A survey on wireless/wireline integration

Summary form only given. Telecommunication operators started to address the issues of wireless/wireline integration since mid 1990s. Back then, the emphases were (1) how to make wireline voice features such as call waiting, call forwarding, three way calling, voice mails available to wireless subscriber; (2) how to add mobility to wireline services via calling card, prepaid service, and personal toll free number; and (3) how to merge network infrastructures such as wireless and wireline intelligent networks (WIN, CAMEL, AIN, and IN) to maximize resource sharing. While the work from mid 1990s is still continued (e.g., wireless E-911, number portability are still under deployment in many parts of the world), the wireless/wireline integration today has taken a new form due to the emergency of (1) new wireless access technologies and (2) network evolution toward a convergent IP architecture. This talk will survey the most recent development in this area of wireless/wireline integration. We will look at the short-term wireless/wireline integration efforts by telecommunications operators such as Verizon, SBC, BellSouth, BT, and KT etc. We will also look at more exciting, long-term efforts in standards bodies such as 3GPP, ETSI TISPAN, and ATIS of using IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) as the core for this integration. Moreover, we believe devices and service management will play an important role in making this integration happen and will comment about their necessity in the talk.