ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4G

Satellite Monitoring System

Retrieval of information from ACeSIISAT satellite communications system (GMR-2)

A Rohde&Schwarz Company
ARPEGE ISIS-4Gl The modular system concept allows information to be
captured with and without call contents (traffic channels)
monitoring.

Satellite Monitoring Without call contents monitoring, the system supplies

statistical information about the IMSls of active GMR-2
mobile phones in GMR-2 spot beams. With call contents
System monitoring, the system provides identifying characteristics
of the calling and the called subscribers, as well as inter-
cepted contents, e.g. voice, fax or data. The information
The ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4G satellite thus gained can be processed, analyzed and forwarded to
monitoring system enables the passive monitor- the customer by means of the ARPEGE monitoring center.
ing and analysis Of communications sessions Of the
The ARPEGE ISIS-4GIIRIS-4GIIRMA-4Gsatellite monitor-
ACeS and ISAT satellite communications systems via ing systems are
- .
of the SatMon system from
the air interface. ARPEGE (see figure below)

The GMR-2 satellite monitoring system includes three Key facts

main system components and the ARPEGE monitoring I Satellite monitoring system for GMR-2 footprint areas
center: (ACeS over Garuda-l and ISAT over 1-4 INMARSAT
I ARPEGE ISIS4G monitors the telephone activities within satellites)
the GMR-2 satellite global beam. ARPEGE ISIS4G is part I Two-way contents monitoring in areas outside range of
of the central station central station by means of remote sensors
I ARPEGE IRIS-4G monitors active GMR-2 mobile phone I Display of telephone activities in spot beams on elec-
contents within the GMR-2 satellite global beam (C-band- tronic map
only). Duplex phone contents are available within a range I Contents analysis and network analysis by means of
of approx. 1000 kilometers from the monitoring site. ARPEGE monitoring center software
ARPEGE IRISQG is part of the central station I Modular, scalable system configuration
I ARPEGE IRMA4G monitors active GMR-2 mobile phone I Sustained system concept: universal hardware platform
contents outside the ARPEGE IRIS-4G system's two-way for implementing various SatMon systems, and
coverage area. ARPEGE IRMA-4G is part of the remote comprehensive system health monitoring
sensor station
I The ARPEGE monitoring center is usually located near
the central station. Operators there analyze the intercept-
ed GMR-2 activities and communications contents

- U " ~ P ~ - % * ,

L
@ ARPEGE THE%* ARPEGE ISIS-4
$
N.R L- ,U--

iWr@ptk?m interceptionsysten
(Thura~a) (ACeSASAT mobile phones)
(INMARSAT)
ARPEGE ISIS-4Gl -
ARPEGE ISlSQG determining GMR-2 activities
and identifying areas of interest

IRIS-4GlI RMA-4G D page 6

ARPEGE IRISQGIARPEGE IRMA4G - monitoring

Satellite Monitoring GMR-2 contents
I lnterception of duplex traffic with a central station
System I One-way interception of transmissions in remote regions
without deploying a remote sensor
I lnterception of duplex traffic in remote regions by
deploying remote sensors
D page 8

Seamless intelligence by reconstructing intercepted

GMR-2 data
D page 13

Monitoring fax and data communications

D page 14

Convenient, subscriber-oriented analysis with the

ARPEGE monitoring center
D page 15

Safe investment due to sustained system concept

D page 17

ARPEGE ISIS-4GIIRIS-4GIIRMA-4GSatellite Monitoring System 3

Introduction GMR-2 mobile phones are only slightly larger than conven-
tional GSM mobile phones. GMR-2 mobile phones operate
in dual mode: If a GSM network is available, it is used to
set up a call; otherwise, a call is established via a GMR-2
GMR based mobile radio systems satellite. However, subscribers can force a connection via
GMR is an ETSl standard and stands for "GEO mobile satellite even if a GSM network is available.
radio interface". Many parts of the GMR standard are
derived from the GSM standard. The geosynchronous satellites provide coverage for mobile
communications via a large number of spot beams. Com-
Three satellite systems run GMR-based radiocommunica- munications within a spot beam take place in the L band.
tions systems: Thuraya, ACeS (Asia Cellular Satellite Sys- Communications between the satellite and the gateway
tem) and ISAT. Thuraya is based on the GMR-1 standard, stations take place in the C band in the global beam
which is not discussed in this document. For more infor- and can thus be monitored from any location within the
mation about the Thuraya system, refer to the ARPEGE GMR-2 satellite's footprint area.
EDITHTTHERESEIMARTHE product brochure. ACeS and
ISAT are based on the GMR-2 standard. Aspects of radiomonitoring
Similar as in GSM networks, the traffic channels and
ACeS is a company headquartered in Indonesia and oper- most signaling channels are encrypted in the GMR-2
ates one satellite (Garuda-l). The coverage area includes system. For contents analysis, captured traffic needs to be
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, India and decoded first.
parts of Pakistan. In 2006, ACeS entered into a collaboration
agreement with INMARSAT, a satellite telecommunications ARPEGE ISIS-4G monitors communications in the C band
company based in Great Britain. INMARSAT runs the ISAT from any location within the GMR-2 satellite's footprint
mobile radio system and operates three 4th generation sat- area.
ellites (1-4 EMEA, 1-4 APAC, 1-4 Americas), which provide
GMR-2 service. Currently, 1-4 EMEA and 1-4 APAC provide ARPEGE IRIS-4G and ARPEGE IRMA-4G capture
ISAT service in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. traffic channels (voice, fax, data) and identifying call
characteristics.
The GMR-2 system enables voice, fax and data commu-
nications. Voice traffic accounts for the largest part of all
GMR-2 communications.

