Unified protocol stack architecture for 4G mobile terminals to support multiple radio access technologies

The next generation mobile handhelds need to focus on seamless Mobility and session continuity when the subscribers move frequently across different radio access networks. This paper presents a generic radio access abstraction layer (GRAAL) outlining the additional functionalities required at the mobile terminal that can decide on the fly for selecting the best radio access network according to the users choice and applications preferences. The proposed GRAAL will enable subscribers to benefit from high throughput and to maintain session continuity during roaming across several mobile networks.