public switched telephone network and from mobile
MS
A Mobile Station is a device used by a mobile user
to access the mobile network. The MS typically
consists of the mobile telephone equipment and a
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
SIM
The Subscriber Identity Module is a smartcard that
is necessary to make use of a mobile phone. The
SIM is the key used to identify and authenticate the
mobile subscriber. On the SIM is also memory
available for personalised data, such as a telephone
book and messages.
The subscriber is identified with an IMSI,
International Mobile Subscriber Identity, and a
telephone number.
BTS
The Base Transceiver Station (BTS) is a term used
to denote a base station in GSM terminology. A
BTS consists of an antenna and the radio equipment
necessary to communicate by radio with a Mobile
Station (MS). Each BTS covers a defined area,
known as a cell. A BTS is under control of a BSC,
which is in turn under control of a MSC (Mobile
Switching Centre).
BSC
The Base Station Controller (BSC) is in control of
and supervises a number of Base Transceiver
Stations (BTS). The BSC is responsible for the
allocation of radio resources to a mobile call and for
the handovers that are made between base stations
under his control. Other handovers are under control
of the MSC.
MSC
The Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) is a telephone
exchange that makes the connection between mobile
users within the network, from mobile users to the
users to other mobile networks.
The MSC also administers handovers to
neighbouring base stations, keeps a record of the
location of the mobile subscribers, is responsible for
subscriber services and billing.
HLR
The Home Location Register is a database from a
mobile network in which information from all
mobile subscribers is stored. The HLR contains
information about the subscribers identity, his
telephone number, the associated services and
general information about the location of the
subscriber. The exact location of the subscriber is
kept in a Visitor Location Register.
VLR
The Visitor Location Register (VLR) is a database
in a mobile communications network associated to a
Mobile Switching Centre (MSC). The VLR contains
the exact location of all mobile subscribers currently
present in the service area of the MSC. This
information is necessary to route a call to the right
base station. The database entry of the subscriber is
deleted when the subscriber leaves the service area.
AUC
The Authentication Centre (AUC) is a function in a
GSM network used for the authentication a mobile
subscriber that wants to be connected to the
network. Authentication is done by identification
and verification of the validity of the SIM.
-- Once the subscriber is authenticated, the AUC is
responsible for the generation of the parameters
used for the privacy and the ciphering of the radio
link. To ensure the privacy of the mobile subscriber
a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) is
assigned for the duration that the subscriber is under
control of the specific Mobile Switching Centre
(MSC) associated with the AUC.

Access network
The access network is the network or the part of a
telecommunications network that gives the user
access to the telecommunications service(s). The
access network can be made up out of different
parts, e.g. the telephone network has an access
network in every city. The different parts of the
access network are connected through backbones.
These backbones form the so-called core network.
network to the sub-network-dependent convergence
protocol (SNDCP) and logical link control (LLC)
protocols used between the SGSN and the mobile
users. These protocols handle compression and
ciphering. The SGSN is also responsible for the
authentication of GPRS mobiles. When the
authentication is successful, the SGSN handles the
registration of the mobile to the GPRS network and
takes care of its mobility management.

Core network GGSN

The core network (or backbone) is the part of a
network that connects the different parts of the
access network. The core network also provides the
gateway tot other networks.
is a high speed line that connects different parts of a
network, usually the different parts of the access
network. There are no end users directly connected
to a backbone. The end users are connected to the
access network.
Base station
A base station is a radio transmitter/receiver,
including an antenna, used in a mobile
telecommunications network. The base station
maintains the communication between the network
and the mobile users through a radio link.
The geographic area covered by a base station is
called a cell.
In UMTS, the base station is called Node B.
The Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) is a
main component of the GPRS network. The GGSN
is responsible for the interworking between the
GPRS network and external packet switched
networks, like the Internet and X.25 networks.
From the external networks’ point of view, the
GGSN is a router to a sub-network, because the
GGSN ‘hides’ the GPRS infrastructure from the
external network. When the GGSN receives data
addressed to a specific user, it checks if the user is
active. If it is, the GGSN forwards the data to the
SGSN serving the mobile user, but if the mobile
user is inactive, the data are discarded. On the other
hand, mobile-originated packets are routed to the
right network by the GGSN.

Node B
A Node B is a term to denote a base station in
UMTS terminology. The Node B is responsible for
the radio link between the mobile user and the fixed
part of the network (see UTRAN).

UTRAN
The UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network
(UTRAN) is the fixed network infrastructure that
contains the facilities for the transmission to and
from the mobile users over radio. The components
of the UTRAN are the base stations, which are
called Node B in UMTS, and control nodes, which
are called Radio Network Controller (RNC). The
Radio Network Controllers are connected to the
Core Network (CN).

SGSN
The Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) is a main
component of the GPRS network, which handles all
packet switched data within the network, e.g. the
mobility management and authentication of the
users. The SGSN performs the same functions as the
MSC for voice traffic. The SGSN and the MSC are
often co-located.
The SGSN is connected to the BSC. The SGSN is
the service access point to the GPRS network for the
mobile user. On the other side the SGSN relays the
data between the SGSN and relevant GGSN (and
vice versa). The SGSN handles the protocol
conversion from the IP used in the backbone