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CS8601-Unit 2-Notes - mobile computing unit 2 anna

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CS8601 – Mobile Computing Unit - 2

M 2
UNIT
Introduction to Cellular Systems – GSM – Services & Architecture – Protocols –
Connection Establishment – Frequency Allocation – Routing – Mobility
Management – Security - General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) – Universal
Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) – Architecture – Handover –
Security.

2.1: INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR SYSTEMS

 Cellular Telephony is based on radio frequency communication.

 Definition: Cellular System is a Wireless communication technology in
which several small exchanges (called cells) equipped with low-power radio
antennas are interconnected through a central exchange. As a receiver (cell
phone) moves from one place to the next, its identity, location, and radio
frequency is handed-over by one cell to another without interrupting a call.
 What is a cell? A cellular communication system divides the service area
into a number of geographic zones called cells. A cell is defined as a basic
geographical area serviced by a single Base Station (Transmitter/Receiver
Unit). Each cellular base station is allocated a group of radio channels and
can support certain amount of simultaneous users within a cell.
 Each base station consists of transmitter, receiver and a control unit.

FIG: CELLULAR SYSTEM

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 The above figure shows a basic cellular system which consists of Mobile
Stations (or) Mobile Nodes, Base Stations, and a MSC.
 The towers represent the base station which provides radio access between
mobile users and MSC.
 Mobile Stations communicate only via the base station.
 The Mobile Switching Center, also called as Mobile Telephone Switching
Office (MTSO), is responsible for connecting all mobile nodes to PSTN.
 MSC has more computing power which can handle most of the
communication operations.

 Advantages of Cellular Systems with small cells:

1) Higher Capacity: Smaller the size of the cell, more the number of
concurrent users. i.e. huge cells do not allow for more concurrent users.
2) Less Transmission Power: Small cells require less transmission power,
whereas huge cells require a greater transmission power than small cells.
3) Local Interference Only: For huge cells, there are a number of interfering
signals, while for small cells there is limited interference only.
4) Robustness: As cellular systems are decentralized, they are more robust
against the failure of single component. If one antenna fails, this only
influences communication within a small area.

 Disadvantages of Cellular Systems with small cells:

1) Infrastructure Needed: Small cells require a complex infrastructure to
connect all base station.
2) Handover Needed: The mobile station has to perform a handover when
changing from one cell to another very frequently.
3) Frequency Planning: To avoid interference between transmitters using the
same frequency, frequency spectrum should be distributed carefully.

 Avoiding Interference between Transmitters:

To avoid interference, FDM is used. The general goal is never to use the same
frequency at the same time within the interference range.
 Cell Cluster:
A group of cells that uses a different set of frequencies in each cell is called
a cell cluster. That is, no frequency is reused within a cluster. Frequencies
used in one cell cluster can be reused in another cluster of cells.

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 Features of a Cellular System:

o Frequency Reuse:
Frequency Reuse is a technique in which, a frequency used in one cell can be
re-used in another at a certain distance.
Goal of Frequency Reuse: To improve capacity, spectral efficiency and Signal
Quality (QoS).

o Cell Splitting:
Cell Splitting is the process of dividing a larger congested cell into smaller cells
so that at the base station the antenna height is reduced as well as the
transmitting power required is also less.

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 To reduce interference among cells during cell splitting, following channel

allocation schemes are used:
o Fixed Channel Allocation:
 Assigning certain frequencies to a certain cell clusters and cells.
 Problem: different traffic load in different cells
 FCA is used in GSM.
o Dynamic Channel Allocation (or) Borrowing Channel Allocation:
 Cells with more traffic are dynamically allotted more frequencies
by borrowing frequencies from neighboring cells with light load.
 Assignment can also be based on interference measurements.
 Problem: Danger of interference with the cells using the same
frequency.
 DCA is used in DECT.

 Operations of Cellular Systems in a call between two mobile users:

Step 1) Mobile Unit Initialization: When

the mobile unit is turned on, it scans and
selects the strongest setup control channel
used for this system. i.e. Selecting BS
antenna of the cell.
Step 2) Mobile Originated Call: A Mobile checks, if the setup channel is free,
originate a call by sending the number of the called unit on the preselected
setup channel.
Step 3) Paging: MTSO attempts to connect to Mobile Unit. Depending on
called mobile number the paging message will be sent to BSs.
Step 4) Call Accepted: The called Mobile Unit recognizes its number on the
setup channel and responds to BS which in turn sends response to MTSO.
Then the MTSO sets up a circuit between calling and called BSs and select a
available traffic channel within cells and notifies BSs.
Step 5) Ongoing Call: The Voice/Data is exchanged through respective BSs
and MTSO.
Step 6) Handoff: As a Mobile Unit moves from one range to the next (out of
range), its call gets handed off by the switching office to the base station in the
next cell site to provide a consistent, high quality signal.

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Other Operations:
 Roaming: When a user travels outside his home network, he can still
make calls. This is provided by the facility called roaming. Roaming
makes it possible for a user to get his call anywhere.
 Call Blocking: On mobile-initiated call stage, if all the traffic channels
are busy, the call is blocked by returning busy tone.
 Call termination: As the user hang up call, MTSO is informed and the
traffic channels at two BSs are released.
 Call Drop: If the BS cannot maintain required signal strength, then call
drop will occur and the traffic channel is dropped and MTSO is informed.
 Calls to/from fixed and remote mobile subscriber: Here the MTSO
connects to fixed/remote subscriber via PSTN.

2.2: GSM – GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

 GSM is the most successful digital mobile telecommunication system in the

world today.
 Initially called as Groupe Special Mobile (GSM) was founded in 1982 by
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute).
 This system was soon named the Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM).
 It is used by over 800 million people in more than 190 countries.

Definition of GSM:
Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) is wide area wireless
communications system that uses digital radio transmission to provide voice,
data and multimedia communication services. A GSM system coordinates the
communication between a Mobile Telephone (Mobile Stations), Base Stations
(Cell Sites) and Switching Systems.

GOAL OF GSM:
The primary goal of GSM was to provide a mobile phone system that
allows users to roam and provides data services in addition to voice
services and it is compatible to 1G systems.

