Thomas Monath

Technoeconomic evaluation of the major telecommunication investment options for European players

This article summarizes the major results from European projects drawing final conclusions and recommendations from the technoeconomic evaluation of three telecommunications market studies. It presents an analysis addressing a wide range of crucial telecommunications questions debated today. The business cases are: seamless mobile IP service provision, 3G mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), and fixed networks for broadband IP services. Extensive market analysis has been carried out for modeling demand, penetrations, and tariff structures for new mobile services and broadband services as an input to the business cases. Results show that over a 10-year study period, UMTS business is profitable in most cases for established operators with reasonable market share. The 3G MVNO business case is profitable under typical conditions when MVNO yields about 10 percent penetration, depending on the country type. Provision of fixed broadband services with a fiber to the curb solution is viable in dense urban and urban areas, but not in suburban environments, while fiber to the home is viable only in dense urban areas, despite the selection of protocol (ATM vs. Ethernet). Furthermore, broadband wireless access (BWA) systems, in dense urban and urban areas, show quite promising economic results

Architectural options and challenges for next generation optical access

Potential challenges towards next generation optical access technologies and architectures are reviewed based on operator requirements. Additionally the impact of new business models on network architecture is discussed.

On the economics of fixed‐mobile convergence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that fixed‐mobile convergence (FMC) has gathered much interest in the telecommunications industry lately. Integrated operators (who own both fixed and mobile networks), are keen to exploit FMC benefits in order to save costs and generate new revenues. This paper aims to analyze the effects of converged network and service environment on the business of existing telecommunication operators.Design/methodology/approach – After an introduction to the regulatory, market, and technology related issues of convergence, the authors focus on analyzing the role of FMC technologies and services in their businesses of an integrated operator with existing fixed and mobile operations in a large Western European country.Findings – Results reveal that an integrated operator can benefit from cost savings, customer retention and prevent revenue erosion by migrating to FMC.Originality/value – This paper examines the effects of fixed‐mobile convergence to an integrated operator.

Economical analysis of experience-optimized service delivery

This paper evaluates the potential market for experience-optimized service delivery also known as Quality of Experience (QoE). The competitive environment, market potential as well as revenue and cost estimations are part of the analysis that has been conducted within the EUREKA CELTIC project RUBENS. Major findings imply an implicit demand for QoE that remains to be explicated and initiated. A major driver for QoE technologies is the need for network operators to be able to deliver new, personalized and video related services with the quality levels that customers expect. This driver goes along with expected network congestion in the future and the wish for network efficiency increases. This results in the need for access and aggregation networks to become more cost efficient, whereas increasing expenditures for control and application servers would be coherent to customer expectations.

Techno-Economic Evaluation of Optical Access and Metropolitan Area Networks: The Influence of the Status of Maturity of the Photonics Component Industry

A techno-economic evaluation of the business aspects of optical networks in the access/metro optical networks is given and its relation to the evolution of the photonic component industry is highlighted.

On connection control and traffic optimisation in FMC networks

With the introduction of smartphones and tablets and the dramatical increase of the data traffic on the cellular network, operators are seeking for new solutions to provide the users with continuous connectivity while preserving a good quality of service. Since most of current user terminals are equipped with multiple interfaces, one solution is to take advantage of the different access networks. However, with the current network architectures and user application, it is not possible to use both accesses at the same time or even to switch from one to another without loosing current sessions. In this paper, we present and analyse the main mechanisms of the literature that allow a user to use multiple access networks at the same time or to move between the different networks. We show how a converged network can permit the deployment of new solutions and present some of them accompanied by use cases.

A multi-actor analysis of the QoE environment

The concept of Quality of Experience (QoE) comprises quality as perceived by the end user. The implementation of technologies that allow to provide a high and constant level of QoE involves an extensive network of actors, each having its own strategy and chasing different goals. This paper analyses the varying objectives of the actors by applying the multi-actor multi-issue method MACTOR.

Service offerings for fixed-mobile convergence scenario: an integrated operator case

This study demonstrates that an integrated operator can benefit from cost savings, customer retention and prevention of revenue erosion by FMC migration strategy with introduction of advanced service packages. This development is driven by increasing importance of mobile network capabilities and services, as well as the lessening gap between fixed and mobile systems, in terms of technological models and prices, resulting in greater market-pull and commercially feasible FMC offerings. FMC is expected to offer benefits for network and service operators as well as businesses and consumers. We have also analyzed the operator’s dilemma in selecting an appropriate migration strategy to exploit the benefits of cost savings and generating new revenues, while exposing oneself to the risk of substitution effects among its fixed and mobile products. The objective in this article has been to provide quantitative comparison of some strategic scenarios utilizing techno-economic case study methodology in modeling an integrated operator business in the Western European context. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com]

Importance of the maturity of photonic component industry on the business prospects of optical access networks: a techno-economic analysis

This paper discusses the influence of the maturity of the photonic component industry (PCI) in the business prospects of optical access network deployments. Using the TONIC techno-economic tool, the business prospects of such deployments (in terms of traditional investment indexes such as the Net Present Value - NPV or Internal Rate of Return - IRR) are related to the several factors which characterize the maturity of the PCI such as production volumes and component cost evolution. The analysis shows that even if the cost of Fiber-to-the-Home/Office (FTTH/O) and Fiber-to-the-Curb scenarios are mainly influenced by fiber installation costs, the price reduction rate of photonic components may also affect the investment strategies. To speed up the cost reductions, telecom carriers should therefore invest on optical technology research and development.