Internet+and+telecom+network





Expert's Forum--Internet and telecom network development trends By Jiang Lintao

The rapid development of the Internet has stimulated unprecedented changes in user group profiles and in the external environment of the communications industry. The challenges the Internet has posed for telecom networks has become increasingly obvious, and has shattered the monopoly that these networks and their operator's previously enjoyed. The industry as a whole has been forced to embrace a new developmental direction in conjunction with a drive to initiate technological breakthroughs. However, both telecom networks and the Internet are now at a crossroads, and their common evolution is heading towards the next-generation IP-based network.

The Internet's developmental path

As a key asset to the global information infrastructure, the Internet's exploratory nature and staggering rate of maturity has enabled it to rival telecom networks and has greatly accelerated technological developments in the communication information industry. Bringing with it a range of innovative concepts and approaches, the Internet provides an open information platform that separates service from service bearing and facilitates diversified and integrated service provision. In addition, its rich array of new services has benefitted hundreds of millions of users, and the existence of the Internet itself has provided a remarkably effective catalyst for innovation. > > The Internet's most pressing problem remains basic network security. This has led to the misuse of security encryption technologies, thus increasing security costs and delivering joint threats to both national security and even social stability. > > While the development of Internet technologies, especially the advent of Web2.0, Web3.0 and P2P applications, has promoted a variety of services and applications, it has also propagated large scale misuse. In effect, a platform for potentially harmful use has been created that is virtually untraceable, rendering it extremely difficult to control and manage online fraud and other cyber crimes. The serious social implications arising from the Internet has aroused the concern and attention of various governments and has prompted a wave of investment and research to identify solutions. > > All Internet service networks are parasitic in that transmission resources are neither possessed nor controlled. Access transmission resources can be accessed for free, which significantly reduces operation costs. However, as service networks do not control transmission resources, QoS, cannot be controlled or guaranteed and services cannot be "operated" as such, merely provided free of charge. As transmission resources are free, service networks always seek to fully utilize resources in order to improve QoS. Even though service networks are at present balanced, conflicts may arise between service and bearer network carriers, which destabilizes the industry chain. > > > The Internet has experienced over 30 years' development since its inception. During this time, considerable changes have taken place in user groups, application conditions, and the external environment. However, the Internet's core technology - TCP/IP - remains unchanged. The network IP technology has, however, seemingly grown weaker as increased requirements have been placed upon it. Consequently, it is necessary to retrospectively assess Internet design concepts and identify the source of the problem. > > The Internet was first designed to aid teaching and scientific research, rather than widespread commercial application. Core ideas of the initial design comprised end-to-end transparency, best-effort transmission capability, user freedom and self-discipline, non-existent network management, and text communications. The underlying concept envisioned the Internet as an innovative network platform to be accessed by everyone. Application control rights were devolved to users, and this fundamental premise prompted security issues that have never been resolved. > > The central ideas currently remain, but in some cases have been twisted when viewed in the context of their original purpose. For instance, while a central tenet in Internet design remains a commitment to end-to-end transparency, it has been eroded somewhat by NAT (Network Address Translation) and firewall software. Best-effort transmission capabilities can be obtained, but the Internet is required to provide transmission capability guarantees in line with available resources. UDP (User Datagram Protocol) applications and P2P services have damaged user self-discipline, although the Internet remains management free and users enjoy complete freedom. > > It also persists as an innovative network platform available to everyone, albeit in the context of full commercialization. This analysis exhibits that many potential risks still exist: network security, a lack of service control by carriers; parasitic service networks that obviate a meaningful business model; and resource plundering. These factors contribute to a lack of stability that may culminate in a breakdown of the industry chain and harm the Internet's constructive development potential. > > The core ideas of future Internet design will change considerably, and will exist in the context of service development. End-to-end transparency will be eradicated to ensure user security and facilitate lawful interception. Transmission capabilities will shift to providing not only real and non-real-time services, but also best-effort and resource-guaranteed service transmission that meet varied user requirements. Differentiated services will implement a necessary and reasonable restriction upon users, but a suitable level of freedom and flexibility will continue in order to keep the Internet dynamic and innovative. Subsequent business models will therefore be the foundation of sustainable development. > > The one thing constant of the Internet however, will be its position as a platform for innovation that is available to everyone. This in fact forms the essence of the Internet and is its source of vitality. Its future direction will see it become central to the global information infrastructure characterized by features that promote security, credibility, operability, manageability, defined network resources, sustainable resource consumption, cost-effectiveness, and high efficiency. In brief, it will become a controllable and manageable network. > > > In addition to assessing necessary adjustments to the Internet's bearer network (IP network), consideration of its service networks are essential if the desired developmental path is to be