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2.2.1: PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF GSM:

Communication
 mobile, wireless communication; support for voice and data services
Total mobility
 international access, provides Worldwide connectivity
High capacity
 better frequency efficiency, smaller cells, more customers per cell
High transmission quality
 high audio quality and reliability for wireless, uninterrupted phone
calls at higher speeds (e.g., from cars, trains)
 Better Handoffs.
Security functions
 access control, authentication via chip-card and PIN
SIM Card Bounded Services
 GSM uses SIM cards for connection
 SIM card is bound with the network, not with the handset, so we can
change the handset easily by transferring SIM card

2.2.2: GSM SERVICES

GSM provides three main categories of services:

1. Bearer Services
2. Teleservices
3. Supplementary Services

1. Bearer services
- GSM data services are name as Bearer Services.
- Bearer Services gives the subscriber the capability to send and receive data
to/from remote computers or mobile phones.
- Bearer Services also enable the transparent transmission of data between
GSM and other networks like PSTN, ISDN etc. at rates from 300 bps to
9600 bps.
- Besides supporting SMS, Email, Voicemail box, Internet access and also
provides the user with the capability to execute the remote applications.
- GSM supports data transfer rates upto 9.6 kbps

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- It allow for transparent and non-transparent, synchronous or

asynchronous data transmission.
- Transparent bearer services:
 It uses only the functions of the physical layer (layer 1 ISO/OSI
reference model) to transmit data;
 Data transmission consequently has a constant delay and throughput if
no errors occur.
 Forward Error Correction (FEC) mechanism is used to increase the
quality of the transmission.

- Non-transparent bearer services:

 It uses protocols of the layers two and three to implement error
correction and flow control.
 It uses transparent bearer services in addition to Radio Link Protocol
(RLP). . This protocol comprises the mechanisms of High Level Data Link
Control (HDLC) and special selective-reject mechanism to trigger
retransmission of erroneous data.

2. Tele services
- Teleservices are application specific and it needs all seven layers of the
ISO.OSI reference model. These services are specific to end-to-end ie. from
one terminal to another.
- GSM is mainly focused on voice teleservices and these comprise of
encrypted voice transmission, message services, and basic data
communication with terminals as known from the PSTN or ISDN (e.g. fax).
- GSM provides both,
 Voice-oriented teleservices
 Non-voice oriented teleservices
* Telephony:
The primary goal of GSM was to provide high-quality digital voice
transmission, offering at least the typical audio bandwidth of 3.1 kHz.
* Emergency number:
This is the same number all over the GSM network in Europe and is
also the same as the national emergency number. This is a mandatory
service that all the network operators have to provide and is free of charge
to the user.
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* Short Message Service (SMS):

 It is a simple text message transfer service, offering transmission of
messages up to about 160 characters.
 Sending and Receiving of SMS is possible during data or voice
transmission.
* Fax:
In this service, using modems, fax data is transmitted as digital data
over the analog telephone network according to the ITU-T standards T.4
and T.30.
* Multimedia Message Service (MMS):
MMS offers the transmission of larger pictures (GIF, JPG, WBMP),
short video clips and comes with mobile phones that integrate small cameras.

3. Supplementary services
GSM network operators can also offer supplementary services. These services
offer enhancements to the standard telephony service and may differ from
operator to operator. The services are,
 User Identification
 Call Redirection
 Forwarding of Outgoing calls
 Standard ISDN features such as
o Closed User Groups
o Multiparty Communication

GSM SERVICES REFERENCE MODEL

GSM offers three types of services. They are:
1. Bearer Services
2. Telematic Services
3. Supplementary Services

Fig - Bearer and Tele services reference model

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 A mobile station MS is connected to the GSM public land mobile network

(PLMN) via the Um interface. GSM-PLMN is the infrastructure needed for the
GSM network.
 This network is connected to transit networks, e.g., integrated services
digital network (ISDN) or traditional public switched telephone network
(PSTN).
 There might be an additional network, the source/destination network,
before another terminal TE is connected.
 Bearer services comprise all services that enable the transparent
transmission of data between the interfaces to the network.
 Tele services are application specific and may thus need all seven layers of
the ISO/OSI reference model. These services are specified end-to-end, i.e.,
from one terminal TE to another.
 Supplementary Services offer various enhancements for the standard
telephony service such as call forward, call divert, conference calls etc., and
may vary from provider to provider.

2.2.3: GSM SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

GSM system consists of three main sub systems namely
(1) Radio Subsystems (RSS)
(2) Networking and Switching Subsystems (NSS) and
(3) Operating Sub Systems (OSS)

1. Radio Subsystems:
The radio subsystem is comprised of all the radio specific elements, i.e.
 The Mobile Stations (MS) and
 The Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

(i) Mobile Station (MS):

 The MS is the user equipment which contains the software required for
communication with the GSM network.
 The MS consists of Mobile Device and the Subscriber Identity Module
(SIM), which stores the user specific data.
 MS can be identified via the International Mobile Equipment Identity
(IMEI).

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Fig.: GSM System Architecture

 SIM is the removable smart card which contains all the subscriber
information and holds the key information that activates the phone after
it is powered on.
 MS contains the microcontroller to store and retrieve data from the flash
storage on the SIM.
 Identification information is stored in the SIM cards protected memory
(ROM) which is not accessible or modified by the customer.
 The SIM card contains information such as card type, serial numbers, a
list of subscribed services and a Personal Identity Number (PIN).

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 Apart from telephone interface, MS also offers other types of interfaces

such as USB, Bluetooth.

(ii) Base Station Subsystem (BSS):

 A GSM Network comprises of many BSS.
 Each BSS consists of a Base Station Controller (BSC) and several Base
Transceiver Station (BTS).
 BSS performs all functions necessary to maintain radio connections to
an MS, does codes/decoding of voice.

(iii) Base Transceiver Station (BTS):

 A BTS contains all the radio equipment (antennas, signal processing,
and amplifiers) that are necessary for radio transmission.
 A BTS can be used to form a radio cell, or if sectored antennas are used,
several cells.
 The BTS is connected to the MS by the Um interface, and the BSC by the
Abis interface.
 It encodes the received signal, modulates it on a carrier wave and feeds
the RF signals to the antenna.
 It communicates with both the MS and the BSC.