GMR-2 coverane areas

..
m - Monitoring range
l
, Similar to the terrestrial GSM, the GMR-2 system uses the
same radlo frequencies in different spot beams (frequency
reuse). As an inherent feature of the GMR-2 system, two-
way interception of traffic channels is possible only in a
limited number of spot beams around the site of the moni-
toring system. Two-way Interception means the reception
and processing of the incoming (forward link) and out-
going (return link) radio signals (each from the perspec-
\ C/L band tive of the GMR-2 subscriber). The two-way intercept~on
range depends on the areas covered by the spot beams
and on the distance between spot beams using the same
frequency and timeslots. Outside the two-way interception
range, a central station (ARPEGE IRIS4G) intercepts and
processes the return links (outgoing voice, fax and data)
for a speclflc number of spot beam areas. Remote L band
sensors (ARPEGE IRMA4G) intercept the forward link on
site, thus expanding the two-way Interception range of the
monitoring system.

As a basic rule, duplex communications can be intercept-

ed in the spot beam in which the monitoring system is
located. Plus, duplex communications can be intercepted
In some spot beams adjacent to the center spot beam
depending on the allocation of frequencies and tlmeslots.

ARpEGElRMA4G
The flgure on the lower left shows as an example the
coverage provided by a Korean-based ARPEGE IRIS4G

l system.
Neighboring spot beam clusters can use the same fre-
quencies without interfering with one another. Spot beams
that use the same frequency can be successfully inter-
cepted by one monitoring station due to the use of differ-

I
Two-way interception range of a Korean-based
ARPEGE IRIS4G svstem 7 ent timeslots. Typically, the spot beams in question differ
in signal power. The stronger signal will be intercepted; the
weaker signal will be lost.

' A preliminary site survey is recommended in order to

measure the actual coverage provided by the relevant
spot beams (spot beam visibility). This, in turn, will help to
determine the monitoring coverage provided by ARPEGE

ARPEGE ISIS-4GIIRIS-4GIIRMA-4GSatellite Monitoring System 5

ARPEGE ISIS-4G - Principle of operation
Each activity of a mobile phone in the GMR-2 system

determining GMR-2 starts with some bursts that are transmitted over the
standalone dedicated control channel (SDCCH).This fea-
ture has been adopted from the GSM standard, though
activities and the GMR-2 SDCCH burst's structure is different from that
of the corresponding GSM burst.
identifying areas of
An SDCCH channel is established for each traffic chan-
interest nel in a spot beam for one of the following reasons, for
example:
I The subscriber initiates a call (mobile-originated call)
I The subscriber accepts a call (mobile-terminated call)
I For technical reasons (location update, etc.), without any
activity on the part of the subscriber

SDCCH bursts are transmitted from the mobile phone to

the satellite in the L band. Signal interception takes place
in the C band, i.e. in the downlink from the satellite to the
gateway station.

It must be taken into account, however, that there is no

fixed mapping of the traffic channel of a spot beam in
the L band uplink to frequencies in the C band downlink.
Instead, frequency mapping may be changed without
notice. For the monitoring system, this means that all
SDCCH channels of the GMR-2 satellite system have to be
intercepted simultaneously, even if the area of interest may
be limited.

The required monitoring bandwidth may vary depend-

ing on the type of satellite being monitored (ACeS or
Operating principle of the ARPEGE ISIS-4G
satellite monitoring system INMARSAT). ARPEGE ISIS4G provides full-band activity
detection for ACeS monitoring. For GMR-2 activities over
INMARSAT satellites, which operate in a wlder frequency
, range, ARPEGE ISIS4G needs to be expanded to provide
full-band activity detection (ARPEGE ISIS-4G + ARPEGE
ISIS-4G-X).

ARPEGE ISIS4G receives the GMR-2 s~gnalfrom a track-

ing parabolic antenna for the C band that converts the sig-
nal t o the L band. The figure opposite shows the operating
principle of the ARPEGE ISIS-4G satellite monitoring sys-
tern in a simplified manner.

System structure
The ARPEGE ISIS4G satellite monitoring system contains
the following components:
L band
I L band downconversion to the IF
I Wideband digitlz~ngand signal processing unit including
SDCCH burst detection
I SDCCH burst analyzers
I Sensor server

I Gateway station ARPEGEISIS4G I Analysis and statistics workstation

Functional description The signals are digitized and searched in realtime for
The global beam of the GMR-2 satellite is received in the SDCCH bursts. Detected bursts are marked and transferred
C band with a parabolic antenna. The GMR-2 frequency to one of the SDCCH burst analyzers.
band is downconverted by means of multiple downcon-
verters. The required number of downconverters and cor- The SDCCH analyzer demodulates and decodes the
responding processing units depends on the type of satel- burst information. The results obtained are stored as data
lite being monitored (ACeS or INMARSAT). records in a database on the server.

The required antenna size depends on the location of the A result data record is generated for each access of a
ARPEGE ISIS4G monitoring system. Antenna diameters in mobile phone t o the GMR-2 system. The data record
the order of seven to nine meters are appropriate. essentially contains the following information:
I Timestamp
After conversion to the L band, the signals are transmit- I Spot beam ID
ted to the building that houses the central station of the I Reason for activity (e.g. mobile-originated call,
monitoring system. Long distances of more than 100 m response to paging, location update)
between the antenna and this building can be bridged by I Power class of mobile phone
using fiber-optic cables. I lMSl of satellite terminal (SIM card)

The described system configuration is dimensioned to To visualize and analyze the stored data records, we
monitor signals from one satellite. To monitor several recommend that you use the ARPEGE monitoring center
GMR-2 satellites simultaneously, multiple sets of equip- (see page 15).
ment must be used.

