Category Archives: Telco

Telco terminologies

GERAN – GPRS EDGE Radio Access Network
UTRAN – UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network
UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
SIGTRAN – SS7 Signaling over IP
GPRS – General Packet Radio Service (2.5G)
EDGE – Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (2.75G)

PLMN – Public Land Mobile Network
PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network

NSS – Network & Switching Subsystem
BSS – Base Station System
MSC – Mobile Switching Center
MSC-S/MSS – Mobile Switching Center Server (3G)
GMSC – Gateway MSC
IMS – IP Multimedia Subsystem
BSC – Base Station Controller
BTS – Base Transceiver Station
SGSN – Serving GPRS Supporting Node
GGSN – Gateway GPRS Supporting Node
VLR – Visitor Location Register
HLR – Home Location Register
AuC – Authentication Center
EIR – Equipment Identity Register
IN – Intelligent Network

Gb – Link between BSS and SGSN
Gn – Link between SGSN and other SGSNs and internal GGSN
Gp – Link between SGSN and external GGSN
Gr – Link between SGSN and HLR
Gi – Link between GGSN and PDN (Public Data Network)
Gd – Link between SGSN and SMS Gateway

A-Interface – Link between MSC and BSC
A-bis – Link between BSC and BTS
RNC – Radio Network Controller (BSC in UMTS world)
Node B – BTS in UMTS world
IuCS – Link between RNC and MSC (voice)
IuPS – Link between RNC and SGSN (data)
IuR – Link between RNC and RNC
IuB – Link between RNC and Node B

DDF – Digital Distribution Frame
ODF – Optical fiber Distribution Frame

More to come.. picture soon!