The UMTS Library can be incorporated into QualNet, EXata and NDT models, adding support for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standards based on GSM technology.
The Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) is a third generation (3G) mobile communication system that provides a range of broadband wireless and mobile communication services. UMTS maintains the global roaming capability of the second generation (2G) GSM system and its packet-switch mode enhancement (GPRS system) and provides enhanced capabilities. Compared with 2G telecommunication systems, UMTS is able to support multimedia services including graphics, pictures, and video communications, as well as voice and data at a higher data rate and with better quality of service. UMTS Model now supports 3.6 MHz bandwidth support.
There are three major categories of network elements:
- GSM Core Network Elements: Mobile Service Center (MSC), Visitor Location Register (VLR), Home Location Register (HLR), Authentication Center (AuC), and Equipment Identity Register (EIR).
- GPRS Network Elements: Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN).
- UMTS-specific Network Elements: User equipment (UE), and UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) elements. UMTS targets to build an all-IP network by extending the second generation GSM/GPRS system and using complex technologies including Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and Internet Protocol (IP). GPRS is the convergence point between the 2G technologies and the packet-switch domain of UMTS.