Amit Mukhopadhyay

Mobile data explosion: Monetizing the opportunity through dynamic policies and QoS pipes

With the recent explosion of mobile data traffic, it is becoming clear that “unlimited” data usage plans are financially unsustainable. In order to wean subscribers away from these plans without serious customer dissatisfaction, there is a need to create data plans at different price levels, consistently with subscriber needs for data volume, quality of experience, and usage characteristics. The technical and financial challenges of implementing such plans are multi-faceted—the impact of outdated network equipment, legacy handsets, and over-the-top applications all contribute to additional network costs, which need to be minimized. In this paper, we introduce an analytical model to investigate the economic impact of incentivizing off-peak capacity usage—since network cost is driven by peak capacity, reduction of peak demand brings corresponding cost savings. We then present policy and quality of service (QoS) mechanisms to implement traffic shaping with off-peak usage incentives, so that operators can manage and monetize the explosion of mobile data.

Presence and availability with IMS: Applications architecture, traffic analysis, and capacity impacts

A key advantage of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is that it promotes the development of innovative multimedia services designed to bring an enhanced experience to the end user. The presenceand availability service is viewed as an indispensable feature for these next-generation services to help service providers generate new revenue and reduce churn. Numerous new services are currently being designed to take advantage of this feature. In this paper, we examine presence and availability in the context of IMS and describe its architecture as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project/3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP/3GPP2) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). In addition, we provide an analysis of presence updates and propose a user model and a traffic model to quantify the signaling traffic that such a feature can generate on a network. Through this model, network designers can examine the processing requirements for presence servers and other IMS components (i.e., call session control function [CSCF]) as well as the cost of transporting such traffic in the network.

A SIP-enabled all-IP architecture for converged next-generation networks

The success of converged next-generation networks (NGNs) will be contingent on the ability of subscribers to access data, voice, and other real-time multimedia services seamlessly, whether they are roaming wireline wide area networks (WWANs) or wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spots. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is one of the underlying technologies required to implement an access-agnostic Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia network infrastructure. In this paper, we investigate the key challenges involved in supporting SIP-based real-time (e.g., voice over IP [VoIP]) and multimedia services over heterogeneous networks and we describe a SIP-enabled all-IP architecture (SEAA) that leverages 3rd Generation Partnership Project/3rd Generation Partnership Project2 (3GPP/3GPP2) IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) framework, and IETFs SIP profile to support access-independent NGNs. We develop a multilayered policy-based quality of service (QoS) control mechanism and propose an interaction mechanism involving the application service layer, the session control layer, and the transport network layer to support end-to-end consistent QoS and service level agreements (SLAs). We address a SIP-based session control mechanism and the implications for unified service management and describe in detail the end-to-end SIP call flow in an example policy-based network to demonstrate the validity of our solution. We also analyze the interworking architecture between SIP and legacy networks.

Macro and small cell/Wi-Fi networks: An analysis of deployment options as the solution for the mobile data explosion

With the tremendous growth in mobile data traffic triggered by increases in data subscriptions, powerful devices, and richer applications, operators are seeing Wi-Fi as not only a complementary technology to offload cellular data traffic but also as a seamless extension of their mobile networks. The advent of Hotspot 2.0, enhanced Wi-Fi quality of service (QoS) techniques, and transparent authentication mechanisms between mobile and Wi-Fi networks will pave the way for seamless mobility and roaming between these two technologies and provide a better quality of experience to the end user. With web-based applications like Skype, Google Talk, and WhatsApp becoming mainstream media for communication, operators are looking at the combination of licensed band and Wi-Fi technologies to meet capacity demands. This paper discusses the evolution of basic network Wi-Fi -based hotspots to become the trusted partner of mobile operators. We present architectures and required features for data offload and seamless mobility and provide an in-depth techno-economic analysis comparing various deployment alternatives for data offload in a heterogeneous network.

IMS service enhancement layer: A quantitative value proposition

A key advantage of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is that it promotes the development of innovative multimedia services. Alcatel-Lucents service enhancement layer is an improvement to the standard IMS core implementation, having functional elements for service coordination, data integration, and policy enablement. This layer is instrumental in enhancing the IMS core capabilities through mediation of service interactions, data consolidation and federation, and knowledge of user state and preferences, and thus personalization of services offered over diverse network elements. Elements in this layer are key differentiators for Alcatel-Lucent against the competition. Several papers have been written to describe the elements in this layer from a feature and functionality viewpoint. In this paper, we capture the quantitative value of this layer, from the perspective of an operator. We present a technoeconomic analysis for an IMS-enabled “blended lifestyle” implementation of selected services, comparing the results for implementation with and without the service enhancement layer.

