Are LTE and mobile WiMAX really 4G networks? A look at ITU-R IMT Advanced requirements

Introduction

There have been several recent articles comparing and contrasting LTE vs. mobile WiMAX as potential 4G network technologies.  Indeed, SPRINT and Clearwire have been marketing their WiMAX offering as a 4G service.  But is it really 4G?  Is LTE a 4G technology?  What about ultra-wideband?

It turns out that no broadband wireless technology can legitimately claim to be 4G, because the ITU has not completed its 4G specifications yet (4G is known as IMT Advanced in the ITU-R).  Hence, there is no benchmark document(s) for which to evaluate any of the proposed 4G technologies.  Several important ITU documents and presentations are listed in the References at the bottom of this article.

What are the attributes of 4G? 

The ITU has stated that 4G will be a "completely new, fully IP-based integrated system of systems and network of networks- achieved after convergence of wired and wireless networks."  This is in sharp contrast to current 3G networks, which are circuit-switched based, with an overlay of data carrying capabilities (EVDO for CDMA and HSDPA for GSM).  4G networks will be entirely IP packet switched. Mobile voice will be carried as a stream of IP packets--VoIP over the equivalent MAC sub-layer.

According to the ITU, 4G networks will be capable of providing 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps downstream rates,  in outdoor (mobile) and indoor (fixed access) environments, respectively.  4G networks will have end-to-end QoS and high security, offer any kind of services at any time as per user requirements, anywhere with seamless interoperability, always on, affordable cost, one billing and fully personalized.

Here are the key features of 4G/IMT-Advanced (as per ITU-R document: BACKGROUND ON IMT-ADVANCED, 7 March 2008- see References below):

–           a high degree of commonality of functionality worldwide while retaining the flexibility to support a wide range of services and applications in a cost efficient manner;

–       compatibility of services within IMT and with fixed networks;

–       capability of interworking with other radio access systems;

–           high quality mobile services;

–           user equipment suitable for worldwide use;

–           user-friendly applications, services and equipment;

–       worldwide roaming capability; and,

–       enhanced peak data rates to support advanced services and applications (100 Mbit/s for high and 1 Gbit/s for low mobility were established as targets for research).

These features enable IMT-Advanced to address evolving user needs, which implies a network that will evolve and change over time.

The 4G Radio technologies will include:

Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)- a highly efficient multi-carrier modulation scheme, and

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)-  a multi-antenna system that minimizes data errors and optimizes speed.

How do LTE and mobile WiMAX meet the 4G/IMT-Advanced  Objectives?

Both LTE and WiMAX are based on OFDMA and MIMO technologies and both are all IP networks with QOS and (some) security.  3GPP's initial LTE specification, due in March 2009, is that organization's choice for a 4G network.  As noted in an earlier post today, IEEE 802.16 TG m is chartered with ammending the IEEE 802.16 WirelessMAN-OFDMA specification to meet IMT-Advanced requirements, while offering continuing support for legacy WirelessMAN-OFDMA equipment. This will provide an UPGRADE path for existing mobile WiMAX networks based on IEEE 802.16-2005 to a 4G-like network. 

But it remains to be seen if either of these networks will qualify as 4G/ IMT-Advanced networks when they are initially rolled out.  It will take a long time to validate their attributes and operational performance against the numerous IMT Advanced requirements.  Let's not take all the hype too seriously at this time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

WiMAX, 4G, and the Enterprise (Part 1)

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3792131

It isn't WiMAX versus LTE

http://www.ciol.com/Technology/Networking/Feature/It-isnt-WiMAX-versus-LTE/181208113956/0/

ITU Mobile next generation network, Evolution towards 4G  (see Charts 37- 39)

http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/tech/StandardizationGap/Bahrain2007/Presentations/Day2/Presentation_Bahrain_STabbane.pdf

ITU-R SG 5/Working Party 5D document: BACKGROUND ON IMT-ADVANCED, 7 March 2008

http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=study-groups&rlink=rsg5-imt-advanced&lang=en

click on Background on IMT-Advanced - (Doc. IMT-ADV/1)

ITU-R  IMT Advanced Evaluation Guidelines

http://groups.itu.int/Portals/17/SG5/WP5D/Workshop/Evaluation-Hu%20Wang.pdf

see Overall Workplan for IMT Advanced (timeline)

Alan Weissberger
DCT Advisors
2013 Acacia Court
Santa Clara, CA 95050-3482

voice mail: 408 863 6002

TIE Wireless SIG Panel: Mobility 2009: setting the stage for a new order?

