What is PCS(Personal communications services)?

Personal communications services (PCS) refers to a wide variety of

wireless access and personal mobility services provided through a
small terminal, with the goal of enabling communications at any
time, at any place, and in any form.

PCS technologies have grown rapidly in the telecommunications

industry.
PCS Network Architecture
The PCS Network Architecture is a communication network structure in which components communicate
with one another to establish wireless communication.
• The PCS Network Architecture is divided into two sections:
• Wireline Transport Network
• Radio Network
Radio Network:
• The radio network connects Mobile Stations (MS) and other network components via a wireless
network.
• MS connect with one another via the radio network's Base Stations (BS).
• The radio link protocols are handled by the BS in a radio network during communication.
• The BSC(Base Stations Controller) serves as a link between the radio network's BTS and the
Wireline Transport network's MSC (Mobile switching center) Wireline

Transport Network:
• The Base Station Controller (BSC) in the Radio Network interfaces with the Mobile Switching
Center (MSC) in the Wireline Transport Network.
• To provide wireline customers with communication services, MSC connects to the Public Switch
Telephone Network (PSTN).
 • MSC also communicates with a mobility database, which keeps track of where moving devices
are in the architecture.
1. Voice Communication
1. Mobile Telephony: Enables users to make and receive voice calls from virtually anywhere.
2. Voicemail Services: Store and retrieve voice messages conveniently.
3. Conference Calls: Facilitate collaboration by connecting multiple participants.
2. Messaging ServicesText Messaging (SMS):
1. Exchange short text messages instantly.Multimedia Messaging (MMS): Share images, audio,
and videos.
2. Instant Messaging Apps: Allow realtime communication (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram).
3. Internet AccessMobile Broadband:
1. Provides highspeed internet access for browsing, streaming, and other online activities.
2. WiFi Hotspot Connectivity: Seamlessly connects devices to WiFi networks.
4. LocationBased ServicesNavigation:
1. Provides GPSbased navigation and route planning (e.g., Google Maps).
2. Geofencing: Enables alerts based on location (e.g., marketing notifications, child safety apps).
3. Emergency Services: Locates users during emergencies for swift assistance.
5. Business ApplicationsRemote Work:
1. Supports virtual meetings, email access, and document sharing.
2. Field Workforce Management: Helps track and communicate with employees on the go.
3. Ecommerce: Enables mobile shopping and secure online transactions.
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications):
• GSM is a standard developed for mobile networks that enables digital
voice communication and other services. It operates on digital cellular
technology and is one of the most widely used mobile
communication standards worldwide.
1. BTS (Base Transceiver Station)
Full Form: Base Transceiver Station
Function:
Acts as the interface between the mobile devices and the GSM network.
Handles radio communication with mobile phones within its cell.
Contains antennas and transceiver equipment.

2. BSC (Base Station Controller)

Full Form: Base Station Controller
Function:
Manages multiple BTSs within a region.
Handles resource allocation, frequency management, and handovers between BTSs.
Relays voice and data to the MSC.

3. HLR (Home Location Register)

Full Form: Home Location Register
Function:
A central database that stores information about subscribers, such as their identity, services subscribed, and
current location.
Contains information like the IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and service restrictions.
4. VLR (Visitor Location Register)
Full Form: Visitor Location Register
Function:
Temporarily stores information about subscribers currently roaming in its area.
Works closely with the HLR to verify subscriber details and manage roaming.

5. MSC (Mobile Switching Center)

Full Form: Mobile Switching Center
Function:
The central switching unit of the GSM network.
Handles call setup, routing, and termination.
Interfaces with the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and other MSCs.

6. EIR (Equipment Identity Register)

Full Form: Equipment Identity Register
Function:
A database that stores information about mobile equipment identities (IMEI).
Helps identify stolen or unauthorized devices and block them from accessing the network.
7. AUC (Authentication Center)
Full Form: Authentication Center
Function:
Provides security for GSM networks by authenticating subscribers and encrypting their communication.
Stores authentication keys and algorithms used for encrypting user data.

8. OMC (Operations and Maintenance Center)

Full Form: Operations and Maintenance Center
Function:
Responsible for monitoring, managing, and maintaining the GSM network.
Handles network faults, performance monitoring, and configuration.
 Characteristics of GSM

