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3. INTRODUCTION
In the past few years, fixed networks have witnessed a great growth in data traffic due to increasing popularity of the Internet. Consequently new data applications are creating and are reaching the general public. At the same time the market is witnessing a wonderful explosion of cellular and mobile technologies leading to demand that data applications become available to mobile users.

3.1 Basic terms of Data Communications [7]

Before examining GPRS technology in detail, lets review some basic terms of data communications. Data communication applications generally are divided into two categories: Real time applications involve small data transactions such as sending or receiving a quick e-mail, performing a financial transaction, getting a sports or news update from the web, or chatting on line. Data access applications are bulkier and involve sending or receiving large amounts of data. Examples are downloading web pages and files from the Internet or transferring large files to other users. Two techniques are available for moving data across communication networks: Circuit switching is a mode in which a connection (or circuit) is established from the point of origin of a transfer to the destination. Network resources are dedicated for the duration of the call until the user breaks the connection. Using these resources, data can be transmitted or received either continuously or in bursts, depending on

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the application. Since resources remain dedicated for the entire duration of a data call, the number of subscribers that the network can support is limited. Packet switching is a mode in which resources are assigned to a user only when data needs to be sent or received. Data is sent in packets, which are routed across the network along with other user traffic. This technique allows multiple users to share the same resources, thus increasing capacity on the network managing resources quite effectively. However, the technique does place some limitations on data throughput. Experience has shown that most data communication applications do not require continuous data transfer. Users may need to be connected to a data communication network (such as a LAN, WAN, the Internet, or corporate Intranet), but that does not mean they are sending and receiving data at all times. Furthermore, data transfer needs generally are not symmetrical. most cases users send out small messages but receive large downloads. At any given time, most of the data transfer is in one direction.

3.2 Reason Behind GPRS Development [8]

GSM offers data services already but they have been constrained by the use of circuit-switched data channels over the air interface allowing a maximum bit rate of 14.4 kbit/s. For this reason, the GSM standard has continued its natural evolution to accommodate the requirement for higher bit rates. The HSCSD (High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data) is one solution that addresses this requirement by allocating more time slots per subscriber and thus better rates. It remains however insufficient for bursty data applications such as Web browsing.
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Moreover, HSCSD depends on circuit-switching techniques making it unattractive for subscribers who want to be charged based on the volume of the data traffic they actually use rather than on the duration of the connection. In turn, service providers need effective means to share the scarce radio resources between more subscribers.

3.3 What is GPRS?

GPRS is general packet radio service that stands out as one major development in the GSM standard that benefits from packet switched techniques to provide mobile subscribers with the much needed high bit rates for bursty data transmissions. It is possible theoretically for GPRS subscribers to use several time slots (packet data channels) simultaneously reaching a bit rate of about 170kbit/s.

3.4 The Difference Between GSM & GPRS

GPRS is different to GSM because it offers the following key features: Higher bandwidth and, therefore, data speeds. Immediate and continuous connection to the Internet (always on-line). New text and visual data and content services (due to data speeds and the Internet), such as email, chat, still and moving images, information services (stock prices,weather reports, train times), video conferencing, e-commerce transactions (buying flight and cinema tickets) and Internet-based remote access to corporate intranets and public networks (rather than dial-up remote access which incurs long distance phone calls). Packet-switching rather than circuit-switching, which means that there
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is higher radio spectrum efficiency because network resources and bandwidth are only used when data is actually transmitted even though it is always connected. Different mediation, rating and billing requirements such as collecting records from GPRS and IP networks, charging for volumes of data transferred rather than connection time and new and multiple members of the billing value chain. Support for Internet communications protocols such as Internet protocol (IP) and X.25. Additional components and protocols to the GSM network: the key elements are SGSN (serving GPRS support node), GGSN (gateway GPRS support node) and a charging gateway. Different devices (not GSM phones): GPRS will be available from laptops or handheld computers that are either connected to GPRScapable cellular phones, external modems or that have PC card modems, smart phones that have full screen capability and cellular phones that have WAP microbrowsers. The first important step on the path to 3G.

3.5 The Requirements for using GPRS Application [9]

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 and for access to be activated. Automatic access to GPRS may be allowed by some mobile network operators. Knowledge of how to send and/or receive GPRS information using
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their specific model of mobile phone, including software and hardware configuration. 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. 3.6 Charging and Billing [10] Charging is to collect information of the subscribers behavior, and billing is to write a bill to the customer according to the charging information provided. The GPRS-system will have significant impact on the operators billing and charging system. Instead of a few calls per day per user, the system must handle a much higher number of charging records collected from GPRS, and process them so that the customer is billed appropriately for using the GPRS-network. This makes billing and charging another issue that needs to be addressed by the operator when introducing GPRS. 3.8.1 Billing alternatives The operator may bill the subscriber for usage of the GPRS-network through numerous different charging techniques. Rather than only billing for network-time with a possible fixed monthly fee like conventional GSM, the GPRS-operator will probably incorporate billing alternatives that are new to the customer. Possible billing methods include: A monthly fee, which could be a basic fee to enable usage (similar to GSM), or a more expensive flat rate fee that gives unlimited access to the network.
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Volume based charging could be implemented in two ways. The user could pay a certain fee for given amount of data volume (e.g. $1 for 1MB), or pay a certain amount of money per packet (e.g. $0.0001 per packet). The concept could be time dependent as well, in the sense that data-transfers are more expensive during certain peak hours. A time fee could be implemented in such a way that the user either could be charged per minute for the time-period of the GPRS attach, or for the time-period of an active PDP-context. Pay per access is an alternative billing method proposed for mobile portal access, i.e. that the user pays a small fee whenever accessing certain parts of the mobile portal. Pay per transaction will be possible, for instance when sending a short message (SMS) or even when taking advantage of a specific service at a mobile portal, e.g. banking, information services etc.

