Authors include: - Connect-World

Mobile convergence
minute. Enhanced data transmission
speedswillalsosupportrichergames,
similar in game-play to today’s dedicated
handheld consoles. With
enhanced video codecs (coderdecoders)
enabling movie clips to be
easilyaccessed,subscriberswilltravel
with a games console, jukebox, video
conferencingandvideolibrarydevice.
Wireless broadband, on the go, will
enable travellers to check traffic,
reviewlocalrestaurantsandreservea
table, and, whilst waiting for a meetingorplane,watchthenewsonbroadbandTVordownloadanewgame.
Businessuserswillbenefitfromubiquitous,
enriched, intuitive mobile
communication. There
will be one-button
access to mobile video
and voice conferencing,
while emails with
attachments can be
accessed and sent.
Fully mobile connections
will have an
always-on high-speed
link to the corporate
networkforimpressive
productivity and efficienciesgains.
The services outlined
are compelling productsinthemselvesand
offeragenuinechange
in performance for
businesses and consumers alike. The
‘seamless mobility’ environment will
offeruninterrupted,always-onaccess
to information, entertainment and
communication, when, where and
how consumers want it regardless of
device,networkorlocation.
Seamlessmobility
The newly integrated IP core technologiesattheheartofnetworkswill
connect new and legacy service systems.Networkswillbeabletohandle
a user request intelligently to ensure
thattheoptimumdeliverytechnology
is automatically assigned to the
device. For example, if a person is
accessingtheInternetusingamobile
device while walking down a street,
the wireless network will supply the
service.
As they walk into a coffee shop with
hot-spotaccess,thesessionwillautomaticallyswapover.Ifanexecutiveis
onaconferencecallandneedstodrive
thechildrentoschool,thecallcanbe
carriedovertothecar.Iftheyarelistening
to the car radio, users can
pausetheprogrammewhiletheypark
andwalkintothehousebeforepressing‘resume’onthehomestereo.
Such seamless mobility works with
users to meet their communications
demands with a range of rich and
compellingproducts,athome,atwork
or on the move. The new experience
theseservicesprovideaddressesconcerns
over its prospects, particularly
regarding voice ARPUs (average revenue
per user). Analysts, once again,
predict a strong period of growth for
telecomscompaniesinboththefixed
and wireless markets. Data services,
especially, show huge potential (see
Figure1).
Figure 1: Mobile broadband alone shows huge promise.
Services,however,aretheicingonthe
cake. The foundations of success will
rely on technology integration,
realignment of business models and
pricingstructures.
Enablingtechnologies–the
core
There are several important enabling
technologies at the heart of flexible,
high-speed service provision. The
increasing integration of IP systems
into network cores, in particular, the
Internet Protocol-based IP
Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), provides
flexibility for the automatic
transfer of services between
Bluetooth, mobile, wireless LAN and
fixed telecoms environments. Since
IMS uses common protocols, it
becomes easier for customers to
access–andoperatorstobillcontent
providedbymediaowners.Moreover,
IMS automatically connects to the
bestavailablenetwork.
Handsets will use another Internetsourced
technology, Session Internet
Protocol (SIP). The ‘session’ is effectivelyarequestforaservicefromthe
handset,beitforasimplevoicecall,a
video or a voice-only conference
between colleagues. SIP’s inherent
adaptability makes it attractive.
Services are available simultaneously
so a customer can select the most
appropriatecombinationofmediafor
their communications needs (video,
voice,textorinstantmessage)inreal
time.
Accesstechnologies
A range of new standards-approved
access technologies lets operators
increasenetworkefficiencyandspeed
connections to end users. The most
prominent are the
W o r l d w i d e
Interoperability for
Microwave Access
(WiMAX), CDMA
1xEV-DO and High-
SpeedDownlinkPacket
Access technology
(HSDPA).Allwilloffer
broadband, or higher,
speeds to devices.
HSDPA and EV-DO
will primarily be
applied to 3G-andbeyondnetworkswhile
WiMAXwillbeusedin
metropolitan areas to
support wireless data
andVoiceoverInternet
Protocol (VoIP) applications.
WiMAX permits fixed-line
companies to offer low cost broadband
and VoIP services, but can also
give mobile operators enhanced network
capacities and additional transportoptionstosupportdataandVoIP
services.
CDMA 1xEV-DO embraces convergencethroughanexpandingrangeof
IP-basedfeatures.Itenablestheprovision
of advanced wireless services
and applications and as it is a more
efficienttechnologyofferingenhanced
system capacity, lowers acquisition
and management costs. Peak downloadspeedsare2.4Megabitspersecond
– with average speeds of 300 to
500Kilobitspersecondtothemobile
device–letoperatorstakefulladvantageofmultimediaservicesandapplications.
In addition to high-speed data, the
threetechnologiespromiselowacquisition
costs due to their standardsbased
equipment, which will encouragecompetitionbetweenmanufacturers
and improve the ability of networkstoenhanceinvestmentreturns.
The technologies are at different
stagesofdevelopment.SeveralCDMA
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