Migration of packet data services from GPRS to UMTS

UMTS is seen as the natural evolution of the GSM network, and is expected to be particularly in demand for its ability to offer high-speed packet data services. A number of new applications me starting to appear that take advantage of fixed high-speed packet networks, stimulated by the huge growth in availability and speed of these networks. For these applications to spread into the mobile domain, UMTS will have to be able to meet certain requirements that go beyond the maximum bit-rate. This paper looks at the effect that the delay imposed by the protocol has on the types of application that the system can support. The results of a member of simulations made using a BONeS model of a GPRS protocol stack applied to a UMTS framing structure are detailed, and the effect of varying some of the GPRS parameters on packet delay and throughput is examined