Radio Resource

management
 Introduction
• Role: Establish and release stable
connections between MS and MSC for the
duration of different radio resource (RR)
procedures (call set up, release, paging, HO.
• This field is called signaling
• Major difference between Mobile and fixed
networks: dynamic channel allocation (on
demand) and handover
• RR functions and procedures will be studied
 Preliminary Architecture -1
Considerations
• Basic notation : Definition of relay and anchor
MSC
• MSC deals with HO between cells managed
by different BSC’s
• 2 MSC are involved if HO is between cells in
different MSC’s
• Relay MSC : in direct contact with BSC
• Anchor MSC: refer to MSC in charge of upper
layer treatments
ME BTS BSC MSC MSC

Relay MSC
Anchor MSC
 R.R. functions -2
• Centered around management of
transmission paths over the radio interface
between MS and MSC

• To develop these functions, the concept of

RR – sessions is introduced

• Example of functions: management of

transmission power – timing advance
 RR - Sessions 2-1
• For each MS engaged in a
communication, there exist a transmission
path between MS and the MSC. This path
exists in a dedicated mode and is released
when it is in an idle mode

• What is managed in this period of time is

referred to as an RR-session
• As a minimum a RR-session includes:

– Means to transmit signaling between MS and

anchor MSC through BTS, BSC and possibly a
relay MSC

– Including a dedicated radio channel

– References to manage this channel on both

BTS-BSC interface and BSC-MSC interface

– Means in the BSS to monitor the radio

connection and take HO decisions when
necessary
Initiation of a RR - Session 2-2
• When a MS is connected to the network,
it has two different operating modes:

– Idle mode (not engaged in a connection)

– Dedicated mode (full duplex channel
enables communication)

• Null mode: just after MS is switched on

and before being connected to a network
• Access : Transmission from idle to dedicated

– It is the first step of initialization of an RR-session

– May be triggered either to fulfill a need expressed

first on the mobile station (call originating)

– Or on the infrastructure side (response to a page)

 Access 2-2-1
• MS sends a message on a RACH
• Message is answered by an initial
assignment message on the PAGCH
(carrying the description of the dedicated
channel)
• Note that the access on a RACH is not
regulated (2 MS may send simultaneously,
neither being received by the BTS)
• Access ends with the allocation of a radio
channel (initial channel assignment)
 Paging & Discontinuous 2-2-2
Reception
• Paging is not directly related to a RR-session, it
is closer to mobility management (serves to
locate a MS in a LA)
• How does paging starts?
– MSC/VLR requests the BSS to perform a paging
in some cells of the BSS

– The MSC provides the concerned BSC (s) with

the identity of the MS to be paged and the list of
cells in which the paging should be issued
• DRX for the sake of battery consumption.

– Minimize the amount of information the

MS has to receive, demodulate and
analyze when in the idle mode.

– Divide the downlink control channel into

sub channels and send always in the
same sub channel to the Sc.
• Procedural requirements for paging
include:

