<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>Overview of Nokia GPRS</title>
<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type" />
<meta content="text/css" http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" />
<script src="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn00188761&amp;edition=1&amp;language=none&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=javascript&amp;component=data&amp;item=data" type="text/javascript" xml:space="preserve">
</script>
<?conversion name="Pub2XHTML" version="2.0" source="urn:mars:dn04111386:1:en:global:publishing_online_1_0:data:data:*:*:*" date="2005-02-21T15:41:19Z"?>
<link href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn01158124&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=css&amp;component=data&amp;item=data" rel="stylesheet" title="Nokia Networks default online style" type="text/css" />
<meta content="draft" name="status" />
<?conversion name="SplitHTML" version="1.9" source="urn:mars:dn04111386:1:en:global:publishing_online_1_0:data:data:53:*:*" date="2005-02-21T15:41:19Z"?>
</head>
<body lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<p><a name="ned_top" shape="rect"></a>
<a name="ned_1" shape="rect"></a></p>

<a name="p2xhtm-repid-1" shape="rect"></a>
<table width="100%">
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="20%"><?NED5 annotation?>
<br clear="none" /><?NED5 printview?>
</td>
<td align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="20%"></td>
<td align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="20%"></td>
<td align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="20%"></td>
<td align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="20%"><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386_about&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_top#ned_top" onclick="openSmallPopup(event,'NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386_about&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_top#ned_top');return false" shape="rect" target="_blank"><img alt="Document information" border="0" class="Metainfo" src="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn01158003&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=gif&amp;component=data&amp;item=data" /></a></td>
</tr>
</table>


<div class="div">
<h1>Overview of Nokia GPRS</h1>

<p>General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) provides packet data radio access
for GSM mobile phones. It upgrades GSM data services to allow an interface
with Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs) and the Internet.</p>


<p>GPRS makes the radio interface usage more efficient:</p>


<ul>
<li><p>GPRS enables a fast method for reserving radio channels</p>
</li>
<li><p>GPRS uses the same resources with circuit switched connection
by sharing the overhead capacity</p>
</li>
<li><p>GPRS provides immediate connectivity and high throughput.</p>
</li>
</ul>


<p>On a general level, GPRS connections use the resources only for a short
period of time when sending or receiving data:</p>


<ul>
<li><p>in a circuit-switched system, the line is occupied even when
no data is transferred </p>
</li>
<li><p>in a packet-switched system, the resources are released so they
can be used by other subscribers.</p>
</li>
</ul>


<p>GPRS is therefore well adapted to the bursty nature of data applications.
GPRS has minimal effects on the handling of circuit switched calls, but the
interoperability of existing circuit switched functionalities needs to be
taken into account.</p>


<p>GPRS uses statistical multiplexing instead of static time division multiplexing:
when the user is ready to receive new data, the terminal sends a request,
and resources are again reserved only for the duration of transmitting the
request and initiating a second data transfer. The data to be transferred
is encapsulated into short packets with a header containing the originating
and destination address. No pre-set time slots are used. Instead, network
capacity is allocated when needed and released when not needed.</p>


<p>GPRS offers a very flexible range of bitrates, from less than 100 bit/s
to over 100 kbit/s. Applications that need less than one time slot benefit
from GPRS's ability to share one time slot among several users. Moreover,
the high bitrates that GPRS provides by using multiple time slots give short
response times, even if a lot of data is transmitted.</p>


<a name="dec164153681" shape="rect"></a>
<div class="topic">
<h2>Benefits of GPRS</h2>

<p>GPRS offers the following additional benefits for the operators/end
users:</p>


<ul>
<li><p>resources are used more efficiently, thus there is less idle
time</p>
</li>
<li><p>circuit switched traffic is prioritised, but quality is guaranteed
by reserving time slots for GPRS traffic only</p>
</li>
<li><p>new services, application, and businesses for the operators</p>
</li>
<li><p>fast connection set-up for end users</p>
</li>
<li><p>high bitrate in data bursts</p>
</li>
<li><p>possibility of being charged only for transferred data</p>
</li>
<li><p>generally, any service that can be run on top of
IP protocols (the UDP or TCP transfer) is supported by the Nokia GPRS solution
(taking into account data rate and delay requirements).</p>
</li>
</ul>


