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Seminar Report ’03 Migration from GSM network to GPRS
1. INTRODUCTION
The General Packet Radio System (GPRS) is a new service that
provides actual packet radio access for mobile Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) and Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) users. The
main benefits of GPRS are that it reserves radio resources only when there is
data to send and it reduces reliance on traditional circuit-switched network
elements. The increased functionality of GPRS will decrease the incremental
cost to provide data services, an occurrence that will, in turn, increase the
penetration of data services among consumer and business users. In addition,
GPRS will allow improved quality of data services as measured in terms of
reliability, response time, and features supported. The unique applications that
will be developed with GPRS will appeal to a broad base of mobile subscribers
and allow operators to differentiate their services. These new services will
increase capacity requirements on the radio and base-station subsystem
resources. One method GPRS uses to alleviate the capacity impacts is sharing
the same radio resource among all mobile stations in a cell, providing effective
use of the scarce resources. In addition, new core network elements will be
deployed to support the high burst ness of data services more efficiently.
The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a new non voice value
added service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile
telephone network. It supplements today's Circuit Switched Data and Short
Message Service. GPRS is NOT related to GPS (the Global Positioning
System), a similar acronym that is often used in mobile contexts.
In addition to providing new services for today's mobile user, GPRS is
important as a migration step toward third-generation (3G) networks. GPRS will
allow network operators to implement a IP-based core architecture for data
applications, which will continue to be used and expanded upon for 3G services
for integrated voice and data applications. In addition, GPRS will prove a testing
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and development area for new services and applications, which will also be
used in the development of 3G services.
In addition to the GPRS timeline, it is necessary to investigate the 3G
deployment timeline. Because many GPRS operators are either planning to
deploy or are investigating 3G, GPRS can be seen as a migration step toward
3G. Several proof-of-concept type trials are currently under way, and these
trials will lead to more technical- and application-oriented trials in early 2001. As
with GPRS, terminal and infrastructure availability are driving factors. In
addition, completion of the licensing process is a necessary step for commercial
deployment.
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2. GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION
(GSM)
Global system for mobile(GSM) is a second generation cellular system
standard that was developed to solve the fragmentation problems of the first
cellular systems in Europe’s is the world’s first cellular system to specify the
digital modulation and network level architecture and services. Before GSM,
European countries used different cellular standards throughout the continent,
and it was not possible for customer to use a single subscriber unit throughout
Europe. GSM’s success has exceeded the expectations of virtually everyone,
and it is now the world’s most popular standard for new cellular radio and
personal communication equipment throughout the world.
A variety of data service is offered by GSM. GSM users can send and
receive data, at rates up to 9600 bps. A unique feature of GSM is short
message services (SMS). SMS is bidirectional service for alphanumeric (up to
160 bytes) messages. The access method chosen by GSM is combination of
time and frequency division multiple access (TDMA/FDMA).The FDMA part
involves the division by frequency of the (maximum) 25 MHz bandwidth of 124
carrier frequencies spaced 200KHz apart. One or more carrier assigned to each
base station .each of this frequency is then divided in time, using a TDMA
scheme. Eight burst periods are grouped into TDMA frames, which form the
basic unit for definition of logical channels. The type of switching used in GSM
network is circuit switching.
GSM was first introduced in European market in 1991. By the end of
1993, several Non-European countries in North America, Asia and Australia had
adopted GSM and the technically equivalent offshoot, DCS 1800, which
supports personal communication Services (PCS) in the 1.8Ghz to 2Ghz radio
bands recently created by governments throughout the world.
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3. FEATURES OF GPRS
3.1 Key user features of GPRS
GPRS has several unique features which can be summarized as:
3.1.1 Speed
Theoretical maximum speeds of up to 171.2 kilobits per second (kbps)
are achievable with GPRS using all eight timeslots at the same time. This is
about three times as fast as the data transmission speeds possible over today's
fixed telecommunications networks and ten times as fast as current Circuit
Switched Data services on GSM networks. By allowing information to be
transmitted more quickly, immediately and efficiently across the mobile network,
GPRS may well be a relatively less costly mobile data service compared to
SMS and Circuit Switched Data.