– Means for the MSC to require a given

Sc to be paged

– Mechanism for the BSC to control the

sending of this paging message

– A way to indicate the PAGCH

configuration to all mobile stations
Transmission Management 2-3
• What constitutes the management of the
transmission characteristic (c/c) of a RR
session?
• The c/c are chosen depending on the
service to be provided
• They are decided by the anchored MSC
and transitions are coordinated by the
BSC
• BSS has to handle the cipher mode and
DTX mode.
 Transmission Mode 2-3-1
Management
• Is the way the GSM TACH/8 TACH/F
transmission chain is &
used for carrying circuit
user information from TACH/H
MS →point of Signaling Signaling
interconnection with only only
other networks
• Set of possible
transmission modes Speech
depends on the type of
channel used on the data
radio interface
• The MSC chose the transmission mode
depending on the end-to-end service when
the RR is established
• At the beginning the channel is chosen by
the BSC and it is in general the TACH/8
(when the RR is initially established)
• During the life time of RR-session, the
channel type and transmission modes may
change by the MSC in order to adapt the
transmission media to the needs of the
users
• Procedural needs for transmission mode
management.
• The procedural organization of transmission
management has 2 facets:
– 1st the MSC must be able to indicate the need for a
change in the transmission mode during
RR-session
– 2nd BSC must have means to coordinate the MS,
BTS & TRAU for fulfilling the MSC request
• Subsequent assignment is the procedure to
change the radio channel used by an
RR-session without changing the cell.
• Mode modification is the procedure between
the MS & the BSC if the type of channel is
appropriate but the transmission mode is not
 2-3-2Terrestial Channel
Management (x)
• RR-session may or may not include a full
circuit between MU & MSC to carry user
information
• Terrestial circuit from BTS →BSC is a one to
one relation ship with the radio channel
• On the A interface( between BSC & MSC) the
circuit from BSC to MSC is allocated to an
RR session by the relay MSC
• The indication that a circuit has been
allocated is given to BSC via signaling
 Cipher Mode Management(x) 2-3-3
• Transmission may be ciphered or not as
desired by the MSC (depends on the operator)
• RR-session is always started in clear text (not
ciphered)
• Means for transmission from clear to ciphered
transmission on an RR-session are required
• Means to MSC to require change of modes
• MSC provides ciphering parameters to BSC
(Kc)
• Means for the BSC to coordinate the transition
in the BTS &MS
 DTX(x) 2-3-4
• During speech silence for instance
• Optional
• Applied independently to each direction up
and downlink
• Affects the operation of the MS and the
TRAU
• Decision to apply it is taken by the MSC
and the execution is controlled by the BSC
 Handover preparation 2-4

• Major source of complexity in RR session

• Decision to trigger a HO and the choice

of the target cell are based on a number
of parameters
 HO Purposes 2-4-1
1) Rescue HO: when a high probability
exists that the call will be lost if the cell is
not changed

2) Confinement HO: with the goal to

optimize interference level

3) Traffic HO happen when a cell is

congested whereas neighbor cells are not
 HO Criteria 2-4-2
• Will depend on the purpose of HO
• Always include some information to predict
what will happen with and without HO
according to the destination cell
• 1) Criteria for rescue HO: the quality of
transmission for both uplink and
downlink
– BER
– propagation path loss
– Propagation delay
• 2) Criteria for confinement HO
– Uplink & downlink transmission
quality corresponding to each
neighbor cell

• 3) Criteria for traffic HO

– Information on the load of each BTS
is required (Known by the MSCs and
BSCs)
• Algorithms for HO decision and the choice of target
cells are not imposed by specifications
• List of parameters to be taken into account in HO
decisions:
– Some static data: maximum transmitted power
of MS, serving BTS and neighbor BTSs
– Real time measurements performed by MS:
downlink transmission quality (BER), downlink Pr
on the current channel, downlink Prs from
neighbor cell
– Real time measurements performed by BTS:
uplink transmission quality (BER), uplink Pr on
the current channel, timing advance
– Traffic considerations, cell capacity and load
 Measurements 2-4-3
• How does MS reports its measurements?

• Measurement reporting: carried by

messages on the SACCH (signaling ch.
Assoc. with each TCH)
• How does MS makes its measurements concerning
neighbor cells (they don’t have dedicated channel)?
• Neighbor cell measurements:
– MS measures the c/c of the neighbor cells
during the interval between the transmission of
an uplink burst and the reception of a downlink
burst
– Make reliable meas. of the beacon freq. of the
neigh. Cells [BTS transmits on a freq. a
constant power]
– The list of freq. is sent to the MS
– MS finds if this freq. carries a FCCH in order to
be sure that it is a beacon freq.
 Power Control & Timing 2-5
Advance
2-5-1 Power control

