GSM Network Summary

• A 2nd generation digital cellular communications network technology that has been established as a worldwide standard except in North America and Japan. Corresponds to PCS in services offered, but its standards are different.

• Mobile user equipment with international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) in a SIM module implemented as a smart card.
• Base station subsystem.
• Mobile services switching center (MSC).
• SS-7 network and four databases — home location, visitor, authentication and security.

• 849-890 MHz, 935-960 MHz and 1.7-1.8 GHz frequency bands have been reserved for GSM operation.

• Extensive in Europe,Asia, South America (almost a defacto standard).  In USA and Canada, it competes with CDMA and TDMA-based PCS networks.  See North American GSM Alliance web site for current status.

• Greater than AMPS-based cellular and growing rapidly: 22 million subscribers can be expected by the year 2000.
• 9,600 bps for data

• X.25 and ISDN LAPD
• TCP/IP through emulation but not natively?

• GSM-based Short message service (SMS) similar to North America’s narrowband PCS 2-way paging. Other data applications, including access to the Internet
• Facsimile.

• 50 % higher than analog cellular in the U.S..

• Now — ahead of PCS implementation in the U.S.

• Very good.

• Dominant international standard in most of the world.
• Low-cost all-digital mobile user set.
• Purely digital.

• No backward compatibility with analog.
• Slower speed (typically 9600) as compared to 19.2 or higher with CDMA/TDMA PCS.
• Higher service fees than PCS despite advanced infrastructure development.