Showing papers on "Broadband networks published in 2014"

Networks and devices for the 5G era

Abstract: Mobile services based on 4G LTE services are steadily expanding across global markets, providing subscribers with the type of responsive Internet browsing experience that previously was only possible on wired broadband connections. With more than 200 commercial LTE networks in operation as of August 2013 [1], LTE subscriptions are expected to exceed 1.3 billion by the end of 2018 [2]. LTE's rapid uptake, based on exponential growth in network data traffic, has opened the industry's eyes to an important reality: the mobile industry must deliver an economically sustainable capacity and performance growth strategy; one that offers increasingly better coverage and a superior user experience at lower cost than existing wireless systems, including LTE. This strategy will be based on a combination of network topology innovations and new terminal capabilities. Simple network economics also require that the industry's strategy enable new services, new applications, and ultimately new opportunities to monetize the user experience. To address these pressing requirements, many expert prognosticators are turning their attention to future mobile broadband technologies and standards (i.e., 5G) as well as evolutions of the 3GPP's existing LTE standard and IEEE 802.11 standards.

Circuit panel network and methods thereof

Abstract: To provide network connectivity in a building using existing electrical wiring and circuitry, a circuit panel network system is provided to interface between a network connection and the electrical circuit. Traditional breakers on the electrical panel that provide overload circuit-protection devices can be replaced with circuit breaker devices that have transceivers and power line communication chipsets in addition to overload circuit-protection devices. A network interface unit that receives broadband network connectivity from a network demarcation point inside or outside the building can wirelessly transfer data to and from the circuit breaker devices, which then distribute the data over the electrical circuits via the power line communication chipsets on the circuit breaker devices

Providing broadband service to trains

Abstract: A cellular radio network system and method for communicating with at least one vehicle-based mobile gateway terminal is provided. The at least one mobile gateway terminal is configured to communicate a network service for one or more user mobile terminals on-board the vehicle. A plurality of network cells provide cellular radio network coverage along a route of the vehicle. Each network cell is dedicated for communication with the at least one vehicle-based mobile gateway terminal so as to allow communication between the at least one vehicle-based mobile gateway terminal and a core network of the cellular radio network.

The prediction analysis of cellular radio access network traffic: From entropy theory to networking practice

Abstract: Although the research on traffic prediction is an established field, most existing works have been carried out on traditional wired broadband networks and rarely shed light on cellular radio access networks (CRANs) However, with the explosively growing demand for radio access, there is an urgent need to design a traffic-aware energy-efficient network architecture In order to realize such a design, it becomes increasingly important to model the traffic predictability theoretically and discuss the traffic-aware networking practice technically In light of that perspective, we first exploit entropy theory to analyze the traffic predictability in CRANs and demonstrate the practical prediction performance with the state-of-the-art methods We then propose a blueprint for a traffic-based software-defined cellular radio access network (SDCRAN) architecture and address the potential applications of predicted traffic knowledge into this envisioned architecture

DISCUS: an end-to-end solution for ubiquitous broadband optical access

Abstract: Fiber to the premises has promised to increase the capacity in telecommunications access networks for well over 30 years. While it is widely recognized that optical-fiber-based access networks will be a necessity in the short to medium-term future, its large upfront cost and regulatory issues are pushing many operators to further postpone its deployment, while installing intermediate unambitious solutions such as fiber to the cabinet. Such high investment cost of both network access and core capacity upgrade often derives from poor planning strategies that do not consider the necessity to adequately modify the network architecture to fully exploit the cost benefit that a fiber-centric solution can bring. DISCUS is a European Framework 7 Integrated Project that, building on optical-centric solutions such as long-reach passive optical access and flat optical core, aims to deliver a cost-effective architecture for ubiquitous broadband services. DISCUS analyzes, designs, and demonstrates end-to-end architectures and technologies capable of saving cost and energy by reducing the number of electronic terminations in the network and sharing the deployment costs among a larger number of users compared to current fiber access systems. This article describes the network architecture and the supporting technologies behind DISCUS, giving an overview of the concepts and methodologies that will be used to deliver our end-to-end network solution.

Software-defined access networks

Abstract: Control-plane functions are migrating from dedicated network equipment into software running on commodity hardware. The Software- Defined Access Network (SDAN) concept introduced here extends the benefits of Software- Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) into broadband access. In a SDAN, access-network control and management functions for broadband access are virtualized, to streamline operations, speed services creation, and enhance broadband customer satisfaction, particularly in multi-operator environments. This article examines industry drivers, identifies software- definable control and management functions for broadband access, and presents some specific usage scenarios for the SDAN.

