A multicast mechanism for UMTS

This article aims to investigate multicast deployment issues and requirements in the context of UMTS networks. We propose a multicast mechanism that supports resource-efficient multicast packet delivery. The proposed scheme allows multicast packets to be transferred in an optimal manner on shared links toward multiple destinations. We describe the mechanisms of the proposed scheme in establishing multicast tunnels within the network and performing group management. We explore the differences between the proposed scheme and the multimedia broadcast/multicast service of the 3GPP, and outline the advantages and disadvantages of both multicast schemes