(iv) Base Station Controller (BSC):

 A BSC manages the radio resources of the BTS.
 It assigns radio frequencies and time slots for all MS in the area,
handling handovers from one BTS to another BTS within the BSS.
 The BSC also multiplexes the radio channels onto the fixed network
connections to the Mobile Switching Center (MSC).
Function BTS BSC
Management of radio channels X
Frequency hopping X X
Management of terrestrial channels X
Mapping of terrestrial onto radio
X
channels
Channel coding and decoding X
Rate adaptation X

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Encryption/decryption X X
Paging X X
Uplink Signal measurement X
Traffic measurement X
Authentication X
Location registry, location update X
Handover management X

2. Network and Switching SubSystem (NSS)

 NSS forms the heart of the GSM system.
 It connects the wireless networks to the standard public networks and
carries out usage-based charging, accounting and handles roaming.
 NSS consists of the following components:
(i) Mobileservices Switching Center (MSC):
 High-performance digital ISDN switches, that set up the connections
between other MSC's, the BSC's using the A interface and to other
networks such as Public Data Network (PDN). Hence the MSC's are
the backbone of any GSM network.
 MSC is responsible for the connection setup, connection release and
call handoffs to other MSCs and performs the supplementary services
such as call forwarding, multiparty calls.
 Gateway MSC (GMSC) is responsible for gateway functions, while a
customer roams to other networks.
(ii) Home Location Register (HLR):
The most important database in a GSM network is the HLR as it
stores all the relevant information about the users such as,
 Subscribers IMSI
 Mobile Station ISDN number (MSISDN),
 Pre/Post paid
 Services subscribed to, and the authentication key Ki.
 Dynamic information like the LA (Location Area) of the MS.
(iii) Visitor Location Register (VLR):
 It is a temporary database that is updated whenever a new MS enters
its area by roaming.
 If a new MS comes into the LA then the VLR is responsible for it. The
VLR copies all the relevant information for the MS from the HLR.
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 The structure of the VLR and HLR avoids frequent updates and long-
distance signaling of user information.

3. Operation SubSystem (OSS):

 The OSS contains all the functions necessary for network operation and
maintenance. The following section describes the entities:
(i) Operation and Maintenance Centre (OMC):
 The OMC monitors and controls all other GSM network entities via
the O interface.
 OMC functions are Traffic Monitoring, Status reports of the network
entities, Subscribers and Security Management, or accounting and
billing.
(ii) Authentication Centre (AuC):
 The Radio Air interface and the MS's are particularly vulnerable;
therefore a separate AuC has been defined to protect user identity
and data transmission.
 The AuC contains the algorithms for authentication, the keys for
encryption and generates the values needed for user authentication
for the HLR.
(iii) Equipment Identity Register (EIR):
 EIR is a database for all IMEIs that are registered for the GSM
network and used to track handsets using the IMEI.
 As MSs are mobile they can be stolen easily. EIR has a 'block list' of
stolen, locked or defective devices so the MS on this list is useless as
soon as the owner of the MS has reported it as stolen.
 Furthermore the EIR holds a list of valid IMEIs, and a list of
malfunctioning devices.
____________________________________________________________________
_
2.2.4: GSM PROTOCOL ARCHITECTURE:
Radio Layer
This layer also called as physical layer, handles all radio-specific functions.
This includes
 Creation of bursts according to the five different formats
 Multiplexing of bursts into a frame
 Synchronization with the BTS
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 Detection of idle channels

 Measurement of the channel quality on the downlink.
 Performs digital modulation
 Performs encryption/decryption of data.
 Handles forward error correction

Fig.: GSM Protocol Architecture

LAPDm - Link Access Procedure on D channel (modified) Layer

 Offers reliable data transfer over connections,
 Re-sequencing of data frames
 Flow control.
Network layer
The network layer in GSM comprises of three sub layers - RR, MM, CM.
 RR - Radio Resource management Layer
o The main tasks of RR are:
o offers a reliable connection to the next higher layer.
o Setup , maintenance and release of radio channels.
 MM - Mobility management Layer
o Contains functions for
o Registration , authentication , identification ,location updating
 CM - Call management Layer
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Contains three entities:

 call control (CC),
 short message service (SMS), and
 Supplementary service (SS).
BTSM - BTS management
 The functions of RR are supported by the BSC via the BTS management
(BTSM).
SS7 - Signaling system No. 7
 SS7 is used for signaling between an MSC and a BSC.
 This protocol also transfers all management information between MSCs,
HLR, VLRs, AuC, EIR, and OMC.
BSSAP - BSS Application Part
 An MSC can also control a BSS via a BSS application part (BSSAP).

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2.2.5: GSM CONNECTION ESTABLISHMENT / CALL SETUP (Localization &
Calling)
One fundamental feature of the GSM system is the automatic, worldwide
localization of users. The system always knows where a user currently is, and
the same phone number is valid worldwide.
Localization
 GSM provides periodic location updates, even if user does not use the
mobile.
 The HLR always contains information about the current location, and the
VLR currently responsible for the MS, informs the HLR about location
changes.
 As soon as an MS moves into the range of a new VLR, the HLR sends all
user data needed to the new VLR.
Roaming:
Changing VLRs with uninterrupted availability of all services is called roaming.
 National Roaming: Roaming that takes place between two providers in one
country.
 International Roaming: Roaming that takes place between different
providers in different countries.

To locate MS and to address the MS, several numbers are needed

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1) Mobile Station ISDN Number (MSISDN)

The MSISDN is a number which uniquely identifies a mobile telephone
subscription in the public switched telephone network numbering plan.
The mobile telephone number is composed in the following way:
MSISDN = CC + NDC + SN
CC = Country Code
NDC = National Destination Code / Network code
SN = Subscriber Number
Eg: +49 179 1234567 where CC = +49, NDC= 179, SN= 1234567
2) IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity)
It is a number usually unique for identifying GSM, WCDMA phones.- It is
generally printed inside the battery compartment of the phone.
3) IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity)
It consists of mobile country code(MCC), Mobile network code(MNC) and
Mobile Subscriber identification number(MSIN). IMSI =MCC
+MNC+MSIN
4) TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber)
To Identity for most commonly sent between the mobile and the network.
5) MSRN(Mobile Station Roaming Number)
It generated by VLR and stored in HLR .It consists of VCC (Visitor Country
Code) and VNDC (Visitor National Destination code)
MSRN = VCC +VNDC
Two scenarios:
(1) Mobile Originated Call (MOC)
(2) Mobile Terminated Call (MTC)

1) Mobile Originated Call

Step 1: The MS transmits a request for a new connection.

Step 2: The BSS forwards this request to the MSC.
Step 3, 4: The MSC then checks if this user is allowed to set up a call with
the requested service
Step 5 - 10: Checks the availability of resources through the GSM network
and into the PSTN. If all resources are available, the MSC sets up a
connection between the MS and the fixed network.

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Fig.: Mobile Originated Call (MOC)

2) Mobile Terminated Call

Fig.: Mobile Terminated Call (MTC)

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Step 1: A user dials the phone number of a GSM subscriber.

