3G interworking with wireless LANs

Recently, the use of wireless LANs (WLAN) as a complementary technology to 3G systems has been identified. WLANs can be used to supplement the available bandwidth and capacity of a 3G network in hotspot areas, such as railway stations and airports, without sacrificing the capacity provided to cellular users. It provides support for data intensive applications and enables smooth on-line access to corporate data services, while still allowing users to roam from the private picocell network to wide area 3G networks. The paper addresses some of the current thinking within the ETSI BRAN (broadband radio access network) project regarding the interworking of the HIPERLAN/2 wireless LAN system into a 3G cellular system. Of the two initial solutions investigated (tight and loose coupling), current work has concentrated on the loose variant, producing viable solutions for security, mobility and QoS. The standardisation activity thus hopes to ensure that HIPERLAN/2 can provide a value added service within hotspot environments for both customers and operators of 3G systems.