The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed and maintained by the 3GPP, UMTS is a component of the International Telecommunications Union IMT-2000 standard set and compares with the CDMA2000 standard set for networks based on the competing cdmaOne technology. UMTS uses wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) radio access technology to offer greater spectral efficiency and bandwidth to mobile network operators.
The international mobile subscriber identity or IMSI is a number that uniquely identifies every user of a cellular network. It is stored as a 64-bit field and is sent by the mobile device to the network. It is also used for acquiring other details of the mobile in the home location register (HLR) or as locally copied in the visitor location register. To prevent eavesdroppers from identifying and tracking the subscriber on the radio interface, the IMSI is sent as rarely as possible and a randomly-generated TMSI is sent instead.
Interim Standard 95 (IS-95) was the first ever CDMA-based digital cellular technology. It was developed by Qualcomm and later adopted as a standard by the Telecommunications Industry Association in TIA/EIA/IS-95 release published in 1995. The proprietary name for IS-95 is cdmaOne.
Roaming is a wireless telecommunication term typically used with mobile devices. It refers to the mobile phone being used outside the range of its home network and connects to another available cell network.
Mobility management is one of the major functions of a GSM or a UMTS network that allows mobile phones to work. The aim of mobility management is to track where the subscribers are, allowing calls, SMS and other mobile phone services to be delivered to them.
Network switching subsystem (NSS) is the component of a GSM system that carries out call out and mobility management functions for mobile phones roaming on the network of base stations. It is owned and deployed by mobile phone operators and allows mobile devices to communicate with each other and telephones in the wider public switched telephone network (PSTN). The architecture contains specific features and functions which are needed because the phones are not fixed in one location.
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) services are a standard collection of applications and features available to mobile phone subscribers all over the world. The GSM standards are defined by the 3GPP collaboration and implemented in hardware and software by equipment manufacturers and mobile phone operators. The common standard makes it possible to use the same phones with different companies' services, or even roam into different countries. GSM is the world's most dominant mobile phone standard.
IEEE 802.11r-2008 or fast BSS transition (FT), also called fast roaming, is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard to permit continuous connectivity aboard wireless devices in motion, with fast and secure handoffs from one base station to another managed in a seamless manner. It was published on July 15, 2008. IEEE 802.11r-2008 was rolled up into 802.11-2012.
A Mobile Station Roaming Number (MSRN) is an E.164 defined telephone number used to route telephone calls in a mobile network from a GMSC to the target MSC. It can also be defined as a directory number temporarily assigned to a mobile for a mobile terminated call. A MSRN is assigned for every mobile terminated call, not only the calls where the terminating MS lives on a different MSC than the originating MS. Although this seems unnecessary since many vendors' VLR's are integrated with the MSC, the GSM specification indicates that the MSC and VLR do not need to reside on the same switch. They are considered two different nodes as they have their own routing addresses. The MSRN is one of the returned parameters into SRI_Response message. In particular the MSRN is used into an MNP scenario (in this case it can be modified as 'RgN + MSISDN'
AAA refers to Authentication, Authorization and Accounting. It is used to refer to a family of protocols that mediate network access.
The Mobile Application Part (MAP) is an SS7 protocol that provides an application layer for the various nodes in GSM and UMTS mobile core networks and GPRS core networks to communicate with each other in order to provide services to users. The Mobile Application Part is the application-layer protocol used to access the Home Location Register, Visitor Location Register, Mobile Switching Center, Equipment Identity Register, Authentication Centre, Short message service center and Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN).
IEEE 802.11u-2011 is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11-2007 standard to add features that improve interworking with external networks.
GSM procedures are sets of steps performed by the GSM network and devices on it in order for the network to function. GSM is a set of standards for cell phone networks established by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute and first used in 1991. Its procedures refers to the steps a GSM network takes to communicate with cell phones and other mobile devices on the network. IMSI attach refers to the procedure used when a mobile device or mobile station joins a GSM network when it turns on and IMSI detach refers to the procedure used to leave or disconnect from a network when the device is turned off.
The Short Message Service is realised by the use of the Mobile Application Part (MAP) of the SS7 protocol, with Short Message protocol elements being transported across the network as fields within the MAP messages. These MAP messages may be transported using "traditional" TDM based signalling, or over IP using SIGTRAN and an appropriate adaptation layer.
CAVE-based Authentication is an access authentication protocol used in CDMA/1xRTT computer network systems.
Super-Charged network, also known as a Super-Charger network, is a telecommunications term that refers to a particular standardized implementation of a 3GPP 3G telecommunications network. 3GPP has standardized Super-Charger networks in TS 23.116, the Super-Charger technical realization, and defines a Super-Charged network as a "UMTS network in which the Super-Charger mechanism is being used to optimise mobility management signalling."
A telecom network protocol analyzer is a protocol analyzer to analyze a switching and signaling telecommunication protocol between different nodes in PSTN or Mobile telephone networks, such as 2G or 3G GSM networks, CDMA networks, WiMAX and so on.
The Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) is the mobile equivalent of a PSTN Central Office. The MTSO contains the switching equipment or Mobile Switching Center (MSC) for routing mobile phone calls. It also contains the equipment for controlling the cell sites that are connected to the MSC.
In cellular telecommunications, the terms handover or handoff refer to the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel connected to the core network to another channel. In satellite communications it is the process of transferring satellite control responsibility from one earth station to another without loss or interruption of service.
