Connection? This is a system that uses a large number of low power wireless transmitters to create cells - the system's main geographic coverage area. demon wired connection. Variable power levels allow cell sizes to be determined according to subscriber density and regional needs.

As mobile users move from cell to cell, their conversations are "transferred" between these areas to ensure uninterrupted service. Channels (frequencies) used in one such unit can be reused in another at some distance.

Cellular refers to the enhanced mobile phone service. telephone communication(AMPS), which divides a geographic region into sections called cells. The purpose of this division is to make the most of limited quantity transmission frequencies.

Cellular is a form of communication technology that allows the use of mobile phones.

A mobile phone is a bi-directional radio that allows simultaneous transmission and reception.

Based on the geographical division of the communication coverage area. Each cell is allocated a certain number of frequencies (or channels) that allow a large number callers to talk at the same time.

A common element of all generations of mobile communication technologies is the use of certain radio frequencies (RF) as well as frequency reuse. This allows you to provide services to a large number of subscribers while reducing the number of channels (bandwidth). It also allows the creation of wide networks by fully integrating advanced mobile phone capabilities.

The increase in demand and consumption, as well as the development of various types of services, has accelerated the rapid technological development modern networks, as well as the continuous improvement of the cellular devices themselves.

How mobile communication works

Each mobile phone uses a separate temporary radio channel to communicate with the cell site. This site supports communication with many phones at the same time using one channel per phone. Channels use a pair of frequencies cellular communication:

1. Direct line for transmission from the cell site.
2. Reverse line so that the cell site can receive calls from users.

Radio energy dissipates over distance, so mobile phones must remain close to the base station in order to communicate. The basic structure of mobile networks includes telephone systems and radio services.

The principle of operation of cellular communications (for dummies)

The process begins with the activation of the chip by entering the PIN code of the inserted SIM card. Then the cellular signal is transmitted over the control channels. The called number is answered by free channel control to the base station antenna, from where it is transmitted to the mobile switching center.

The switching center searches for a base station with the maximum cell phone signal strength of a cellular subscriber and switches the conversation to it.

Early telephone system architecture

The traditional mobile service was structured similarly to television broadcasting: one very powerful transmitter, located at the highest point in the area, would broadcast within a radius of up to fifty kilometers.

The cellular concept structured the telephone network differently. Instead of using one powerful transmitter, many low-power transmitters were placed throughout the cellular coverage area.

For example, by dividing an area into one hundred different sites (cells) with low power transmitters using twelve conversations (channels), the system capacity can theoretically be increased from twelve conversations or voice channels using one powerful transmitter to twelve hundred conversations (channels) using one hundred low power transmitters.

The urban area is configured as a traditional mobile telephone network with a single powerful transmitter.

Mobile communication system using cellular concept

Interference problems caused by mobile devices using the same channel in adjacent areas have proven that all channels cannot be reused in every cell. Although this affected the effectiveness of the original concept, frequency reuse has become a viable solution to the problems of mobile telephony systems.

The engineers found that the effect of interference was not related to the distance between zones, but to the ratio of distance to power (radius) of the zone transmitters. By reducing the zone radius by fifty percent, service providers can quadruple the number of potential customers in the zone.

Systems based on areas with a radius of one kilometer will have a hundred times more channels than systems with areas within a radius of ten kilometers. Speculation led to the conclusion that by reducing the zone radius to a few hundred meters, millions of calls could be handled.

The cellular concept uses variable low power levels, which allows cells to be selected according to subscriber density and the needs of the area. As the population grows, cells can be added to accommodate that growth.

Cellular frequencies used in one cluster of cells can be reused in other cells. Conversations can be transferred from cell to cell to maintain a constant telephone connection as the user moves between them.

Cellular radio equipment (base station) can communicate with mobile phones as long as they are within range. Radio energy dissipates over distance, so mobile phones must be within the operating range of the base station. Like the early mobile radio system, the base station communicates with mobile phones via a channel.

The channel consists of two frequencies: one for transmitting to the base station and one for receiving information from the base station.

Cellular system architecture

Increasing demand and the poor quality of existing services have prompted providers mobile services explore ways to improve the quality of service and support more users on their systems. Since the amount of frequency spectrum available for mobile cellular use was limited, efficient use of the required frequencies was necessary to cover communications.

In modern cellular telephony, rural and urban areas are divided into districts according to specific service rules. Deployment parameters such as number of divisions and cell sizes are determined by engineers experienced in cellular system architecture.

Provision for each region is planned according to an engineering plan that includes cells, clusters, frequency reuse and handover.

The cell is the basic geographical unit cellular system. These are base stations that transmit a signal across small geographic areas, which are represented as hexagons. The size of each varies according to the landscape. Due to limitations imposed by natural terrain and man-made structures, the true shape of the cells is not a perfect hexagon.

A cluster is a group of cells. No channel is reused in the cluster.