The TIE Wireless Special Interest Group (SIG) held their annual review and outlook meeting on December 11th in Santa Clara. This article highlights key points, observations and take aways from the panel session.

2008 marked a milestone year for the mobile industry worldwide, with the launch of the Apple Appstore, Google’s Android, the mainstreaming of consumer smartphones, and a global recession. The key trends and shifts observed in 2008 were reviewed, and several predictions were made for what might be hot in 2009.

Session Moderator: Tim Chang, Norwest Venture Partners

Peter Barry, Head of Venture Capital and Start-ups, Vodafone

Jay Boddu, Kauffman Venture Fellow, Sofinnova Ventures

Nagesh Challa, Founder, Director, President & CEO, Ecrio

Rob Trice, Senior Managing Director, SK Telecom Ventures

According to Chetan Sharma, Technology & Strategy Consultant, "the US wireless data market shrugged off the economic doldrums in Q3 2008 and grew 7.3% Q/Q and 37.5% from Q307 to reach $8.8B in data services revenues. The total for the year (for first 9 months) stands at $24.5B which is equal to the revenues generated in 2007 (full year)." But things don't look so rosy for the 4th quarter and for most or all of 2009, according to the panelists.

Success of iPhone, touch screens, and App stores. Apple now going after enterprise customers for the iPhone.

Global Financial Crisis had negative impact on the sector in 4th quarter of 2008.

Open source movement: Android/Open Handset Alliance, Symbian, Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs Moblin initiative, etc

Wireless industry progress and momentum outside of Japan and Korea, e.g. U.S. movement to LBS's and 3G with promise of LTE in the future.

Data centric mobile platforms and ecosystems are being built for 3G broadband mobile technologies.

Mobile broadband growth has shifted from developed to developing markets. This will be an enabler for open platforms and smart devices.

Energy savings as a cost driver, e.g. Nokia's new innovations to reduce energy cost and carbon footprint.

Enterprise sales of mobile devices grew 40 to 50% in 2008. Data plans for corporate cell phones, downloaded apps, management and control are attributes of this market segment.

Location is starting to be combined with other mobile applications and services.

IMS based services for multi-media streaming

Mobile advertising didn't grow as fast as expected

Network operator monetization of new content has proved difficult

WiMAX did not take off as expected

Mobile web 2.0 did not happen as expected

Tim Chang of Norwest Venture Partners opined that, "wireless has become a graveyard for venture capital investors." This was probably because of the inability of the VCs to cash out of their investments with no exit strategy forthcoming. One panelist stated that $45M (average) exit price for wireless start-up companies- a far cry from the dot com boom years. So VCs need to be very cautious. They must carefully consider which wireless start-ups can generate a reasonable ROI and be capital efficient enough to survive on a $3M or $4M burn rate for the next 12 or 18 months.

An opportunity and challenge for VCs is to chose the right technology/ apps for a given country or geographic region. This is because the wireless market is geographically fragmented in terms of how people use data plans and what applications/ services are in demand (e.g. on-line gaming popular in Asia but not in the U.S.). Further, it's very difficult to get an application to work over a variety of wireless network technologies deployed in different countries.

Tim stated that "channel is everything for a mobile company." That implies that sales/distribution channels must be lined up by the successful wireless start-up for their mobile products in development.

Start-ups should address users pain points, do more with less, get better efficiencies, avoid bleeding edge (new or uncertain) technologies. For example, SK Telecom is avoiding technology companies pursuing white spaces, as they think there are too many uncertainties and unkowns there.

VCs will sacrifice top line growth for companies that can reduce costs are fix pain points, e.g. billing.

Vodafone is looking for companies with "differentiated capabilities for value added Internet services." They are also interested in mobile device innovation, especially screen usability and nex gen human interfaces.

Sofinnova Ventures sees opportunities in LTE for 4G "all IP" networks. Incumbent providers chose LTE (over mobile WiMAX or other BWA technology) to gain continuity and a graceful evolution from their 3G networks.

Norwest Ventures thinks WiMAX missed its market window which is now closed. While LTE is quite promising, they think that the Chinese companies may ultimately dominate the device and equipment markets.

Android in China will be a huge success. China Mobile is planning to give away Android phones sometime in 2009, according to Tim Chang of Norwest.

