GSM

GSM is an acronym that stands for Global System for Mobile Communications. The original French acronym stands for Groupe Spcial MobileGSM is a digital cellular network. At the time the standard was developed it offered much higher capacity than the current analog systems. It also allowed for a more optimal allocation of the radio spectrum, which therefore allows for a larger num er of su scri ers. GSM offers a num er of services including voice communications, Short Message Service !SMS", fa#, voice mail, and other supplemental services such as call forwarding and caller I$. %urrently there are several ands in use in GSM. &'( M)*, +'( M),, -(( M)*, .+(( M)*, and .-(( M)* are the most common ones.GSM makes use of Fre/uency $ivision Multiple Access !F$MA" and Time $ivision Multiple Access !T$MA".

Uplinks/Downlinks & Reverse Forward

GSM allows for use of duple# operation. 0ach and has a fre/uency range for the uplink !cell phone to tower" and a separate range for the downlink !tower to the cell phone". The uplink is also known as the Reverse and the downlink also known as the Forward. In this report, I will use the terms uplink and downlink.

Fre uency Division Multiple !ccess "FDM!#

GSM divides the allocated spectrum for each and up into individual carrier fre/uencies. %arrier separation is 1(( k)*.

!bsolute Radio Fre uency C$annel %umber "!RFC%#

The A2F%3 is a num er that descri es a pair of fre/uencies, one uplink and one downlink. The uplink and downlink fre/uencies each have a andwidth of 1(( k)*. The uplink and downlink have a specific offset that varies for each and. The offset is the fre/uency separation of the uplink from the downlink. 0very time the A2F%3 increases, the uplink will increase y 1(( k)* and the downlink increases y 1(( k)*. An A2F%3 has an allowed andwidth of 1(( k)*, which corresponds e#actly to the carrier separation. The fre/uency of the A2F%3 refers to its centre fre/uency. If an A2F%3 has a fre/uency of -.&.+( M)*, then it occupies the fre/uency space from -.&.4 M)* to -.&.M)* !1(( k)* total". 2emem er that this is the allocated andwidth. 5ecause of the nature of the modulation method !GMS6" and data rate used in GSM, the actual physical andwidth will e a out .7'.& k)*. The unused andwidth for each A2F%3 acts as a uffer etween other A2F%3 to avoid interference.

The following ta le summari*es the fre/uency ranges, offsets, and A2F%3s for several popular ands.

The following diagram illustrates an A2F%3 with paired uplink and downlink fre/uencies for A2F%3 . in the GSM -(( and.

%etwork &dentifier
Mobile Subscriber inte'rated service di'ital network(number "MS&SD%#
The MSIS$3 is the su scri er8s phone num er. It is the num er that another person would dial in order to reach the su scri er. The MSIS$3 is composed of three parts9 Country Code "CC# : This is the international dialling code for whichever country the MS is registered to. %ational Destination Code "%DC# : In GSM, an 3$% is assigned to each ;<M3. In many cases, a ;<M3 may need more than one 3$%. Subscriber %umber "S%# : This is a num er assigned to the su scri er y the service provider !;<M3". &nternational Mobile Subscriber &dentity "&MS&# The IMSI is how the su scri er is identified to the network. It uni/uely identifies the su scri er within the GSM glo al network. The IMSI is urned into the SIM card when the su scri er registers with ;<M3 service provider. The IMSI is composed of three parts9 Mobile Country Code "MCC# : This num er identifies which country the su scri er8s network is in. It has 7 digits. Mobile %etwork Code "M%C# : This num er identifies the home GSM ;<M3 of the su scri er !%ingular, T:Mo ile, etc.". It has 1 or 7 digits. Some networks may have more than one M3% allocated to it. Mobile Subscriber &dentification %umber "MS&%# : This num er uni/uely identifies a user within the home GSM network &nternational Mobile ) uipment &dentity "&M)&# The IM0I uni/uely identifies the Mo ile 0/uipment itself. It is essentially a serial num er that is urned into the phone y the manufacturer. The IM0I is composed of three parts9 *ype !llocation Code "*!C# : This num er uni/uely identifies the model of a wireless device. It is composed of + digits. =nder the new system !as of April 1((&", the first two digits of a TA% are the Reporting Body Identifier of the GSMA approved group that allocated this model type. Serial %umber "S%R# : This num er is a manufacturer defined serial num er for the model of wireless device.

Spare "S+# This num er is a check digit known as a Luhn Chec !igit. It is omitted during transmission within the GSM network.

GSM !RC,&*)C*UR)
Mobile Station "MS#
The Mo ile Station !MS" is made up of two components9

Mobile ) uipment "M)# This refers to the physical phone itself. The phone must e a le
to operate on a GSM network. >lder phones operated on a single and only. 3ewer phones are dual: and, triple: and, and even /uad: and capa le. A /uad: and phone has the technical capa ility to operate on any GSM network worldwide. 0ach phone is uni/uely identified y the International Mobile "#uip$ent Identity !IM0I" num er. This num er is urned into the phone y the manufacturer. The IM0I can usually e found y removing the attery of the phone and reading the panel in the attery well. It is possi le to change the IM0I on a phone to reflect a different IM0I. This is known as IM0I spoofing or IM0I cloning. This is usually done on stolen phones. The average user does not have the technical a ility to change a phone8s IM0I.

