International Roaming for GSM

Introduction

• GSM supports roaming services that allow a

subscriber in a GSM network to receive mobile
telephony service when the user visits a different
GSM network

– GSM networks are within the same country

– GSM networks are located in different countries
 Introduction
• International roaming issue from the customer’s
perspective
– John is a subscriber of GSM service in Korea
– Suppose that he travels from Korea to Japan ,which have a
GSM roaming agreement

John

Jenny
Three Scenarios for GSM International Call Delivery
(1/3)

• Consider that John, a GSM subscriber in Taiwan,

roams to Singapore. His friend, Jenny, makes a mobile
phone to John.
• Scenario 1.
– Jenny is a GSM subscriber in Taiwan and calls John by her
mobile phone.
– Jenny is charged for a local GSM call.
– John is charged for an international call from Taiwan to
Singapore.
Three Scenarios for GSM International Call Delivery
(2/3)
• Scenario 2.
– Jenny is a GSM user from a third country (e.g., Hong Kong).
– Jenny is in Hong Kong and makes a call to John’s GSM MS.
– Jenny is charged for an international call from Hong Kong to
Taiwan.
– John is charged for an international call from Taiwan to
Singapore.

Hong Kong Taiwan Singapore

Three Scenarios for GSM International Call Delivery
(3/3)
• Scenario 3.
– Both Jenny and John are in Singapore.
– Jenny is charged for an international call from Singapore to
Taiwan.
– John is charged for an international call from Taiwan to
Singapore.
– Scenario 3 is in fact a special case of Scenario 2.
– This case is referred to as Tromboning.
Taiwan Singapore
 Three scenarios for call delivery to John
• Scenarios #1
– If a person in Korea call John
• The caller is charged for a local GSM call
• John is charged for an international call from Korea to Japan
• Scenarios #2
– If the caller is from a third country (say, Hong Kong)
• The caller is charged for an international call from Hong Kong to Korea
• John is charged for an international call from Korea to Japan
• Scenarios #3
– If the caller is in Japan
• international call
• This scenario is in fact a special case of scenario 2, and is referred to as tromboning
 International GSM Call Setup

• The call delivery procedure to a GSM roamer is basically the same as the procedure
described in GSM, except that two international switch centers (ISCs) are involved in
the voice path.
• ISCs offer interworking functions between the national networks and the international
network
• The call path of every international call is composed of three segments:
– one in origination country
– another in the international network
– the third in the destination country
• These circuit segments are interconnected by two ISCs:
– one in the origination country
– the other in the destination country
 International call setup procedure (Step 1)
JAPAN
1.2
1.3 ISC C ISC B
GMSC D (Korea) (Japan)
1.1

Switch A interprets the ISCA, Switch

ISC
Jenny
the C interprets
firstfirst dials
portion of the prefix
ISCA
thecode,
dialed A
Korea Based on country
VLR
HLR of
(international
the remaining
digits, switch
it identifies digits,
center
the call and
as
an
ISC B routes
international
the
call,
call to
F(country
then sets
E access
sets upcode),
the voice
CC trunk to
MSC
Korea’s
up the call G ISC C
usingMSISDN 1
code), John’s
GMSC Dthe IAM
message to Japan ISC

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
* 8 #

John Jenny
Radio tower
 International Call Setup Procedure (2/3)
➢Step 1.
• Jenny dials the phone number:
• International Switch Center Access Code (ISCA) + the Country
Code (CC) + John’s MSISDN.
• MSISDN = National Destination Code (NDC) + 6-digit
Subscriber Number (SN)
• Step 1.1. When Switch A interprets the ISCA, it sets up the call to
Singapore’s ISC B.
• Step 1.2. Based on the CC, ISC B routes the call to Taiwan ISC C.
• Step 1.3. ISC C interprets the NDC, and sets up the voice trunk to
GMSC D.
 International Call Setup Procedure (3/3)

• Step 2. GMSC D queries HLR E to obtain the MSRN.

• Steps 3 and 4. HLR E queries VLR F to conform MS location.
3.1→3.2→3.3→4.1→4.2→4.3
• Step 5. The MSRN is sent to GMSC D.
• Step 6. GMSC D sets up the trunk to MSC G.
• The voice path is 1→1.1 →1.2→ 1.3→6.1→6.2 → 6.3
International call setup procedure (Step2 ~6)
JAPAN
1.2
1.3 ISC C 3.2 ISC B
GMSC D 6.1 (Korea) 4.2 (Japan)
6.2
1.1
3.3
2 4.1
5 3.1 6.3 Switch
4.3 A
Korea VLR
HLR
F
E MSC G 1

Step
Step
Step 2.
65 4
Step 3and 6.3
Based on the MSRN, 1
4
7
2
5
8
3
6
9

GMSC
GMSCTheDMSRN
D queries
uses theisIAM
* 8 #

HLR
message E queries 6.3
HLR Etotoset
returned up the
obtain
GMSC John Jenny
VLR
trunk F
the toDMSC G
MSRN Radio tower
 Reducing the International Call Delivery Cost
• To avoid unnecessary international trunk setups, an IAM message
should not travel across country boundaries before the destination is
known
• Four different solutions that follow this guideline
– A basic restriction is that we should not introduce any new message types to the
GSM MAP protocol defined in GSM specification 09.02.
– The solutions utilize only existing messages with the prefix MAP_
– In the first three solutions, we utilize the concept of roamer location cache (RLC)
• RLC- in VLR stores database of international roamer
– In solution 4, we introduce a special dialing code that leads the call to the GMSC
of the visited GSM system
 RLC
• The RLC in a visited system maintains a database
containing the records of all international roamers who are
presently in that visited system
– From the perspective of a VLR in the visited system, RLC
functions as the HLR of a roamer
– From the perspective of the HLR in the home system of the
roamer, RLC serves as the VLR in a visited system
Reducing The International Call Delivery Cost (1/2)

