Survey of unified approaches to integrated-service networks

The increasing demand for communication services, coupled with recent technological advances in communication media and switching techniques, has resulted in a proliferation of new and expanded services. Currently, networks are needed which can transmit voice, data, and video services in an application-independent fashion. Unified approaches employ a single switching technique across the entire network bandwidth, thus, allowing services to be switched in an application-independent manner. This paper presents a taxonomy of integrated-service networks including a look at N-ISDN, while focusing on unified approaches to integrated-service networks.The two most promising unified approaches are burst and fast packet switching. Burst switching is a circuit switching-based approach which allocates channel bandwidth to a connection only during the transmission of "bursts" of information. Fast packet switching is a packet switching-based approach which can be characterized by very high transmission rates on network links and simple, hardwired protocols which match the rapid channel speed of the network. Both approaches are being proposed as possible implementations for integrated-service networks. We survey these two approaches, and also examine the key performance issues found in fast packet switching. We then present the results of a simulation study of a fast packet switching network

An Economic Perspective on a U.S. National Broadband Plan

This paper responds to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s request for guidance in designing a national broadband plan. We argue that the U.S. market for Internet services is working well overall, as evidenced by nearly ubiquitous coverage, rapid adoption, large investments, and increasing speeds. Still, the market is not working well for all people in all places, and we offer a framework for considering policies intended to mitigate those issues.

Information Society Strategies in the European Context: The Case of Greece

This article sets out to analyze the policies adopted by the Greek government in its effort to accelerate the pace of reform towards a knowledge-based economy. These policies have to take into account the position that the country occupies within the emerging information society and, of course, the opportunities created by EU initiatives that aim to promote economic competitiveness and reduce regional disparities. Within this framework Greek policy makers have recognized the need for a coordinated, coherent and integrated approach, which attempts to diminish inequalities both within the country and with respect to other European Union economies. What emerges as a distinctive feature of the Greek information society strategy is the emphasis placed on the pivotal role of the state and the adoption of active interventionist policies

Future benefits and applications of intelligent on-board processing to VSAT services

The trends and roles of VSAT services in the year 2010 time frame are examined based on an overall network and service model for that period. An estimate of the VSAT traffic is then made and the service and general network requirements are identified. In order to accommodate these traffic needs, four satellite VSAT architectures based on the use of fixed or scanning multibeam antennas in conjunction with IF switching or onboard regeneration and baseband processing are suggested. The performance of each of these architectures is assessed and the key enabling technologies are identified

NASA and the challenge of ISDN: The role of satellites in an ISDN world

To understand what role satellites may play in Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), it is necessary to understand the concept of ISDN, including key organizations involved, the current status of key standards recommendations, and domestic and international progress implementation of ISDN. Each of these areas are explained. A summary of the technical performance criteria for ISDN, current standards for satellites in ISDN, key players in the ISDN environment, and what steps can be taken to encourage application of satellites in ISDN are also covered

Estimating the Welfare Effects of Digital Infrastructure

While much economic policy presumes that more information infrastructure yields higher economic returns, little empirical work measures the magnitudes of these returns. We examine investment by local exchange telephone companies in fiber optic cable, ISDN lines and signal seven software, infrastructure which plays an essential role in bringing digital technology to local telephone networks. We estimate the elasticity of the derived demand for infrastructure investment faced by local exchange companies, controlling for factors such as local economic activity and the political disposition of state regulators. Our model postulates a regulated profit maximizing local exchange firm and a regulatory agency with predetermined political leanings in favor of consumer prices or firm profits. The model accounts for variation in state regulation and local economic conditions. In all our estimates we find that consumer demand is sensitive to investment in modern infrastructure, particularly as represented by fiber optic cable. Our estimates imply that infrastructure investment is responsible for a substantial fraction of the recent growth in consumer surplus and business revenue in local telecommunication services.

Non-Repudiation in Internet Telephony

We present a concept to achieve non-repudiation for natural language conversations over the Internet. The method rests on chained electronic signatures applied to pieces of packet-based, digital, voice communication. It establishes the integrity and authenticity of the bidirectional data stream and its temporal sequence and thus the security context of a conversation. The concept is close to the protocols for Voice over the Internet (VoIP), provides a high level of inherent security, and extends naturally to multilateral non-repudiation, e.g., for conferences. Signatures over conversations can become true declarations of will in analogy to electronically signed, digital documents. This enables binding verbal contracts, in principle between unacquainted speakers, and in particular without witnesses. A reference implementation of a secure VoIP archive is exhibited.Comment: Accepted full research paper at IFIP sec2007, Sandton, South Africa, 14-16 May 200