RAN CN

Radio Access Network Core Network

GSM BSS CS Domain

Entities common External

to the CS & PS Domain
Networks

UE
UTRAN
PS Domain
 GSM BSS CS Domain
PSTN
BTS T MSC /
B R
VLR GMSC
A IWF/ ISDN
S U TC
BTS C
CSE EIR HLR AUC
UTRAN
Node B R X.25
(n x BTS)
UE N
Node B C SGSN GGSN IP
(n x BTS)

PS Billing
R Domain System
Node B
(n x BTS) N SMS-GMSC
SM-SC
C SMS-IWMSC
 MSC/VLR
Node
RNC
B
SGSN
Uu

UE = ME + USIM

• Subscriber license
• Personal Identities
USIM
ME UMTS Subscriber
(e.g.MSISDN, IMSI, TMSI, PIN,...)

Mobile Equipment • Security Algorithm & Keys

Identity Module (for Authentication, Ciphering,..)
• Personal phone book
• HW & SW for „WCDMA
Radio Transmission“
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

-The base station subsystem (BSS)

1- The Base Transceiver station (BTS)

it contains the RF transmission equipment

Each cell has one BTS

Each BTS consists of one or more transceiver

It has an International cell global Identity (CGI)

It performs channel coding, ciphering and modulation

 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station

Transceiver (TRX)
Quite widely referred to as the driver receiver (DRX). Basically does transmission and
reception of signals
Power amplifier (PA)
Amplifies the signal from DRX for transmission through antenna; may be integrated with DRX
Combiner
Combines feeds from several DRXs so that they could be sent out through a single antenna.
Duplexer
For separating sending and receiving signals to/from antenna.
Antenna
This is also considered a part of the BTS.
Alarm extension system
Collects working status alarms of various units in the BTS and extends them to (O&M)
Baseband receiver unit
Frequency hopping, signal DSP, etc..
 Cell’s Types

Pico Cell Micro & Macro Repeater Cells

Cells

Indoor Street Level Outdoor Indoor

Roof Top COW Green Field

Stuptower Poles Tower Monopole

 Green filed:

E
A q
n u
i
t p
e m
e
n n
n t
Equipment
a
s
Antennas
• Roof top:

Antennas
• COW (Cell on Wheels):

Used as a temporary solution to provide Coverage

or Capacity for certain duration (Events).
• Street level:
• Indoor:
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
 Base Transceiver station
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

2- The base station controller (BSC)

-It carries out all control functions in the BSS as:

1. Paging

2. Channel allocation

3. Dynamic power control

4. Handover

5. Frequency hopping
The base station controller (BSC)
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

The base station controller (BSC)

Remote BTS

BTS

BTS
BSC

Co-located BTS
The base station controller (BSC)
The base station controller (BSC)
The base station controller (BSC)
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

- The Mobile service switching center (MSC)

-It is an electronic computerized exchange provides the
interface between MS and the fixed network
-It will not contain any subscriber parameters
1. Charging

2. Switching and call routing

3. Communication with HLR and VLR

4. Communication with other MSCs

5. Control of connected BSCs

GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

- The MSC is connected to:

1. HLR (Home location register)
2. VLR (Visitor location register)
3. AUC (Authentication Center)
4. EIR (Equipment identity register)
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
1. HLR (Home location register)

- The centralized database that stores and manages

all mobile subscription parameters

- HLR contains :
 Subscriber identification numbers (IMSI,MSISDN)

 Subscriber current location information (MSC/VLR)

 Subscriber authentication information

 Charging

 Subscriber type
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
1. HLR (Home location register)
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

2. VLR (Visitor location register)

- A temporary storage location for subscription
information for MSs which are within MSC service area

- VLR contains :
 Mobile status (free, busy,…etc)

 Temporary MS identity (TMSI)

 Temporary MS roaming number (MSRN)

 Supplementary service information

GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
2. VLR (Visitor location register)
Supercharger

• Large database

• Periodic Auditing

• Dynamic subscription data deletation

GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
3. Authentication
- It is a processor system that performs the authentication function

AUC

IMSI
Ki
Database
RAND IMSI,Ki Request for
Triplet from
A3 A8 HLR,VLR

Triplet
RAND SRES Kc
Triplet
GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

3. Authentication
 GSM NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

4. EIR (Equipment identity register)

- As the subscriber and equipment are separate in GSM so we
use a separate authentication process for MS equipment

- EIR is a centralized database for validation of international

mobile equipment identity (IMEI)

- EIR contains 3 lists:

 White list (for valid MS equipment)
EIR
 Black list (for stolen or denied service MS)

 Gray list (for mal-performance MS

[e.g. faulty software] )
Black list White list

Gray list
 CN
Core Network

B T
TC R A VLR
S A B
Transcoding C U
& E
IWF RAN IWF/
MSC
Radio Access
InterWorking Function Network
Iu(CS) TC Gs F
C
R
• Interworking: TDM  ATM
N • all „classical“ CN-Interfaces (A-G):
IWF TDM based (E1/T1  PCM30/PCM24)
C • Iu(CS): ATM based

BlaBla BlaBla
Bla
TC Bla
Transcoding
• CN function in UMTS:
4.75 – 12.2 kbit/s part of MSC or standalone 64 kbit/s (ISDN)
• Conversion of Speech Data (CN  RAN):
AMR: Adaptive MultiRate
using AMR speech codec
• CN: 64 kbit/s (ISDN)
• RAN: 4.75 – 12.2 kbit/s (AMR)
CN
UTRAN
 RNC • 100% autonomously RRM
(e.g. Radio Resource Control, Access Control,
Radio Network Admission Control, Handover Control,…)
• (De-)Ciphering
Controller
• storing UEs location information
• RNS-Control (RNC & Node B’s)
• ATM Switching
MSC / (Iu, Iur & Iub: ATM Interfaces)
VLR • „WCDMA specific tasks“
SGSN
CS PS
Domain IWF/ TC Domain
Iu(CS) Iu(PS) UTRAN
RNS RNC Iur
Radio Radio Network RNC
Network Controller
Sub
system Iub Iub
Node Node Node Node
B B B B
Uu
UE
Node B

• Support of 1or several cells

• “WCDMA Transmission”
• ATM Termination
• Forward Error Correction FEC
RNS • Radio Interface Measurements U
RNC T
Radio Radio Network
(Quality & Strength)
RNC R
Network Controller
Sub A
system
Iub
N
Node Node Node Node
B B B B

Uu
UE

Sector-Cell
Omni-Cell Node Node Sector-Cell
B Sector-Cell B