Extension of GPRS over optical networks

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a new service which provides packet radio access for users based on the Global System in Mobile Communications (GSM) technology. It is an important step towards packet switching paradigms in mobile communications. The integration of GPRS into GSM has created conditions to extend mobile communications over public packet networks, such as the Internet or corporate intranets where leased lines or virtual private networks (VPNs) are used to interconnect GPRS support nodes. A tendency now is to use the optical technology to transport data over public networks. In this case, dedicated optical channels or optical VPNs (OVPNs) are used to support GPRS over optical networks. This paper considers the extension of GPRS over optical networks. As the impact of GPRS roaming, a based-agent model is also proposed for dynamic management and configuration of OVPNs.