A cost effective migration path to a fully packet based hybrid fixed/mobile backhaul infrastructure

Cuny City College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop and demonstrate critical elements necessary for the integration of passive optical network (PON) broadband access technologies with "Fourth Generation" (4G) mobile wireless broadband access technologies. The approach is to devise and analyze an Ethernet-based multiservice network architecture that spans and integrates fiber-based PON and 4G wireless access technologies. With respect to intellectual merit, the proposed architecture seeks to integrate both PON and 4G wireless access technologies in terms of unified control and management of both wired and wireless access networks. This adds a number of challenging dimensions to the integration problem. In contrast to mainstream centralized PON and radio access network (RAN) architectures, the proposed converged access networking scheme must support not only a fully distributed integrated PON-RAN architecture, but also a unified control plane that manages and controls both fixed optical and mobile radio network resources. This calls for new integrated wireline and wireless radio control algorithms and procedures that operate in a distributed manner. With respect to broader impact, the proposed integrated networking approach has the potential to provide a significantly more cost effective solution than existing technologies and features that could lead to graceful transition, rapid acceptance, and near-term deployment. Widely available, high data rate access to networks has important societal benefits in bridging the "digital divide." The project's integrated education and research program has the goal of enhancing recruitment and outreach to various underrepresented communities at the City College of New York and in the New York metropolitan area.