Overview

• GSM Overview

Chapter 9 •
•
•
Services
Architecture
Cell management

GSM •
•
•
TDMA, FDMA
Orientation
Handover
• Authentications
• HSCSD, GPRS
Distributed
Computing
Mobile Computing
Group
Summer 2004

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Mobile phones worldwide Mobile phone subscribers worldwide

700000

600000

subscribers (x 1000)
500000 Analog total
GSM total
400000 CDMA total

[GSM Data]
300000 TDMA total
PDC/PHS total
200000 total
100000

0
[crt.dk]

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

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GSM: Overview Performance characteristics of GSM

• formerly: Groupe Spéciale Mobile (founded 1982) • Communication

• now: Global System for Mobile Communication – mobile, wireless communication; support for voice and data
services
• Pan-European standard (ETSI, European Telecommunications
Standardization Institute) • Total mobility
– international access, chip-card enables use of access points of
• simultaneous introduction of essential services in three phases different providers
(1991, 1994, 1996) by the European telecommunication
• Worldwide connectivity
administrations
– one number, the network handles localization
• seamless roaming within Europe possible
• High capacity
• today many providers all over the world use GSM (more than 184
– better frequency efficiency, smaller cells, more customers per cell
countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, America)
• High transmission quality
• more than 750 million subscribers
– high audio quality and reliability for wireless, uninterrupted phone
• more than 70% of mobile phones use GSM calls at higher speeds (e.g., from cars, trains)
• more than 360 billion SMS/year worldwide • Security functions
– access control, authentication via chip-card and PIN

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Disadvantages of GSM GSM: Mobile Services

• no end-to-end encryption of user data • GSM offers

• no full ISDN bandwidth of 64 kbit/s to the user – several types of connections: voice connections, data connections,
short message service
– multi-service options (combination of basic services)
• reduced concentration while driving
• Three service domains
• electromagnetic radiation
– Bearer Services
– Telematic Services
• abuse of private data possible – Supplementary Services
• roaming profiles accessible
bearer services
MS
• high complexity of the system transit source/
• several incompatibilities within the GSM standards TE MT GSM-PLMN network destination TE
R, S Um (PSTN, ISDN) network (U, S, R)

tele services

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Bearer Services Tele Services

• Telecommunication services to transfer data between access points • Telecommunication services that enable voice communication
• Specification of services up to the terminal interface (OSI layers 1-3) via mobile phones
• Different data rates for voice and data (original standard) • All these basic services have to obey cellular functions, security
measurements etc.
• data service (circuit switched)
– synchronous: 2.4, 4.8 or 9.6 kbit/s • Offered services
– asynchronous: 300 - 1200 bit/s – mobile telephony
primary goal of GSM was to enable mobile telephony offering the
traditional bandwidth of 3.1 kHz
• data service (packet switched) – Emergency number
– synchronous: 2.4, 4.8 or 9.6 kbit/s common number throughout Europe (112); mandatory for all
– asynchronous: 300 - 9600 bit/s service providers; free of charge, without contract; connection with
the highest priority (preemption of other connections possible)

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Additional Tele Services Supplementary services

• Non-Voice-Teleservices • Services in addition to the basic services, cannot be offered

– Short Message Service (SMS) stand-alone
up to 160 character alphanumeric data transmission to/from the mobile
• Similar to ISDN services besides lower bandwidth due to the
terminal using the signaling channel, thus allowing simultaneous use of
basic services and SMS radio link
– group 3 fax • May differ between different service providers, countries and
– voice mailbox (implemented in the fixed network supporting the mobile protocol versions
terminals) • Important services
– electronic mail (MHS, Message Handling System, implemented in the – identification: forwarding of caller number
fixed network) – suppression of number forwarding
– etc. – automatic call-back
– conferencing with up to 7 participants
– locking of the mobile terminal (incoming or outgoing calls)
– ...

