Alan's Networking Analysis

IEEE ComSoc SCV chapter Telecom Topics Newsletter

Note: The author is Program Chair and Secretary of IEEE ComSoc SCV chapter.  He compiled the information in this newsletter.

In our innaugural issue, we cover dual mode phones, mobile WiMAX, Google's bid for wireless spectrum (will they become a WISP?), Carrier Ethernet, 10G/100G Ethernet Study Group progress report, and the completion of the 100G Internet2 by Level 3 Communications.

1.  Dual Mode Phones and Associated Service Offerings

T-Mobile USA has introduced a dual mode wireless service that some say is the first real Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) commercial offering.  T-Mobile launched its HotSpot@Home service in late June. The service lets customers connect via the firm's cellular network and its 8,500 WiFi hotspot locations across the country. T-Mobile offers two HotSpot-compatible handsets--the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6086. Each phone costs $49.99 with a two-year contract. To provide an incentive to users to sign up for the plan, T-Mobile is letting existing customers add the service for $9.99 per month for a single line and $19.99 per month for up to five lines for customers on a family plan. 

Cincinnati Bell is also making a similar service available in its region.  The CB Home Run service lets subscribers make wireless calls via the firm's cellular network and via WiFi in their homes and offices and at the company's more than 300 WiFi hotspots. Cincinnati Bell is charging $60 for the Nokia 6086 UMA-based handset with a $15 rebate, and existing customers can add the CB Home Run service for just $10 per month.   For further info:

http://www.viodi.com/newsletter/070701/article1.pdf

Research in Motion's newly announced BlackBerry 8820 will include wireless voice and data access over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks. The smartphone will also feature GPS navigation, is expected to hit store shelves sometime later this year and will be available through AT&T.  For further info:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Canada-New-BlackBerry.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Cisco's white paper, How Cisco Mobility Solutions Can Reduce Costs describes a promising new mobility solution, which takes dual-mode (cellular and WLAN) smart phones and allows users to do many things with them.  In particular, users can make and receive calls, send and receive messages, and gain high-speed access to data applications with a wireless connection anywhere, while on or off the corporate campus. Such solutions allow employees to be more responsive to internal and external customers from wherever they work.  Dual-mode-enabled mobility solutions also allow enterprises to decrease corporate cell phone usage and support productivity-enhancing applications.

This white paper presents a model enterprise deployment to illustrate how dual-mode mobility solutions based on voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) can reduce costs and increase productivity.

For further information, please refer to:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns340/ns394/ns348/networking_solutions_white_paper0900aecd804dc5b3.shtml

2.  SPRINT and Clearwire Team Up on Mobile WiMAX in the U.S.- The Bullish Case for WiMAX

On July 19th the two companies announced they were partnering to buildout their Mobile WiMAX network.  Sprint's plans to offer 2-4Mbps WiMax service for around $50 starting in 2008 seems to be on track.  SPRINT's partnership with WiMax ISP Clearwire -- is one way to at least share the huge costs associated with the huge WiMAX  infrastructure build-out:

"Sprint Nextel and Clearwire expect to build their respective portions of the nationwide network, and enable roaming between the respective territories. The companies also will work jointly on product and service evolution, shared infrastructure, branding, marketing and distribution. Additionally, the companies intend to exchange selected 2.5 GHz spectrum in order to optimize build-out, development and operation of the network."

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=17520

In an article titled,   WiMAX Update: Bull and Bear Debate,  Ken Rutkowski <Ken@kenradio.com> is quoted as being enthusiastically bullish about mobile WiMAX:

“Mobile WiMAX will connect 8% of the world’s 1.1 billion mobile broadband subscribers by 2012, accounting for nearly 88 million users worldwide, according to a study by Parks Associates. 52% of these subscribers will be from Asian countries while North and South America will account for another 28%.

Most existing WiMAX deployments are the province of aspiring start-up service providers or incumbent telecom carriers looking to fill coverage gaps. The imminent availability of commercial products and increasing availability of spectrum around the world will change the market for mobile WiMAX and make it viable among major service providers. Taiwan alone will have eight million mobile WiMAX subscribers by 2012. Approximately 160 million cellular subscribers, 6% of all cellular subscribers, were using a mobile broadband service at the end of 2006. Two-thirds of these mobile broadband subscribers used UMTS technology, and the remainder used CDMA EVDO. Both mobile WiMAX and UMTS/HSDPA technologies will gain market share in the next several years, at the expense of CDMA EVDO. TD-SCDMA will also have a meaningful market share due to its strong foothold in China, the largest mobile market in the world.”

http://www.viodi.tv/2007/06/19/wimax-debate/

3.   Google Ups the Ante in FCC Auction, The Wall Street Journal  (subscription required)

In their July 23rd edition, the WSJ reported that  Google could spend at least $4.6 billion for wireless licenses if the FCC adopts auction rules that allow open access for users and wireless resellers.

