Voice handover in FMC 2006-2011

IMS-based Voice Call Continuity between fixed and mobile

Publication Date	January 2007
Publisher	Visiongain
Product Type	Report
Pages	100
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	VIS00040

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If you are a mobile operator you probably regard Fixed Mobile Convergence as an effective way of increasing the functionality of the mobile handset and maintaining current ARPU levels. But if you are a fixed-line operator you are looking to FMC as a means of countering substitution and displacement trends. Do mobile operators need to be concerned about fixed competitors stealing their customers? Is the technology in-place and reliable enough to deal with call continuity and handover. visiongain tells you the answers to this and we tell you today.

A true FMC solution requires a reliable mechanism for calls to be handed between wireless and cellular networks seamlessly. UMA was the first, if limited, step in this direction. While UMA falls short on this front, Voice Call Continuity (VCC) has emerged as a viable handover technology that allows for the continuation of voice calls from the IMS domain to the circuit switched domain. Find out how VCC removes these and many other shortcomings of UMA technology by purchasing this report.

VCC is a SIP-centric approach to FMC, a technique that will allow SIP packets to be transported through a wireless network. Because VCC is based on SIP, it is likely that it will be used as a basis for the provision of multimedia handover in the future. As multimedia handover will play an important role in next generation telecoms networks, major players are adopting innovative approaches to implement it. Which vendors and operators are at the forefront of VCC and multimedia independent handover developments? What can you do to make sure you do not lose out to your competitors? This report will tell you.

VCC is being driven by both mobile operators and fixed telcos, eager to deploy an all-IP solution quickly. Trials are taking place now globally by vendors and operators. There are over 100 VCC trials taking place worldwide, and the first commercial deployments will happen in Q1 2007. visiongain also expects standards-compliant VCC enabled handsets to become commercially available by YE2007 ARE YOU READY?

This is the first report published on this topic providing in-depth insight into VCC and its role in IMS. It discusses VCC operation in detail and examines the market opportunities that arise through the enhancement of IMS with VCC handover technology. The progress of the standardisation specifications relating to IMS/VCC is provided and the strategies and products of various network and mobile client software vendors are also looked at. The report also analyses the importance and impact of 802.21 multimedia independent handover and 802.21 market developments.

This report answers key questions including:

Where are the biggest opportunities for IMS/VCC services?
How does VCC compare to UMA in terms of capability and characteristics?
Which mobile operators will be the first to rollout VCC and how and when will deployments take place globally?
How is VCC and 802.21 standardisation progressing?
What are the benefits of deploying VCC and multimedia independent handover?
How are handset issues related to VCC being resolved and when will VCC handsets reach critical mass?