achieved. > > Service networks comprise of two types: parasitic and operative. The parasitic are not concerned with the host's will or bearing capability and merely seek maximum benefits. Their development trend denotes a service type that ravages resources. Operative service networks on the other hand, own bearing resources that they can efficiently allocate to optimize unit resource price/performance ratio. > > Parasitic service networks currently dominate the Internet. As they do not pay for bearer network resources, they are low cost and can be easily developed. However, parasitic networks do not initiate progress, cannot support the Internet's sustainable development and as such must not represent a feasible developmental direction. Conversely, operative service networks comply with business rules and enable sustainable development and therefore describe the desired future direction. > > All procedures in the industry chain should be considered when designing and developing service networks. Individual procedural failure may result in serious distortion or even a break in the industry chain. Parasitic service networks can be either be benign or malicious; the benign type enables coexistence and a win-win situation, while the malicious type is destructive. At present, Internet parasitism in telecom broadband networks is benign, but the emerging trend is malicious and requires strict mitigation and control. > > > P2P has become an extremely popular Internet technology. P2P technology has developed extremely largely entirely thanks to IP audio and video sharing files. In fact, 50-60% of daytime broadband traffic, 90% of night-time broadband traffic, and 40% of enterprise broadband traffic is P2P and as a major traffic consumer, it represents an important broadband service support technology. > > The essence of the P2P technology consists of distributed processing and storage by concentrating idle resources for centralized usage. It is an innovative technology capable of promoting considerable development potential. In particular, it can greatly reduce system construction and usage costs, and enhance network and system equipment utilization. The prospects of P2P technology are highly promising, but double-edged. It improves QoS by consuming huge amounts of resources or even by sacrificing user equipment security. Its misuse though, can threaten user security, break the industry chain and, most worryingly, can hinder the development of the industry as a whole. > > P2P usage can provide different results according to its mode, and consideration should be given to its context in the holistic service provision environment as opposed to a medium for temporary convenience. This accords with the basic industry ethos that seeks to consolidate beneficial practices and eliminate those which are harmful to the industry chain. > > Attitudes to P2P technology vary depending upon individual perspectives. Generally speaking, Internet service system developers welcome P2P technology since it consumes bearer network resources for which they do not need to pay. For telecom carriers, especially mainstream IP bearer network carriers, P2P services are the fundamental source of numerous problems, not least because the huge consumption of bearer network resources does not deliver adequate returns. However, as IP broadband networks operated by telecom carriers depend upon Internet broadband services, carriers must accept the existence of Internet services and technologies. > > Before P2P technology was introduced, the industry chain was benign. Two of the most important roles in the chain - broadband IP network carriers and broadband service operators - were at peace. The introduction and use of P2P technology has shattered the status quo and the current playing field is replete with conflicting interests. Although it seems that telecom carriers are helpless, this will not last long. Sweeping reforms will in the long term remedy the situation, and even now temporary solutions are in place. These include identifying and controlling P2P flows; IP broadband network flow limitation; and flow-based billing for broadband users, including billing packages and upstream traffic billing. Such measures are effective, but permanent solutions are required to permanently develop a sustainable business model and alter the nature of parasitic service networks. New technologies are necessary to achieve this and, while the strategy might be clear, carriers will face great challenges along with the opportunities. > > > The Internet is quickly becoming the engine of the modern information infrastructure, and security has become the biggest problem. Web2.0 and Web3.0 technologies have enabled individuals to complete the tasks which previously have to be done in websites, and the uncontrolled use of P2P technology allows tasks to be easily accomplished that would otherwise require huge amounts of equipment and large transmission networks. The Internet has strengthened the dissemination of potentially harmful information, which is spreading, and malicious attacks, network frauds and other cyber crimes have exponentially increased. > > In 1996, the United States released and executed its Internet2 plan, but its results were unsatisfactory. In 2000, multiple research plans were activated in the U.S. to investigate the achievements and failures of Internet2. Analysis demonstrated that the Internet was deteriorating: information infrastructures could easily be attacked with disastrous results. > > This is exacerbated by the continued strength of the ICT field, which further contributes to the inexorable growth of the Internet. Subsequently, greater challenges are anticipated in terms of Internet security and management. Given this, America's CISE (Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering) - a subordinate of NSF (National Science Foundation) - moved to create GENI (Global Environment for Network Innovations). Formally launched on August 22, 2005 with a budget of US$300 million and a timescale of 5-7 years, GENI comprises two components: GENI Research Program and experimental GENI facility. > > The facility will extend current testing platforms to create an experimental infrastructure capable of supporting the most ambitious research goals. Its purpose is to explore new network architectures at given scales. The overarching goal of GENI is to construct a new-network national information infrastructure.
 * **Existing problems**
 * **Change in Internet design ideas**
 * **Internet service networks and their future direction**
 * **Development of the P2P technology**
 * **Restrain the negative impact of the Internet**


