Wireless & Mobile Network

Lecture 1 Notes

Personal Communication Services

A personal communications service (PCS) is a type of wireless mobile service

with advanced coverage and that delivers services at a more personal level. It
generally refers to the modern mobile communication that boosts the
capabilities of conventional cellular networks and fixed-line telephony networks
as well.

PCS is also known as digital cellular.

PCS works similarly to a cellular network in basic operations, but requires more
service provider infrastructure to cover a wider geographical area. A PCS
generally includes the following:

 Wireless communication (data, voice and video)

 Mobile PBX
 Paging and texting
 Wireless radio
 Personal communication networks
 Satellite communication systems, etc.

Features of PCS:

1. Roaming Ability
2. Diverse environment
3. Various cell size
4. Portable handset

PCS Architecture

The PCS Network Architecture is a communication network structure in which

components communicate with one another to establish wireless
communication.

This network design can be employed in any communication network

architecture, such as PCS or GSM networks.

The PCS Network Architecture is divided into two sections:

 Wireline Transport Network

 Radio Network
Wireline Transport Network:

The Base Station Controller (BSC) in the Radio Network interfaces with the
Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the Wireline Transport Network.
To provide wireline customers with communication services, MSC connects to
the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN).

MSC also communicates with a mobility database, which keeps track of where
moving devices are in the architecture.

Radio Network:

The radio network connects Mobile Stations (MS) and other network
components via a wireless network.

MS connect with one another via the radio network's Base Stations (BS).
The radio link protocols are handled by the BS in a radio network during
communication.
Protocols are a collection of rules that must be followed to establish a
connection.

Components of PCS Architecture :

PCS Architecture is made up of small and big equipment that interact to form a
communication network, such as a mobile handset, a device placed on a vehicle,
a mobile tower, a substation, and so on.

The components of PCS Architecture are listed below.

 Mobile Stations (MS)

 Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
 Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)
 Operation and Support Subsystem (OSS)

Mobile Stations (MS):

 MS refers to moveable wireless personal devices in the radio network,

such as cellphones, handsets, or portable devices installed on cars.


 Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) and Mobile Equipment (ME) or

Mobile Terminal are two components of MS (MT).


 The ME has a one-of-a-kind International Mobile Equipment Identity

(IMEI) that cannot be changed after it is manufactured.
Base Station Subsystem (BSS):

The BSS communicates with the MS and the Network Switching Subsystem
(NSS).

The BSS is divided into two components, as shown below.

 Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

 Base Station Controller (BSC)

Base Transceiver Station (BTS):

The BTS consists of transceivers (transmitters and receivers) and signaling

equipment, such as antennas in a cell.

Each BTS is positioned in the cell's center.

The radius of a cell is determined by the BTS's transmitting power.

BTS is used to send and receive signals from MS via the Um Interface.

Base Station Controller (BSC):

BSC is in charge of a group of BTSs and is co-located with one of them.

BSC administers the radio resources within the group of BTS and performs
handovers, radio channel setup, exchange function, control radio frequency
power level, and frequency hopping.
BCS communicates with BTSs via the A-bis interface, which uses Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN) protocols.

Network Switching Subsystem (NSS):

NSS regulates the whole network by switching services and keeping the
database of moving MS within the network.

NSS includes certain components that execute switching functions and manage
MS mobility, such as:

 Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC)

 Home Location Register (HLR)
 Visitor Location Register (VLR)

GSM Architecture

A GSM network comprises of many functional units. These functions and

interfaces are explained in this chapter. The GSM network can be broadly
divided into −

 The Mobile Station (MS)

 The Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
 The Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)
 The Operation Support Subsystem (OSS)

GSM - The Mobile Station

The MS consists of the physical equipment, such as the radio transceiver,
display and digital signal processors, and the SIM card. It provides the air
interface to the user in GSM networks. As such, other services are also
provided, which include −

 Voice teleservices
 Data bearer services
 The features' supplementary services

GSM - The Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

The BSS is composed of two parts −

 The Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

 The Base Station Controller (BSC)

The BTS and the BSC communicate across the specified Abis interface,
enabling operations between components that are made by different suppliers.
The radio components of a BSS may consist of four to seven or nine cells. A
BSS may have one or more base stations. The BSS uses the Abis interface
between the BTS and the BSC. A separate high-speed line (T1 or E1) is then
connected from the BSS to the Mobile MSC.

The Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

The BTS houses the radio transceivers that define a cell and handles the radio
link protocols with the MS. In a large urban area, a large number of BTSs may
be deployed

The Base Station Controller (BSC)

The BSC manages the radio resources for one or more BTSs. It handles radio
channel setup, frequency hopping, and handovers. The BSC is the connection
between the mobile and the MSC. The BSC also translates the 13 Kbps voice
channel used over the radio link to the standard 64 Kbps channel used by the
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSDN) or ISDN.

GSM Services

GSM offers much more than just voice telephony. Contact your local GSM
network operator to the specific services that you can avail.

GSM offers three basic types of services −

 Telephony services or teleservices

 Data services or bearer services
 Supplementary services

Teleservices

The abilities of a Bearer Service are used by a Teleservice to transport data.

These services are further transited in the following ways −
 Voice Calls
 Videotext and Facsmile
 Short Text Messages

Supplementary Services

Supplementary services are additional services that are provided in addition to

teleservices and bearer services. These services include caller identification, call
forwarding, call waiting, multi-party conversations, and barring of outgoing
(international) calls, among others. A brief description of supplementary
services is given here −

Conferencing

Call Waiting

Call Hold

Call Forwarding

Call Barring

Bearer Services

Data services or Bearer Services are used through a GSM phone. to receive and
send data is the essential building block leading to widespread mobile Internet
access and mobile data transfer. GSM currently has a data transfer rate of 9.6k.
New developments that will push up data transfer rates for GSM users are
HSCSD (high speed circuit switched data) and GPRS (general packet radio
service) are now available.
Call processing in GSM

1. The MS sends the dialed number indicating service requested to the

MSC(via BSS)
2. The MSC checks from the VLR if the MS is allowed the requested
service. If so, MSC asks BSS 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.
7. Answer back signal is routed back to the MS through the serving MSC
which also completes the speech path to the MS.
OR

Mobile call termination:

1. The PSTN user dials the MSISDN of the called user in GSM.
2. The LE routes the call to the GMSC of the called GSM user.
3. The GMSC uses the dialed MSISDN to determine the serving HLR for
the GSM user and interrogates it to obtain the required routing number.
4. The HLR requests the current serving VLR for the called MS for a
MSRN(MS roaming number) so that the call can be routed to the correct
MSC.
5. The VLR passes the MSRN to the HLR.
6. The HLR passes the MSRN to the GMSC.
7. Using the MSRN, the GMSC routes the call to the serving MSC.
8. The MSC interrogates the VLR for the current location area identity
(LAI) for the MS.
9. The VLR provides the current location for the MS.
10. The MSC pages MS via the appropriate BSS. The MS responds to the
page and sets up the necessary signaling links.
11. When the BSS has established the necessary radio links, the MSC is
informed an the call is delivered to the MS.
12. When the MS answers the call, the connection is completed to the calling
PSTN user.

Mobility Management

Mobility management is one of the major functions of a GSM or a UMTS

network that allows mobile phones to work. The aim of mobility management is
to track where the subscribers are, allowing calls, SMS and other mobile phone
services to be delivered to them.

The location update procedure allows a mobile device to notify a

cellular network when shifting between areas. When a mobile device recognizes
that an area code differs from a previous update, the mobile device executes a
location update, by sending a location request to its network, prior location and
specific Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI). A mobile device
provides updated network location information for several reasons, including
reselecting cell location coverage due to a faded signal.

Roaming is among the basic procedures of mobility management. It enables

subscribers to use mobile services when moving outside of the geographical
area of a specific network.