The impact of regulation and competition on the adoption of fiber-based broadband services: recent evidence from the European union member states

Abstract: Fiber deployment of next-generation high-speed broadband networks is considered to be a decisive development for any information-based society, yet investment activities and especially the adoption of fiber-based broadband services take place only very gradually in most countries. This work employs static and dynamic model specifications and identifies the most important determinants of the adoption of fiber-based broadband services with recent panel data from the European Union member states for the years from 2004 to 2012. The results show that the more effective previous broadband access regulation is, the more negative the impact on adoption, while competitive pressure from mobile networks affects adoption in a non-linear manner. Finally, we also find evidence for substantial network effects underlying the adoption process.

Challenges and Opportunities of mm-Wave Communication in 5G Networks

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of research challenges and opportunities on mm-wave communication in the fifth generation (SG) mobile broadband networks. More specifically, different challenges, i.e. spectrum, propagation channel, cost and energy efficient aspects, from the perspective of mm-wave communication are discussed. Furthermore, insights on research opportunities of mm-wave communication in heterogeneous networks and multi-antenna transceiver technologies are provided. Based on provided overview, it can be concluded that mm-wave communication is a promising framework for further development and research towards next generation mobile broadband communication systems.

SDN Based Mobile Networks: Concepts and Benefits

Abstract: Mobile Internet traffic is expected to grow faster than the fixed Internet traffic in a near future. Since, today's broadband networks are approaching theoretical limits in terms of spectral efficiency per link, mobile operators are compelled to seek for new solutions that will be able to accommodate the expected traffic growth and improve their position in the competitive market. Addressing those challenges with current inflexible, not scalable and complex architecture is very hard, if possible at all. Software defined networking (SDN) is a new networking architecture paradigm that holds great promise to overcome many of mentioned limitations and provides required improvements in performance by decoupling control functions from underlying physical infrastructure. In this paper, we explain key reasons for transition to SDN based mobile networks and briefly describe several proposals of design scenario. Special emphasis is placed on SDN's contribution to more efficient inter-cell interference management, traffic control and network virtualization.

Future Trends in Fiber Optics Communication

Abstract: Fiber optic systems are important telecommunication infrastructure for world-wide broadband networks. Wide bandwidth signal transmission with low delay is a key requirement in present day applications. Optical fibers provide enormous and unsurpassed transmission bandwidth with negligible latency, and are now the transmission medium of choice for long distance and high data rate transmission in telecommunication networks. This paper gives an overview of fiber optic communication systems including their key technologies, and also discusses their technological trend towards the next generation.

Measuring the Reliability of Mobile Broadband Networks

Abstract: Mobile broadband networks play an increasingly important role in society, and there is a strong need for independent assessments of their robustness and performance. A promising source of such information is active end-to-end measurements. It is, however, a challenging task to go from individual measurements to an assessment of network reliability, which is a complex notion encompassing many stability and performance related metrics. This paper presents a framework for measuring the user-experienced reliability in mobile broadband networks. We argue that reliability must be assessed at several levels, from the availability of the network connection to the stability of application performance. Based on the proposed framework, we conduct a large-scale measurement study of reliability in 5 mobile broadband networks. The study builds on active measurements from hundreds of measurement nodes over a period of 10 months. The results show that the reliability of mobile broadband networks is lower than one could hope: more than 20% of connections from stationary nodes are unavailable more than 10 minutes per day. There is, however, a significant potential for improving robustness if a device can connect simultaneously to several networks. We find that in most cases, our devices can achieve 99.999% ("five nines") connection availability by combining two operators. We further show how both radio conditions and network configuration play important roles in determining reliability, and how external measurements can reveal weaknesses and incidents that are not always captured by the operators' existing monitoring tools.

Generalized Rational Functions for Reduced-Complexity Behavioral Modeling and Digital Predistortion of Broadband Wireless Transmitters

Abstract: In this paper, we present and analyze rational-function-based digital predistortion (DPD) of transmitters for broadband applications where system noise and prominent memory effects contribute to the overall nonlinearity of the system. The performance is reported for simulation and measured results for gallium nitride (GaN)-based class-AB and laterally diffused MOS (LDMOS)-based Doherty power amplifiers (PAs) using three different wideband code division multiple access signals with peak-to-average-power ratios of around 10 dB. The performance of the proposed model, in terms of normalized mean-square error, adjacent channel power ratio, matrix condition number, and coefficient dispersion, is compared against those of a memory polynomial (MP) model and a previously proposed rational-function-based model. It is shown by simulation and measurement that the previously proposed absolute-term denominator rational functions have limitations in the inverse modeling needed for DPD. A new variation of the rational function is proposed to alleviate this limitation. Depending on the type of PA and signals, a floating-point operation reduction of 8%-38% is reported as compared with a low-complexity MP model.

