Signalling analysis in integrated 4G networks

Abstract

SUMMARYScarce radio resources and the ambition to increase the number of mobile customers with a guarantee of service are pushing mobile communication systems from homogeneous non-service convergent 2G and convergent-service 2.5G and 3G wireless systems to heterogeneous integrated and convergent service 4G networks. This evolution has had several consequences from network design, control and service management points of view. In the emerging integrated 4G networks one of the issues is the signalling of information related to different control purposes such as QoS, mobility and security signalling. In fact, some questions such as which are the candidate signalling protocols, and which approach of integrated signalling to be adopted (unified versus non-unified) need to be considered in the context of the emerging 4G integrated network. This is precisely the scope of this paper. We first identify the requirements related to mobility, security/AAA and QoS signalling, then we consider candidate signalling protocols and we propose possible approaches in the integration of signalling in the context of 4G networks.

Business model requirements and challenges in the mobile telecommunication sector

“…For instance, Lin (1996) discusses mobility management, that is, how to track the locations of the users and allow user movement during conversations, Li and Chao (2004) investigate an analytical model for cellular communications networks, and Chaouchi et al (2006) discuss certain issues related to signaling information in integrated 4G networks. Although the business model concept is becoming one of the important domains in the field of Information Systems (IS), few researchers have looked at the cellular technology domain from a business and information systems perspective, with the exception of marketing aspects (for example, Timmers, 1998;Weill and Vitale, 2001;Pateli and Giaglis, 2004) and less attention has been given to the business models of mobile network operators as discussed in this paper.…”