GSM Operations

Location Update DTX

Mobile Cell Broadcast
Originated Call Short Message
Mobile Service
Terminated Call Emergency calls
Handover Supplementary
Security Services
Procedures Roaming
Cell Barring
 Mobile Turn On
Mobile Searches for Broadcast
Channels (BCH)
Synchronizes Frequency and Timing
Decodes BCH sub-channels (BCCH)
Checks if Network Allowed by SIM
Location Update
Authentication
 Location Area

BTS
Location Area 1 BTS BSC
BTS
BTS
BTS BSC
MSC

Location BTS
Area 2 BTS BSC
BTS
 Location Area Identity

MCC MNC LAC

Location area is the area covered by one or

more BTSs where a mobile can move freely
without updating the system
One Location area can be covered by one
or more BSCs, but ony one MSC.
Importance of Location Area
Reduce Paging load
Resource Planning

Smaller Location Areas – Location update

increases

Larger Location Areas – Paging load

increases
What is Location Update?
MSC should know the location of the
Mobile for paging
Mobile is continuously changing
location area
Mobile when changes Location Area
informs the MSC about its new LA
Process of informing MSC about new
Location area is Location Update
 Types of Location Updates
1. Normal Location
Update
2. IMSI Attach
3. Periodic Location
Update

Hi,
I am in Location area
xxx
 IMSI Attach
Mobile turns off and sends an IMSI
Detach to MSC
Mobile turns on again and compares LAI
If same, sends an IMSI attach to MSC

Is the received
LAI same as
before
 Normal Location Update
Mobile Turns on Power
Reads the new LAI
If different, does a Location Update

Is the received
LAI same as
before
 Periodic Location Update

The periodic location Update time is

set from OMC/MSC
After the periodic location update
timer expires, the mobile has to do a
location update
What happens at Location Update?

Mobile changes location area

Reads the new Location Area from
BCCH
Sends a RACH (request for channel)
Gets a SDCCH after AGCH
Sends its IMSI and new and old LAI in a
Location Update request to MSC on
SDCCH
 What happens at location update
cont..

….. . .
MSC starts Authentication
If successful, Updates the new Location
area for the Mobile in the VLR
Sends a confirmation to the Mobile
Mobile leaves SDCCH, and comes to idle
mode
Mobile Originated Call
Channel Request
Immediate Assign
Service Request
Authentication
Ciphering
Set Up
Call Proceeding
Assignment
Alerting
Connection
Mobile Terminated Call
Paging
Channel Request
Immediate Assign
Paging Response
Authentication
Ciphering
Set Up
Call Confirmed
Assignment
Alerting
Connection
 Security Features
Authentication
 Process to verify Authenticity of SIM

 Mobile is asked to perform an operation

using identity unique to SIM

Ciphering
 Process of coding speech for secrecy

 The speech bits are EXORed with bit

stream unique to MS
 Security Features (TMSI
Reallocation)
Location Update
TMSI Allocation

Call Setup
TMSI Reallocation
GSM
Infrastructure
Mobile

TMSI- Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity

 Security Features
(Identity Check)

Identity Check

Sends IMEI

EIR
White listed /Grey Listed/ Black
Listed mobiles
 Handover

Cell 1 Cell 2

Handover is a GSM feature by which the

control/communication of a Mobile is transferred
from one cell to another if certain criteria’s are
met. It is a network initiated process.
 Criteria for Handover
Receive Quality (RXQUAL) on uplink and
downlink
Receive Signal Strength (RXLEV) on
uplink and downlink
Distance (Timing Advance)
Interference Level
Power Budget
 Handover Decision
BSC process the measurements reported by
Mobile and the BTS

BTS BTS

BTS BTS

BTS BTS

Mobile has measurements of six neighbors

 Handover Decision (cont..)

BSS performs averaging function on these

measurements every SACCH frame
(480ms)

Handover Decision algorithm is activated

after a set number of SACCH frame
periods by comparison against thresholds
Types of Handovers

INTRA-CELL HANDOVERS
INTER-CELL HANDOVERS
INTRA-BSC HANDOVERS
INTER-BSC HANDOVERS
INTER-MSC HANDOVERS
 INTRA-CELL HANDOVER

C1

C0

Handover between timeslots of same frequency

Handover between different frequencies of the same cell
(to reduce interference)
MSC is not aware about this
 Inter-cell Handover

BTS
Cell 1 Cell 2

Handover between cells of the same BTS

Inter-cell Handover (cont..)

MSC is told about HO

BTS -> BSC -> MSC
Why MSC is informed?
 In case of change of LA, MSC may need LAC
for paging. As MS is busy, a link already
exists. So, MSC can send a tone in case of
call waiting, and does not need to page again.
 This is needed also for billing and call tracing
 INTRA-BSC Handover

BTS

MSC BSC

BTS

This HO takes place if the cell to which handover

is to be done belongs to the same BSC
 Inter BSC Handover

BSC BTS

MSC

BSC BTS

The MSC is completely involved in this Handover

 Inter MSC Handover

MSC BSC BTS

GMSC/
PSTN/
Backbone

MSC BSC BTS

In this case the handover takes place through the

interconnecting element which can be GMSC or
PSTN or private Backbone between the MSCs
 Cell Barring

BTS

Cell Barring is a GSM feature by which certain

mobiles could be barred access to certain cells
Cell barring is activated/deactivated at BTS level
Cell barring is done for mobile categories and
priorities
 Cell Barring
Every mobile has an access class
The access class is stored in the SIM
 Classes 0-9 are termed normal calsses
 Classes 11-15 are emergency classes