The article states that Google "would participate in the auction if the FCC requires whoever wins a large chunk of the spectrum -- roughly one-third of the total to be auctioned -- to let consumers use any compatible wireless devices and software and open the network to resellers and other service providers. Draft FCC rules for the auction include the requirement for openness to different devices and software and services, though Google remains concerned they're not enforceable or specific enough.

In addition, Google wants the spectrum owner to operate it at least partly on a wholesale basis, requiring the owner to offer access to its wireless networks to other companies who want to sell wireless services -- a condition the draft rules now don't include.

It remains unclear whether the conditions for Google's bid, which Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt outlined in a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin Friday, will be met. It is also unlikely that Google would build a wireless network on its own if it were to win the auction, but would make the spectrum available to others who would build and also potentially partner in building a network, say people familiar with the matter."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118494147432873053.html?mod=telecommunications_primary_hs

4.  Standardization of Carrier Class Ethernet in ITU, IEEE, IETF, and MEF

Evolution of "carrier-class" Ethernet:  Ethernet became to be used widely in network operator's backbone or metro area network. Although Ethernet was originally designed to be used in LAN environment, it has been enhanced in several aspects so that it can be used in network operators' network. In addition, Ethernet can easily realize multipoint to multipoint connectivity, which would require n*(n-1)/2 connections if an existing point to point transport technology.

Standardization work on "carrier-class" Ethernet is conducted within ITU-T SG13, SG15, IEEE 802.1 WG, IEEE 802.3 WG, IETF and Metro Ethernet Forum. The table below summarizes current standardization activities on "carrier-class" Ethernet.

Table 1. Standardization work on "carrier-class" Ethernet.

Further details

Further details about standardization of Ethernet can be obtained the website of ITU-T SG13, SG15, IEEE 802.1, IEEE 802.3, IETF and Metro Ethernet Forum as below:

ITU-T SG13: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com13/index.asp

ITU-T SG15: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com15/index.asp

IEEE 802.1 WG: http://www.ieee802.org/1/

IEEE 802.3 WG: http://www.ieee802.org/3/

IETF: http://www.ietf.org/

Metro Ethernet Forum: http://www.metroethernetforum.org/

5.  Progress report on 40G/100G Etherenet Study Group

The July 20th IEEE 802.3 closing plenary voted to adopt the following list of objectives (and associated PAR) for a Task force to develop 100G and 40G Ethernet.

Support full-duplex operation only

Preserve the 802.3 / Ethernet frame format utilizing the 802.3 MAC

Preserve minimum and maximum FrameSize of current 802.3 standard

Support a BER better than or equal to 10-12 at the MAC/PLS service interface

Provide appropriate support for OTN (ITU standardized Optical Transport Network)

Support a MAC data rate of 40 Gb/s

Provide Physical Layer specifications which support 40 Gb/s operation over:

at least 100m on OM3 MMF

at least 10m over a copper cable assembly

at least 1m over a backplane

Support a MAC data rate of 100 Gb/s

Provide Physical Layer specifications which support 100 Gb/s operation over:

at least 40km on SMF

at least 10km on SMF

at least 100m on OM3 MMF

at least 10m over a copper cable assembly

Assuming that the EC and other formal approvals go through as expected, this will result in a single Task Force ( expected to be P802.3ba) to develop both 40Gb Ethernet and 100Gb Ethernet.

The first Task Force meeting would be in January 2008

A possible timeline for the development of the standard is:

Last new proposal - May 2008

Last technical change - May 2009

Completed standard - Mid 2010

6.  Level 3 completes Internet2 optical network

The new 100-Gbit/sec network delivers an immediate increase in bandwidth and the capability for future scalability to enable emerging applications for the Internet2 research and education community, say Level3 representatives.  For more information, please refer to:

http://lw.pennnet.com/display_article/295991/13/ARTCL/Display/none/Level-3-completes-Internet2-optical-network/?dcmp=LWDENL