By:

MITESH OCHANEY

FIXED MOBILE CONVERGENCE (FMC)

“ONE PHONE, ONE NUMBER, ONE BILL”

Way of connecting wireless to wire line infrastructure.

The ultimate goal of convergence is to deliver seamless experience across multiple locations, multiple devices and multiple types of use.

Features of FMC

Unified Service of fixed and mobile n/w’s with one phone, one number and one bill

Seamless roaming between cellular, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and what ever wireless technology comes next.

More reliable mobile service with wider coverage at lower cost. Closer integration between public and enterprise phone networks.

Friendly user interfaces that makes it easy to make and manage calls (the user has a choice to select the type of network depending upon cost and convenience).

NEED FOR FMC

1) Productivity

2) Security

3) Planning for future innovation

4) Competitive advantage

5) Cost

Enabling Technologies

• The foundation for FMC is in the network. This has included the

development of IP backbones, optimal routing and quality of service.

For FMC to work at the network level, network equipment vendors

have been working on technologies based on standards and protocols.

These allow network traffic to be transported seamlessly between

different types of networks.

• Three of the key enabling technologies for FMC services are SIP, IMS

and UMA/GAN. The description of these technologies is as follows:

Enabling Technologies (Contd.)

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

SIP or Session Initiation Protocol is an application-level control protocol developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for setting up, changing and terminating multimedia sessions between participants on IP data networks. SIP is a text-based protocol, similar to HTTP and SMTP, for initiating interactive communication sessions between users. Such sessions include voice, video, chat, interactive games, and virtual reality

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)

• IMS is an architecture standard based on SIP, which allows for

multiple real-time applications such as voice, video, games etc. to

run across a single network.

Enabling Technologies (Contd.) • It was initially designed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)

for mobile networks, newer releases of IMS are designed to be access

agnostic so that it can be used by any type of access method, be it a fixed

line or mobile of any standard (GSM, CDMA2000, UMTS etc.)

Enabling Technologies (Contd.)

Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA)

• UMA is an access technology that allows subscribers to switch

between fixed and mobile networks. It provides access to GSM and

GPRS mobile services over unlicensed spectrum technologies,

including Bluetooth and WiFi. By deploying UMA technology,

service providers can enable subscribers to roam and handover

between cellular networks and public and private unlicensed

wireless networks using dual-mode mobile handsets.

Levels of FMC

Network Convergence: Fixed/mobile networks physically share transportation infrastructure. (access N/w & core N/w)

Service Convergence: Lets people connect simply to a wider number of services using a smaller number of devices. (Voice, IM, SMS, video)

Device/Terminal Convergence: Single terminal can be used to access different services offered by different networks (different technology)