Every cell has a set parameter which

defines which access classes are barred
for the particular cell. This parameter is
broadcasted on the BCCH
 What is DTX?
DTX (Discontinous Transmission)
Each direction of Transmission is only
50%
Transmitter is switched ON for useful
information frames

Need for DTX

To increase battery life
To reduce the average interference level
DTX is done by DTX handlers which have
the following functions.
VAD (Voice Activity Detector)

Senses for speech in 20ms blocks

Removes stationary noise
VAD is an energy detector
Compares Energy of filtered speech
threshold
It determines which 20ms blocks contain
speech and it only forwards those frames
Evaluation of Background Noise
Background noise is always present with
speech
DTX cuts off this noise with speech
Gives an uncomfortable feeling to the
listener
VAD takes care of this by inserting comfort
noise at the receiving end when speech
discontinues.
 Emergency Calls
GSM specs define 112 as an
emergency number
‘112’ is accessible with or without SIM
Without SIM it is sent on the best
channel
Mobile on sensing ‘112’ sets the
establishment cause to emergency
call in the RACH
Routing of this call be done to a
desired location defined in the switch
 Types of Location Updates
1. Normal Location
Update
2. IMSI Attach
3. Periodic Location
Update

Hi,
I am in Location area
xxx
 IMSI Attach
Mobile turns off and sends an IMSI
Detach to MSC
Mobile turns on again and compares LAI
If same, sends an IMSI attach to MSC

Is the received
LAI same as
before
 Normal Location Update
Mobile Turns on Power
Reads the new LAI
If different, does a Location Update

Is the received
LAI same as
before
 Periodic Location Update

The periodic location Update time is

set from OMC/MSC
After the periodic location update
timer expires, the mobile has to do a
location update
What happens at Location Update?

Mobile changes location area

Reads the new Location Area from
BCCH
Sends a RACH (request for channel)
Gets a SDCCH after AGCH
Sends its IMSI and new and old LAI in a
Location Update request to MSC on
SDCCH
 What happens at location update
cont..

….. . .
MSC starts Authentication
If successful, Updates the new Location
area for the Mobile in the VLR
Sends a confirmation to the Mobile
Mobile leaves SDCCH, and comes to idle
mode
Mobile Originated Call
Channel Request
Immediate Assign
Service Request
Authentication
Ciphering
Set Up
Call Proceeding
Assignment
Alerting
Connection
Mobile Terminated Call
Paging
Channel Request
Immediate Assign
Paging Response
Authentication
Ciphering
Set Up
Call Confirmed
Assignment
Alerting
Connection
 Security Features
Authentication
 Process to verify Authenticity of SIM

 Mobile is asked to perform an operation

using identity unique to SIM

Ciphering
 Process of coding speech for secrecy

 The speech bits are EXORed with bit

stream unique to MS
 Security Features (TMSI
Reallocation)
Location Update
TMSI Allocation

Call Setup
TMSI Reallocation
GSM
Infrastructure
Mobile

TMSI- Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity

 Security Features
(Identity Check)

Identity Check

Sends IMEI

EIR
White listed /Grey Listed/ Black
Listed mobiles
 Handover

Cell 1 Cell 2

Handover is a GSM feature by which the

control/communication of a Mobile is transferred
from one cell to another if certain criteria’s are
met. It is a network initiated process.
 Criteria for Handover
Receive Quality (RXQUAL) on uplink and
downlink
Receive Signal Strength (RXLEV) on
uplink and downlink
Distance (Timing Advance)
Interference Level
Power Budget
 Handover Decision
BSC process the measurements reported by
Mobile and the BTS

BTS BTS

BTS BTS

BTS BTS

Mobile has measurements of six neighbors

 Handover Decision (cont..)

BSS performs averaging function on these

measurements every SACCH frame
(480ms)

Handover Decision algorithm is activated

after a set number of SACCH frame
periods by comparison against thresholds
Types of Handovers

INTRA-CELL HANDOVERS
INTER-CELL HANDOVERS
INTRA-BSC HANDOVERS
INTER-BSC HANDOVERS
INTER-MSC HANDOVERS
 INTRA-CELL HANDOVER

C1

C0

Handover between timeslots of same frequency

Handover between different frequencies of the same cell
(to reduce interference)
MSC is not aware about this
 Inter-cell Handover

BTS
Cell 1 Cell 2

Handover between cells of the same BTS

Inter-cell Handover (cont..)

MSC is told about HO

BTS -> BSC -> MSC
Why MSC is informed?
 In case of change of LA, MSC may need LAC
for paging. As MS is busy, a link already
exists. So, MSC can send a tone in case of
call waiting, and does not need to page again.
 This is needed also for billing and call tracing
 INTRA-BSC Handover

BTS

MSC BSC

BTS

This HO takes place if the cell to which handover

is to be done belongs to the same BSC
 Inter BSC Handover

BSC BTS

MSC

BSC BTS

The MSC is completely involved in this Handover

 Inter MSC Handover

MSC BSC BTS

GMSC/
PSTN/
Backbone

MSC BSC BTS

In this case the handover takes place through the

interconnecting element which can be GMSC or
PSTN or private Backbone between the MSCs
 Cell Barring

BTS

Cell Barring is a GSM feature by which certain

mobiles could be barred access to certain cells
Cell barring is activated/deactivated at BTS level
Cell barring is done for mobile categories and
priorities
 Cell Barring
Every mobile has an access class
The access class is stored in the SIM
 Classes 0-9 are termed normal calsses
 Classes 11-15 are emergency classes

Every cell has a set parameter which

defines which access classes are barred
for the particular cell. This parameter is
broadcasted on the BCCH
 What is DTX?

DTX (Discontinous Transmission)

Each direction of Transmission is only
50%
Transmitter is switched ON for useful
information frames