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Access Burst
As you recall from the TDMA Tutorial, an access burst has 68.25 guard
bits at the end of it.
As you recall, GSM uses Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) as its
modulation method, which has a data throughput of 270.833
kilobits/second (kb/s).
Propagation Delay
Now, if an access burst has a guard period of 68.25 bits this results in a
maximum delay time of approximately 252µs (3.69µs × 68.25 bits).
This means that a signal from the MS could arrive up to 252µs after it
is expected and it would not interfere with the next time slot.
The next step is to calculate how far away a mobile station would have
to be for a radio wave to take 252µs to arrive at the BTS, this would be
the theoretical maximum distance that a MS could transmit and still
arrive within the correct time slot.
Using the speed of light, we can calculate the distance that a radio
wave would travel in a given time frame. The speed of light (c) is
300,000 km/s.
The 68.25 bits of guard time would absorb some of the delay of 136.5
bits, but the access burst would still cut into the next time slot a
whopping 68.25bits.
Maximum Size of a Cell
In order to compensate for the two-way trip of the radio link, we must
divide the maximum delay distance in half. So, dividing 75.6km in half,
we get approximately 37.8 km. If a MS is further out than 37.8km and
transmits an access burst it will most likely interfere with the following
time slot. Any distance less than 37.8km and the access burst should
arrive within the guard time allowed for an access burst and it will not
interfere with the next time slot.
In GSM, the maximum distance of a cell is standardized at 35km. This
is due mainly to the number of timing advances allowed in GSM, which
is explained below.