3.1.2 Immediacy
GPRS facilitates instant connections whereby information can be sent or
received immediately as the need arises, subject to radio coverage. No dial-up
modem connection is necessary. This is why GPRS users are sometimes
referred to be as being "always connected". Immediacy is one of the
advantages of GPRS (and SMS) when compared to Circuit Switched Data. High
immediacy is a very important feature for time critical applications such as
remote credit card authorization where it would be unacceptable to keep the
customer waiting for even thirty extra seconds.
3.1.3 New and better application
GPRS facilitates several new applications that have not previously been
available over GSM networks due to the limitations in speed of Circuit Switched
Data (9.6 kbps) and message length of the Short Message Service (160
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characters). GPRS will fully enable the Internet applications you are used to on
your desktop from web browsing to chat over the mobile network..
3.1.4 Service access
To use GPRS, users specifically need:
A mobile phone or terminal that supports GPRS (existing GSM phones
do not support GPRS)
A subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports GPRS
Use of GPRS must be enabled for that user. Automatic access to the
GPRS may be allowed by some mobile network operators.
Knowledge of how to send and/ or receive GPRS information using their
specific model of configuration (this creates a customer service
requirement)
A destination to send or receive information through GPRS. Whereas
with SMS this was often another mobile phone, in the case of GPRS, it is
likely to be an Internet address, since GPRS is designed to make the
Internet fully available to mobile users for the first time.
Having looked at the key user features of GPRS, let’s look at the key
features from a network operator perspective.
3.2 Key Network Features of GPRS
3.2.1 Packet switching
GPRS involves overlaying a packet based air interface on the existing
circuit switched GSM network. This gives the user an option to use a packet-
based data service. To supplement circuit switched network architecture with
packet switching is quite a major upgrade. However, as we shall see later, the
GPRS standard is delivered in a very elegant manner- with network operators
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needing only to add a couple of new infrastructure nodes and making a
software upgrade to some existing network elements.
With GPRS, the information is split into separate but related "packets"
before being transmitted and reassembled at the receiving end. Packet
switching is similar to a jigsaw puzzle- the image that the puzzle represents is
divided into pieces at the manufacturing factory and put into a plastic bag.
During transportation of the now boxed jigsaw from the factory to the end user,
the pieces get jumbled up. When the recipient empties the bag with all the
pieces, they are reassembled to form the original image. All the pieces are all
related and fit together, but the way they are transported and assembled varies.
The Internet itself is another example of a packet data network, the most
famous of many such network types.
3.2.2 Spectrum efficiencyPacket switching means that GPRS radio resources are used only when
users are actually sending or receiving data. Rather than dedicating a radio
channel to a mobile data user for a fixed period of time, the available radio
resource can be concurrently shared between several users. This efficient use
of scarce radio resources means that large numbers of GPRS users can
potentially share the same bandwidth and be served from a single cell. The
actual number of users supported depends on the application being used and
how much data is being transferred. Because of the spectrum efficiency of
GPRS, there is less need to build in idle capacity that is only used in peak
hours. GPRS therefore lets network operators maximize the use of their
network resources in a dynamic and flexible way, along with user access to
resources and revenues.
3.2.3 Internet aware
For the first time, GPRS fully enables Mobile Internet functionality by
allowing networking between the existing Internet and the new GPRS network.
Any service that is used over the fixed Internet today- File Transfer Protocol
(FTP), web browsing, chat, email, telnet- will be as available over the mobile
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network because of GPRS. In fact, many network operators are considering the
opportunity to use GPRS to help become wireless Internet Service Providers in
their own right.
The World Wide Web is becoming the primary communications interface-
people access the Internet for entertainment and information collection, the
intranet for accessing company information and connecting with colleagues and
the extranet for accessing customers and suppliers. These are all derivatives of
the World Wide Web aimed at connecting different communities of interest..
Hence, web browsing is a very important application for GPRS.
