GSM Fundamentals

Upon completion of this course, you will

be able to:
– Grasp basic idea of GSM system such as
frequency spectrum, frequency reuse etc.
– Grasp the structure of the GSM system and
the protocol used.
– Grasp certain numbers that refer to BSS
– Grasp the 4 kinds of channel combination
and understand the idea of multi-frame.
– Know some radio techniques
– Get the idea of EDGE

Page 2
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview
Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface
Chapter 5 Radio Techniques
Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

Page 3
 GSM system overview
• The GSM system is a frequency- and time-division cellular
system, each physical channel is characterized by a carrier
frequency and a time slot number
• Cellular systems are designed to operate with groups of low-
power radios spread out over the geographical service area.
Each group of radios serve MSs presently located near them.
The area served by each group of radios is called a CELL
• Uplink and downlink signals for one user are assigned different
frequencies, this kind of technique is called Frequency Division
Duplex (FDD)
• Data for different users is conveyed in time intervals called
slots , several slots make up a frame. This kind of technique is
called Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

Page 4
 GSM Development

1989 Standard Protocol for GSM take effect

1991 GSM system began to provide service in Europe(2G)

1992 System was named as Global System for

Mobile Communication

1994 Provide services for the whole world

1996 Micro Cell Technique is used in GSM system

Page 5
 Cell Technique
Macro Cell and Micro Cell
• A certain radio coverage area formed by a set of transceivers that
connected to a set of antennas is called a CELL.
• Macro Cell
– In the beginning , High-Power BTSs are adopted to provide services.
The BTS covers a wider area , but its frequency utilization is not
efficient. So , it can only provide a few channels for subscribers.
• Micro Cell
– Later the Low-Power BTS joins the system for getting a better service
area with high capacity . At the same time it adopts the frequency
reuse technique to improve the efficiency of the frequency
utilization and also the whole capacity of the network.

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 Multiple Access Technique
• Multiple Access Technique allows many
subscribers to use the same communication
medium.
• There are three kinds of basic Multiple Access
Technique : FDMA , TDMA and CDMA.
• GSM system adopt FDD-TDMA (FDMA and TDMA
together).

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 FDMA
• FDMA uses different
frequency channels to
accomplish communication.
Frequency
• The whole frequency
spectrum available is divided
into many individual channels
(for transmitting and
receiving)，every channel can
support the traffic for one
subscriber or some control
information.

Time

Page 8
 TDMA
• TDMA accomplishes the
communication in
Frequency different timeslot.
• A carrier is divided into
channels based on time.
Different signals occupy
different timeslots in
certain sequence , that
is , many signals are
transmitted on the same
frequency in different
time.
Time

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 CDMA
• CDMA accomplishes the
communication in
Frequency different code
sequences.
• Special coding is
adopted before
transmission, then
different information will
lose nothing after being
mixed and transmitted
together on the same
frequency and at the
same time.

Time

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 The Frequency Spectrum
GSM 900

Uplink Downlink

890 915 935 960MHz

Duplex Separation: 45MHz

Channel Bandwidth: 200KHz

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 The Frequency Spectrum
DCS 1800

Base Station Receive Base Station Transmit

1710 1785 1805 1880MHz

Duplex Separation: 95MHz

Channel Bandwidth: 200KHz

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 The Frequency Spectrum
Frequency
Frequency Downlink
Range (MHz) Uplink Frequency Point
Spectrum Frequency
Available
450.4~457.6
GSM 450 Fu(n)=450.6+0.2(n-259) 259<=n<=293 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+10
460.4~467.6
478.8~486
GSM 480 Fu(n)=479+0.2(n-306) 306<=n<=340 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+10
488.8~496
824~849
GSM 850 Fu(n)=824.2+0.2(n-128) 128<=n<=251 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+45
869~894
880~915 Fu(n)=890+0.2n 0<=n<=124
E-GSM 900 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+45
925~960 Fu(n)=890+0.2(n-1024) 975<=n<=1023
876~915 Fu(n)=890+0.2n 0<=n<=124
R-GSM 900 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+45
921~960 Fu(n)=890+0.2(n-1024) 955<=n<=1023

1850~1910
PCS 1900 Fu(n)=1850.2+0.2(n-512) 512<=n<=810 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+80
1930~1990

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 Frequency Reuse
• The frequency resource of mobile system is
very limited.
• The different Subscribers can use the same
frequency in different places.
• The quality of communication must be ensured.

