Next Generation Internet Works

It’s amazing to see how far technology has advanced in terms of communications within the last century. Also, the growth rate of networks as a whole within the few years (10 years, has been substantial.To that end, some of the existing technology include, common terms of infrastructure as given below:

• Wireless Access Points and Wireless Lan Controllers
• Routers, Switches, Firewalls
• Mobiles and VOIP
• DSLAMS and Telephone Exchanges

However, I’d like to discuss the new generation of internetworking which builds on these components. These include the following:

IP DSLAM

A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) allows telephone lines to make faster connections to the Internet. It acts as a network device inside ISP premises connecting multiple customer DSL lines.

Traffic from these lines is transmitted to an Internet backbone within the ISP using multiplexing techniques.

The limitation of traditional DSLAMS is that it uses Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology to connect to upstream routers in the ISP Internet Backbone. These routers then extract the IP traffic being transmitted through the DSLAM and pass it on to the internet backbone which usually consists of a fiber optic network, or Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GEPON) components. This results in major processing overheads for the core routers in the ISP backbone, reducing the bandwidth and speed available to customers.

This limitation is overcome through the use of IP based DSLAMS which extract the IP traffic at the DSLAM level and transmit it to the upstream routers. The advantage of this is reduced traffic entering the core internet backbone, resulting in easier management, and provision of enhanced richer services such as multiple virtual circuits to customers over single DSL lines. Using an IP DSLAM also reduces operational expenditure since it is possible to provide more than a single service to Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) using a single DSL line. These include Triple Play (Data, Voice and TV), Multicast services, VOIP and ip based telephony, etc. Examples of IP DSLAMs are given below.

HUAWEI MA5616

Zhone Bitstorm

Phantom DSL

You might ask what is the difference between this version of DSL, and all the other forms of DSL connectivity already available (xDSL, VDSL, ADSL, SHDSL), and how it will affect your internet connectivity? Well! Here is your answer. !!

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has made a new discovery which promises to change the face of copper based networks, prolonging their life and popularity as the preferred method of choice of ISPs for their last mile connectivity.

They announced that they have been able to achieve a sustained speed of 850Mbps on a twisted pair copper line, at a distance of 400 m. At 500m, the circuit was able to sustain 750 Mbps. Further testing revealed that at a maximum distance of 1 km, the circuit was able to sustain a minimum of 100Mbps.

The company was able to achieve this by using a technology now known as Phantom DSL. The principle behind this technology is: Using a virtual or Phantom channel to boost the speed of existing twisted copper wire.

This technique ensures that the distance limitation faced by copper networks is overcome, allowing existing copper based lines to provide more speed resulting in increased value for money services from ISPs, without the need to lay costly, fiber optic lines to homes and businesses.This represents a huge advancement in technology for existing copper fixed line infrastructure. It allows previously unseen speeds on existing copper networks while supporting the economic use of existing network concepts such as VOIP, online gaming, video conferencing, Iptv, etc.

DSL Technology and its advances Phantom DSL over existing copper boosts speed to 850Mbps

Furthermore, NSN have announced that they would incorporate this feature in their next line-up of DSLAMs and CPE. However, it is un

known at this stage, when other ISP’s will have access to this technology.

Full Duplex Wireless Transmission

Wireless transmissions up till now are considered to be a one –way communication. However, you can argue that mobile phones have wireless connectivity and they allow people to communicate data both ways.

What I’m talking about is simultaneous full duplex based transmission of data using wireless connectivity. Except for mobile phones, which use an expensive workaround, radio traffic can only flow in one direction at a time severely limiting the speed of wireless transmissions.

However, researchers at Stanford University have created a full duplex radio that allows wireless signals to be sent and received simultaneously, thereby instantly doubling the speed of existing Wi-Fi networks. They achieved this breakthrough by developing a radio receiver that could filter out the signal from its own transmitter so the weak incoming signals could be heard. Each radio would know exactly what it is transmitting and what it should filter out. When the signals from the two transmitting antennas meet at the rec

eiving antenna, they effectively cancel each other out – not completely, but enough to allow the receiving antenna to pick up signals from other radios.

Full Duplex Radio able to receive and transmit data simultaneously at Stanford University

This breakthrough in wireless transmissions has enormous potential for the way in which we view wireless networks today. In addition, to the obvious benefit of doubling the speed of existing Wi-Fi networks, it may also allow two or more parties to send/receive data simultaneously on a single channel without interference. This may be useful in critical applications such as air traffic controllers, whereby flight plans are transmitted between planes and the tower simultaneously using the same channel with little to no interference from transmissions. Or even in military applications, whereby combat troops placed in different locations can be simultaneously contacted for strategic movement in intensive campaigns.

However, certain challenges have to be overcome before this concept can be available for commercial use. These include incorporating hardware and software to commercially acceptable standards, increasing the speed and range of duplex transmissions, etc.

These exciting new developments in the field of telecommunications show the capability and the potential for human evolution and also the importance humans place on global communication.