Mobile Cellular Networks

Mobile Cellular Networks
Evolution
1st generation, 1980s analogue voice 2nd generation 1990s digital Voice, fax data 95% coverage of UK by 1991 3rd generation - within 10 years digital anywhere, anytime, anything
Most significant development in telecommunications in recent years

Cellular principle
Proposed as a solution to the bandwidth problem Restrict the radio range of Base Station (transmitter) Can now reuse BS frequency in other parts of the network Taking this one step further tessellate network coverage area with cell reuse pattern (cluster) Each cell in cluster operates on a different frequency Cluster sizes of 4,7,9 etc are common Result - increase in capacity of network in terms of max number of simultaneous calls the network can support

Cellular principle
Cells are hexagonal shape Base station located in middle Radius of cell is governed by power of Base Station Increasing the power increases geographical size of cell Smaller sizes automatically increase the network capacity but can also increase interference
A A F G E D A F G E D B C E D G C
Figure 1 Cellular structure and frequency spectrum allocation plan

Cellular principle
Trend is to have sophisticated cell structures essentially overlay large cells on smaller cells Common cell sizes Pico cells floor of a building a few metres Micro cells Street 10 -400 metres Base station mounted below roof level Street canyons Macro cells 5 kms special masts erected for Base station Pico cells give large capacity for a small area Macro cells give small capacity for a large area

Global System for Mobility (GSM)
Small amount of radio spectrum allocated for cellular networks For GSM 890-915MHz uplink (Mobile station to Base station) 935-960Mhz downlink Each call requires a dedicated full duplex channel (circuit switched) Typically a network provider is allocated a subset of these for operation Note Mobile station must operate across all frequencies
Uplink
890-915 MHz 935-960 MHz 2 3 123 124 100 kHz
Downlink 1 100 200 kHz kHz
124 X 200 kHz carriers + 2 X 100kHz guard bands at each end
Figure 3 Structure of the Frequency Sprectrum for GSM

Network Components
Mobile Station Mobile Equipment (e.g. phone) antenna Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Smart card SIM must be inserted into ME before ME will work Essentially personalises ME Contains subscription information Other information - subscribers short dialing codes Can make emergency codes
Future is multi-media mobile stations

Network Components
Base Station System Base Transceiver Station Antenna Interfaces to MS Able to transmit /receive signals on many channels simultaneously Base Station Controller Controls a number of Base Transceiver Stations Essentially a concentrator (multiplexer) Multiplexes Base Transceiver Stations onto high speed link Undertakes some radio management tasks passes Location Area Code to Base Transceiver Station for broadcasting to MSs Also translates 13kbps speech from radio channels to 64Kbps PCM for transmission on fixed network

Network Components
Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) ISDN switch enhanced to operate in mobile network In addition to switching manages calls for all MSs within its domain Billing Handover Authentication

Network Components
Intelligence (databases) in Network Equipment Identity Register (EIR) Stores information on lost or stolen MSs Each MS has a unique International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) Network can refuse access id IMEI is stored on EIR. Authentication Centre (AuC) provides access security for network

Network Components
Intelligence (databases) in Network Home Location Register (HLR) One logical HLR in network Contains an entry for every subscriber Stores fairly static information about subscriber services subscribed to But also location information to allow mobility Location Area Code where MS is currently operating

Network Components
Intelligence (databases) in Network Visitor Location Register (VLR) One VLR for every Location Area in network Typically an Mobile Switching Centre covers a location area In this instance VLR is integrated with MSC VLR contains information on every subscriber (visitor) currently operating in the domain of VLR Entries are added when visitors enter VLR domain Entries are deleted when visitors leave VLR domain
HLR and VLR jointly facilitate mobility

AUC
EIR
F
VLR
B C E
HLR
To PSTN/ISDN
NMC/ OMC
A
MSC
GMSC
BSC
A bis
BSC
BTS BTS BTS

Um
BTS
BTS
MS
MS
MS
MS
N.B. The letters shown on the links are the network interfaces defined in GSM Figure 2 GSM network architecture
MS

Radio Interface
Traffic channels Full duplex, circuit switched Control channels for signalling Broadcast e.g. Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) Gives Location Area Code Private e.g. Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH) Used during call establishment, for handover etc.
Other Interfaces - very like N-ISDN

Mobility Terminal Mobility (1st generation systems)
Keeps track of MS MS / subscriber more or less the same entity One-to-one relationship between subscriber and MS Give your MS to someone else, they will receive your calls Not unlike the fixed network

Mobility Personal mobility in GSM (2nd generation systems)
More flexible than terminal mobility Subscriber can receive calls on any MS provided their SIM card is inserted One-to-many relationship Separated MS from subscriber

Mobility Full personal mobility (3rd generation systems)
MS can be used by many subscribers Subscriber can be registered to receive calls on any MS Many-to-many relationship
Mobility Management (Network Mobility) Needed to deliver Incoming calls Various Approaches Network doesnt keep track of subscribers moves To deliver an incoming call need to broadcast to every cell in the network Implications of extending this to an international level

Mobility Management Another approach (used by 2nd generation systems)
Network keeps track of subscribers moves HLR and VLR used for this purpose Two operations involved Update (location update) Find (finding subscriber to deliver an incoming call)
if subscriber highly mobile

(frequent updates)
if subscriber receives many calls (frequent finds) location update approach is best else subscriber receives few calls ..............
else (subscriber is stationary) if subscriber receives many calls .............. else subscriber receives few calls ..............

Mobility management Update - when a subscriber moves to a new location area
i.e. comes under the domain of a new VLR MS detects it has roamed into a new location area MS requests a location update from new MSC New MSC enters subscribers details in associated (new) VLR New VLR forwards location update to HLR HLR is updated with new VLR address HLR requests old VLR to delete subscribers entry

MS New MSC New VLR Old VLR
HLR
Location Update Request Update Location Area Update Location Cancel Location Cancel Location Insert Sunscriber Data Insert Sunscriber Data Ack Update Location Ack Update Location Area Ack Location Update Accept Ack
Figure 5 Location Update Operation

Mobility management Find (mobile subscriber)
HLR is used to find the subscribers current location (VLR) HLR requests a temporary roaming number from VLR VLR returns roaming number to HLR HLR returns roaming number to call source Call may now be routed (to VLR) VLR meanwhile will be alerting MS that a call is expected

PSTN/ISDN
1 8 6 7 9
GMSC
5 2 3
MSC
BS
10
MS
HLR
4
VLR
GMSC/HLR on MS's home network
MSC/VLR where MS is currently located
Figure 6 Sequence of Operations for an Incoming CAll

GMSC in network where calling MS is currently located
4
MSC where calling MS is currently located

2 1
GMSC
MSC
3
BS
MS
HLR/VLR
* HLR if calling MS is a subscriber VLR if calling MS is a visitor
PSTN/ISDN
1 8 6 7 9
GMSC
5 2 3
MSC
BS
10
MS
HLR
4
VLR
GMSC/HLR on called MS's home network
MSC/VLR where called MS is currently located

Mobility Management Roaming Agreements
UKNET Subscriber UKNET Subscriber VLR
HLR
UKNET
SwissNET
Incoming call from UKNET subscriber to remote UKNET subscriber
UKNET Subscriber VLR HLR SwissNET Subscriber SwissNET
UKNET
Incoming call from SwissNET subscriber to UKNET subscriber resident in Switzerland

Mobile Cellular Networks

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Mobile Cellular Networks

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Mobile Cellular Networks

Most significant development in telecommunications in recent years