Authentication aspects of UMTS-WiMAX interworking

Interworking between heterogeneous wireless networks is extremely important. WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access) can offer wireless broadband access, and can be deployed for a wider coverage; we can make it interworking with UMTS. UMTS systems have their advantages in charging management, roaming, and security facilities, and WiMAX systems have the advantages of high bandwidth and low investment cost. Interworking of UMTS-WiMAX offers characteristics that complement each other perfectly. Many threats against UMTS network resources can be launched by attacking the WiMAX access network, therefore it is important to identify the security requirements for UMTS-WiMAX interworking and choose a security solution that is robust and dynamic. The proposed architecture is based on the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) for USIM Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA). In this paper, we firstly present a possible UMTS-WiMAX interworking architecture, and then introduce the authentication model of the interworking architecture.