UMTS Signaling Abstract Wiley & Sons, 2005 ISBN 0-470-01351-6

1.2.2

UMTS Release 99

Figure 1-6 - UMTS Rel. 99 Network Architecture

The figure above shows the basic structure of a UMTS Rel. 99 network. It consist of the two different
radio access parts BSS and UTRAN and the core network parts for circuit switched (e.g. voice) and
packet switched (e.g. email download) applications.
To implement UMTS means to set up a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), which is
connected to a circuit switched core network (GSM with MSC/VLR) and to a packet switched core
network (GPRS with SGSN plus Location Register Function - SLR). The interfaces are named Iu
whereas IuCS goes to the MSC and IuPS goes to the SGSN. Alternatively the circuit and packet
network connections could also be realized with an UMSC that combines MSC and SGSN
functionalities in one network element.
The corresponding edge within UTRAN is the Radio Network Controller (RNC). Other than in the BSS
the RNCs of one UTRAN are connected with each other via the Iur interface.
The base stations in UMTS are called Node B, which is just its working name and has no other
meaning. The interface between Node B and RNC is the Iub interface.
Release 99 (sometimes also named Release 3) specifies the basic requirements to roll out a 3G
UMTS Radio Access Network. All following releases (4, 5, 6 etc.) introduce a number of features that
allow operators to optimize their networks and to offer new services. A real network environment in the
future will never be designed strictly following any defined release standard. Rather it must be seen as
a kind of patchwork that is structured following the requirements of network operators and service
providers. So it is possible to introduce e.g. High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which is a
feature clearly defined in Release 5 in combination with a Release 99 radio access network.
In addition it must be kept in mind that due to changing needs of operators and growing experience of
equipment manufacturers every three months (four time per year!) all standard documents of all
releases are revised and published with a new version. So also development of Rel. 99 standards is
not even finished yet.
It also might be possible that in later standard versions introduction of features promised in earlier
version is delayed. This became true for instance for definition of Home Subscriber Server (HSS) that
was originally introduced in early Rel. 4 standards, but then delayed to be defined detailed in Rel. 5.

UMTS Signaling Abstract Wiley & Sons, 2005 ISBN 0-470-01351-6