Step 2: The fixed network (PSTN) notices that the number belongs to a user in
the GSM network and forwards the call setup to the Gateway MSC.
Step 3: The GMSC identifies the HLR for the subscriber (which is coded in the
phone number) and signals the call setup to the HLR.
Step 4: The HLR now checks whether the number exists and whether the user
has subscribed to the requested services, and requests an MSRN from
the current VLR.
Step 5: HLR receives the MSRN.
Step 6: The HLR can determine the MSC responsible for the MS and forwards
this information to the GMSC.
Step 7: The GMSC can now forward the call setup request to the MSC
indicated.
Step 8,9: From this point on, the MSC is responsible for all further steps.
First, it requests the current status of the MS from the VLR.
Step 10: MSC initiates paging in all cells it is responsible for (i.e. the location
area, LA, 10), as searching for the right cell would be too time
consuming (but this approach puts some load on the signaling
channels so optimizations exist).
Step 11: The BTSs of all BSSs transmit this paging signal to the MS.
Step 12: If the MS answers (12 and 13), the VLR has to perform security
checks (set up encryption etc.). The VLR then signals to the MSC to set
up a connection to the MS (steps 15 to 17).

Fig.: Message Flow for MTC and MOC

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2.2.6: GSM FREQUENCY ALLOCATION

GSM frequency bands or frequency ranges are the cellular frequencies
designated by the ITU for the operation of GSM mobile phones and other mobile
devices.
Frequency Allocation:
 Each way the bandwidth for the GSM system is 25 MHz which provides 125
carriers uplink/downlink each having a bandwidth of 200 KHz.
 ARFCN (Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Numbers) denote a forward and
reverse channel pair which is separated in frequency by 45 MHz.
 GSM uses TDMA and FDMA.
 One or more carrier frequencies are assigned to each base station and each
of these carrier frequencies is then divided in time using a TDMA scheme.
Each time unit is called a burst period lasting approximately 0.577 ms.
 Eight burst periods are grouped into a TDMA frame of approximately 4.615
ms which forms the basic unit for the definition of logical channels.
 One physical channel is one burst period per TDMA frame while channels are
defined by the number and position of their corresponding burst periods.

Fig.: GSM Frequency Allocation: TDMA Frame, Slots, and Bursts

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GSM uses five different frequency ranges for communication.

They are tabulated as follows:
Type Uplink [MHz] Downlink [MHz]
GSM 450 450.4 – 467.6 460.4 – 467.6
GSM 850 824.0 – 849.0 869.0 – 894.0
GSM 900 890.0 – 915.0 935.0 – 960.0
GSM 1800 1710.0 – 1785.0 1805.0 – 1880.0
GSM 1900 1850.0 – 1910.0 1930.0 – 1990.0
GSM-Rail 876-915 921-960

2.2.7: ROUTING

Routing is the process of handling a Mobile Terminated (Incoming Call) (or)

Mobile Originating (Outgoing Call) Calls in a GSM network.

In a mobile system the endpoints of the connection may not be fixed. A GSM
subscriber may roam nationally as well as internationally. The number dialed to
reach a specific Mobile Station is called the Mobile Subscriber ISDN (MSISDN).
The process of locating a MS when calling it, is complex. A incoming call is
directed to a Gateway MSC (GMSC), which is a MSC with added functionality to
get the HLR database for routing information. The information returned to the
GMSC is the Mobile Station Roaming Number (MSRN), which is a temporary
number that identifies the MSC servicing the MS.

In the figure below, the typical routing scenario is shown.

 The scenario starts with the GMSC asking the HLR for a MSRN.
 The HLR typically only stores the address of the subscribers current VLR,
therefore the HLR needs to inquire this VLR for a MSRN.
 The VLR allocates a MSRN from an associated pool to the call and creates a
binding between the called subscribers IMSI and the MSRN. This MSRN is
returned to the HLR and the inquiring GMSC.
 The GMSC can now route the call to the MSC servicing the called MS.
 The MSC uses the MSRN to look up the IMSI of the MS and uses this to
page the MS.

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Fig.: Typical routing scenario

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2.2.8: MOBILITY MANAGEMENT

Mobility Management (MM) is one of the major functions of a GSM network that
allows the mobile phones to work.
The aim of MM is to track where the subscribers are and to deliver them the
services such as allowing calls, SMS and other mobile phone services.
Mobility Management = Location Management + Handover Management

2.2.8.1: LOCATION MANAGEMENT

Two Operations of LM:
1. Paging
2. Location Update (or) Registration
1. Paging: Paging process is used to trace MS within a location. The paging
operation is performed by the cellular network.
2. Location Update: Allows the system to keep location knowledge in order to
find the user. Location Update operation is performed by an active MS.
1: Paging
 The Paging operation is performed by the cellular network.
 When an incoming call arrives for a MS, the cellular network will page the
MS in all possible cells to find out the cell in which the mobile station is

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located, so that the incoming call can be routed to the corresponding base
station. This process is called paging.
 The number of all possible cells to be paged is dependent on how the
location update operation is performed.

2: GSM Location Update:

 GSM "location update" is a part of registration.
 GSM networks keep track of the location area (LA) where the MS is operating.
 Location Area is a basic unit for location tracking.
 When receiving an incoming call, the MS is paged in all cell of its current
location area.
 GSM mobile do a location update when
entering to new location area and at periodic
interval.
 In addition to this, MS also updates location
in ease of activation and deactivation
performed by the users.
1. Updating on entering a new location Area:
The Location Area Identity (LAI) is broadcast in
system information message and stored in
mobile station memory. When a new received
location area identity does not match with the previously stored location area
identity, then MS does a location update.
2. Periodic update: Whenever MS performs location update if reset timer T.
A time has timeout value. As and when the timer expires, the MS does the
location update.
3. Updating on deactivation and activation: Mobile equipment do this update
and send IMSI DETACH message when it is deactivated.
The network marks that MS as a deactivated and does not send paging message
to for MS until it is activated again.
A MS send IMSI DETACH message
does a location update when it is
activated again.
GSM location area hierarchy:

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In GSM, registration or location update occurs when an MS moves from one LA

to another.

