While current approaches for integrating wireless access networks into the fixed infrastructure are based on a total separation between the two networks, this new approach provides greater visibility of the wireless channel functionality at the AAL level. Nomadic Computing using mobility routing protocols, service location protocols, and location-dependent answer to user queries, in order to provide a ubiquitous mobile computing environment. The final goal of MobilAT is to combine ATM transmission technology and wireless access networks in order to provide a wide range of data, voice, video, and multi-media services in a portable terminal. The migration of multi-media services from fixed to mobile terminals requires mobile systems capable to support broadband integrated services. On the other hand, the cooperative network solution makes efficient use of the DECT channel bandwidth, by reducing overhead associated with both ATM and DECT redundant information.
Overlays vary in bandwidth, latency, coverage, and application-level performance visibility.
Mobile terminals will have to operate across a wide range of network performance, and choosing among alternative overlays for best performance. Diverse wireless and wired networks are integrated through software that mediates between the mobile terminal and the networks it could possibly connect to, supporting the mobile as it roams among the multiple wireless networks. The gateways from the wireless islands to the broadband ATM backbone provide support for mobility routing, while the mobile hosts integrate a Mobile Router device. In the long term new application software will be developed, which will be able to adapt to the huge variability of the wireless mobile links. However, the need to protect the investment in existing software is creating a huge market demand for an evolutionary approach to support existing applications.