Circuit Switched Data (CSD)

CSD uses a single radio time slot to deliver 9.6 kbit/s data transmission to the
GSM Network and Switching Subsystem. A single dedicated radio time slot is allocated
between the phone and the base station. A dedicated "sub-time slot" (16 kbit/s) is
allocated from the base station to the transcoder, and finally another time slot (64 kbit/s)
is allocated from the transcoder to the Mobile Switching Centre (MSC).

High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD)

HSCSD is variant of CSD that allows for multiple call channels to be bonded together to
provide faster connection speeds. Or you can say bundled traffic channel used to
provide higher data transmission. It was capable of offering speeds roughly equivalent to
those offered by 56kbps.

Disadvantages:

Still uses connection oriented mechanism of GSM.

Channel allocation is not effective as once the channel is reserved other users cant use
it even in the idle state.

Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

BTS has to fulfil certain requirements:

o Reliability in order to keep service and maintenance costs low for remote sites;
o Low price as thousands of them have to be deployed;
o Rugged design to withstand wind and weather on site.
BTS main tasks:
o channel coding (using FR, HR or EFR)
o ciphering and deciphering (for circuit switched connections only)
o synchronization of several MS in time and frequency.
o burst formation, multiplexing and HF modulation for all active MS
o evaluation and optimization of the UL and DL transmission quality (using own
measurements and MS measurement reports).

Base Station Controller (BSC)

It controls several cells (i.e. several BTS) and all the active MS in those cells.
BSC functions:
o Performing paging in a group of cells for every mobile terminating call.
o Switching of time slots from the core network to the right BTS.

Transcoding Equipment (TCE)

As we know data rate for speech are much lower than data rate used to transport fixed
network speech which is 64kbps. So the low rate can be achieved using different
compression technique in which we compress original digitized speech data.
The MS digitizes speech at a rate of 104 kbit s1 (160 samples of 13 bits every 20 ms)
which is compressed to 13 kbit s1 using full rate (FR) coding, 12.2 kbit s1 using
enhanced FR (EFR) and 5.6 kbit s1 using half rate (HR).
Each PCM30 timeslot can transport data at a rate of 64 kbit s1. Air interface time slots
transport digitized speech data at a maximum rate of 13 kbit s1.This means that if the
PCM30 time slots are sub-divided into 4 16 kbit s1, then four connections can be
carried by one time slot. This approach combined with positioning the TCE at the
exchange, is very cost effective for the network operator.
Problem Occurred:
We know 16kbps is sufficient for all speech codecs in GSM. But not sufficient for all
codecs used in GPRS like CS-3(15.6 kbps) and CS-4 (21.4 kbps), as GPRS need to be
restricted to 16 kbps. GPRS have four coding scheme and it will be restricted to only two
schemes CS-1(9.05 kbps) and CS-2(13.4 kbps) per channel.

Location Register (LR)

Home Location Register (HLR): Is the main database of permanent subscriber

information for a mobile network. The HLR is an integral component of CDMA, TDMA
and GSM networks.

Problem with mobile location identification:

Paging is done only when network knows the location of MS in a cell, in this case MS is
switched on and a broadcast message send in the cell in respond MS send an
acknowledgment to the network. But problem occurred if millions of subscriber are
connected and each time a broadcast message will send when MS change its location
from cell to cell which ultimately increase signaling load.

Solution
Solution is to create group of cells called location area and each cell broadcast its LAI
location area. MS will update only when it moves from cell to cell.

Visitor Location Register (VLR)

The VLR contains the exact location of all mobile subscribers currently present in the
service area of the MSC. As the VLR contain LAI of the MS therefore HLR knows which
VLR the MS is stored in.
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Interfaces:
Air Interface (Um):

Interface between the GSM mobile station and the GSM Base station. Its an air
interface (RF Interface) uses the (TDMA) technique to transmit and receive traffic and
signaling information between the GSM BTS and GSM Mobile Station.
The TDMA technique is used to divide each carrier into eight time slots. These time slots
are then assigned to specific users, allowing up to eight conversations to be handled
simultaneously by the same carrier (Actual Traffic is Vary based on Code Rate Which
Article Publish Separately)
Abis Interface:
The GSM A-bis interface is responsible for transmitting traffic and signaling information
between the GSM BSC and the GSM BTS its First Actual Physical Connection for Call.
The GSM transmission protocol used for sending signaling information on the A-bis
interface is Link Access Protocol on the D Channel (LAPD).