Because it uses the same protocols, the GPRS network can be viewed
as a sub-network of the Internet with GPRS capable mobile phones being
viewed as mobile hosts. This means that each GPRS terminal can potentially
have its own IP address and will be addressable as such.
3.2.4 Supports TDMA and GPRS
It should be noted right that the General Packet Radio Service is not only
a service designed to be deployed on mobile networks that are based on the
GSM digital mobile phone standard. The IS-136 Time Division Multiple Access
(TDMA) standard, popular in North and South America, will also support GPRS.
This follows an agreement to follow the same evolution path towards third
generation mobile phone networks concluded in early 1999 by the industry
associations that support these two network types.
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4. GPRS TERMINALS
A complete understanding of the application availability and GPRS
timeline requires understanding of terminal types and availability. The term
"terminal equipment" is generally used to refer to the variety of mobile phones
and mobile stations that can be used in a GPRS environment; the equipment is
defined by terminal classes and types.
4.1 GPRS Terminal Classes
A GPRS terminal can be one of three classes: A, B, or C. A Class A
terminal supports GPRS and other GSM services (such as SMS and voice)
simultaneously. This support includes simultaneous attach, activation, monitor,
and traffic. As such, a Class A terminal can make or receive calls on two
services simultaneously. In the presence of circuit-switched services, GPRS
virtual circuits will be held or placed on busy rather than being cleared.
A Class B terminal can monitor GSM and GPRS channels
simultaneously, but can support only one of these services at a time. Therefore,
a Class B terminal can support simultaneous attach, activation, and monitor, but
not simultaneous traffic. As with Class A, the GPRS virtual circuits will not be
closed down when circuit-switched traffic is present. Instead, they will be
switched to busy or held mode. Thus, users can make or receive calls on either
a packet or a switched call type sequentially, but not simultaneously.
A Class C terminal supports only nonsimultaneous attach. The user must
select which service to connect to. Therefore, a Class C terminal can make or
receive calls from only the manually (or default) selected service. The service
that is not selected is not reachable. Finally, the GPRS specifications state that
support of SMS is optional for Class C terminals.
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5. GPRS ARCHITECTURE
From a high level, GPRS can be thought of as an overlay network onto a
second-generation GSM network. This data overlay network provides packet
data transport at rates from 9.6 to 171 kbps. Additionally, multiple users can
share the same air-interface resources.
GPRS attempts to reuse the existing GSM network elements as much as
possible, but in order to effectively build a packet-based mobile cellular network,
some new network elements, interfaces, and protocols that handle packet traffic
are required. Therefore, GPRS requires modifications to numerous network
elements, as summarized in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 5.1.
Table 5.1: Modifications Required for GPRS
GSM
Network
Element
Modification or Upgrade Required for GPRS
Subscriber
Terminal (TE)
A totally new subscriber terminal is required to access GPRS
services. These new terminals will be backward compatible with
GSM for voice calls.
BTS A software upgrade is required in the existing base transceiver
site (BTS).
BSC The base station controller (BSC) will also require a software
upgrade, as well as the installation of a new piece of hardware
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called a packet control unit (PCU). The PCU directs the data
traffic to the GPRS network and can be a separate hardware
element associated with the BSC.
Core Network The deployment of GPRS requires the installation of new core
network elements called the Serving GPRS Support Node
(SGSN) and Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN).
Databases All the databases involved in the network will require software
upgrades to handle the new call models and functions
introduced by GPRS.
5.1. GPRS Reference Architecture
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Figure 5.1: Generic GPRS Network Architecture
Seminar Report ’03 Migration from GSM network to GPRS
5.1.1 GPRS Subscriber Terminals
New terminals (TEs) are required because existing GSM phones do not
handle the enhanced air interface, nor do they have the ability to packetize
traffic directly. A variety of terminals will exist, as described in a previous
section, including a high-speed version of current phones to support high-speed
data access, a new kind of PDA device with an embedded GSM phone, and PC
Cards for laptop computers. All these TEs will be backward compatible with
GSM for making voice calls using GSM.
