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The traditional network infrastructure is optimized to efficiently carry voice, and in some cases very small amounts of data. When data services came up, a separate pipe was provided similar to that for voice connectivity. As requirements, especially in the data domain, changed a separate data network (e.g., frame relay /VPN etc.) were created. As requirements of both voice and data have increased-managing, scaling, and operating two different networks has become difficult. On top of these-video services, video telephony, videoconferencing, broadcast, and multicast services have added to the complications.

Moreover wireline as well as wireless services have boomed, both in the narrowband and broadband environments and users are demanding seamless connectivity between different networks. This has given rise to the need for a universal network to support voice, data, and video (triple-play services) over a common network, which is typically called the next generation network or NGN. "This helps reduce capex and opex significantly, while allowing all types of services to be handled. NGNs start making sense when voice, data, video are all in IP format," said Parmindra PS Kwatra, country head, director and general manager, networks business, Motorola India.

Packet-based transport allows flexible bandwidth dimensioning, eliminating the need for fixed-size trunk groups for voice. Thus making it easier and cheaper to manage network structures.

Fewer, but more powerful, call control entities in the network further reduce operating expenses. Also, since NGN separates the switching and call intelligence subunits, the same intelligence can be used across voice, video, data, and multimedia services.

"As more and more data traffic flows onto the public network via the Internet, it has become apparent that a new and more data-centric approach to designing the switches of the future will be needed, based on packet technology for the common transport of voice and data," said Munish Seth, chief technical officer, Tekelec India.

Operators globally are using NGN architectures to capitalize on and grow their legacy networks and provide enhanced service packaging and information-intensive services to their end customers.

While existing services will remain part of service providers' offerings, customers' expectations will migrate towards more advanced, broadband, multimedia- and information-intensive services. End users will interact with the network via sophisticated CPE, and will be able to select from a wide range of QoS and bandwidth.

In the future, network intelligence will not just relate to the creative routing of connections based on simple database lookups, but may also take on a much broader meaning, e.g., multimedia session management and coordination of multitechnology connections. The primary goal will be to enable users to get the information content they want, in any media/format, over any facility, anytime, anywhere, and in any volume.

VoIP as a Primary Driver
Though increase in data requirements has initiated the rolling out of NGNs, it is voice that would be the primary driver. "In NGNs, data would be there by default and it is voice that would be an addition and would drive the growth of NGN," said A Prasad Babu, SE manager (India and Saarc), Juniper Networks. According to estimates, in an NGN environment almost 60–70 percent bandwidth would be reserved for data and as voice would be on the same pipe it would come almost free. With no additional costs for using voice, the usage of voice services would increase.

It is voice over IP (VoIP) that would be the killer application for NGNs. It has happened in European and Nordic countries and the United States where NGNs have taken off well. In India, VoIP has been allowed only in a limited way. It remains to be evaluated as to how much the VoIP traffic would go up once it is opened up completely. But definitely, once enterprises start rolling out NGNs, VoIP has to be opened up.

Will NGNs Be Wireless Only
Contrary to common perception, NGNs are not necessarily about wireless only. The NGNs would mostly be wired network, with only the small offices or branch offices going for wireless. Wireless, by its nature, can be install faster. In crowded spaces, it also clears up the mess of wires. In larger enterprises, there would remain a mix of wired and wireless networks. Moreover, many wireless standards have still not been finalized and security issues also remain. The fear of the unknown has kept most enterprises away from wireless. Unless the users understand wireless in black and white, it would take some time to come into the mainstream of NGNs.

NextGen Network Security
The NGNs would bring more and more applications to a central place from where the users would access it. The applications server would be at a central site and would be accessed from remote locations. This makes bandwidth availability a critical factor for the NGNs. Thus, an entire network can be breached by breaking through a single entry point, however secure it may be.

Already the malicious attacks are getting complicated in nature. The NGNs are being designed to be self-capable of identifying and preventing the attacks. For this it is essential that the security devices should be able understand the protocols and identify the traffic in a VoIP environment. Therefore, better application-level gateways would be required. Things like call set-up rate from unknown source would have to be built in to avoid DoS attacks.

Effect on Capex and Opex
By their very nature, NGNs would offer multiple services on a single network. Any form of consolidation leads to a reduction in the capex and, here too, one network serving many purposes would bring down the capex. Further, capex reduction would not just be in form of less number of boxes over the network but in terms of less bandwidth being required, which would also affect the capex.

For the network manager, however, it remains to be seen how easy it would be to manage the single network. And as far as NGNs go, more than the capex, it will be opex and the return on investment that would be the differentiators. NGNs would reduce the number of boxes, as applications would be managed centrally, making life easier for the CIO. Usage of MPLS-VPN and virtualization would bring down both capex and opex for the enterprises.

What Makes an NGN
Basically the core network should have a common service delivery architecture, with any access network hanging off the core. Some important service characteristics would be:

• ubiquitous, real-time, multi-media communications
• more personal intelligence
• more network intelligence
• more simplicity for users
• personal service customization and management

While some of these services can be offered on existing platforms, those that can only be offered on NGNs will benefit from its the advanced control, management, and signaling capabilities-enabling a much broader array of service types, such as:

• Specialized resource services (e.g., provision and management of transcoders, multimedia multipoint conferencing bridges, processing and storage services)

• Middleware services (e.g., naming, brokering, security, licensing, transactions)

• Application-specific services (e.g., business applications, e-commerce applications, supply-chain management applications, interactive video games)

• Content-provision services that provide or broker information content (e.g., electronic training, information push services)

Is All This Happening in India
In the Indian enterprises, NGNs are not likely to set in before 2006–07. However, there have been limited deployments of unified networks, which would ultimately develop into NGNs. Moreover, NGNs would not mean an end of the legacy networks. While enterprises wait and watch for the technologies to prove themselves, markets to mature, and standards to be set; service providers are seriously evaluating the next generation networks. The small and medium business houses are potential markets too. However, it is the multinational companies who, having already seen the benefits of NGN elsewhere, would be the first ones to adopt it in India.

Anurag Prasad