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Fixed mobile convergence, also known as FMC, has seen a lot of changes in the past one year and is likely to see more in the times to come. FMC has emerged with newer technologies like femtocells from IMS and UMA that continue to be the more dominant ones in the mushrooming market.

The FMC market is driven by the need to achieve service continuity and consistency of user experience irrespective of the access network utilized by consumers. Experts believe FMC would go beyond voice and provide a richer environment for more multimedia applications such as enterprise applications, video and enriched next generation applications. Companies also see a shift from the existing communications infrastructure like Wi-Fi and GSM to 3G and WiMax. For the long term, companies see a new option in LTE, and service providers see convergence as the new area for business opportunities.

An irreversible transformation is occurring in the way service providers perceive their networks, services and customers. Convergence technologies (for eg, IP core) and platforms (standards-based SDPs, OSS and BSS systems) are critical enablers of this transformation.

Mobile operators can take flexible call fee policies against fixed operators without end users buying dual-mode mobile phones. In the same way, fixed operators can use the converged platform to provide rich VAS to customers. At the same time mobile operators can use the PS domain to enrich their services (for example video-sharing) and improve competency. There being no doubts that FMC has its share of benefits for many business verticals, perhaps the integrated operators will reap maximum benefit. FMC would cut down on operational expenses for integrated operators to provide richer integrated services, and reduce price clash.

On the technology front, FMC would bring end-to-end solutions to users. It is mostly about one terminal, number, bill, and consistent service experience. Though new architectures like femtocells are coming up to take the FMC reins in their hands, UMA is still strong at its roots. IMS on the other hand has to take off.

Dominating the Markets
It would be unjust not to talk of the most powerful FMC architectures. UMA has placed itself on the high pedestal of endurance, reliability and performance. IP Multimedia Subsystem, popularly known as IMS has not seen many deployments till date, but slowly operators are showing interest in the segment.

IMS is an architectural framework for delivering Internet protocol (IP) multimedia services. It was originally designed by the wireless standards body 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), as part of the vision for evolving mobile networks beyond GSM, delivering Internet services over GPRS. To ease integration with the Internet, IMS uses IETF protocols wherever possible like the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). At present the development in IMS is mostly around creating an interoperable environment.

Experts panel

Raghu Prasad, senior director, business transformation, APAC & Japan, Oracle Communications Abhijit Lahiri, VP, Tech Mahindra Sakari Kotola, head of marketing, convergence solutions, Nokia Siemens Networks Sethumadhavan Srinivasan, deputy director, network strategy & marketing, Huawei Francis Lee, solution head, media & communication, Datacraft Chandan Mendiratta, VP, service provider, system engineering, Cisco India & SAARC Ajay Jain, director, telecom & mobility practice, Perot Systems Ajay Gupta, senior vice president, Aricent

UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) provides GSM and GPRS mobile services over unlicensed spectrum technologies like Bluetooth and 802.11. By using dual mode mobile handsets users can roam between public and private unlicensed wireless networks. With UMA subscribers receiving consistent mobile voice and data services as they transition between networks.

There is lack of parallel technology, so FMC has been growing through UMA. But with 3G and WiMax enabled handsets the market will branch out. According to ABI forecasts, the delays in the development of competing solutions has resulted in the increase of UMA, that will capture 65 mn fixed mobile convergence subscribers by 2012.

Dawning Areas
Femtocells are an alternate way to bring out better benefits in fixed mobile convergence. The femtocells will enable operators to cater to subscribers who need the service the most. Comparing this to traditional macro deployment where the infrastructure was first built in places where subscribers are likely to appear even before subscribers start using the network.

Femtocells will bring around better mobile voice and data signals indoors. Mobile phone networks are designed to give good coverage but once inside, the signal has to go through a brick wall and it dies away. The femtocell is expected to be a solution to these unanswered problems.

The announcement of UMA enabled dual mode handsets was made in 2007 to support commercial service offers. Later that year femtocell vendors were supposed to come out with UMA based femtocell solutions. But the completion of IU interface by 3GPP to the UMA/GAN standards unleashed a new way for UMA to become the standard protocol between femtocells and the core network.

From here the FMC sector is supposed to see its biggest growth. With services like 3G and WiMax there will be a whole new world of innovations and techniques coming up. 3G would bring in better broadband data connections and voice transport over new radio spectrums.

FMC has not grown as it should have as operators and vendors have not been able to give users a multi level converged platform and devices. The industry anticipates growth but the only way to grow is to look at better converged devices and at the same time keep in mind the price. Open standards, interoperability, integrated networks and IT infrastructure would be the other areas to look out to help fixed mobile convergence grow from where it stands now.

Sunny Sen
sunnys@cybermedia.co.in

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