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

Is a packet based telecommunication service.

Packets from one user can be transmitted via time slots (in bundling).
Support wide range of bandwidths and is particularly suited for sending and receiving
small burst of data as well as large volume of data.
Implement time slot bundling and has four coding scheme.
It offers theoretical data rates as high as 120kbps on the downlink side, but real world
speeds are typically significantly slower.
Advantages:

It uses packet switching.

Time slots not continuously used and can be shared between users.
Disadvantages:

When GPRS is in use, other network related functions cannot be used.

Expensive to buy a mobile or laptop that has this feature
GPRS is billed per kilobyte or megabyte depending on the service provider.
GPRS Architecture

Three different classes of GPRS equipment:

Class A: equipment that can handle voice calls and packet data transfers at the same
time
Class B: equipment that can handle voice or packet data traffic (but not simultaneously)
and can put a packet transfer on hold to receive a phone call.

Class C: equipment that can handle both voice and data, but has to disconnect from one
mode explicitly in order to enable the other.
The BSS together with the mobile devices and the air interface is known as the radio
subsystem (RSS).

GPRS Support Node

Gateway GPRS support Node (GGSN): It is capable of routing packets to the current
location of MS. Therefore it has to have access to the HLR to obtain location information.
Support GPRS support Node (SGSN): Established a mobility management context for
an attached MS. SGSN's task to do the ciphering for packet oriented traffic.
Packet Control Unit (PCU): The main functionality of PCU is to distinguish packet data
and circuit switched data by switching packet data towards SGSN and voice call towards
MSC.
Several PDP contexts can be set up for an MS such that the MS can reach several IP
networks (i.e. several APNs) with different QoS.

GPRS Procedure

MS attached to GPRS network called GPRS Attached procedure. Logical procedure

between MS & SGSN.
PDP context activation is required which provide connection setup between MS &
GGSN. After this procedure each node know how to forward IP packet of this MS.
As path has been created so IP Packets can be sent through GPRS on destination
address.

GPRS Attach

A subscriber requests a GPRS attach procedure when he registers with the GPRS
network. This is the case when he switches on his mobile device or he explicitly
activates GPRS while already GSM attached.
SNDCP perform following task: IP packets which are transported between the MS and
the external data network are compressed and segmented between the MS and the
SGSN

PDP Context

A PDP context describes the GPRS data connection of an MS. The information which
describes such a context are sent from the HLR and consist of:
o The Access Point Name APN: a logical name for the desired data network.
o The Quality of Service QoS priorities, delays, reliability, throughputs for the
desired application.
o The PDP protocol: the protocol used between the MS and the external data
network, usually IP (version 4 or 6).
o The permanent address (rather with IP version 6) of the MS if the MS has such
an address.

Several PDP contexts can be set up for an MS such that the MS can reach several IP
networks (i.e. several APNs) with different QoS.

Data Transfer

SNDCP perform following task: IP packets which are transported between the MS and
the external data network are compressed and segmented between the MS and the
SGSN. SNDCP re-assembles and decompress the LLC packet to get the IP packets
again.

GPRS Protocols

Logical Link Control: LLC which provides a logical connection between the MS and the
SGSN, defined by DLCI which consist of TLLI & SAPI. LLC is also responsible for
ciphering the connection.
o TLLI: identify specific MS
o SAPI: identify service access point.
Session Management: Messages concerning the activation of the PDP context
between the MS and the SGSN belong to the protocol SM.

GPRS Interfaces
Um and Abis Interface:
The Radio Link Control RLC (between the MS and the PCU) segments the LLC packets
into smaller packets called radio blocks for transmission over the radio interface and reassembles the received radio blocks from the radio interface (from the Abis interface)
into LLC packets. In the RLC acknowledged mode of operation, the RLC layer also
provides the Backward Error Correction BEC procedures enabling the selective
transmission of unsuccessfully delivered radio blocks.
o MAC: The MAC protocol enables several mobile stations to share a common
transmission medium and also allows a mobile station to use several physical
channels in parallel.
o Channel Bundling: Timeslots can be bundled on the UL and the DL. The
allocation of timeslots may also be asymmetric. Timeslots are not reserved and
may be shared by several subscribers.
o Two Factor important for GPRS radio resource allocation. These parameters
sent as part of MAC protocol header which give information about channel
usage.
Temporary Flow Identifier (TFI): determine owner of each packet. Has 5
bits. 32 subscribers shared theoretically DL radio channel.
Uplink State Flag (USF): Indicates which subscriber can send next on
the relevant UL radio channel. Has 3 bits. 8 subscribers theoretically
shared it.
o Radio Blocks: The digital information which is sent over the radio interface is
divided into radio blocks. One radio block contains 456 bits and is the
information which can be sent in a certain timeslot in four consecutive TDMA
frames. One radio block is the smallest unit of information over the radio
interface.

