Network structure for realizing part of a wireless ATM system and method for executing inter-switch handover in said network structure

摘要

In a network structure according to the invention for realising a radio extension of an ATM network, only part of the switches of the ATM network are provided with functions required for supporting wireless terminals. In between these wireless-specific switches, there are provided individual connections in order to distribute control and management information. The wireless-specific switches and the individual connections therebetween form a parallel, tree-like PNNI node structure in relation to the rest of the ATM network, so that the wireless-specific switches belong, in addition to said PNNI node structure, also to the node structure of the regular ATM network. With a structure like this, the additions required by the support of wireless terminals in the PNNI protocol remain very slight.