Because for mobile systems Since only a small number of radio channel frequencies were available, engineers had to find a way to reuse radio channels to carry more than one conversation at a time. The decision taken by the industry was called scheduling or frequency reuse. Frequency reuse was realized by restructuring the architecture of the mobile telephone system into the concept of cellular communication.

Cellular standards are as follows: the concept of frequency reuse is based on assigning to each cell a group of radio channels used within a small geographical area. Cells are assigned a channel group that is completely different from neighboring similar units. Their coverage area is called an imprint. This footprint is bounded by a boundary so that the same group of channels can be used in different cells that are far enough apart that their frequencies do not interfere.

Cells with the same number have the same set of frequencies. If the number of available frequencies is 7, the frequency reuse factor is 1/7. That is, each cell uses 1/7 of the available cellular channels.

Obstacles in the development of cellular communications

Unfortunately, economic considerations made the concept of creating complete systems with many small plots. To overcome this difficulty, system operators developed the idea of ​​cell splitting. When a service area becomes full of users, this approach is used to split one area into smaller ones. Thus, urban centers can be subdivided into as many areas as needed to provide an acceptable level of service in high traffic areas, while larger, less expensive cells can be used to cover outlying rural areas.

The last hurdle in development cellular network due to a problem that arose when a cellular subscriber moved from one cell to another during a call. Since adjacent areas do not use the same radio channels, the call must either be dropped or transferred from one radio channel to another when the user crosses the line between adjacent cells.

Since call drop is not allowed, a handover process has been created. A handover occurs when a mobile phone network automatically transfers a call to another radio channel when mobile device crosses neighboring cells.

During a conversation, the two parties are on the same voice channel. When the mobile device leaves the coverage area of ​​a given cell site, reception becomes poor. At this point, the cell site in use requests a handover. The system switches the call to a higher frequency channel at the new site without dropping the call or alerting the user. The call continues as long as the user is talking and the subscriber does not notice the handover.

Cellular System Components

The cellular system offers mobile and portable telephone exchanges the same service as fixed exchanges over conventional wired loops. It is capable of serving tens of thousands of subscribers in a large metropolis. A cellular communication system consists of the following four main components that work together to provide mobile communication services to subscribers:

1. Telephone network common use(PSTN).
2. Mobile telephone exchange(MTSO).
3. Cell site with antenna system.
4. Mobile Subscriber Station (MSU).

The PSTN consists of local area networks, exchange area networks, and long distance networks that connect telephones and other communication devices around the world.

MTSO is the central office of mobile communications. It houses the communications switching center (MSC), field control and relay stations to switch calls from cell sites to wireline central offices (PSTN).

The term "cell site" is used to refer to the physical location of the radio equipment that provides cell coverage. List hardware located on cell station, includes power supplies, interface equipment, RF transmitters and receivers, and antenna systems.

The mobile subscriber unit consists of a control unit and a transceiver that transmits and receives radio transmissions to and from the cell site. Three types of MSUs are available:

• Mobile phone (Typical transmission power 4.0W).
• Portable (Typical transmission power 0.6W).
• Transportable (Typical transmission power is 1.6W).

The dangers of cell towers

Cellular communication is a big breakthrough in science and technology of its time, which has not been without consequences. The cell phone industry continues to claim that cell towers are not a health hazard, but fewer people believe this these days.

Are cell towers harmful? Unfortunately, the correct answer is yes. Microwaves can interfere with your body's electromagnetic fields, causing many potential health problems:

1. Headache.
2. Memory loss.
3. Cardiovascular stress.
4. Low sperm count.
5. birth defects.

There is compelling evidence that electromagnetic radiation towers are harmful to health.

Example: A study on the effect of a cage tower on a herd of dairy cattle was carried out by the government of the state of Bavaria in Germany, the results were published in 1998. The erection of the tower caused adverse health effects resulting in a measurable drop in milk yield. The move of cattle restored the milk yield. Moving them back to their original pasture recreated the problem.

Cellular communication in Russia

Of the 100 possible codes for cellular communication in Russia, 79 are used and 21 are free. Free codes are in reserve and do not yet belong to any operator.

More than 80 cellular communication companies are registered in the Russian Federation, providing their services in the country. Mobile operators have phone codes in 9xx format. ten digits and start with +79xx or 89xx.

The largest operators include: MTS (Mobile TeleSystems), Beeline (Vympel-Communications), MegaFon, Tele2 (T2-Mobile). The Big Three operators (MTS, Beeline and MegaFon) own a whole series of numbers.

cellular

cellular, mobile network- one of the types of mobile radio communications, which is based on cellular network. Key Features is that the total coverage area is divided into cells (cells) determined by the coverage areas of individual base stations (BS). The cells partially overlap and together form a network. On an ideal (flat and undeveloped) surface, the coverage area of ​​one BS is a circle, so the network composed of them looks like honeycombs with hexagonal cells (honeycombs).