Analys~sand stat~sticsworkstation

ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4G Satellite Monitoring System 7

ARPEGE IRIS-4G/ Principle of operation
ARPEGE IRIS4G is an expansion of ARPEGE ISIS-4G.

ARPEGE IRMA-4G - Some components of ARPEGE IRIS4G require data from

ARPEGE ISIS4G. The ARPEGE IRIS-4G modules oper-
ate on the following principle: They monitor the downlink
monitoring GMR-2 transmissions from the satellite in the C band and in the L
band. In the L band, the system receives the forward link
contents (from the gateway station to the mobile phone); in the C
band, it receives the return link (from the mobile phone t o
Interception of the gateway station).

duplex traffic with a In the L band, the mapping of frequencies to the spot
beam footprints is stable. In the C band, by contrast, the

central station frequency mapping may change. Based on the results ob-
tained with ARPEGE ISIS-4G, the current frequency map-
ping is automatically determined. The resulting pairs of fre-
quencies are integrated into the processing chain through
digital subband selection.

The term "frequency mapping" designates the relation-

ship between the L band uplink frequency and the C band
downlink frequency for each channel. The frequency
mapping can be changed by the network operator. The
wideband concept of ARPEGE ISIS4G ensures that
any changes in frequency mapping will be immediately
detected ' J .

-~
System structure
The figure on the next page (bottom) is a block diagram of
an ARPEGE ISIS-4GlARPEGE IRIS4G satellite monitoring
Operating principle of the AKPttit lKlS-4ti system. It contains the following components:
catellite monitoring I ARPEGE ISIS-4G monitoring system including a tracking
antenna for the C band (e.g. ARPEGE IM-AC)
I Fixed L band antenna (e.g. ARPEGE IM-AL)
I Subband selection unit for C band and L band signals
(included in ARPEGE IRIS-4G)
I Scalable number of subband processing units
(ARPEGE IRIS-SBU)
I GMR-2 source decoding (included in ARPEGE IRIS4G)
I ARPEGE monitoring center including session server and
analysis workstations

'1 ARPEGE ISIS-4G provides full-band activity detection for ACeS monitoring. For
GMR-2 activities over INMARSATsatellites, which operate in a wider frequency
range, ARPEGE ISIS-4G needs to be expanded to provide full-band activity de-
tection (ARPEGE ISIS-4G + ARPEGE ISIS-4G-X).
Monitoring system

Gateway station
ISubband selection I Functional description
A GMR-2 subband consists of one carrier with a band-
L band downlink C band downlink
- width of 200 kHz for the forward link (L band downlink)
l RF sampling and digital
l and four carriers of 50 kHz for the return link (C band
downlink). The subbands assigned to a spot beam are digi-
downconversion(DDC)
tally downconverted (DDC) and dispatched in pairs for the
m I
:: ::
: m,:= p
m-m :X:
,:z: :E-:,: return link and the forward link to a subband unit (SBU)
via a local area network (LAN). Each SBU can process up
to four subbands per spot beam (for detailed information
Control unit
about subband units, refer to the specifications at the end
?

, ~:::;z~:+z T.?%2?--k-'
,:.:.'P.=kq;7*f "IF over lP"
.
L .
.

*. ,.jc-j ,. .-.?c,,
.:. . .g;--
.: f
of this product brochure).

After AID conversion and demodulation, the relevant pro-

tocol layers are decoded and analyzed. Results are stored
on the server. Depending on the selected operating mode,
the system intercepts and stores all calls or only those
related to specific targets (subscribers). ~ar~etlsubscriber
SBU l management is performed by means of the target data-
base of the ARPEGE monitoring center.

I bband X (L)

-
.

ARPEGE IRIS-SBU
^ , , .
Sensor
EDMW

ostprocessing
GMR-2 source

I
IRI: interception-relatedinformation
(time, IMEI, IMSI. TMSI, phone numbers, spot beam. GPS data, ...)
CC: call contents (voice, fax. raw data)

~ ~ n sserver
or
database
-
iRPEGE ISIS-4G SDCCH monitoring

iubbmd processing
selection (ARPEOE IRIS-SBU)

ARPEGE ISIS-4GIIRIS-4GIIRMA-4G Satellite Monitoring System 9

One-way interception Principle of operation
The ARPEGE IRIS-CON C-band-only option intercepts

of transmissions one-way channel contents in remote areas without the

use of a remote sensor. It extracts the contents from the
C band signal, allowing the return link contents of any spot
in remote regions beam to be analyzed. It is thus possible to collect mission-
relevant information immediately, i.e. without - or before
without deploying a - installing a semi-mobile or fixed L band sensor in the
target area.
remote sensor The system operator assigns C-band-only processing
resources (SBUs) to spot beams of interest. Subband units
in C-band-only mode make it possible to intercept con-
tents and to locate GMR-2 subscribers with spot beam
accuracy. Missions to be performed as part of new opera-
tions can, therefore, be promptly accomplished.

The figure below illustrates mission planning for ARPEGE

IRIS-4G (including ARPEGE IRIS-CON). The red spot beam
footprints are located near the central station, and the as-
sociated subbands are processed by subband units in
two-way mode. The blue spot beam footprints are located
in remote regions, and the associated subbands are pro-
cessed by further subband units at the central station in
C-band-only mode.