BSS BTS

A/Gb

GSM Macro cell

Transmission Network

BSC

Core Network

MSC/HLR/…

Internet

Mobile@Home Solution

@home pico cell

IP Network

DSL

BSS BTS

A/Gb

GSM Macro cell

Transmission Network

BSC

Core Network

MSC/HLR/…

Internet

@home pico cell

IP Network

DSL

Mobile@Home Solution

BSS BTS

A/Gb

GSM Macro cell

Transmission Network

BSC

Core Network

MSC/HLR/…

Internet

@home pico cell

Mobile@Home

IP Network

DSL

HBS A/Gb

HBSC

HBS

Mobile@Home Solution

BSS BTS

A/Gb

GSM Macro cell

Transmission Network

BSC

Core Network

MSC/HLR/…

Internet

@home pico cell

Mobile@Home

IP Network

DSL

HBS A/Gb

HBSC

HBS

Mobile@Home Solution

3G Off loader

Presence Recorder

(User Profile & Presence Recorder) Branch

Mall

Hospital

Resort

Home

CORE NETWORK

IN

MSC BSC

MMS SMS

DATA

VOICE

Mobile Services Voice, Data, SMS

CDR of Data usage

HTTP TCP/IP

PSTN

RTP

SIP Phone

Wi-Fi Handset

SIP PBX

Intelligent Call

Management System

CAMEL INAP

TCP/IP

F.M.C - Network Architecture

PSTN Soft-Switch

ADSL

3G Off loader Presence Recorder

BSC

MSC

IN

Intelligent Call

Management System

CAMEL INAP

TCP/IP

WIFI

Remote Locations Office

SIP Phone

SIP Phone

Cell Phone

BSC

MSC

Media

Gateway

Soft Switch

Un

ifie

d C

om

mu

nic

atio

ns

Air NGX

SIP Phone

SIP Phone

Cell Phone

RTP

SIP Phone

WIFI handset

SIP PBX

SIP Phone

Multi Location Office

BSC

MSC

Media

Gateway

Soft Switch

Un

ifie

d C

om

mu

nic

atio

ns

Air NGX

F.M.C – Multiple Scenarios

Home

FMC Case Scenarios for Voice and Data

Scenario I: Voice calls on Mobile SIM subscriber walking into his/ her residence should automatically be diverted to the landline network of his/ her residence.

Scenario II: Data Calls on Mobile SIM subscriber walking into his/ her residence should

seamlessly and automatically be handed over to wireless broadband network of his/ her residence; thereby decreasing the load on the 3G or Edge network of the operator.

Scenario III: Multi-location: In case a MS subscriber is registered at his residence and

also at some other premises where he frequents, then the Voice and data calls for his mobile would be seamlessly handed over to the landline and Wi-Fi network used in the premises.

Scenario IV: Unified Communication and Roaming services: In a true FMC environment,

user should be able to avail his/ her telephone calls, Voice Mail, Fax Mail, and other services of the office/roaming environment on his GSM handset or his desk phone or on VoIP phone thereby ensuring a single device operation for all his/ her varied communication needs.

FMC CASE STUDY - 1

• British Telecom (BT) launched world’s first FMC service called

‘Fusion’ in June, 2005 in United Kingdom. It works just like a

mobile phone when user is out and about, but switches

automatically and seamlessly onto a BT Broadband line when the

user is at home. That means the user gets all the convenience and

features of a mobile phone but with fixed line prices and quality.

• BT Fusion offers customers huge savings by allowing calls to UK

landline numbers to be charged at BT landline rates. Calls over

broadband in the home means customers can make a mobile call

but with the quality of a fixed-line and worry less about the signal

being lost or dropping out.

When BT launched Fusion, the technology was

immature. The service used a Bluetooth connection between a dual

mode handset and the Home Hub wireless router, which had a

range of about 10 meters. That meant effectively, users would be in

range of the BT Home Hub only when in the same room.

CASE STUDY - 2 Anil Ambani’s Reliance Telecommunications OneOffice Duo: Reliance One Office Duo Service offered a nationwide converged voice CUG across Mobiles & landlines in 2007. It creates corporate wide virtual private network with both wireline and wireless subscribers.Any member of Voice VPN group may use Short Digit Dial (SDD) code or actual Directory Number (DN) to reach another member of the same group. All the Voice VPN on-net calls made by the subscriber using the Voice VPN service shall be billed to the corporate and should not be reflected in individual user's phone bill OneOffice Duo also provides enterprises with a Self-service portal for administrators to add/delete/modify the members to OneOffice Duo and manage their service profile It also includes the following services: 1) Wireline – Centrex Exchange, PRI, FLP. 2) Wireless – CDMA – Mobile, FWP, FWT. GSM (RCOM & RTL networks) – Mobile.

CONCLUSION FMC CHALLENGES: 1) Number plans & number portability 2) Directory services 3) Handset Availability

Albeit, FMC has fundamentally changed the way the

communications world currently functions. Instead of taking

a network-centric view, FMC places the customer at the

centre of communications. As a result, consumers benefit

from convenience and simplicity, enabling new services for a

lower price.