Core Network Technology

Prof. Hamid AghvamiCentre for Telecommunications Research - King’s College London

Wireless Multimedia Communications Ltd

Outline of Presentation

• Fixed IP-based Core Networks

• Mobile Core Networks

• IP-based IMT Network Platform( IP2 )

• Research Challenges

• Inter-working Issues

• Co-operation between UK and Japan

IP-based Fixed Network

• One of the priority policy areas of the government-led “e-Japan” programme is the establishment of an ultra high-speed network infrastructure.• It has set goals to provide 24-hour connection to high-speed Internet access networks for at least 30 million households and ultra high-speed Internet access networks (30-100 Mb/s) for 10 million households within 5 years.• It has also set a deadline of 2005 for the deployment of IPv6 in all public and private networks.• The government has lowered the tax on IPv6 equipment.

• All IP equipment currently manufactured by Japanese manufacturers has dual protocol stacks, both IPv4 and IPv6.• The R&D activities in IP-based networks are founded on the recent IETF protocols and recommendations.

AMPS

MCS

NMT

TACS

ANSI-41

PDC

GSM/GPRS

EvolvedANSI-41

EvolvedGSM/GPRS

IPV4 IPV6

IP2

Evolved ANSI-41

Evolved GSM/GPRS

IMS

USA

Japan

Europe

Internet

Evolution of Mobile Networks and Internet

3G2G1G

Beyond 3G

Phase I (3.5G)

Phase II (4G)

Mobile Networks

Study Group Structure

IP2 Ad-Hoc

TTC (Telecommunication Technology Committee)

Long-term All IP Conference

ARIB (Association of Radio, Industry and Business )

3GPPs, WWRF, IETF

ITU-R WP8F

ITU-T IMT SSG

Radio Experts IT/NW Experts

IP2 Ad-Hoc Study Group

Chairman: Dr. Masami YABUSAKI (NTT DoCoMo)Vice-chairmen: Mr. Kazuyoshi SATO (Mitsubishi) Dr. Masayoshi OHASHI (KDDI)

Member Companies;NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Toshiba Corporation,KDDI Corporation, Seiko Epson Corporation,J-Phone Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation,Nippon Ericsson K.K. KYOCERA Corporation,Fujitsu Limited, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation,Lucent Technologies Japan Ltd., CRL,NEC Corporation, NTC (Nippon Telecommunications Consulting

Nippon Motorola Ltd., Co., Ltd.),

Nokia-Japan Co., LTD., NTT SOFT,NTT, QUALCOMM JAPAN,OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd., DENSO Corporation,SHARP Corporation, Hitachi Ltd.,Siemens K.K. NTT Communication Corporation.Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd

IP2 Ad-Hoc Study Group

IP-based IMT Network Platform

IP-based IMT Network Platform ( IP2 ) main requirements:

• Huge multimedia traffic handling.

• Diversified radio access support.

• Advanced mobility management.

• Seamless/ubiquitous services

General architecture of the IP-based IMT network platform

Applications

AP1 AP2 AP3 APn

Middleware

IP-based transport NW

Location Accounting/billing Media conversion Distribution

Basic network management sub-layer

RRM MM C/SM Security QoS

Service support sub-layer

IP IPIP

IPRadio

Radio RadioIP IP

IP

ISDN/PSTN

Internet

IP-based IMT Network Platform

Research Challenges

• Full integration and convergence of mobile and Internet networks.- Common mobility management- Efficient and dynamic re-routing within the Internet for moving terminals- Separation of location management and routing management

• Design of middleware layer- Separation of basic network control from transport- Interaction between service support sub-layer and applications and between service support and basic network management sub-layers.

• No separation between RAN and CN.- Common interface between radio resource management and other network control entities

Research Challenges

“ The greatest challenge is not a technical one; it is how to influence the IETF to adopt the common protocols and functionalities required for IP2 . Radical changes to existing IETF protocols and the IP layer model will be required.”

Inter-working Issues

• The inter-working of WLAN and 3G cellular networks is fully recognised and some study and research work have already been carried out.

• Although the benefit of inter-working between broadcast and cellular networks has been recognised, no research activities have yet been announced or reported.

• The use of WLAN equipment based on IEEE 802.11b is common in Japan within private networks and it seems that IEEE 802.11a will follow it.

• Recently, NTT Communications Corp. has launched its WLAN public services.

Co-operation between UK and Japan

• Co-operation was proposed between UK and Japan in the areas of:

- Future network vision and its general requirements. - Evolution scenario from IMT-2000 networks. - Common global standardisation organisations and schedules.

• Co-operation was also proposed between the IP2 Ad Hoc Study Group and Mobile VCE.