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 Frequency Reuse

7(Site)X 1(Cell) reuse 2

7 23

6 4

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 Frequency Reuse

5 7
1 3
9 11

6 8
2 4
10 12

4 site X 3 cells reuse

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 Cell Types

Omni
Omni-directional Cell
1

1
120
120 Degree Cell degree 2
3
Page 17
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview
Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface
Chapter 5 Radio Techniques
Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

Page 18
 GSM-GPRS Network
Component PSTN
MSC/VLR GMSC ISDN
GSM /GPRS BSS

BSC
MS HLR/AUC
BTS

PCU
SS7
BSC SMS system
MS
BTS
GPRS Backbone Internet,
SGSN Intranet
GGSN

OMC CG BG

Other PLMN

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 Interface Between Different
Entities
PSTN
MSC/VLR GMSC ISDN
GSM /GPRS BSS
A
Abis BSC
MS HLR/AUC
BTS C/D/Gs

PCU
SS7
BSC Gb SMS system
MS Um Gr/Gs/Gd/Ge Gc
BTS
GPRS backbone Internet,
SGSN Gi Intranet
Ga GGSN

OMC CG BG
Gp Other PLMN

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 Mobile Station—MS
MS=ME+SIM

International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)

– Mobile Equipment

International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)

– Subscriber Identity Module

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 Subscriber Identity Module – SIM

• International Mobile Subscriber Identity

(IMSI)
SIM
• Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI)

• Location Area Identity (LAI)

• Subscriber Authentication Key (Ki)

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 Base Station Subsystem – BSS
MSC

• The Base Station Controller

– BSC BSS
• The Base Transceiver TC/SM
Station – BTS
• The Trans-coder – TC and
BSC
Sub multiplexer (SM)

BTS

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 Packet Control Unit-----PCU
MSC
• Packet data
switching
• Bridge between
SGSN and BSC BSS
• Provide Pb and TC/SM GPRS
Gb interface Backbone
BSC PCU SGSN

BTS

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 The Network Switching System
NSS AUC
HLR
OMC EIR
EC PSTN

MSC/VLR

Mobile-service Switching Center – MSC

Home Location Register – HLR
Visitor Location Register – VLR
Equipment Identity Register – EIR
Authentication Center – AUC
BSS
Echo Cancellor – EC
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 Mobile-service Switching Center –
MSC

• Call Processing
• Operations and Maintenance Support
• Interface management
• Inter-network & Inter-working
• Billing

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 Home Location Register – HLR

• Subscriber ID (IMSI and MSISDN)

• Current subscriber VLR (current location)
• Supplementary service information
• Subscriber status (registered/deregistered)
• Authentication key and AuC functionality

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 Visitor Location Register – VLR

• Mobile Status (IMSI attached / detached / busy / idle etc.)

• Location Area Identity(LAI)
• Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity(TMSI)
• Allocating the Roaming Number

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 Equipment Identity Register – EIR

• White List
• Black List IMEI is Checked In White List
• Grey List

If NOT found

EIR focus on the equipment ,

IMEI is Checked in Black/Grey List
not the subscriber!!

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 OMC Functional Architecture

Event/Alarm Security
Management Management

MMI
OS DB
Fault Configuration
Management Management

Performance
Management

Page 30
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview
Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface
Chapter 5 Radio Techniques
Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

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 Service Area
Service Area
PLMN
PLMN service
service area
area PLMN service area
MSC service area... MSC service area...

Location area... Location area... ......

cell cell

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 LAI
MCC MNC LAC

Location Area Identification

The LAI is the international code for a location area.

