A new multicast protocol for UMTS

We propose a new multicast protocol for UMTS networks. Our scheme relies on establishing multicast tunnels throughout the network that allow multicast packets to be transferred in an optimal manner on shared links towards multiple destinations. We describe the mechanisms of our scheme in establishing the multicast tunnels and performing group management. We show that our scheme performs particularly well when multicast subscribers are densely populated throughout the network. Given a dense multicast subscriber population, our scheme requires fewer multicast packet transmissions than comparable broadcast or one-to-many unicast schemes.