Broadbandindia Magazine

Back in 1954, British athlete Roger Bannister successfully demonstrated to the world that it was possible to run 1 mile in less than 4 minutes. It was a feat that brought Bannister renown and one that spurred on a further need for speed on clay and asphalt around the world. Fifty-five years later and just a little over 16 seconds faster, athletes continue to push themselves in pursuit of yet a better time.

Today’s mobile Internet applications and Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) are unlikely to be taxing the download speeds of 4G networks. In fact, these applications, operating systems and devices, as technically sophisticated and impressive to the user as they are, could really be considered as out of shape athletes on the 4G track. Arguably one of the most demanding mobile Internet applications today would be streaming, full-motion video. With an unimpeded full-motion stream at 2 Mb/s, most of today’s MIDs are struggling with CPU and display capabilities to really keep up with what is being delivered. Concerns of memory and storage  capacity are now, for the most part, in the past with the significant advances made as a result of digital photography. Today’s memory devices sport large capacity, fast access, small size and low power consumption.

Aside from computing power, MIDs, like runners, need to carefully manage their energy requirements. Balancing consumption of energy and the physical size associated with adequate storage of energy continues as a challenge for runners, aerospace engineers and MID designers. For many of today’s MIDs that  challenge comes from the need to support more than one radio simultaneously, cellular and Bluetooth for example, a chatty 802.11 protocol for WiFi, a GPS, and a  backlit color display to name some of the usual suspects. Ask an athlete, it’s more than just your physical abilities and efficient energy management that will help you win the race. A winning strategy also includes, preparation and application. In the case of MID applications there are still many examples of lack of preparation and in some cases, out of shape applications that are manifesting user experiences. Sluggish user experiences are frequently attributed to thin bandwidth availability however; closer examination can also reveal that flabby scripts are to blame. In summary, MID designers and OS and application developers will need to continue to prepare together for race day. Those who don’t make the finish line in the 4G race won’t be fault the track conditions!

In India… over 3G to take 2G…

In India…its time for 3G mobile technology to take over the 2G technology…

But, beyond 3G is 4G…

4G stands for the 4th generation wireless network technology. Its is the next stage of wireless communication which will be coming after some time from now. A 4G system will be able to provide a comprehensive IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be given to users on an “Anytime, Anywhere” basis, and at higher data rates than previous generations. The international telecommunications regulatory and standardization bodies are working for commercial deployment of 4G networks roughly in the 2012-2015 time scale. At that point it is predicted that even with current evolutions of third generation 3G networks, these will tend to be congested.

There are certain objectives of the 4G technology which include: that 4G will be a fully IP-based integrated system. 4G will be capable of providing between 100 Mbit/ s and 1 Gbit/s speeds both indoors and outdoors, with premium quality and high security.

Some possible standards for the 4G system are 802.20, WiMAX (802.16), HSDPA, TDD UMTS, UMTS and future versions of UMTS and proprietary networks from ArrayComm Inc., Navini Networks, Flarion Technologies, and 4G efforts in India, China and Japan.

The design is that 4G will be based on OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), which is the key enabler of 4G technology. Other technological aspects of 4G are adaptive processing and smart antennas, both of which will be used in 3G networks and enhance rates when used in with OFDM. Currently 3G networks still send there data digitally over a single channel, OFDM is designed to send data over hundreds of parallel streams, thus increasing the amount of information that can be sent at a time over traditional CDMA networks.

The 4G plans are still years away, but transitioning from 3G to 4G should be seamless for customers because 4G will have evolved from 3G. Users won’t even have to get new phones. Digital applications are getting more common lately and are creating an increasing demand for broadband communication systems.

The technical requirements for related products are very high but solutions must be cheap to implement since we are essentially talking about consumer products. For Satellite and for Cable; such cost-efficient solutions are already about for the terrestrial link (i.e. original TV broadcasting) the requirements are so high that the ‘standard’ solutions are no longer an option. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a technology that allows transmitting very high data rates over channels at a comparable low complexity. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing is the choice of the transmission method for the European digital radio (DAB) and Digital TV (DVB-T) standard. Owing to its great benefit’s OFDM is being considered for future broadband application such as wireless ATM as well.

What are Trai’s views on auction of 2G telecom spectrum?

The reference has come from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) only recently. It’s too early to take a view on that. They have asked for a recommendation and that can happen only after a due consultation process. I cannot give a timeframe by when Trai would give its recommendation on the matter.

How can we have a transparent spectrum-policy regime?

Trai will be considering various issues related to spectrum allocation and policy keeping in view the terms of reference of the DoT.

Is Trai looking at spectrum ‘scarcity’ issue also in the forthcoming reco on 2G spectrum auction?

Trai will take a look at that (spectrum scarcity) also. Trai received the DoT reference on July 7, and it’s too early to get into details about what our recommendation on 2G spectrum auction may entail.

Are there international examples the spectrum shortage problem being solved?

Of course there are. How much of it is currently relevant and how do we relate that to our conditions must be examined. International examples cannot be replicated without considering the local conditions, the number of service providers and the actual context.

Do Trai plan any regulatory action in the area of M&As?

At this stage, immediately, it is not on my table. But, this is an important issue….

What’s your take on the increase in FDI cap in the telecom sector?

The FDI cap in the telecom sector is at 74%. I have not seen any reference from DoT asking for our input on a higher FDI level. At this stage, Trai are not concerned with the issue. In the broadcasting sector, our recommendations on uniform FDI already exists and the I&B ministry is looking at it. Trai understand that I&B ministry is taking action in this regard.

What are Trai biggest challenges?

Getting the country to be ready technologically is the biggest challenge for Trai. We should actually look beyond 3G, and get ready for 4G. Broadband expansion is a major issue. So is expansion in rural telephony. Spectrum is another crucial matter that Trai is looking at. Convergence between broadcasting and telecom is also a major area that may develop. And, value-added service (VAS) too will keep Trai engaged over the coming months.

What about improving telemarketing norms to check the menace of unsolicited calls?

Trai are now exploring the option of a do-call-registry. As you know, the do-not call registry has not worked very well. So we now have to look at alternatives and one of the alternatives we are thinking of is a do-callregistry. On this issue, we will hold consultation over the next two months.

What are the significant consumer-related initiatives Trai is working on?

In the telecom sector, the consumers would be concerned about three issues. These are quality of service, unauthorized commercial communication, billing and grievance redressal. Quality of service surveys of telecom service providers are regularly put on our website. But since websites and computers are accessible to only a certain number of people, we are looking at an additional platform to make consumers aware of the quality of service of the telcos. Trai plan to take recourse to publishing the quality of service surveys in newspapers. For that, we would consult with the service providers. On curbing unsolicited commercial calls, Trai have already mentioned the option of a docall registry.

Has Trai’s views been sought by the government on the proposed Bharti-MTN deal?

No, nobody has sought Trai’s view on the matter.