or
not
– Provided that the MS is logged into the GSM network and is not completely switched off
• When an MS moves into a new area, an VLR currently responsible for the
MS informs the HLR about location changes
• HLR will send all user data needed to the new VLR, and update its
database
– HLR always contains information about the current location
• To locate an MS, several numbers are required to find a subscriber and to
maintain the connection with a mobile station
– Mobile station international ISDN number
– International mobile subscriber identification
– Temporary mobile subscriber identity
– Mobile station roaming number
 User Localization
• GSM performs periodic location updates no matter the user use the MS
or not
– Provided that the MS is logged into the GSM network and is not completely switched
off
• When an MS moves into a new area, an VLR currently responsible for
the MS informs the HLR about location changes
• HLR will send all user data needed to the new VLR, and update its
database
– HLR always contains information about the current location
• To locate an MS, several numbers are required to find a subscriber and
to maintain the connection with a mobile station
– Mobile station international ISDN number
– International mobile subscriber identification
– Temporary mobile subscriber identity
– Mobile station roaming number
3.2.7 Handover
3.2.8 Data Services and GPRS
 Data Services in GSM (II)
• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
– Standardization 1998, introduction 2001
– Packet switching
– Using free slots only if data packets ready to send
(e.g., 50 kb/s using 4 slots temporarily)
– Advantage: one step towards UMTS, more flexible
– Disadvantage: more investment needed (new hardware)
• GPRS network elements
– GSN (GPRS Support Nodes): GGSN and SGSN
– GGSN (Gateway GSN)
• Interworking unit between GPRS and PDN (Packet Data Network)
– SGSN (Serving GSN)
• Supports the MS (location, billing, security)
– GR (GPRS Register)
• User addresses
 3.3 IMT-2000 and UMTS
International Mobile Telecommunications
Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems
3.3.1 Background
• Proposals for IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications) to
– Establish a common worldwide communications system offering terminal and user mobility,
as well as supporting universal personal communications
– 2000 in IMT-2000 indicates
• The start of the system in Year 2000
• The spectrum used around 2000MHz
• After many political discussions and fights over patents, the original idea was
dropped and a so-called 3G standard family was adopted
• From the radio transmission technology point of view, several proposals were
received in 1998, which were from
– ETSI for Europe
– ARIB and TTC for Japan
– ANSI for the US
• The European proposal for IMT-2000 from ETSI is called universal mobile
telecommunications system (UMTS) and its radio interface is now called
universal terrestrial radio access (UTRA)
 3.3.2 UMTS Overview
• UMTS represents an evolution from the GSM system to 3G rather than a
completely new system
• UMTS provides
– Increased data rates of up to 384kb/s using the same 200kHz-wide
bandwidth carrier and the same frequencies
– Intelligent network support by customized applications for mobile
enhanced logic
– Several bearer services
• Real-time and non-real-time
• Circuit and packet-switched transmissions
• Many different data rates
– Compatibility with GMM (Global Multimedia Mobility) developed by ETSI
• Two proposals for UTRAN
– Paired bands for public mobile network providers, wideband CDMA (W-
CDMA) is adopted
– Unpaired band for local and indoor communications, time division CDMA,
(TD-CDMA) is adopted
 High-Level Architecture

• UMTS and GSM share a common network architecture consisting of three main
components
– Core network, radio access network and user equipment
• Core network
– Circuit switched (CS) domain
• Transport phone calls across the geographical regions
– Packet switched (PS) domain
• Transport data streams between the user and external packet data networks
(PDNs) (Internet)
• Resources shared using statistically multiplexing
• Radio access networks handle radio communications between the user and core network
– BSS for CS-based voice traffic
– UTRAN for data traffic
• The UE communicates with the radio access networks over the air interfaces
 3.3.3 Physical Model (I)

• UMTS further subdivides the simplified architecture into two

domains
– User Equipment Domain
• Comprises of all equipment operated and owned by a user
• Equipment types and their functions may vary from user to user
– Infrastructure Domain
• Shared among all users
• Encompasses all network equipment needed to support the end-to-end user
connectivity.
 Physical Model (II)
• User equipment domain
– User Services Identity Module (USIM)
• Includes removable smart card
• Enable the infrastructure to identify the user
• Provide terminal portability and terminal personalization
– Mobile Equipment (ME) Domain
• Contains equipment that execute the user’s applications and the radio interfacing procedures
• It is customary to physically separate the equipment that execute the user’s applications and the equipment that
governs the radio interface procedures

• Infrastructure domain
– Access Network (AN) Domain
• Includes the physical entities that manage the resources of the AN
• Facilitate the user’s access to the CN
– Core Network (CN) Domain
• Includes the physical entities that facilitate end-to-end connectivity, transmission of user information and signaling
and in general, the provision of telecommunication services.
• Two main functions: mobility management and location management
– The CN has three domains, which can be considered as different instances of the same
domain
• Serving Network Domain
– Performing all functions currently used by a user to access the UMTS services
– Providing mobility management functionalities, as well as call establishment and routing
• Home Network Domain
– The user has a 3G subscription and stores permanently user specific data
• Transit network domain
– Facilitate communications between the UE and the remote party
– Defined on a session basis.
 3.3.4 UMTS Releases
• So far there are 14 releases
– From early 1997, R96
– To March 2013, Rel-12
– R99, March 2000
• In every new release,
– Support new features and capabilities
– Introduce corrections to previous releases
– Starting from GSM, different releases drive the
moving towards
• Advanced 3-G and beyond featuring all-IP transport, broadband radio
access, sophisticated security, voice-over-IP enhanced mobility and
innovative services.
 Network Elements
• CS-domain elements discussed in GSM
– HLR,VLR, MSC, GMSC
• PS-domain elements
– Gateway GPRS support node (GGSN)
• Proves connectivity to external PDNs
• Can be considered as a typical IP router implementing additional functions for
supporting mobile services
– GPRS tunnelling protocols
• Provides an anchor point that remains fixed throughout a PS session and hides
the mobility characteristics of the users
– Serving GPRS support node (SGSN)
• Originating and terminating packet data transfer via the PS-related control and
user-plane functions including GPRS mobility management and session
management
• Communicate with MSC/VLR for paging, updating a mobile's location
– GGSN and SGSN functions may be implemented in the same physical node, or
different nodes
 Functions of User Equipment (UE)
• As a counterpart of a node B, a UE performs
– Signal quality measurements
– Inner loop power control
– Spreading and modulation
– Rate matching
• As a counterpart of the RNC, a UE has to
– Co-operate during handover and cell selection
– Performs encryption and decryption
– Participates in the radio resource allocation process
• As a counterpart of the CN, a UE has to
– Implement mobility management functions
– Performs bearer negotiations
– Request certain services from the network

• Wireless interface between the UE and UTRAN: Uu

– Based on W-CDMA
– Supports either FDD or TDD modes
 Functions of Node B
• The name of “node B” was chosen during
standardization as a temporary one, but it is
remained
• Functions
– A node B connects one or more cells
• Each cell can use either FDD or TDD or both
– Performs inner loop power control to mitigate near-
far effects
– Measures connection qualities and signal strengths
– Support special case of handover, so-called soft
handover, which takes place between different
antennas of the same node B