17-11-2012, 04:12 PM
GPRS OVERVIEW
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• GPRS is a Mobile Data Service available to users of GSM and IS-136 mobile phones.
• GPRS is packet-switched and multiple users share the same transmission channel for transmitting the data.
• Who owns GPRS?
The GPRS specifications are written by the European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI), the European counterpart of the American National Standard Institute (ANSI).
GPRS stands for General Packet Radio System. GPRS provides packet radio access for mobile Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and time-division multiple access (TDMA) users.
GPRS is important as a migration step toward third-generation (3G) networks and allows network operators to implement an IP-based core architecture for data applications, which will continue to be used and expanded for 3G services for integrated voice and data applications.
GPRS is a new bearer service for GSM that greatly improves and simplifies wireless access to packet data networks, e.g., to the Internet. It applies a packet radio principle to transfer user data packets in an efficient way between GSM mobile stations and external packet data networks. Packets can be directly routed from the GPRS mobile stations to packet switched networks.
Networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP) (e.g., the global Internet or private/corporate intranets) and X.25 networks are also supported in the current versions of GPRS.
Key Features:
The following three key features describe wireless packet data:
• The always online feature: Removes the dial-up process, making applications only one click away.
• An upgrade to existing systems: Operators do not have to replace their equipment; rather, GPRS is added on top of the existing infrastructure.
• An integral part of future 3G systems: GPRS is the packet data core network for 3G systems EDGE and WCDMA.
Goals of GPRS:
GPRS is the first step toward an end-to-end wireless infrastructure and has the following goals:
• Open architecture
• Consistent IP services
• Same infrastructure for different air interfaces
• Integrated telephony and Internet infrastructure
• Leverage industry investment in IP
• Service innovation independent of infrastructure
Benefits of GPRS:
• Higher Data Rate:
Users of GPRS benefit from shorter access times and higher data rates. In conventional GSM, the connection setup takes several seconds and rates for data transmission are restricted to 9.6 kbit/s. GPRS in practice offers session establishment times below one second and ISDN-like data rates up to several ten kbit/s.
• Easy Billing:
GPRS packet transmission offers a more user friendly billing than that offered by circuit switched services. In circuit switched services, billing is based on the duration of the connection. This is unsuitable for applications with bursty traffic.
GPRS APPLICATION:
GPRS enables a variety of new and unique services to the mobile wireless subscriber. These mobile services have unique characteristics that provide enhanced value to customers. These characteristics include the following:
• Mobility: The ability to maintain constant voice and data communications while on the move
• Immediacy Allows subscribers to obtain connectivity when needed, regardless of location and without a lengthy login session.
• Localization Allows subscribers to obtain information relevant to their current location.
The combination of these characteristics provides a wide spectrum of possible applications that can be offered to mobile subscribers. In general, applications can be separated into two high-level categories: corporate and consumer. These include:
• Communications: E-mail, fax, unified messaging and intranet/Internet access etc.
• Value-added services: Information services and games etc.
• E-commerce: Retail, ticket purchasing, banking and financial trading etc.
• Location-based applications: Navigation, traffic conditions, airline/rail schedules and location finder etc.
• Vertical applications: Freight delivery, fleet management and sales-force automation.
• Advertising: Advertising may be location sensitive. For example, a user entering a mall can receive advertisements specific to the stores in that mall.
It is also possible to send SMS messages over GPRS. In addition, it is planned to implement supplementary services, such as call forwarding unconditional (CFU), call forwarding on mobile subscriber not reachable (CFNRc), and closed user group (CUG).
ARCHITECTURE
GPRS is a data network that overlays a second-generation GSM network. This data overlay network provides packet data transport at rates from 9.6 to 171 kbps. Additionally, multiple users can share the same air-interface resources simultaneously.