Trends in Wireless Communication

Just as the fixed networks evolved towards broadband all-IP Next Generation Networks (NGNs), the future of the wireless world lies in the truly broadband all-IP wireless connectivity, enabled for a massive number of connected devices. The technical realization of this vision is governed by the 3GPP Evolved Packet System (EPS) standard specifications, formerly known as System Architecture Evolution (SAE).The EPS consists of the LTE and the LTE-Advanced broadband access technologies and of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) as connectivity control core network for the LTE accesses.

EPC as wireless control core network enables transparent connectivity of devices to LTE as well as to other accesses such as 3GPP 3G and 2G accesses, WiMAX, CDMA, WiFi etc. For this heterogeneous wireless environment it provides convergent IP connectivity features such as mobility management, policy and charging control and security support, enabling the mobile devices to use the services offered by multiple application platforms.

Linking multiple wireless access network technologies to multiple application platforms requires a highly complex control platform. EPC provides seamless, secure and resource guaranteed subscription based wireless IP connectivity by adopting standard protocols and paradigms from the Internet and Telco worlds. Additionally, it provides the capabilities to receive the requirements from different service platforms (be it IMS, proprietary platforms or over the top internet applications) and to guarantee these requirements through policy based decisions and resource reservations on the data path enabling for optimized service delivery support for a broad range of IP applications.

Due to the increased capacity of the new access technologies and of the fast development of novel applications especially tailored for wireless communication, it is foreseen that the a large number of subscribers currently using only Circuit Switched services will be using in the near future IP services, transforming the wireless environment into a data dominant one. Because of this, it is foreseen that the data traffic over the wireless connections will almost double every year in the next years [CISCO].

Also, with the increased capacity of the system to integrate new application platforms and with the foreseen opportunity of connecting new devices to the IP infrastructure such as sensor and machine devices autonomous of any human interaction, it is foreseen that the number of connected devices will reach 50 billion devices by the year 2020 [MTC].

Acknowledging the challenges of the exponential increase in the overall data traffic and of the increased number of connected devices, the 3GPP standardization is now concentrating not only on providing individual optimal IP connectivity for the subscribers, but also on making more scalable and efficient the overall core network by integrating the requirements of these novel types of communication.

For enabling a fast deployment of the novel all-IP technology of EPC, there is a dire need for research, rapid prototyping and testing to be done in the coming years. Fraunhofer FOKUS has already gained the expertise from developing reference implementations for emerging networking infrastructures with the SIP Express Router and the Open IMS Core. OpenEPC aims to push the research and development of EPC concepts for all-IP networks including the integration of new access network technologies, mobility management, resource and charging control, security enhancements and network support for the development of future applications especially customized for the massive wireless broadband market.

[CISCO] Cisco, "Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2010–2015"

[MTC] European Commission, Directorate-General for the Information Society and Media, "Vision and Challenges for realizing the Internet of Things"