(re$: dualex. blue: simdex. C-band-onlv interceation) I

m
Interception of System structure
The figure below shows an ARPEGE ISIS-4GlARPEGE

duplex traffic in IRIS-4G central station that intercepts GMR-2 duplex con-
tents by means of an ARPEGE IRMA4G remote sensor.

remote regions by For two-way interception of voice channels, the hardware

for traffic channel and signaling channel processing must
deploying remote be distributed symmetrically at the central station and
the remote site. In other words, there must be an equal
sensors number of subband processing units (ARPEGE IRIS-SBUI
ARPEGE IRMA-SBU) provided at the central station and at
the remote site. This is necessary to ensure that an equal
pool of resources is available to capture the forward and
Principle of operation the return link of a voice connection.
The remote satellite monitoring system intercepts down-
link transmissions from the satellite in the C band at The remote satellite monitoring system contains the
the central station (ARPEGE IRIS4G with ARPEGE following components:
IRIS-SBU(s)).In the L band, downlink transmissions are I Fixed L band antenna at remote site (ARPEGE IM-AL)
received at one or more remote locations (ARPEGE I Subband selection unit for C band signals at central
IRMA-4G with ARPEGE IRMA-SBU(s))that are not covered station (included in ARPEGE IRIS-4G)
by the central station. I Subband selection unit for L band signals at site of
remote sensor (included in ARPEGE IRMA4G)
The operating principle of remote monitoring differs from I Scalable number of subband processing units for the
that of central monitoring in only one aspect: The SBU L band and the C band (ARPEGE IRIS-SBUIARPEGE
subsystems for traffic channel and signaling channel IRMA-SBU)
interception and processing are located at different sites
for the C band and the L band. The remote sensor station
(ARPEGE IRMA-4G) is connected to the central station
(ARPEGE IRIS-4G) via a wide area network (WAN), and is
remote-controlled from the central station.

Iperating principle of the ARPEGE IRMA-4G satellite monitoring system I

1 Gateway station

ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4G Satellite M~bnitoringSystem 11

 Functional description
Subbands assigned to each other in the L band and in the
C band are received at different sites. They are digitally
downconverted (DDC), and each subband is dispatched
via a LAN to an SBU at the respective site. The traffic
channels and signaling channels are then processed in
the same manner as in the ARPEGE IRIS4G system. Each
SBU can process up to four subbands (for detailed infor-
mation about subband units, refer to the specifications at
the end of this product brochure).

I # . a a I - A - 9 A A
The SBUs at the central station and at the remote site are
connected to one another via a WAN. This connection is
used to transport encrypted and plain contents from the
remote sensor to the central station. Plus, the WAN is
used for configuring and controlling the remote sensor.

It is also possible to install a workstatlon for contents

analysis at the sensor site (analysis workstation not

I
included in ARPEGE IRMA-4G).

Central monitoring The monitoring system is capable of handling failures

station in the data transmission between the central station
(central area) '
C - - - - - - - ----------------, (ARPEGE IRIS-4G) and the remote sensor station (ARPEGE
Remote sensor IRMA-4G). If interruptions occur, the subband units in-
(remote areas)
volved automatically switch to isolated operation and store

~.J-. ,UWkkW U~Frd'tlWFI the intercepted data. When the link is re-established later,
h data processin the stored intercepted data is processed offline.
at a later stage
R R G F PRMA-I R
ARPEGE IRMA-4G supports downtimes of up to five min-
, utes. The ARPEGE IRMA-LR option allows longer down-
I Eubband (L]
times to be covered.

. -'b- l"'

ARPEGE IRIS4G Central monltorlng statlon

----------- Contents monrtorlng

- - - - - * - - - m -
ARPEGE IR-MB-4G
(central area)
- - m - - - - - - - -

Remote sensor
:$;$@yis
&&:I&,O. (remote areas)
: I l
Seamless intelligence ARPEGE IRMA4G supports downtirres in the data trans-
.
mlsslon between ARPEGE IRIS-4G arid ARPEGE I RMA4G

by reconstructing of up to five minutes. Longer downtirnes place greater

demands on memory capacity and olfline processing. The

intercepted G MR-2 ARPEGE IRMA-LR link recovery and replay option provides
the customer with seamless intelligence. Even though the
dedicated line between the central stiation and the remote
data sensor station in the target area may be down for several
hours, the GMR-2 data intercepted during isolated opera-
tion can be reconstructed at a later time.

ARPEGE also provides custom-tailored, project-specific

hybrid solutions. If the broadband dedicated line goes
down, the system switches to isolated operation and can
automatically establish a narrowband backup link (e.g. via
VSAT or mobile radio). The resource rnanagement func-
tion transmits interception-related information (IRI) and
selected call contents (CC) via the narrowband backup
link. Despite the limited WAN connection, the customer
can largely continue to gain intelligenze about mission-
relevant GMR-2 subscribers. For further information
and to select the best solution, please contact our Sales
department.

ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4GSatellite Monitoring System 13

Monitoring Fax and circuit-switched data communications account for
only a small portion of all GMR-2 traffic. Subscribers need

fax and data a special data cable and a PC in order to send fax or e-mail
messages via a GMR-2 mobile phone.

communications Demodulation and channel decoding

Fax and data information is transmitted via logical traffic
channels at higher data rates. The call setup procedure
for fax and data transmissions is in the beginning identi-
cal to that used for voice links. At the end of the call setup
procedure - i.e. after authentication - a reallocation to traf-
fic channels with a higher transmission rate takes place.
Compared with logical voice channels, the decoding of
fax and data channels requires twice or three times the
amount of resources.

Source decoding
Intercepted fax data is converted to a readable picture for-
mat (source decoding). For data links, intercepted binary
data is analyzed by means of a data decoder and repre-
sented in a suitable format.