The network consists of transceivers spaced apart in space, operating in the same frequency range, and switching equipment that allows you to determine the current location of mobile subscribers and ensure communication continuity when a subscriber moves from the coverage area of ​​one transceiver to the coverage area of ​​another.

Story

The first use of mobile telephone radio in the United States dates back to 1921: the Detroit police used a one-way dispatcher communication in the 2 MHz band to transmit information from a central transmitter to vehicle-mounted receivers. In 1933, the NYPD began using a two-way mobile telephone radio system, also on the 2 MHz band. In 1934, the US Federal Communications Commission allocated 4 channels for telephone radio communications in the range of 30-40 MHz, and in 1940, about 10 thousand police vehicles were already using telephone radio communications. All of these systems used amplitude modulation. Frequency modulation began to be used in 1940 and by 1946 had completely supplanted amplitude modulation. The first public mobile radiotelephone appeared in 1946 (St. Louis, USA; Bell Telephone Laboratories), it used the 150 MHz band. In 1955, an 11-channel system began operating in the 150 MHz band, and in 1956, a 12-channel system in the 450 MHz band. Both of these systems were simplex and used manual switching. Automatic duplex systems began operating in 1964 (150 MHz) and 1969 (450 MHz) respectively.

In the USSR, in 1957, Moscow engineer L. I. Kupriyanovich created a prototype of a wearable automatic duplex mobile radiotelephone LK-1 and a base station for it. The mobile radiotelephone weighed about three kilograms and had a range of 20-30 km. In 1958, Kupriyanovich created improved models of the apparatus, weighing 0.5 kg and the size of a cigarette box. In the 1960s Hristo Bochvarov in Bulgaria demonstrates his prototype pocket mobile radiotelephone. At the Interorgtekhnika-66 exhibition, Bulgaria presents a set for organizing local mobile communication from PAT-0.5 and ATRT-0.5 pocket mobile phones and a RATC-10 base station that connects 10 subscribers.

At the end of the 50s, the development of the Altai car radiotelephone system began in the USSR, which was put into trial operation in 1963. The Altai system initially operated at a frequency of 150 MHz. In 1970, the Altai system operated in 30 cities of the USSR and a 330 MHz band was allocated for it.

Similarly, with natural differences and on a smaller scale, the situation developed in other countries. Thus, in Norway, public telephone radio has been used as maritime mobile communications since 1931; in 1955 there were 27 coastal radio stations in the country. Land mobile communications began to develop after World War II in the form of private hand-switched networks. Thus, by 1970, mobile telephone radio communication, on the one hand, had already become quite widespread, but on the other hand, it clearly did not keep pace with rapidly growing needs, with a limited number of channels in strictly defined frequency bands. The solution was found in the form of a cellular communication system, which made it possible to dramatically increase the capacity due to the reuse of frequencies in a system with a cellular structure.

Cellular systems

Separate elements of the cellular communication system existed before. In particular, some semblance of a cellular system was used in 1949 in Detroit (USA) by a taxi dispatch service - with the reuse of frequencies in different cells with manual channel switching by users in predetermined places. However, the architecture of what is today known as a cellular system was only outlined in a Bell System technical report submitted to the US Federal Communications Commission in December 1971. Since that time, the development of the actual cellular communication begins.

In 1974, the US Federal Communications Commission decided to allocate a 40 MHz frequency band for cellular communications in the 800 MHz band; in 1986 another 10 MHz was added to it in the same range. In 1978, Chicago began testing the first experimental cellular communication system for 2,000 subscribers. Therefore, 1978 can be considered the year of the beginning of the practical application of cellular communications. The first automatic commercial cellular system was also put into operation in Chicago in October 1983 by American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T). In Canada, cellular communications have been used since 1978, in Japan - since 1979, in northern European countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland) - since 1981, in Spain and England - since 1982. As of July 1997, cellular communications were operating in more than 140 countries on all continents, serving more than 150 million subscribers.

The first commercially successful cellular network was the Finnish Autoradiopuhelin (ARP) network. This name is translated into Russian as "Car Radiotelephone". Launched in 1971, it reached 100% coverage in Finland in 1978, and in 1986 it had over 30,000 subscribers. The network operated at a frequency of 150 MHz, the cell size was about 30 km.

The principle of operation of cellular communication

The main components of a cellular network are cell phones and base stations, which are usually located on rooftops and towers. Being turned on cellular telephone listens to the air, finding the signal of the base station. The phone then sends its unique identification code to the station. The telephone and the station maintain constant radio contact, periodically exchanging packets. The phone can communicate with the station using an analog protocol (AMPS, NAMPS, NMT-450) or digital (DAMPS, CDMA, GSM, UMTS). If the phone goes out of range of the base station (or the quality of the radio signal of the service cell deteriorates), it establishes communication with another (Eng. handover).

