Multimedia broadcast multicast service - technology overview and service aspects

This paper provides an overview of potential services over MBMS, the broadcast /multicast service of the universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), and discusses related business models and service requirements. While MBMS is a suitable data service for some applications already envisaged for the introduction of UMTS (e.g. multimedia message service (MMS) push), MBMS can be an enabler for services that are not feasible over UMTS without major enhanced downlink capacity or broadcast/multicast capabilities. For both of these categories, potential services, their constraints and adequate business models are presented. The paper also analyses the main functional requirements that need to be taken into consideration when defining or dimensioning an MBMS service. Most of these requirements fall into the scope of standardisation. As a consequence, these requirements will have to be considered by relevant standardisation bodies (3GPP, OMA - open mobile alliance) as a way to guarantee that MBMS will meet these service requirements.