• Power control possibility to modify within

some range the transmission power in the
in both links
• Improves spectral efficiency and battery
life
• Decreased or increased in steps
• Basic procedural requirements for power
control:
– Means for MS to transmit meas. up to
BSC
– Means for BSC to command MS and
possibly BTS (PT)
– Means for BSC to indicate to the MS the
initial power level value at initial
assignment as well as at each
subsequent channel transition
– Means for the BSC to indicate to the
BTS the initial power level when a
channel is initialized
 Radio Channel Management 2-6
• We will look at the management of the radio
channels in a cell
• It will include:
– Channel configuration management:
determine the set of channels for each cell
(long-term aspect)
– Channel allocation strategy:
allocation/release of channels according to
the communication needs of the mobile
stations (short term aspects)
 Cell Channel Configuration 2-6-1
• List of channels to be defined at a given time
to be used in a cell
• Includes:
– A set of common channels to support
mobile stations in idle mode and initial
mobile station access (BCCH,PAGH,RACH)
– A set of traffic channels (TACH and
SDCCH) for signaling and user data
– We can handle changes like capacity
extension without disturbing the existing
ongoing communications
 Configuration of Access channels

• Depending on the full spectrum capacity

of the cell (estimated in terms of the
number of frequency slots), the
capacity requirements for access
channels (RACH,PAGCH) will vary.

• This access channel configuration may

change with time.
 Organization of paging channel
• On each CCCH ‘unit’ to which the mobile
station are able to listen, the downlink
channel is organized in two parts:

– Several ‘paging sub-channels’ in a one

to one relationship’ with subpopulations
of MS’s.

– Possibly a sub-channel received

exclusively for assignment (access
grant) messages.
 Traffic channel configuration

• Is dynamically modified by the OMS to

meet the demand

• TACH TACH/8

• They are totally internal to the BSC

• Changes in the frequency configuration
• Frequency slots associated to each cell
may change dynamically with time (not a
frequently event)
• Decision taken by the OMS.
OMS informs the BSC in charge of
co-ordination with MS+BTS to reach the
new coherent configuration
• Reasons: setting up new hardware,
needing for removing some for
maintenance, observation of unplanned
interference.
Dedicated channel allocation 2-6-2
• For:

– Initial Assignment (call setup, LA)

– Subsequent assignment

– Handover

– Call re-establishment (explained later)

 Allocation Strategies
• Very early assignment (VEA) : allocating
TACH/F. (very inefficient if TACH/F is not
needed like in LA)
• Early assignment (EA) : allocate TACH/8
initially then allocate TACH/F as soon as it will
be known for sure that it will be needed. (main
drawback: increase of call set up time)
• Off air call set up (OACSU) : allocate TACH/8,
then wait until the called party has answered
before attempting the subsequent assignment
of a TACH/F. (most efficient in terms of
resource usage)
• Whatever the allocation strategy, there are
cases where there are no adequate resource
is available when needed. The network will
apply either one of two strategies: rejection –
queuing.
• Queuing
– First come first serve (F.C.F.S.)
– Granting request (based on their priorities)

• Pre-emption : terminating a connection in

order to use its resource for another important
one.
 Interference Considerations
• The BTS measures the reception level of
all un-located channels (levels of
interference and noise in the uplink) and
transmit them to the BSC

• The BSC chooses the channel with

minimum interference
 RR procedures -3

• What happens during the life of and

RR-session?

