January 2001
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33 Reads
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8 Citations
Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing
The tremendous growth rates of the Internet as well as the area of mobile communications give rise to the chance that the mobile Internet is most promising by combining both the Internet and mobile communications. These prospects are the motivation for the European research project BRAIN (Broadband Radio Access for IP-based Networks), which is developing an open architecture for a broadband wireless mobile access network offering an integrated communication platform across heterogeneous networks and, thus, goes beyond current third generation systems and towards the mobile Internet. The project covers three major technical areas: support of seamless service provision in a mobile environment; the design of an IP-based access network that will support non-cellular technologies such as wireless LANs; and requirements of a broadband air interface suitable for hot spots. BRAIN is going to integrate HIPERLAN/2 with UMTS by means of an IP access network. The work is guided by a user-centric top-down approach ensuring that user functionality is the key driver of the project. This article will focus on that part of the BRAIN work which specifies the main interfaces of the BRAIN architecture and deals with aspects related to the support of Quality of Service and mobility. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
![Fig. 1 BRAIN in an evolved 3G/broadband network As UMTS develops through successive releases it looks like including more and more IP technologies. In Release2000, for example, both voice and data will be transmitted using IP packets and the call control will be managed using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) signalling and the call servers (Call Server Control Function) will effectively be SIP servers [6]. With IP being used for both transport and signalling there is obviously the potential to integrate Wireless LANs and fixed access technologies, such as ADSL, within an evolved 3G network – this is the BRAIN vision for systems beyond 3G (Fig. 1). We envisage users having personal mobility – able to use any terminal on any access technology – but able to access the same services, suitably presented and adapted for the terminal and link bandwidth etc. In order to move beyond 3G and allow operators to provide users with this kind of functionality we have created the BRAIN project [7]– Broadband Access for IP Networks. The BRAIN project is targeting three major technical areas: @BULLET To support seamless service provision – providing QoS (Quality of Service) adaptation in the face of, for example, radio signal deterioration or lower bandwidth on hand-over. @BULLET To design an IP-based access network that will support non-cellular mobile technologies (e.g. Wireless LANs) – adding functionality to allow them to complement 3G systems (Fig. 1). @BULLET To define the requirements of a broadband (10Mbit/s+) air interface suitable for pico-cellular hot spots, and to propose modifications and enhancements to the evolving HIPERLAN 2 standard](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dave-Wisely-2/publication/228712050/figure/fig1/AS:340922874253317@1458293755852/BRAIN-in-an-evolved-3G-broadband-network-As-UMTS-develops-through-successive-releases-it_Q320.jpg)
