Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Patent
1998-04-20
2000-02-29
Bost, Dwayne D.
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
455432, 455414, H04Q 720, H04M 342
Patent
active
060320443
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to cellular communications systems and in particular to the provision and control of roaming facilities in such systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of cellular communications systems are currently being introduced. In Europe an operating standard known as GSM has been set up to define protocols, services and operating equipment.
The GSM Standard has been established as a means of realising a pan-European digital wireless telephony network, operating according to the set of ETSI specified protocols known as the GSM recommendations. The primary purposes of these recommendations is to provide a wireless telephony service to subscribers who are free to roam and use the same mobile equipment and one reachable by the same telephone number anywhere within the operating area. This may comprise a number of different networks within the same country, and even in a number of different countries, while subscribers receive a base level of service independent of their location. The recommendations define a GSM network to consist of a number of different types of functional elements, which may be variously combined in an indeterminate number to form a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). Within a given country there may be more than one PLMN, and a number of countries are signatory to a memorandum of understanding (the GSM MoU) which requires them to license and make available GSM telephony service which is interoperable with the GSM telephony services provided by the other signatory countries.
The principle telephony components of the GSM network are the home location register (HLR), mobile services switching centre (MSC), the visitor location register (VLR), the base-station controller (BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), and finally the mobile equipment (ME) plus a subscriber identity module (SIM) which together define a mobile Network (PSTN) and to other PLMNs through an interface function known as the gateway MSC (GMSC). Other functional components exist to provide administration and maintenance of the network. While individual components are allowably realised in combination, (examples being the combination of VLR and MSC functionality in the same network element, or the MSC and GMSC functionality in the same network element) in usual practice a plurality of network elements are deployed in geographically separated locations in order to provide effective physical radio coverage of the network territory. Communication between network elements is usually accomplished by a known messaging protocol based on the CCS No 7 signalling system.
Each country signatory to the GSM standard has licensed (or has plans to do so) one or more PLMNs. Each of these PLMNs is separately licensed and regulated according to the constitutional and national laws relating to telecommunications within that country. Due to commercial and competitive pressures, it is usual for PLMNs within the same country to offer different services and functionality in order to attract and keep the loyalty of their customer base (mobile subscribers). It is also competitively advantageous for PLMNs to secure the widest range of interworking agreements between other PLMNs, especially in other countries, thereby allowing their own subscribers access to a high degree of mobility.
Due to competition within the telecommunications industry, there are multiple vendors for each of the various network elements. These vendors differentiate themselves not only on the basis of territorial presence, reputation and price, but also on the basis of differential functionality. As a consequence, differentiation between PLMNs within the same country is in many cases accomplished through using equipment procured from different manufacturers. It is also usual practice for a given network operator to procure equipment from more than one supplier, in order to maximise competitive pressures upon the suppliers by avoiding monopoly supply situations. As a consequence of the combined pressure of multiple supply situations, and the desire to maximise
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Dellipianni Jane
Feeney Gerald
Gan Hock
Lucas Robert Edward
Prokopenko John Paul
Bost Dwayne D.
Legree Tracy M.
Nortel Networks Corporation
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