Mobile Communications Systems Development

A Practical Introduction to System Understanding, Implementation and Deployment

Rajib Taid

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781119778707
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Mobile & Wireless Communications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Provides a thorough introduction to the development, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of mobile communications systems

Mobile Communications Systems Development: A Practical Introduction for System Understanding, Implementation, and Deployment is a comprehensive "how to" manual for mobile communications system design, deployment, and support. Providing a detailed overview of end-to-end system development, the book encompasses operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of currently available mobile communication technologies and systems. Readers are introduced to different network architectures, standardization, protocols, and functions including 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, and the 3GPP standard.

In-depth chapters cover the entire protocol stack from the Physical (PHY) to the Application layer, discuss theoretical and practical considerations, and describe software implementation based on the 3GPP standardized technical specifications. The book includes figures, tables, and sample computer code to help readers thoroughly comprehend the functions and underlying concepts of a mobile communications network. Each chapter includes an introduction to the topic and a chapter summary. A full list of references, and a set of exercises are also provided at the end of the book to test comprehension and strengthen understanding of the material. Written by a respected professional with more than 20 years' experience in the field, this highly practical guide:

• Provides detailed introductory information on GSM, GPRS, UMTS, and LTE mobile communications systems and networks
• Describes the various aspects and areas of the LTE system air interface and its protocol layers
• Covers troubleshooting and resolution of mobile communications systems and networks issues
• Discusses the software and hardware platforms used for the development of mobile communications systems network elements
• Includes 5G use cases, enablers, and architectures that cover the 5G NR (New Radio) and 5G Core Network

Mobile Communications Systems Development is perfect for graduate and postdoctoral students studying mobile communications and telecom design, electronic engineering undergraduate students in their final year, research and development engineers, and network operation and maintenance personnel.

1
Introduction : Career Opportunities in Mobile Communications Networks Space

You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York; and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.

Source: Albert Einstein.

Gone are the days when mobile phones were considered a luxury; today, it is among our daily necessities. Mobile communications have evolved quickly and revolutionized the way we communicate and have brought people around the globe closer than ever before. At the same time, the mobile telecom industry has witnessed an explosive growth rate over the past many years, offering a wide range of services and products.

The latest trend is the availability of multitasking smartphones and various apps for different services and capabilities for our day‐to‐day needs. The combination of smartphones and Apps is enabling mobile broadband services to everyone, everywhere, and anytime on the go. This is leading to a growing demand for smartphones along with manifold increase in Internet traffic. The legacy mobile communications network standards such as Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) (2G), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) (2.5G), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) (3G), Long‐Term Evolution (LTE) (4G), and the emerging and latest buzzword 5G, along with the growth in the number of mobile subscribers, have created a gap between the demand and supply of skilled mobile communications professionals.

The mobile communications industry is a key driver and offers immense employment opportunities. The advent of the 5G system and network is expected to create and offer more opportunities for various professionals and business owners. Communications solution service providers, network installers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and communications software solution services provider firms are demanding skilled and experienced professionals. In the mobile communications space alone, career opportunities exist across these different verticals and areas. Some of these career opportunities are shown in Figure 1.1.

The career opportunity areas shown in Figure 1.1 are at a very high level only. Each of the areas shown spans across multiple systems and subsystems. Opportunities exist at an entry‐level or experienced professional level for various job roles such as software developer and maintenance, team leader, project manager, system architect and engineering, site engineer, network engineer, network operation and maintenance, and so on.

Mobile communications systems and networks are built based on open technical standards, covering a wide spectrum of knowledge areas as illustrated in Figure 1.1. The knowledge areas are spread across the different system engineering areas of mobile communications systems and networks. This book attempts to cover some of those knowledge areas from a practical point of view, so that one can be self‐equipped to start a career in the mobile communications domain.

Figure 1.1 Career opportunities in the mobile communications space.

Part I
Network Architectures, Standardization, Protocols, and Functions

Mobile communications systems and networks based on the GSM/GPRS, UMTS, LTE, and 5G systems and technologies consist of telecommunications infrastructures to provide communications services to mobile users. In this first part of the book, several knowledge areas of legacy mobile communications systems and networks which are based on the GSM/GPRS, UMTS, and LTE technologies as well as 5G systems are covered. The 5G system shall be covered exclusively in Part IV of this book. Because even if a reader is starting a career in LTE, 5G, or the latest, system and network, and as a developer or O&M person, one must know the major key concepts from the legacy GSM/UMTS/LTE networks as well. The network architectures and their protocols; the 3GPP standardization processes; systems engineering; functions such as the network identities, packet encapsulations, and interworking of network aspects of the GSM/GPRS, UMTS, LTE, and 5G system are discussed. This part of the book contains eight chapters, and their purposes are as follows.

Chapter 2 describes the architectures and their domains of the GSM, GPRS, UMTS, and LTE networks. The standardization processes used by the 3GPP and evolutions of mobile communications networks based on the GSM, GPRS, UMTS, LTE, and 5G systems are also described. The System Engineering aspects of mobile communications networks are described briefly.

Chapter 3 describes the architecture and different types of protocols found within the mobile communications systems and networks, which are based on the legacy GSM, GPRS, UMTS, LTE system as well as the 5G system. Various interfaces for peer‐to‐peer protocol layers communications are also described.

Chapters 4 to 9 describes some of the essential functions that are performed by the mobile communications systems and networks, which are based on the legacy GSM, GPRS, UMTS, LTE, and the emerging 5G system to provide seamless communications services to mobile users within a particular network or across the networks.

2
Network Architectures, Standardizations Process

Introduction

This chapter provides the introductory and high‐level architectures of the legacy mobile communications systems which are based on the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), and Long‐Term Evolution (LTE) systems. Howev...