Access Security in UMTS and IMS

Abstract

Motivated by the requirements for higher data rate, richer multimedia services, and broader radio range wireless mobile networks are currently in the stage evolving from the second-generation (2G), for example, global system for mobile communications (GSM), into the era of third-generation (3G) or beyond 3G or fourth-generation (4G). Universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) is the natural successor of the current popular GSM (http://www.3gpp.org) code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000) is the next generation version for the CDMA-95, which is predominantly deployed in North America and North Korea. Time division-sychrononous CDMA (TD-SCDMA) is in the framework of 3rd generation partnership project 2 (3GPP2) and is expected to be one of the principle wireless technologies employed in China in the future (http://www.3gpp.org; 3G TS 35.206). It is envisioned that each of three standards in the framework of international mobile telecommunications- 2000 (IMT-2000) will play a significant role in the future due to the backward compatibility, investment, maintenance cost, and even politics.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS): UMTS is one of the third-generation wireless communication systems.

Third generation (3G): 3G wireless communication systems is standardized to support multimedia services with high data rate.

Access security: Access security is the mechanism that provides mobile users with secure access to wireless services and protects against attacks on the radio access interface.

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS): IMS is the component to support multimedia services in 3G system.

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS): GPRS is regarded as 2.5 generation mobile system. It provides mobile data service to GSM users.