Basic Telecom Fundamentals

Sandeep Palliyil

1
 The Switch

• Why switch ?
• What is a switch ? 5
• What does switch do ?

1 4

2 3

2
 The simplest Network - Point to Point

• Problems

1. 2. 3.
3
 The Answer? - A Switched network

• Switched

Local
Exchange
(switch)

to/from
other
locations

• Implementation

1. 2. 3.
4
The Structure of todays Telephone Network

5
CAS Channel Associated Signaling

• Same trunk for Voice and Signaling

• Line Signaling
• Seize , Wink, release of a trunk
• To send the billing information
• LD , E & M etc. for Analog Trunks
• ABCD signaling for Digital Trunks
 TS16 - 8 bits (2, ABCD bits)
 Information send as bit transitions

6
 Common Channel Signaling

. Signaling Information & voice circuits are separate

. Signaling is in the form of messages
. More information can be exchanged
. A single channel may do the signaling for several other
voice or data channels
. Call setup time is lower
. The protocols are more complex than channel associated

7
 Overall Architecture of CCS7
OSI Layer OSI Layer
Mapping Mapping

7 User
Parts
TCAP
ISUP TUP DUP 4-7
4-6

SCCP
1-3

Message Transfer Part ( MTP ) 1-3

8
 Basic CCS7 Call

IAM
Switch X Switch Y
Originator SAM Terminator
ACM Line
Line
ANM
Talking
REL
RLC

9
The Big Picture

• Wireless makes a person to be in

touch with the rest of the world
when (s)he is on the move.

10
Need For Wireless Communication

• Person becomes untraceable once (s)he goes

out of office/residence.

• No way to contact the out side world when you

are on the move.

• Wireline involves lot of cabling and

maintenance of the same.

11
Overview of GSM Cellular Network
Architecture

12
GSM Network Architecture

13
Network and Switching Subsystem

• NSS is the main component of the public mobile

network GSM
• Switching, mobility management, interconnection to
other networks, system control

14
Network and Switching Subsystem

• Components
• Mobile services switching center (MSC)
controls all connections via a separated network to/from
a mobile terminal within the domain of the MSC -
several BSC can belong to a MSC
• Databases (important: scalability, high capacity, low
delay)
 Home location register (HLR)
central master database containing user data, permanent
and semi-permanent data of all subscribers assigned to
the HLR (one provider can have several HLRs)
 Visitor location register (VLR)
local database for a subset of user data, including data
about all user currently in the domain of the VLR

15
Operation Subsystem
• The OSS (operation subsystem) enables
centralized operation, management, and
maintenance of all GSM subsystems

16
Base Station Sub-system

• Components
• Several Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), one Base
Station Controller (BSC) and Transcoder/Rate Adaptor Unit
(TRAU)
• Base Transceiver Station
 Act as contact point for Subscribers, over the radio interface
 BTS consists of Radio Interface & signal processing devices
along with antenna
 One BTS covers one cell. Each BTS channel is shared by 8
users in TDMA mode
 Connected to BSC over Abis interface, which at 2MBPS
 Commands mobiles to set their Tx power levels, handovers
and timing advance

17
Base Station Sub-system
Continued
• Base Station Controller
 The BSC manages the channel allocation/release and

handovers. One BSC can control upto some tens of BTSs

depending on their traffic capacity
 Connected to MSC using A interface over 2MBPS link.

 Some call features can be provided at the BSC like Cell

Broadcast.
• Transcoder/Rate Adapter Unit
 TRAU is responsible for transcoding between 13KBPS and

64KBPS (in case of data) and speech en/decoding (in case o

voice)
 Depending on the location of TRAU from BTS either local or

remote transcoding will be employed

18
Operation Subsystem
• Components
• Authentication center (AUC)
 Generates user specific authentication parameters on
request of a VLR
 Authentication parameters used for authentication of
mobile terminals and encryption of user data on the air
interface within the GSM system
• Equipment identity register (EIR)
 Registers GSM mobile stations and user rights
 Stolen or malfunctioning mobile stations can be locked
and sometimes even localized
• Operation and maintenance center (OMC)
 Different control capabilities for the radio subsystem and
the network subsystem

19
 Mobile Handset
Provides access to the GSM n/w
Consists of
Mobile equipment (ME)
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

                        
PERMANENT DATA
•IMSI – International
Mobile Subscriber
TEMPORARY DATA
•Temporary
Subscriber Identity
Identity 15 digit •Current Location
•Ciphering Data
•MSISDN
•Algorithms - A3, A8, Ki

20
Overview of GSM Radio Interface

21
The GSM Spectrum

• Time division multiple access-TDMA.