• To avoid unnecessary international call delivery cost, an IAM

message should not travel across country before the
destination is known.
• Four solutions are proposed following this guideline.
• A basic restriction is that we should not introduce any new types
to the GSM MAP.
Reducing The International Call Delivery Cost (2/2)
➢ In the first three solutions, we utilize the concept of roamer location cache
(RLC) .
• The RLC in a visited system maintains a database containing the records
of all international roamers who are presently in that visited system.
• From the perspective of a VLR, RLC functions as the HLR of a roamer.
➢ In Solution 4, a special dialing code that leads the call to the GMSC of the
visited system.
• It can perform routing translations to access the HLR of the roamer and
route the call to the destination MSC directly.
 Solution 1 (Registration)
JAPAN
3
ISC C ISC B
4
(Korea) 5 (Japan)
Step 4.
RLC
3 5 2 Step 2.
Steptime,
Step 5.
3.
At the same
Step 1. ISC B
duplicates the message
The VLR
RLCMAP_RESTORE_DA
The messagesends
TAand
The forwards
MS MSISDN
: HLR registersit tois
tothe
the
HLR MAP_UPDATE_LOCA
forwarded to Korean
VLR RLC.
VLR
MAP_INSERT_SUBSCRI
TION
(ISCto theasroamer’s
C)
Korea MSC RLC creates
BER_DATA a usual
record to
: MSISDN
HLR.
store the IMSI and
1
VLR/MSC address
1

1
Radio tower
 Solution 1 (Call delivery)
PSTN
1 ISC B
Switch 2
A (Japan)
Step 2.
• Based on CC code ,
1 RLC Step 3.
1 2 3
ISC BStep 4.
recognizes
1. the
called party
4 5 6
7 8 9

4
* 8 #

RLC check Table for

By using
• ISC
Jenny Bthe
first MSRN,
search
dials the ISC
RLC
Jenny 3 John entry VLR get ISCA
B routes
code, thethe
using IAM
CCfor MSISDN
code, then
information HLR to
message
provide
John's to IJohn
MSISDN AM message)
Msg
obtain MSRN.
• ISC B forwarded IAM
VLR to taiwan
4
MSC
Radio tower
John
 Solution 1 (Advantage & Disadvantage)
• Advantage
– Only ISC B needs to be modified
– Other network elements, such as the VLR and HLR, remain the same

• Disadvantage
– Most ISCs are not equipped with the GSM MAP protocol (not be
able to interpret the GSM MAP message)
– ISCs typically belong to an international telephone carrier different
from that of the GSM service provider
 Solution 2 (Registration)
JAPAN
3
ISC C ISC B
(Korea) (Japan) 3
4
4
RLC
3 4
2 Switch
D
HLR
VLR
MSC Step 2.
Step 3.
Korea Step
VLR recognizes 4.
A Step international
1.
1 roamer, VLR sends
RLC sends the
RLC obtain MSISDN of
MAP_UPDATE_LOCATION
1 to The
RLC,MS registers
MAP_UPDATE_LOCATI
itusing
creates to the
a record to
roamer
ON message
store the IMSIVLRto the
and VLR/MSC
1 MAP_RESTORE_DATA
roamer’s HLR
address
Radio tower
 Solution 2 (Call delivery)
PSTN
1 Switch 2
Switch
D
A Step 1.
1
RLC
1 2 3
The steps Step 4. same as
2.
are the
3.
Same
those as solution
for solution 1. 1
4 5 6
7 8 9

4
* 8 #

Jenny 3 By using the

MSISDN notMSRN,
found inISC
B routes
Jenney
Except
RLC the
dial
that
then IAM
to Switch
Jenny
call dialsD
processed
message
ask
the
in to dial
number
local tojhon
John
of Switch D
Table
instead of the country
VLR code
4
MSC
Radio tower
John
 Solution 2 (Advantage & Disadvantage)

• Advantage
– The modifications are made only within the GSM network

• Disadvantage
– Extra modifications to the VLR
– The caller must dial the number of Switch D, then the MSISDN
– Dialing process id different from the ordinary international call
dialing procedure
– Sophisticated billing procedure
 Solution 3 (Registration)
JAPAN
2
ISC C ISC B 4
(Korea) 4 (Japan) RLC
2 3 Switch
2 4
D
extrator
HLR
Step 3.
VLR
Korea MSC Step 4.
2.
Step 1.
A foreign country HLR
1 location
RLC
The VLRupdate
sends
1 The MS registers to the
RLC
MAP_RESTORE_DATA
creates a record to
MAP_UPDATE_LOCATI
VLR
1 store
roamer
ON totheMSISDN
theIMSI and HLR.
roamer’s
VLR/MSC address
Radio tower
 Solution 3 (Advantage & Disadvantage)

• Advantage
– It is transparent to the VLR

• Disadvantage
– A new network component (i.e., the extractor)
 Solution 4
• Dial NDC1+IRAC+CC+NDC2+SN
– NDC1 : NDC or mobile network access code to the visited
GSM system
– IRAC : international roamer access code
– CC : country code of the home country
– NDC2 : NDC of the home GSM system
– SN : subscriber number for the roamer
 5 4
1
PSTN
PSTN GMSC HLR VLR
2 3

MSC
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
* 8 #
 Solution 4
• GMSC is a general-purpose switching system
• Roamer to HLR
• Advantage
– GSM call delivery procedure is not modified
– No new elements are required
– Cost-effective (no new network elements)