Secure provision of UMTS services over diverse access networks

This article addresses the secure provision of UMTS services in diverse access networks and is based upon the research work of the ACTS projects EXODUS, COBUCO, and ASPeCT. One of the distinguishing requirements of UMTS is that it should provide service in a number of distinct environments. This will necessitate the development of distinct radio interfaces for each environment, and a service provision and management functionality that can operate across diverse access technologies. Projects within the ACTS program are addressing these issues, and we highlight the UMTS platforms developed by the COBUCO and EXODUS projects. The EXODUS services, access network, IN-based functional architecture, and mobility management are described, which address the deployment of UMTS services through wired (ATM) and wireless (DECT) access networks. This is followed by a description of the services, access network, and mobility management in the COBUCO project, where the emphasis is on the deployment of UMTS services in private networks using DECT access. Both projects are studying the practicability of selected UMTS services as demonstrated in an operating trial system. Having described these platforms, we focus on the security issues raised by UMTS. These are being studied by the ASPeCT project, and we discuss how the security features developed are being integrated into the UMTS platforms. The focus here is on the joint trials scheduled with the EXODUS project