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Content

1 Introduction
- 1.1 Fixed-mobile convergence and substitution
  - 1.1.2 Telcos are slowing erosion through bundled offerings
  - 1.2.2 FMC opportunities for service providers
- 1.2 Scope of this Report
2 UMA overview
- 2.1 Wireless unlicensed frequencies applied to cellular telephony
- 2.2 The UMA network controller
- 2.3 UMA market opportunities
- 2.4 UMA deployments
  - 2.4.1 BT Fusion
  - 2.4.2 TeliaSonera
  - 2.4.3 Saunalahti
  - 2.4.4 T-Mobile
  - 2.4.5 Hello
  - 2.4.6 Others
3 IMS/VCC technical focus
- 3.1 IMS
- 3.2 SIP and SS7
- 3.3 IMS network architecture
  - 3.3.1 The Control layer
    - 3.3.1.1 The proxy-cscf
    - 3.3.1.2 The interrogating cscf
    - 3.3.1.3 The serving cscf
  - 3.3.2 The user layer
  - 3.3.3 The application layer
    - 3.3.3.1 The Home Subscriber Server
- 3.4 Why VCC is needed
- 3.5 Comparative analysis of UMA and VCC
- 3.6 VCC network elements
- 3.7 VCC and the IMS Controlled Static Approach (ICSA)
- 3.8 Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) and VCC
- 3.9 Example of VCC operation
- 3.10 VCC handover policy
- 3.11 QoS in FMC networks
- 3.12 Billing in FMC
- 3.13 QoS during the VCC handover process
- 3.14 Multimedia Independent handover
  - 3.14.1 Enhancing VCC with multimedia independent handover
4 The IMS/VCC standardisation progress
- 4.1 3GPP and the IMS
- 4.2 VCC Functionality and 3GPP Release 7
- 4.3 VCC supplementary services and 3GPPRelease 7
- 4.4 3GPP Release 8
- 4.5 3GPP2 and the IMS
- 4.6 TISPAN
- 4.7 PacketCable
- 4.8 Summary of the works of standardisation bodies in relation to IMS/VCC
- 4.9 Future aims of standardisation bodies
5 IMS/VCC handsets
- 5.1 UMA handset forecast
  - 5.1.1 A growing variety of handsets is increasing UMA's appeal
- 5.2 UMA subscriber forecast
- 5.3 Available UMA handsets
- 5.4 UMA mobile client software
- 5.5 UMA handsets that support UMTS and WiMAX networks
- 5.6 SIP and UMA
- 5.7 IMS/VCC handsets
- 5.8 Multimedia and dual-mode handset components and prices
- 5.9 IMS/VCC handset implementation issues
  - 5.9.1 Battery Life
  - 5.9.2 Complex RF environment
  - 5.9.3 Powerful processors
  - 5.9.4 Mobile VCC client software solutions
  - 5.9.5 The VCC user experience
- 5.10 VCC mobile client software vendors
  - 5.10.1 FirstHand Technologies
  - 5.10.2 HelloSoft
  - 5.10.3 Kyocera Wireless
    - 5.10.3.1 Kyocera and NewStep Networks
- 5.11 Nokia VCC enabled handsets
- 5.12 Multimedia handoff and handsets
  - 5.12.1 Vendor strategies on media independent handover
  - 5.12.2 Potential of media independent handover
6 VCC products and strategies
- 6.1 Nortel Networks
- 6.2 Alcatel
- 6.3 Siemens
  - 6.3.1 Siemens and the Time Warner Cable trial
- 6.4 Motorola
- 6.5 Ericsson
- 6.6 VCC solution providers
  - 6.6.1 Bridgeport Networks
  - 6.6.2 Outsmart
  - 6.6.3 Telcordia
  - 6.6.4 NewStep Networks
- 6.7 Longboard and multimedia handover
- 6.8 MobileIgnite
- 6.9 Vendor strategies to IMS/VCC
- 6.10 Operator strategies to IMS/VCC
  - 6.10.1 Deployment timeline
- 6.11 Summary of factors affecting rapid IMS/VCC deployment
7 Market opportunities
- 7.1 General FMC/VCC market benefits
- 7.2 Residential benefits realised through the deployment of FMC/VCC technology
- 7.3 Enterprise benefits realised through the deployment of IMS/VCC technology
- 7.4 Benefits wireless operators can realise through FMC/VCC
- 7.5 Benefits fixed line operators can realise through FMC/VCC
- 7.6 Benefits cable operators can realise through FMC/VCC
- 7.7 The North American Market for FMC/VCC
- 7.8 European Market for FMC/VCC
8 Conclusions
List of Tables
- Table 3.1: Key IMS network components and their features
- Table 2.1: Number of hotspots and users worldwide, 2005-2011
- Table 3.5: Standards supported by each CAMEL phase
- Table 3.3: Comparison of VCC vs UMA strengths and weaknesses
- Table 3.2: VCC market drivers
- Table 3.4: Features of the ICSA approach
- Table 4.2: Works of standardisation bodies in relation to IMS/VCC
- Table 4.1: Significant IMS/VCC features introduced by each 3GPP Release
- Table 5.1: Available UMA handsets
- Table 5.2: IMS/VCC handset considerations
- Table 6.4: Barriers to IMS/VCC deployments
- Table 6.1: VCC vendor solutions
- Table 6.3: Global pre-VCC and VCC trials
- Table 6.3: Factors driving IMS/VCC deployments
- Table 7.2: IP vs TDM/PCM PBX shipments (%), 2005-2011
- Table 7.1: Macrocells vs femtocells
- Table 6.2: VCC compliant services as defined by 3GPP
- Table 7.1: Networks operated by US mobile operators
List of Figures
- Figure 2.1: UMA network architecture
- Figure 3.1: IMS network architecture
- Figure 3.1: VCC network architecture
- Figure 3.2: Example of VCC handover functionality
- Figure 3.3: The multimedia independent handover function
- Figure 4.1: Future IMS-based telecoms networks
List of Charts
- Chart 1.1: Mobile-only households in selected countries, Q4 2005
- Chart 1.2: Traffic originating on the fixed network, 2004-2005
- Chart 3.1: SIP vs SS7 voice call traffic, 2007-2012
- Chart 3.2: Percentage of mobile phone calls made from vicinity of wireless hotspot
- Chart 3.3: IMS subscribers worldwide, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.1: Global UMA handset shipments, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.2: Global UMA subscribers, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.3: SIP-enabled global handset shipments, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.4: IMS handset shipments, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.5: VCC compliant handset shipments, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.6: VCC subscribers worldwide, 2006-2011
- Chart 5.7: Hardware components of multimedia handsets and share of total hardware costs (%)
- Chart 6.1: VCC trials by service provider type
- Chart 6.2: VCC deployments, 2007 and 2008
- Chart 6.3: VCC trials by region
- Chart 7.1: Number of 3G, GSM and Internet users by region
- Chart 7.2: Western European mobile service revenues, 2002-2005
Appendices
- Appendix A Lead author's profile
- Appendix B About visiongain
- Appendix C Report evaluation form 3GPP
Companies Listed
- 3GPP2
- A123 Systems
- Accuris
- Alcatel
- ARM
- Azaire
- BenQ
- Brasil Telecom
- BridgePort
- BridgePort Networks
- BrightHouse Networks
- BroadSoft
- BT
- Cicero
- Cicero Networks
- Cisco
- CMCS
- ComCast Corp
- Convergin
- Cox Communications
- Deutsche Telekom
- E28
- Ericsson
- Firsthand Technologies
- France Telecom
- GSM Association
- Hello
- HelloSoft
- HP
- IEEE
- imate
- Tatara Systems
- Telcordia
- Telefonica
- TimeWarner Cable
- T-Mobile USA
- TISPAN
- TeliaSonera
- Telecom Italia
- Tekelec
- Inventel
- IVT
- Jupiter Telecommunications
- Kineto Wireless
- KPN
- Kyocera
- LG Electronics
- Longboard
- Lucent
- MobileIgnite
- Motorola
- Neuf Telecom
- NewStep
- Nokia
- Nortel
- Open Mobile Alliance
- Orange
- OutSmart
- PacketCable
- PCTEL
- Samsung
- Saunalahti
- Siemens
- SimCom
- Sprint-Nextel
- Stoke
- Stoke Networks
- Stratus Technologies
- Symbian
- Ubiquisys
- UTStarcom
- Verizon
- Vodacom