• Protocol between the MS and the network

components : RIL3-RR
 Initial Procedures 3-1
Access & Initial Assignment

• MS : idle → dedicated mode (transition

between)

• The initial assignment : is triggered

upon the request of the MS for the
following reasons : LA / answer to a
paging / call set up
Initial Access Procedure
M.
B.T.S
S
RACH
Channel request
PAGH
.Intermediate Assign

TACH M.S. links establishment

send initial message)
Sc. I. and why It requests
(a connection
 Random Access 3-1-1
• Existence of collisions leads to:
– Rejection of all access (non is received
correctly)
– One of the bursts is received at the BTS
at a level higher than the other and
correctly decoded (capture)

• To decrease collisions use one of the

best known random access schemes
‘slotted Aloha” protocol
• Indications sent on the BCCH set the
values for:

The average time between repetitions

(TX_INTEGER) and the number of
allowed repetitions (MAXRETRANS)

It will depend on the traffic . For lower

traffic TX_INTEGER decreases and
MAXRETRANS increases
 the contents of the RIL3-RR 3-1-2
channel request message
• 5 bits are chosen randomly by the MS,
reducing the probability that 2 MS send
identical message during the same slot.
• Will be able to correlate an initial assignment
from the network with its own request
● ● ● X X X X X

Establishment Random discriminator

cause

Content of an access burst on the RACH

 The Initial Channel 3-1-3
Assignment
• The BTS decode correctly the channel request
and send it to the BSC plus the estimate of the
transmission delay

• BSC chooses a free channel (TACH/F or

TACH/8) and activate it to the BTS

• BTS acknowledge this activation

• BTS sends initial assignment message on the

PAGCH
• Activation process requires the BTS to
prepare for the access of the MS on the
newly allocated channel

• The initial assignment indication sent to

the MS contains:
– Description of the allocation channel
– Initial timing advance to be applied
– A reference allowing all the MS’s
expecting such a message to know
whether they are being addressed or
not.
 MS BTS BSC
Channel
message Channel request
Channel required
request
Frame n0
Frame n0 Frame n0 delay

Channel activation

acknowledgment
Immediate assignment

?=
Frame n0
 The Initial Message 3-1-4
• MS adjust its reception and transmission to the
frequency of the new channel

• The MS transmits a SABM (set asynchronous

balanced mode) frame containing a signaling
message (the initial message) to solve the
contention

• This happens if 2 MS send exactly the same

channel request message with same contents
• The initial message contains:
– An identity of the MS
– The class mark: a field indicating some
key characteristics of the ME (PT max.)
– Complementary information making the
reason for access more precise

• When the access procedure ends, the

RR-session is fully established with a
complete signaling path between the MS
and the MSC
 MS MS
BTS
1 2
L1

SABM (L1)

L2

Contention
SABM (L2)
resolution
UA (L1)
leaves

stay .UA: unnumbered acknow

 MS class mark 3-1-5
• MS characteristics

• Given at the beginning of a new connection

• Parameters contained in the class mark:

– Revision level (MS approved in phase1,2..)
– RF power capabilities (PT)
– Encryption algorithm
– Frequency capability
– Short message capability
 Paging Procedure 3-2
• When a call to a Sc reaches the MSC, it
determines the LA where the MS is
registered and sends a message to all the
BSC’s controlling cells in this LA.
• The message contains:
– The Sc identity to page with (TMSI)
– The IMSI to determine the paging
sub-channel (to cope with discontinous
reception)
– The list of cells in which the paging must
be issued
• BSC sends a paging command to the BTS
device in charge of the PAGCH of suitable
TN for each cell in the list.

• The message contains:

– Number of paging sub-channels
computed by the BSC.
– TN of the PAGCH

• A repetition policy exists.

(paging is not sent only once in each cell)
 Procedure for transmission 3-3
mode and cipher mode
management
• According to the communication needs
transmission mode (signaling – speech
–data) could be changed any time during an
RR session life time. This is done by the
MSC BSC MSC
Assignment request
Change of
TXssion
Assignment
mode complete
• Action of the BSC when receiving an
assignment request could be:
– If both modes are the same send
assignment complete
– If both modes differ by the type of
information but use same type of
channel, the BSC performs a ‘mode
modify’ procedure before acknowledging
the MSC.
– If new mode requires different channel,
BSC performs a ‘ subsequent
assignment’ procedure
 Mode Modify Procedure 3-3-1
• BSC triggers the reconfiguration of the BTS by
sending a MODE MODIFY request to the BTS.
• BTS modifies its coding and decoding
algorithms.
• BTS sends a MODE MODIFY ack. to the BSC.
• In parallel the BSC triggers the reconfiguration
of the MS by sending an RIL3-RR channel
mode modify message.
• MS modify its channel/source coding/decoding
and answers a RIL3-RR channel MODE
MODIFY ack. message to BSC via BTS
 Subsequent Assignment 3-3-2
Procedure
MS BTS BSC
Channel activation

