Authors include: - Connect-World

IP networks
IP provides a foundation for a commoninfrastructureforallcommunications,
thereby improving efficiency
andaccess.Drivenbymarketdemand
for new services and applications, IP
now provides a low-cost, friendly
means for carrying multiple traffic
types for a variety of services. It is a
technology,which,foronce,thecommunications
sector and the end user
are wholly embracing, and one that
will essentially revolutionise the way
wecommunicate.
ThemovetoEthernet
As part of the move to IP infrastructure,serviceprovidersarealsocapitalizing
on Ethernet, a cost-efficient
technology originally developed to
connect data networking equipment
withinalocalareanetwork(LAN).
Network operators have discovered
thatacombinationofIPandEthernet
technologies provides easier connectivityandcostefficiencies.Ethernet’s
beautyisnotjustitsprice,butalsoits
abilitytodeliverspeedsupto10Gbps.
Service providers are using Ethernet
to provide high-speed connectivity to
theircustomersand,regardlessofthe
existing underlying architecture, in
virtually every portion of their networks.
Insuchadiverseindustry,withmultiplestandardsfornearlyeverytechnology
available, Ethernet provides stability.
It is a technology universally
understoodbybothITstaffandtelecomserviceprovidersalike.Thisfacilitates
network migration and helps
standardise solutions and open lines
ofcommunicationfromtheoutset.
Critical to the service provider and
both residential and business endusers,
IP with Ethernet can provide
reliability, speed and availability as
good as, or better than, legacy networks.
As a result, service providers
enjoymeaningfulcostsavingsandsignificantincreasesinnetworkflexibility.Thisgivestheendusergreatervarieties
of services and packaging at
lowerprices.
ThebenefitsofIP
TheIPrevolutionoffersmanybenefits
toconsumersandenterprises.IPlets
businesses broaden their range of
servicesandreducecosts.Bysubstantially
reducing the phone bill, purchasersbecomemoreinclinedtotake
advantage of the available budget to
add new services. Service providers,
for their part, tend to offer a greater
varietyofbundledservices.
The security that IP can provide to
enterprises is also important. Using
IP-based virtual private networks
(VPN), an enterprise can secure its
intranetandextranetwhilstbringinga
newWeb-centricethostothecompany.
This is crucial for e-commerce,
whichisstillgreatlyunder-utilisedby
manyorganisations.
"Ethernet’s beauty is not
just its price, but also
its ability to deliver
speeds up to 10 Gbps."
AnIP-basedinfrastructuregivesbusiness
users practical benefits such as
VoiceoverIP(VoIP).UsingVoIP,the
telephonenumberoftheorganisation
becomesportable,soabusinessbased
in the United Kingdom can have a
United States telephone number to
save on long-distance expenses.
Likewise, when an enterprise moves,
itcankeepitsoriginalnumberregardlessofitsnewlocation.
These benefits extend to residential
users as well, thus allowing them to
take their telephone numbers with
themwherevertheygo.Therearecurrently
11 million people worldwide
usingVoIP–afigurethathasdoubled
in the past nine months, and an
increasing number of operators and
serviceprovidersaresupportingthese
services.
"IP provides a
foundation for a
common infrastructure
for all communications,
thereby improving
efficiency and access."
Whatcomesnext
At present, the UK communications
industryisbuzzingwithBT’srecently
announced21stCenturyNetwork.BT,
though, is not the first, and certainly
willnotbethelast,tobuildanIP-centricnetwork.Indeed,manynewtechnologies
implemented by large carriers
have often been first tested and
experimentedwithbysmallercarriers
or by research and education networks.
The safety net under the IP
push is that alternative carriers and
cable companies worldwide have
alreadyprovenitsvalueandfunctionality,
paving the way for incumbent
serviceproviderstoheadinthesame
direction.
So,whatwilltheindustryandtheend
user see, or not, during the next few
years As with all new technologies,
therewillcertainlybegrowingpains,
many of which could be unforeseen.
TheevolutiontoIPbeganinthecore
network, and as it works its way out
toward the network’s edge, the enduser
will be the last to witness the
change. The operators will bear the
burdenofimplementingthetransition
of the physical infrastructure and
enablingthedeliveryofnewservices,
andifallgoesasplanned,theshiftwill
bevirtuallyinvisibletotheenduser.
Ofcourse,theshifttoIPandEthernet
willtakesometime.Mostcarriersare
beginning to implement IP now, but
slowlyandatarelativelysmallscale.
Althoughitwillbesomeyearsbefore
IP is fully in place worldwide, it is
already recognised as the universal
language for communications infrastructureandservices.
Lookingahead
So, where are we now and where are
wegoingwiththeIPrevolutionItis
evident that by implementing IP and
Ethernet, we will see a marked
improvement in cost-efficiencies and
bandwidth availability, whilst service
providersshouldalsofinditeasierto
turnaprofit.
Ultimately, the shift to IP will create
more competition. Cable companies
willstrivetoofferthesameservicesas
telecomsorganisationsandviceversa.
New niche service providers will
emergeandfightformarketshare.All
ofthiscouldleadtoevenmoreregulatorydebatesovercompetition,butin
theend,itwillbenefittheenduser.
Asthemarketadaptstothenewcommunication
scenario, innovation and
competitionwillthrive.IPwillbethe
universal language and Ethernet will
becometheuniversalmicrophonefor
both the residential and enterprise
users. Although there are great challenges
ahead for incumbent service
providers and equipment vendors
alike, the industry and the users will
benefitfromIP.
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