GPRS Overview - Part 1

Milo M. Villavieja Planning & Special Projects

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

What is GPRS ? General Packet Radio Service

Packet Radio -> enables packet mode communication
over air Service, not System -> existing BSS (partially also NSS) infrastructure is used

Requires many new network elements Provides connections to external packet data networks
(Internet) Main benefits
accordingly Direct connection to Internet / corporate intranets, no modem pools needed Enables new service opportunities

Resources are reserved only when needed and charged

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

GPRS access interfaces and reference points

R reference point TE MT Um GPRS network 1 Gi reference point PDNs or other networks

MS

Gp

GPRS network 2

GPRS provides packet switched connections from MS

to packet data networks (PDN) Different operators GPRS networks are connected through Gp interface
NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

How is GPRS seen by external networks and GPRS users?

HOST 155.222.33.55 GPRS SUBNETWORK SUBNETWORK 155.222.33.XXX "Router"
SUBNETWORK 191.200.44.XXX SUBNETWORK 131.44.15.XXX

Corporate 1
Router

Packet Data network network

(Internet)

Router

Corporate 2

HOST 191.200.44.21

Local area network

Local area network

HOST 131.44.15.3

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Packet switching vs. circuit switching

Packet switched connections capacity dynamically shared between users -> variable bitrate per user efficient use of resources charging based on amount of data transmitted and/or connection time variable delay -> not suitable for voice or other isochronous services Circuit switched (CS) connections fixed allocation of capacity for each user -> fixed bitrate per user resources used efficiently only during busy hours charging based on connection time (i.e. maximum amount of data possibly transmitted) constant delay (with transparent service)

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Air interface resources

An example of occupied TCH capacity by CS traffic during busy hour with n% blocking GPRS "steals" any TCH capacity not used by CS traffic TCH capacity can also be dedicated to GPRS when needed
14 12 10

14 12 10 8 TCH 6 4 2 0 1:00 PM 1:15 PM 1:30 PM 1:45 PM

Free Capacity

Capacity occupied by CS traffic

TCH

8 6 4 2 0 3:00 6:00 9:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 0:00

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Applications

Standard data network protocol based

IP based applications WWW, FTP, Telnet, ... Any conventional TCP/IP based applications

SMS delivery (GPRS as a bearer for SMS)

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Interfaces, reference points and network elements

SMS-GMSC SMS-IWMSC MAP-H Gd MSC/VLR A TE R MT Um BSS Gs Gb SGSN Gp GGSN Other PLMN Signalling Interface Signalling and Data Transfer Interface
NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

SM-SC MAP-C HLR

MAP-D

Gc Gi GGSN PDN TE

Gr Gn

MAP-F EIR

Functional view on GPRS

BTS R/S Um BSC
Packet network PSTN

MSC Gb Serving GPRS Support Node Gn (SGSN) Border Gateway (BG) Intra-PLMN backbone network (IP based) Gp Firewall Point-ToMultipoint Service Center (PTM SC) Gn Gr Gd Gs GPRS INFRASTRUCTURE
Packet SS7 network Network

HLR/AuC Gs Gr

SMS-GMSC Gd

EIR

Corporate 1 Server

Packet Inter-PLMN network Backbone

network

MAP-F Router Local area network

Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)

Firewall
Data Packet network network (Internet)

Gi.IP Gi.X.25 Firewall

Data Packet network network (X.25)

Corporate 2 Server

Router

Local area network

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Gateway GPRS Support Node

GGSN Typically located at one of the MSC sites One (or few) per operator Main functions Interface to external data networks Resembles a data network router Forwards end user data to right SGSN Routes mobile originated packets to right destination Collects charging information from data network usage Data packets are not sent to MS unless the user has activated the PDP address

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Serving GPRS Support Node

SGSN Connected with BSC, physically can be at MSC or BSC site One for several or few BSCs (depending on traffic amounts) One SGSN can support BSCs under several MSCs Main functions Authenticates GPRS mobiles Handles mobiles registration in GPRS network Handles mobiles mobility management Relays MO and MT data traffic TCP/IP header compression, V.42bis data compression, error control MS - SGSN (ARQ) Collect charging information of radio network usage

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

Other elements
BG Border Gateway (not defined within GPRS) Routes packets from SGSN/GGSN of one operator to a SGSN/GGSN of an other operator Provides protection against intruders from external networks DNS Domain Name Server; translates addresses from ggsn1.oper1.fi -format to 123.45.67.89 format (i.e. as used in Internet) Charging Gateway Collects charging information from SGSNs and GGSNs

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi

GPRS mobile types

Class A: Simultaneous GPRS and conventional GSM operation Supports simultaneous circuit switched and GPRS data transfer Class B: Can be attached to both GPRS and conventional GSM services simultaneously Can listen circuit switched and GPRS pages (via GPRS) Supports either circuit switched calls or GPRS data transfer but not simultaneous communication on both Class C: GPRS only mobile (e.g. for telemetric applications)

NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BSC/SGSN architecture training 03.06.1998 / TNi