Home // International Journal On Advances in Networks and Services, volume 11, numbers 1 and 2, 2018 // View article

Demonstration of Next Generation Point of Presence for Fixed-Mobile Convergence

Authors:
Bogdan Andrus
Ricardo Martinez
Achim Authenrieth
Manuel Requena
Ricard Vilalta
Jim Zou
Peter Olsazi
Bertrand Le Guyader
Xavier Grall
Stephane Gosselin
Alberto Pineda
Akos Ladanyi
Juan Jose V. Olmos
Idelfonso T. Monroy

Keywords: Universal Access Gateway; Fixed Mobile Convergence; Next Generation Point of Presence; SDN; NFV

Abstract:
Distributed data centers can benefit fixed and mobile service operators alike. Upcoming 5G technologies will force network operators to redesign current network infrastructure to deal with a high set of requirements (e.g., increased traffic load, reduced latency, improved cost and energy efficiency etc.). An appealing solution focuses on rolling out the so-called fixed mobile convergence in broadband networks. Fixed mobile convergence aims at providing a shared infrastructure (i.e., transport solutions and common points of presence) as well as a set of universal functions and operations (i.e., authentication, accounting, path control and management, caching, etc.) regardless of the access network type (fixed, mobile or Wi-Fi). In our vision, convergence is attained by developing a next-generation point of presence based on characteristics of geographically distributed data centers. The new point of presence can be defined as the location for the common subscriber IP edge of fixed, Wi-Fi and mobile networks alike. For a given area, user traffic connections, from different access technologies, are terminated within this single, shared location hosting selected and common network functions and operations. To this end, we exploit the benefits of adopting both networking trends Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization. This work reports on the successful validation of the devised and deployed next generation point of presence demonstrating true fixed mobile convergence. The targeted convergence is attained by providing support for heterogeneous (control and data plane) network functions for mobile core, Wi-Fi gateway and fixed services inside the point of presence

Pages: 33 to 44

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2018. Used with permission.

Publication date: June 30, 2018

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2644