General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
Service (GPRS)
Topics
GPRS and packet data network
Capacity and Other End-user Aspects
Quality of Service (QoS)
Integral Part of the Future 3G Systems
GPRS network architecture
GPRS Network Enhancements
Channel Coding
Transmission Plane Protocol Architecture
Security
GPRS network operation
Attachment and Detachment Procedure
Mobility Management
Routing
Communicating with the IP Networks
Topics
Data services in GPRS
GPRS Handsets
Device Types
Bearers in GPRS
Applications of GPRS
Generic Applications
GPRS-Specific Applications
LIMITATIONS OF GPRS
Billing and charging in GPRS
Tarifing
Billing
Introduction
The popularity of GSM, Internet, and digital
communication forced GSM to look For wireless
data with higher band-width. General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS) is a step to efficiently transport
high-speed data over the current GSM and TDMA-
based wireless network infrastructures.
GPRS and Packet Data Network
Capacity and Other End-user Aspects
• Delay
define maximum values for the mean delay and the 95-percentile
delay.
• Throughput
specifies the maximum/peak bit rate and the mean bit rate.
Integral Part of the Future 3G Systems
The different approaches to third generation (3G) wireless
systems (IMT-2000, UMTS, CDMA, WCDMA, 3GPP,
3GPP2 etc.) were intended to address the challenge of
voice-to-data crossover and integration.
The complexities of new and exciting wireless technologies
have slowed down progress in their development and
widespread deployment. To lessen the impact of the delay
in implementing 3G wireless systems, GPRS is introduced
as an intermediate step to efficiently transport high-speed
data over the current GSM and TDMA-based wireless
network infrastructures.
GPRS is therefore called the 2.5G (two and
half G or two and half generation) in the evolution process
of wireless cellular networks.
GPRS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
GPRS uses the GSM architecture for voice.
In order to offer packet data services through GPRS, a new
class of network nodes need to be introduced as an
upgrade to existing GSM network.
These network nodes are called GPRS support nodes (GSN).
GPRS support nodes are responsible for the delivery and
routing of data packets between the mobile stations and the
external packet data networks (PDN).
There are two types of support nodes, viz.,
SGSN (Serving GSN) and
GGSN (Gateway GSN).
GPRS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN):
A serving GPRS support node (SGSN) is at the same hierarchical level
as the MSC. Whatever MSC does for voice, SGSN does the same
functions for packet data.
SGSN's tasks include packet switching, routing and transfer, mobility
management (attach/detach and location management), logical link
management, and authentication and charging functions.
SGSN processes registration of new mobile subscribers and keeps a
record of their location inside a given service area.
The location register of the SGSN stores location information (e.g.,
current cell, current VLR) and user profiles of all GPRS users registered
with this SGSN.
SGSN sends queries to Home Location Register (HLR) to obtain profile
data of GPRS subscribers. The SGSN is connected to the base station
system with Frame Relay.
GPRS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
GPRS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN):
A gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) acts as an interface between
the GPRS backbone network and the external packet data networks.
GPRS Backbone
GPRS backbone includes the transmission plane between SGSN and
GGSN.
User data packets and related signaling information within the GPRS
network are encapsulated using the GPRS Tunneling Protocol
(GTP).
Below GTP, the standard protocols TCP or UDP are used to transport
the GTP packets within the backbone network.
X.25 expects a reliable data link; therefore TCP is used for tunneling
X.25 data.
For IP based user data, UDP is used as it does not expect reliability in
the network layer or below. Ethernet, ISDN, or ATM-based
protocols may be used in the physical layer in the IP backbone.
SNDCP
The SNDCP is used to transfer data packets between SGSN and MS.
Its functionality includes:
Network Service
This layer manages the convergence sublayer that operates between
BSSGP and the Frame Relay Q922 Core by mapping BSSGP's
service requests to the appropriate Frame Relay services.
Air Interface
The air interface of GPRS comprises the physical and data link layer.
Data Link Layer
The data link layer between the MS and the BSS is divided into three
sub layers:
the logical link control (LLC) layer,
the radio link control (RLC) layer
the medium access control (MAC) layer.
