GSM/UMTS/EPS System Overview

Although 4G is now being deployed, GSM and UMTS are still the most widely deployed cellular telecommunications systems. The GSM / UMTS / EPS System Overview course provides an introduction to these topics and enables a good thorough introduction tom GSM / UMTS operation to be gained.

The GSM / UMTS / EPS System Overview course describes the evolution of cellular telecommunications from the circuit switched, voice centric GSM through the IP based GPRS system and the UMTS / W-CDMA schemes to the later all-IP architecture used in High Speed Packet Access, HSPA and finally Long Term Evolution, LTE the 3.9 and 4G system.

All the topics in the GSM / UMTS / EPS System Overview are presented in a comprehensive, easily understandable manner. Essential subsystems, nodes and protocols are described. Basic traffic cases are used to demonstrate the function and architecture of the different systems.

Pre-requisites:

Technical education and/or at least one year of technical telecom experience is advised to undertake the GSM / UMTS / EPS System Overview.

DAY 1 AND 2:

GSM System Overview

• GSM nodes and architecture

The GSM Radio Interface

• Time Division Multiple Access, TDMA concepts

• Time slots, frames as well as the GSM physical and logical channels

• GSM radio related issues and solutions

Cell Planning

• Cell types - macro, micro, pico – with relevant uses

• Coverage and capacity, the trade-off between the two

• Basic cell planning

Mobile Station and BSS (GERAN)

• Mobile Equipment, ME and Subscriber Identity Module, SIM

• Base Station System: BTS, base station transceiver, and BSC, base station controller

The Core Network

• GSM core network nodes and entities including: MSC, GMSC, VLR and HLR

• GSM core network and SS7 signalling

• GSM Split Architecture

Selected Traffic Cases

• Updating location data of mobile equipment

• Call setup for roaming and non-roaming scenario

• Pre-paid and CAMEL

• Short message service, SMS operation and data transfer

DAY 3:

IP Introduction

• Internet protocol IP networking principles

• Protocol stack for TCP/IP

GPRS System Overview

• GPRS network architecture and entities

• SGSN and GGSN

PDP Context Activation and Data Transfer

• GPRS (UMTS) Attach

• PDP Context Activation

• Tunnelling of user data

GPRS Radio Interface

• Radio resource sharing between GSM & GPRS

• GPRS radio interface protocols: SNDCP, LLC, RLC/MAC

Mobility Scenarios - Handover / Handoff

• PS Mobility principles

• Cell changes, i.e. handover

• Network Assisted Cell Change

• PS Handover

EDGE providing higher data rates

• 8QPSK modulation and new coding schemes

• Alignment of GPRS to UMTS

DAY 4 AND 5:

UMTS System Overview

• UMTS network architecture

• UTRAN introduction

W-CDMA

• DSSS, spreading codes and operation of CDMA within UMTS

Bearers and Quality of Service

• The Bearer concept

• General QoS parameters and PCC (Policy and Charging Control)

UTRAN Protocols and Channels

• Protocols: RRC, RLC, MAC, PHY

• Logical, Transport and Physical channels

Selected Traffic Cases

• Call setup (circuit switched)

• Web browsing (packet switched)

Interoperability UMTS /GSM

IMS – the IP Multimedia Subsystem

• IMS architecture and network entities

• The SIP protocol

HSPA – High Speed Packet Access

• UTRAN evolution for higher bitrates

EPS /LTE/4G

• E-UTRAN (LTE) and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC/SAE)

• EPS architecture

• OFDM basics

• Interworking scenarios between EPS and UMTS/GSM

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