This set of Wireless & Mobile Communications Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs)

focuses on “Global System for Mobile (GSM)”.

1. Which of the following is the world’s first cellular system to specify digital modulation and
network level architecture?

a) GSM

b) AMPS

c) CDMA

d) IS-54

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: GSM was the world’s first cellular system to specify digital modulation and level
architectures and services. It is the world’s most popular 2G technology. It was developed to
solve the fragmentation problems of the first cellular systems in Europe.

2. Previously in 1980s, GSM stands for ______

a) Global system for mobile

b) Groupe special mobile

c) Global special mobile

d) Groupe system mobile

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: In the mid-1980s GSM was called by the name Groupe special mobile. In 1992, GSM
changed its name to Global System for Mobile Communication for marketing reasons.

3. Who set the standards of GSM?

a) ITU

b) AT & T

c) ETSI

d) USDC

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: The setting of standards for GSM is under the aegis of the European Technical
Standards Institute (ETSI). GSM task was to specify common mobile communication system for
Europe in the 900 MHZ band.

4. Which of the following does not come under the teleservices of GSM?

a) Standard mobile telephony

b) Mobile originated traffic

c) Base originated traffic

d) Packet switched traffic

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: GSM services follow ISDN guidelines and are classified as either teleservices or data
services. Teleservices include standard mobile telephony and mobile originated or base
originated traffic.

5. Which of the following comes under supplementary ISDN services?

a) Emergency calling

b) Packet switched protocols

c) Call diversion

d) Standard mobile telephony

View Answer
Answer: c

Explanation: Supplementary ISDN services are digital in nature. They include call diversion,
closed user groups, and caller identification, and are not available in analog mobile networks.
Supplementary services also include short messaging service (SMS).

6. Which of the following memory device stores information such as subscriber’s identification
number in GSM?

a) Register

b) Flip flop

c) SIM

d) SMS

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: SIM (subscriber identity module) is a memory device that stores information such
as the subscriber’s identification number, the networks and countries where the subscriber is
entitled to service, privacy keys, and other user specific information.

7. Which of the following feature makes impossible to eavesdrop on GSM radio transmission?

a) SIM

b) On the air privacy

c) SMS

d) Packet switched traffic

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: The on the air privacy feature of GSM makes impossible to eavesdrop on a GSM
radio transmission. The privacy is made possible by encrypting the digital bit stream sent by a
GSM transmitter, according to a specific secret cryptographic key that is known only to the
cellular carrier.
8. Which of the following does not come under subsystem of GSM architecture?

a) BSS

b) NSS

c) OSS

d) Channel

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: The GSM architecture consists of three major interconnected subsystems that
interact between themselves and with the users through certain network interfaces. The
subsystems are BSS (Base Station Subsystem), NSS (Network and Switching Subsystem) and OSS
(Operation Support Subsystem).

9. Which of the following subsystem provides radio transmission between mobile station and
MSC?

a) BSS

b) NSS

c) OSS

d) BSC

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: The BSS provides and manages radio transmission paths between the mobile
stations and the Mobile Switching Center (MSC). It also manages the radio interface between the
mobile stations and all other subsystems of GSM.

10. ____ manages the switching function in GSM.

a) BSS

b) NSS

c) OSS
d) MSC

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: NSS (Network and Switching Subsystem) manages the switching functions of the
system. It allows the MSCs to communicate with other networks such as PSTN and ISDN.

11. The data link layer takes the packets from _________ and encapsulates them into frames for
transmission.

a) network layer

b) physical layer

c) transport layer

d) application layer

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: None.

12. Which one of the following task is not done by data link layer?

a) framing

b) error control

c) flow control

d) channel coding

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: None.
13. Which sublayer of the data link layer performs data link functions that depend upon the type
of medium?

a) logical link control sublayer

b) media access control sublayer

c) network interface control sublayer

d) none of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: None.

14. Header of a frame generally contains

a) synchronization bytes

b) addresses

c) frame identifier

d) all of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: None.

15. Automatic repeat request error management mechanism is provided by

a) logical link control sublayer

b) media access control sublayer

c) network interface control sublayer

d) none of the mentioned

View Answer
Answer: a

Explanation: None.

16. When 2 or more bits in a data unit has been changed during the transmission, the error is
called

a) random error

b) burst error

c) inverted error

d) none of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: None.

17. CRC stands for

a) cyclic redundancy check

b) code repeat check

c) code redundancy check

d) cyclic repeat check

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: None.

18. Which one of the following is a data link protocol?

a) ethernet

b) point to point protocol

c) hdlc

d) all of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: None.

