Comparative Techno-Economic Evaluation of LTE Fixed Wireless Access and FTTdp G.fast network deployment for providing 30Mbps broadband services in rural areas

Στις αγροτικές περιοχές της Ευρώπης, η ανάπτυξη των δικτύων ευρυζωνικής πρόσβασης υψηλών ταχυτήτων υστερεί σε σχέση με τις αστικές και ημιαστικές περιοχές λόγω των δυσκολιών που υπάρχουν στην εγκατάσταση οπτικών ινών κοντά στα νοικοκυριά. Τα δίκτυα FTTdp βασισμένα στην τεχνολογία G.fast έχουν προταθεί ως μια οικονομικά αποδοτική εναλλακτική λύση έναντι των FTTH και FTTB, ιδίως στις αγροτικές περιοχές, όπου το FTTC και το VDSL δεν μπορούν πάντοτε να παρέχουν ταχύτητες 30Mbps, το οποίο είναι το ελάχιστο εύρος ζώνης που ορίζεται ως στόχος της European Digital Agenda που πρέπει να επιτευχθεί έως το 2020. Ωστόσο, τα δίκτυα fixed wireless access (FWA) που βασίζονται στην τεχνολογία LTE μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν ως λύση «last mile» για την παροχή ευρυζωνικής πρόσβασης υψηλής ταχύτητας σε περιοχές όπου η πρόσβαση σε σταθερά ευρυζωνικά δίκτυα είναι περιορισμένη. Από την άλλη πλευρά, η τεχνολογία LTE προσφέρει συνδέσεις υψηλής ταχύτητας ικανές να υποστηρίξουν υπηρεσίες διαδικτύου και υπηρεσίες IP, ενώ μπορούν θεωρητικά να υποστηρίξουν μέχρι και 300Mbps ανάλογα με το φόρτο του δικτύου. Έτσι, μπορεί να θεωρηθεί ως μια πραγματική εναλλακτική λύση έναντι των σταθερών δικτύων. Σε αυτή την εργασία πραγματοποιήθηκε μια τεχνοοικονομική μελέτη για την αξιολόγηση της ανάπτυξης δικτύου FWA βασισμένης στην τεχνολογία LTE σε σύγκριση με την ανάπτυξη του δικτύου FTTdp G.fast για την παροχή ταχύτητας 30Mbps σε αγροτικές περιοχές. Θα παρουσιαστούν τα αποτελέσματα των ταμειακών ροών και συνήθων οικονομικών δεικτών για τα αντίστοιχα επιχειρηματικά σενάρια. Τα αποτελέσματα αξιολογούνται μέσω ανάλυσης ευαισθησίας και κινδύνου για τον προσδιορισμό των σημαντικότερων παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την βιωσιμότητα της επένδυσης. Συζητάμε επίσης την κερδοφορία ή μη κερδοφορία και των δύο περιπτώσεων και την επιδότηση που απαιτείται. Τα αποτελέσματα έχουν στόχο να συμβάλουν στη συζήτηση για την εξέλιξη των δικτύων πρόσβασης μεταξύ των ακαδημαϊκών κύκλων, της βιομηχανίας, των ρυθμιστικών αρχών, των υπευθύνων χάραξης πολιτικής και των κυβερνήσεων.In rural areas in Europe, the deployment of High-Speed Broadband access networks lags behind in urban and suburban areas due to difficulties of deployment of fiber in the final meters. FTTdp networks using G.fast have been proposed as a cost-effective alternative to FTTH and FTTB especially in rural areas where FTTC and VDSL cannot always deliver service speeds of 30Mbps which is the minimum bandwidth defined in the European Digital Agenda as target to be met by 2020. However, fixed wireless access (FWA) networks based on LTE technology can be used as a “last mile” solution to provide high-speed broadband access to areas where fixed broadband is limited. On the other hand, LTE technology offers high speed connections able to support internet browsing and IP services, while it can theoretically support up to 300 Mbps depending on network load and sharing. Thus, it can be considered as a true alternative to any fixed solution. In this paper, a techno-economic study is performed to assess the feasibility of a FWA network deployment based on LTE technology in comparison to FTTdp G.fast network rollout for delivering service speeds of 30Mbps in rural areas. We present cash flow results and standard financial indexes for the business cases discussed. The results are being appraised through a sensitivity and risk analysis to determine the most influential factors on the return on the investment. We also discuss the (non) profitability of both cases and the subsidization needed from structural funds. The results aim to contribute in the debate over network evolution scenarios among academia, industry, regulators, policy makers and governments

