Telecommunications for the future - 4

Rob Parker

CERN IT Division

R. Parker - CERN 2

User requirements

• Some questions• How do we categorize users of existing

telecommunications services?• What else do these users need in terms of

connectivity?• What new applications might emerge?• Which new applications are likely to be

embraced by users?

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Categories of Usersfixed connections

1. everyone needs voice communication

2. all “office” workers will have a high speed network connection at work– they will want similar facilities at home, and

– if they “tele-commute”, it will be essential to provide these facilities, at reasonable cost

– estimate: at most 20% of the population fall into this category

– they will want 100kbit/sec to 1 Mbit/sec at home

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Categories of Usersfixed connections

3. some of Category 2 will be itinerant– they will require a remote connection

somehow, at 100kbit/sec to 1 Mbit/sec

4. many users (50%?) will require occasional PC access

– 50-100 kbit/s should be enough for these needs

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Categories of Usersmobile connections

1. everyone needs voice communication• will therefore have a mobile phone

2. a small proportion (10%?) need high bandwidth mobile data connectivity• will typically have a laptop• will make do with lower speed connection

if high bandwidth is not available

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Categories of Usersmobile connections

3. a large proportion might need occasional mobile data connectivity (not necessarily high-bandwidth)

• occasional emails

• consulting information; shopping

• these users will probably have a PDA

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Driving forces behind new mobile data applications

• increased bandwidthfor multimedia applications, for example

• “always on” (ie. connection-less)to allow quick transactions

• timelinesswhen instant response is required

• location-based servicesthe network can find the location of a mobile telephone to within about 50 metres

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Mobile multimedia applications

• mobile video telephony– is there a real demand for this?– remember what has happened to fixed line

videophones!

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Time-critical mobile applications

• stock quotes

• urgent emailsand less time-critical:

• news

• weather– And even less time-critical:

• timetables

• hotel reservation

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Location-based mobile services

• can provide information about services near to the user’s current location:– hotels– restaurants– transport facilities– tourist information– local events

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Application Protocols

Several protocols are already in use for simple database queries:

• SMS query

• Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

• i-mode

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SMS query

• crude, but satisfactory for many simple

applications

– Eg. Timetable look-up

• does not require connection

• fairly fast

• inexpensive

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WAP• designed to give Web style access for

mobiles with limitations:– Small screen– Limited graphic capability– Low speed data access

• connection oriented, so slow• the phone limitations will soon be

resolved• has WAP a future? : people want real

Internet access

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i-mode

• “Always on”

• inexpensive

• gives a reasonable approximation to real Internet access

• very successful in Japan

• could it give guidelines for a WAP upgrade?

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User Profiles

Telephony only~100 kbit/s.LAN rates