Cisco Responds to Harsh Business Climate- Plant Closure, HP Competition, WiMAX systems integration

Summary:

This has been a somewhat of a watershed week for Cisco. By announcing the year end (US and Canadian) office closures the company has acknowledged that its business will be depressed and cost savings is in order.  In addition to the lower sales and earnings forecast, Cisco is facing competition from ProCurve- a fast growing HP business unit that has increased market share in the $20 billion market for local area network and wireless switches. That market provides the bulk of Cisco’s revenues and profits. Cisco is also looking at how it can leverage its server virtualization and automation tool kit to get more business in the nex gen enterprise data center market. Finally, Cisco has entered the systems integration business by agreeing to build a new mobile WiMAX network in Malaysia with YTL e-Solutions Berhad (YTLE), a subsidiary of YTL Corporation Berhad. Under that agreement, Cisco will build and integrate YTLE’s WiMAX core network - which includes IP CORE, Operating Support Systems, Billing Systems, Proactive Network Operating Center (PNOC), and Interoperability Testing labs - to help YTL quickly operationalize and launch new services.  This type of collaboration is a change in Cisco’s business model - from network equipment provider to systems integrator.

The individual news items follow:

Cisco to close shop for 4 days to save money

"Given the difficult macroeconomic conditions, we believe our cost control focus at this time is appropriate, while still providing our partners and customers with critical services over the holiday period," the company said

http://blogs.cisco.com/news/comments/managing_in_a_challenging_economy

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10107912-92.html?tag=mncol\\

H.P. Unit Sheds Stepchild Status to Take on Cisco

HP has nurtured its ProCurve business from a few hundred million dollars in annual sales to about $1 billion. It is now H.P.’s second-most-profitable business and one of its fastest-growing. Now H.P. is directly attacking Cisco in a bid to capture a larger chunk of the $20 billion market for local area network and wireless switches. "H.P. has declared war," said Mark Fabbi, a networking analyst at the research firm Gartner. "H.P. has the potential to completely change the dynamics of the networking industry."

H.P.’s network hardware revenue had grown 40 percent over the last two quarters, cementing the company’s position as the No. 2 player in the market. H.P., based in Palo Alto, Calif., now accounts for 7 percent market share by revenue, compared with Cisco’s 77 percent.

Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., has switched to H.P. as a supplier. "A lot of people in the industry say that Cisco has a certain arrogance," said Scott Lowe, the college’s chief information officer. "With real competition in the marketplace, I think you will see there is a desire for people to get away from that arrogance."

Some of Cisco’s strongest critics are hardware resellers. They are hoping that a muscular competitor like H.P. will place pressure on Cisco to give them more favorable sales and services terms. Although Cisco itself makes about 70 percent gross profit margins on its LAN switching gear, the resellers "can’t make any money on Cisco," said Brad Reese, who sells refurbished Cisco equipment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/technology/companies/25hewlett.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=HP%20%20challenges%20Cisco&st=cse

Data Center 3.0 and Tightening Budgets

Enterprise customers may see opportunity in the turmoil by using Cisco’s tools (virtualization, automation, clouds, etc) to let them cut costs and still strategically invest in their data center business.

http://blogs.cisco.com/datacenter/comments/data_center_30_and_tightening_budgets/

YTLE Enters a Strategic Collaboration with Cisco to Launch WiMAX Core Network in Malaysia

YTL e-Solutions Berhad (YTLE), a subsidiary of YTL Corporation Berhad, entered a strategic collaboration with Cisco Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Cisco) to establish its WiMAX core network in Peninsular Malaysia. Under the agreement, Cisco will build and integrate YTLE’s WiMAX core network - which includes IP CORE, Operating Support Systems, Billing Systems, Proactive Network Operating Center (PNOC), and Interoperability Testing labs - to help YTL quickly operationalize and launch new services. The business relationship is in line with YTLE’s goal to provide mobile internet services nationwide.

Upon the nationwide commercial service launch in 2009, Malaysians in both urban and rural areas will be able to simultaneously enjoy 4G converged services - mobile voice, data and video with full mobility, using personal WiMAX mobile devices over the YTLE’s WiMAX network.

"We have chosen Cisco because of its proven expertise and leadership globally in IP CORE network technology and experience in setting up PNOC. We need a technology partner that can enable a fast and efficient WiMAX core network establishment. Cisco has proven it with their innovative and leading-edge IP technology solutions," said Executive Chairman and Managing Director, YTL e-Solutions Berhad, YBhg. Tan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh. "Together with Cisco, YTLE will create a WiMAX centre of excellence in Malaysia to become a world destination for WiMAX technology development," he added.

According to Cisco Executive Vice President, Services & Chief Globalization Officer, Wim Elfrink, "This collaborative model is a first for Cisco, and demonstrates how governments and technology leaders can together provide the network as a ‘fourth utility’ for delivering services that enhance business productivity and quality of life. By enabling the mobile Internet, YTLE and Cisco are helping to enhance the global competitiveness of Malaysia and its citizens." Elfrink added that this new type of collaborative relationship illustrates how Cisco is innovating with new business models adapted to the diverse needs of customers worldwide.