5.1.2 GPRS BSS
Each BSC will require the installation of one or more PCUs and a
software upgrade. The PCU provides a physical and logical data interface out of
the base station system (BSS) for packet data traffic. The BTS may also require
a software upgrade, but typically will not require hardware enhancements.
When either voice or data traffic is originated at the subscriber terminal, it
is transported over the air interface to the BTS, and from the BTS to the BSC in
the same way as a standard GSM call. However, at the output of the BSC the
traffic is separated; voice is sent to the mobile switching center (MSC) per
standard GSM, and data is sent to a new device called the SGSN, via the PCU
over a Frame Relay interface.
5.1.3 GPRS Network
In the core network, the existing MSCs are based upon circuit-switched
central-office technology, and they cannot handle packet traffic. Thus two new
components, called GPRS Support Nodes, are added:
Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)
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Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
The SGSN can be viewed as a "packet-switched MSC;" it delivers
packets to mobile stations (MSs) within its service area. SGSNs send queries to
home location registers (HLRs) to obtain profile data of GPRS subscribers.
SGSNs detect new GPRS MSs in a given service area, process registration of
new mobile subscribers, and keep a record of their location inside a given area.
Therefore, the SGSN performs mobility management functions such as mobile
subscriber attach/detach and location management. The SGSN is connected to
the base-station subsystem via a Frame Relay connection to the PCU in the
BSC.
GGSNs are used as interfaces to external IP networks such as the public
Internet, other mobile service providers' GPRS services, or enterprise intranets.
GGSNs maintain routing information that is necessary to tunnel the protocol
data units (PDUs) to the SGSNs that service particular MSs. Other functions
include network and subscriber screening and address mapping. One (or more)
GGSNs may be provided to support multiple SGSNs. More detailed technical
descriptions of the SGSN and GGSN are provided in a later section.
5.1.4 GPRS Mobility Management
Mobility management within GPRS builds on the mechanisms used in
GSM networks; as a MS moves from one area to another, mobility management
functions are used to track its location within each mobile network. The SGSNs
communicate with each other and update the user location. The MS profiles are
preserved in the visitor location registers (VLRs) that are accessible by the
SGSNs via the local GSM MSC. A logical link is established and maintained
between the MS and the SGSN in each mobile network. At the end of
transmission or when a MS moves out of the area of a specific SGSN, the
logical link is released and the resources associated with it can be reallocated.
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6. GPRS APPLICATIONS
GPRS will enable a variety of new and unique services to the mobile
wireless subscriber. These mobile applications contain several unique
characteristics that enhance the value to the customers. First among them is
mobility—the ability to maintain constant voice and data communications while
on the move. Second is immediacy, which allows subscribers to obtain
connectivity when needed, regardless of location and without a lengthy login
session. Finally, localization allows subscribers to obtain information relevant to
their current location. The combination of these characteristics provides a wide
spectrum of possible applications that can be offered to mobile subscribers. In
general, applications can be separated into two high-level categories: corporate
and consumer. These include:
Communications—E-mail; fax; unified messaging; intranet/Internet access
Value-added services (VAS)—Information services; games
E-commerce—Retail; ticket purchasing; banking; financial trading
Location-based applications—Navigation; traffic conditions; airline/rail
schedules; location finder
Vertical applications—Freight delivery; fleet management; sales-force
automation
6.1 Communications
Communications applications include all those in which it appears to the
users that they are using the mobile communications network purely as a pipe
to access messages or information. This differs from those applications in which
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users believe that they are accessing a service provided or forwarded by the
network operator.
6.1.1 Intranet Access
The first stage of enabling users to maintain contact with their office is
through access to e-mail, fax, and voice mail using unified messaging systems.
Increasingly, files and data on corporate networks are becoming accessible
through corporate intranets that can be protected through firewalls, by enabling
secure tunnels (virtual private networks [VPNs]).