Economic benefits of SON features in LTE networks

Initial configuration and on-going optimizations of the Radio Access Network (RAN) are significant expenses for Wireless Service Providers (WSPs). Investments in skilled technicians and engineers as well as test tools are required to ensure a high-performance network. Self Organizing Networks (SONs) minimize the lifecycle cost of running a network — they make it more economical to deploy, operate and maintain. SONs also allow for automated optimization of radio network performance by balancing capacity and coverage based on dynamic demand that help reduce service outages and increase customer satisfaction. The ability of SON features to automate many RAN operational activities is a key to the commercial success of Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems. In this paper, we outline a method for quantifying the economic benefits of SON, clearly showing how individual features contribute to reducing costs and present a case study for commercial adaptation of SON in the industry.

SIP in 3G wireless networks: Service models, architecture, and network design

As wireless operators look for new revenue opportunities to justify their investment in third-generation equipment, multimedia services appear to offer the best possibility of satisfying their needs. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), driven by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project/3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP/3GPP2) and based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), provides a basis for delivering these next-generation services. In this paper, we present a detailed model of the IMS services that are being considered for implementation in 3GPP. We also analyze architecture options for both existing and new operators and use a network model to investigate the economic viability of IMS deployment. We compare the pros and cons of implementing multimedia services with and without IMS. Finally, we present a case study — based on the network of a third-generation (3G) wireless service provider — that describes the design of the network, considers the impact of IMS services on its capacity, and offers an economic analysis of the network that takes into account traffic forecasts, standards evolution, and product roadmaps.

Wireless service provider backbone network evolution with packet technologies

Moving toward the third-generation (3G), wireless service providers (WSPs) have key decisions to make in evolving their backbone networks in a cost-effective way. Today, most WSPs in the United States deploy fully meshed, circuit-switched metro backbone networks and hand off long-distance traffic to an interexchange carrier (IXC). With the increased complexity of managing a growing meshed network and the emergence of enhanced data services, the goal is to evolve toward a multi-service packet network. This paper presents a rigorous model for circuit-to-packet (C2P) network evolution planning that addresses evolution alternatives for voice services, technology choice, network architectures, design, performance, reliability, and financial analysis. The model allows WSPs to quantify the benefits of various evolution scenarios and helps Lucent Mobility Solutions assess product roadmaps. The paper also presents a case study based on typical code division multiple access (CDMA) WSPs in North America that examines various C2P evolution strategies in metro, regional, and national backbones based on different choices of technology (TDM vs. ATM vs. IP), product availability, network architectures, and traffic forecasts. Also included are key insights and a summary of the study results.

Designing optimal heterogeneous networks

Wireless operators worldwide are struggling with network congestion following explosion of mobile data traffic over the last several years. In many countries, spectrum addition is not an option. Improvement in spectral efficiency is not keeping up with traffic growth. Hence, the only option to add network capacity is to re-use existing spectrum. However, in many large cities, inter-site distances among macro cells are reaching the lower bounds of practical deployment, thereby forcing the industry to explore alternative network architectures. Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) are defined as a mix of multi-technology macro and Small Cells. Small Cells may be used in licensed and/or unlicensed spectrum bands. There are three primary challenges of deploying Small Cells: (1)Where to deploy them so that maximum traffic is captured, (2)How to minimize interference with macro cells and (3)How to minimize deployment costs. This paper discusses a methodology for balancing the three constraints in a real-life network.

Additional switching nodes: Not a panacea for congested wireless networks

Traditionally, service providers have been adding Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) in their wireless networks whenever they run out of capacity. In an analysis of a large metropolitan network, we observed something seemingly counter-intuitive: additional MSCs do not necessarily add call capacity and they can sometimes even cause decreased network capacity. The apparent anomaly can be intuitively explained by noting that it is the all important call capacity that brings revenue to the operator. A new MSC in a network will always enhance total processing capacity but its introduction will also result in increased inter-MSC signaling for mobility handling. For a given total processing capacity, as mobility handling demand goes up, the remaining capacity for call processing goes down. In this paper, we establish a methodology for predicting capacity exhaust in an expanding network and also present practical suggestions for avoiding network congestion. Even though the analysis was done for a network with traditional monolithic switches, the methodology can be applied towards next generation distributed architecture components as well.