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 GSM: overview Architecture of the GSM system
OMC, EIR,
AUC
HLR
GMSC
• GSM is a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)
NSS fixed network
• several providers setup mobile networks following the GSM
with OSS
standard within each country
VLR MSC MSC • components
VLR
– MS (mobile station)
– BS (base station)
BSC – MSC (mobile switching center)
BSC – LR (location register)
• subsystems
RSS – RSS (radio subsystem): covers all radio aspects
– NSS (network and switching subsystem): call forwarding, handover,
switching
– OSS (operation subsystem): management of the network

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GSM: elements and interfaces System architecture: radio subsystem

radio network and switching
subsystem subsystem
radio cell • Components
BSS MS MS
MS MS – MS (Mobile Station)
Um radio cell – BSS (Base Station Subsystem):
RSS BTS MS
Um consisting of
BTS Abis • BTS (Base Transceiver Station):
BSC MSC sender and receiver
BTS BTS • BSC (Base Station Controller):
Abis
controlling several transceivers
BSC BSC
A • Interfaces
MSC MSC – Um : radio interface
A
NSS VLR VLR signaling BTS – Abis : standardized, open interface
MSC
HLR GMSC
ISDN, PSTN BSC with 16 kbit/s user channels
BTS
PDN
IWF
BSS – A: standardized, open interface
O
with 64 kbit/s user channels
OSS EIR AUC OMC

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Base Transceiver Station and Base Station Controller Mobile station

• Terminal for the use of GSM services

• Tasks of a BSS are distributed over BSC and BTS
• BTS comprises radio specific functions
• BSC is the switching center for radio channels
Functions
Management of radio channels
Frequency hopping (FH)
Management of terrestrial channels
Mapping of terrestrial onto radio channels
Channel coding and decoding
Rate adaptation
Encryption and decryption
Paging
Uplink signal measurements
• A mobile station (MS) comprises several functional groups
– MT (Mobile Terminal):
• offers common functions used by all services the MS offers
• corresponds to the network termination (NT) of an ISDN access
BTS BSC • end-point of the radio interface (Um)
X
X X – TA (Terminal Adapter):
X • terminal adaptation, hides radio specific characteristics
X – TE (Terminal Equipment):
X
• peripheral device of the MS, offers services to a user
X
X X • does not contain GSM specific functions
X X – SIM (Subscriber Identity Module):
X • personalization of the mobile terminal, stores user parameters

[J. Schiller]
Traffic measurement X
Authentication X
Location registry, location update X TE TA MT
Um
Handover management X R S

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System architecture: network and switching subsystem System architecture: operation subsystem
network fixed partner
subsystem networks
• MSC (Mobile Services Switching • The OSS (Operation Subsystem) enables centralized operation,
Center) management, and maintenance of all GSM subsystems
ISDN – IWF (Interworking Functions)
PSTN • Components
MSC – ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Network) – Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
– PSTN (Public Switched • different control capabilities for the radio subsystem and the network
EIR Telephone Network) subsystem
– PSPDN (Packet Switched Public – Authentication Center (AuC)
Data Net.) • generates user specific authentication parameters on request of a VLR
SS7

HLR
– CSPDN (Circuit Switched Public • authentication parameters used for authentication of mobile terminals and
Data Net.) encryption of user data on the air interface within the GSM system

VLR
– Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
• Databases • registers GSM mobile stations and user rights
ISDN
MSC – HLR (Home Location Register) • stolen or malfunctioning mobile stations can be locked and sometimes even
PSTN
IWF – VLR (Visitor Location Register) localized
PSPDN – EIR (Equipment Identity Register)
CSPDN

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GSM: system architecture GSM: cellular network
radio network and fixed
subsystem switching subsystem partner networks segmentation of the area into cells

MS MS possible radio coverage of the cell

ISDN
PSTN
Um MSC

Abis idealized shape of the cell

BTS cell
BSC EIR
BTS

– use of several carrier frequencies

SS7
HLR
– not the same frequency in adjoining cells
– cell sizes vary from some 100 m up to 35 km depending on user
density, geography, transceiver power etc.
BTS VLR
– hexagonal shape of cells is idealized (cells overlap)
BSC ISDN
BTS
A
MSC PSTN – if a mobile user changes cells:
BSS IWF handover of the connection to the neighbor cell
PSPDN
CSPDN

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Example for space multiplexing: Cellular network Channel Assignment

• Simplified hexagonal model • Formal definition of the problem:

• Signal propagation ranges: • Input: A Graph G, the nodes of G are the cells, there is an edge
Frequency reuse only with a certain between two nodes if the cells interfere. Each node u has an integer
distance between the base stations weight w(u) that represents the number of users in cell u.

