Policy based architecture for the UMTS multimedia domain

Policy-Based Networking (PBN) is a novel technology that facilitates the management and operation of networks. The paper reports on the application of Policy-Based mechanisms for QoS control in the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) of the 3^rd generation UMTS networks. The IMS was introduced in UMTS to provide high quality IP-based Multimedia Services in Mobile Networks. After an introduction into PBN technology and a generic network architecture to support end-to-end QoS control, the Policy Decision Function as specified in UMTS is shown. The limitations of the current state of the standardization are explained and extensions to provide Policy-Based end-to-end QoS control in single and multi-operator environments are proposed.