Logical Link Control (LLC)
This layer provides a reliable logical link between an MS and its
assigned SGSN.
Its functionality is based on HDLC (High-level Data Link Control)
protocol and includes sequence control, in-order delivery, flow
control, detection of transmission errors, and retransmission
(automatic repeat request, ARQ)
Air Interface
Variable frame lengths are possible.
Both acknowledged and unacknowledged data transmission modes are
supported. This protocol is an improved version of the LAPDm
protocol used in GSM.
This layer provides services for information transfer over a physical channel
between the MS and the network.
These functions include data unit framing, data coding, and the detection
and correction of physical medium transmission errors.
The Physical Link layer uses the services of the Physical RF layer.
in GPRS traffic, channels are only allocated when data packets are
sent or received. They are released after the transmission of data.
GPRS allows a single mobile station to use multiple time slots of the
same TDMA frame for data transmission. This is known as
multislot operation and uses a very flexible channel allocation.
One to eight time slots per TDMA frame can be allocated for one
mobile station.
The IP address is taken from the address space of the GPRS operator
maintained by a DHCP server (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
A Class A terminal supports GPRS data and other GSM services such as
SMS and voice simultaneously.
This includes simultaneous attach, activation, monitor, and traffic.
Class A terminal can make or receive calls on two services simultaneously.
SMS is supported in Class A terminal. Like GSM, SMS can be received while
a voice or data call is in progress.
A Class B terminal can monitor GSM and GPRS channels simultaneously, but
can support only one of these services at any time. Class B terminal can
support simultaneous attach, activation, and monitor but not simultaneous
traffic. users can make or receive calls on either a packet or a switched call
type sequentially but not simultaneously.
DATA SERVICES IN GPRS
A Class C terminal supports only non simultaneous attach. The user must
select which service to connect to. Therefore, a Class C terminal can make or
receive calls from only the manually selected network service. The service
that is not selected is not reachable. The GPRS specifications state that
support of SMS is optional for Class C terminals.
Device Types
In addition to the three types of terminals, each handset will have a unique
form factor. Terminals will be available in the standard form factor with a
numeric keypad and a relatively small display. Other types of phones with
different form factors, color displays, with cameras are common. Smart
phones with built-in voice, non voice and Web-browsing capabilities are
common too. Smart phones have various form factors, which may include a
keyboard or an icon drive screen.
DATA SERVICES IN GPRS
Bearers in GPRS
The bearer services of GPRS offer end-to-end packet switched data transfer.
GPRS is planned to support two different kinds of data transport services.
SMS
WAP
MMS
APPLICATIONS FOR GPRS
Generic Applications
Generic applications are applications like information services, Internet
access, email, Web Browsing,
There are generic mass market applications offering contents like sports
scores, weather, flight information, news headlines, prayer reminders, lottery results,
jokes, horoscopes, traffic information and so on.
This in other words means that user pays more for long distance calls. They
also pay more if they keep the circuit busy by talking for a longer period of
time.
Data services have evolved from research and education without any
concept of charging. In packet network keeping the circuit busy does not
have any meaning. Also, charging a customer by the distance traversed by
a packet does
Tariffing
Charging different packets at different rates can make things complicated
for the user, whilst flat rates favor heavy users more than occasional ones.
It is believed that the optimal GPRS pricing model will be based on two
variables, time and packet
BILLING AND CHARGING IN GPRS
Network operators will levy a nominal per packet charge during peak times
plus a flat rate. There will be no per packet charge during non-peak times.
a nominal per packet charge during the day will help to allocate scarce
radio resources, and charge radio heavy applications such as file and
image transfer more than applications with lower data intensity. It has the
advantage of automatically adjusting customer charging according to their
application usage.
BILLING AND CHARGING IN GPRS
GPRS is essentially a packet switching overlay on a circuit switching
network. The GPRS specifications stipulate that the minimum charging
information that must be collected are:
• Destination and source addresses
• Usage of radio interface
• Usage of external Packet Data Networks
• Usage of the packet data protocol addresses
• Usage of general GPRS resources and location of the Mobile Station.