Basic Location Update Procedure:

1. Inter- LA Movement
2. Inter- MSC Movement
3. Inter- VLR Movement
MS cannot distinguish the types of movement

2.2.8.2: HANDOVER/HAND-OFF MANAGEMENT IN GSM

A handoff refers to the process of transferring an active call or data session
from one cell in a cellular network to another or from one channel in a cell
to another.
Reasons for a handover/handoff :
There are two basic reasons for a handover/handoff :
1. The mobile station moves out of the range of a BTS
2. Traffic in one cell is too high.
3. If all channels of one BS are busy then a nearby BS can provide service to
the device.
There are two main types: Soft handoff and Hard handoff based on connection
with the target resource.
(i) Hard handoff - break before make, in this type connection with the
source channel/BTS/BSC is first broken before making connection
with target channel/BTS/BSC.
(ii) Soft handoff - make before break, in this type connection with the
source channel/BTS/BSC is retained for some time before connection
with the target channel/BTS/BSC is established. In this type user of
cellular network will not experience any glitch and will continue to
receive better service.
Types of handover/handoff:
The Figure shows four possible handover types in GSM:
 Intra-cell handover: Within a cell, narrow-band interference could make
transmission at a certain frequency impossible. The BSC could then decide
to change the carrier frequency (scenario 1).
 Inter-cell, intra-BSC handover: This is a typical handover scenario. The
mobile station moves from one cell to another, but stays within the control of
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the same BSC. The BSC then performs a handover, assigns a new radio
channel in the new cell and releases the old one (scenario 2).

Fig.: Types of Handover in GSM

 Inter-BSC, intra-MSC handover: As a BSC only controls a limited number

of cells; GSM also has to perform handovers between cells controlled by
different BSCs. This handover then has to be controlled by the MSC
(scenario 3).
 Inter MSC handover: A handover could be required between two cells
belonging to different MSCs. Now both MSCs perform the handover together
(scenario 4).

Fig.: Intra-MSC Handover Communication

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2.2.10: GSM SECURITY

 Security in GSM is supported at three levels:
1. Operator’s Level
2. Customer’s Level
3. System level
 These three levels help in
 Correct billing to the customer
 Avoiding fraud
 Protecting Services
 Ensuring anonymity
 Important features associated with providing security is GSM networks”
(i) Authentication
(ii) Confidentiality
(iii) Anonymity

(i) Authentication:
 The purpose of authentication is to protect the network against
unauthorized use.
 In the GSM context, it helps protect the GSM subscribers by
denying the possibility for intruders to impersonate authorized
users.
 The first step includes the authentication of a valid user for the
SIM. The user needs a secret PIN to access the SIM. The next step
is the subscriber authentication.

(ii) Confidentiality:
 GSM network protects voice, data and sensitive signaling
information (eg. Dialed digits) against eavesdropping by encrypting
the data on the radio path between Mobile Equipment (ME) and
the BTS.
 Confidentiality of subscriber dialed information is achieved by
using encryption techniques.
(iii) Anonymity:
 GSM network protects against someone tracking the location of a
user or identifying calls made to (or from) the user by
eavesdropping on the radio path.
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 Anonymity of the subscriber is achieved by allocating Temporary

Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) instead of permanent identities.
 TMSI helps to protect against tracking a user’s location and
obtaining information about a user’s calling pattern.

Three algorithms have been specified to provide security services in GSM.

 A3 - used for authentication
 A5 - used for encryption and
 A8 - used for the generation of a cipher key.

o Algorithms A3 and A8 are located on the SIM and in the AuC and can be
proprietary.
o Only A5 which is implemented in the devices has to be identical for all
providers.

=>AUTHENTICATION

 Before a subscriber can use any service from the GSM network, he or she
must be authenticated.
 Authentication is based on the SIM, which stores the individual
authentication key Ki, the user identification IMSI, and the algorithm
used for authentication A3.
 Authentication uses a challenge-response method: the access control AC
generates a random number RAND as challenge, and the SIM within the MS
answers with SRES (signed response) as response.
 The AuC performs the basic generation of random values RAND, signed
responses SRES, and cipher keys Kc for each IMSI, and then forwards this
information to the HLR.
 The current VLR requests the appropriate values for RAND, SRES, and Kc
from the HLR.
 For authentication, the VLR sends the random value RAND to the SIM.
 Both sides, network and subscriber module, perform the same operation
with RAND and the key Ki, called A3.
 The MS sends back the SRES generated by the SIM; the VLR can now
compare both values.

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 If they are the same, the VLR accepts the subscriber, otherwise the
subscriber is rejected.

Fig-Subscriber Authentication

=>ENCRYPTION

 To ensure privacy, all messages containing user-related information are

encrypted in GSM over the air interface.
 After authentication, MS and BSS can start using encryption by applying the
cipher key Kc.
 Kc is generated using the individual key Ki and a random value by applying
the algorithm A8.
 The SIM in the MS and the network both calculate the same Kc based on the
random value RAND.
 The key Kc itself is not transmitted over the air interface.
 MS and BTS can now encrypt and decrypt data using the algorithm A5 and
the cipher key Kc.

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Fig.- Data Encryption

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.2.12: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GSM:
Advantages:
1. GSM is used all over the world with more than 450 million users.
2. International roaming facility permits the use of one throughout the world
unlike CDMA which work in Asia but not in European nations.
3. GSM is more stable network with healthy features.
4. The accessibility of SIM provides secure data encryption to give GSM m-
commerce advantages.
5. The quality of GSM is better and secured than CDMA.
6. There are numerous handsets and service providers available in the market.
Hence the buyers can choose from a variety of options.
7. Variety of plans with cheaper call rates, free messaging facility and limited
free calls.
8. Power consumption is less in GSM mobiles.
9. Easy to use GSM services across 200 different countries.

Disadvantages:
1. It does not provide direct connection to the internet. In order to access the
internet, GSM needs to call Internet Service Provider (ISP).
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2. Uplink and Downlink channels allocated for a user are for entire call period.
3. It has time-oriented charging, that is, payment is based on connection time,
not on data volumes.
4. Connection setup takes about 20-25 seconds.
5. Limited capacity (9600bps).
6. It the SIM gets lost, one can lose all the data if the same is not saved in the
phone.
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2.3: GPRS – GENERAL PACKET RADIO SERVICE

Definition of GPRS:
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is a packet-oriented mobile data service
on the GSM of 2G and 3G cellular communication systems. It is a non-voice,
high-speed and useful packet-switching technology for GSM networks.

 The GPRS is an enhancement over the GSM and adds some nodes in the
network to provide the packet switched services.
 These network nodes are called GSNs (GPRS Support Nodes) and are
responsible for the routing and delivery of the data packets to and from the
MS and external packet data networks (PDN).
 GSM uses a billing system based on the time (duration) of connection,
whereas GPRS uses a billing system based on the amount of
transmitted data rather than the duration of the connection. So users
can remain continuously connected to the system, and yet get charged
only for the amount of transmitted data.