National e-health innovation : conduct of international e-health technology transfers in Africa

The sociology and economics of the conduct of international e-health technology transfers (IeTTs) is examined. Most African countries are perennial recipients with variations in their domestic e-health utilisation, development and implementation. We identify, explore, and demonstrate how complex and interlinked global, continental, national and subnational actions and institutions condition their national e-health implementations. Multidisciplinary literatures are from national e-health implementations, national innovation system (NIS) interactive learning, international technology transfers, global development and globalisation. Methodically, a unique combination of middle-range and moderate Science and Technology Studies constructivism, NIS institutionalism and Deleuzian poststructuralist narrative is employed. The conduct of IeTTs is characterised by technological path dependency, history, complexity, power, politics, multiple identities, self-interests and contestations in complex global and transnational interactions. Recipients‘ exercises of National Agency mirror their varied domestic technology acquisition dynamics and trajectories. Successful transfers are institutionally conditioned by interactions of global geopolitics, fragmented continental governance and national reticence. Agential asymmetry that results, accounts for why most recipients are variably struggling in their technology acquisitions. The exercise of National Agency is paramount. National economic size and maturity of extant national innovation capacity can determine if a recipient can acquire domestic e-health innovation and industrial competences. Actions taken by National governments, can strategically determine if technologies are accumulated and technical knowledge assimilated, for addressing the challenges of technology inappropriateness, incompatibilities and obsolescence encountered during subnational utilisations. We contend that implementing a national e-health infrastructure is a long-term and large-scale institutional engineering endeavour. Cumulative advantage explains difference between Schumpeter and Schumacher on e-health technology design and production. A Schumpeterian domestic industrial model of hi-tech e-health technology development, rather than a cosmopolitan Schumacher consumerist one, is proposed. Whilst, appreciating that Schumacher on incremental accumulation and assimilation from small-scale technological implementations can be instrumental. Uniquely, we identify that global geopolitical contention between global west and east economies and competitive global markets and global technoeconomic changes can either condition scale and depth of domestic acquisition. Nevertheless, these conditions and events have historically and contemporaneously shaped global e-health innovations. In a Schumpeterian evolutionary sense, Satcom technologies that powered e-health services in the past are now being substituted by mobile ones. This technological transition is bringing about a convergence of consumer electronics (i.e. Smartphones) and lifesciences industries, driven by a combinatorial biomedical, telecommunication and computing e-health innovations. With these findings, an innovation-based macro-societal perspective is proposed for studying e-health implementation, as opposed to the prevalent information based microbehavioural studies. Further contributions to academia and policy are made to ICT4D, Global Health and m-health practices. Policy recommendations are made to national, continental and global institutions on how to foster national technology acquisitions. Recipients are encouraged to learn from incremental domestic e-health implementations in global technology frontiers. Their share in intellectual property rights accruing from global-subnational e-health coinnovations must be repatriated. We conclude by proposing a global collaboration framework to guide and to foster cooperation amongst those involved in the conduct of IeTTs. Symmetry – an alignment of vertical hierarchical and diffuse horizontal complex sociotechnical interactions, though, not as the implied flat, circumscribed and cyclical dynamics of actor network theory, is proposed. So, an alignment of the constitutive diverse and competing interests and identities, is deemed strategic, to foster domestic accumulations and assimilations.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A REVIEW STUDY OF EUROPEAN R&D PROJECTS FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS IN 5G/6G ERA