Cellular networks can be base stations different standards, which allows you to optimize the network and improve its coverage.

Cellular networks different operators connected to each other, as well as to the fixed telephone network. This allows subscribers of one operator to make calls to subscribers of another operator, from mobile phones to landlines and from landlines to mobiles.

Operators can conclude roaming agreements among themselves. Thanks to such contracts, the subscriber, being outside the coverage area of ​​his network, can make and receive calls through the network of another operator. As a rule, this is carried out at increased rates. The possibility of roaming appeared only in 2G standards and is one of the main differences from 1G networks.

Irina Yasina, head of the Regional Journalism Club, recalls:

By July 1997, the total number of subscribers in Russia was about 300,000. For 2007, the main cellular communication protocols used in Russia are GSM-900 and GSM-1800. In addition, CDMA networks also work, in the CDMA-2000 standard, aka IMT-MC-450. Also, GSM operators are making a smooth transition to the UMTS standard. In particular, the first fragment of the network of this standard in Russia was put into operation on October 2, 2007 in St. Petersburg by MegaFon.

IDC, based on a study of the Russian cellular market, concluded that in 2005 the total duration of conversations on a cell phone of Russian residents reached 155 billion minutes, and text messages 15 billion pieces were shipped.

According to the data of the British research company Informa Telecoms & Media for 2006, the average cost of a minute of cellular communication for a consumer in Russia was $0.05 - this is the lowest figure among the G8 countries.

In December 2007, the number of cellular users in Russia increased to 172.87 million subscribers, in Moscow - up to 29.9, in St. Petersburg - up to 9.7 million. The penetration rate in Russia - up to 119.1%, Moscow - 176%, St. Petersburg - 153%. In December 2011, the level of penetration in Russia - up to 156%, Moscow - 212.1%, St. Petersburg - 215.6%. The market share of the largest cellular operators as of December 2007 was: MTS 30.9%, VimpelCom 29.2%, MegaFon 19.9%, other operators 20%.

According to a study by J "son & Partners, the number of SIM cards registered in Russia as of the end of November 2008 reached 183.8 million. This figure is due to the lack subscription fee on popular tariff plans Russian operators cellular communication and low price of connection to the network. Subscribers in some cases have SIM cards of different operators, while they may not use them for a long time, or use one SIM card in their office mobile phone, and the other for personal conversations.

In December 2008, there were 187.8 million cellular users in Russia (in terms of the number of SIM cards sold). The penetration rate of cellular communications (number of SIM-cards per 100 inhabitants) on that date was thus 129.4%. In the regions, excluding Moscow, the penetration rate exceeded 119.7%.

The penetration rate at the end of 2009 reached 162.4%.

As of April 2010 market share in Russia by subscribers: MTS - 32.9%, MegaFon - 24.6%, VimpelCom - 24.0%, Tele2 - 7.5%, other operators - 11.0%

Cellular services

Cellular operators provide the following services:

• Voice call;
• AON (Automatic Caller ID) and AntiAON;
• Reception and transmission of multimedia messages - images, melodies, video (MMS service);
• Access to the Internet ;
• Video call and video conference

see also

Notes

Links

• The basis of a cellular network - how base stations are built - a review article on the site 3Dnews.ru (Russian)
• Cellular Control Center - a look from the inside - a review article on the site 3Dnews.ru (Russian)
• MAIN INDICATORS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS AND MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS (as of the end of 2009)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what "Cellular communication" is in other dictionaries:

- (eng. cellular phone, mobile radio relay), a type of radiotelephone communication in which the end devices of mobile phones (see MOBILE PHONE) are connected to each other using a cellular network of a set of special transceivers ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

One of the types of mobile radio communication, which is based on a cellular network. The key feature is that the total coverage area is divided into cells (cells) determined by the coverage areas of individual base stations (BS). Honeycombs partially ... ... Glossary of business terms

Cellular communication of the third generation- Cellular networks of the third generation (3rd Generation, or 3G) operate at frequencies in the range of about 2 gigahertz and provide data transmission at speeds up to 2 megabits per second. Such characteristics allow the use of a mobile phone in ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

Ekaterinburg 2000 LLC Type Cellular operator Location ... Wikipedia

The article contains errors and/or typos. It is necessary to check the content of the article for compliance with the grammatical norms of the Russian language ... Wikipedia

It is hardly possible today to find a person who would never use a cell phone. But does everyone understand how cellular communication works? How is it arranged and how does what we all have long been accustomed to work? Are signals from base stations transmitted over wires, or does it all work in some other way? Or maybe all cellular communication functions only due to radio waves? We will try to answer these and other questions in our article, leaving the description of the GSM standard beyond its scope.