Subscriber &dentity Module "S&M# : The SIM is a small smart card that is inserted into
the phone and carries information specific to the su scri er, such as IMSI% &MSI% 'i !used for encryption", Service ;rovider 3ame !S;3", and Local (rea Identity !<AI". The SIM can also store phone num ers !MSIS$3" dialed and received, the 'c !used for encryption", phone ooks, and data for other applications. A SIM card can e removed from one phone, inserted into another GSM capa le phone and the su scri er will get the same service as always. 0ach SIM card is protected y a &:digit ;ersonal Identification 3um er !;I3". In order to unlock a card, the user must enter the ;I3.

-ase *ransceiver Station "-*S#

-ase *ransceiver Station "-*S# : The 5TS is the Mo ile Station8s access point to the
network. It is responsi le for carrying out radio communications etween the network and the MS. It handles speech encoding, encryption, multiple#ing !&!M(", and modulation?demodulation of the radio signals. It is also capa le of fre/uency hopping. A 5TS will have etween . and .@ Transceivers !T2A", depending on the geography and user demand of an area. 0ach T2A represents one A2F%3. >ne 5TS usually covers a single .1( degree sector of an area. =sually a tower with 7 5TSs will accommodate all 7@( degrees around the tower. )owever, depending on geography and user demand of an area, a cell may e divided up into one or two sectors, or a cell may e serviced y several 5TSs with redundant sector coverage. A 5TS is assigned a Cell Identity. The cell identity is .@: it num er !dou le octet" that identifies that cell in a particular Location (rea. The cell identity is part of the %ell Glo al Identification !%GI", which is discussed in the section a out the Bisitor <ocation 2egister !B<2".

The interface etween the MS and the 5TS is known as the )$ Interface or the (ir Interface.

-ase Station Controller "-SC#

-ase Station Controller "-SC# controls multiple 5TSs. It handles allocation of radio channels, fre/uency administration, power and signal measurements from the MS, and handovers from one 5TS to another !if oth 5TSs are controlled y the same 5S%". It reduces the num er of connections to the Mobile Switching Centre !MS%" and allows for higher capacity connections to the MS%. A 5S% may e collocated with a 5TS or it may e geographically separate. It may even e collocated with the Mo ile Switching %entre !MS%".

!bis &nterface

-ase Station Controller *$e -ase *ransceiver Station "-*S# and t$e -ase Station Controller "-SC# to'et$er make up t$e Base Station System "-SS#.

Mobile Switc$in' Centre "MSC#

Mobile Switc$in' Centre "MSC# : The MS% is the heart of the GSM network. It handles call routing, call setup, and asic switching functions. An MS% handles multiple 5S%s and also interfaces with other MS%8s and registers. It also handles inter:5S% handoffs as well as coordinates with other MS%8s for inter:MS% handoffs. The interface etween the 5S% and the MS% is known as the ( Interface

Mobile Switc$in' Centre

Gateway Mobile Switc$in' Centre "GMSC#

There is another important type of MS%, called a Gateway Mo ile Switching %entre !GMS%". The GMS% functions as a gateway etween two networks. If a mo ile su scri er wants to place a call to a regular land line, then the call would have to go through a GMS% in order to switch to the ;u lic Switched Telephone 3etwork !;ST3".

Gateway Mobile Switc$in' Centre For e#ample, if a su scri er on the %ingular network wants to call a su scri er on a T:Mo ile network, the call would have to go through a GMS%.

Connections between *wo %etworks

The interface etween Mo ile Switching %entres !MS%" is called the " Interface

,ome /ocation Re'ister ",/R#

,ome /ocation Re'ister ",/R# : The )<2 is a large data ase that permanently stores data a out su scri ers. The )<2 maintains su scri er:specific information such as the MSIS$3, IMSI, current location of the MS, roaming restrictions, and su scri er supplemental features. There is logically only one )<2 in any given network, ut generally speaking each network has multiple physical )<2s spread out across its network.

0isitor /ocation Re'ister "0/R# 0isitor /ocation Re'ister "0/R# : The B<2 is a data ase that contains a su set of the information located on the )<2. It contains similar information as the )<2, ut only for su scri ers currently in its <ocation Area. There is a B<2 for every <ocation Area. The B<2 reduces the overall num er of /ueries to the )<2 and thus reduces network traffic. B<2s are often identified y the <ocation Area %ode !<A%" for the area they service.

/ocation !rea Code "/!C# A <A% is a fi#ed:length code !two octets" that identifies a location area within the network. 0ach <ocation Area is serviced y a B<2, so we can think of a <ocation Area %ode !<A%" eing assigned to a B<2.