Κατά τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες τα δορυφορικά συστήματα τηλεπικοινωνιών έχουν προσφέρει μια γκάμα από πολυμεσικές υπηρεσίες όπως δορυφορική τηλεόραση, δορυφορική τηλεφωνία και ευρυζωνική πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο. Οι μακροπρόθεσμες τεχνολογικές αναβαθμίσεις σε συνδυασμό με την προσθήκη νέων δορυφορικών συστημάτων γεωστατικής και ελλειπτικής τροχιάς και με την ενσωμάτωση τεχνολογιών πληροφορικής έχουν ωθήσει την αύξηση του μέγιστου εύρους των δορυφόρων στο 1Gbps σε μεμονωμένους δορυφόρους ενώ σε διάταξη αστερισμού μπορούν να ξεπεράσουν το 1 Tbps. Σε συνδυασμό με την μείωση του χρόνου απόκρισης σε ρυθμούς ανταγωνιστικούς με τις χερσαίες υποδομές ανοίγουν νέες ευκαιρίες και νέους ρόλους εντός ενός οικοσυστήματος ετερογενούς δικτύων 5ης γενιάς. Σε αυτήν την διατριβή, αξιολογούμε επιδοτούμενα επιστημονικά προγράμματα έρευνας και ανάπτυξης της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής Διαστήματος (ESA) και του προγράμματος επιδότησης Horizon 2020 της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, προκειμένου να εξηγήσουμε τις δυνατότητες των δορυφόρων εντός ενός ετερογενούς δικτύου 5ης γενιάς, αναφέρουμε συγκεκριμένα αυτά που αφορούν την εξέλιξη των δορυφορικών ψηφιακών συστημάτων και την ικανότητα ενσωμάτωσης τους σε τωρινές αλλά και μελλοντικές υποδομές χερσαίων τηλεπικοινωνιακών δικτύων μέσω της εμφάνισης νέων τεχνολογιών στις ηλεκτρονικές και οπτικές επικοινωνίες αέρος μαζί με την εμφάνιση τεχνολογιών πληροφορικής όπως της δικτύωσης βασισμένης στο λογισμικό και της εικονικοποίησης λειτουργιών δικτύου. Αναφερόμαστε στους στόχους του κάθε project ξεχωριστά και κατηγοριοποιημένα στους ακόλουθους τομείς έρευνας: -Συσσωμάτωση των δορυφόρων με τα επίγεια δίκτυα 5ης γενιάς με οργανωμένες μελέτες και στρατηγικές -Ενσωμάτωση των τεχνολογιών δικτύωσης βασισμένης στο λογισμικό και εικονικοποίησης λειτουργιών δικτύου στο δορυφορικών τμήμα των δικτύων 5ης γενιάς -Ο ρόλος των δορυφόρων σε εφαρμογές του διαδικτύου των πραγμάτων σε συνάφεια με τα χερσαία δίκτυα 5ης γενιάς -Ο ρόλος των δορυφόρων στην δίκτυα διανομής πολυμεσικού περιεχομένου & η επιρροή των πρωτοκόλλων διαδικτύου στην ποιότητα υπηρεσίας χρήστη κατά την διάρκεια μιας δορυφορικής σύνδεσης. -Μελλοντικές βελτιώσεις και εφαρμογές στα δορυφορικά συστήματα με έμφαση στα μελλοντικά πρότυπα του φυσικό επιπέδου Στο τέλος διαθέτουμε ένα παράρτημα που αφορά τεχνικές αναλύσεις στην εξέλιξη του φυσικού επιπέδου των δορυφορικών συστημάτων, συνοδευόμενο με την συσχετιζόμενη βιβλιογραφία για περαιτέρω μελέτη.Over the last decades satellite telecommunication systems offer many types of multimedia services like Satellite TV, telephony and broadband internet access. The long-term technological evolutions occurred into state-of-the-art satellite systems altogether with the addition of new high throughput geostatic and non-geostatic systems, individual satellites can now achieve a peak bandwidth of up to Gbps, and with possible extension into satellite constellation systems the total capacity can reach up to Tbps. Supplementary, with systems latency being comparable to terrestrial infrastructures and with integration of several computer science technologies, satellite systems can achieve new & more advanced roles inside a heterogeneous 5G network’s ecosystem. In this thesis, we have studied European Space Agency (ESA’s) and European Union’s (EU) Horizon 2020 Research and Development (R&D) funded projects in order to describe the satellite capabilities within a 5G heterogeneous network, mentioning the impact of the evolution of digital satellite communications and furthermore the integration with the state-of the art & future terrain telecommunication systems by new technologies occurred through the evolution of electronic & free space optical communications alongside with the integration of computer science’s technologies like Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV). In order to describe this evolution we have studied the concepts of each individual project, categorized chronically and individual by its scientific field of research. Our main scientific trends for this thesis are: -Satellite Integration studies & strategies into the 5G terrestrial networks -Integration of SDN and NFV technologies on 5G satellite component -Satellite’s role in the Internet of Things applications over 5G terrestrial networks -Satellite’s role in Content Distribution Networks & internet protocols impact over user’s Quality of Experience (QoE) over a satellite link -The future proposals upon the evolution of Satellite systems by upcoming improvements and corresponding standards Finally, we have created an Annex for technical details upon the evolution of physical layer of the satellite systems with the corresponding bibliography of this thesis for future study