• 124 radio carriers, inter carrier spacing
200khz.
• 890 to 915mhz mobile to base - UPLINK.
• 935 to 960mhz base to mobile - DOWNLINK.
• 8 channels/carrier.

22
 GSM Uses Paired Radio
Channels

PLINK
U

 
LINK
W N
DO

                      

890MHz 915MHz 935MHz 960MHz

0 124 0 124

23
 The GSM Radio Interface

A
IRIN
TERFA
CE
BASET
R AN
SCE
IVE
RST
A T
ION

                        
M
OBIL
E

24
Carriers Formed in GSM
Spectrum

Carrier0 Carrier1 Carrier125

890.2 890.4 890.6 914.8

200 kHz

25MHz / 200 kHz = 125 different frequency slots

Number of frequency slots used in 25MHz is usually limited to 122

25
Access Mechanism

26
Access Technologies (FDMA)
• Single Channel per carrier
• Low capacity
• Requires elaborate frequency planning
• Low power from the hand set
• Cannot easily exploit voice or data activation
 Possible with complex protocols
• Used in AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service)

Ch0 Ch2 ChN-2 ChN

Ch1 ..............
ChN-1
Frequency

27
 Frequency Multiplex
• Separation of the whole spectrum into smaller frequency bands
• A channel gets a certain band of the
Spectrum for the whole time
• Advantages:
• No dynamic coordination k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
necessary
c
• Works also for analog signals
f
• Disadvantages:
• Waste of bandwidth
if the traffic is
distributed
unevenly
• Inflexible
• Guard spaces
t

28
 Access Technologies (TDMA)
• Multiple channels per carrier (4-10)
• Multiplexes multiple voice channels over each carrier
frequency
• Requires careful and elaborate frequency planning
• High instantaneous power from handset
• Cannot easily exploit voice or data activation
 Possible with complex protocols
• Used in GSM
T0 T2 TN-2 TN
T1 ..............
TN-1
Time

29
Time Multiplex
• A channel gets the whole spectrum for a certain amount of
time
• Advantages:
• Only one carrier in the
medium at any time
• Throughput high even
for many users k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
• Disadvantages:
• Precise
c
synchronization
necessary f

30
Time and Frequency Multiplex

• Combination of both methods

• A channel gets a certain frequency band for a certain
amount of time

k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6

c
f

31
Access Mechanism in GSM

• GSM combines FDM and TDM: bandwidth is

subdivided into channels of 200khz, shared by
up to eight stations, assigning slots for
transmission on demand.

32
Concept of Cell and Frequency Re-
use

33
Cells

34
Concepts of Cells

35
Smaller Cells

36
 Capacity & Spectrum Utilization
Solution
The need:
• Optimum spectrum Network capacity at required QoS
usage
• More capacity with conventional frequency plan
• High quality of service
• Low cost Out of
Capacity!!!

Subscriber
growth
Time

increase capacity
I wish I could
without adding NEW BTS!
What can I do?

37
Representation of Cells

Ideal cells Fictitious cells

38
Interface Channels in GSM

39
 LOGICAL CHANNELS

TRAFFIC SIGNALLING

FULL RATE HALF RATE

Bm 22.8 Kb/S Lm 11.4 Kb/S
BROADCAST COMMON CONTROL DEDICATED CONTROL

FCCH SCH BCCH

RACH
PCH AGCH
FCCH -- FREQUENCY CORRECTION CHANNEL
SCH -- SYNCHRONISATION CHANNEL
BCCH -- BROADCAST CONTROL CHANNEL
PCH -- PAGING CHANNEL
RACH -- RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL SDCCH SACCH FACCH
AGCH -- ACCESS GRANTED CHANNEL
SDCCH -- STAND ALONE DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNEL DOWN LINK ONLY
SACCH -- SLOW ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL BOTH UP &
FACCH -- FAST ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL UPLINK ONLY DOWNLINKS
40
Broadcast Channel - BCH
• Broadcast control channel (BCCH) is a base to
mobile channel which provides general
information about the network, the cell in which
the mobile is currently located and the adjacent
cells
• Frequency correction channel (FCCH) is a base to
mobile channel which provides information for
carrier synchronization
• Synchronization channel (SCH) is a base to
mobile channel which carries information for
frame synchronization and identification of the
base station transceiver

