ConvergenceInteractive Broadcast: Summary from the IPMC2004 Workshop

1
Convergence/Interactive BroadcastSummary from
the IP/MC2004 Workshop

• Simão F. Campos Neto
• Vice-Chair, SG16 (Brazil) Chair WP 3/16 (Media
  Coding)
• Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications
• 22300 COMSAT Drive Clarksburg, MD 20871 USA
• simao.campos_at_labs.comsat.com

2
MM3/MM4 Objectives

• Common understanding of Convergence with focus on
  mobile and broadcasting
• Top down approach (users and services/application
  s perspectives)
• Identify need for further steps to ensure
  interoperability
• Contribute to the definition of the Roadmap for
  MM-standardization
• Guidance for activities inside and outside ITU

3
MM3/MM4 Presentations

• Opening, session introduction definitions,
  Swisscom, Mr.P.A. Probst
• EBU strategy for broadcasting/telecommunication
  convergence, EBU,Mr. F. Kozamernik
• Services aspects the mobile approach, Telecom
  Italia Lab., Mr. G. Colombo
• Introduction of MM-services in an emerging
  market, ANATEL, Mr. L. F. Ferreira Silva
• Platform and terminal aspects, LMGT, Mr. S.
  Campos Neto
• ITU-R Activities in Multimedia Broadcasting,
  Mr. G. Chouinard,Vice-chair ITU-R WP6M

4
List of actions relating to interoperability,
interworking and evolution of applications and
services
5
Five aspects

• Architecture
• Services/Applications
• Media Coding
• Terminals
• Other

6
Architecture (1)

• Model Define an open model common to the
  different organizations developing convergence
  services which allows service and network
  evolutions including the various migration paths.
• Network resources Network and system design
  should allow the use of asymmetrical resources -
  in addition to symmetric network resources.- for
  the support of MM applications which are based on
  terminal-to-server communications type.

7
Architecture (2)

• Transport platforms What are the specific
  requirements to the architecture to allow an
  evolutionary approach based on various options
  for the transport layer.
• API Develop and define common APIs to ensure
  separate evolution of services and networks.
• Roaming Define means to allow interactivity
  over different networks (Roaming between
  administrative domains).

8
Services/Applications (1)

• Model Definition of a model common to the
  different organizations developing convergence
  services which is open and allows service and
  network evolutions including the various
  migration paths
• Definition and description Develop a service
  description model which includes attributes like
  bit-rate, pt to multipoint/multicast/anypoint
  (including webcasting), real time/non-real time,
  etc considering also the impact on architecture.

9
Services/Applications (2)

• Customization Service model and description
  should support the customization of services
  (e.g. bundling of services)
• Location-based services Service model and
  description should allow the provision of
  services based on location information in the
  mobile and e-commerce areas, including the
  requirements specific to these two areas

10
Services/Applications (3)

• Business models Service models and description
  methods should support specific business models
  and their evolution in the MM scene (e.g.
  content-oriented, transport-oriented, etc.)
• Digital Rights Management Need for support for
  Digital Rights Management was recognized.
• Digital Cinema Identify the impact on the A/V
  codecs and transport networks

11
Media Coding

• Model Development of a functional model
  including generic requirements to avoid the
  proliferation of incompatible codecs.
• Speech recognition Develop a study program which
  cover the need for the various applications
  (voice control, speaker identification, etc).

12
Terminals

• Model Develop a model common to the different
  organizations developing convergence services
  which would ease interoperability and take care
  of the various transport platforms used as well
  as the environment in which they are used (mobile
  versus fixed office versus home etc).

13
Other issues (1)

• Definitions Convergence has different meaning
  across the different industries and there is a
  need to consider convergence and its impact from
  these different viewpoints.
• Spectrum Improve the coordination between the
  network/system/service designers and the bodies
  dealing with spectrum issues (allocation,
  sharing, propagation, etc) with the aim to
  specify standards which are implementable and
  market-oriented.

14
Other issues (2)

• Business cases Improve the coordination among
  the different organizations developing
  convergence services to define market
  expectations based on technology, evolution,
  economics, regulatory framework, etc.
• Service provisioning and regulatory framework
  Improve the coordination among the different
  organizations developing convergence services in
  order to better assess the impact of the
  regulatory framework on the provisioning of
  multimedia services.