At the moment when a person tries to make a call from his mobile phone, or when they start calling him, the phone connects via radio waves to one of the base stations (the most accessible), to one of its antennas. Base stations can be observed here and there, looking at the houses of our cities, at the roofs and facades of industrial buildings, at skyscrapers, and finally at red-white masts specially erected for stations (especially along highways).

These stations look like rectangular gray boxes, from which various antennas stick out in different directions (usually up to 12 antennas). The antennas here work both for reception and for transmission, and they belong to the mobile operator. Base station antennas are directed in all possible directions (sectors) to provide “network coverage” to subscribers from all sides at a distance of up to 35 kilometers.

An antenna of one sector is able to serve up to 72 calls simultaneously, and if there are 12 antennas, then imagine: 864 calls can, in principle, be served by one large base station at the same time! Although usually limited to 432 channels (72 * 6). Each antenna is connected by cable to the control unit of the base station. And already blocks of several base stations (each station serves its own part of the territory) are attached to the controller. Up to 15 base stations can be connected to one controller.

The base station, in principle, is capable of operating on three bands: the 900 MHz signal penetrates better into buildings and structures, spreads further, so this particular band is often used in villages and fields; the signal at a frequency of 1800 MHz does not spread so far, but more transmitters are installed in one sector, so such stations are more often installed in cities; finally 2100 MHz is a 3G network.

Of course, there may be several controllers in a settlement or district, so the controllers, in turn, are connected by cables to the switch. The task of the switch is to connect the networks of mobile operators with each other and with city lines of regular telephone communication, long-distance communication and international communication. If the network is small, then one switch is enough; if it is large, two or more switches are used. The switches are interconnected by wires.

In the process of moving a person talking on a mobile phone along the street, for example: he walks, rides in public transport, or moves in a personal car, his phone should not lose the network for a moment, you cannot cut off the conversation.

Communication continuity is obtained due to the ability of the base station network to very quickly switch the subscriber from one antenna to another in the process of moving from the coverage area of ​​one antenna to the coverage area of ​​another (from cell to cell). The subscriber himself does not notice how he ceases to be connected with one base station, and is already connected to another, how he switches from antenna to antenna, from station to station, from controller to controller ...

At the same time, the switch provides optimal load distribution over a multi-layer network scheme in order to reduce the likelihood of equipment failure. A multilevel network is built like this: cell phone - base station - controller - switch.

Let's say we make a call, and now the signal has already reached the switch. The switch transfers our call towards the destination subscriber - to the city network, to the international or long-distance communication network, or to the network of another mobile operator. All this happens very quickly using high-speed fiber optic cable channels.

Further, our call arrives at the switchboard, which is located on the side of the receiving call (called by us) subscriber. The "receiving" switch already has data about where the called subscriber is located, in what network coverage area: which controller, which base station. And so, the network polling begins from the base station, the addressee is found, and a call “receives” on his phone.

The entire chain of the described events, from the moment of dialing the number to the moment the call is heard on the receiving side, usually lasts no more than 3 seconds. So we can now call anywhere in the world.

Andrey Povny

Do you know what happens after you dial a friend's number on your mobile phone? How does the cellular network find it in the mountains of Andalusia or on the coast of distant Easter Island? Why does the conversation sometimes suddenly stop? Last week I visited Beeline and tried to figure out how cellular communication works ...

A large area of ​​the populated part of our country is covered by Base Stations (BS). In the field, they look like red and white towers, and in the city they are hidden on the roofs of non-residential buildings. Each station picks up a signal from mobile phones at a distance of up to 35 kilometers and communicates with mobile phone through official or voice channels.

After you dialed a friend's number, your phone contacts the nearest Base Station (BS) via a service channel and asks you to allocate a voice channel. The base station sends the request to the controller (BSC), which forwards it to the switch (MSC). If your friend is on the same cellular network, the switch will check the Home Location Register (HLR) to find out where in this moment the called subscriber is located (at home, in Turkey or in Alaska), and will transfer the call to the appropriate switchboard, from where it will forward it to the controller and then to the Base Station. The Base Station will contact the mobile phone and connect you with a friend. If your friend is a subscriber of another network or you call a landline phone, then your switch will contact the corresponding switch of another network. Difficult? Let's take a closer look. The Base Station is a pair of iron cabinets locked in a well-air-conditioned room. Given that in Moscow it was +40 on the street, I wanted to live in this room for a while. Usually, the Base Station is located either in the attic of the building or in a container on the roof:

2.

The Base Station antenna is divided into several sectors, each of which "shines" in its own direction. The vertical antenna communicates with phones, the round one connects the Base Station with the controller:

3.

Each sector can serve up to 72 calls at the same time, depending on the setup and configuration. A Base Station can consist of 6 sectors, so one Base Station can serve up to 432 calls, however, there are usually fewer transmitters and sectors installed in the station. Cellular operators prefer to install more BS to improve the quality of communication. The Base Station can operate in three bands: 900 MHz - the signal at this frequency spreads further and penetrates better inside buildings 1800 MHz - the signal spreads over shorter distances, but allows you to install large quantity transmitters on 1 sector 2100 MHz - 3G network This is how a cabinet with 3G equipment looks like:

4.

