With carriers rolling out 3G networks and the mobile devices being capable of access various wireless technologies (WLAN, UMTS, DVB, etc.) available bandwidth and throughput is increasing. This has led future applications such as unicast (multicast, broadcast) audio or video streaming to become practical on mobile devices.

3GPP is currently in the process of finalizing a standard for providing Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast services (MBMS) over 3G networks. However, the scope of the mentioned framework is limited only to Release 6. MBMS allows an efficient use of resources by enabling a simultaneous distribution of identical multimedia data to multiple receivers using the same radio channels.

The C-MOBILE project aims to evolve the MBMS towards a converged global network based on the usage of multiple broadcast transport bearers. It will address both resource efficiency and service flexibility issues, by close coupling of broadcast and communication capabilities on all layers, covering the radio access, the core network and the service enablers, across multiple technologies, and providing a smooth migration path for MBMS evolution.

C-Mobile is an EU project (EU, IST FP6 Call 4) started in March 2006 and will have a duration of 24 month.

Overview

Within this project, Fraunhofer FOKUS is working on the integration of a more flexible MBMS architecture into IMS. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) provides a single platform for delivery of multimedia services for mobile and fixed users based on the 3GPP standard Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

The integration of MBMS with IMS can be considered as an extension of the work already undertaken by 3GPP and will address particularly the following key issues:

• Subscriber feedback support
• Personalized content and media delivery
• Group management
• Program control & scheduling
• Interfaces to multi-technology core network entities
• Interfaces between the content providers and network operator
  

It is expected that this integration will generate a significant new revenue stream for operators by allowing the efficient broadcast or multicast of popular multimedia services such as news, traffic information and sports clip.