1. Standardized Protocol: GSM provides a globally accepted standard, ensuring interoperability

among operators worldwide.
2. Digital Transmission: Uses digital signaling, ensuring better call quality, security, and reliability
compared to analog systems.
3. Frequency Bands: Operates on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz bands.
4. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA): Uses TDMA technology to allow multiple users to share
the same frequency band by dividing the signal into time slots.
5. International Roaming: Allows users to use their mobile services in other countries that support
GSM.
6. Encryption for Security: Provides encryption for voice and data, ensuring secure communication.
7. SIM Card Based Operation: Utilizes a SIM card, making it easy to switch devices while retaining
user information.
Services Provided by GSM
1. Teleservices (Telecommunication Services)
These are the basic communication services offered by GSM, focusing on voice and messaging.
a. Voice Services Standard Mobile Telephony:
1. Highquality voice calls between mobile and fixed line phones.
2. Emergency Calls: Allows users to call emergency no. (eg: 112 or 911) even without a SIM card.
b. Messaging Services
1. Short Message Service (SMS):
2. Send and receive text messages of up to 160 characters.
3. Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS):Adds basic multimedia elements like pictures, animations,
and ringtones to SMS.
4. Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS):Enables sending and receiving multimedia content like
images, videos, and audio clips.
2. Data Services
These services enable the transfer of data for internet access, emails, and other
applications.
a. CircuitSwitched Data (CSD)
• Offers internet access by dedicating a circuit for the entire call duration.
• Data transfer rates: Up to 14.4 kbps.
b. HighSpeed CircuitSwitched Data (HSCSD)
• An improved version of CSD with higher speeds (up to 57.6 kbps) by combining
multiple time slots.
c. Short Message Service Cell Broadcast (SMSCB)
Broadcasts messages (e.g., news, weather alerts) to all mobile users in a specific area.
3. Supplementary Services:
These services enhance the basic functionality of GSM and provide additional control over telephony.
a. Call Related Services
• Call Forwarding:
Redirects incoming calls to another number or voicemail.
• Call Waiting:
Notifies users of an incoming call while they are on another call.
• Call Hold:
Places a call on hold to take or make another call.
b. Security Services
• PIN Code Authentication:
Protects the SIM card from unauthorized use.
• Call Identification:
Displays the caller’s number or blocks it.
• Encryption:
Ensures secure communication by encrypting voice and data.
c. Charging Services
• Advice of Charge (AoC):
Provides realtime cost information during or after a call.
d. LocationBased Services (LBS)
• Provides location information for navigation, tracking, or emergency services.
 GSM CHANNEL

Channels

Physical Channels Logical Channels

Control
Traffic Channels Channels(signaling)
Traffic channels (TCHs):
• The traffic channels are intended to carry encoded speech or user data.
• Traffic channels are intended to carry encoded speech and user data.
• Full rate traffic channels at a net bit rate of 22.8 Kb/s (TCH/F)
• Half rate traffic channels at a net bit rate of 11.4 Kb/s (TCH/H)
• Speech channels are defined for both full rate and half rate traffic channels.
• Data channels support a variety of data rates (2.4, 4.8 and 9.6 Kb/s) on both half
and full rate traffic channels. The 9.6 Kb/s data rate is only for full rate application.
• The traffic channels(TCH) support two types of information rates Full rate (TCH/F) and Half
rate (TCH/H)
- Full Rate TCH for data and speech channels:-
A. Full - rate Speech Channel )TCH/Fs): At 16 kbps the full rate speech channel is
digitized. The full rate speech channel caries 55.8kbps after adding the GSM
channel coding to the digitized speech.
B. Full-rate Data Channel for 9600 bps (TCH/F9.6): The full rate traffic data
channel contains raw data that is transmitted at 9.6 kbps. After the application of
additional forward error correction coding with the GSM standards, 9600 kbps is
transferred at 22.8 kbps.
C. Full-rate Data Channel for 4500 bps(TCH/F4.8): The full rate traffic date
channel contains data that is transmitted at 4.8 Kbps. After the application of
additional forward error correction coding with GSM standards, the 4.8 kbps is
transferred at 22.8 kbps.
D. Full Rate Data Channel for 2400 bps (TCH/F2.4): The full rate traffic data
channel contains raw data that is transmitted at 2.4 kbps. After the application of
additional forward error correction coding with GSM standards, the 2.4 kbps data
is transferred at 22.8 kbps.
 Half Rate TCH for data and speech channels:
A. Half Rate Speech Channels (TCH/HS): The half tate speech channel can
carry digitized speech that is sampled at a rate half that of full rate channel.
GSM anticipates the availibility of speech coders. It can digitize speech at
about 6.5 kbps. After adding GSM channel coding to the digitized speech, the
half rate Speech channel will carry 11.4 kbps.
B. Half Rate Data Channel for 4800 bps (TCH/H4.8): The half rate traffic data
channel carries raw data that is sentat 4800 bps. After the application of
forward error correction using GSM standards, 4800 bps data is sent at 11.4
kbps.
C Half Rate Data Channe for 2400 kbps (TCH/H 2.4): The half rate traffic data
channel carries raw user data that is sent at 2400 bps. After application of
additional forward error corretion using GSM standards, 2400 bps data is sent
to 11.4 bps.
Control Channel (CCH):
. Control channels carry signaling information between an MS and a BTS.

a) Broadcast control channel:

