Use of WLAN capabilities in the 3GPP system

The rapid deployment of WLAN infrastructure in several key locations across the world has recently spurred a controversy over the relationship between this technology and the so-called third generation mobile technology developed by the 3GPP. Whereas at the basis of the 3GPP system is the provision of a wide area service, WLAN offers the chance of enjoying spontaneous connectivity at high speed in convenient locations such as airports, hotels and so on (hotspots). The higher theoretical data rate of WLAN may seem to represent an attractive (and allegedly cheaper) alternative to the cellular systems such as UMTS. On the other hand, the lack of macro mobility, difficulty in enabling roaming, not fully developed charging models, limited security as well as availability of services (other then Internet browsing) hint at the possibility of filling these gaps using the capabilities offered by the 3GPP system. This could make the two technologies work together in such a way that the users will eventually enjoy "the best of both worlds".