A mobile station (MS) comprises all user equipment and

software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...

needed for

communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

with a mobile network. The term refers to the global system connected to the mobile network, i.e. a

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

or mobile

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

connected using a mobile broadband adapter. This is the terminology of 2G systems like

GSM The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a family of standards to describe the protocols for second-generation (2G) digital cellular networks, as used by mobile devices such as mobile phones and Mobile broadband modem, mobile broadba ...

. In 3G systems, a mobile station (MS) is now referred to as user equipment (UE). In GSM, a mobile station consists of four main components: * Mobile termination (MT) - offers common functions such as: radio transmission and handover, speech encoding and decoding, error detection and correction, signalling and access to the SIM. The IMEI code is attached to the MT. It is equivalent to the network termination of an ISDN access. * Terminal equipment (TE) - is any device connected to the MS offering services to the user. It does not contain any functions specific to GSM. * Terminal adapter (TA) - provides access to the MT as if it were an ISDN network termination with extended capabilities. Communication between the TE and MT over the TA takes place using AT commands. * Subscriber identity module (SIM) - is a removable subscriber identification token storing the IMSI, a unique key shared with the mobile network operator and other data. In a mobile phone, the MT, TA and TE are enclosed in the same case. However, the MT and TE functions are often performed by distinct processors. The application processor serves as a TE, while the baseband processor serves as a MT, communication between both takes place over a bus using AT commands, which serves as a TA.

References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em Mobile telecommunications user equipment Telecommunications equipment Telecommunications infrastructure 3GPP standards

See also

References