Convergence & Multimedia
The term ‘convergence’ is increasingly being applied to
developments in broadcasting, telecommunications and information
technology. In the future, access to entertainment, voice and
information services will no longer be restricted to specific
delivery platforms such as the telephone or television set. Instead
of viewing a specific programme at a specific time, material will be
downloaded ‘on demand’ to fixed or mobile terminals, giving
ubiquitous access to an almost unlimited number of channels.
The principal enabler of convergence is digital transmission,
which allows audio, video, graphics and text to be multiplexed as a
single data stream. The emergence of Internet protocols as de facto
standards for multimedia transmission has further accelerated the
trend. The Internet has already been demonstrated as a reliable and
economically attractive alternative to the conventional PSTN for
voice conveyance, but its potential to deliver high resolution audio
and video is constrained for most users by limited modem bandwidths.
Broadband access solutions are essential to realise the full
potential that convergence has to offer. Upgrading the existing
copper network provides one solution, but new market entrants may
prefer to have their own independent infrastructure. Radio provides
unique advantages for new entrants over wireline alternatives by
providing wide area coverage for minimal infrastructure investment.
Spectrum is now becoming available around the world for the latest
generation of Broadband Fixed Wireless Access (BFWA), which can
deliver data rates of 10 Mbit/s or more, and serve hundreds of users
from a single base station.
BFWA represents the biggest global opportunity for wireless
network operators since the introduction of cellular telephones.
Aegis has been closely involved with both broad and narrow band
fixed wireless access technologies. We carried out, for example, a
detailed technical evaluation of the intra-service co-ordination
requirements for BFWA systems in the 28 & 42 GHz bands. We have
also investigated sharing scenarios involving fixed wireless access
systems and other services, including satellites, radio local area
networks and ISM equipment.
We can offer impartial and informed advice on spectrum
availability, standards, performance and service capabilities for
all RFA
systems. Whether you are a regulator planning to license MWS
services or a potential operator, we can help ensure you gain
maximum benefit from this major technological development.
For further information, please contact enquiry-2008@aegis-systems.co.uk.
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