| This book is intended to provide a self-contained general understanding of the factors that determine quality of service (QoS) in a third-generation (3G) mobile network that interacts with other fixed networks. Since QoS is an end-end quantity, and the mobile networks interact both with each other and with fixed networks, the discussion includes topics applicable to all types of networks.
The style of presentation here is aimed at network engineers for both mobile and fixed networks with an interest in QoS. Both categories of engineer are likely to require an overall understanding of these issues, since mobile engineers will have to investigate users’ problems on accessing remote hosts and services, while engineers who support corporate networks will be expected to solve problems when staff members use their 3G phones to access those networks. The depth of treatment is intended to provide a general understanding of the complete range of topics, which should enable the reader to see what is important in any given situation, and to be able to use detailed specialized references on individual topics. The book is also suitable for students who need a general survey of these topics.
Many network engineers possess a very detailed knowledge of specific ranges of equipment but lack a comprehensive understanding of the principles involved. It is this gap that is addressed by this volume in relation to QoS. There are several thousand different recommendations and standards applicable to these integrated networks, together containing more than a million pages of material—engineers are lucky if they are given the time to read a thousand pages. With this in mind, this book provides sufficient references to enable engineers to home in rapidly, when necessary, on those documents that contain the details of quality-of-service issues. |
