The mobile communication is known among professionals as IMT-2000 or simply IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications). Now experts are dealing with next iteration of mobile communication technology called IMT-Advanced systems.
International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) systems are mobile systems that include the new capabilities of IMT that go beyond those of IMT-2000. Such systems provide
- a high degree of commonality of functionality worldwide while retaining the flexibility to support a wide range of services and applications in a cost efficient manner;
- compatibility of services within IMT and with fixed networks;
- capability of interworking with other radio access systems;
- high quality mobile services;
- user equipment suitable for worldwide use;
- user-friendly applications, services and equipment;
- worldwide roaming capability; and,
- enhanced peak data rates to support advanced services and applications (100 Mbit/s for high and 1 Gbit/s for low mobility were established as targets for research).
The above comes from ITU-R Recommendation M.1645 that covers radio access technologies. But the mobile networks are much more than radio access technologies.
The studies related to the network aspects of mobile telecommunication networks, including IMT, wireless Internet, convergence of mobile and fixed networks, mobility management, mobile multimedia functions, internetworking, interoperability and enhancements to existing ITU-T Recommendations on IMT are performed in the ITU-T Study Group 13 "Future Networks including mobile and NGN".
