Global System for Mobile Communication - GSM

Global system for mobile communication (GSM) is a wide area wireless communications system that uses digital radio transmission to provide voice, data, and multimedia communication services. A GSM system coordinates the communication between a mobile telephones (mobile stations), base stations (cell sites), and switching systems. Each GSM radio channel is 200 kHz wide channels that are further divided into frames that hold 8 time slots. GSM was originally named Groupe Special Mobile. The GSM system includes mobile telephones (mobile stations), radio towers (base stations), and interconnecting switching systems.

This figure shows an overview of a GSM radio system. This diagram shows that the GSM system includes mobile communication devices that communicate through base stations (BS) and a mobile switching center (MSC) to connect to other mobile telephones, public telephones, or to the Internet. This diagram shows that the MSC connects to databases of customers. This example shows that the GSM system mobile devices can include mobile telephones or data communication devices such as laptop computers.

GSM System Diagram

Global System for Mobile Communication - GSM System Diagram

This diagram shows that the GSM system uses a single type of radio channel. Each radio channel in the GSM system has a frequency bandwidth of 200 kHz and a data transmission rate of approximately 270 kbps. This example shows that each radio communication channel is divided into 8 time slots (0 through 7). This diagram shows that a simultaneous two-way voice communication session requires at least one radio channel communicates from the base station to the mobile station (called the forward channel) and one channel communicates from the mobile station to the base station (called the reverse channel). This example also shows that some of the radio channel capacity is used to transfer voice (traffic) information and some of the radio channel capacity is used to transfer control messages.

GSM Radio Channel Diagram

GSM Radio Channel Structure Diagram

Related GSM Definitions

A3 Algorithm
A5 Algorithm
A8 Algorithm
Access Burst - AB
Access Grant Channel - AGCH
Acknowledgement Message - Ack
Active Mobile Station
Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)
Advice of Charge - AOC
Authentication
Authentication Center - AuC
Base Station (BS)
Base Station Controller - BSC
Base Station Subsystem - BSS
Base Transceiver Station - BTS
Basic Trading Area - BTA
Bearer Services - BS
Broadcast Channel - BCH
Burst
Cell
Cell Broadcast
Cell Broadcast Channel - CBCH
Cell Coverage Area
Cell Site
Cell Splitting
Cellular Network
Channel
Channel Coding
Channel Re-use
Churn
Cipher Key - Kc
Circuit Switched Data (CSD)
Common Air Interface - CAI
Common Control Channel - CCCH
Convolutional Coding - CC
Customized Applications for Mobile Enhanced Logic (CAMEL)
Cypher Key
Data Services
Dead Spot
Dedicated Control Channel - DCCH
Department Of Communications - DOC
Differential Encoding
Digital Cellular System 1800 MHz - DCS-1800
Digital Cellular System 1900 MHz - DCS-1900
Discontinuous Reception (DRx)
Discontinuous Transmission - DTx
Downlink - DL
Dummy Burst - DB
Duplex
Echo Canceling
Encryption
Enhanced 911 - E911
Enhanced Data Rates for GSM - EDGE
Enhanced Full Rate Voice - EFR
Enhanced Half Rate Voice - EHR
Equalization - EQ
Executable Short Messages - ESM
Fast Associated Control Channel - FACCH
Fax Services
Frequency Correction Burst
Frequency Hopping - FH
Full Rate TCH - TCH/F
Full Rate Voice
Gateway GPRS Support Node - GGSN
General Packet Radio Service - GPRS
GPRS Tunneling Protocol - GTP
Group Call
Group Call Register - GCR
GSM PLMN Operator
Guard Period - GP
Half Rate Data TCH - TCH/H
Half Rate Voice
Handover - HANDO
Home Location Register - HLR
Hopping Sequence Number - HSN
Hyperframe
Interleaving
International Mobile Equipment Identifier - IMEI
International Mobile Subscriber Identity - IMSI
Interworking Function - IWF
Ki
Memorandum Of Understanding - MOU
Microcell
Mobile Assisted Handover - MAHO
Mobile Country Code - MCC
Mobile Equipment - ME
Mobile Equipment SIM Lock
Mobile Network Code - MNC
Mobile Party Pays - MPP
Mobile Service Provider
Mobile Station - MS
Mobile Station Class Mark - MSCM
Mobile Subscriber ISDN - MSISDN
Mobility Management - MM
Multicast Services
Packet Switched Data - PSD
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
Voice Broadcast Service - VBS
Voice Group Call Service (Dispatch) - VGCS
Voice Privacy

Global System Mobile Communication - GSM Books

more details

Introduction to GSM, 2nd Edition

This book explains the basic components, technologies used, and operation of GSM systems. This book starts with the system components and basic services that the GSM system can provide. You will learn that the key types of GSM devices include single mode and dual mode mobile telephones, wireless PCMCIA cards, embedded radio modules, and external radio modems. You will then discover the different types of available services such as multiple types of voice services, data services, group call, and messaging services.

$19.99 Printed, $16.99 eBook

Gsm System Engineering


GSM: Architecture, Protocols and Services	CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network
CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network Rogier Noldus,Hardcover, English-language edition,Pub by Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated	Jorg Eberspacher, Christian Hartmann, Christian Bettstetter, Hans-Joerg Vogel,Hardcover - REV, Edition: 3, English-language edition,Pub by Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated	Gsm System Engineering Asha K. Mehrotra, A. Mehrotra,Hardcover - New Edition, Edition: 1,Series: Artech House Mobile Communications Series, English-language edition,Pub by Artech House, Incorporated

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