2.3.1: FEATURES OF GPRS:

(1) Speed:
Up to 171.2 kbps speed are achievable with GPRS which is ten times faster
than data transmission rate of fixed telecommunication networks and three
times faster than circuit-switched data services on GSM networks.
(2) Immediacy (refers to “always connected”):
- GPRS facilitates instant connections whereby information can be sent or
received immediately.
- No dial-up modem connection is necessary.

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(3) Packet Switched Resource Allocation (to improve spectrum

efficiency):
Resources are allocated only when data is to be sent/received.
(4) Flexible channel allocation:
- One to eight time slots
- Available resources are shared by active users
- Up and Down link channels reserved separately
- GPRS and Circuit-Switched GSM services can use same time slots
alternatively
(5) Traffic Characteristics suitable for GPRS:
- Intermittent, bursty data transmission
- Frequent transmissions of small volumes of data
- Infrequent transmission of large volume of data
(6) Mobility:
Ability to maintain constant voice and data communication while on the
move.
(7) Localization:
Allows subscribers to obtain information relevant to their current location.

2.3.2: GOALS OF GPRS:

 End-to-End wireless infrastructure
 Open Architecture
 Consistent IP services
 Same infrastructure for different air interface
 Integrated telephony and Internet infrastructure
 Service innovation independent of infrastructure

2.3.3: GPRS SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

 GPRS is a data network that overlay a 2G GSM network.
 This data overlay network provides packet data transport at rates from 9.6
kbps to 171 kbps.
 Multiple users can share the same air-interface resource simultaneously.
 GPRS attempts to reuse the existing GSM network elements as much as
possible, but to effectively build a packet-based mobile cellular network
some new network elements, interfaces and protocols for handling packet
traffic are required.
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Fig. - GPRS architecture reference model

 The figure above shows the architecture of the GPRS system. The most
important network nodes added to the existing GSM networks are:
 SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node).
 GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node).

SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) – It is a router

The serving GPRS support node (SGSN) is responsible for routing the packet
switched data to and from the mobile stations (MS) within its area of
responsibility.
The main functions of SGSN are:
- Packet routing and transfer
- Mobile attach and detach procedure (Mobility Management (MM))
- Location management
- Assigning channels and time slots (Logical Link Management (LLM))
- Authentication and charging for calls.
- Storing the location information of the user (like the current location,
current VLR) and user profile (like IMSI addresses used in packet data
networks) of registered users in its location register.

GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node)

 The gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) acts as interface between the GPRS
backbone and the external packet data network (PDN).

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 It converts the GPRS packet coming from the SGSN into proper Packet Data
Protocol (PDP) format (i.e. X.25 or IP) before sending to the outside data
network.
 The GGSN stores the current SGSN address of the user and his profile in its
location register.
 It also contains routing information for GPRS users, performs address
connection and tunnels data to a user through encapsulation.
 GGSN is connected to an external network and it transfers packets to the
SGSN through an IP-based GPRS backbone network.
 The GGSN also performs the authentication and charging functions.

GPRS Registers (GR)

 It is a part of HLR which stores all the relevant GPRS data.

Home Location Register (HLR)

 It stores all the relevant data of GPRS in a mobile IP network
 The data packets are transmitted to the BSS and finally to the MS through
the GGSN and SGSN.
 MSC is responsible for data transport in the traditional circuit-switched
GSM.

Table: GPRS Network Elements

GSM Network
Modifications or Upgrade Required for GPRS
Elements
Terminal New terminal equipment is required to access
Equipment (TE) GPRS services. These terminals must be
backward compatible with GSM for voice calls
BTS Software upgrade is required in the existing
BTS
BSC Requires software upgrade and installation of
new hardware called Packet Controller Unit
(PCU) to direct data traffic to the GPRS network
GPRS Support The deployment of GPRS requires the
Nodes (GSNs) installation of new core network elements called
SGSN and GGSN

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Databases (HLR, Software upgrades are required to all databases

VLR, EIR, GR) to handle the new call models & functions
introduced by GPRS

GPRS PROTOCOL LAYERS

The Figure shows the protocol architecture of GPRS. All data within the GPRS
backbone, i.e., between the GSNs, is transferred using the GPRS tunnelling
protocol (GTP).

 GTP can use two different transport protocols, either the reliable TCP
(needed for reliable transfer of X.25 packets) or the non-reliable UDP (used
for IP packets).
 The network protocol for the GPRS backbone is IP (using any lower layers).
 To adapt to the different characteristics of the underlying networks, the
subnetwork dependent convergence protocol (SNDCP) is used between an
SGSN and the MS.
 On top of SNDCP and GTP, user packet data is tunneled from the MS to the
GGSN and vice versa.

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 To achieve a high reliability of packet transfer between SGSN and MS, a

special LLC is used, which comprises ARQ and FEC mechanisms for PTP
(and later PTM) services.
 A base station subsystem GPRS protocol (BSSGP) is used to convey
routing and QoS-related information between the BSS and SGSN.
 BSSGP does not perform error correction and works on top of a frame relay
(FR) network.
 Radio link dependent protocols are needed to transfer data over the Um
interface.
 The radio link protocol (RLC) provides a reliable link, while the MAC
controls access with signaling procedures for the radio channel and the
mapping of LLC frames onto the GSM physical channels.

2.3.4: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GPRS:

Advantages:
1. GPRS includes machine to machine data communications
2. Overlays on the existing GSM networks to provide high-speed data services
3. Reducing the time spent in setting up and taking down connection
4. Lower service charges
5. The high-speed packet-switched communication supported by GPRS
enabled applications providing many innovative web-based services, e-
commerce and advertising
6. Designed to support bursty applications such as e-mail, broadcast
services, traffic telematics and web browsing
7. Users are charged only when data is being sent and received unlike other
non-GPRS users. Moreover in GPRS, charges are based on amount of data
being transferred.
8. As GPRS is available in all the mobile devices, it provides wireless internet
access.
9. It allows simultaneous use of both voice and data services. Hence user can
have both voice call and data call together. Data call refers to use of
internet by browsing or downloading or uploading data.

