Description
Objective: To study and demonstrate the seamless and successful integration of mobile satellite networks in the 3GPP LTE core network, focusing on networking, management, control and system operational issues, through the specification and design of the necessary mechanisms (protocols, interfaces, MIBs) and the development of an emulator.
Targeted Improvements: Significant cost reduction for the provision of LTE-based interactive mobile services via the seamless and efficient integration of future interactive mobile satellite networks in the next generation 3GPP architecture. Facilitation of service creation and new business models for the satellite industry.
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a step toward the 4th Generation (4G) of radio technologies designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks for the provision of broadband services. LTE is the high performance air interface for cellular mobile telephony. Part of LTE is the System Architecture Evolution (SAE), a flat IP-based network architecture designed to replace the GPRS core network. SAE is specified to ensure support for some legacy or non-3GPP systems, e.g. GPRS and WiMAX respectively, allowing user terminal mobility between the different access networks in the context of multi access network scenario.
Seamless integration of future satellite access networks into the LTE/SAE framework - still an open issue - will enable new business models and services for the SATCOM industry and will provide all potential 3GPP users with a generalised availability of 3GPP services.
The main goal of the proposed activity is to study and demonstrate the seamless and efficient integration of mobile satellite access networks in the LTE/SAE framework, through the development of an emulator. Specific focus will be given on networking (e.g. mobility), management, control and operational system (e.g. Roaming/Billing/ Accounting) issues. The study will target consumer and enterprise users.
The study will take as inputs the results obtained in the context of the ARTES 1 activity ?The role of satellite in converged mobile/fixed/broadcasting environments?, and develop the emulator to eventually perform the validation of the proposed framework.
The development of the satcom part of an existing LTE/SAE emulator would be highly appreciated. The activity could also lead into a larger scale experiment (e.g. with real satellite link). The emulator shall also be modular, upgradeable, and preferably real-time. Developed modules (e.g. protocols, interfaces) shall be re-useable in other systems and projects (i.e. product developments).
Standards evolution as well as technological development needs shall be defined.