Issues in Developing Functional Model(S) for Future Mobile Communication Networks

For several years, effort have been devoted in standardization fora to develop network architecture(s) for third generation mobile communication systems. Based on the three-stage methodology defined in ITU-T Recommendation 1.130 [1], mobile and Intelligent Network experts within ITU and ETSI are currently working on the functional modelling of respectively FPLMTS (Future Public Land Mobile Telecommunication Systems) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System). One of the major issues in deriving functional model(s) for future mobile communication systems concerns the harmonization of mobility features with the Intelligent Network (IN) principles. The support of mobility service features requires the analysis of how radio related control functions could impact on the development of future IN capability sets (CS-2 and CS-3). This paper addresses some of the issues related to the modelling of the radio access subnetwork and its interactions with IN functionalities.