3.7 GPRS Services [10],[3]

GPRS Services are defined to fall in one of two categories: PTP (Point-To-Point) services. PTM (Point-To-Multipoint) services. 3.7.1 PTP (Point-To-Point) services The Point-to-point (PTP) service provides a transmission of one or more packets between two users, initiated by one service requester and received by one recipient. Table 3.1 illustrates the general description of the PTP services and some possible applications.

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TABLE (3.1) PTP (Point- to- Point) GPRS Services

Service Description Applications Credit card validations PTP-CONS Bursty transactive or interactive Electronic monitoring Point-To-Point Connection applications. Telnet applications Oriented Network Service A logical relation is established Data base access and between users Multiple packets are sent between a information retrieval single source and a single destination Electronic mail PTP-CLNS Datagram type service for bursty Point-To-Point Internets World Wide applications Connectionless Network Web No logical link required between Service users Packets are sent between a single source and a single destination Each packet is independent of its predecessor and successor

There are two types of PTP-services: A connectionless network service (PTP-CLNS) where data packets are independent of each other and take different paths through the network. This service requires the IP protocol and will be the most dominant. A connection oriented network service (PTP-CONS) where packets follow a determined path, requiring the X.25 protocol. 3.7.2 PTM (Point-To-Multipoint) services The Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) involves one data transmitter and a group of recipients.These recipients could be corporate colleagues or open groups registered to distribution lists etc. Traffic or news broadcasts could take advantage of this type of carrier service. Three different PTM-services are defined ( table 3.2): PTM-Multicast (PTM-M) is sent to a group of subscribers within a certain geographical area. No acknowledgements of packets are made.
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PTM-Group Call (PTM-G) is made to a group of subscribers that in turn can be limited to a geographical area. Acknowledgements of packets are optional. IP-Multicast (IP-M) is used to reach a group that is spread around the entire Internet. Instead of sending separately to each subscriber, the packages are duplicated in routers along the paths to the recipients. The PTM-service will first be available in the second phase of GPRS, and because of this there are no immediate improvements to the capacity of the networks based on a multipoint carrier service.

TABLE (3.2) PTM (Point-to-Multipoint) GPRS Services

Service
PTM-M Point-To-Multipoint Multicast

Description Messages are transmitted to a specific geographical area and optionally to a specified group within that area The recipients are anonymous Delivery time is scheduled Uni-directional transmission

Applications News Weather and traffic reports

PTM-G Point-To-Multipoint Group Call

Messages are transmitted to a specific group within a specific geographical area Group members must join the PTM-G call to become participants Delivery in real time Uni-directional, bi-directional and multi-directional transmission Messages are transmitted to a specified group Group members must join the IP-M call to become participants Delivery in real time Multi-directional transmission

Conferencing services

IP-M IP Multicast

Live multimedia transmissions Corporate messages to employees

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3.8 Applications for GPRS [2]

There are many residential applications that can applied to GPRS, but there is call for a greater number of valuable corporate applications. Chat: GPRS is an extension of the Internet, it will allow mobile users to use existing Internet chat groups rather than needing to set up their own groups dedicated to mobile users. GPRS will not support point to multipoint services in its first phase, -preventing the distribution of a single message to a group of people. Information services as text or graphics: information content includes services such as share prices, sports scores, weather reports, news headlines, flight information, traffic reports, maps, graphs and lottery results. GPRS is likely be used for qualitative information services when end users have GPRS capable devices, but SMS (which is limited to 160 characters) is likely to continue to be used for delivering most quantitative information services. Still images: such as photographs (either scanned or from a digital camera), pictures, postcards, greeting cards and presentations. Moving images: such as video messages, movie previews, security camera images, patient images (e.g. from a crash site to a hospital) and video conferencing. Web browsing: Because of the slow speed of Circuit Switched Data, it takes a long time for data to arrive from the Internet server to the browser. As such, mobile Internet browsing is better suited to GPRS. Audio reports: for broadcasting or analyzing. For example, high quality voice clips for television and radio or sounds for police to
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use as evidence, occupy large file sizes that need high speed mobile data rates such as GPRS. LAN applications: mobile employees can access any applications normally available on their PC at the office. Internet email: most Internet e-mail users do not get notified of new email on their mobile phone. When they are out of the office, they have to dial periodically to check their mailbox contents. However, by linking Internet email with an alert mechanism such as SMS or GPRS, users can be notified when a new email is received. 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 Defence. Anyone with a GPS receiver can receive their satellite position and thereby find out where they are. The Short Message Service is ideal for sending Global Positioning System (GPS) position information such as longitude, latitude, bearing and altitude. GPS co-ordinates are typically about 60 characters in length. File transfer: downloading sizeable data across the mobile network The general information services such as train timetables will be provided via a WAP server to the mobile phone. Broadcasting services such as live news reports will only be able to be transmitted by GPRS.

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