 * Development trend of telecom networks**

The advent of Internet technology has resulted in a sustained attack against telecom networks, and it has shattered the monopoly telecom networks once enjoyed. The telecom industry was unprepared, and simply accepted Internet technology without much analysis. The Internet provides an excellent arena for service innovation and improvement, especially given its open architecture.

Conversely, telecom networks adopt a closed design idea, and have instead been concentrating on developing defense technologies. As the design ideas of the Internet were completely different to those characterizing telecom networks, some confusion arose with respect to the anticipated relationship between the two. In general, the telecom industry has been comparatively passive, and is now urgently searching for a developmental direction and the necessary technical breakthroughs to protect its future. > > In the past, telecom networks possessed the clear business model of charging by service. After being attacked by the Internet, the future of this previously workable model has become unclear. Telecom carriers must decide whether to continue using the service charging mode, and if they do, they must identify ways to utilize technology to ensure service charging sustainability. > > The following questions are relevant to, and in fact underpin, future research: Will telecom carriers provide services? How will they do so? Will they provide differentiated services at different levels with layered rates? Will telecom networks and services possess sufficient business capabilities? Do monthly access fees, free services, and businesses that depend upon advertising or capital operations comply with the telecom network business model? Will such methods support the benign development of the industry? Can the service network develop independently after it is separated from the bearer network? Is service network direction inevitably parasitic? > > Currently, the major problem is that telecom networks do not possess technology that complies with business rules. In designing a bearer network or a service network, technical innovation and planning should ensure that telecom network operations comply with business modes and support the industry's benign development. > > > Telephone networks - both fixed and mobile - describe the only complete networks among all telecommunication service networks. They employ the whole range of communication features, standard operation systems, and holistic management functions. Telephone networks represent a key facet of information infrastructure and an important means of guaranteeing social stability and security. They also realize a major public communication tool and thus generate a significant source of telecom carriers' income. > > Broadband service networks are becoming an obvious future development trend, and a new means for telecom carriers to garner revenue. However, the broadband service industry cannot yet fully come into effect since a complete development plan for broadband service networks is lacking, and standards are currently being researched and developed. There is still no telecom broadband service network, and carriers operating broadband networks are not equipped with complete telecom operation capabilities. > > Internet services form an important part of telecom services and also the main body of broadband IP telecom services. They are highly dependent on telecom bearer networks, but Web2.0, Web3.0 and P2P have ensured that parasitic networks are becoming increasingly malicious. Resources are consumed on an unsustainable scale, and supervision is becoming more and more difficult. This can cause an increase in risk - both in business and policy - for telecom services, of which Internet services are central. > > > The telecom bearer network (IP network) provides the basis for both telecom networks and the Internet. As the IP network is plagued by some serious problems, it cannot meet telecom service requirements and hinders the exploration and development of Internet services. Problems requiring analyses and solutions are threefold: security, QoS, and large-scale networking. These embody global problems, and consequently many countries are conducting research in the hope of making breakthroughs. ITU-T has proposed technical specifications - the Y.2601 Recommendations - that include the research path for future packet bearer networks. > > Telecom bearer networks must describe a safe and credible network that is capable of guaranteeing basic security requirements. Network users and service networks utilizing the bearer network should be able to expect satisfactory security services without employing special encryption technologies. The next generation bearer networks should be able to bear all existing telecom network services and the Internet services; possess the ability to bear forecast future services and guarantee QoS; enable appropriate network resource allocation and enact suitable control, management, operational and scalability measures. They need to be able to interwork with existing networks - both connected and connectionless - and must support smooth evolution. > The relationship between telecom networks and the Internet > > Telecom networks and the Internet adopt the same technologies, and the former are evolving towards All-IP. Emerging service trends have determined network technology usage, and telecom network-carried telephone services and Intranet services are already All-IP. The application of IP technology for the Internet has been successful, and despite its many problems - some of which are very serious - IP will remain the future technological direction for information services. > > Telecom networks and the Internet share the same requirements and design ideas for bearer networks (IP network). However, it has been proven that the present IP network cannot meet future service developments largely because it cannot cater to telecom service development, and hinders both the progress of Internet services - such as real-time - and further service scope exploration. As a result, unified requirements have been implemented on the bearer IP network that cover security, credibility, control, management, QoS guarantees, and large-scaling networking capabilities. > > Significant differences exist between telecom network and Internet design ideas as related to service networks, the major one being the basic business model. In the Internet, service networks exist in a commercially unviable parasitic state. Moreover, benign parasitism is giving way to malicious parasitism, which is likely to harm the industry chain. Telecom service networks are designed as operable service networks, but the present design fails to match the bearer network. Service networks are open in a limited range only, which limits service innovation. If development is considered, both telecom networks and the Internet will not follow present service network ideas, but will gradually become consistent after following a process of mutual conversion. > > To summarize, telecom networks and the Internet will integrate in the next-generation IP-based network. Many mainstream carriers are adopting dual-network architecture, which in fact describes two overlapping IP networks utilizing the same technologies and provides an example of integration. > > The development direction of telecom networks and the Internet will be next-generation IP-based network, the most significant feature of which is packet digitization that employs packet multiplexing digital technology as the next-generation IP-based network core. The next-generation IP-based network will encapsulate the future information infrastructure, and should possess rigorous security measures to guarantee consumer rights, national security and social stability. The next-generation IP-based network must facilitate continuous and benign development and scalability opportunities, and be able to interwork and coexist with mainstream technologies to support smooth evolution. The next-generation IP-based network will indeed become an innovative network platform that can be accessed by everyone. >.
 * **Business model of telecom networks**
 * **Telecom service networks are an important source of income**
 * **Serious problems exist in the telecom bearer network**