2. CERN Mobile network migration
Communication Systems group, IT Department, CERN

3. Agenda CERN mobile services Call for tender challenges
Mobile network migration
Mobile service changes
SIM card distribution
Conclusion

4. CERN mobile services Mobile services: Infrastructure Technologies
Single contract with a Swiss operator
Closed VPN comprising > 5800 mobiles
Voice and data services (GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/LTE)
GSM calls from Switzerland routed via the CERN telephone exchange
Dedicated access to CERN’s Intranet
Roaming worldwide
Infrastructure
> 50 km of leaky feeder cable covering underground facilities
CERN’s own infrastructure to cover LHC tunnel
68 radio/transmission sites at CERN
Technologies
GSM, UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G)

5. Call for tender challenges
Why?
End of current contract, CERN financial rules lead to tender.
Give an equal chance to all FR and CH operators to submit a competitive bid
Market survey to motivate and preselect interested operators
Take into account the CERN’s long-term needs and specificities
Cross border surface coverage
2G/3G/4G everywhere (surface and underground)
Indoor coverage (many surface buildings)
Large leaky feeder infrastructure (Limitation to 1Ghz signals)
Special subscription profiles
BASIC: only CERN numbers without roaming
BASIC+: any numbers without roaming
MASTER: any numbers with roaming
CERN APN (Environmental monitoring and remote maintenance)
2SMS
Data roaming control

6. Call for tender challenges
Closed User Group
Allow a short numbering plan
Fixed phones 7xxxx, 6xxxx, 8xxxx
Mobile phones: 16xxxx, 24xxxx (voice mail)
Allow strict control over external calls
Special interconnection
Next will be based on SIP
Numbering plan
CERN fixed number range
Mobile numbers within a contiguous 10’000 numbers range

7. Call for tender challenges
Radio coverage
98% radio coverage with 2G/3G/4G within blue polygon
Locations
GSM services
UMTS services
LTE-Advanced services
In the LHC and SPS tunnels, and
2 GSM(EDGE) sectors broadcasted from two different RF transceivers
2 UMTS/HSPA+ sectors broadcasted from two different RF transceivers
2 LTE sectors broadcasted from two different RF transceivers
In a standard LHC access point
2 GSM(EDGE) sectors
2 UMTS/HSPA+ sectors
2 LTE sectors
In LHC experiment caverns
In Meyrin experiments
1 GSM(EDGE) sectors
1 UMTS/HSPA+ sector
1 LTE sector
100% radio coverage
on CERN sites and access roads
MAP 2

8. Call for tender challenges
TIME: Only 6 months to deploy all services!

9. Mobile service migration
Network deployment
The network was installed while operating the current one:
New space, fibres & power supplies required in all sites
New mast/antennae for outdoor coverage
Network complexity:
2G, 3G and 4G in all sites
14 outdoor sites
37 indoor sites: LHC & injector chain covered
17 CERN indoor sites in the LHC (REs & TI8)
Advanced services were integrated in parallel:
CERN APN, roaming control, PBX interconnection…
French and Swiss regulation:
Radio emission
Construction permits
New outdoor network activated on the 8th of June

10. Architecture

11. Mobile services changes
Mobile services were improved:
LTE (4G) available in the Swiss part
UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) in the underground facilities
LTE throughput target: 150Mbps DL in LHC experiments
LTE in LHC tunnel to be installed during the next technical stops
New SIM cards and new numbers
076487xxxx became xxxx
Generated some level of complains
Contacts in Exchange mailboxes were automatically converted
ALL SIM cards were changed (~5800) before the 24th of June
1 month for the distribution
Distribution done mainly via department secretariats
Labo Telecom was in the second line for any difficult cases
Locked phones, Special equipment (like industrial modems)
All subscriptions activated simultaneously (15th June)
To allow basic preliminary tests, but not all advanced services were ready

12. Seamless migration On the 24th in the morning
Users had to swap their SIM cars the 24th at 9am
The 54 indoor radio sites were swapped:
Only one operator available at the same time
Several teams working in parallel
All internal databases were updated
CERN directories, active directory, call right management, alarm servers, piquet directories....
Activation of an IVR informing callers that CERN mobile numbers have changed.
Transfer of the xxxx and xxxx ranges to Swisscom
Crisis room at building 31
To manage any difficult cases....

13. Results and improvments
All services and networks were implemented in time
Two project leaders (Swisscom + CERN) working in close collaboration
Weekly project report to an executive board with clear status about the service delivery schedule
A direct contact with the Swisscom top management was extremely helpful
No safety incident
To improve
Currently there is no 3G/4G radio coverage on surface
Discussions are still on-going with the FR and CH regulators and the French operators.
Several radio coverage issues to address
Some indoor sites not well covered
Users took the opportunity to report coverage issues (not related to the migration)
The new number range (075411) is not recognized by all international operators

14. Conclusion Challenging project performed in time
Mobile services much improved in tunnel and experiment
Outdoor coverage will be improved in few months