6.1.2 Internet Access
As a critical mass of users is approached, more and more applications
aimed at general consumers are being placed on the Internet. The Internet is
becoming an invaluable tool for accessing corporate data as well as for the
provision of product and service information. More recently, companies have
begun using the Internet as an environment for carrying out business,
through e-commerce.
6.1.3 E-Mail and Fax
E-mail on mobile networks may take one of two forms. It is possible for e-
mail to be sent to a mobile user directly, or users can have an e-mail account
maintained by their network operator or their Internet service provider (ISP). In
the latter case, a notification will be forwarded to their mobile terminal; the
notification will include the first few lines of the e-mail as well as details of the
sender, the date/time, and the subject. Fax attachments can also accompany e-
mails.
6.1.4 Unified Messaging
Unified messaging uses a single mailbox for all messages, including
voice mail, faxes, e-mail, short message service (SMS), and pager messages.
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With the various mailboxes in one place, unified messaging systems then allow
for a variety of access methods to recover messages of different types. Some
will use text-to-voice systems to read e-mail and, less commonly, faxes over a
normal phone line, while most will allow the interrogation of the contents of the
various mailboxes through data access, such as the Internet. Others may be
configured to alert the user on the terminal type of their choice when messages
are received.
6.1.5 Textual and visual information
A wide range of content can be delivered to mobile phone users ranging
from share prices, sports scores, weather, flight information, news headlines,
prayer reminders, lottery results, jokes, horoscopes, traffic, location sensitive
services and so on. This information need not necessarily be textual- it may be
maps or graphs or other types of visual information.
The length of a short message of 160 characters suffices for delivering
information when it is quantitative- such as a share price or a sports score or
temperature. When the information is of a qualitative nature however, such as a
horoscope or news story, 160 characters is too short other than to tantalize or
annoy the information recipient since they receive the headline or forecast but
little else of substance. As such, GPRS will likely be used for qualitative
information services when end users have GPRS capable devices, but SMS will
continue to be used for delivering most quantitative information services.
Interestingly, chat applications are a form of qualitative information that may
remain delivered using SMS, in order to limit people to brevity and reduce the
incidence of spurious and irrelevant posts to the mailing list that are a common
occurrence on Internet chat groups.
6.1.6 Still images
Still images such as photographs, pictures, postcards, greeting cards
and presentations, static web pages can be sent and received over the mobile
network as they are across fixed telephone networks. It will be possible with
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GPRS to post images from a digital camera connected to a GPRS radio device
directly to an Internet site, allowing near real-time desktop publishing.
6.1.7 Moving images
Over time, the nature and form of mobile communication is getting less
textual and more visual. The wireless industry is moving from text messages to
icons and picture messages to photographs and blueprints to video messages
and movie previews being downloaded and on to full blown movie watching via
data streaming on a mobile device.
Sending moving images in a mobile environment has several vertical
market applications including monitoring parking lots or building sites for
intruders or thieves, and sending images of patients from an ambulance to a
hospital. Video-conferencing applications, in travel agent to make a decision.
Anywhere somebody can benefit from having and being able to comment on a
visual depiction of a situation or matter, such collaborative working can be
useful. By providing sufficient bandwidth, GPRS facilitates multimedia
applications such as document sharing.
6.1.8 Home automation
Home automation applications combine remote security with remote
control. Basically, you can monitor your home from wherever you are- on the
road, on holiday, or at the office. If your burglar alarm goes off, not only do you
get alerted, but you get to go live and see who are perpetrators are and perhaps
even lock them in. Not only can you see things at home, but you can do things
too. You can program your video, switch your oven on so that the preheating is
complete by the time you arrive home (traffic jams permitting) and so on. Your
GPRS capable mobile phone really does become like the remote control
devices we use today for our television, video, hi-fi and so on. As the Internet
Protocol (IP) will soon be everywhere- not just in mobile phones because of
GPRS but all manner of household appliances and in every machine- these
devices can be addressed and instructed. A key enabler for home automation
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applications will be Bluetoc which allows disparate devices to interwork. In
addition, GPRS will prove a testing and development area for new services and
applications, which will also be used in the development of 3G services.
