A functional model and analysis of personal communications services

Abstract

The authors propose a functional model and provide a functional analysis for providing personal communications services (PCSs) on an end-to-end basis as seen from the end-user perspective. The PCS functional model consists of four functional groupings: user terminal functions, channel management functions, call management functions and data management functions. The analysis considers call-related flows, identifying the activities that must be performed by each of the functional groupings and the relationships between groupings. The mobility of terminals, of people, and of services is addressed. Scalability, extensibility, alternative functional partitioning, and tradeoffs between customer equipment and network intelligence are discussed. The results of this analysis identify the effects of personal communications services on the functionality and requirements for wireless and local exchange networks.<>