YTLE plans to deliver affordable WiMAX packages with fast, wide coverage and always-connected mobile internet services that will cater to and complement the personal and business communication needs of consumers as well as the enterprise community.

YTL e-Solutions Berhad (YTLE) is listed on the Mesdaq Market of the Bursa Malaysia. Through its subsidiary, Y-Max Networks Sdn Bhd, it holds a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) licence for a 2.3 GHz wireless broadband access spectrum, which was awarded by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to roll out a nationwide WiMAX network in Peninsular Malaysia.

http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2008/prod_112708.html

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/YTLE-Enters-a-Strategic-Collaboration/story.aspx?guid=%7B87348687-CA1B-4811-868B-42F34702EDF3%7D

Network Congestion prompts MLB.COM to Prevent Customers from watching live games!

Internet congestion is very real.  The amount of end to end video file sharing, uploads, downloads and streaming is overtaxing the net and causing providers to break their customer guarantees/ SLAs.

On August 6th, I received bogus blackout messages for each live mlb.com game I tried to watch. This was independent of the streaming speed (I'm a premium subscriber that usually watches at 1.2Mb/sec). When I tried to access a different game, I received a page with this message: "You've reached this page in error." When I entered my zip code=95050, I got a messsage back indicating that I was blacked out for SF and Oakland. But I was not trying to watch either of those teams!

When I called tech support, I was told there was a mismatch between my IP address (in San Jose, CA) and the games I was trying to watch. That seems to be a huge software error in the MLB.com server. Then the tech said that "during periods of network congestion users sometimes get bogus blackout messages."  Finally, he had me remove and re-install a new version of the Silverlite media player. That seemed to fix the problem, but why? Is there a software bug in the previous version of Silverlite and if so, will the new version fix the problem (e.g. by allowing for a deeper playback buffer?   I just checked the mlbsupport forum and another user complained about the exact same false blackout problem.

http://www.mlbsupport.com/forum/

For a more thorough analysis of Internet congestion and bandwidth breakdowns, please visit:

http://www.viodi.com

Charles Babbage, ‘Irascible Genius’ and Computer Designer

       Doron Swade’s Computer History Museum Lecture on Charles Babbage and his Engines -May 10, 2008 at the Opening of the Babbage Exhibit at the Museum-

Alan J. Weissberger

IEEE Sr. Member and Program Chair IEEE ComSoc SCV

Disclaimer:  All opinions, inferences and conclusions expressed in the article are that of noted Babbage authority Doron Swade, who presented the lecture.  Dr. Swade later clarified various aspects of his talk as well as the construction of Babbage Difference Engine 2 at the London Museum of Science, where he was responsible for its construction and a documentary video.

Overview

Charles Babbage (1791-1871) was famous for inventing computing machines in the mid 19^th century, yet failing to build any of them.   He was not the only one who didn’t succeed.  Inspired by this high echelon member of British society, others tried and failed to build the computing machines Babbage conceived.  This was in an age where various frivolous types of machines (many with no practical functions) were actually built.  What was the significance of Babbage’s machines and why weren’t they completed in his lifetime?

Difference Engines 1 and 2[1] were strictly calculators that crunched numbers via repeated additions.  The results were envisioned to improve the accuracy of many mathematical tables (e.g. maritime tables used by navigators at sea), which were calculated manually and therefore prone to human error.  Babbage also saw his Difference Engines as a new technology of mathematics. This was a central interest for him.  Human errors in mathematical calculations and tables achieved prominence both as the jumping off point and also as a device of persuasion when he was seeking financial support to build Difference Engine No. 1.

The second machine, known as an Analytical Engine, is much more than a calculator.  It marks the progression from the mechanized arithmetic of calculation to general-purpose computation -with a program store separated from the processing unit.  In light of subsequent developments in modern computing, the features incorporated in the Analytical Engine design show astonishing prescience (those features are detailed in the Analytical Engine section, which appears later in this article). 

The first realized Babbage machine was Difference Engine No. 2.  It was completed at the London Museum of Science in 2002, 153 years after Babbage designed it.  Difference Engine No. 2 was faithfully built to the original drawings.  It consists of 8,000 parts, weighs five tons, and measures 11 feet long.  A duplicate of that machine was constructed in March 2008 (also in London) and was shipped to the Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mountain View, CA where it is on exhibit until May 2009.  Sadly, the Analytical Engine was never completed.

