3GPP Work Item description

This page contains informal descriptive text only.  See master WID page for further details.

Feature:     Network sharing

The possibility of sharing part or all of the network by two or more separated commercial entities was not considered in the initial specification work of 3GPP.  However, as a result of partnerships, mergers and takeovers, and other multi-operator agreements, the need for two or more operators to share common network infrastructure has become an economically desirable goal.  Meanwhile, changes to public network operating licence conditions make such sharing possible from a regulatory point of view. 

Currently, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)  is uniquely identified by the combination of a mobile country code and a mobile network code.  Such a restrictive definition makes network sharing difficult.

Some work has already been carried out in this area with the definition of the equivalent PLMN concept and partly with the introduction of Iu-Flex, but there is still the need to consolidate these activities under a coherent work plan.

GSM was designed under the principle "one operator, one radio access network".  The GSM network has some possibilities of infrastructure sharing, but it does not support true radio access network sharing. The initial design of UMTS has followed the same principle.  But with the above mentioned issues in mind, it is now time to consider full support in the UMTS standards of two (or more) operators sharing the expensive radio access network. The current design of UMTS still allows full competition between the operators at the service provisioning and pricing level.  In addition to the lower cost per operator for the radio access network, radio access network sharing will also increase the overall spectrum efficiency as no guard band is required between the operators and the trunking gain will increase.

The initial objective is:

• To analyse the shortcomings of the standards in the area of network sharing, e.g. radio network sharing.

• To develop enhanced requirements for the control of handover and cell reselection, services, charging, security in a shared network environment.

Work to be led by S1.