<p>An investment in the GPRS infrastructure is an investment
in future services. GPRS paves the way and is already part of the future third
generation (3G) network infrastructure. Migration to 3G comprises deployment
of the new WCDMA radio interface – served by the GSM and GPRS core networks.
 Many of the future 3G services will be based on the IP, and the GPRS Core
network is the key step of introducing the IP service platform into the present
GSM networks.</p>


<p>When migrating to the 3G services, preserving the Core
Network investments is a top priority. Introducing UMTS will complement the
GSM network – not replace it.</p>
</div>


<a name="dec1641548562" shape="rect"></a>
<div class="topic">
<h2>Required network changes</h2>

<p>Nokia offers a total end-to-end General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS) solution including the GPRS core, network management, and charging
gateway with high capacity, scalability, and carrier class availability. As
a part of the GPRS solution, the Nokia BSS offers GPRS support in the BSS
with powerful radio resource management algorithms, optimised BSS network
topology, and transmission solutions to ensure an optimal investment to operators
and high capacity and quality service for end users.</p>


<p>While the current GSM system was originally designed with
an emphasis on voice sessions, the main objective of the GPRS is to offer
access to standard data networks such as LAN using the TCP/IP protocol. These
networks consider the GPRS to be a normal subnetwork, as seen in the figure
below. A gateway in the GPRS network acts as a router and hides GPRS-specific
features from the external data network. WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)
based services see the GPRS as one carrier (UDP). Wireless Markup Language
(WML) based services in the GPRS can be accessed using the standard WAP gateways.
The WAP is essential to create applications that are 'useable' in the mobile
environment (for example, small screen display, low data rates).</p>


<a name="apr154191441" shape="rect"></a>
<div>
<img alt="urn:mars:dn0469374:1:en:global:tiff:data:data" border="0" src="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn0469374&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=gif&amp;component=data&amp;item=data" /><p class="figure-caption">Figure: GPRS network seen by another data network</p>
</div>


<p> GPRS is the first GSM Phase 2+ service that requires major
changes in the network infrastructure. In addition to the current GSM entities,
GPRS is based on a number of new network elements:</p>


<ul>
<li><p>Serving GPRS Support Nodes (SGSN)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Serving GPRS Support Nodes (SGSN)</p>
</li>
<li><p>GPRS backbone</p>
</li>
<li><p>Legal Interception Gateway (LIG).</p>
</li>
</ul>


<a name="apr1541915102" shape="rect"></a>
<div>
<img alt="urn:mars:dn0469386:1:en:global:tiff:data:data" border="0" src="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn0469386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=gif&amp;component=data&amp;item=data" /><p class="figure-caption">Figure: GPRS architecture</p>
</div>


<p>Along with the new network elements, the following functions
are needed:</p>


<ul>
<li><p>GPRS-specific mobility management</p>
</li>
<li><p>Network management capable of handling
the GPRS-specific elements</p>
</li>
<li><p>A new radio interface for packet traffic</p>
</li>
<li><p>New security features for the GPRS
backbone and a new ciphering algorithm</p>
</li>
<li><p>New MAP and GPRS-specific signalling.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_2#ned_2" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">GPRS Data Transfer (protocols, scenarios)</a></p>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_3#ned_3" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">Optimised GPRS Radio Resource Management</a></p>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_4#ned_4" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">Power Control</a></p>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_5#ned_5" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">GPRS Radio Network Parameters and Parameter Management</a></p>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_6#ned_6" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">Frame Relay and Gb Interface</a></p>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_7#ned_7" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">GPRS Statistics in the BSC</a></p>


<p><a href="NED?action=retrieve&amp;identifier=dn04111386&amp;edition=1&amp;language=en&amp;coverage=global&amp;encoding=xhtml_1_0&amp;component=data&amp;item=data&amp;pointer=ned_8#ned_8" onclick="sync(this);return true" shape="rect">GPRS in Nokia Base Stations</a></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>