The optional ARPEGE IRIS-DAF data and fax expansion

includes all components necessary to intercept fax and
data traffic, i.e.:
I Channel decoder software for SBUs
I Data decoder for decoding data traffic
I GMR-2 fax source decoder
Convenient, GMR-2 activity analysis software
The data stored in the database is subjected to extensive

subscriber-oriented analysis using the system-specific software. Analysis can

be carried out according to spot-beam-specific or time

analysis with the criteria, and can also be correlated with information gained
from other sources. Operators can use predefined filters or
generate database queries of their own using a convenient
ARPEGE monitoring input mask. Results are displayed in a table andlor graphi-
cally on a digital spot beam map. A number of tools are
center available to help operators configure and operate the sys-
tem in line with their specific requirements, thus optimiz-
ing work efficiency. The various events displayed on the
map are assigned different colors and symbols, which can
be configured by the operator.

The operator can define alarm criteria, e.g.:

I Calls from a specific area (GMR-2 spot beam)
I Specific lMSl activity

The map display can be filtered according to a variety of

criteria. The operator can choose between a global dis-
Map display (example)
I play and the display of an operator-defined region. Zoom
functions are also available. Additional information can
be called up for each region on the map by selecting the
specific spotbeam.

ore than 50 calls

I Between 1 1 and 50 calls

:tween 1 and 10 calls 1
s t of results (example)
I

;if
Spot beam rype or activr
-ocatron upda.-
Mobile-originatedcall
Location update
/
F power
,.ass 3
Class 3
l Class 4
105
105
105
Mobile-originatedcall
Response to paging
Location update
1
' Class 3
CYn3
I Class 2
l
105 Response to paging I class 2
1105
-- -
P

-- p
-- -.-- - call
Mobile-originatedpP

-. a
I ass 3 --

ARPEGE ISIS4GlIRIS4G11RMA4G Satellite Monitoring System 15

Operational concept for contents analysis Components of contents analysis subsystem
The supervisor defines the spot beams that are to be further Contents analysis is performed by means of the following
processed. The spot beams are selected from an electronic components:
map that displays the spot beam footprints. Mission-relevant I Session server with mass memory and ARPEGE monitor-
GMR-2 session contents are stored on the session server, ing center (redundant session server system optionally
which is part of the ARPEGE monitoring center. The moni- available on request)
toring center software offers tools and functions supporting I Workstations for GMR-2 mobile activity analysis
the following operations for strategic contents analysis: (one workstation included in ARPEGE ISIS-4G)
I Tasking I Workstations for GMR-2 contents analysis
I Processing
I Analysis The workstations for contents analysis are suitable for
I Reporting users operating at different hierarchical levels and han-
dling different tasks. Access rights and security levels can
Operators administrate the object data of subscribers of in- be individually defined and administrated by means of the
terest in the target database as required for the mission to integrated user management. The number of workstations
be performed. To identify new subscribers, all calls can be can be scaled to customer's requirements.
stored in the session database in the open-channel mode.
The database application allows calls to be filtered, e.g. ac- Network analysis
cording to specific areas, area codes, telephone numbers, The ARPEGE monitoring center software includes analysis
identities (IMEI, IMSI) and other GMR-2-specific parameters. tools that support evaluators in determining relationships
Any combination of filter criteria can be used. The session between subscribers that are difficult to recognize in the
database automatically assigns sessions to specific opera- result lists produced by a database query. The identifica-
tors, who are defined in the target database. The operators tion of communications between subscribers is based on
assess the recorded information and, if appropriate, gener- phone numbers and on GMR-2-specific identities, see fig-
ate reports, or log calls in the subscriber history lists in the ure "Network analyzer viewer (example)".
target database. Evaluators can display the spot beams in
which GMR-2 subscribers are active on an electronic map.

INetwork analyrer viewer (example)

Phone
.-L>.
I

\ \ l ///
Object 0-Bos!
Safe investment System overview
due to sustained
The ARPEGE ISIS-4GlIRIS-4GlIRMA-4G satellite monitor-
system concept ing system includes the following components:
IARPEGE ISIS4G ACeSIISAT activity monitoring system
I ARPEGE IRIS4G ACeSIISAT contents monitoring system
The rapid advances in satellite communications and the (requires ARPEGE ISIS-4G)
relatively short life cycles of satellite services require eco- r ARPEGE IRMA-4G remote ACeSIISAT contents monitor-
nomic and future-ready interception concepts also in the ing sensor
area of satellite intelligence (Satlnt). Satellite operators I ARPEGE IRIS-SBUIARPEGE IRMA-SBU ACeSIISAT
implement new services by means of firmware updates subband unit (suitable for use with ARPEGE IRIS4G and
of their satellites (space segment). Plus, new services ARPEGE IRMA-4G)
converge to yield uniform procedures and standards I ARPEGE IRIS-CON ACeSIISAT C-band-only option
(spot beam technology, FDMA, TDMA, DAMA). (for one-way interception of traffic in remote spot beams
without a remote sensor)
The principles for monitoring and intercepting the vari- I ARPEGE IRIS-DAF ACeSIISAT data and fax option
ous types of GMR-based systems are nearly identical. I ARPEGE IRMA-LR ACeSIISAT link recovery and replay
The ARPEGE ISIS-4GlIRIS-4GlIRMA-4G GMR-2 satellite option
monitoring systems therefore use a universal hardware I ARPEGE IM-AC C band antenna system
platform. An existing GMR-2 monitoring system can be IARPEGE IM-AL L band antenna system
expanded to include a Thuraya (GMR-1) monitoring sys-
tem by adding nearly the same hardware components as ARPEGE ISIS4G and ARPEGE ISISQG-X
used in the existing system. Comprehensive SNMP-based The required monitoring bandwidth may vary depend-
system management and health monitoring supplement ing on the type of satellite being monitored (ACeS or
cross-system servicing and monitoring of the system soft- INMARSAT). ARPEGE ISIS4G provides full-band activity
ware and hardware. detection for ACeS monitoring. For GMR-2 activities over
INMARSAT satellites, which operate in a wider frequency
range, ARPEGE ISIS4G needs to be expanded to provide
full-band activity detection (ARPEGE ISIS-4G + ARPEGE
ISIS-4G-X).