In addition to the GPRS timeline, it is necessary to investigate the 3G
deployment timeline. Because many GPRS operators are either planning to
deploy or are investigating 3G, GPRS can be seen as a migration step toward
3G. Several proof-of-concept type trials are currently under way, and these
trials will lead to more technical- and application-oriented trials in early 2001. As
with GPRS, terminal and infrastructure availability are driving factors. In
addition, completion of the licensing process is a necessary step for commercial
deployment. These factors are illustrated in Figure 4.
6.1.9 Remote LAN access
When mobile workers are away from their desks, they clearly need to
connect to the Local Area Network in their office. Remote LAN applications
encompasses access to any applications that an employee would use when
sitting at their desk, such as access to the intranet, their corporate email
services such as Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes and to database
applications running on Oracle or Sybase or whatever. The mobile terminal
such as handheld or laptop computer has the same software programs as the
desktop on it, or cut down client versions of the applications accessible
through the corporate LAN. This application area is therefore likely to be a
conglomeration of remote access to several different information types- email,
intranet, and databases. This information may all be accessible through web
browsing tools, or require proprietary software applications on the mobile
device. The ideal bearer for Remote LAN Access depends on the amount of
data being transmitted, but the speed and latency of GPRS make it ideal.
6.2 Value-Added Services
Value-added services refer strictly to content provided by network
operators to increase the value of their service to their subscribers. Two terms
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that are frequently used with respect to the delivery of data applications are
push and pull, as defined below.
Push refers to the transmission of data at a predetermined time, or under
predetermined conditions. It could also apply to the unsolicited supply of
advertising (for example, delivery of news as it occurs, or stock values when
they fall below a preset value).
Pull refers to the demanding of data in real time by the user (for
example, requesting stock quotes or daily news headlines). To be valuable to
subscribers, this content must posses several characteristics:
Personalized information is tailored to user-specific needs with relevant
information. A stock ticker, focusing on key quotes and news, or an e-
commerce application that knows a user's profile are two examples of
personalized information. Localized content is based on a user's current
location; it can include maps, hotel finders, or restaurant reviews.
Convenience suggests that the user interface and menu screens are
intuitive and easy to navigate. Trust pertains primarily to e-commerce sites
where the exchange of financial or other personal information is required.
Several value-added services are outlined in the following sections.
6.2.1 E-Commerce
E-commerce is defined as the carrying out of business on the Internet or
data service. This would include only those applications where a contract is
established over the data connection, such as for the purchase of goods, or
services, as well as online banking applications because of the similar
requirements of user authentication and secure transmission of sensitive data.
6.2.2 Banking
The popularity among banks of encouraging electronic banking comes
from the comparable costs of making transactions in person in a bank to making
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them electronically. Specific banking functions that can be accomplished over a
wireless connection include: balance checking, moving money between
accounts, bill payment, and overdraft alert.
6.2.3 Financial Trading
The immediacy with which transactions can be made using the Internet
and the requirement for up-to-the-minute information has made the purchasing
of stocks a popular application. By providing push services such as those
detailed in the VAS section earlier and coupling these with the ability to make
secure transactions from the mobile terminal, a very valuable service unique to
the mobile environment can be provided.
6.3 Location-Based Services and Telemetric
Location-based services provide the ability to link push or pull information
services with a user's location. Examples include hotel and restaurant finders,
roadside assistance, and city-specific news and information. This technology
also has vertical applications such as workforce management and vehicle
tracking.
6.3.1 Vehicle positioning
This application integrates satellite positioning systems that tell people
where they are with nonvoice mobile services that let people tell others where
they are. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a free-to-use global network
of 24 satellites run by the US Department of Defense. Anyone with a GPS
receiver can receive their satellite position and thereby find out where they are.
Vehicle positioning applications can be used to deliver several services
including remote vehicle diagnostics, ad-hoc stolen vehicle tracking and new
rental car fleet tariffs.
The Short Message Service is ideal for sending Global Positioning System
(GPS) position information such as longitude, latitude, bearing and altitude.
