Unlicensed Mobile Access

UMA Technology

• seamless handoff from WiFi to cellular networks,
• converging the fixed and mobile worlds
• under the control and billing of the mobile operator

UMA Architecture

• a new network element (the UMA Network Controller, UNC)
• UNC interfaces into the core network via existing 3GPP specified A/Gb interfaces.
• protocols for the secure transport of GSM/GPRS signalling and user plane traffic over IP.

SIP
in contrast, uses the Internet for routing

Issues

• WLAN couldn’t really support it due to the hand-off issues among APs.

Vendors

• Extricom selling 8 and 24-port WLAN switches
• client on the network associates to the switch, not the radio/AP
• No de-association or re-association

UMA in the office