To kick off the CHM Babbage exhibit on May 10^th, 2008 approximately 550 people attended a very well received afternoon lecture by Doron Swade, which is described below. The panel provides a simplified description of the exhibit.

Why Weren’t the Difference Engines Built?

The reason given in most popular accounts for the failure to build the Difference Engines was the limitation of the Victorian age tools (e.g. cylinder cocks and levers, picks for probes, etc) that were to be employed in the construction of the machines.  But there is no historical evidence for this “technology limitation” theory, if this is taken to mean that he was unable to manufacture parts with sufficient precision for the calculating machines to work when assembled.  

In fact, no one at that time had warned that these calculating machines could not be built.  Many other machines- some of them useless- were in fact built using those same Victorian era mechanical parts and tools.  Instead, there were a myriad other factors contributing to the failure to physically realize the Difference Engines.  These included: an argument with his lead engineer over worker compensation,  run-away costs, muddled financial arrangements, wrangling with a changing British government for funding, and a resulting discontinuity of negotiations over funding and construction. 

Perhaps, Babbage’s personality had more to do with the failure to complete the Difference Engines then the underlying technology of the time.  Known by his first biographer as the “irascible genius,” Babbage had lots of pride and hubris.  He behaved as though being right entitled him to be rude.  His quarrels with the British government and with chief engineer Joseph Clement might have doomed the project from being completed.   When Clement resigned in March 1833, the practical construction of Difference Engine No. 1 stopped –11 years after it was conceived.  Negotiations with the British government continued, but funding was finally axed in 1842.  Difference Engine No. 2 was conceived and designed between 1846 and 1849 – long after the design of the (never completed) Analytical Engine. 

Regrettably, none of these three machines were built in their entirety in Babbage’s lifetime.  Only decades later did we recognize the potential and power of the underlying machine architectures, which were independently “re-discovered” by later day computer pioneers.

Fundamental Concepts and Features of the Difference Engines 

Babbage was first motivated by an urge to create more accurate mathematical tables.  Some argued that absolutely correct maritime tables were needed to improve ship safety and result in fewer shipwrecks.  Babbage wrote that machines could more accurately do the low level calculations needed to produce correct tables. 

Difference Engine No. 1. was based on the method of finite differences. This technique was well known at the time and used by humans in the calculation of mathematical tables.  The basic concept was for the machine to use repeated additions to perform mathematical calculations that would effectively replace multiplication and division that had been done by hand.  For example, finding the value of a polynomial requires evaluating each of its terms, which typically requires multiplication and/or division.   But those operations could be accomplished by successive additions in the Difference Engine.  Babbage envisioned the machine to be able to evaluate polynomials, find the n^th term of a series, and evaluate various types of mathematical expressions.  So the application of the results had potentially wide use.

Babbage designed Difference Engine No. 2 between 1846 and 1849.  It was to be an improved version of the original Difference Engine No. 1 machine.   This Engine calculates with numbers thirty-one digits long and can tabulate any polynomial up to the seventh order. The design was elegantly simple and required three times fewer parts than Difference Engine No. 1 for similar computing power.   No. 2 was planned to calculate and tabulate polynomials, printing results in hard copy and producing stereotype molds for plates intended for use in conventional printing presses.

There were many features of these two Difference Engines that can be explicitly recognized in modern computers.  These include:

- parallel operation

- microprogramming

- pipelining

- digital control

- pulse shaping

- binary latching

- polling (of the binary latches)

- input/output

The Analytical Engine

Not at all discouraged by lack of success in building Difference Engine No. 1., Babbage talked with Ada Lovelace in 1834[2]  about building a new type of machine that would be much more general purpose and programmable (via punched cards read by a mechanical card reader).  The use of punched cards was an idea borrowed from the “Jacquard loom” used for weaving complex patterns in textiles.

Programmability, as well as other modern era computing principles, were embodied in the design for the Analytical Engine (see list below).  One of the most visionary aspects of the Analytical Engine was an internal architecture that separated the “memory” from the “processor.” Using descriptions borrowed from the textile industry, Babbage called the memory “the store,” and the processor “the mill.”  The separation of store and mill foreshadowed von Neumann’s stored program machine scheme, which is used in all computer architectures in the electronic era (including PCs, microprocessors and calculators).  Yet, the Analytical Engine was not to be a true stored program machine.  Its designs do not feature facilities for internally storing programs.  Instead, instruction sequences as well as data were to be held externally on pasteboard punched cards and input from mechanical card readers. 

Recognizable modern day computing features[3] found in the Analytical Engine included:

- programmable using punched cards

- internal architecture - separation of Store and Mill (Memory and CPU)

- serial fetch execute cycle

- parallel bus

- Input/Output (I/O)

- conditional branching (IF ...  THEN ...)

