Building Mobile Intranets Over The UMTS

The GPRS and UMTS specifications define the procedures supporting the mobility and the data sessions of a mobile user moving within the area of the corresponding PLMNs. For the case, though, of mobile users working in group, using a PLMN infrastructure, the aforementioned networks foresee no special treatment. However, services tightly related to a specific geographic area, like for example security or surveillance services, could be implemented by a group of collaborating Mobile Nodes forming a mobile intranet that uses the facilities of a PLMN. In this paper, after a description of what the specifications provide, methods are proposed for the deployment of intranets over the GPRS or the UMTS infrastructure. At this aim, the concept of the GIP is introduced regarding a frame of interconnected SGSNs, within the GPRS/UMTS environment. This frame supports, without the intervention of the GGSN, the mobility of a number of Mobile Nodes belonging to the same group, as well as the data traffic between them. Moreover, the additional tasks to be undertaken by the SGSNs forming the frame are described.