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2 GSM Networks: Protocols, Terminology, and Implementation

For the engineer who deals with GSM or its related Systems on a daily basis, this book has advantages over other GSM texts in that it ąuickly gets to the point and can be used as a reference source. I hope the readers of this book find it helpful in filling in some of the gray areas on the GSM map.

1.2 Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)

When the acronym GSM was used for the first time in 1982, it stood for Groupe Speciale Mobile, a committee under the umbrella of Conference Europeenne des Postes et Telecommunications (CEPT), the European standardi-zation organization.

The task of GSM was to define a new standard for mobile Communications in the 900 MHz rangę. It was decided to use digital technology. In the course of time, CEPT evolved into a new organization, the European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI). That, however, did not change the task of GSM. The goal of GSM was to replace the purely national, already over-loaded, and thus expensive technologies of the member countries with an inter-national standard.

In 1991, the first GSM systems were ready to be brought into so-called friendly-user operation. The meaning of the acronym GSM was changed that same year to stand for Global System for Mobile Communications. The year 1991 also saw the definition of the first derivative of GSM, the Digital Cellular System 1800 (DCS 1800), which morę or less translates the GSM system into the 1800 MHz frequency rangę.

In the United States, DCS 1800 was adapted to the 1900 MHz band (Personal Communication System 1900, or PCS 1900). The next phase, GSM Phase 2, will provide even morę end-user features than phase 1 of GSM did. In 1991, only “insiders” believed such a success would be possible because mobile Communications could not be considered a mass market in most parts of Europę.

By 1992, many European countries had operational networks, and GSM started to attract interest worldwide. Time has brought substantial technologi-cal progress to the GSM hardware. GSM has proved to be a major commercial success for system manufacturers as well as for network operators.

How was such success possible? Particularly today, where Codę Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Personal Handy Phone System (PHS), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), and other systems try to mimie the success of GSM, that ąuestion comes to mind and is also discussed within the European standardization organizations.