Wireless Networks

1. Wireless Networks • Cellular and land line telephone systems are responsible for providing coverage throughout a particular territory, called a coverage region or market • The interconnection of many such systems defines a wireless network over a country or continent

2. Types of Networks

3. Interconnection of networks PSTN MobileSwitching Center (MSC) Voice and Data Links Radio Link BS1 BS2

4. Functions of PSTN • Highly integrated communications network that connects almost all of of world’s population • Each country is responsible for the regulation of PSTN within it’s borders. Over time, government to private transition takes place. • PSTN has a network of fixed telephone exchanges • Over time, transition has occurred from manual to automatic exchanges

5. History of PSTN network • Controlled by long distance companies like AT&T, Sprint etc. • 1984 – Supreme Court issues Modified Final Judgement (MFJ) • Break up of AT&T into 7 major Bell operating systems (BOCs) each with its own service region.

6. PSTN Exchange system City Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) City Inter Exchange Carriers (IXC) City Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) Local Exchange Carrier (LEC)

7. Local PSTN telephone network IXCA PBX Other CO.s Tandem Switch Central Office (CO) Home IXCC IXCB

8. Wireless Networks • Wireless Networks are extremely complex, unlike static local, fixed telephone networks. • Wireless networks requires air interface between base stations and randomly spaced subscribers • Complex propagation media • MSC must eventually provide connection to PSTN and other MSCs

9. Schematic of Wireless Network SS7 BS BS MSC-1 (Home MSC) MSC-2 (Visitor MSC) PSTN HLR VLR AUC HLR VLR AUC

10. Wireless network comparison First, second and third generations • Modulation techniques (Analog, Digital, Spread Spectrum) • Switching (channel) techniques (Circuit switching, packet switching) • Signaling (control) techniques (in-band, CCS) • Practical systems (USDC, GSM, CDMA) • Network capabilities

11. First Generation Networks • Analog Technology -FM modulation • AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Services) – in U.S. • Mobile Terminals • Base Stations • MSCs • PSTN is separate network from the signalling network

12. Functions of MSC • Provides overall System control for each region • Maintains mobile related information and handoff control • Performs all call processing; billing; fraud detection within the market

13. Wireless component linkages • Base station to Mobile user : Analog speech, low rate data • Data transmission between BS – user • RVC RCC • FVC FCC • Base station - MSC: 9600 B/S Data Link • MSC - PSTN Landline Trunked lines and Tandem Switch

14. IS-41 Network Protocol • Network protocol standard to allow automatic registration of roamers – inter-operator roaming • Allow MSCs of different service providers to pass information about subscribers to other MSCs on demand • HLR – Home Location Register – real time user list • VLR – Visitor Location Register • AUC – Authentication Center

15. Roaming process • Mobile periodically keys up and transmits its identity information which allows MSC to constantly update it’s customer list. • The registration command is sent in over control channels at 5-10 minute intervals -MIN – Mobile Identification Number (Telephone No.) • ESN – Electronic Serial Number

16. Registration • By comparing MIN of roaming subscriber with HLR database, the MSC identifies roamers • MSC sends registration request over landline signaling network to subscriber’s home MSC • Home MSC validates roamer’s MIN and ESN and returns a customer profile to visited MSC • Home and visitor MSC update their HLR and VLR • The roamer is then registered in the visited MSC.

17. SS7 (Signaling System 7) Process • Switch controlled services for users • Call return, call formatting, repeat dialing, call block, call tracing, caller ID • 800 Series - Toll free access to calling party –paid by service subscriber • Alternated Billing Service and line information database (ADB/LIDB) • Enables calling party to bill a call to a personal number (third party number, calling card or collect call) from any number

18. Functioning Of SS7 • MSC controls the switching and billing functions and interacts with PSTN to transfer between global grid and its cluster of base stations • MSC uses the SS7 signaling network for location validation and call delivery to its users which are roaming and relies on several information databases

19. Switching in Networks • First generation Circuit Switching • MSC dedicates a voice channel connection between base station and PSTN for duration of cell phone call • As calls are initiated and completed, different radio circuits and dedicated PSTN voice circuits are switched in and out to handle traffic

20. Properties of circuit switching • Wireless data networks are not well supported by circuit switching, due to their short, bursty transmissions => often, time required to establish a circuit exceeds the duration of data transmission. • Circuit switching is best suited for dedicated voice-only traffic, or for instances where data is continuously sent over long periods of time.

21. Second Generation Wireless Networks • Employ digital modulation and have advanced call processing capabilities. • Examples: • Global system for Mobile (GSM) • DECT (Digital European Cordless Telephone) • Cordless Telephone (CT2) -British system • JDC – Japanese Digital Cellular system

22. Packet Switching network • Second generation switching network • Packet Switching (or virtual switching) implements connectionless services for large number of data users, who remain virtually connected • Packet switching breaks each message into smaller units for transmission and recovery • When a message is broken into packets, control information is added to each packet to provide source/ destination information and identification.

23. Packet Structure • Header – contains source address, destination address, packet sequence number, and other routing and billing information • Trailer - contains cyclic redundancy checksum which is used for error detection at receiver Header User Data Trailer

24. Packet Switching properties • Packet switching is also called Packet Radio (PR) when used by a wireless link • Provides excellent channel efficiency for data transmission, since the channel is utilized only when sending or receiving bursts of information • X25 is widely used packet radio protocol – developed by CCITT (ITU-T) International Telecommunication Union.

25. Second Generation Wireless Networks… • New network architectures that reduce burden of MSC - BSC (base station controller) inserted between several base stations and MSC • All systems are digital voice coding and employ digital modulation • Systems employ common channel signaling for simultaneous voice and control information

26. Advances in Second Generation Networks • While 1st generation systems were primarily designed for voice, second generation networks provide paging, facsimile and high –data rate network access • Handoff is mobile-controlled-MAHO(Mobile assisted Handoff) • The mobile units in this generation perform functions like received power reporting, adjacent base station scanning, data encoding

27. Common Channel Signaling (CCS) • Second generation signaling network • Digital Technique that provides simultaneous transmission of user data, signaling data and other related traffic through a network. [Mobile <> BS <> MSC <>MSC ] • Uses out of band signaling channels which separate the network data from the user (voice or data) on the same channel or using TDM.

28. Advantages of CCS • Advantage – high speed signaling (50kbps –Mbps) is not limited by low speed voice data (20bps –20kbps) • Substantial increase in the number of users

29. CCS network structure STPs SMS SS7 SS7 MSC SEPs STPs

30. CCS network components • CCS network architecture is composed of geographically distributed central switching offices. • Service Management system (SMS) • Switching end points (SEPs) • Signaling transfer points(STPs) • Database service management system(DBAS)

31. Third Generation Wireless Networks • Aim is to provide a single set of standards that can meet a wide range of wireless applications, and provide universal access around the globe => voice, data and video

32. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) • Parallel worldwide network for CCS signaling traffic that can be used to either route traffic on PSTN or provide new services between network nodes and end users • ISDN has 2 types of channels: • Information bearing channels called Bearer channels (B channels) –64kbps • Out of band signaling channels, called data channels (D channels)

33. Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN) • End user applications require greater bandwidth for computer systems and video imaging • Based on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology which allows packet switching – 100 Gbps

34. Future Wireless Networks • Based on B-ISDN to provide access to information networks such as Internet and other public and private databases • PCS - Personal Communication System • PCN - Personal Communication Network • International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT –2000) • Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS)- Europe