- iterative looping

- microprogramming

- internal repertoire of automatic functions

- 50-100 digit precision

- parallel processing

- hardcopy and graphics output

Curiously, Babbage never made a serious attempt at building this machine.  He did, however, advise the British government to switch funding from Difference Engine No. 1. to the more general purpose Analytical Engine. When the British government was reluctant to do so, Babbage looked for funding from abroad.  It would not be forthcoming.

Panel 1.  Complete Construction of Difference Engine No. 2.

It took the London Science museum 17 years to complete the construction of Difference Engine No. 2.  Originally proposed in 1985 as a piece meal project, it was finally completed in 2002.  The complete construction of Engine No. 2., using modern parts made to a 19th-century design confirms Babbage's reputation as a designer of formidable ingenuity. It also demonstrates that achievable precision was not a limiting factor in Babbage's failures, as many had later claimed.  We can now say with some confidence that had Babbage built this Difference Engine, it would have worked.

Panel 2.  Overview of the Difference Engine No. 2. Exhibit at the CHM[4]

As noted in this article, Difference Engine No. 2 was designed between 1846 and 1849, but was completed in 2002 at the London Museum of Science.  The duplicate 2008 built machine, now on exhibit at the Computer History Museum, weighs 5 metric tons.  It consists of 8,000 parts in bronze, cast iron and steel that are equally divided (approximately 4000 each) between the calculating section and the printing/stereotyping apparatus.  The machine is shown in Figure 1.

Difference Engine No. 2 is manually operated.  During scheduled CHM exhibit demonstrations, a museum docent turns the crank handle, which starts the Engine in motion.  Continuous turning of the crank is required, which takes a considerable amount of effort and energy by the docent.  One calculation result is produced every six seconds.

As the calculating section produces each new result, it is transferred via a system of racks and connecting shafts to the type wheels of the printer, where an inked record is made on a paper roll for checking purposes.  From there, a second set of racks transfers the value to the stereotype punches which impress a record in soft material in the stereotype trays, forming a mold for the subsequent casting of a printing plate.

Note:  The technical description of the Difference Engine calculation process is beyond the scope of this article.  The interested reader is referred to reference [1] for the authoritative details.

The crank handle also drives the printer and stereotype apparatus, which is shown in Figure 2. 

The stereotyping apparatus is quite ingenuous.  It includes an elaborate programmable formatting mechanism to control the layout of the printed page.  The “programming” is done by selection of cams to control various parameters: whether results are presented row-wise or column-wise, the number, or rows and columns per page, the width and spacing of rows and columns and the font size.  After each result is punched in the mould, the tray is automatically repositioned under the punches by the power of falling weights to the correct position to receive the next result, without any impact on the speed of calculation.  [These features would have been critical to producing stereotype moulds that would be used directly to produce parts of a final printing plate.] 

The official CHM video, which forms part of the Babbage exhibit, includes a computer graphic simulation of the printer apparatus. That video was commissioned by Doron Swade while at the London Science Museum in 1990. Dr Swade was kind enough to give permission for a once-only use by CHM in this movie

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KBuJqUfO4-w

An earlier Difference Engine lecture by Doron Swade is available at:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7K5p_tBcrd0

References:

I.  Web links:

http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/

http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/charlesbabbage/

http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/engines/

http://www.maxmon.com/1822ad.htm

http://babbagedifferenceengine.googlepages.com/

II.  Articles and Books:

1.  Swade, Doron, The construction of Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2.; Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE Volume 27,  Issue 3,  July-Sept. 2005 Page(s): 70 - 88

2.  Swade, Doron,  The Cogwheel Brain: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer. London: Little, Brown, 2000.

3.  Swade, Doron,  The 'Unerring Certainty of Mechanical Agency': Machines and Table Making in the Nineteenth Century.  The History of Mathematical Tables: From Sumer to Spreadsheets, Edited by Martin Campbell-Kelly, et al. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Page(s): 143-74.

4.  Swade, Doron,  Redeeming Charles Babbage's Mechanical Computer, Scientific American. February (1993): Page(s): 86-91.

