Interworking between WLANs and 3G - Part 4: Local and multichannel multipoint distribution service

High-tier cellular systems such as GPRS provide users high mobility but less bandwidth. On the other hand, low tier wireless systems such as WLAN offer high bandwidth with less mobility. To support seamless roaming between heterogeneous wireless networks is one of the key issues in the future mobile communication system.

This chapter presents the strategies for the interworking of UMTS-WLAN and discusses the general aspects of integrated WLANs and cellular data networks. We examined the generic interworking architectures that have been proposed in the technical literature and reviewed the current standardization activities in the area of WLAN-cellular data network integration.

3GPP system-based authentication, authorization, and security key agreements using an SIM/USIM card, user data routing and service access, as well as end-user charging were discussed. The chapter concluded with the discussion of LMDS and MMDS.

Printed with permission from Morgan Kaufmann, a division of Elsevier. Copyright 2007. "Wireless Communications & Networking" Vijay Garg. For more information about this title and other similar books, please visit www.elsevierdirect.com.

Related links:
Interworking between WLANs and 3G - Part 1: Introduction, interworking objectives & approaches | Part 2: Tight coupling approach | Part 3: Loose coupling system description
An introduction to networking - Part III: Network and Transport layers