Resource management signalling protocols in an IP-based satellite-UMTS network

Over the last decade, European research and development into mobile systems has focused on the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). This is the third-generation communications system that will be deployed in Europe in 2002 and will consist of terrestrial and satellite components. Resource management is always a big challenge in the telecommunications world. This problem becomes even more critical in satellite networks because of their limited resource and high signalling payload. Following a general description of the UMTS architecture, possible resource management techniques for an IP-based satellite-UMTS (S-UMTS) network are presented for both the access and core networks. The design of the signalling protocols needed to implement such a facility is also discussed