Technology Overview: Access Networks (GSM/GPRS/EDGE)

GSM/GPRS/EDGE

Overview Mobile Network Evolution Telecommunication Technology

Lets we start with GSM (Global System for MobileCommunication)

1. GSM Network Architecture

We can see at picture above, this picture explain how we communicate using Mobile Station (Voice only). Just keep in your mind, the whole topology GSM. Signal from mobile station can trough BTS (Base Transciever Station) using Um interface (using air). Then BTS will sending it to BSC (Base Station Controller) using Abis interface the will be go to MSC using A interface.

Then will be check at HLR (Home Location Register) or VLR (Visitors Location Register)to check your location and the receiver.  After billing and your and receiver location already knowed and valid, MSC (Mobile Switching Center) will swich and connect your mobile station to the receiver mobile station.

Gateway MSC (GMSC) :

A Gateway Mobile Switching Centre (GMSC) provides the edge function within the mobile network. It terminates the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) signalling and traffic formats and converts to protocols employed in mobile networks. For mobile terminated services, it interacts with the HLR (Home Location Register) to perform routing functions.

2. GSM Interface and Protocols

Just read and only know

3. GSM Air Interface Channel Structure

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

1. GPRS Architecture

GPRS allows mobile station to access internet. Only promises data rates from 56 up to 114 Kbps.

2. These picture below are interface and protocols of GPRS network

3. GPRS have 2 planes : Control and User Planes
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. GPRS Core Protocol -- GTP
   
   

5. GPRS User Sessions -- PDP Context
   A Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context is a GPRS user session established allowing the MS and the network to exchange IP packets with QoS specifications. A PDP Context has a record of parameters, which consists of all the required information for establishing the end-to-end connection:
   • PDP Type
   • PDP address type
   • QoS profile request (QoS parameters requested by user)
   • QoS profile negotiated (QoS parameters negotiated by network)
   • Authentication type (PAP or CHAP)
   • DNS type (Dynamic DNS or Static DNS)

 Edge (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution)

Step GSM migration to 3G, using new air-interface technology, 8 Phase Shift Keying Modulation (8-PSK) to offer 48 kbits/s per GSM timeslot. Overall offer data speed 384Kbps places EDGE, called 2.75G technology.

a.     EDGE Network Architecture

MS and RAN (BTS+BSC) need to upgrade to support EDGE functionalities.

b.    EDGE interface and protocols

u-ps Control Plane Protocol Stacks

Iu-ps User Plane Protocol Stacks

Technology Overview: Access Networks (Roadmap to 4G)

Roadmap to 4G

LTE Development

LTE Target

Higher performance

100 Mbit/s peak downlink, 50 Mbit/s peak uplink

1G for LTE Advanced

Faster cell edge performance

Reduced latency (to 10 ms) for better user experience

Scalable bandwidth up to 20 MHz

Backwards compatible

Works with GSM/EDGE/UMTS systems

Utilizes existing 2G and 3G spectrum and new spectrum

Supports hand-over and roaming to existing mobile networks

Reduced capex/opex via simple architecture

reuse of existing sites and multi-vendor sourcing

Wide application

TDD (unpaired) and FDD (paired) spectrum modes

Mobility up to 350kph

Large range of terminals (phones and PCs to cameras)

LTE Architecture

LTE encompasses the evolution of:

• the radio access through the E-UTRAN
• the non-radio aspects under the term System ArchitectureEvolution (SAE)

Entire system composed of both LTE and SAE is called the Evolved Packet System (EPS)

At a high-level, the network is comprised of:

• Core Network (CN), called Evolved Packet Core (EPC) in SAE
• access network (E-UTRAN)

A bearer is an IP packet flow with a defined QoS between the gateway and the User Terminal (UE)

CN is responsible for overall control of UE and establishment of the bearers

Main logical nodes in EPC are:

• PDN Gateway (P-GW)
• Serving Gateway (S-GW)
• Mobility Management Entity (MME)

EPC also includes other nodes and functions, such:

• Home Subscriber Server (HSS)
• Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)

EPS only provides a bearer path of a certain QoS, control of multimedia applications is provided by the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which considered outside of EPS

E-UTRAN solely contains the evolved base stations, called eNodeB or eNB

Because I am only network engineer in Telecommunication Industry, so I just keep this information to know the whole network in general. And I think someday all device will become IP (Internet Protocol), because around end of 2010, the no.1 operator in my country already started to upgrade their RAN (Radio Access Network) become IP RAN (Internet Protocol Radio Access Network) so keep prepare your self to become more faster, more reliable and more manageable. I started migration for IuPS over IP (3G) and Gb over IP (2G and 2.5G).  

The course of Mobile Packet Backbone Network

These below discussion is the one of course at internet about Mobile Packet Backbone Network, because i don't have money to join this course and no course like this at my country, so let we start to study together about this special skills.

Technology Overview:  Access Networks

·         Roadmap to 4G

·         GSM/GPRS/EDGE

·         UMTS 3GPP releases

·         3.9G release (LTE/SAE)

Circuit Switched Technology:  Signaling

• SS7 overview
• SS7 over ATM
• SS7 over IP – SIGTRAN
• The Transport network in Soft Switch Solutions

ATM Technology

• ATM technology overview
• ATM networking
• AAL1
• AAL2
• AAL5
• IP over ATM
• SDH/SONET

IP:  Internet Protocol

• IPv4 packet format
• IPv4 addressing
• IPv4 routing
• OSPF
• IPv6
• QoS in IP networks
• MPLS solution

Ethernet

• Ethernet addressing
• Ethernet QoS mapping
• Gigabit Ethernet

Transport Layer Protocols

• Transmission Control Protocol - TCP
• User Datagram Protocol - UDP
• Stream Control Transmission Protocol

GSM/UMTS Interfaces

• Gb over IP
• Iub over ATM
• Iub over IP
• Iur over ATM
• Iub over IP
• Iu over ATM
• Iu over IP
• Core network over ATM
• Core network over IP

Mobility Management over MPBN

This is the place that I will share about my life as Network Engineer at Telecommunication Industry

This is first time that i will share about my experience as network engineer at telecommunication industry.

As the wise have said, tie science with writing it. 

In middle night, i hope my writing can give benefits and additional knowledge for me and someone who read it. 

I am only newbie in IT and Telecommunication Industry who work as Network Engineer at Telecommunication Industry. I hope someday I will go to overseas..hehe.. :-) 

In this blog, i just want to share about networking especially in Telecommunication Industry.