.Ch Ch. activation

.Old chan
.ack
Assign. command No

.Ch Error indication Action is

• Configuration of the
taken
equipments for new ch.
Assign.complete
 Handover execution 3-4
• Handover is similar to the subsequent
assignment procedure. There exist some major
difference:
– Timing advance management
– Need to transmit some data specific to the new
cell.
• Decision to attempt a HO of a given MS is
taken by the BSC
• Once the new cell has been chosen, the actual
transfer must be coordinated between the MS
and the machines managing the old cell
(BTS-old) and the new cell (BTS-new).
• HO procedure comes in several varieties
according to two main criteria:

• First criteria related to the timing

advance (depending on type of cells)
– Synchronous HO: the MS is able to
compute the new timing advance,
because the old and new cells are
synchronized
– Asynchronous HO: the timing advance
must be initialized both at the Ms and
BTS-new during the HO procedure
• Second criteria: concerning the location of
the switching point

MSC/VLR

MSC/VLR
MSC/VLR
BS 3
2
C
BS
C
BT 1 BT
S S
• 1- BSC: intra BSC HO
2- MSC: inter BSC, intra MSC HO
3- anchor MSC: inter MSC HO

• All HO procedures are compared of two main

phases:
- First phase: BSC old triggers a set of events
with the purpose of establishing the future
communication path. Once this is done, this
phase terminates with the sending of HO
command to MS.
- Second phase: MS access the new channel.
This access triggers the switch of paths in the
infrastructure and the release of the old path.
The set –up of the new path 3-4-1
• Once the decision of the HO is taken by the
BSC old, it must be indicated to the
switching point

• The switching point must establish the

connection to the new BSC, allocate a
radio resource and provide all impact
machines with the information they need
for the HO and the future management of
the connection.
• This information includes:
– Transmission modes
– Cipher mode
– Identity of the origin cell (to decide whether
HO can be done sync. or async.)
– MS class mark (used for future management
of the connection)
• Once the BSC new is aware of these
information, it will be in a position to allocate a
new channel, build the ’HO CONNECT
MESSAGE’, transmit it to the switching point
which will convey it to the MS along the old
path
• The switching point could be:

– BSC old (BSCold = BSCnew – intra BSC HO)

– MSC old (BSCold ≠ BSCnew ,

MSCold = MSCnew)

– Anchor MSC (inter MSC HO)

 HO execution sequence
(successful alternative)
BSCol Swit.
MS BSCnew
point
d
a HO is Start of path
.req ..estab
Allocation
and activation
HO connect to .of radio chan
..MS

.end of path estab

and
BSCn HO connect
ew .to MS
. .Old path is releas
 Not successful alternative
• Its longest path is shown
.Anch No radio. resource.
MSC .available
MSC MSC
Old New HO
.Failure

BSC BSC
OLD new

• A new HO attempt toward another cell is

performed
 MS access and the 3-4-2
conclusion of the procedure
• Synchronous HO: MS sends a few access
bursts (HO access message), then starts
normal transmission by applying the computed
timing advance.