900 MHz transmitters are installed at Base Stations in fields and villages, and in the city, where Base Stations are stuck like needles in a hedgehog, communication is mainly carried out at a frequency of 1800 MHz, although transmitters of all three bands can be present at any Base Station at the same time.

5.

6.

A 900 MHz signal can reach up to 35 kilometers, although the "range" of some Base Stations along the routes can reach up to 70 kilometers, by reducing the number of simultaneously served subscribers at the station by half. Accordingly, our phone, with its small built-in antenna, can also transmit a signal up to 70 kilometers... All Base Stations are designed to provide optimum ground level radio coverage. Therefore, despite the range of 35 kilometers, the radio signal is simply not sent to the altitude of the aircraft. However, some airlines have already begun installing low-powered base stations on their aircraft that provide coverage inside the aircraft. Such a BS is connected to the terrestrial cellular network using a satellite channel. The system is complemented by a control panel that allows the crew to turn the system on and off, as well as certain types of services, such as turning off the voice on night flights. The phone can measure signal strength from 32 Base Stations simultaneously. It sends information about the 6 best (by signal level) via the service channel, and the controller (BSC) decides which BS to transmit the current call (Handover) if you are on the move. Sometimes the phone may make a mistake and transfer you to a BS with a worse signal, in which case the conversation may be interrupted. It may also turn out that at the Base Station that your phone has selected, all voice lines are busy. In this case, the conversation will also be interrupted. I was also told about the so-called "top floor problem". If you live in a penthouse, then sometimes, when moving from one room to another, the conversation may be interrupted. This is because in one room the phone can "see" one BS, and in the second - another, if it goes to the other side of the house, and, at the same time, these 2 Base Stations are at a great distance from each other and are not registered as "neighboring" from the cellular operator. In this case, the transfer of a call from one BS to another will not occur:

Communication in the metro is provided in the same way as on the street: Base Station - controller - switch, with the only difference that small Base Stations are used there, and in the tunnel coverage is provided not by an ordinary antenna, but by a special radiating cable. As I wrote above, one BS can make up to 432 calls at the same time. Usually this power is enough for the eyes, but, for example, during some holidays, the BS may not be able to cope with the number of people who want to call. This usually happens on New Year when everyone starts to congratulate each other. SMS are transmitted through service channels. On March 8 and February 23, people prefer to congratulate each other via SMS, sending funny rhymes, and phones often cannot agree with the BS on the allocation of a voice channel. I was told an interesting story. From one district of Moscow, complaints began to come from subscribers that they could not get through anywhere. Technicians began to understand. Most of the voice channels were free, and all service channels were busy. It turned out that next to this BS there was an institute where exams were taking place and students were constantly exchanging text messages. The phone divides long SMS into several short ones and sends each one separately. Employees of the technical service are advised to send such congratulations using MMS. It will be faster and cheaper. From the Base Station, the call goes to the controller. It looks as boring as the BS itself - it's just a set of cabinets:

7.

Depending on the equipment, the controller can serve up to 60 Base Stations. Communication between the BS and the controller (BSC) can be carried out via a radio relay channel or via optics. The controller controls the operation of radio channels, incl. controls the movement of the subscriber, signal transmission from one BS to another. The switch looks much more interesting:

8.

9.

Each switch serves from 2 to 30 controllers. It already occupies a large hall filled with various cabinets with equipment:

10.

11.

12.

The switch performs traffic control. Remember the old movies where people first called the “girl”, and then she connected them with another subscriber, rewiring the wires? Modern switches do the same:

13.

To control the network, Beeline has several cars, which they affectionately call "hedgehogs". They move around the city and measure the signal level of their own network, as well as the level of the network of colleagues from the "Big Three":

14.

The entire roof of such a car is studded with antennas:

15.

Inside there is equipment that makes hundreds of calls and captures information:

16.

Round-the-clock control over switches and controllers is carried out from the Mission Control Center of the Network Control Center (NCC):

17.

There are 3 main areas for monitoring the cellular network: accident rate, statistics and feedback from subscribers. Just like in airplanes, all cellular network equipment has sensors that send a signal to the MCC and output information to the dispatchers' computers. If some equipment is out of order, then the light on the monitor will “blink”. The MSC also keeps track of statistics for all switches and controllers. He analyzes it by comparing it with previous periods (hour, day, week, etc.). If the statistics of one of the nodes began to differ sharply from the previous indicators, then the light on the monitor will again begin to “blink”. Feedback is received by subscriber service operators. If they cannot solve the problem, then the call is transferred to a technical specialist. If he turns out to be powerless, then an “incident” is created in the company, which is solved by engineers involved in the operation of the corresponding equipment. The switches are monitored around the clock by 2 engineers:

18.

