Abstract:

For some time now a public debate has been raging about the relevance and relationship of different radio access technologies for public wireless service, i.e. multiple generations of cellular standards versus products originating from the IEEE 802 family of wireless specifications. This session will help to eliminate the myth that any one radio candidate can make all other technologies obsolete. Instead, we will show that the right combination of radio access capabilities will provide the network operator with the most cost effective solution in order to satisfy customer requirements.

In addition to reporting on the latest trends in standardization, the panel will elaborate on how these technologies can interoperate while making the nature of the underlying bit pipe invisible to the end user. The main theme of this panel is: “What will be the right Mix of Technologies?”
 

Abstract:

The Internet evolves into global communications infrastructure rapidly. At the edge of the communication networks, Internet access is increasingly driven by user equipment beyond the PC and new services. Some of the objectives for convergence in two industries are technical or economic while even policy-related ones appear. IT and Communications are interdisciplinary and bring together different parties representing academics, manufacturers, regulators and operators. Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, PSTN, ADSL, WiFi, WiMAX etc. tend to be integrated with each other to provide seamless communications. VoIP, IMS, Ipv6 etc. help the technologies to be rolled out globally. Notebooks, PDAs, handsets, TV sets, telephones etc. take over the functionalities of different devices in
one. Powerful compression techniques allow transmission of streaming video clips and films over the Internet. Video images are downloaded over cellular medium. Improved processor capabilities cause the speed, volume and quality of images to be increased dramatically. From the business world towards our daily lives, barriers to the convergence of IT and telecommunications continue. The regulators try to ensure the new technological possibilities allow the operators suited to the new converged services using fixed, nomadic, portable, and mobile broadband connectivity simultaneously.
 

Abstract:
WiMAX momentum is building up rapidly; not a day goes by without some news about the initiative. Based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, the first promise of WiMAX was the delivery of fixed broadband wireless services to residential users as complement to Cable and DSL technologies. With a standard for non-line-of-sight transmission and a process to drive interoperability between various equipments, the first objective was to replace proprietary wireless solution and enable residential applications with self install indoor CPE. We refer to this as the IEEE 802.16d standard or more accurately the IEEE 802.16-2004, as it was released in 2004.

Then the scope of IEEE 802.16 has been extended to define a second release of the standard for portable and mobile applications. This is the 802.16e standard that is expected to be ratified by end of 2005. It will enable support of vehicular speeds, as well as seamless handover and enhanced security. Thus the promise of WiMAX has been extended from fixed applications to portable and mobile and the technology becomes of major interest to very large number of players.

This panel will focus on the Mobile WiMAX opportunity, the path from fixed to mobile applications and the key challenges to achieve its promise.
 

Abstract:
The 3G Mobile is driven by broadband needs, which are mainly in the Corporate segment the Mobile Office mail attachment synchronization, and in the Residential segment the Music, Games and Movies download, and the live TV watching. A few months ago, most telcos would have said that TV was not a very hot issue, as most channels could be seen for cheaper rates through fixed and Satellite TV networks. The situation has clearly changed when TV studios have exhibited positive P&L and requested TV Broadcasters to invest in TV broadcasting to mobiles. The competition between Mobile Operators and Broadcasters was starting. Many countries have now trials on Mobile live TV of various waveform and presentation, including DVB-H, DVB-H+, T-DMB, Mediaflo...Indoor coverage and Spectrum allocation are not yet solved in most technologies and countries. Is some complement by Satellite a cost efficient option and when will be the market boom?
 

Abstract:

Cooperation is known as an effective strategy in nature to achieve individual or common goals by forming cooperative groups. The cross over between nature and engineering has always been fruitful; in fact, research on cooperative strategies in wireless communications shows promising results. The aim of the panel session is to underline the potential of cooperative techniques in future wireless networks by having industry and academia representatives identifying and discussing the opportunities and challenges associated with these techniques.

Whether to cooperate or act autonomously, i.e., in a more selfish manner, has to be decided, for instance, by each wireless terminal individually. Following the rule “The real egoistic behavior is to cooperate”, mutual aid among terminals will be applied if and only if it is beneficial for all group members. Other strategies, involving also a coordinating unit (e.g., base station) could be utilized. Cooperation in wireless networks can take place within and between (OSI) layers, and every layer could be in principle involved, from the physical and MAC layers, up to the application layer.

