Telecommunication services exchange architecture for 3G and beyond mobile communication systems

In the current communications services, wired and wireless, subscribers are more or less tied to their service providers by means of long-term contracts. This business model is rigid in that customers do not have the means of simply availing of special offers or additional services that an alternative service provider might offer. This scenario is unique to the communication market, and can restrict competition within the communication sector with regard to tariffs and services. In the ideal scenario, users should be free to buy telecommunication services just as they are able to buy products in a supermarket, without being compelled to buy a product from a particular producer. This paper outlines the designed telecommunication service exchange (TSE) architecture, which aims to address this issue and also details how this architecture can be integrated into the current UMTS architecture based on SIP signalling.