• Can you reuse frequencies in • Output: We assign w(u) colors to each node, such that no two
distance 2 or 3 (or more)? neighboring nodes have the same color. We are interested in the
minimum number of colors needed.
• Graph coloring problem
• Example: fixed frequency assignment
for reuse with distance 2 • This problem known as Graph Multicoloring. It is NP-hard.
• Interference from neighbor cells
(other color) can be controlled with
transmit and receive filters

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Channel Assignment Variations Basic Types of Algorithms

• Special types of graphs, e.g. the hexagon graph. • Fixed Assignment (FA): Nodes are partitioned into f3
independent sets, and each such set is assigned f5 f2
a separate set of channels. This works very well f4 f6 f5
• Dynamic version: the weight of a node u is a function that changes f1 f4
over time: wt(u). If a future wt(u) is not known, the algorithm is if the traffic is balanced well. Example: Hexagon f3 f7 f1

online. graph with reuse distance 3 is on the right. f2

• Recoloring vs. non-recoloring algorithms: A dynamic algorithm is a
non-recoloring algorithm if the frequency of a user is not allowed to
change once it is assigned. Note that a recoloring algorithm is more
powerful.
• Centralized vs. Distributed Control. In particular an algorithm is k-
local if each node can only communicate with nodes within distance
k.
• Borrowing Algorithms: Improvement of FA. If traffic is not balanced,
cells can borrow frequencies from neighboring cells.
• Hybrid Channel Assignment: Divide the frequencies into “reserved”
and “borrowable” ones.
• Dynamic Channel Assignment: A centrally coordinated pool of
frequencies is distributed to cells.

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Online Channel Assignment The Greedy Algorithm for Online Channel Assignment

• Problem: We are given the hexagon graph with reuse distance 2. • Algorithm: When a new call arrives, it is assigned the minimum
Callers arrive at cells in online fashion, that is, one after the other in available channel, that is, the minimum integer that is not used in
an input sequence σ. We need to give each caller a channel (an the cell and the neighboring cells.
integer), such that no caller in the same or a neighboring hexagon
has the same channel. We assume that calls have infinite duration • Theorem: The Greedy Algorithm is 2.5-competitive. This is optimal.
(which is the same as assuming that all calls have the same
duration).
• Unfortunately, both upper bound and lower bound are too intricate
to be presented here. But we can easily show that
• Cost: The cost of the algorithm is the value of the highest channel
we used.
• Theorem for lazy professors: The Greedy Algorithm is 3-
competitive.
• Competitive Analysis: If costALG(σ) · ρ · costOPT(σ) + const for all
input sequences σ and an optimal offline algorithm OPT,
then the Algorithm ALG is called ρ-competitive.
(Note: if const = 0 the ALG is strictly ρ-competitive.)

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Wait a minute… Online Call Control

• So far: If two antennas “overlap” they are assigned different
frequencies.
• Is this really true? Check this example with 3 antennas
• You may assign the two outer antennas the same frequency!
• Problem: In a real GSM network, we have only a fixed amount of
channels available. If there are more callers, we have to reject
some.
• Simplification: We have only 1 frequency available.
• Problem Statement: We are given the hexagon graph with reuse
distance 2. Callers arrive at cells in online fashion, that is, one after
the other in an input sequence σ. We need to accept or reject each
caller, such that there is at most 1 caller in a cell and its 6
neighboring cells. We assume that calls have infinite duration (which
is the same as assuming that all calls have the same duration).
• Benefit: The benefit of the algorithm is the number of callers we
accept.
• Competitive Analysis: If ρ · benefitALG(σ) ≥ benefitOPT(σ)
for all input sequences σ and an optimal offline algorithm OPT,
then the Algorithm ALG is called ρ-competitive.

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The Greedy Algorithm for Online Call Control A Randomized Algorithm for Online Call Control

• Algorithm: When a new call arrives, it is accepted whenever • It was long believed that the greedy algorithm is the best possible.
possible.
• New idea: Maybe randomization helps. Don’t accept every call that
• Theorem: The Greedy Algorithm is 3-competitive. you might accept.

