MSS architectures for 21st century wireless communications

Future Public Land Mobile Telecommunications Systems (FPLMTS) are third generation mobile systems (TGMS) which are scheduled to start service around the year 2000. The objective of FPLMTS is to provide personal, portable communications anywhere, anytime. In FPLMTS there will be a satellite component and a terrestrial component. The advantage of the satellite component is that FPLMTS services can be provided in those areas of the world where it is impractical to install terrestrial infrastructure. The paper proposes a framework for the satellite component of FPLMTS. Two possible “tiers” of the satellite component are presented in terms of the FPLMTS network architecture functional model. Interfaces of the satellite component are also identified, along with a rationale for standardizing some of them. To conclude, the benefits of integration of the satellite and terrestrial components are discussed