Coding Scheme: Four different coding schemes CS have been defined for
GPRS. Each radio block is coded using one of these coding schemes.
CS-1: very reliable only 181 user bits are sent per radio block. Total of
228 bits. 3 USF, 40 BCS and 4 tail bits.
CS-2: less reliable because 268 user bits are sent per radio block. 2
times USF, 16 BCS, 4 TB total 294.
CS-3: is an even less reliable than CS-2 because 312 user bits are sent
per radio block. 2 times USF, 16 BCS, 4 TB total 338.
CS-4: Unreliable because 268 user bits are sent per radio block. 4 times
USF, 16 BCS total 456.

Gb interface
User data and system signaling are both carried from the BSCs to SGSN through Gb
interface. This link is usually implemented with a Frame Relay network.
o Frame Relay is a layer 2 packet oriented technology to connect local network
over long distance.
o BSSGP protocol is used which transport subscriber relevant information.
Gn interface
Is used between GSNs of same PLMN to exchange user profile when the user moves
from one SGSN to another.
Gp interface
Is defined between two GSNs of different PLMN for exchanging the user profile and
other signaling information between a SGSN and GGSN of another area.
Gp interface offers extra security functionality which is necessary for connections
between different networks.
GPRS Signalling (81
Common Mobility Management

When the subscriber leaves a Location Area, he also moves to a new Routing Area.
Therefore an update of both the Location Area in the VLR and of the Routing Area in the
SLR are necessary. If the additional Gs interface between the MSC/VLR and the
SGSN/SLR is implemented, the MS does not contact both SLR and VLR. In order to
minimize the quantity of signalling over the radio interface the MS only updates the SLR.
The SLR saves the new Routing Area Identity (RAI) and contacts the VLR via the Gs
interface, the VLR then saves the new Location Area Identity (LAI). This procedure is
known as Common Mobility Management (CMM).

Session Management

Session Management (SM) for the transmission of data to and from the subscriber, is
one of the tasks performed by the SGSN. The SM status of a subscriber is either active
or inactive.
QoS priorities, delays, reliabilities, throughputs for the desired application
IP address for the MS Temporary (with IPv4) or fixed (with IPv6)
Access Point Name (APN) which is the logical name for the desired data network .

Gr Interface

The Gr interface between the HLR and the SGSN is based on the MAP protocol which
is the application layer of all signaling interfaces inside the GSM core network. IP based
network which use UDPis which receipt of data are not acknowledged when transmitted
over a network.
Frame Relay is rarely used. If the distance between the SGSN and the GGSN is small
Ethernet is usually selected. This technology is easy to implement and cheap. Another
technology which is also often used is ATM. ATM uses E1, E3 or STM-1 on layer 1.

Gf interface

Is used between SGSN and EIR to query the IMEI information if a MS tries to register
with the network.

Gc interface

Between GGSN and HLR is used by GGSN to query user's location and profile to update
its location register.

Gi interface

Connects GGSN to external PDN (e.g. X.25 or IP).

Gs interface

Between SGSN and MSC/VLR is used to perform paging request of circuit switched
GSM call for combined attachment procedure.

Gd interface

Between SMS-Gateway (SMS-GMSC) and SGSN is used to exchange short message

service (SMS) messages.

Gr, Gd and Gf interfaces based on MAP protocol.

Below application layer Gs, Gr, Gd and Gf based on SCCP and MTP level 2, 3 and 1.

Enhanced Data rates for the GSM Evolutions (EDGE)

It allows improve data transmission rates.

It uses higher order 8PSK modulation scheme for the upper five of its nine modulation
and coding scheme.
EDGE can carry a bandwidth up to 236 kbit/s (with end-to-end latency of less than
150 ms) for 4 timeslots (theoretical maximum is 473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots) in packet
mode.
It also enhances the circuit data mode called HSCSD, increasing the data rate of this
service.