GPRS/EDGE

OVERVIEW

Course contents
GPRS Background and Evolution
GSM/GPRS network
GPRS Architecture
IP Addressing in GPRS
GPRS Air Interfaces
MS types and Coding Schemes
Mobility Management
PDP Context Activation Sequence
GPRS Roaming
GPRS Charging
Practical Demonstration of GPRS

GPRS
BACKGROUND
AND
EVOLUTION

GPRS BACK GROUND

With Mobile penetration reaching its full potential, GPRS gives

Mobile operators competitive edge and optimum use of the
infrastructure.
SMS is a good example of just how hungry users are for data
services.
The main Objective of GPRS is to offer the access to standard
data networks, using protocols e.g. TCP/IP and X.25
Transactions such as Credit Card checks and a variety of
telemetric applications benefit from the fast session set-ups.
GPRS enables efficient use of radio resources by allowing many
data users to share the same interface on a statistical basis.
The main benefits of GPRS are that it reserves radio resources
only when there is data to be sent
Mobile users doesnt have to connect to the network each time he
wants to transfer the data, he can stay connected all day.

Evolution from GSM to 3G

The GSM Growth Phases
3G
EDGE
GPRS
2.5G
HSCSD
GSM
2G

GSM Evolution
2G

2.5G

GSM

GPRS

GSM
200 KHz carrier
8 full-rate time slots
16 half-rate time slots

GPRS
200 KHz carrier
115 Kbps peak data rates

HSCSD
HSCSD
Circuit-switched data
64 Kbps peak data rates

3G

EDGE

EDGE
200 KHz carrier
Data rates up to 384 Kbps
8-PSK modulation
Higher symbol rate

UMTS

UMTS
5 MHz carrier
2 Mbps peak data rates
New IMT-2000 2 GHz spectrum

MAIN ADVANTAGES FOR OPERATORS

More Revenue :
By providing more than a mobile connection.
Also operator can charge on the basis of type and amount of
content accessed.
Huge Potential Market for Data Sevices :
Mobile Phone and Internet, both are fastest growing
technologies and GPRS is the merger of two.
Fast Roll-out and Continuous Network Expansion :
GPRS is an integral part of GSM.
GPRS uses excess voice capacity for data :
GPRS Packets are transmitted in short, free periods between
busy hour calls.

Free GSM Capacity

GPRS packets can be transmitted in

16

the short free periods between busy

hour calls

14
12

2TRX = 14 Speech TS
2% blocking means
8 Erlang speech traffic

10
TCH

On average 6 TS free !

8
6
4

16
14

12
TC
H

10

8
6

1:00 PM

4
2
0
03:00

06:00

09:00

12:00

15:00

18:00

21:00

00:00

1:15 PM

1:30 PM

1:45 PM

GPRS Vs GSM
GPRS
1. SUPPORTS BOTH CKT.
SWITCHED as well as
packet switched service.

Vs

GSM
Only circuit switched.

2. MS Utilizes Automatic
retransmission (ARQ) at
data link layer to re-transmit
error frames.

No re-transmission is
provided.

3. Multiple time slots can be

allotted to a single user

Single time slot per user.

4. One time slot can be allotted

to several users.

Single time slot per user.

5. Charging/ billing more complex

(Volume based, Q.O.S. based)

Simple time-based billing.

TYPICAL GPRS SERVICES

* Communications-

E-mail, fax,
intranet/ internet access.

* Value added services -

Information services, games,

e-commerce.

* Location-based applications - Navigation, traffic conditions,

airline/rail schedule, location finder.
* Vertical applications -

Freight delivery, fleet management,

sales-force automation

* Location sensitive
Advertising -

A user nearing a cinema hall or

a restaurant receives flashes of
advertisement

GPRS
NETWORK ELEMENTS

GSM NETWORK ELEMENTS

The Main elements of GSM are:
NSS :
MSC
VLR
HLR (Includes Authentication Center and Equipment Identity Register)

BSS :
BSC
BTS
Transcoder

NMS
Fault Management
Configuration Management
Performance Management

GPRS Network Elements

Network Element Software

SGSN
SG1
GGSN
G1
Firewall
Checkpoint
Ethernet Switch
N/A
DNS
HP-UX 11.00
CG
HP-UX 10.20
Border Gateway
BGP4
DHCP
HP-UX 11.00

Hardware
DX Platform
IP650
IP650
Cisco Catalyst
HP 9000 A class
HP K class
IP650
HP 9000 A class

GPRS
ARCHITECTURE

GPRS Interface
MSC/
VLR

HLR

SMSGMSC

EIR

Signalling and data

Gr

Gs

Gd

Gf

Signalling

SGSN

BSC

Gb

Air (Um)

Gn

Gn

GGSN

GGSN

Gp

Gi

External
packet
network

Inter-PLMN
GPRS
Backbone

SGSN Role
Authentication, Authorization
GTP tunneling to GGSN
Ciphering & compression
Mobility Management
Session Management
Interaction with HLR, MSC/VLR
Charging & statistics
NMS interfaces