Wi-Fi broadband maritime communications using 5.8 GHz band

Abstract: Current maritime communications rely on expensive or proprietary technology, such as satellite, WiMAX, and narrowband HF radios. Broadband communications are limited to the near shore 3G/4G coverage provided by mobile operators. The usage of unlicensed and IEEE 802.11 networks may provide ship owners a low-cost broadband access to the Internet offshore, enabling real-time navigation applications and voice/video communications, while increasing safety onboard. Also, they can support underwater communications by acting as a bridge between shore and devices operating underwater. In this paper we present a performance evaluation of IEEE 802.11n networks in the 5.8 GHz band in a maritime environment. A point-to-point link was established between a fishing ship and shore. From our tests, communication links up to 7 km at 1 Mbit/s are possible, showing the advantage of using long range IEEE 802.11 links for broadband maritime communications.

U.S. vs. European Broadband Deployment: What Do the Data Say?

Abstract: As the Internet becomes more important to the everyday lives of people around the world, commentators have tried to identify the best policies increasing the deployment and adoption of high-speed broadband technologies. Some claim that the European model of service-based competition, induced by telephone-style regulation, has outperformed the facilities-based competition underlying the US approach to promoting broadband deployment. The mapping studies conducted by the US and the EU for 2011 and 2012 reveal that the US led the EU in many broadband metrics. • High-Speed Access: A far greater percentage of US households had access to Next Generation Access (NGA) networks (25 Mbps) than in Europe. This was true whether one considered coverage for the entire nation (82% vs. 54%) or for rural areas (48% vs. 12%).• Fiber Deployment: The US had better coverage for fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) (23% vs. 12%). Furthermore, FTTP remained a less important contributor to NGA coverage than other technologies.• Regression Analysis of Key Policy Variables: Regressions built around the mapping date indicate that the US emphasis on facilities-based competition has proven more effective in promoting NGA coverage than the European emphasis on infrastructure sharing and service-based competition.• Investment: Other data indicate that the US broadband industry has invested more than two times more capital per household than the European broadband industry every year from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, for example, the US industry invested US$ 562 per household, while EU providers invested only US$ 244 per household.• Download Speeds: US download speeds during peak times (weekday evenings) averaged 15 Mbps in 2012, which was below the European average of 19 Mbps. There was also a disparity between the speeds advertised and delivered by broadband providers in the US and Europe. During peak hours, US actual download speeds were 96% of what was advertised, compared to Europe where consumers received only 74% of advertised download speeds. The US also fared better in terms of advertised vs. actual upload speeds, latency, and packet loss.• Pricing: The European pricing study reveals that US broadband was cheaper than European broadband for all speed tiers below 12 Mbps. US broadband was more expensive for higher speed tiers, although the higher cost was justified in no small part by the fact that US Internet users on average consumed 50% more bandwidth than their European counterparts.Case studies of eight European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) confirm that facilities-based competition has served as the primary driver of investments in upgrading broadband networks. Moreover, the countries that emphasized fiber-to-the-premises had the NGA coverage rates in this study and ranked among the lowest NGA coverage rates in the European Union. In fact, two countries often mentioned as leaders in broadband deployment (Sweden and France) end up being rather disappointing both in terms of national NGA coverage and rural NGA coverage. These case studies emphasize that broadband coverage is best promoted by a flexible approach that does not focus exclusively on any one technology.

Need, Want, Can Afford: Broadband Markets and the Behavior of Users

Abstract: We present the first study of broadband services in their broader context, evaluating the impact of service characteristics (such as capacity, latency and loss), their broadband pricing and user demand. We explore these relationships, beyond correlation, with the application of natural experiments. Most efforts on broadband service characterization have so far focused on performance and availability, yet we lack a clear understanding of how such services are being utilized and how their use is impacted by the particulars of the market. By analyzing over 23-months of data collected from 53,000 end hosts and residential gateways in 160 countries, along with a global survey of retail broadband plans, we empirically study the relationship between broadband service characteristics, pricing and demand. We show a strong correlation between capacity and demand, even though subscribers rarely fully utilize their links, but note a law of diminishing returns with relatively smaller increases in demand at higher capacities. Despite the fourfold increase in global IP traffic, we find that user demand on the network over a three year period remained constant for a given bandwidth capacity. We exploit natural experiments to examine the causality between these factors. The reported findings represent an important step towards understanding how user behavior, and the market features that shape it, affect broadband networks and the Internet at large.