I mapping for ACeS

U "U"", L "U"" 3 , ".,""'I",
I
l
I
C band/L band frequency m I

j mapplng for INMARSAT I

I
Full-band actlvlty monitor~ng , I

for ACeS l
Full-band actlvlty monltorlng l - m 1
for INMARSAT
l - - .. . - p S
/ Feature Working principle I
/ Activity monitoring Interception of SDCCH contents 1
of a satellite footprint by means of j
wideband concept I

/ Determinationof uplinkldownlink
frequency mapping
Osto5s
(the actual time needed is a
stochastic value)

Information provided by ARPEGE ISIS-4G:

I Timestamp
r Spot beam ID
I Reason for activating the mobile phone (e.g. mobile-
originated call, response to paging, location update)
I lMSl of satellite terminal (SIM card)

ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4G Satellite Monitoring System 17

 ARPEGE IRIS-4GlARPEGE IRMA-4G ARPEGE IRIS-SBUIARPEGE IRMA-SBU GMR-2
Information additionally provided by ARPEGE IRIS-4G/ subband unit
ARPEGE IRMA4G (as compared to ARPEGE ISIS4G): Supports GMR-2 subband processing:
I Called telephone number (mobile-originated call) I Two-way interception in standard mode (requires two
I Caller's telephone number (mobile-terminated call) DDCs per SBU)
I Identifying characteristics, e.g. IMEl of mobile phone, I One-way interception in remote mode (requires one DDC
lMSl of SIM card per SBU)
I Recorded call contents, e.g. voice, fax or data
Processes all logical subband channels (SCH, BCCH,
The RF frontend of ARPEGE IRIS4G has the type designa- AGCH, SDCCH, SACCH).
tion ARPEGE IRIS-CL and supports the processing of up
to 32 subbands of the GMR-2 system by means of digital Channel capacity is typically 32 voice channels, or up to
downconversion (DDC). ARPEGE IRIS-CL has 24 unused 40 voice channels in the case of multiple subbands within
slots for ARPEGE IRIS-SBU subband units. The configura- a GMR-2 spot beam. The monitoring of GMR-2 hot spots
tion depends on requirements (two-way interception or is supported. Please contact our Sales department.
one-way interception).

Feature Value
See also section "System configuration - example".
Spot beams per SBU 1
(standard or remote mode)
The RF frontend of ARPEGE IRMA4G has the type desig- Subband processing capaclty per up to 4 subbands per spot beam
nation ARPEGE IRMA-L and supports the processing of up SBU
to 32 subbands of the GMR-2 system by means of digital Sess~onslchannels
- -
per subband up to 40 (32 typ~cal)

downconversion.

ARPEGE IRMA-L has 12 unused slots for ARPEGE ARPEGE IRIS-CON GMR-2 C-band-only
IRMA-SBU subband units. The use of more than 24 (12) Enables any ARPEGE IRIS-SBU subband unit to be oper-
SBUs in ARPEGE IRIS4G (ARPEGE IRMA4G) is possible. ated in C-band-only mode. This mode allows one-way
The number of digitally downconvertable (DDC) subbands interception of communications in remote regions with-
per frontend is scalable (expandable). Please contact our out the use of a remote sensor. ARPEGE IRIS-CON adds
Sales department. a third operating mode to each subband unit (ARPEGE
IRIS-SBU) contained in the monitoring system. All sub-
' ARPEGE IRIS-4GlARPEGE IRMA4G supports downtimes band units support the following modes of operation:
of the WAN between the central station and the remote I Two-way interception in standard mode (requires two
sensor station of up to five minutes. Longer interruptions DDCs per ARPEGE IRIS-SBU)
are covered by the ARPEGE IRMA-LR option. I One-way interception in remote mode (requires one DDC
per ARPEGE IRIS-SBUIARPEGE IRMA-SBU)
I One-way interception in C-band-only mode (requires one
DDC per ARPEGE IRIS-SBU)

ARPEGE IRIS-DAF GMR-2 data and fax

Monitoring of circuit-switched GMR-2 data and fax ser-
vices. Conversion of call contents to a readable format.
ARPEGE IRIS-DAF includes a fax source decoder and a
data source decoder.
ARPEGE IRMA-LR GMR-2 link recovery and replay ARPEGE IM-AC C band antenna system1
If the data link fails, the first five minutes are covered ARPEGE IM-AL L band antenna system
by the system's basic configuration (ARPEGE IRIS-4Gl The size and configuration of the antenna systems vary
ARPEGE IRMA4G). ARPEGE IRMA-LR supports extended depending on the position of the monitoring system within
downtimes of the WAN between the central station and the GMR-2 coverage zone. The C band receiving antenna
the remote sensor starting at the sixth minute. ARPEGE typically has a diameter of approx. 7 m. The L band anten-
IRMA-LR enables the second processing step for GMR-2 na typically consists of a flat panel with an edge length of
data intercepted by ARPEGE IRIS4G and ARPEGE IR- approx. 60 cm. Antenna systems are supplied project-spe-
MABG during isolated operation. If the dedicated line cifically. Existing C band receiving antennas can be taken
between the central station and the remote sensor goes into consideration if necessary.
down for several hours, the data intercepted during this
time can be reconstructed at a later time. For further infor- ARPEGE IRMA-T retrofit kit for transport of
mation about ARPEGE IRMA-LR, refer to section "Require- remote sensor
ments on data link to remote sensor". Remote sensors are typically used in a stationary scenario.
For operation in semi-mobile applications, the ARPEGE
ARPEGE also offers project-specific hybrid solutions for IRMA-T retrofit kit is available to simplify transport of the
use with narrowband links. For more information, refer remote sensor. ARPEGE IRMA-T includes carrier cases and
to "Seamless intelligence by reconstructing intercepted cables adapted to ARPEGE IRMA4G.
GMR-2 data".

