As Einstein said this century ago it's not the knowledge which makes the difference in this world. It is the power of imagination which makes us think out of the box of the conventional mind. Some year ago people said it is impossible to see satellite channels on your handset. It's impossible to transfer data at huge speed over the network. But it's the imagination which knows no boundaries and now we can see that its common watching satellite channels on your handset, high speed communication has been made possible with the introduction of 3G networks such as UMTS.
As my dissertation I will be working on the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). Mobile Number Portability (MNP) enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another [1]. MNP is implemented all around the world with different techniques and as my dissertation I will be trying to explain how this actually works. I will be trying to explain the GSM structure and the changes are required to modify the system. I am also going to explain the SS7 protocol stack which is the main essence of any telecommunication industry. The routing which occurs from ported or non ported numbers will also be discussed in this dissertation. How the charging occurs when you transfer from one service to another and what kind of charging they take and how they actually implement the charging procedure. I will also be discussing the circular routing and the different local and international scenarios in this dissertation.
At the end of this dissertation I expect to achieve greater knowledge as to how the whole procedure of Mobile Number Portability occurs in the GSM network. Although it is really very challenging in terms of the material that is available all around but I will try my level best to produce authentic and valid documentation in the coming months.
2. INTRODUCTION:
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is the industry agreed process by which a customer can switch from one network operator to another and take their existing mobile number with them, for example from Orange to 3. [2]
There are three types of number portability:
•Service Provider Portability.
•Service Portability.
•Location Portability.
2.1 SERVICE PROVIDER PORTABILITY:
Service provider portability allows a subscriber to keep his/her telephone number when changing telephone service providers.
2.2 SERVICE PORTABILITY:
Service Portability allows a subscriber to keep his/her phone number when subscribing to a new service offered by the same operator or a different operator
2.3 LOCATION PORTABILITY:
Location Portability allows a subscriber to retain his/her phone number when moving from one physical location to another, typically within the same central office switch.
3. NUMBER PORTABILITY STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS
In an International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication (ITU-T) signalling environment, the European Telecommunication Standards Institution (ETSI) first defined how the NP service can be realized. Some of the specifications that are of relevance to Signalling System 7 (SS7) were evolved into ITU-T Q series specifications. The specifications that are of relevance to the GSM network are inherited by the Third Generation Partner Project (3GPP). For Service Provider Portability, generally backed by the regulators, the regulators in country set their own rules and criteria to guide the number portability deployment. It is up to the regulators to determine the service coverage (e.g., whether the service is to be applied to both wire-line and wireless network or wireless network only), the type of routing methods (e.g., direct routing or indirect routing) to be used, NP database administration (centralized versus distributed database), and etc. For example, in the United States, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) directs the architecture, constraints, and method of implementation. In the EU, in-country regulators provide guidelines, specifications, and implementation options. Operators may choose the option amongst what have been made available.
For Service Portability, if the number portability service is to be deployed within an operator network, an operator may dictate the roll-out of the number portability service; therefore, the number portability feature requirements will vary from operators to operators. If the service is to be deployed across multiple operator networks, group effort among the operators will be required. Therefore, the NP deployment would need to be examined on a case by case basis.
4. OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of this dissertation is to provide up-to date and thorough information regarding the Mobile Number Portability. I will be consulting some telecomm operators here in United Kingdom and back in Pakistan which might be really helpful in the compilation of this dissertation. The numbering plan that is used in United Kingdom and Asia is ITU based. Therefore I will be indulging myself into the ITU systems and explaining the whole system. SS7 which is core to any telecommunication network will also be discussed in great length in this dissertation. Global Title translation will also be a main essence of this research. Besides that I will also be looking into some thesis or papers written in this context. Books are ideal for research purposes therefore I will be consulting them for this dissertation. I will also be discussing some scenarios and looking at them in depth. At the end of my research I would be able to answer any question regarding the Mobile number Portability with greater insight.
5. MARKET RELEVANCE:
Regulators have already introduced MNP in many markets, in an effort to enhance competition and improve customer satisfaction. However, few countries have implemented MNP well, and there are still many countries that have not yet introduced it. In this dissertation I am also going to evaluate the impact of MNP on the mobile industry so far, for example in terms of churn and pricing. It demonstrates that the full benefits of MNP come only when it is implemented effectively and taken up by a substantial proportion of churning customers. [3]
6. RESOURCES REQUIRED:
Library
I will be using the books available in the Brookes Library along with the vast collection of books available in Bodleian Library. The books that I have started reading initially are
A complete, practical guide to the world's most popular signalling system,
Including SIGTRAN, GSM-MAP, and Intelligent Networks (Hardcover)
By Lee Dryburgh (Author), Jeff Hewett (Author).
Journals:
Network, IEEE
7. DISSERTATION SCHEDULE:
BASIC SCHEDULE OF THE DISSERTATION:
8. REFERENCES:
[1]. www.whitepapers.zdnet.co.uk/0,1000000651,260053865p,00.htm - 90k -
Website Visited: 01.03.2008
[2]www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ioi/numbers/num_port_info/mob_num_portab/
Website Visited: 01.03.2008
[3]Signalling System No. 7 (SS7/C7): Protocol, Architecture, and Services -
A complete, practical guide to the world's most popular signalling system,
Including SIGTRAN, GSM-MAP, and Intelligent Networks (Hardcover)
By Lee Dryburgh (Author), Jeff Hewett (Author).
