Thought Pad - Next Generation Telecom Technology Solutions
Dr. G. Venkatesh,
|
The last decade has witnessed
the rapid proliferation
of broadband,
cellular and Wi-Fi
access technologies,
which have enabled
the roll out of
many new services
and have spurred
innovation in
multi-functional
devices. Simultaneously,
the cost
reduction in both
networks and terminal equipment, has allowed voice
and messaging services to be offered to nearly half of
the world's population, at a fraction of the past
decades' prices.
Yet somehow, there appears to be a lot left to be achieved in the world of telecom. Innovation has been considerably higher in web-based applications, offered through the Internet, than that in the services rolled out by operators. |
Worse still, since the services are tied
to the underlying network, even those services that are
innovative end up reaching only a small segment of
the global populace. Thus, there is much expectation
being built around next generation networks (NGN),
which promise to create a clear separation between the
services offered and the underlying network over
which these services will be transported.
NGN are expected to be based on packet data transport,
based on the Internet protocol (IP). NGN
would attempt to optimise all access and core networks
for meeting different kinds of service requirements.
An interesting class of services offered on
NGN will be those based on the IP Multimedia
Subsystem (IMS), that permits media rich, multi-user,
multi-modal communication services to be delivered
to new multi-functional devices over any transport
network. As we move to NGN, the concept of one
pipe to the home on which all services will be carried (e.g. triple play of voice, data, cable) will change to
that of many pipes to the home, with intelligent converged
devices that can attach to the appropriate pipe
as needed.
The biggest challenge for NGN is that it requires a
transition from the structured world of today's telecom
networks towards an unstructured world that is
characteristic of the Internet. Specifically, there are
doubts on whether we can achieve full interoperability
between devices and services offered by different vendors.
Even now, we can see how interoperability issues
are slowing down the deployment of Multimedia
Messaging Systems (MMS). This could get worse
when services start rolling out at Internet speeds. The
standards bodies will have a strong role to play in
ensuring interoperability, so that the transition does
not lead to chaos. The regulators will also have a role
to play in ensuring that there is a level playing field
for the different parties as they come up with new
service paradigms.
Finally, NGN is likely to witness the phenomenon of
"Intelligence moving to the edge of the network".
This is similar to the Internet, where client devices
connect to intelligent servers through the "unintelligent"
Internet. What are the resulting implications for
network operators? Would they get commoditized
selling bits on a pipe? How would business models for
the new services evolve? Who will bill the customers
and what will be the basis for billing them? How
would the customer be supported? Who will guarantee
the end-to-end experience for the user? Lastly, will
end-to-end experience, billing and customer care
mean that the new services will be offered only in
conjunction with the operators? NGN will open up a
Pandora's Box of business-related issues.
The world waits for the flood of Internet-led innovation
to enter the world of telecom networks, once
NGN is rolled out. But unless the structural, technological
and business related challenges are acknowledged
and squarely addressed, it could turn out to be
a long wait. |