Requirements and design of flexible NFV network infrastructure node leveraging SDN/OpenFlow

Abstract: Carrier network service infrastructures are becoming increasingly complex since thousands of service-specific hardware-based network nodes are implemented to support a wide variety of network services. This has resulted in critically high increases in the maintenance costs to ensure service quality for network services and the deployment costs for new network services. Addressing these problems requires new ways to simplify and automate operations and infrastructures. Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN)/OpenFlow are attractive concepts that address these problems. In this study we present the requirements and a basic design of a flexible and elastic network service infrastructure with NFV and SDN/OpenFlow. We also introduce a virtual BRAS (Broadband Remote Access Server) prototype using Intel DPDK as high performance throughputs.

Broadcast/broadband convergence network

Abstract: A broadcast/broadband convergence system that delivers content from content sources to user equipment devices. The system provides: significantly enhanced mobile capability to the broadcast industry; an additional revenue source for the broadcast industry by dynamically selling available spectral resources for use by wireless broadband networks and/or broadcast content off-loaded from wireless broadband networks; additional spectrum for the broadband industry through the dynamic purchase of available spectrum; and an enriched user experience. A spectrum server may facilitate the dynamic allocation of radio spectrum made available by the broadcast networks. The broadcast networks may broadcast with enhanced waveform parameters to support mobile devices as well as fixed devices.

Dependable Fiber-Wireless (FiWi) Access Networks and Their Role in a Sustainable Third Industrial Revolution Economy

Abstract: According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), broadband access networks enable the emergence of new business models, processes, inventions, as well as improved goods and services. In fact, broadband access is viewed as a so-called general purpose technology (GPT) that has the potential to fundamentally change how and where economic activity is organized. In this paper, we focus on the implications of the emerging Third Industrial Revolution (TIR) economy, which goes well beyond current austerity measures, and has recently been officially endorsed by the European Commission as the economic growth roadmap toward a competitive low carbon society by 2050. This roadmap has been receiving an increasing amount of attention by other key players, e.g., the Government of China most recently. More specifically, we describe a variety of advanced techniques to render converged bimodal fiber-wireless (FiWi) broadband access networks dependable, including optical coding based fiber fault monitoring techniques, localized optical redundancy strategies, wireless extensions, and availability-aware routing algorithms, to improve their reliability, availability, survivability, security, and safety. Next, we elaborate on how the resultant dependent FiWi access networks can be exploited to enhance the dependability of other critical infrastructures of our society, most notably the future smart power grid and its envisioned electric transportation, by means of probabilistic analysis, co-simulation, and experimental demonstration.

Extending the LTE/LTE-A Business Case: Mission- and Business-Critical Mobile Broadband Communications

Abstract: With the advent of faster fourth-generation (4G) mobile broadband networks and the proliferation of a rich ecosystem of smartphone applications in the commercial domain, expectations and demand for much more sophisticated and high-bandwidth applications are also on the rise within professional users sectors, such as public safety, utilities, and transportation. In this context, this article analyzes the extension of the long-term evolution (LTE)/LTE-advanced (LTE-A) business case to professional mobile radio users. To that end, an overview of the technical features that are expected to turn the LTE standard into a mission-critical-capable technology is first provided. Afterward, a number of potential service delivery models for private mobile broadband communications are identified, discussing the pros and cons of each value proposition.

A tractable model for rate in noise limited mmWave cellular networks

Abstract: The use of millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum for future cellular systems can be made possible with the use of directional antenna arrays and dense base station deployments. MmWave broadband networks exhibit fundamentally different behaviors compared to conventional sub-3 GHz cellular systems. Prominently, interference and path loss models and the corresponding effect on rate need to be re-examined. We propose a general and tractable model to capture and analyze the key distinguishing features of mmWave cellular networks, and characterize the user rate distribution in such networks. The proposed model and analysis are validated by simulations using real building locations in a region of New York in conjunction with empirically measured mmWave path loss models. Using both the proposed model and simulations, it is shown that unlike interference-limited nature of 4G cellular networks, mmWave cellular networks often tend to be noise-limited, and coverage heavily relies on a user being able to received sufficient power from the serving BS. Further, the cell edge rates are shown to be limited mostly by the base station density and are not necessarily improved by increasing the bandwidth of the system.