Disadvantages:
1. The data rates (171.2/384 Kbps) supported are slower compare to latest
wireless standards such as HSPA, LTE, and LTE-advanced etc.
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2. Network can be affected when more number of GPRS users in the same
area utilizes the GPRS services at the same time. This leads to congestion
which results into slower data connection.
3. It is not possible to troubleshoot in case of issues. This means either GPRS
services are working fine or they are not working.
3.2.5: APPLICATIONS OF GPRS:
1. Communications - E-mail, fax, unified messaging and intranet/internet
access, etc.
2. Value-added services - Information services and games, etc.
3. E-commerce - Retail, ticket purchasing, banking and financial trading,
etc.
4. Location-based applications - Navigation, traffic conditions, airline/rail
schedules and location finder, etc.
5. Vertical applications - Freight delivery, fleet management and sales-force
automation.
6. Advertising - Advertising may be location sensitive. For example, a user
entering a mall can receive advertisements specific to the stores in that
mall.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4: UMTS – UNIVERSAL MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
Definition of UMTS:
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third-generation
(3G) mobile communication system that provides a broadband, packet-
based transmission of text, digitized voice, video, and multimedia at data
rates up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps) at 2100 MHz frequency.

 It is the third generation (3G) successor to the second generation cellular

technologies, but not a replacement of 2nd generation technologies.
 Based on the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT-2000)
standard set developed by International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
 UMTS are managed by a group known as 3GPP – Third Generation
Partnership
Programme.
 UMTS specification is designed to be compatible with GSM networks. So it
can easily work with any existing GSM/GPRS network.
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 The scope of 3GPP was to produce globally applicable Technical

Specifications for Mobile Telecommunications System.
 3GPP is responsible for the GSM/UMTS standards as well as looking at
future developments including LTE (Long Term Evolution) and the 4G
technology known as LTE Advanced.
 It provides HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) ,which is the combination of
HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) + HSUPA (High Speed uplink
Packet Access).

Difference between UMTS networks and 2G networks (Goals of UMTS):

 Higher Speech Quality
 Higher data rate
 VHE (Virtual Home Environment)
A user is roaming from one network to another network will not feel
discontinuity, thus giving a feeling of being in his home network.

2.4.1: UMTS SERVICES & APPLICATIONS

UMTS provides support for both voice and data services. The following data
rates are target for UMTS:
1. 144 kbps – Satellite & Rural outdoor
2. 384 kbps – Urban Outdoor
3. 2048 kbps – Indoor & low range Outdoor

UMTS Service categories and Applications:

1. Internet Access:- Messaging, video/music download, voice/video over IP,
mobile commerce (eg. Banking, trading), travel & information services.
2. Intranet/Extranet Access:- Enterprise application such as e-
mail/messaging, travel assistance, mobile sales, technical services,
corporate database access and video telephony, conferencing.
3. Customized Information/Entertainment:- Information (photo/video/music
download), travel assistance, distance education, mobile messaging,
gaming, voice portal services.]
4. Multimedia Messaging: - SMS extension for images, video, and music,
document transfer.
5. Location-based services:- Yellow pages, mobile commerce, navigational
services.
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2.4.2: UMTS ARCHITECTURE

The UMTS network architecture can be divided into three main elements:

1. User Equipment - UE
2. Radio Network SubSystem - RNS
3. Core Network – CN

Fig: Internal Elements of UMTS Architecture

(1) User Equipment - UE

 The User Equipment is the major element of the overall UMTS network
architecture.
 It forms the interface with the user.
 UE consists of two parts
 Mobile Equipment (ME)
 UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)
 UE consists of a variety of elements including
RF Circuitry, Processing, Antenna, Battery, etc.

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RF Circuitry Handles all elements of the signal, both for the

receiver
and for the transmitter.
Processing Optimized to reduce the current consumption
Antenna Converts electric power into radio waves and vice -
versa.
Battery Use of new and improved battery technology. Lithium
Ion batteries are used.

(2) UMTS Radio Network Subsystem (UTRAN)

 Interfaces to both the UE and the core network.

 Provide access to the UMTS terrestrial radio interface.
 UMTS architecture consists of several radio network subsystems.
 Each RNS comprises of two main components:
1. Node B
2. Radio Network Controller - RNC
Node B
 Node B denotes the base station transceiver.
 Contains the transmitter and receiver to communicate with the UEs
within the cell.
 Connects to one or more antennas creating one or more cells.
 Handles Forward Error Correction, Rate Adaptation, W-CDMA
Spreading/De-spreading, Modulation/De-modulation.
 Mitigates near-far effects.
 Measures connection qualities and signal strengths
 Support Softer Handover which takes place between different
antennas of the same node

Radio Network Controller (RNC)

 RNC in UMTS can be compared with the BSC of a GSM
 Provides Central control for RNS Elements (RNC and Node B).
 Responsible for data encryption / decryption to protect the user data
.
 Handles Protocol exchanges between the Interfaces.
 Manages Congestion and Handover Management
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 Responsible for Radio Resource Control to minimize interference and

load measurements.

(3) CORE NETWORK

 Switches and Routes calls and data connections to external networks.
 The UMTS core network may be split into two domains.
 There are two different elements in the Core Network of UMTS: CS
and PS elements

CS Domain- Circuit Switched Elements:

 It is based on the GSM network entities and carry data in a circuit switched
manner, i.e. a permanent channel for the duration of the call.
 Mobile Switching Centre (MSC): It is same as GSM and it manages the
circuit switched calls underway.
 Gateway MSC (GMSC): It interfaces to the external networks.

PS Domain - Packet Switched Elements:

 Designed to carry packet data.
 Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN): It provides Mobility management,
Session management, Interaction with other areas of the network, billing.
 Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN): It handles inter-working between the
UMTS packet switched network and external packet switched networks. It
is considered as a router.

Shared Elements:
 Home Location Register (HLR): This database contains all the
administrative information about each subscriber along with their last
known location.
 Equipment Identity Register (EIR): It is the entity that decides whether a
given UE equipment may be allowed onto the network by checking the IMEI
number.
 Authentication Centre (AuC): AuC is a protected database that contains
the secret key.
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2.4.3: UMTS HANDOVER

 Handover or handoff is as important for UMTS as any other form of

cellular telecommunications system.
 As with any other cellular telecommunications system it is essential that
UMTS handover is performed seamlessly so that the user is not aware of
any change.
 Any failures within the UMTS handover procedure will lead to dropped
calls which will in turn result in user dissatisfaction and ultimately it
may lead to users changing networks.

Handovers are an important part of every cellular communication

system. They are used for providing mobility in cellular architectures.
Handover aims to provide continuity of mobile services to a user traveling
over cell boundaries in a cellular infrastructure.