MCC: Mobile Country Code，It consists of 3 digits .

For example: The MCC of China is "460"
MNC: Mobile Network Code，It consists of 2 digits .
For example: The MNC of China Mobile is "00"
LAC: Location Area Code，It is a two bytes hex code.
The value 0000 and FFFF is invalid.
For example: 460-00-0011

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 CGI
CGI: Cell Global Identification

The CGI is a unique international identification for a cell

The format is LAI+CI
LAI: Location Area Identification
CI: Cell Identity. This code uses two bytes hex code to identify
the cells within an LAI.
For example : 460-00-0011-0001

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 BSIC
BSIC（Base Station Identification Color Code)

NCC BCC

BSIC

NCC: PLMN network color code. It comprises 3 bit. It

allows various neighboring PLMNs to be
distinguished.
BCC: BTS color code. It comprises 3 bit, used to
distinguish different cells assigned the same
frequency!

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 MSISDN

CC NDC SN
National (significant)
Mobile number
Mobile station international
ISDN number

CC: Country Code. For example: The CC of China is "86".

NDC: National Destination Code. For example: The NDC of China
Telecom is 139, 138, 137, 136, 135.
SN: Subscriber Number. Format:H0 H1 H2 H3 ABCD
Example: 86-139-0666-1234

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 IMSI
Not more than 15 digits

3 digits 2 digits

MCC MNC MSIN

NMSI
IMSI

MCC: Mobile Country Code，It consists of 3 digits .

For example: The MCC of China is "460"。
MNC: Mobile Network Code，It consists of 2 digits .
For example: The MNC of China Telecom is "00"。
MSIN: Mobile Subscriber Identification Number. H1H2H3 S ABCDEF
For example: 666-9777001
NMSI: National Mobile Subscriber Identification，MNC and MSIN form it
together.
For Example of IMSI : 460-00-666-9777001

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 TMSI
TMSI: Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identification)

• The TMSI is assigned only after successful subscriber

authentication.
• The VLR controls the allocation of new TMSI numbers and
notifies them to the HLR.
• TMSI is used to ensure that the identity of the mobile
subscriber on the air interface is kept secret.
• The TMSI consists of 4 bytes( 8 HEX numbers) and determined
by the operator.

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 IMEI
IMEI: International Mobile Station Equipment Identification

TAC FAC SNR SP

IMEI
TAC: Type approval code, 6 bit, determined by the type approval center
FAC: Final assembly code, 2 bit, It is determined by the manufacturer.
SNR: Serial number, 6 bits, It is issued by the manufacturer of the MS.
SP: 1 bit , Not used.
Check the IMEI in your MS : *#06#

Page 39
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview
Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface
Chapter 5 Radio Techniques
Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

Page 40
 Physical Channel and Logical Channel
The physical channel is the medium over which the information is
carried: 200KHz and 0.577ms

The logical channel consists of the information carried over the

physical channels

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3
Timeslot The information carried in one time
slot is called a “burst”

TDMA FRAME TDMA FRAME

Page 41
 Two types of Logical Channel

Traffic Channel (TCH) :

Transmits traffic information, include data and
speech.

Control Channel (CCH) :

Or Signaling Channel, transmits all kinds of control
information.

Page 42
 Traffic Channel (TCH)
TCH
Traffic Channels

Speech Data

TCH/FS TCH/HS
TCH/9.6 TCH/2.4
TCH Traffic Channel
TCH/FS Full rate Speech Channel
TCH/HS Half rate Speech Channel
TCH/9.6 Data Channel 9.6kb/s
TCH/4.8 Data Channel 4.8kb/s TCH/4.8
TCH/2.4 Data Channel 2.4Kb/s

Page 43
 Control Channel (CCH)
CCH (Control Channels)

DCCH BCH

SDCCH ACCH
BCCH Synch. CH.