ARPEGE ISIS-4GIIRIS-4GIIRMA-4GSatellite Monitoring System 19

System configuration Camponents of remote sensor A

-example
Remote sensor A for L band monitoring is based on
ARPEGE IRMA4G and consists of the following compo-
nents:
I ARPEGE IRMA-L remote GMR-2 contents monitoring
sensor core for traffic channel monitoring
The system discussed in this example consists of one I 4 X ARPEGE IRMA-SBU GMR-2 subband unit
central station and two remote sensor stations. The figure I ARPEGE IM-AL L band antenna system
on the next page illustrates the configuration and compo- I ARPEGE IRMA-LR link recovery and replay option
nents of the ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4Gexample I ARPEGE IRMA-T retrofit kit for transport of remote
system. The figure below shows the geographic perspec- sensor
tive. The dashed line represents the border of an example
country. Components of remote sensor B
Remote sensor B for L band monitoring is based on
Components of central station ARPEGE MARTINE4G and consists of the following
The central station for C band and L band monitoring components:
discussed here consists of the following components: I ARPEGE MARTINE-4G transportable GMR-2 sensor
I ARPEGE ISIS-4G GMR-2 activity monitoring system IARPEGE MARTINE-F retrofit kit for transportable GMR-2
including one workstation sensor
I ARPEGE IRIS-CL GMR-2 contents monitoring system
core for traffic channel monitoring The subband unit included in ARPEGE MARTINE-4G is
I 9 X ARPEGE IRIS-SBU GMR-2 subband unit connected to the stationary GMR-2 monitoring system.
I ARPEGE IRIS-CON GMR-2 C-band-only option In conjunction with the ARPEGE MARTINE-F retrofit kit,
I ARPEGE IM-AC C band antenna system the transportable GMR-2 sensor operates in remote mode.
I ARPEGE IM-AL L band antenna system ARPEGE MARTINE-F has free slots which can be installed
I ARPEGE monitoring center with additional SBUs (ARPEGE IRMA-SBU).

-
The system supervisor can dynamically allocate the SBUs
to the mission-relevant spot beams.

Factors determining sy! :onfigwrat

The number of active G l v ~ n rrluuile
-~ phorles vdrles from
region to reglon. The number of GMR-2 activities within
a region can change as a result of external influences
(e.g. natural disasters, major events, unrest). The focus on
eographic perspective - example country I missions and areas of interest for operations will change
accordingly.
Remote sensor A Central monitoring station 1

\
In the example configuration discussed here, a total
of nine ARPEGE IRIS-SBUs are provided at the central
station. The ARPEGE IRIS-SBUs support three modes of
I operation:
ITwo-way interception in standard mode (requires two
DDC channels per SBU)
I One-way intercept~onin remote mode in conjunction
with a remote sensor (requires one DDC channel per
l
SBU plus one common DDC pilot channel)
I One-way interception in C-band-only mode (requires

r
I one DDC channel per SBU plus one common DDC pilot
channel)
300 km
to 600 km
l
The RF frontend of ARPEGE IRIS-4G supports the process-
ing of up to 32 DDC subbands. Each DDC subband has
(typically) 32 voice channels. Up to 16 ARPEGE IRIS-SBUs
Remote sensor B can therefore be operated ~ntwo-way intercept~onmode
in conjunction with an RF frontend. This ylelds a channel
capacity of 512 duplex voice channels. In the example Depending on the area of interest and the missions t o be
configuration discussed here, the channel capacity is performed, channel capacity can be distributed in different
288 duplex voice channels for local coverage (9 X 32). ways between the central station and the remote sensors.
Alternatively, all nine ARPEGE IRIS-SBUs of the central
station can be operated in one-way interception mode, For further questions regarding the scaling of the channel
yielding a channel capacity of typically 288 simplex voice capacity of the GMR-2 (ACeSIISAT) monitoring system and
channels. The ARPEGE IRMA-SBUs of the two remote the required number of remote sensors, please contact
sensor stations A and B process the local L band down- our Sales department.
links. In conjunction with the ARPEGE IRIS-SBUs of the
central station being operated in remote mode, this results
in a total of typically 288 duplex voice channels (two
remote sensors plus the central station).

IConfiguration and components of ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4G example system I

I
I
I
I
I
I

I ARPEGE IM-AC
(free expanslon
(free expansion s
sII I
I
I
(free expansion z I
Ifroo ovn3nrinn r

(free expar
) (free expansion :

1 expansion :

Remote sensor
B

ARPEGE IM-AL

ARPEGE IM-AL

:entral monitorin,
station

(free expansion r
WAN
ARPEGE IRMA-I
ARPEGE IRMA-I

Remote sensor

ARPEGE ISIS-4GIIRIS4GIIRMA-4G Satellite Monitoring S y s t e m 21

Specifications The ARPEGE ISIS-4GlIRIS-4GlIRMA4G GMR-2 satel-
lite monitoring system has been designed for handling

in brief the frequency ranges and procedures used in the GMR-2

system.