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GPS coordinates are typically about 60 characters in length. GPRS could
alternatively be used.
6.4 Vertical Applications
In the mobile environment, vertical applications apply to systems utilizing
mobile architectures to support the carrying out of specific tasks within the value
chain of a company, as opposed to applications that are then being offered for
sale to a consumer. Examples of vertical applications include:
Sales support—Provision of stock and product information for sales staff, as
well as integration of their use of appointment details and the remote placing of
orders
Dispatching—Communication of job details such as location and scheduling;
permitting interrogation of information to support the job
Fleet management—Control of a fleet of delivery or service staff, monitoring
their locations and scheduling work
Parcel delivery—Tracking the locations of packages for feedback to customers
and performance monitoring
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7. CONCLUSION
The General Packet Radio System (GPRS) is a new service that
provides actual packet radio access for mobile Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) and time-division multiple access (TDMA) users. These
new services will increase capacity requirements on the radio and base-station
subsystem resources
GPRS will provide a massive boost to mobile data usage and usefulness.
That much seems assured from its flexible feature set, its latency and efficiency
and speed. The only question is how soon it takes off in earnest and how to
ensure that the technical and commercial features do not hinder its widespread
use.
Dept. of IT MESCE, Kuttippuram21
Seminar Report ’03 Migration from GSM network to GPRS
8. REFERENCES
[1] G. Brasche and B. Walke. “Concepts, services, and protocols of the new
GSM phase 2+ General Packet Radio Service”, IEEE Communications
Magazine, Vol 35, August 1999. pp 94-104.
[2] J. Cai and D. Goodman. “General packet radio service in GSM”, IEEE
Communications Magazine, Vol 37:, October 1999. pp 122-131.
[3] Dr.Kamilofeher, “Wireless Digital communication”, Prentice Hall of
India, 4th edition, May 2002, pp 102-108.
[4] WWW.GSMWORLD.COM
[5] WWW.WIPRO.COM
Dept. of IT MESCE, Kuttippuram22
Seminar Report ’03 Migration from GSM network to GPRS
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Global system for mobile communication (GSM)
3. Features of GPRS
4. GPRS Terminals
5. GPRS Architecture
6. GPRS Applications
7. Conclusion
8. References
Dept. of IT MESCE, Kuttippuram23
Seminar Report ’03 Migration from GSM network to GPRS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Agnisarman Namboodiri,
Head of Department of Information Technology and Computer
Science, for his guidance and support to shape this paper in a
systematic way.
I am also greatly indebted to Mr. Saheer H.B. and Ms. S.S.
Deepa, Department of IT for their valuable suggestions in the
preparation of the paper.
In addition I would like to thank all staff members of IT
department and all my friends of S7 IT for their suggestions and
constrictive criticism.
Fazil.P.M
Dept. of IT MESCE, Kuttippuram24
Seminar Report ’03 Migration from GSM network to GPRS
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to understand the architecture of the GPRS
and focus primarily on the issue come up while migrating from existing
GSM network to that of GPRS.The migration path from GSM to GPRS
requires additional packet switching nodes, software upgrades in the
base station subsystem. The existing GSM nodes to upgrade with GPRS
functionally, command data service to provide for this GPRS operation
need to deploy other elements access serves and firewalls
The general packet radio system is a new non-voice value added
service allows information to be sent and received across mobile
telephone networks .it supplements today’s circuit switched data and
short message service.
With the growing data traffic internet world today, the need often
look better methodologies to meet the upcoming demand of internet user
has become inevitable GPRS has evolved the mobile user by enabling
them to access the internet would incessantly.
It would a GPRS uses a packet-mode technique to transfer high-
speed and low-speed data and signaling in an efficient manner over GSM
radio networks. GPRS optimizes the use of network resources and radio
resources. Strict separation between the radio subsystem and network
subsystem is maintained, allowing the network subsystem to be reused
with other radio access technologies. GPRS does not mandate changes
to an installed MSC base also provide a massive boost to the mobile data
communication.
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