2G ARCHITECURE

PRESENTED BY
REJOICE
RUTH
NORMAN
SHAWN
 INTRODUCTION

• Cell phones received their first major upgrade when they went from 1G to 2G.
• The main difference between the two mobile telephone systems (1G and 2G), is that the Radio
signals used by 1G network are analog, while in 2G networks they are digital.
• Second generation , 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM
standard in Finland by Radiolinja (now part of Elisa Oyj) in 1991.
• Main motive of this generation was to provide secure and reliable communication channel.
• 2G was based on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) technology.
• 2G system used combination of TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and FDMA (Frequency
Division Multiple Access).
• Due to this more users were able to connect at a time in a given frequency band.

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 INTRODUCTION

As shown in the figure, a specific frequency slot was divided into time slots, so
multiple user can use a specific frequency slot.
• The GSM system used 25 MHz frequency spectrum in a 900 MHz band. A
speed of around 14.4 Kbps was obtained in basic 2G network.
• The core network used in 2G was PSTN (Public Switched Telephone
Network) and Circuit switching was also used in GSM.

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2G SERVICES

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 SERVICES OFFERED BY 2G/GSM

They subdivide into:

Base Services :
 Bearer services
 Tele-services

Then:
• Supplementary services

• Value Added services

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 BEARER SERVICES

• Guarantee the transmission of signals between access points in telecom networks

• They are used exclusively for transport.
• 300-9600 bps data rate can be achieved but increases to 57.6 kbps with HSCSD (High-Speed Circuit-Switched
Data).
• They are circuit switched services (between NSS (Network Switching Subsystem) and mobile equipment) thus
requires a permanent link between the involved components.
• A convertor- Packet Assembler Disassembler (PAD) adapts the signals between the components to packet
switched mode in public data networks like the internet.

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 TELE-SERVICES

• Enable communication between users based on protocols agreed on by the network operators.
• They affect final link in the communication process- the end users
• They include telephone services, emergency calls, short message services, email and fax.
• They provide voice and non-voice services:
• Voice services include speech telephony and Emergency calls
• Non-voice services include Short Message Services (SMS) which can be received even over an ongoing call
and are transmitted over signalling channels. It also includes Normal messages which are stored in the
SMSC – Short Message Services Centre.

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 SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES

 Modify or add to the base services (bearer and tele services) like line identification and call
forwarding.
 Controlled by both the subscriber (customer) and network operators
 There are 2 groups of services:
• 1 Services from service provider and made available to a customer
• 2 Services invoked by customers - the desired service is activated by a customer pressing a
certain key.

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 SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES

• They subdivide into:

 Line Identification Services:
 Calling Line Identification Presentation (CLIP)- display of caller’s number on called party
mobile station.
 Call Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) -calling party can restrict the display of its number
on called mobile. Though in some cases police can have access to see the caller’s number
even if CLIR is activated.
 Connected Line Identification Presentation (COLP) – identification of called party by caller if
called party has diverted its number to another.
 Connected Line Identification Restriction (COLR) – called party not identified by caller if
called party has diverted its number to another.

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 SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES

 Call Offering Services – Allow customers to forward incoming calls to other target
numbers.
 Call Forwarding Unconditional (CFU) – ensures all incoming calls are diverted to a
number provided by the customer independent of the conditions of the call.
 Call Forwarding on mobile subscriber Busy (CFB) – diverts calls only if the called
subscriber is already making a call and the line is busy and also if the called party can’t
be reached because of no or poor network access and if phone is switched off or if call
is not accepted (i.e. ignored).
 Optimal Routing Services (SOR) – calls are routed directly to called party current
location based on information provided by its home network and thus eliminating the
call forwarding part. Not yet implemented.

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 SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES

 Call Completion Services – Allow customer to postpone incoming calls they’re currently
not able to answer or hold calls while simultaneously making another call.
 Call Waiting (CW) – notifies customer of incoming call for up to 2 minutes before answering.
 Call Holding Service (HOLD) – holds interrupted call while on another one.

 Multi party services/ Conferencing

 Allow customer to communicate with more than one party simultaneously.
 Call Restriction Services
 Barring all incoming and outgoing calls or just the international calls only.

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 4.VALUE ADDED SERVICES

 Supplied by respective service providers.

 Transmitted to customers by SMS or telephone calls.
 They are used to attract more customers.
 E.g. information on cultural events or traffic announcements ,help in call
breakdown, sports news, medical advice, information services, etc

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2G ARCHITECTURE

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 2G ARCHITECTURE COMPONENTS

• Mobile Station (MS)

• Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
• Base Station Controller (BSC)
• Mobile Switching Centre (MSC)
• Gateway Mobile Switching Centre (GMSC)
• Home Location Register (HLR)
• Visitor Location Register (VLR)
• Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
• Authentication Centre (AUC)

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 IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

• IMSI – International Mobile Subscriber Identity

- A unique number used to globally identify the user by the network
operator(e.g. Econet).it is stored in the SIM
• MSISDN - Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number
-Your telephone number for sending and receiving calls
• IMEI - International Mobile Equipment Identity
- A 15-17 digits number that uniquely identifies mobile phone sets

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2G/GSM ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAM

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ANOTHER DIAGRAM

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 1. MOBILE STATION (MS)

• It is made up of two entities .

