UMTS: Architecture.

3G GSM mobile mobile communication Mobile Computing telecom umts

UMTS: Architecture.

UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems. It is one step ahead from the GSM.
You may know it as 3G (3rd Generation) in telecommunication.

UMTS basically is a packet switched technology where GSM is circuit switched technology. Now, you may have questions like "What do you even mean by packet switched and circuit switched.?"

Circuit switched technology means, whenever you want to connect to some node on the network, the core network will identify a route from you to the requested node and make a dedicated line for the communication. All the resources in between this route will be reserved for you so that you can communicate properly. Now, when you no longer require the connection and close it down, the network will release the resources reserved and release the circuit. So that is the circuit switched technology.

Packet switched technology means, when you try to communicate with some node on the network, your message will be encapsulated into packets and packets will be sent over the network with the destination address on it. Its just like the post you send with the address of the receiver. Network will analyse the address and identify which node will be the next one to receive this message, that node may be the destination or just a point between you and your destination. The node will do the same, reading the address and identify the next node to which the packet should be sent. So in this case, there will be no circuit reserved for your communication. The path will be build on run-time as per the availability of the nodes, traffic on the channel etc.

Hope I made my self clear here with the circuit switched and packet switched technologies/networks.

So now, back to the UMTS. Here is the basic architecture of the UMTS. This will be easy for you if you know GSM architecture.



So here you can see, it combines the GSM core and GPRS core networks to build the UMTS architecture with some new entities introduced.

New entities which are introduced are: Node B, UTRAN, RNC etc.
I will explain each of them in my next post.

Till then, keep on learning people..
..... Next time...:)

22:27

GSM: SIM Cards: IMSI, ICCID, IMEI, MSISDN

GSM ICCID IMEI IMSI mobile mobile subscribers MSISDN Sim cards umts

GSM: SIM Cards: IMSI, ICCID, IMEI, MSISDN

Again I read this on Quora. This is important to those who work in telecom industries. 

IMSI = International Mobile Subscriber Identity. This is a unique identifier that defines a subscriber in the wireless world, including the country and mobile network to which the subscriber belongs. It has the format MCC-MNC-MSIN. MCC = Mobile Country Code (e.g. 310 for USA); MNC = Mobile Network Code (e.g. 410 for AT&T), MSIN = sequential serial number. All signaling and messaging in GSM and UMTS networks uses the IMSI as the primary identifier of a subscriber.
The IMSI is one of the pieces of information stored on a SIM card.


ICCID = Integrated Circuit Card ID. This is the identifier of the actual SIM card itself - i.e. an identifier for the SIM chip. It is possible to change the information contained on a SIM (including the IMSI), but the identify of the SIM itself remains the same.

IMEI is short for International Mobile Equipment Identity and is a unique number given to every single mobile phone, typically found behind the battery.
IMEI numbers of cellular phones connected to a GSM network are stored in a database (EIR - Equipment Identity Register) containing all valid mobile phone equipment.
When a phone is reported stolen or is not type approved, the number is marked invalid.
 
MSISDN = Mobile Station ISDN number. This is the full phone number of a subscriber, including the national country code (e.g. 1 for US, 44 for UK, etc.). The purpose of the MSISDN is simply to allow a device to be called. A subscriber can have multiple MSISDNs (e.g. one phone number for business, one for personal calls, one for fax, etc.), but generally only one IMSI. The MSISDN does not need to be stored on the SIM card. In cases where it is stored on the SIM, the main reason is so that the user can use check to see what their own MSISDN is (in case they forget). The MSISDN is never signaled to of from the device.

Hope it helps.

Keep learning. Keep Sharing. Keep Improving.
..... Later Folks :)

1Abc Directory

23:57