The strength of cooperation for upcoming generation of wireless communication systems will be discussed and it will be emphasized that cooperation will become one of the key technologies enabling 4G/5G.

Abstract:

The role of non-infrastructure based wireless communication systems is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, infrastructure-based communication systems, including cellular, are relying more and more on the support of the terminals themselves to provide and/or extend service. As such, terminals are evolving towards the concept of Terminodes, as they will perform increasingly more sophisticated (configuration and routing) functions.

The advantages of such solutions in terms of reduced EM radiation, spectral efficiency; extended reach needs to be established in contrast with the increased complexity in providing reliable (and even QoS-guaranteed) services.

This panel will also address both implementation issues (including the acceptability of such solutions, and associated security/privacy concerns) and those of integration with existing communication systems, mostly infrastructure-based.

The problem of providing meaningful incentives for subscribers to co-operate towards such solutions will be linked to the crucial issue of smart power management in future systems.

Abstract:

Flexible usage of spectrum is a hot research item and a potential source for new innovations and user experiences but also a challenge for frequency regulators. Independent radio systems might share the same spectrum. The devices may flexibly adapt their usage of spectrum according to the situation. Software defined radios can operate on different frequency bands and support multiple air interfaces and protocols based on software. Cognitive radio is a software defined radio that can learn from experience. There are new related regulatory approaches ongoing related to flexible usage of spectrum. From the outset, one of the biggest selling points of the cognitive radio technology – as it evolves from Software Radio to Software-Defined Radio, to Reconfigurable Radio Systems and Networks, to Cognitive Radio and finally to Cognitive Networks – has been the potential to enable dynamic spectrum usage.

The panel will give an overview on spectrum access as an increasing challenge for wireless to grow. The Panel will also address the issues of emerging technologies, such as ultra-wide bands (UWB), and of evolving spectrum management techniques leading potentially to Dynamic Spectrum Management. The Panel will discuss how Cognitive Networks will push the boundaries of spectrum usage and management, highlighting regulatory issues.

Abstract:

Optical fiber communication systems have evolved tremendously during the last few years. Many new applications in the residential and enterprise space have contributed to this. In the residential space, applications like interactive gaming, and small-office home office (SOHO) and digital video have contributed to a demand by customers for more bandwidth. In the enterprise space, a host of new data applications such as Voice-over-IP, IP-VPNs, and Storage Area Networks (SANs) have led to a need for new and flexible transport network implementations both for metro and long-haul applications.

This panel will focus on emerging areas in the area of optical access and transport, specifically focusing on areas such as:

Abstract:

The Middle East has experienced explosive growth in the telecommunications sector within the last decade. With the poor state of the networks that existed prior to this recent change in the landscape, it was natural to see most of the growth happen using cellular technologies (predominantly in the GSM standard). The majority of the countries within the region have liberalized and privatized the sector, which helped attract foreign direct investments into their market, as well as offer excellent opportunities for the development of human resources.

Our panelists will provide real examples of this transformation which will help bridge the gap which long separated the Middle East region from the rest of its neighbors.

Abstract:

It is increasingly being realized that developing nations can best realize their desired tele-density & associated socio-economic objectives through the mobile route. Mobile has provided to be the far more cost-effective route for faster rollout of networks in developing economies, not only to bridge the urban-rural digital divide in their own countries, but also to catch up with other developed nations that have achieved significant maturity in their telecoms environment.

Thus, technology in general and telecom in particular are decidedly adopting the wire-free route in these countries. As a result, the requirement for spectrum, for example, has increased dramatically in such countries and Governments are finding it difficult to keep pace with the spectrum demands of service providers.

Moreover, it is important to remark that in the present, complex, fast and dramatically changing wireless environment, system deployment requires different strategies and follows different technological patterns between the industrialized countries and the emerging countries. Planning and setting up mobile technologies in emerging countries raise major challenges. Often the networks in these countries are not fully developed and access networks do not cover the whole population for telecommunication services. In such cases, the need to import the capital goods to build the required telecommunication infrastructure makes services expensive. This is why solutions that meet the specific needs of emerging countries are considered here. 2G & 3G Mobile services can easily leapfrog fixed-line services in such countries.

Within this context, the aim of this panel is to raise these issues, particularly for the emerging BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China), with some solutions.