Receiving system
Frequency range, C band 3600 MHz to 3800 MHz
Receivingantenna 7.3 m to 9 m parabolic antenna (ARPEGE IM-AC),
righthand and lefthand circular polarization
lntermediatefrequency 140 MHz
Bandwidth 2 X 40 MHz (ARPEGE ISIS-4G)
4 X 40 MHz (ARPEGE ISIS-4G + ARPEGE ISIS-4G-X)
Frequency range, L band 1525 MHz to 1559 MHz
Receiving antenna (ARPEGE IM-AL) receiving antenna, circular polarization
lntermediatefrequency 140 MHz
Bandwidth 34 MHz
Signal processlng scalable number of processing units in a system
ARPEGE ISIS4GIARPEGE I S I S 4 + ARPEGE ISIS-4GX
Activity monitoring lnterceptlon of SDCCH contents of a satellite footprint by means of
w~debandconcept
Determinationof uplinkldownlink frequency mapping 0 s to 5 S (the actual tlme needed 1s a stochastlc value)
lnformation provided by ARPEGE ISIS-4G
,/ I t~mestamp
I spot beam ID
I reason for actlvatlng the moblie phone (e g mob~le-ortg~nated call,
response to paglng, locat~onupdate)
I lMSl of satell~tetermlnal (SIM card)

ARPEGE IRIS-4GIARPEGE I R M A 4
lnformation additionally provided by ARPEGE IRIS-4GlARPEGE IRMA-4G I called telephone number (mobile-originatedcall)
(as compared to ARPEGE ISIS4G) caller's telephone number (mobile-terminatedcall)
I
I identifying characteristics, e.g. IMEl of mobile phone, lMSl of SIM card
i I recorded call contents, e.g. voice, circuit-switched data or fax
~
ARPEGE IRIS-SBUIARPEGE IRMA-SBU
Spot beams per SBU (standard or remote mode) 1
Subband processlng capac~typer SBU up to 4 subbands w~thinone spot beam
Sess~ons/channelsper subband - I up to 40 (32 typical)
- .. - -
- - - -- - - -

Requirements on data link to remote sensor

In general, a permanent data link is required between the
remote L band sensor and the central station. The required
data rate for transmissions between the central station and
the remote sensor depends on the following factors:
I GMR-2 traffic density at site of remote sensor
I Number of SBUs at site of remote sensor
I Type (VPN or proprietary) and extent of encryption;
this determines the data overhead

Remote sensors can be connected to the central station

via a dedicated symmetrical or asymmetrical line with
an ensured data rate of 2 Mbitls or higher. A data rate of
2 Mbitls permits the simultaneous processing of 120 chan-
nels (at permanent full capacity). In the uplink, the sen-
sor sends L band raw data to the central station. A G.703
frame relay or an ISDN 2SM unframed link should be used
as a data link. Other types of data links are available on
request (e.g. VSAT). The round trip time should be shorter
than one second.
Ordering information
Designation l Type I Order No.
1 ACeSIISAT Activity Monitoring System ARPEGE ISIS-4G on request
ACeSJISAT Activity Monitoring Expansion ARPEGE ISIS-4G-X on request
ACeSIISAT Contents Monitoring System Core ARPEGE IRIS-CL on request
1 Remote ACeSllSAT Contents Monitoring Sensor Core ARPEGE ISIS-L on request
/ ACeSlISAT Subband Unit ARPEGE IRIS-SBU on request
/ ACeSllSAT Subband Unit ARPEGE IRMA-SBU on request
I ACeSllSAT C-Band-Only Option ARPEGE IRIS-CON on request
i
( ACeSIISAT Data and Fax Option ARPEGE IRIS-DAF on request
ACeSIISAT Link Recovery and Replay Option ARPEGE IRMA-LR on request
l Retrof~t. Kit. for Transport of Remote Sensor
'

ARPEGE IRMA-T on request

1 C Band Antenna System ARPEGE IM-AC on request
I L Band Antenna System ARPEGE IM-AL on request
L- P- - - -- - . -PP --
P . -P PP-- -- .

The system components are not sold as single products. Additional system components, licenses and services are
required depending on the system and its configuration. For information about configuration and licensing, please
contact our Sales department.

ARPEGE will help you determine the optimum solution for your requirements.
You will find us at
conract@arpege-!3as.com

Types of intercepted information

, Type o f event l Networks ; bailed No. 1 Calling No. I llv~a~ Location 41 i

Mob~le-or~g~nated /
call1' ISAT to other l m l
Mobile-terminatedcall1'! Other to ISAT
Mob~le-to-mob~lell : ISAT a 2) a 2)

Locat~onupdate3' Power on
lMSl detach4' , Power off
SMS ISAT to other
outgo~nglincoming~~ -

'l Voice calls only.

*' If both ISAT mobile phones are within monitoring range.
3' Only during initial registration in a spot beam.
'l Not existing in ISAT networks.

IType
ISAT CDR C-band-onlv mode m
o f event Networks Called No. Calling No. lMSl Location 4'
,
S

Moblle-or~g~nated
call1' ISAT to other a a

Mobile-terminatedcall1) Other to ISAT a

Mob~le-to-mob~lel) ' ISAT 2'

Locat~onupdate3' Power on a
lMSl detach4' 1 Power off
SMS ISAT to other
outgoing/incoming4' --
'l Half-duplex voice calls (one-way interception) only.
If both ISAT mobile phones are within monitoring range.
Only during initial registration in a spot beam.
4' Not existing in ISAT networks.

ARPEGE ISIS-4G/IRIS-4G/IRMA-4GSatellite Monitoring System 23

mwwarpege-sas.ectm
Arpege S.A.S., ZE Athelia 111753, Voie Antdope
13600 La Ciotat France
Phone: +33 442 84 47 95
Fax: +33 442 84 47 96
contact@arpege-sas.mrn
Trade names are tfadernarksof the owners I Prhflted In Frmm )%6
PD 5214.3630.12 1 Version 01.Q01 May 2010
Data without tol~eranoelimits L not b~ndhgI Subject to ~haneps
ARPEGE ISIS4GtIRIS-4GIIRMA-4G
O 2010 Arphge S.A S. I 13600 La Clatat I Frame