An enhanced radio resource management with service and user differentiation for UMTS networks

In this paper we examine the issues that arise in the definition, deployment and management of QoS (quality of service) in UTRAN (UMTS terrestrial access network). The paper provides an overview of radio resource management (RRM) functions with users and bearer services differentiation. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of different parameter settings on prioritized connections in high traffic mix situations is presented. Besides this, the capability to discriminate between users/services with different QoS profile is demonstrated in terms of waiting time, call block ratio, capacity request rejection ratio, active session throughput and perceived data transfer delay. While providing differentiation between non-guaranteed bit rate services, yet maintaining a high degree of fairness between peers (users of the same QoS class), results an easy task; the differentiation between guaranteed bit rate bearer services appears to be more difficult for the administrator to manage, despite the effective utilization of radio resources shown by the simulation results.