Paging and Registration in Mobile Networks

Abstract

Mobile units in a communication network vary their points of attachment over time. The resultant uncertainty in unit location must be resolved before information can be routed to the unit. Paging is a process whereby the system searches for the unit in likely locations. Registration is a process whereby the user registers its current location. Both require precious signaling bandwidth which leads to a variety of optimization problems. This article introduces the basic ideas behind paging and registration and also provides theoretical underpinnings along with citations to allow exploration of the topic in greater depth.