Handoff must be
1. Performed Quickly
2. Performed infrequently
3. Invisible to users
4. Performed Successfully

In UMTS systems different

handover types are Hard
Handover and Soft handover.

Hard Handover (Break before Make)

Hard handover means that all the old radio links in the UE are
removed before the new radio links are established.

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Soft Handover (Make before Break)

Soft handover means that the radio links are added and removed in a
way that the UE always keeps at least one radio link to the UTRAN.

Generally we can distinguish between intra-cell handover and inter-cell

handover. For UMTS the following types of handover are specified:
Types of Handover
There are four basic types of handover:

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(1) Softer handover : Intra-node B, Intra-RNC

Not a full form of UMTS handover, but the UE communicates with more
than one sector managed by the same Node B.
(2) Soft handover: Inter-node B, Intra-RNC
This form of handover is a more gradual and the UE communicates
simultaneously with more than one Node B or base station during the
handover
process.
(3) Hard handover: (i) Inter-RNC, Intra-MSC & (ii)Inter-MSC
This form of handover is essentially the same as that used for 2G
networks where one link is broken and another established.
(4) Inter-System handover: (UMTS - GSM)
This form of handover occurs when mobiles have to change between Radio
Access Technologies (i.e. between 3G and 2G).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4.4: UMTS PROTOCOL LAYERS

(1) CS Domain Protocol Stack

 Radio Layer - Transfer of user data
 MAC Layer (Medium Access Control) – Multiplex the different data flows
onto the physical channels
 RLC Layer (Radio Link Control) – Used for Flow Control,Error Control
and Encryption.
RLC offers three different transport modes.
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a. The acknowledged mode transfer uses ARQ for error correction and
guarantees onetime in-order delivery of data packets.
b. The unacknowledged mode transfer does not perform ARQ but
guarantees at least one-time delivery of packets with the help of
sequence numbers.
c. The transparent mode transfer simply forwards MAC data without
any further processing. The system then has to rely on the FEC
which is always used in the radio layer.

 AAL2 Layer (ATM adaptation layer 2) - Handling of transmission errors ,

Handling of lost and misinserted cell conditions ,Timing and flow control ,
reduce protocol processing overhead,reduce transmission overhead,ensure
adaptability to existing transport protocols.
 ATM Layer(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) – Flow Control,Cell Header
Generation and Extraction, Virtual Circuit/Path Management, Cell
Multiplexing/De-multiplexing
 SAR Layer (Segmentation and Reassembly) - Used to segment data
packets received from the RLC into small chunks which can be transported
in ATM.

(2) PS Domain Protocol Stack

(1) In the PS Domain, several more protocols are needed. Basic data
transport is performed by different lower layers (e.g., ATM with AAL5,
frame relay).
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(2) On top of these lower layers UDP/IP is used to create a UMTS internal IP
network.
(3) PDCP Layer (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) –This layer performs
protocol conversion from the combination GTP/UDP/IP and header
compression to avoid redundant data transmission using scarce radio
resources.
(4) GTP Layer (GPRS tunneling protocol) – Used for encapsulating all the
packets destined for the UE.

_________________________________________________________________

2.2.5: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF UMTS:

Advantages:
1. UMTS is a successor to 2G based GSM technologies including
GPRS/EDGE.
2. Supports 2 Mbits/s data rates. Higher data rates at lower cost.
3. Benefits of automatic international roaming plus integral security and
billing functions, allowing operators to migrate from 2G to 3G.
4. Gives operators the flexibility to introduce new multimedia services to
business users and consumers.
5. Fast internet and video calling capabilities.
Disadvantages:
1. It drains battery.

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2. More expensive than GSM.

2.2.6: UMTS SECURITY

Introduction
The security functions of UMTS are based on what was implemented in GSM.
Some of the security functions have been added and some existing have been
improved.
 Problems with GSM Security:
 Weak authentication and encryption algorithms
 Short key length (32 bits)
 No data integrity (allows certain denial of service attacks)
 No network authentication (false base station attack possible)
 Limited encryption scope
 Insecure key transmission (Cipher keys and authentication parameters
are transmitted in clear between and within networks)

 UMTS Security Features:

UMTS consists of five security feature groups
(1) Network Access Security
This provide users with secure access to UMTS (3G) services, and which is
particularly protect against attacks on the radio access link.
(2) Network Domain Security:
It protects against attacks on the wireline network and allows nodes in the
provider domain to exchange signaling data securely.
(3) User Domain Security:
It provides secure access to mobile stations.
(4) Application Domain Security:
It allows the secure exchange of messages between applications in an user
and the provider domain.
(5) Visibility and Configurability of Security:
This enables the user to inform himself whether a security feature is in
operation or not, and whether the use and provision of services should
depend on the security feature.

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Fig.: UMTS Security Architecture

TE: Terminal Equipment
USIM: User Service Identity Module
SN: Serving Network
HN: Home Network
AN: Access Network

 UMTS Authentication:
 Unlike GSM, UMTS uses mutual authentication which means that the
mobile user and the serving network can authenticate each other,
providing security against false base station.
 This mutual authentication uses an authentication quintet which helps
to ensure that a bill is issued to the correct person.
 The authentication quintet consists of the User Challenge (RAND),
Expected User Response (XRES), the Encryption Key (CK), the
Integrity Key (IK), and the authentication token for Network
Authentication (AUTN).
 Also UMTS provides a new data integrity mechanism which protects the
messages being signaled between the mobile station and Radio Network
Controller (RNC).
 The user and the network negotiate and agree on cipher and integrity
algorithms. Both the integrity mechanism and an enhanced
authentication combine to provide against active attacks on the radio
interface.

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Fig.: UMTS Authentication

 UMTS Encryption:
 UMTS provides enhanced encryption which ensures that messages are
not available to unauthorized users.
 With UMTS, encryption is completed in the Radio Network Controller
(RNC) rather than at the base station, as in the case of GSM.
 Longer encryption key lengths are used to improve confidentiality.
 UMTS added confidentiality algorithms for maintaining identity
confidentiality:
o User Identity Confidentiality
o User Location Confidentiality

COMPARISON BETWEEN GPRS, GSM AND UMTS:

Parameters GPRS GSM UMTS
Data Rates 57.6 kbps 14.4 kbps 2 mbps
Carrier Size 200 KHz 200 KHz TDMA 5 MHz CDMA
System
2.5G 2G 3G
Generation
Base System GSM TDMA GSM, GPRS
Users per
8 8 -
channel
Speed 35 kbps – 171 384 kbps – 2
9.6 kbps
kbps mbps
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