/ocation !rea &dentity "/!&# An <AI is a glo ally uni/ue num er that identifies the country, network provider, and <A% of any given <ocation Area, which coincides with a B<2. It is composed of the Mo ile %ountry %ode !M%%", the Mo ile 3etwork %ode !M3%", and the <ocation Area %ode !<A%". The M%% and the M3% are the same num ers used when forming the IMSI.

Cell Global &dentification "CG&# The %GI is a num er that uni/uely identifies a specific cell within its location area, network, and country. The %GI is composed of the M%%, M3%, <AI, and %ell Identity !%I"

Cell Global &dentity

The B<2 also has one other very important function9 the assignment of a Temporary Mo ile Su scri er Identity !TMSI". TMSIs are assigned y the B<2 to a MS as it comes into its <ocation Area. TMSIs are only allocated when in cipher mode.

The interface etween the MS% and the B<2 is known as the B Interface and the interface etween the B<2 and the )<2 is known as the ! Interface. The interface etween two B<2s is called the G Interface

) uipment &dentity Re'ister ")&R#

) uipment &dentity Re'ister ")&R# : The 0I2 is a data ase that keeps tracks of handsets on the network using the IM0I. There is only one 0I2 per network. It is composed of three lists. The white list, the gray list, and the lack list. The lack list is a list if IM0Is that are to e denied service y the network for some reason. 2easons include the IM0I eing listed as stolen or cloned or if the handset is malfunctioning or doesnCt have the technical capa ilities to operate on the network. The gray list is a list of IM0Is that are to e monitored for suspicious activity. This could include handsets that are ehaving oddly or not performing as the network e#pects it to. The white list is an unpopulated list. That means if an IM0I is not on the lack list or on the gray list, then it is considered good and is Don the white listD. The interface etween the MS% and the 0I2 is called the F Interface.

!ut$entication Centre "!uc#

!ut$entication Centre "!uC# : The Au% is responsi le for generating the necessary cryptovaria les for authentication and encryption on the network. These varia les are the 2A3$, S20S, and 6c. The Auc also stores the 6i for each IMSI on the network. Although it is not re/uired, the Auc is normally physically collocated with the )<2. There is one last interface that we haven8t discussed. The interface etween the )<2 and a GMS% is called the C Interface. Eou will see it in the full network diagram elow. This completes the introduction to the network architecture of a GSM network. 5elow you will find a network diagram with all of the components as well as the names of all of the interfaces.

Full GSM %etwork

!dvanta'es1
F Gorldwide 2oaming Since GSM service is o taina le in added than 1(( countries, clienteles are capa le to roam glo ally without altering their devices or their facility plans. Messaging facilities and other progressive services, such as data, too endure o taina le. %ellular usinesses sort partnership contracts with suppliers overseas, so usinesses are capa le to roam glo ally at reduced roaming charges. F Security GSM facilities are e#tremely protected, with skills in place that can defend against oth snooping and service riding. GSM devices and facilities cannot e duplicated as simply as other skills. The SIM card or Su scri er recogni*e =nit card which transmits su scri er and e#change info, secures purchaser info. These cards also permit consumers to handover their su scription info and telephone ook info from one receiver to add at any period. F 2easona le $evices and Facilities GSM suppliers switch a huge portion of the cellular marketplace and so are capa le to deliver a huge diversity of reasona le devices and facilities. %onstructors are capa le to afford numerous diverse kinds of devices for reasona le values since the huge capacity of purchases aids to energy down the trade costs. The change of strategies and facilities re/uest to consumers as well, since they need to try the latest and ma#imum e#citing yields. F 0#tensive Spectrums > taina le The GSM e#pertise usages five ands of M)* rateH &'(, +'(, -((, .+(( and .-(( M)*. 5uilders are capa le to yield devices that can choice up two or three diverse occurrence ands. Those receivers can then shift etween those rates routinely as desira le, in order to preserve a network linking almost wherever. The signals o taina le with GSM facility are effectual, meaning that an e#cessive deal of data can transfer diagonally the fre/uency ands without dipping the efficiency of the signs.

Disadvanta'es1
F 2eleased and Missed %alls %onferring to %ellular 3ewscast, call superiority difficulties, with dropped calls and missed calls are shared difficulties with GSM e#pertise. These difficulties outcome right from the e#pertise in use. GSM e#pertise cannot provide accommodations as numerous callers on a lone cell tower as the more current %$MA technology. F Safety Issues ,$3et =6 rumors that GSM has a grave safety flaw, esta lished y a hacker who was capa le to interrupt telephone calls from an amount of GSM: ased cellular headphones. The

tricky is founded right on the technology conferring to this hacker and the key was to Ishot offJ the GSM technology that is normally recovered y individuals all over the universe. F %ompetence Added tricky with GSM is a system pro lem somewhat than a customer pro lem, though it is a customer tricky for those who donCt need to see a creation of cellular towers. As earlier eminent, GSM technologies can kno rarer callers on a lone cellular tower.

2eferences

www.wikipedia.com www.gsmfordummies.com
www.google.com Techblog.com