. Broadcast control channels are transmitted in downlink direction only i.e. only transmitted by BTS.
. The broadcast channels are used to broadcast synchronization and general network information to all
the MSs within a cell.
. It has three types:
a. FREQUENCY CORRECTION CHANNEL (FCCH):
. Used for the frequency correction / synchronization of a mobile station.
. The repeated (every 10 sec) transmission of Frequency Bursts is called FCCH.
b. SYNCHRONISATION CHANNEL (SCH):
. Allows the mobile station to synchronize time wise with the BTS.
. Repeated broadcast (every 10 frames) of Synchronization Bursts is called (SCH).
c. BROADCAST CONTROL CHANNEL (BCH):
. The BROADCAST CONTROL CHANNEL (BCCH) is used to broadcast control information to every
MS within a cell.
b) Common Control Channel:
The common control channels are used by an MS during the paging and access
procedures. Common control channels are of three types.
(PCH) PAGING CHANNEL:
. Within certain time intervals the MS will listen to the Paging channel, PCH, to see if
the network wants to get in contact with the MS.
. The reason could be an incoming call or an incoming Short Message.
2.(RACH) RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL:
• If listening to the PCH, the MS will realize it is being paged.
• The MS answers, requesting a signalling channel, on the Random Access channel,
RACH.
• RACH can also be used if the MS wants to get in contact with the network, e/g.
when setting up a mobile originated call.
3.(AGCH) ACCESS GRANTED CHANNEL:
• The access grant channel (AGCH) is carried data which instructs the mobile to
operate in a particular physical channel (Time slot or ARFCN).
• It uses normal burst.
C) Dedicated Control Channels (DCCHs):
A. (SDCCH STAND ALONE DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNEL:
• Non-urgent information, e.g. transmitter power control, is transmitted using the slow associated control
channel (SACCH).
• On the uplink MS sends averaged measurements on own base station (signal strength and quality)
and neighboring base stations (signal strength).
• On the downlink the MS receives system information, which transmitting power and what timing
advance to use. It is transmitted at 13thFrame of TCH. As seen, SACCH is transmitted on both up-and
downlink, point-to-point.
B. (SAACH)SLOW ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL:
• In some situations, signaling information must flow between a network and an MS when a call is not in
progress, e.g. during a location update.
• This could be accommodated by allocating either a full-rate or half-rate TCH and by using either the
SACCH or FACCH to carry the information.
C. (FACCH) FAST ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL:
• More urgent information, e.g. a handover command, is sent using time slots that are 'stolen' from the
traffic channel.
• If, suddenly, during the conversation a handover must be performed the Fast Associated Control
channel, FACCH, is used.
• FACCH works in stealing mode, meaning that one 2. ms segment of speech is exchanged for
signaling information necessary for the handover.
 Call Setup procedure in GSM:

Steps of Mobile-Originated Call

CM Service Request: The mobile station (MS) requests a call setup, specifying the service type (e.g., voice call).
Layer 3 Info Transmission: The request is forwarded by the BSS to the MSC/VLR.
Authentication Request: The MSC/VLR requests authentication to verify the user.
Authentication Response: The MS responds with authentication credentials.
Ciphering Mode Command: MSC sends a ciphering key (KC) to enable secure communication.
Ciphering Mode Complete: The mobile station confirms the encryption setup.
Call Setup (Dialed Number): The MS sends the dialed number for call setup.
Call Proceeding: The MSC acknowledges the call request.
Channel Allocation (TCH & FACCH): Traffic and control channels are assigned for the call.
Assignment Command & Completion: The MS moves to the assigned traffic channel.
IAM (Initial Address Message): The MSC sends the call request to the PSTN.
Alerting: The destination phone starts ringing.
ACM (Acknowledgment Message): PSTN acknowledges the alerting process.
ANM (Answer Message): The call is answered.
Connect & Acknowledge: The MS and destination are successfully connected, establishing the call.
 Call Termination Procedure
1. Call Initiation (IAM - Initial Address Message):
1. The call is initiated from PSTN and routed through GMSC.
2. The GMSC queries the HLR to get the subscriber's location.
2. Paging Request & Response:
1. The MSC receives the call request and sends a paging request to locate the mobile station.
2. The MS responds with a paging response via the BSS.
3. Ciphering Mode Setup:
1. Ciphering mode is initiated to enable secure communication.
4. Setup & Cell Confirmation:
1. The call setup message is sent, and the MS confirms it.
5. Channel Assignment:
1. The MSC assigns a traffic channel (TCH) for the call.
6. Assignment Completion:
1. The MS moves to the assigned TCH, completing the assignment process.
7. Alerting:
1. The mobile phone rings, indicating an incoming call.
2. The MSC acknowledges the alerting via an ACM (Acknowledgment Message) to PSTN.
8. Call Connection:
1. When the user answers, an ANM (Answer Message) is sent to indicate call connection.
9. Connect Acknowledgment:
1. The MS confirms the connection, and the call is established successfully.
3. Roaming
• Definition:
Roaming refers to the ability of a mobile device to access and use services (voice, SMS, data) outside its
Home Network by connecting to a Visited Network.
Roaming enables seamless connectivity across different geographical regions and network providers.
• Types of Roaming:
• National Roaming:
• When a user accesses a different network within the same country.
• International Roaming:
• When a user accesses a foreign network while traveling abroad.
• Inter-Standard Roaming:
• When a user switches between networks using different standards (e.g., GSM to CDMA).
• Example:
• A user with a network from "Network A" in India can use their phone for calls and data in Germany
by connecting to "Network B" through international roaming agreements.