• Problem of algorithm is obvious already with the first call: If we do
not accept the call, we are not at all competitive (because it might
be the only call); if we accept the call might have to discard 3 calls
in the neighboring calls later.
or
• Problem: Maybe adversary presents the same cell over and over
until we (randomly) accept and then presents the 3 callers in the
neighboring cells.
• Solution: If once a caller was (randomly) rejected in a cell, we
should not accept any caller anymore in this cell (we mark the cell).

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A Randomized Algorithm for Online Call Control GSM - TDMA/FDMA

935-960 MHz
• Algorithm: Initially, all cells are unmarked. 124 channels (200 kHz)
downlink

y
nc
e
qu
890-915 MHz
• For a new call in cell u:

fre
124 channels (200 kHz)
uplink
– If u is marked or a call in N*(u) is accepted, then we reject the call. higher GSM frame structures
– Else: With probability p, we accept the call. time
– With probability 1-p, we reject the call and mark the cell u.
GSM TDMA frame
• Theorem: The randomized algorithm is 2.97-competitive. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4.615 ms
• Remarks:
• For randomized algorithms, we use the expected benefit. GSM time-slot (normal burst)
guard guard
• An improved version of the algorithm is 2.651-competitive. space tail user data S Training S user data tail space
• The algorithm can be generalized and is 27/28·∆-competitive. 3 bits 57 bits 1 26 bits 1 57 bits 3
546.5 µs
577 µs

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Logical Channels GSM hierarchy of frames

hyperframe
• Traffic Channel TCH: For speech and data 0 1 2 ... 2045 2046 2047 3 h 28 min 53.76 s
– Full rate TCH/F (22.8 kbit/s), Half rate TCH/H (11.8 kbit/s)
- Speech codec needed 13 kbit/s – remaining bandwidth is used for superframe
strong error correction TCH/FS; now some use TCH/HS 0 1 2 ... 48 49 50
- For data there are TCH/F4.8, TCH/F9.6, and TCH/F14.4 6.12 s
0 1 ... 24 25
• Control Channel CCH
– Broadcast Control Channel BCCH: global variables in cell (such as multiframe
hopping scheme, frequencies, frequencies of neighbor cells, etc.) 0 1 ... 24 25 120 ms
• Frequency Correction Channel FCCH, Synchronization Channel SCH
– Common Control Channel CCCH 0 1 2 ... 48 49 50 235.4 ms
• Paging Channel PCH, Random Access Channel RACH (slotted Aloha!)
– Dedicated Control Channel DCCH: Bidirectional frame
• Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel SDCCH (for stations without TCH, 0 1 ... 6 7 4.615 ms
with only 782 bit/s), Slow Associated Dedicated Control Channel SACCH
(for each station), Fast Associated Dedicated Control Channel FACCH (in slot
case of handover) burst 577 µs

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GSM protocol layers for signaling Mobile Terminated Call

1: calling a GSM subscriber

Um Abis A
2: forwarding call to GMSC 4
MS BTS BSC MSC HLR VLR
3: signal call setup to HLR 5
8 9
CM CM 4, 5: request MSRN from VLR 3 6 14 15
MM MM 6: forward responsible calling 7
PSTN GMSC MSC
MSC to GMSC station 1 2
BSSAP BSSAP
RR RR’ 7: forward call to 10 10 13 10
RR’ BTSM BTSM current MSC 16
SS7 SS7
LAPDm LAPDm LAPD LAPD BSS BSS BSS
8, 9: get current status of MS 11 11 11
radio radio PCM PCM PCM PCM 10, 11: paging of MS
12, 13: MS answers 11 12
17
16/64 kbit/s 64 kbit/s / 14, 15: security checks
MS
2.048 Mbit/s 16, 17: set up connection

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Mobile Originated Call MTC/MOC

MS MTC BTS MS MOC BTS
paging request
1, 2: connection request
channel request channel request
3, 4: security check immediate assignment immediate assignment
5-8: check resources (free circuit) paging response service request
VLR
9-10: set up call authentication request authentication request
3 4 authentication response authentication response
6 5 ciphering command ciphering command
PSTN GMSC MSC ciphering complete ciphering complete
7 8
setup setup
2 9
call confirmed call confirmed
1
MS BSS assignment command assignment command
10
assignment complete assignment complete
alerting alerting
connect connect
connect acknowledge connect acknowledge
data/speech exchange data/speech exchange

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