The graph shows the activity of Moscow switches. It is clearly seen that almost no one calls at night:

19.

Control over the controllers (sorry for the tautology) is carried out from the second floor of the Network Control Center:

22.

21.

It is difficult to imagine today a person who does without cellular communication. Every day people call each other, send millions of messages, go online using mobile phones. Cellular operators are responsible for the quality of communication, cost and package of services.

List of telecom operators in Russia

There is no single operator responsible for mobile communications. In Russia, there are more than a hundred operating mobile operators. Some regional providers are subsidiaries of major Russian mobile operators.

According to statistics, among the leaders among companies providing mobile communication services are 3 - the "big three" providers - MTS, Megafon, Beeline. These companies have largest number subscribers, the largest coverage area, a wide range of services.

1. MTS. The only "cell phone", which is included in the top 20 world leaders. According to the results of 2017, it has the largest number of subscribers in Russia (more than 78 million people), and taking into account the CIS countries, the number of subscribers is more than 100 million. It has the most extensive network of communication salons in the country (more than 5700 points).
2. Megaphone. There are more than 76 million subscribers in Russia, there is a great demand for Megafon SIM cards in Abkhazia, Tajikistan, and South Ossetia. The company positions itself as the operator with the fastest mobile Internet.
3. Beeline. The VimpelCom brand is included in the top 100 recognizable brands in the world. The number of subscribers in Russia reaches 59 million people, but Beeline is the leader in terms of the number of roaming countries and partners. This allows you to stay connected while traveling and save on roaming services.

The top popular operators include companies that are not included in the 3 "big three", but in terms of popularity they are a significant competitor. The rating of mobile operators includes both smaller companies, new ones, and regional ones. The very concept of the “big three” is becoming obsolete, because Other providers are also gaining market share:

• Tinkoff Mobile is one of the newcomers to the communications market, which offers its users a lot of nice bonuses: selection of an individual tariff without unnecessary services and pitfalls, beautiful numbers, affordable roaming. Also, importantly, the operator provides high-quality communication. And when you first replenish your account, you will receive.
• Tele2. At the end of 2017, it is the only company that has increased the number of subscribers. As a federal Russian operator, it has been operating since 2014 after obtaining a license for communication in 3G format. The operator's audience is at least 40 million people in 65 regions of the country. Most active subscribers are in Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk and Nizhny Novgorod regions. It occupies the 3rd place in Russia in terms of the number of base stations, it is distinguished by fast mobile Internet due to low network load, as well as affordable package tariffs with the Internet.
• Yota - virtual mobile operator. The brand has been in existence since 2008. Works on the technical infrastructure of MegaFon. The subscriber base is about 1.5 million people. Until January 2017, the only operator with unlimited access to mobile Internet, today tariff line includes only data-limited products for smartphones, while there are offers for tablets and computers with unlimited internet, the price of which depends on the speed.
• Rostelecom is an Internet provider and a company providing home wired communication and cable television services. The company offers its subscribers cellular communication in GSM 900/1800 and Mobile Internet.
• "Motive" serves only 4 regions in the Urals Federal District. This brand has been in existence since 2002. The company provides communication in GPRS / EDGE, IVR, MMS, SMS, USSD formats, it is not represented in Moscow.
• "SMARTS" is a Samara company. Communication in Russia is provided to subscribers from the Volga region and the central regions of the country. The list of services includes data transfer GPRS, CSD, communication in the standards GSM-900, GSM-1800, SMS, MMS.

Before making a choice of a mobile operator, each client must outline their own circle of preferences and identify requirements for mobile communications. Each provider is good in its own way, best operator cellular communication can also be of regional status, if the package of services that it provides meets the needs of the client.

A list for communication in Russia, a phone code and a comparison of operators will help you choose the right provider.

Map of mobile operators

Communications companies are sensitive to increasing customer requirements. Now not only major players in the telecommunications market offer high-quality communication coverage. The appearance of new towers makes it possible to provide communication even to the most remote settlements, you can now use a mobile phone in the subway and in skyscrapers. Operators provide not only high-quality and uninterrupted telephone coverage, but also fast access to the Internet via 3G and 4G networks.

Each company is struggling to retain existing subscribers and expand its consumer base, therefore, in almost every city there are salons where customers can not only purchase a starter package, but also receive qualified assistance or answers to their questions.

Each Russian company has a database of 11-digit numbers, by which you can determine the operator and regions for connecting the number. The possibility of switching from one operator to another, which appeared after the abolition of "mobile slavery", was not used by all subscribers, so the code table helps to determine where the unknown incoming "came from".

If the number is registered in Moscow and the Moscow region, then the unknown number incoming call easy to define:

Beeline does not have a clear link to the region, like other major operators. The company has separate codes only for the Far East and Primorsky Krai. And Yota numbers are not tied to the region, they all start with the code 999.