19. Which one of the following is the multiple access protocol for channel access control?

a) CSMA/CD

b) CSMA/CA

c) Both CSMA/CD & CSMA/CA

d) None of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: None.

20. The technique of temporarily delaying outgoing outgoing acknowledgements so that they
can be hooked onto the next outgoing data frame is called

a) piggybacking

b) cyclic redundancy check

c) fletcher’s checksum

d) none of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: a

21. Which of the following is not applicable for IP?

a) Error reporting

b) Handle addressing conventions

c) Datagram format

d) Packet handling conventions

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: Error reporting is handled by ICMP.

22. Which of the following field in IPv4 datagram is not related to fragmentation?

a) Flags

b) Offset

c) TOS

d) Identifier

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: TOS-type of service identifies the type of packets.

23. The TTL field has value 10. How many routers (max) can process this datagram?

a) 11

b) 5

c) 10

d) 1

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: TTL field is decremented by one each time the datagram is processed by a router.

24. If the value in protocol field is 17, the transport layer protocol used is _____________
a) TCP

b) UDP

c) Either of the mentioned

d) None of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: For TCP it is 6.

25. The data field can carry which of the following?

a) TCP segemnt

b) UDP segment

c) ICMP messages

d) None of the mentioned

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: Data field usually has tranaport layer segment, but it can also carry ICMP messages.

26. MIMO stands for _______

a) Many input many output

b) Multiple input multiple output

c) Major input minor output

d) Minor input minor output

View Answer
Answer: b

Explanation: MIMO stands for Multiple Input and Multiple Output. It refers to the technology
where there are multiple antennas at the base station and multiple antennas at the mobile
device.

27. In MIMO, which factor has the greatest influence on data rates?

a) The size of antenna

b) The height of the antenna

c) The number of transmit antennas

d) The area of receive antennas

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: By increasing the number of receiving and transmitting antennas, it is possible to

linearly increase the throughput of the channel with every pair of antennas added to the system.

28. MIMO was initially developed in the year _____

a) 1980

b) 1990

c) 1980

d) 1975

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: Since the initial development in the year 1990, MIMO Wireless Communications
have become integral part of the most forthcoming commercial and next generation wireless
data communication systems.

29. MIMO is a smart antenna technology.

a) True
b) False

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: MIMO is one of several forms of smart antenna technology, the others being MISO
(multiple input, single output) and SIMO (single input, multiple output). It is an antenna
technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source
and the destination.

30. MIMO technology makes advantage of a natural radio wave phenomenon called _______

a) Reflection

b) Multipath

c) Refraction

d) Diffraction

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: MIMO technology makes use of multipath phenomenon to maximize transmission

by receiving bounced signals from obstructions. Multipath is a phenomenon in wave
propagation.

31. Which of the following technology does not use MIMO?

a) 4G

b) Wifi

c) WiMax

d) AMPS

View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: MIMO is used in mobile radio telephone standards such as recent 3GPP and 3GPP2.
In 3GPP, High-Speed Packet Access plus (HSPA+) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards take
MIMO into account. Moreover, MIMO is also used in Wifi and WiMax.

32. MIMO means both transmitter and receiver have multiple antennas.

a) True

b) False

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: MIMO provides a way of utilising the multiple signal paths that exist between a
transmitter and receiver to significantly improve the data throughput available on a given
channel with its defined bandwidth. It uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver
along with some complex digital signal processing.

33. _______ is a technique of transmit diversity used in UMTSS third-generation cellular systems.

a) STTD

b) SM

c) Collaborative Uplink MIMO

d) MU-MIMO

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: Space Time Transmit Diversity (STTD) is a technique of transmit diversity used in
UMTSS third-generation cellular systems. Space Time Transmit Diversity is optional in the
UTRANN air interface, but compulsory for user equipment.

34. _______ is a transmission method used in MIMO wireless communications to transmit

encoded data signals independently.

a) STTD

b) SM

c) Collaborative Uplink MIMO

d) MU-MIMO

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: Spatial multiplexing is a transmission method used in MIMO wireless

communications to transmit encoded data signals independently and separately (so-called
streams) from each of the multiple transmit antennas.

35 _______ is an additional open-loop MIMO technique considered by the WiMAX vendors.

a) STTD

b) SM

c) Collaborative Uplink MIMO

d) MU-MIMO

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: Collaborative MIMO is an open-loop MIMO technique considered by the WiMAX

vendors to surge the spectral efficiency and capacity of the uplink communications path. It is
compared with the regular spatial multiplexing, wherein data streams are transmitted
multiplying from multiple antennas on the same device.