5.8.1 Forums Related to Mobile VoIP Applications

As will be appreciated from its registration process (see Chapter 1), VoIP offers an inherent mechanism supporting a certain degree of mobility for end users. Not surprisingly, in addition to the formal 3GPP group, there are a number of industry groups that have adopted VoIP as the basis of their work towards third generation mobile networks [17], including the following.

• 3G.IP

  3G.IP [18] is a group of operators and vendors who share a common strategy to define a third generation network architecture based on packet technologies and encompassing:

  • IP telephony for simultaneous real-time and non-real-time services;

  • a common core network;

  • personal mobility;

  • interoperability between mobile and fixed networks.

• MWIF

  The Mobile Wireless Internet Forum [19] is another industry pressure group, whose mission is to drive acceptance and adoption of a single mobile wireless and Internet architecture that is independent of the access technology. Like 3G.IP, it has its own architecture, and is actively promoting it within 3GPP and other relevant forums, like TIPHON.

• WAP Forum

  The WAP Forum is the body that developed the wireless application protocol (WAP), which it describes as ' the de facto