5.  Swade, Doron, It will not Slice a Pineapple-Charles Babbage and the first computer, Swade, D.; IEE Review Volume 37, Issue 6,  20 June 1991 Page(s): 217 - 220

6.  Bromley, A.G., Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine 1838, Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE Volume 20, Issue 4,  Oct.-Dec. 1998 Page(s): 29 - 45

7.  Grattan-Guinness, Charles Babbage as an Algorithmic Thinker, I.; Annals of the History of

Computing, IEEE Volume 14, Issue 3, 1992 Page(s): Page(s): 34 – 48

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Tim Robinson, CHM Sr. Docent, for providing the text that accurately describes the stereotyping apparatus in the second Panel.  We’d also like to thank Marcin Wichary for the two superb photos he took of the CHM Babbage exhibit which appear in this article.

Telecom News Summary (sent to members of IEEE ComSoc-SCV Discussion List)

This issue has lots of carrier related news.  Our lead story is China’s announced restructuring of their telecom sector.   Emerging market countries are also in the spotlight as they are where most network build-outs are taking place. 

Please let me know what topics are of interest to you.

alan@viodi.com

I.  Overseas (non-U.S.) Telecom News

China unveils long awaited telecommunications restructuring plan

China unveiled its plan for restructuring the telecommunications sector, ending a long entrenched separation of mobile and fixed line services.  The move, in response to the rapid growth of mobile phone operations but relatively stagnant business of fixed line operators, will also reduce the number of major players in the sector from four to three. Two smaller operators will also disappear.

China said the plan is aimed at creating three competitors of roughly comparable strength, while cutting telecommunications costs, avoiding duplicate network construction and boosting phone penetration nationwide.  The 3G licenses will be granted after the reorganization has been completed.   The announcement ends a long wait for Chinese and international operators and telecoms equipment manufacturers, who have for years strained to decipher regulators’ intentions for a fast-growing market that now boasts over 900m subscribers.

Under the scheme, the two networks operated by number-two wireless telco China Unicom are to be divided, with its CDMA operations sold to leading fixed-line operator China Telecom and its GSM network to be merged with trailing fixed-line company China Netcom.  Officials have sought to reduce the number of operators before the introduction of 3G to avoid unnecessary investment in new national networks.

The FT newspaper (LEX column) states: "The restructuring itself, designed to create a more level playing field, could be bad news for China Mobile."

http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/05/24/afx5045567.html

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9c5a9cd6-2a82-11dd-b40b-000077b07658.html

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/89637268-28a4-11dd-96ce-000077b07658.html

Follow on story:  China pushes home-grown telecom technology

China has ordered “strong support” for the development and use of domestic technology in its telecoms industry amid a restructuring of the country’s telephone operators and the approaching launch of third-generation wireless services.

The demand for greater favorable treatment for domestic products highlights China’s determination to leverage its status as one of the world’s most important telecoms markets and ensure it is at the forefront of technology development.  It also has implications for international telecoms equipment vendors that face increasing competition both within China and overseas from Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE.

In a statement at the weekend, the government said its planned re-organization of telecom operators should be accompanied by a raft of measures to promote home-grown technology.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9d35c676-2a82-11dd-b40b-000077b07658.html

Intel invests in WiMax roll-out in Malaysia

Backgrounder:  Intel has invested billions of dollars in 30 WiMax operators and infrastructure providers in the last few years, including $1bn of the $3.2bn that a consortium of companies is investing in a new venture in the US run by Sprint and Clearwire.

Intel will invest $16 million to help Malaysia's Green Packet Berhad develop the country's maiden nationwide high-speed WiMAX network, the chip maker announced. The company plans to launch its WiMAX broadband service in June.  

This matches Intel’s business model, which Chairman Craig Barrett described as “built around internet and rich content”.  Malaysia will be a “good test-bed” for WiMax because it combines emerging and sophisticated markets, and on account of the government’s “forward-looking and aggressive” attitude to the internet access, Mr Barrett said.   “Rich content needs more processing power, so you need more connectivity and bandwidth to communicate back and forth,” he said. “It’s not that we’re tied to WiMax, it’s that we’re tied to continually increasing the bandwidth and connectivity.”

Mr Barrett acknowledged that, while WiMax will be relevant in mature markets for mobile connectivity, it is likely to be more successful in emerging markets that do not have widespread fixed line broadband infrastructure.  (We have been saying this for some time).