Techno-economic valuation of mobile communications scenarios

Valuation of large projects on new communications technologies is a challenging task. Major investments are required to spread out technology and services, the characteristics of which are still largely unknown. A balanced view is needed on capabilities of the technologies, market demand, and relevant value network actors and their economies. In this dissertation, comprehensive techno-economic modelling of these aspects will be introduced for valuation of selected business scenarios. The research framework is mobile data services and business architectures in the advent of new technologies, like UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). The techno-economic method in this context comprises the modelling of a large set of technology, market and other factors in relation to the business operations of the analysed market actors. The many uncertainties concerning future service innovations and market development set demands on scenario creation and parameter estimation. Traditional techno-economic investment project calculation is not enough. This study gives devices for strategic decision making by analysing three different technology transitions: The modelling of Western-European incumbent operator business starting from the early 2000's indicated that the UMTS deployment should be started without delay to maximise the long-term profits from the acquired licenses, contrary to looking for short-term investment payoffs that was prevalent after the telecommunications downturn. Results also show that the emerging WLAN technology would not become a substitute for UMTS, but the public WLAN will complement the UMTS based business architecture. Modelling of the upcoming mobile WiMAX in comparison to UMTS path indicated that the mobile WiMAX cannot challenge the UMTS, as the latter one offers a better business case for the key actors. In the last transition, techno-economic delta analysis was used to quantify the benefits from the fixed-mobile convergence. The main enhancements to the techno-economic method are first the extensive classification of advanced mobile services and related modelling of service diffusion, usage patterns, capacity requirements and revenues. The second contribution is to improve the analysis of service usage in relation to technology characteristics by integrating an end-user model that gives the demand and revenue potential of each service type, per user segment and utilised technology. A novelty is also the separation of network provisioning and service provisioning part of the business architecture into separate but interlinked models. The fourth contribution to the method is the application of real options method on large communications technology deployment projects, solving option modelling problems due to the complex dependencies of the project value on the investment timing. The introduced method starts from ordinary expected cash flow valuation, but adds to that the option value related to specific flexibility in the project