Bandwidth analysis of smart meter network infrastructure

Abstract: Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a network infrastructure in Smart Grid, which links electricity customers to utility company. Compared to a network where different amount of data is send, AMI network sends small amount of data at different time intervals. This network enables smart services by making it possible for the utility company to get an overview of their customers power consumption and also control devices in their costumers household e.g. heat pumps. The problem investigated in this paper is what bandwidth requirements can be expected when implementing such network to utilize smart meters and which existing broadband network technologies can facilitate this smart meter service. Initially, scenarios for smart meter infrastructure are identified. The paper defines abstraction models which cover the AMI scenarios. A general overview of the bandwidth requirements are analysed. For this analysis assumptions and limitations are defined. The results show the bandwidth provided by GPRS technology is sufficient. However, from a delay point of view, GPRS has its limits, therefore, xDSL or 3G can be used for faster transfer but will rarely utilize the available bandwidth from these technologies. The aggregator which is responsible to collect all the data from the different smart meters can become a bottleneck as the aggregated amount of data is high, thus the bandwidth for the data concentrator has to be high. These results are interesting to look at, as they show there are different bandwidth requirements from a smart meter and aggregator point of view and that, the aggregator is a vital element in the network and it has to be studied further.

Flexible traffic management in broadband access networks using Software Defined Networking

Abstract: Over the years, the demand for high bandwidth services, such as live and on-demand video streaming, steadily increased. The adequate provisioning of such services is challenging and requires complex network management mechanisms to be implemented by Internet service providers (ISPs). In current broadband network architectures, the traffic of subscribers is tunneled through a single aggregation point, independent of the different service types it belongs to. While having a single aggregation point eases the management of subscribers for the ISP, it implies huge bandwidth requirements for the aggregation point and potentially high end-to-end latency for subscribers. An alternative would be a distributed subscriber management, adding more complexity to the management itself. In this paper, a new traffic management architecture is proposed that uses the concept of Software Defined Networking (SDN) to extend the existing Ethernet-based broadband network architecture, enabling a more efficient traffic management for an ISP. By using SDN-enabled home gateways, the ISP can configure traffic flows more dynamically, optimizing throughput in the network, especially for bandwidth-intensive services. Furthermore, a proof-of-concept implementation of the approach is presented to show the general feasibility and study configuration tradeoffs. Analytic considerations and testbed measurements show that the approach scales well with an increasing number of subscriber sessions.

LTE-HI: A new solution to future wireless mobile broadband challenges and requirements

Abstract: Future wireless mobile broadband systems will address the demand of high data rate due to the explosive growth of mobile Internet traffic. Deploying a layer of dense small cells with low transmit power is an effective means to meet the data rate requirement. As one of the prospective solutions to future mobile broadband systems, TDD-based LTE-Hi aims to provide higher performance in hotspots and indoor environments by exploiting wider transmission bandwidth in higher frequency band(s) and being seamlessly integrated with conventional LTE macro-cells. This article outlines the main challenges faced by future wireless mobile broadband and presents the key technical enhancements for LTE-Hi.

Software-Defined Access Network (SDAN)

Abstract: Control-plane functions are migrating from dedicated network equipment into software running on commodity hardware. The Software-Defined Access Network (SDAN) concept is introduced here that extends the benefits of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) into broadband access. The SDAN virtualizes access-network control and management functions for broadband access, to enable network optimizations, streamline operations, and encourage innovative services creation, particularly in multi-operator environments. This paper identifies software-definable control and management functions for broadband access, and presents some specific network optimizations using the SDAN.

A Unified Broadcast Layer for Horizon 2020 Delivery of Multimedia Services

Abstract: It is expected that, in the coming years, the video data traffic carried by mobile networks will increase drastically. Among the different ways of facing this ?mobile data tsunami,? the cooperation of several complementary access technologies offers promising prospects. In the context of such a cooperative approach, this paper proposes the definition of a unified broadcast layer, close to the 3GPP LTE technology, and therefore liable to be easily integrated in mobile devices and infrastructure equipment. The general technical requirements for the design of such a common physical layer are detailed and a practical example based on the 3GPP LTE/E-MBMS and DVB-T2 standards is described. The verification of the proposed approach is performed through simulation results and validation tests carried out on a hardware platform.

Method and apparatus for performing wi-fi offload without interrupting service

Abstract: A network node receives a first connection request from user equipment to join a broadband network at a first interface. A mobility manager in the network node accepts the first connection request. The mobility manager sends data from a core network addressed to the user equipment and receives data from the user equipment through the first interface. The mobility manager receives, from a local area network, a second connection request sent from the user equipment. The second connection request is for the user equipment to communicate with the broadband network via the local area network. The mobility manager accepts the second connection request and offloads data transmitted to and received from the user equipment to a second interface on the network node. The second interface is configured to send data to and receive data from the user equipment via the local area network.