41
Common Control Channel - CCH

• Paging channel (PCH) is a base to mobile

channel used to alert a mobile to a call
originating from the network
• Random access channel (RACH) is a mobile to
base channel used to request for dedicated
resources
• Access grant channel (AGCH) is a base to
mobile which is used to assign dedicated
resources (SDCCH or TCH)

42
Dedicated Control Channel -
DCCH
• Stand-alone dedicated control channel
(SDCCH) is a bi-directional channel allocated
to a specific mobile for exchange of location
update information and call set up information

43
Dedicated Control Channel -
DCCH
• Slow associated control channel (SACCH) is a
bi-directional channel used for exchanging
control information between base and a
mobile during the progress of a call set up
procedure. The SACCH is associated with a
particular traffic channel or stand alone
dedicated control channel
• Fast associated control channel (FACCH) is a
bi-directional channel which is used for
exchange of time critical information between
mobile and base station during the progress
of a call. The FACCH transmits control
information by stealing capacity from the
associated TCH
44
Location update from the mobile
Mobile looks for BCCH after switching on

RACH send channel request

AGCH receive SDCCH

SDCCH request for location updating

SDCCH authenticate

SDCCH authenticate response

SDCCH switch to cipher mode

SDCCH cipher mode acknowledge

SDCCH allocate TMSI

SDCCH acknowledge new TMSI

SDCCH switch idle update mode

45
Call establishment from a mobile
Mobile looks for BCCH after switching on

RACH send channel request

AGCH receive SDCCH

SDCCH send call establishment request

SDCCH do the authentication and TMSI allocation

SDCCH send the setup message and desired number

SDCCH require traffic channel assignment

FACCH switch to traffic channel and send ack (steal bits)

FACCH receive alert signal ringing sound

FACCH receive connect message

FACCH acknowledge connect message and use TCH

TCH conversation continues

46
Call establishment to a mobile
Mobile looks for BCCH after switching on

Mobile receives paging message on PCH

Generate Channel Request on RACH

Receive signaling channel SDCCH on AGCH

Answer paging message on SDCCH

Receive authentication request on SDCCH

Authenticate on SDCCH

Receive setup message on SDCCH

Receive traffic channel assignment on SDCCH

FACCH switch to traffic channel and send ack (steal bits)

Receive alert signal and generate ringing on FACCH

Receive connect message on FACCH

FACCH acknowledge connect message and switch to TCH
47
Call Flow Examples in GSM Network

48
PSTN to Mobile Call

4
PSTN
VLR
3
7 6

VLR 2
8

49
Mobile to PSTN Call

PSTN
VLR
4
2 3

VLR 5
1

50
Intra MSC Mobile to Mobile Call

VLR
Mobile 3

4 VLR
1 2

Mobile 6

51
Inter MSC Mobile to Mobile Call

VLR
Mobile 5
3 6

VLR
1 2

8
Mobile
9

52
Security in GSM

53
GSM Protocol Suite

54
Protocols on Various Interfaces

55
Layers Over Radio Interface
SS
HLR

MM + CM
MSC
VLR

RR
BSC

BTS

Radio interface

56
Network Layer

• To distinguish between CC, SS, MM and RR

protocol discriminator (PD) is used as network
address.
• CC call control management MS-MSC.
• SS supplementary services management MS-
MSC/HLR.
• MM mobility management(location management,
security management) MS-MSC/VLR.
• RR radio resource management MS-BSC.
• Messages pertaining to different transaction
are distinguished by a transaction identifier
(TI).

57
Application Layer Protocols

• BSSMAP between BSC and MSC

• DTAP messages between MS and MSC.
• All messages on the A interface bear a
discrimination flag, indicating whether the
message is a BSSMAP or a DTAP.
• DTAP messages carry DLCI(information on
type of link on the radio interface) to
distinguish what is related to CC or SMS.
• MAP protocol is the one between neighbor
MSCs. MAP is also used between MSC and
HLR.

58
GSM Protocol Suite
MS NSS

CM CM M
A
MM MM P
BTS BSC

O BSSAP T
R O BSSAP
A R D B C
R A S DTAP/
M R T S A
M A M BSSMAP
A P
P P
L L SCCP SCCP SCCP
A A
P MTP3 MTP3 MTP3
P
D D MTP2 MTP2 MTP2
MTP1

Um A bis A
Interface Interface Interface

59
Overview of Handover

60
 Handover / Handoff Process

(a) (b)

(c) (d) (e)

61