A 3GPP-IMS Based Approach for Converging Next Generation Mobile Data Networks

This paper presents a promising architecture for converging third-generation (3G) cellular data networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs) by using the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), proposed by the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP), as an arbitrator. The IMS provides real-time session management, and unified session control. Within the scope of the presented framework, terminal and session handoffs are investigated for two different roaming scenarios. The first scenario investigates handoff from UMTS to WLAN and the second scenario investigates handoff from WLAN to UMTS. The paper concludes by presenting some simulation results obtained for these handoff scenarios using an OPNET based simulation model.