GGSN Role

Interface to external data networks

Encapsulate in GTP and forwards end user
data to right SGSN
Routes mobile originated packets to right
destination
Filters end user traffic
Collects charging and statistic information
for data network usage

GPRS
AIR INTERFACES

Different GPRS Capacity Types

TRX 1 CCCH

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TRX 2

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS
TS

TS
TS

TS

Additional
GPRS
Capacity

Dedicated
GPRS
GPRS
Capacity Capacity

Territory border moves based

on Circuit Switched traffic load

Circuit
Switched
Territory
Packet
Switched
Territory

GPRS
MS CLASS
&
CODING SCEMES

MS Class
CLASS A:
Supports simultaneous attach, simultaneous activation,
simultaneous monitor, simultaneous invocation, and
simultaneous traffic.
CLASS B:
Simultaneous traffic shall is not supported. The mobile user
can make and/or receive calls on either of the two services
sequentially but not simultaneously. The selection of the
appropriate service is performed automatically
CLASS C:
Supports only non-simultaneous attach. Alternate use only.

The status of the service which has not been selected is detached,
that is, not reachable.

GPRS Channel Coding Schemes

GPRS
MOBILITY
MANAGEMENT

Mobility Management State

GPRS
Attach / Detach

Idle

READY
Timer Expiry

STANDBY
Timer Expiry

MS location
not known.
Subscriber is not
reachable by the
GPRS NW.

Standby

MS location known to
SGSN level.
MS is capable of receiving
Point-to-Multipoint data
and being paged for
Point-to-Point data

Ready

Packet
TX/RX

MS location known to
cell level.
MS is transmitting or has
just been transmitting.
MS is capable of receiving
Point-to-Point data and
Point-to-Multipoint data.

Routing Area

RAI = MCC+MNC+LAC+RAC

GPRS Mobility Management

Routing Area :
The RA is a new concept for tracing the MS location.
Cell =< RA =< LA served by one SGSN
RAI = MCC + MNC + LAC + RAC
Every time the MS sees the new RAI is has to initiate the
update procedure.

GPRS Mobility Management

Mobility Management States :
The IDLE State is when the MS is not connected.
The Standby State is when the MS is connected to
the GPRS Network
The Ready State is when the MS is ready to connect
to the external IP Network.
Changing between states can be initiated from the
MS, from the network and from the timers set.

PDP CONTEXT
ACTIVATION

PDP Context Activation

Accessing the HLR
(1) MS sends "Activate
PDP Context Request" to
SGSN
Access Point Name
PDP Type (IP)
PDP Address (empty
== dynamic)

HLR

2.

BSC

BTS

SS7

1.
APN=
"Intranet.Ltd.com"

SGSN
DNS
GPRS
Backbone
IP Network

Access
Point

(2) SGSN checks against HLR

Access Point Name
Dynamic / static IP
address

Intranet

GGSN
Internet

Access Point Name = Reference to an external

packet data network the user wants to connect to

SECURITY IN GPRS
GPRS SYSTEM HAS INHERITED THE GSM PH-2 SECURITY FUNCTIONS
Authentication of the subscriber
IMEI Checking
User Identity Confidentiality (TMSI in GSM, P-TMSI in GPRS)
Ciphering of the data traffic between MS and SGSN

ADDITIONAL GPRS SECURITY FEATURES ARE

Private IP Addressing in the GPRS backbone.
Ciphered links and authentication between nodes in the GPRS
Backbone.
Screening of packets coming from the external networks (Firewall).
(P-TMSI is used to derive the Temp Logical Link Identity (TLLI))

The Abbreviation
GPRS = General Packet Radio
System
EGPRS = GPRS + EDGE modulation

EDGE Provide 3G services today

Provide 3G services with existing licenses
New modulation optimized for wireless data services
Link adaptation: Take highest possible rate
Covered by existing GSM licenses
Same channel structure, network infrastructure, frequency
planning and protocol as todays GSM

Evolution to EDGE
SMS G/IW MSC
HLR

Gd
M
S

BTS

P
U
C

BSC

MSC/VLR
Gr
Gs

Gb
M
S

EDGE
TRU

AUC

SGSN

GGSN
Gn

Gn

Backbone
Network

ISP Network
Gi

Corporate
Network

EDGE increases capacity

voice

voice

voice

voice

voice

Standard GSM Transceiver

voice

voice

voice

EDGE Transceiver

voice

voice

Free
TS

Free
TS

Data

System upgrade for EDGE

EDGE TRU

BSC Software Upgrade

EDGE enabled RBS

What EDGE would mean to subscribers

Streaming Applications
Very high speed downloads
Corporate Intranet connections
Quicker MMS
Video Phone
Vertical corporate applications Video
Conference, Remote presentations

Thank You!