Exercise 3.2: GSM Services
Any "Public Land Mobile Network" $\rm (PLMN)$ must provide the fixed network infrastructure and so-called "interworking functions" $\rm (IWF)$. This is the only way to provide the desired services at the user interface.
GSM services are divided into three categories:
- Bearer services,
- Tele services,
- Supplementary services.
Basis for data transmission are the bearer services, where the maximum data rate is $\text{9.6 kbits/s}$.
Tele services are end-to-end services. The most important of these are:
- the telephone service,
- the fax service,
- the short message service $\rm (SMS)$.
Various supplementary services belong to each phase of GSM development:
- "call display", "call forwarding" and "caller ID" in phase 1,
- "call waiting", "hold" and "conference call" in phase 2,
- "GPRS", "HSCSD", "EDGE" in phase 2+.
Hint: The exercise belongs to the chapter "General Description of GSM".
Questions
Solution
(1) Correct is the proposed solution 1:
- Bearer services form the basis for data transmission.
- They provide the technical means to transport data in a secured manner.
(2) Correct is the proposed solution 3:
- The maximum data rate for GSM data transmission is $9.6 \rm kbit/s$.
- There are synchronous and asynchronous as well as circuit-switched and packet-switched data transmission.
(3) Correct are the proposed solutions 1 and 3:
- Proposition 2 is incorrect:
- The terms "synchronous" and "asynchronous" play a role only in connection with bearer services.
(4) Correct are the proposed solutions 2 and 4:
- In contrast, "call forwarding" belongs to GSM phase 1 and "General Packet Radio Service" $\rm (GPRS)$ to phase 2+.
(5) Correct is the proposed solution 2:
- "High Speed Circuit-Switched Data" $\rm (HSCSD)$ was introduced as a circuit-switched transmission technology.
- In contrast, "General Packet Radio Service" $\rm (GPRS)$ operates as packet-switched and "Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution" $\rm (EDGE)$ can be described as circuit-switched data service.