• Asynchronous HO: MS continue to send access

bursts until it has received a PHYSICAL
INFORMATION message from BTS new
conveying the actual timing advance to apply.
Then it starts normal transmission.
 Call Re- establishment (C.R) 3-5
• C.R. may be considered as a mobile station
triggered HO, but limited to the extreme case
of rescue HO when communication with the
current cell is lost ( due to brutal propagation
loss, obstacles such as bridges, tunnels…..)
• It is close to initial access (MS starts from
stratch). The difference comes from the
speed requirement: when a connection is lost,
a timer starts in the anchor MSC and at its
expiry everything related to the lost
connection is erased (total loss) .
• The first issue is to determine the new cell.
One of the neighboring with highest signal
strength.

• MS waits for the BCCH message, sends an

access request on the RACH.

• The initial message is an establishment

request. Its information is minimal (Sc identity
and class mark).

• The network finds out everything about the lost

connection
 RR Session Release 3-6
• When all needs for an RR-session have
disappeared: end of a location update, call
termination, a failure; the MS must go back
to the idle mode and the resources must
be released.

• This release mechanism is done through a so

called ‘ NORMAL RELEASE’ procedure.
(always triggered by an anchor MSC)
 BT BS Relay Anch.
MS
S C MSC MSC
Send end signal result

Clear Command

Channel release, link disconnection

Clear Complete
Disconnection

UA
Release indication

RF Channel release

.RF Channel release ack

 Load Management Procedure 3-7
• Few procedures in RR plane allow MSC and
BSC to deal with overload situations

• They include means to exchange

information between machines about the
current load situations. (and means to limit
the effect of the overload)

• Procedures dealing with load management

appear in two areas: common control
channels load and TCH load.
Load on Common Control Channels 3-7-1
• Some information concerning the load on the
RACH and on the PAGCH could be inferred by
(‫ )ﯾﺳﺗﻧﺗﺞ‬the BSC from the requests it sends to, or
receives from the BTS.
• CCCH INDICATION message enables the BTS to
send some information about the RACH and
PAGCH loads to the BSC.
• This message could be regularly sent or only when
the load on one of the channels is above some
threshold (operation subsystem set the conditions).
• The BSC may use this information to change the
RACH load control parameters included in the
BCCH
 Load on Traffic Channel 3-7-2
• Number of dedicated channels currently
allocated to a cell is known by the BSC.

• The information may be useful to the MSC to

balance the load between cells.

• By the RESOURCE INDICATION message the

number of TCH/F currently allocated are
indicated to the MSC as a response to a
RESOURCE REQUEST message.
• This message helps in supporting HO to
balance the traffic between cells.

• HANDOVER CANDIDATE (‫ )ﻣرﺷﺢ‬ENQUIRY

message: MSC indicates to the BSC that it
would be better for traffic balance to
handover a given number of connections
from one cell to other cells in a given list
 SACCH Procedures 3-8
• When the MS is in a dedicated mode it is
always allocated a bi-directional channel of
limited capacity (SACCH) in addition to the
main channel conveying the information.

• Short messages are sent on SACCH when the

main channel is a TCH/F (allows MS to either
send or receive SMS while engaged in a
communication on the main channel)
• Used in:
– Continuous monitoring of the connection:
PT power control , timing advance control,
and measurements reporting.
– Convey general information to the MS
such as:
•Parameters for monitoring the
measurement process (list of frequencies
to monitor)
•Requirements for the application of uplink
DTX
•Parameters for controlling the radio link
failure detection.
•Full cell identity
Contents of a SACCH block
L1 Message
header Message

Downlink System information or

SMS related message

Uplink Measurement report or

SMS related message
 General Information 3-9
Broadcasting
• Broadcasted regularly and covers items of
various nature which are cited here.

• BCCH is a low capacity channel able to

transmit 4 frames every 0.235 seconds. It is a
scarce resource ( ‫)ﻧﺎدر‬

• The repetition rate for the different information

items must be chosen as a trade off between
the use of the BCCH resource and the resulting
time for the MS to get access to the information
• Several messages are defined which
contain different contents and have
different periodicity:

– Cell selection or information

– Information for idle mode functions
– Information needed for access
– Information for MS in dedicated mode
– Cell identity