GSM evolution to an IN platform: Offering GSM mobility as an IN service

Abstract

An architecture based on the integration of IN and GSM was presented as a possible path for the evolution of GSM to UMTS. From the standards point of view what is need is the absorption of MAP into INAP, resulting in a unified protocol. With a unified protocol the architecture presented here becomes viable. The decomposition of GSM services into SIBs would also enable greater flexibility in the creation of new services within GSM and a single IN service environment would enable potential conflicts between new services to be resolved easily. This integrated scenario also opens the door on new mobility based services such as UPT using existing GSM services.

A further advantage of evolving the mobility signalling procedures for UMTS from GSM, is that the UMTS core network is intended to support a number of radio access networks, including GSM. The proposals in this paper would enable this objective to be achieved.

The effect of moving from an architecture dedicated to mobility (GSM) to a general control architecture is the increase in the signalling volume through the network. This is to be expected and hence shown in the simulation results. But the initial simulation results would indicate that the level of performance of GSM networks can be maintained in the integrated scenario and the support of GSM mobility signalling procedures within an IN network is certainly feasible.

The authors will like to thank Cellnet (UK) for the funding of this study.