FACCH SACCH CCCH

SCH FCCH

Broadcast Control Channel – BCCH RACH CBCH

Common Control Channel – CCCH
Dedicated Control Channel – DCCH
Associated Control Channel – ACCH PCH/AGCH

Page 44
 Broadcast Control Channel – BCCH
CCH
The information carried on the BCCH

is monitored by the MS
BCH
periodically when it is in idle mode

BCCH: Broadcast Control Channel

FCCH: Frequency Correction Channel Synch.

BCCH Channels
SCH: Synchronization Channel

SCH FCCH

Page 45
 Common Control Channel – CCCH
The CCCH is responsible for CCH
transferring control information
between all mobiles and the network.
RACH: Random Access Channel CCCH
PCH: Paging Channel
AGCH: Access Granted Channel
CBCH: Cell Broadcast Channel RACH CBCH
uplink downlink

PCH/AGCH
downlink

Page 46
 Dedicated Control Channel – DCCH
CCH
DCCH is assigned to a single wireless
connection for measurement and
handover purpose.
SDCCH: Stand-alone Dedicated DCCH
Control Channel
ACCH: Associated Control Channel
SACCH: Slow Associated
Control Channel SDCCH ACCH
FACCH: Fast Associated Control
Channel

FACCH SACCH

Page 47
 Uplink Logical channel

CCH
RACH CCCH

SDCCH
SACCH DCCH DCH
FACCH

TCH/F
TCH
TCH/H

Page 48
 Downlink Logical channel
FCCH
BCCH SCH
CCH BCCH

PCH
CCCH
AGCH

SDCCH
DCCH SACCH
DCH FACCH

TCH/F
TCH
TCH/H

Page 49
 How to use these channels?
Power-off
Search for frequency correction burst FCCH
Search for synchronous burst SCH
Extract system information BCCH
Idle mode

Monitor paging message

PCH
Send access burst
RACH
Allocate signaling channel
AGCH
Dedicated mode
Set up the call SDCCH
Allocate voice channel SDCCH
Conversation TCH
Release the call FACCH
Idle mode

Page 50
 Packet logic channel
• Packet data channel (PDCH) TCH
– Comprising packet service channel and packet control channel

• Packet service channel (PDTCH) TCH

– Combined into the single-directional service channel

• Packet control channel

– Broadcast control channel: PBCCH BCCH
– Public control channel: PPCH, PRACH, PAGCH CCCH
– Private control channel: PACCH, PTCCH SACCH

Page 51
 GSM Logical Channel Combination

Main BCCH combination – FCCH + SCH + BCCH + CCCH

SDCCH combination – SDCCH/8 + SACCH/8
Combined BCCH – BCCH + CCCH +SDCCH/4 + SACCH/4
TCH/FR combination – TCH/F + FACCH/F + SACCH/F
TCH/HR combination – TCH/H + FACCH/H + SACCH/H

Page 52
 Combination of packet logic channel
• Packet logic channels (PDCH) can be combined via the following three modes

– Mode 1: PBCCH+PCCCH+PDTCH+PACCH+PTCCH;
– Mode 2: PCCCH+PDTCH+PACCH+PTCCH;
– Mode 3: PDTCH+PACCH+PTCCH

• In case of small GPRS traffic, GPRS and circuit services use the same BCCH and CCCH in
the cell. In this case, only combination mode 3 is needed in the cell

• With the increase of traffic, the packet public channel should be configured in the cell.
Channel combination mode 1 and mode 2 should be adopted

Page 53
 GSM Multi-frames
TDMA Frames

0 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0 1 2 3 4 46 47 48 49 50

51 – Frame Multi-frames

CONTROL CHANNELS

Page 54
 GSM Multi-frames
TDMA Frames
0 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0 1 2 3 4 21 22 23 24 25

