COURSE # TOO-363

…beginning with the concepts of GSM and covering GSM system operation and the emerging 3G networks, the class offers a clear standards-based presentation emphasizing the protocols, signaling and system issues…

The growth of cellular services worldwide places significant demands on the technology to provide nearly wireline quality of services along with mobility, expanded coverage, capacity and new features. In many cases, the world of digital cellular continues to favor the GSM-based networks. The pre-1992 fragmented European cellular markets were served by incompatible analog systems (TACS, NMT, RC-2000, etc.) that limited the subscriber’s mobility at national borders, and threatened the viability of European economic unification. GSM was developed as a pan-European digital mobile telephony standard, and was placed in service in time to meet the growing demand for cellular services. Today, GSM provides reliable and ubiquitous mobile telephony and data services throughout the world, and is the basis for most 3G deployments and system upgrades.

The course is an intensive, system-oriented overview of GSM in all its deployments, which uses the radio interface signaling protocols to illustrate the system’s characteristics and operation. It is designed to prepare participants for further involvement with GPRS and UMTS networks and technologies. Concentration on the signaling aspects makes the system’s operation intuitive as it serves the needs of those who seek a strong standards orientation for the course. Additional material is included on GSM’s unique services and features such as SIMs and specific network aspects. During the course a special effort is made to bring order to the wide-ranging topics in GSM, and offer facilities for finding additional information in referenced professional work.

Applications and benefits:

• Role of GSM in mobile radio.
• Integration of the wireless and the fixed parts of GSM networks.
• Reasoning behind the specifications and protocols in GSM.
• Signaling and systems aspects of GSM.
• SIMs and international roaming.
• Upgrade options to 2.5G (GPRS/EDGE) and 3G (UMTS) services.

Who should attend:

This course offers an intensive protocol- and signaling-oriented overview of GSM, applicable to a wide range of wireless interests. It concentrates on the system aspects that, unless thoroughly understood, could impair efficient work anywhere in GSM and its 3G extensions. It offers a solid foundation for additional course work in GPRS/EDGE and WCDMA/UMTS. The course has been developed for project managers, system engineers, test engineers, performance engineers, technical marketing professionals, and all others responsible for product development, system operation and interoperability issues. The course makes extensive use of signaling and call processing scenarios, resulting in an intuitive understanding of actual system operation, while maintaining a strong standards orientation.

Although the course has no prerequisites and is specifically designed for a wide range of interests, it assumes general familiarity with telecommunications networks and technologies, cellular radio systems, and digital radio technologies. Those new to the industry and/or not yet familiar with telecommunications networks and wireless systems may find it useful to first attend OEI Course #TOO-319, Engineering Foundations of Cellular and PCS Communications Systems, which lays the foundation for the more advanced, standards-specific courses offered by OEI including TOO-363, as well as Course #TOO-368, GPRS and EDGE Systems Operation and Technology, and Course #TOO-378, WCDMA and UMTS Systems Operation and Technology.

Course Outline:

• The Origins, Justification and Evolution of GSM

  The role of GSM in the evolution of the mobile wireless networks

  GSM and the 3G initiatives: GPRS/EDGE and UMTS

  Documents and the 3GPP

• Services, Features, and Evolution

  GSM Phase 1

  GSM Phase 2

  GSM Phase 2+

• GSM Network Architecture

  Mobile Station Terminal Equipment

  SIM Card

  Base station - BTS, BSC, and BSS

  Mobile services switching center and gateways

  Network entities: OMC, HLR, VLR, EIR, and the Authentication Center

• Establishing and Maintaining a Call

  Registration

  Mobile Originated and Mobile Terminated calls

  Handovers

  Authentication

  Ciphering

• Layer 1 - Physical Layer

  Overview of Radio Access Techniques - FDMA, TDMA, SDMA, and CDMA

  Modulation Techniques - ASK, FSK, PSK, QPSK, and GMSK

  Duplex operations - FDD and TDD

  The radio channel

  Channel schemes

  Pulsed transmissions, the TDMA frame, and burst structures

  RF power levels and timing advance

  Logical channels and channel combinations

  Frequency hopping

• Examples of Mobile Station Behavior

  Synchronization

  Location updating

  Call establishment

• Speech and Channel Coding in GSM

  FR, EFR, and TRAU frames

  DTX - Discontinuous Transmission

  Reordering

  Channel rates and data rates

• Layer 2 - Data Link Layer

  Purpose

  Frame formats

  Fields and parameters

• Layer 3 - Network Layer

  Purpose

  Sublayers - MM, RR, and CM

  Message structure and elements

  GSM signaling architecture

• Migration to 3G

  GPRS and EDGE

  UMTS and WCDMA

Text: An Introduction to GSM, by Siegmund Redl, Matthias Weber, and Malcolm Oliphant.

Malcolm has more than 30 years of experience with mobile radio systems and the evolving standards. He has co-authored three popular books on wireless subjects: An Introduction to GSM, GSM and Personal Communications Handbook, and The Future of Wireless Communications. Mr. Oliphant received his B.A., Summa Cum Laude, from Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Course: TOO-363        Duration: 3 Days        FEE:  $1,399        CEUs: 2.16

Please direct any additional inquiries regarding this course to Anita Hellstrom, Program Coordinator, by e-mail, FAX: (636) 273-4955 or TELEPHONE: (636) 273-9608.

Call toll free 1-800-683-7267 from anywhere in the Continental U.S. or CANADA.

Last modified June 25, 2004.