In the North-West region and St. Petersburg

Southern Federal District, including the North Caucasus

The tables show both codes calculated for all regions, and those that are used only in specified city, area. But large operators have codes for certain areas, that is, cellular services will only be cheaper when used in the home region.

The place of registration of numbers with codes 950, 951, 952 at Tele2 can be the Irkutsk Region, Khanty-Mansiysk Region, Lipetsk Region, Kursk Region, Perm Territory, Chelyabinsk Region, Kemerovo Region, Republic of Buryatia, Republic of Mordovia, Tyumen Region and Udmurtia.
Large operators have allocated separate codes for the Urals: 922 - Megafon, 982 - MTS.

What numbers do Russian operators use

The phone number of any Russian operator starts with 8, to dial in the international format you need to dial +7. However, within Russia, the call will be equally successful when dialing both from the eight and from +7.

After the international code, the prefix digits follow - this is the DEF code used in mobile networks. The prefixes of Russian operators start with 9, i.e. the general form of the code is always this: 9xx. For companies providing mobile communication services, one or more of these codes are allocated. This makes it possible to determine the operator and the region of the caller: 926, 916, 977 are Moscow numbers, and 911, 921 or 981 are St. Petersburg numbers.

For the "mobile trio" a series of codes are allocated, in which the second digits also coincide. For example, 91x or 98x are MTS numbers, and 92x or 93x are Megaphone numbers.

The next 7 digits are the subscriber's number, by which it is impossible to determine belonging to the region of residence or provider. The range of Beeline numbers can suggest belonging to the region if the same prefix is ​​​​used. Code 905 is used in St. Petersburg (range from 250-00-00 to 289-99-99), as well as in the Ulyanovsk region. (range from 183-00-00 to 184-99-99).

But sometimes only the initial digits of the subscriber's number help to determine the operator. For example, DEF-code 958 is used by more than 20 operators, among which there are both small companies (with coverage of 1 region and a capacity of 10,000 numbers) and large ones (several tens of regions and hundreds of thousands of numbers).

As an example: the prefix of TransTelecom's numbers is 7958, but since the company serves 30 regions of the country, you need to know the initial digits of the subscriber's number in order to determine the ownership of the outgoing call (-00x-xx-xx - Bashkiria, and -03x-xx-xx - Kaliningrad region, etc.).

The same prefix is ​​used by Gazprom Telecom, Delovaya Set Irkutsk, Smolny Automatic Telephone Station, Interregional TransitTelecom, Systematics, T2 Mobile, Central Telegraph, etc.

The numbering of DEF codes also changes as needed. Moscow MTS numbers were transferred from 495 to 985, and Megafon numbers from 495 to 925.

The telephone code that only Megafon uses is 920. The number capacity is more than 10 million, and numbers with this code are used in 17 regions of the Russian Federation.

The encoding used by Tele2 is 900. But the same code is used by another 16 Russian operators of various calibers in terms of capacity and coverage of regions - Antares, Arkhangelsk Mobile Networks”, “Yekaterinburg-2000”, “Kemerovo mobile connection”, “Sky-1800”, etc.

Tele2 is the largest of the companies using the 900 prefix: T2 Mobile is 17 regions and 3,140,000 numbers (the region is determined by the numbers of the subscriber number), Tele2-Omsk is 3 regions (Jewish Autonomous District, Omsk Region and Chukotka Autonomous District) and 210,000 numbers, Tele2-St. Petersburg - 1 million numbers for 4 regions (Vologod region, Karelia, Pskov region, Leningrad region and St. Petersburg).

Best Rates

The ratings of companies providing cellular services are compiled not only taking into account the number of subscribers and the extent of the coverage area, but also the list of services provided by the company and the tariffs set for each position or the entire package.

The advertising campaigns of the four leading providers (MTS, Megafon, Tele2, Beeline) are aimed at attracting subscribers, therefore TV commercials vied with each other to prove that the tariffs of this or that company are the most favorable. Telecom operators' tariffs dynamically reflect the company's strategy, consumer preferences and industry trends. At the same time, in parallel, archival rates until the subscriber switches to a new price offer.

Budget tariffs

In such a variety it is not difficult to get lost, but there is no universal tariff plan. It is more convenient and cheaper for subscribers to purchase a range of services - tariff packages, combining, for example, voice communication, SMS and mobile internet. In addition to the services included in the package, you need to study the limits on them (GB, free minutes, number of SMS) and decide on the needs of the subscriber (mobile Internet, calls to home network, roaming, etc.).

For many years I have been following the latest in the field mobile technology. It used to be my hobby, but now it has grown into a professional blog, where I am happy to share the accumulated information with you. All instructions, life hacks, compilations the best programs And tariff plans I have personally tested it myself.