15
Other issues (3)

• Service and network evolution Improve the
  coordination among the different organizations
  developing convergence services in order to
  address evolution scenarios that ensure
  interoperability under the various environments
  (legacy systems, economics, teledensity,
  regulatory framework, etc)

16
Conclusion

• Several areas of work were identified
• Convergence has many dimensions
• Services
• Architecture/Technology
• Business models economic and regulatory aspects
• Broadcasting emphasis on content Telecoms
  emphasis on delivery technologies
• Evolution towards a converged world opening
  interfaces and learning to work together

17
IP/MC2004 Proceedings

• Proceedings are available in the ITU WEB
  sitehttp//www.itu.int/ITU-T/workshops/ipnetwork
  _mediacom2004/program.html

18
Supplementary SlidesAuthors highlights on the
different presentations
19
MM3/MM4 Presentation details (1)

• Opening, session introduction definitionsMr.
  P.A. Probst (Swisscom)

Mr. Probst (Swisscom) opened the session,
addressing some preliminary issues. The concept
of convergence is different in different areas
applications, terminals, services, networks, and
business models. These concepts can be mapped
into three dimensions of convergence layers,
terminals, and business areas. Unfortunately,
users are not very active in standardization
activities, hence their needs are difficult to
assess. However, the basic issues for customers
are price, performance, and interoperability.
20
MM3/MM4 Presentations

• EBU broadcasting/telecom convergence strategy
  Mr. F. Kozamernik (EBU)

Mr. Kozamernik presented EBUs vision of
convergence, a synergy between the broadcast and
telecom industries. Broadcast and telecom are
mature industries that in the past evolved
separately and only recently tried to evolve
together. The difference in their approaches
(telecoms one-to-one basis, broadcasting
one-to-many) are complementary. Traditionally,
broadcasters emphasis is on content, while
telecoms are mainly interested in delivery
technology. Different business models imply
different end-user costs free content, paid-for
terminals/converters paid content, low cost
terminals/converters. Scarcity of spectrum in
Europe is a major issue in the evolution of
interactive broadcasting. It is also difficult to
get all players on board. Additionally, evolution
is difficult because of all the very different
national regulatory issues. In the implementation
of Interactive Broadcast, three phases are
foreseen Level 1 (no return link with internal
storage device), Level 2 (return channel to
content/service/mux provider), and Level 3 (true
interaction will happen allowing customized
broadcast). As a conclusion, there are
opportunities for both broadcasters and telecoms,
since synergy of platforms can strengthen both
and enable new services and applications to
develop. Spectrum resources are one of the major
constraints for offering enriched services.
21
MM3/MM4 Presentations

• Services aspects the mobile approachMr. G.
  Colombo (Telecom Italia Lab)

Mr. Colombo discussed convergence from the mobile
viewpoint. Major trends shaping the future of
mobile communications are convergence of services
applications, of service control creation, of
network solutions, and increased personalization
of services. Mediation elements (IN) foster an
evolutionary convergence by allowing different
services to be provided through different
systems. The adoption of IP by the mobile
operators will enable more flexible configuration
of networks and new sources of revenue (as an ISP
and as radio-access provider to ISPs) but QoS
remains a critical issue to be resolved.
Evolution towards open service architectures will
allow new business models, new service creation
modalities, and transparency between services
networks. Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM)
allow for subscriber authentication as well as
personalization of the services provided (soon
storage of user data, ciphering keys, etc). In
3G, better mobile terminals will allow better
representation of content. Higher capacity will
also allow continuous mobility from today's
discrete mobility (e.g. GPRS). In conclusion, the
mobile convergence elements are Applications and
Services (unifying fixed mobile services
provision of voice data services), Service
Creation and Control (Intelligent Network plays a
key role in provisioning integrated services
today an Open Service Architecture will allow in
the future a better integration, towards a
virtual home environment), and System and
Technological Solutions (for new mobile/IP
mobility paradigms and the mobile/IP transport
and QoS requirements).
22
MM3/MM4 Presentations

• Introduction of MM-services in an emerging
  marketMr. L. F. Ferreira Silva (ANATEL)

Mr. Ferreira-Silva made a presentation on
technological convergence in Brazil, with
emphasis on the regulatory aspect. He described
regulatory aspects in support of Multimedia
services and the technical characteristics of
some regulated services in Brazil that will
enable Multimedia services.
23
MM3/MM4 Presentations

• Platform and terminal aspects Mr. S. Campos Neto
  (Vice-chair SG16)

The presenter reviewed the available ITU-T
Recommendations that support the implementation
of multimedia services. He noted that many
Internet-based applications popular today are
already described (although in different terms)
in the F-series. He also reviewed the logical
connections from services to terminals to media
components.
24
MM3/MM4 Presentations

• ITU-R Activities in Multimedia BroadcastingMr.
  G. Chouinard (Vice-chair ITU-R WP6M)

Gérald Chouinard (Vice-chair ITU-R WP 6M) made a
presentation of the ITU-R SG 6 Activities
(Multimedia Broadcasting). There are six
working parties in ITU-R SG6 his group defines
requirements for interactive radiocommunication
broadcast services and systems. The group will
work to identify features for interactive
broadcasting, the return link capacity
requirement for interactive broadcasting, and the
spectrum requirements for provisioning Multimedia
services.