Comparative analysis of fixed-mobile convergence technologies

As the concept of Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) is gaining popularity among operators and consumers, there is an increasing debate about the performance of mobile network centric Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) architecture versus IP centric Voice Call Continuity (VCC) architecture. While UMA-based FMC solutions are already launched for commercial use, VCC-based solutions are still in the trial stages. The purpose of this thesis is to compare the performance of the two architectures based on call handover delay and throughput, in order to answer the question---is the preference given to UMA over VCC a business decision or a technical performance decision? We found that the two architectures do not significantly differ from one another in throughput performance when subject to different traffic and delay profiles. Moreover, we have shown that, similar to UMA architecture, VCC architecture is capable of handling data session continuity between different network domains. Thus, the choice between UMA and VCC is governed by non-technical factors such as network up-grade cost incurred by different types of operators. Mobile network centric UMA is better suited for mobile operators whereas IP centric VCC is suited for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that do not own licensed spectrum or mobile core network.