Abstract

With the fast development of new services such as video streaming, and the oncoming leap to the fourth generation of mobile communications a new challenge has arisen. How can the limited radio and core network resources for cellular mobile systems be utilized to provide the required resources for new services? In a time when the end-users mobility becomes more and more important it brings an additional significance and demand of research and development in this area. This thesis is focused on multicast technology as a way to optimize the available network utilization and improve the performance of cellular networks. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system structure and technology are described in detail. Information for different types of multicast protocols are provided and implementations of GPRS platforms are discussed. We have demonstrated the positive influence of multicast implementation on GPRS platforms by theoretical arguments and simulation results. We have provided the evidence of the contribution that multicast technology will enhance the network performance, which can be utilized to justify its further development and implementation on existing networks.