1.Mobile Equipment :
• It is a portable hand held device
• It is uniquely identified by an IMEI number
• This number is installed on the phone by the manufacturing company and it cannot change
• At time of registration it is being accessed by the network with the aim to check whether the
mobile is being reported as stolen or not

2. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) :

• It is a smart card that is used to identify the user on the network
• This card stores subscriber’s information which includes contacts and text messages
• It can be changed between different mobile phones

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 2.BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION (BTS)

• It facilitates wireless communication between the mobile device and the network
• it possesses the radio transmitter-receivers and antenna that tends to communicate directly
with the mobile phones
• it receives the radio waves from the Mobile Station and converts them into a digital format
with an aim to transmit them to the BSC (Base Station Controller)
• it also takes the digital signals from BSC (Base Station Controller) and convert the same into
radio waves which are then transmitted to the mobile station

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 3.BASE STATION CONTROLLER (BSC)

• It manages a number Base Transceiver Stations

• it manages radio resources for the Base Transceiver Station (BTS)that is – it assigns frequency
and time slots for all Mobile Stations (MS) within its cell
• Time slots are the smallest division of a communication channel that is assigned to particular
users in a communication system
• It receives reports from Mobile Station and Base Transceiver Station
• It evaluates the quality as well as levels of these reports from the Mobile Station(MS) and Base
Transceiver Station (BTS) to determine if MS needs to receive from another BTS
• It manages inter-cell handovers
• Inter-cell handovers occurs when the mobile moves out of the coverage area of one BTS but
into another controlled by the same BSC. (Remember BSC manages a number of BTS)
• (Remember the coverage area for a Base Transceiver station is one cell)

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 MOBILE SWITCHING CENTRE (MSC)

• This is the heart or core of the 2G network

• It performs call switching function which is connecting the mobile to other fixed or mobile network users for calls
• It updates the location of the mobile station
• As mobile phones move, it is important for the MSC to determine each phone’s location to effectively facilitate routing
communications between them(It needs to know where the mobile is for purposes like routing calls to it)
• For this task, the MSC works with a large database known as the home location register (HLR), which stores relevant
location and other information for each mobile phone
• It manages communication between the Mobile Station and other networks e.g. PSTN and PDN with the help of GMSC
(Gateway Mobile
• It manages inter-BSC handovers
• (A Base Station Controller manages a number of cells)
• In an inter-BSC handover and upon detecting that a mobile device is approaching the edge of its coverage area a BSC
requests handover assistance from its MSC.
• The MSC then scans a list of adjacent cells and their corresponding BSCs and facilitates the handover to the appropriate
BSC.
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 GATEWAY MOBILE SWITCHING CENTRE
(GMSC)

• This is a type of Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) that is used to route calls outside the mobile
network.
• Whenever a call for a mobile subscriber comes from outside the mobile network, or the
subscriber wants to make a call to somebody outside the mobile network the call is routed
through the GMSC.
• It connects the Mobile Station to other networks e.g. PSTN, ISDN and PDN

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 HOME LOCATION REGISTER (HLR)

• it acts a permanent database for all kind of subscription information until that subscription is
cancelled
• The subscription information stored in the home location register include:
1. Subscriber identity (i.e. IMSI, MSISDN) – (IMSI is used to identify a subscriber by the operator
(e.g. Econet )But MSISDN is the number which is used for dialing(your telephone number))
2. Supplementary Services Subscribed to (Caller Tone, Missed Call Alert, Any Other Services
etc.)
3. Subscriber Current Location

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 7. VISITOR LOCATION REGISTER
(VLR)

• This is temporary storage database integrated(combined , joined) with the Mobile Switching
Centre
• The VLR contains the exact location of all mobile subscribers currently present in the service
area of the MSC.
• This information is necessary to route a call to the right base station.
• The database entry of the subscriber is deleted when the subscriber leaves the service area
of the MSC .

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 8. EQUIPMENT IDENTITY REGISTER (EIR)

• It uses the IMEI of the Mobile Station to ensure if the Mobile Station is valid
• The Mobile Station sends its IMEI to the EIR
• On reception of the IMEI number, the EIR examines three lists:
1. A black list containing all equipment that should be denied access because it has been reported as either stolen
or lost
2. The whitelist contains all the equipment identities that are permitted access to a network and services .
3. The grey list contains all equipment that has not been barred from the network but are tracked by the
network(for evaluation and other reasons).They are blacklisted if they continuously cause problems for the
Network Operator

• The result is sent to MSC/VLR, which then decides whether or not to allow network access for the
terminal equipment ( Mobile station)

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 9.AUTHENTICATION CENTRE (AUC)

• It is regarded as the protected database which contains the secret key in the SIM card
• When the user wants to use the network the Authentication Centre compares the key from
the SIM with its stored key
• If the key from the SIM matches the secret key stored in the Authentication Center then the
user is granted access to the network
• This ensures than unauthorized users cannot access the network

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MOBILE TO PSTN USER CALL

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DIAGRAM

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 DESCRIPTION

1. The MS sends the dialed number indicating service requested to the MSC (via BSC)
2. The MSC checks from the VLR if the MS is allowed the requested service. If so,
MSC asks BSC to allocate necessary resources for the call.
3. If the call is allowed, the MSC routes the call to GMSC.
4. The GMSC routes the call to the local exchange of called user.
5. The LE alerts (applies ringing) the called terminal.
6. Answer back (ring back tone) from the called terminal to LE.

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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF 2G

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 ADVANTAGES OF 2G/GSM

 Higher digital voice quality

 Low cost alternatives to making calls, such as text messaging.
 It is easy to integrate GSM with other wireless technology-based devices such
as CDMA, LTE etc.
 It provides very cost-effective products and solutions.

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 DISADVANTAGES OF 2G/GSM

 GSM provides limited data rate capability, for higher data rate GSM
advanced version devices are used.
 GSM uses pulse based burst transmission technology and hence it
interferes with certain electronics. Due to this fact airplanes, petrol bunks
and hospitals prevent use of GSM based mobile or other gadgets.
 In order to increase the coverage repeaters are required to be installed.

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