Mobile Network Virtualization: A study of the techno-economic aspects

Οι τηλεπικοινωνιακοί πάροχοι σήμερα, έρχονται αντιμέτωποι με την συνεχώς αυξανόμενη ζήτηση δεδομένων ενώ καλούνται να βρίσκουν οικονομικά συμφέρουσες λύσεις για να καλύψουν αυτήν την ανάγκη. Ενώ γίνονται προσπάθειες να αυξηθεί ο ρυθμός που μεταδίδονται τα δεδομένα και να αυξηθεί η απόδοση στο φυσικό επίπεδο, κυρίως με την εισαγωγή της τεχνολογίας LTE, η ζήτηση για χρήση των πόρων είναι πολύ μεγαλύτερη από αυτά που μπορούν να προσφέρουν οι πάροχοι. Για τον λόγο αυτό κρίνεται αναγκαία η καλύτερη αξιοποίηση των δικτυακών πόρων. Το μοντέλο που επικρατούσε μέχρι σήμερα του διαμοιρασμού συγκεκριμένων πόρων δεν θεωρείται εποικοδομητικό. Επομένως κρίνεται απαραίτητη η αξιοποίηση της τηλεπικοινωνιακής υποδομής με νέες μεθόδους αυξάνοντας τα έσοδα ανά χρήστη και μειώνοντας τα έξοδα. Για τον λόγος αυτό γίνεται πλέον λόγος για τον όρο Network Virtualization. Πρόκειται για μία μέθοδο που έχει εφαρμοστεί επιτυχώς στα ενσύρματα δίκτυα και συμβάλλει στην απλοποίηση των δικτύων καθώς και στον καλύτερο διαμοιρασμό των πόρων. Οι όροι Software Defined Networks και Network Function Virtualization έχουν επίσης την ίδια βάση και αποσκοπούν στην καλύτερη αντιμετώπιση της μεγάλης ζήτησης με τον καλύτερο δυνατό τρόπο. Στην παρούσα διπλωματική θα εξετάσουμε τον τρόπο που εφαρμόζονται οι παραπάνω έννοιες στα κινητά δίκτυα και θα γίνει μία προσπάθεια παρουσίασης των τεχνο-οικονομικών μεταβλητών σχετικών με κόστη κεφαλαίου και λειτουργικά κόστη.One of the most indubitable challenges faced by the mobile network operators is to provide cost effective solutions to meet the growing demand of the mobile traffic. Whilst every effort has been made to increase the data rates and improve the physical layer performance especially with the introduction of Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE/LTE-A) systems, it is not sufficient to meet the exponential increase in traffic demand that is expected to become one order of magnitude larger than the bandwidth that the operators will be able to provide. As a consequence, operators need to achieve a better utilization of the scarce mobile network resources. However, the conventional business model followed by the network operators, based on a dedicated network infrastructure paradigm where each operator have access to a fixed set of network resources is no more considered a valuable approach for efficient radio resource management and utilization. Consequently, the mobile network operators are investigating new and innovative technologies to be able to effectively and efficiently utilize their network infrastructure while increasing the ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) and decrease the capital expenditure (CAPEX) and (OPEX) operational expenditures. To this end, aiming to avoid the underutilization of the physical resources, recently there has been a surge of interest for leveraging the benefits of Network Virtualization in mobile cellular networks. Network Virtualization (NV) has been successfully applied in wired networks as a means to provide abstraction of the network equipment and dramatically simplify the network configuration and resource management. The most prominent NV instances, such as Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV), are also envisioned by the mobile network operators as a way to address the explosive capacity demand of mobile traffic and reduce the costs burden faced to handle the increasing traffic demand. Accordingly, in this dissertation, we will discuss the ways to apply NV in telecoms and especially in mobile networks. This is supported by a techno-economic analysis so as to consider its effect on CAPEX and OPEX expenditures

Information infrastructure development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Since the post-war period researchers have been pointing to a shift towards a new techno-economic paradigm. Whilst the macroeconomic impact of this powerful wave of technology has yet to be determined, it is sensed intuitively as being more important than generally suspected and to have major multiplier effects on national development. The convergence of information technology and modern communications has raised renewed hopes for enhancing national development in developing countries. At the same time, there are legitimate fears of increased marginalisation for those countries that fail to keep pace in the technological race. Grappling with the complexity involved in constructing an infrastructure that can improve their ability to achieve development objectives, and may lay the foundations for their future competitive advantage, few Sub-Saharan African countries have constructed a coordinated policy response to the complexities involved in creating an effective information infrastructure. Economically and politically fragile, and with only the promise of technological potentialities, the vast majority of African policy-makers are adopting a cautious approach. In the face of such a policy vacuum external actors such as multilateral development agencies, have taken it upon themselves to design, implement and fund initiatives with the idea of information infrastructure at their core. Such initiatives, whilst bringing much needed infrastructure to the region, are often short-termist in outlook and do not necessarily dovetail with local development objectives. If less developed countries and regions are to implement telecommunication networks and information services that will serve their interests, they must prioritise objectives that rest firmly in their particular economic, political, cultural and social context. Within a broad, multi-dimensional research schema, the research examines the main actors in the field of information infrastructure development in Africa. These are identified as development agencies, indigenous government and the foreign private sector. By articulating the respective roles of these actors and their spheres of influence, the research provides a coherent understanding of information infrastructure development activities within Sub-Saharan Africa. The research outlines a policy framework, which at both the conceptual and practical levels, argues that government plays the critical role in articulating national strategies for the coordination of disparate actors and scarce resources. The main contribution of the research is a practical policy framework that pinpoints priority areas for information infrastructure development within the Sub-Saharan Africa region