26 – Frame Multi-frames

TRAFFIC CHANNELS

Page 55
Multi frames in GSM
 Exemples de configuration de BTS en mode Full Rate

une BTS avec 1 TRX : 8 TN (Time slot Number) = 7 communications

TN 0 pour le FCCH, SCH, BCCH, PCH, AGCH, RACH et 4 SDCCH et leurs SACCH
TN 1 à 7 : 1 TCH et son SACCH par slot

une BTS avec 4 TRX : 32 TN = 29 communications

TN 0 pour le FCCH, SCH, BCCH, PCH, AGCH, RACH .
2 TN : 8 SDCCH et leurs SACCH associés par slot
29 TN : 1 TCH et son SACCH par slot

une BTS avec 12TRX : 96 TN = 87 communications

TN 0 pour le FCCH, SCH, BCCH, PCH, AGCH, RACH
TN 2 : BCCH, PCH, AGCH et RACH
TN 4 : BCCH, PCH, AGCH et RACH
TN 6 : BCCH, PCH, AGCH et RACH
5 TN : 8 SDCCH et leurs SACCH associés par slot
87 TN : 1 TCH et son SACCH par slot
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview
Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface
Chapter 5 Radio Techniques
Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

Page 58
 Power Control
Both Uplink and Downlink power
settings can be controlled
5W
independently and individually.

0.8W
Saves battery power
Reduces co-channel and
adjacent channel interference

8W
BCCH -------
Does not attend Power control

Page 59
 DTX and VAD
Discontinuous Transmission – DTX

Voice Activity Detection – VAD

Battery Saving
Interference reduction

Page 60
 Timing Advance (TA)
The mobile phone should
send the signal in advance!

TA
Transmission delay t

Transmission delay t

Page 61
 Multi-path Fading

• Diversity
• Frequency Hopping

Time Dispersion

Page 62
 Diversity – What’s Diversity?

Receive diversity provides an effective technique for both
overcoming the impact of fading across the radio channel and
increasing the received signal to interference ratio.

The former is achieved by ensuring “uncorrelated” (i.e. low enough

correlated) fading between antenna branches i.e. not all antennas
experience fades at the same time.

Page 63
 Kinds of Diversity
t

Time diversity

Coding, interleaving

Frequency diversity
f
Frequency hopping

Space diversity
Multiple antennas

Polarization diversity

Dual-polarized antennas

Multi-path diversity
Equalizer

Page 64
 Frequency Hopping
Frequency

f0

f1

f2

f3

f4

Frame
Time

Page 65
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview
Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface
Chapter 5 Radio Techniques
Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

Page 66
 GSM Development Evolution
3G
2Mbps
2.5G IMT-2000
384kbps

EDGE
2G 115 kbps

57.6 kbps GPRS

9.6 kbps HSCSD

GSM

Page 67
 Data rate of EDGE and GPRS
Kbps 59,2
60,0
54,4

50,0 GPRS 44,8

EGPRS
40,0

29,6
30,0
21,4 22,4
20,0 17,6
15,6 14,8
13,4
11,2
9,0 8,8
10,0

0,0
CS-1 CS-2 CS-3 CS-4 MCS-1 MCS-2 MCS-3 MCS-4 MCS-5 MCS-6 MCS-7 MCS-8 MCS-9

GMSK 8PSK

Page 68
 Huawei EDGE Test Result

Downlink, 4 TS, MCS-9：

Page 69
 Evolution to 4G
• The network architecture has evolved from 2G GSM
to 2.5G GPRS, 3G UMTS and finally 4G based on LTE
network.
• The network operators now have a combination of
2G/3G/4G network also call GUL for
GSM/UMTS/LTE.
• Now we will present the structure of a GUL
network.
 Architecture du réseau GUL
SMSC HSS EIR SCP/PCRF/CG

PLMN/PSTN

C/D Gxc
F S6a S13 Gx
MSC Server/VLR Gr Ga
T1
Gf Ga
E SGs S11
S5
Gs Gc S3
MME S4
Mc GMSC Server PGW
SGW
Mc S12
Iu-cs Gn
Nc A
SGSN
Gb
Iu-cs S1-U
MGW MGW Iu-ps GGSN
A FIREWALL
S1-C

Internet
 • The basic idea of GSM
Summary • The frequency spectrum used in GSM
• The structure of GSM
• Certain service area and numbers
• Some radio techniques used in GSM
• Evolution of GSM

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THANK YOU