Issues and Optimization of UMTS Handover

Abstract: UMTS is an emerging cell phone technology and it is basically another name for 3G mobile communication systems. It provides an enhanced range of multimedia services like video conferencing and high speed internet access. Sometimes UMTS is marketed as 3GSM emphasizing the both 3G nature and GSM standards which it was designed to succeed. UMTS is also European term for wireless systems based on the IMT-2000 standards. To utilize various merits in mobile telecommunication system which consist of various radio access networks, UMTS as Third Generation wireless technology utilizes a wideband CDMA or TD/CDMA transceiver and also cover large area. Handover is basically a function which continues the communication between users without any gaps when the hardware goes to a place where it finds no network coverage. When we talk in terms of cellular communications systems, handover is a process which is referred to the transfer of a connection from one cell to another. Handover time is generally between 200 and 1,200 milliseconds (ms), which accounts for the delay. In this thesis we are going to find the reasons for these factors which affect the Quality of service of handover. The main focus of this research is to study the some factors which really affect the handover phenomenon in UMTS that basically affect the overall quality of mobile network. For this we intend to find the solution for problems which born during the handover. Handover provides the mobility to users which are the main theme of wireless technology and it is also make the interoperability between different network technologies.