ABSTRACT
The latest developments and experimentation in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) show that MANETs will be an alternative candidate in many private and public multimedia networks. Current interest in MANET systems has grown considerably because they can rapidly and economically extend the boundaries of any terrestrial network; integrating MANET and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) offers a great number of benefits (e.g., increasing capacity, improving coverage) at the cost of increasing the complexity of the mobile terminal and its battery consumption. The objective of this article is to address new concepts in the GSM system, dealing with both standardized features and theoretically and technologically feasible improvements, which contribute to evolutionary changes in general. Dynamic evolution of GSM presents a platform for the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) introduction. Major trends in GSM development will be addressed in this chapter, in particular progress towards a generic platform to accommodate relaying capability in GSM cellular networks. A GSM simulation tool has been constructed for quantifying the integrated system characteristics.
