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What does the network of the future hold? Future networks
must be able to provide connections at anytime, anywhere and to any capable
device.
The world now boasts more than 5 billion mobile
subscriptions with more than 2 billion internet users on top of that. There is
a limited amount of bandwidth available to provide connectivity to all of the resources
available. Internet traffic is expected to grow at a 34% Compound Annual Growth
Rate (CAGR) through 2014 while Mobile Internet traffic is anticipated to expand
at a 92% CAGR thru 2015.
User expectations are limitless and continually growing to
include multi-sensory experiences and content. Due to increased levels of
integration, intelligence, transmission speed and device storage capacities of today’s
Internet will not support future usage needs.
The goal of the Future Network is the development of a
converged communication and service infrastructure that gradually replaces the
current internet with one that is able to support unlimited capacities through
a wide variety of nomadic and mobile, interoperable devices. The Network of the
Future will provide seamless service to a variety of content formats and numerous
delivery modes.
Future Networks will use limited resources with greater flexibility
and efficiency including radio access and energy. Cognitive radio applications
and networks are essential technologies capable of meeting spectrum policy
limitations while bringing down a network’s capital and operational expenditures.
Future Networks will manage new forms of ad-hoc communications with
intermittent connectivity requirements and time-varying network topology.
Visions of Future Networks require addressing the evolution
from today’s large legacy infrastructures to newer infrastructures. The newer
application must be capable of exploring disruptive architectures to build
future internet, mobile, broadband and associated service infrastructures.
Future Networks allow for:
Cloud Computing – offers the opportunity to further advance
utility computing scenarios.
Internet of Things – as computing capacity and sensor
reception expand, automation of personal and public smart objects gains wide
use.
Smart Grid – supply of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) infrastructure components able to activate the energy transport network.
e-Health – emerging needs linked to prolonged life
expectancy finds in ICT a chance to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
Intelligent Vehicle Transport – allows security, safety and
efficiency for vehicular traffic automation and control.
Future mobile devices will sense, see and interact with the
end user. The Future Network will feature unlimited bandwidth capacity,
magnitudes of higher computing performance, wireless access anywhere, trillions
of devices interconnected, integrated security and trust for all parties.
Through frequent messaging and two way communication channels, smart devices
will provide real time snapshots in transport, building control, energy use and
industry applications.
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