Green Packet, listed on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange, plans to launch its WiMax network next month in Malaysia through its subsidiary Packet One. It has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the project and is aiming for its network to cover 25 per cent of Malaysia’s population by the end of the year. Three other Malaysian companies are due to follow within months.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/19/business/AS-TEC-Malaysia-Intel-WiMAX.php

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4063c8fa-262f-11dd-9c95-000077b07658.html

Bharti Airtel walks away from MTN- Reliance Group knocking on the door

Bharti Airtel, India’s largest mobile operator, has broken off talks with MTN, the South African telecoms group, dashing hopes for a deal that sought to forge one of the world’s biggest emerging market telecoms alliances.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2696cabc-29d1-11dd-b92c-000077b07658.html

Reliance Group, one of India’s largest telecom players, is speaking with MTN about a merger, but putting a deal together will not be easy. Reliance's market value of $27.5 billion is about $10 billion less than MTN's, and it has about 20 million fewer customers.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/25/technology/telecom.php

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e5d477c-2a70-11dd-b40b-000077b07658.html

Vodafone in Mobile Internet Struggle

Vodafone is likely to undertake more acquisitions to beef up its Internet services for mobile phone customers, according to people familiar with the situation.

Though the scale of the initial purchases will probably be small, Arun Sarin, Vodafone chief executive, is hoping to calm fears that the world’s largest mobile operator could lose out in the scramble over the mobile internet. Vodafone this month made its maiden wireless internet deal by agreeing to pay £25m for Zyb, a Danish social networking company.

Its annual results will underline how the mobile Internet is starting to make a significant contribution to its revenue as the company joins a number of large groups that are fighting it out to establish leading positions in mobile services.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b32523b2-2a7a-11dd-b40b-000077b07658.html

Invasion of Privacy?  BT trials to track web surfers

BT will shortly begin trials of an advertising technology that could have profound implications for the Internet economy and online privacy.  BT will use technology from Phorm, to track the web-surfing habits of its internet users to enable it to target advertising more tightly.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2399fa82-28ff-11dd-96ce-000077b07658.html

BCE buy-out deal appears to be collapsing- no white knight in sight

BCE deal is in trouble- it appears that only the Canadian government can save this huge buyout.  Telus (the 2^nd largest Canadian telecom provider) will likely wait for the dust to settle in the drama of BCE and its $34.8-billion buyout before making a new bid.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080524.RTELUS24/TPStory/Business

http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=af86485b-37d6-454d-a5fa-83cb763ab52d

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/money/story.html?id=8df8d848-e1b5-4d78-9fdb-4690ed384ac8

Cable & Wireless mulls spinoffs to realize value

Global telecom provider Cable & Wireless will weigh whether it should shed some of its core businesses this year to unlock the full value of the company, executives said Thursday, but they added the U.K.-based company has several other options including selling off parts of the business or aligning its groups to return capital to shareholders.

In its latest earnings report, the company said revenue was down, but earnings rose as part of C&W's strategy to focus on high-quality long-term contracts.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/cable--wireless-considers-demerger-options-832869.html

Alcatel-Lucent inks Vodafone service deal

Vodafone U.K. and Alcatel-Lucent have agreed to a five-year deal under which the equipment maker will oversee and improve a number of the cell phone provider's technical platforms, the companies announced. Alcatel-Lucent  will work on Vodafone's Intelligent Network and Core Applications (INCA) platform and standardize other systems within the company.  

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/31346.php

China Netcom subsidiary awards contract to Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent will supply the next-generation network to Beijing Netcom in the Chinese capital, the telecom-equipment company has announced, adding that the China Netcom subsidiary will offer video telephony.

http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/05/22/afx5038275.html

Deutsche investigates spying allegations

René Obermann, Deutsche Telekom chief executive, admitted the company was investigating allegations that the German telecommunications group had illegally used client telephone data to spy on its own top managers and on journalists.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5312b576-2a83-11dd-b40b-000077b07658.html

II.  U.S.  Telecom News

AT&T CFO: Business will lead economic rebound

AT&T’s CFO Rick Lindner told Reuters that he thinks the U.S. economy will begin to recover in the second half of the year, but the improvement will be fueled by the business sector and not by consumers.  Citing mortgage issues and the high price of oil, Lindner reportedly said he expects it will take a bit longer for consumers to work through the economic downturn.

Despite reports of a rebound, Linder said AT&T still hasn’t seen any sign of slowdown in its wireless business.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/electionsNews/idUKN2231040420080523

AT&T: On target for completion of 3G cell network by June- HSUPA and HSDPA

AT&T says that it will complete deployment by next month of its high-speed uplink packet access technology, which provides upload speeds of 800 kbps and download speeds of 1.4 Mbps. The company said six markets still needed to be connected to the 3G mobile-wireless system.

AT&T will install the software upgrade in its final six markets next month, extending HSUPA to its entire 3G footprint of 275 markets. AT&T has been rolling out HSUPA quietly over the last year, simultaneously expanding its HSDPA footprint while upgrading previously launched markets with HSUPA. By year end, AT&T expects to have the bulk of its nationwide 3G network completed by year end, covering 350 markets.

The new uplink capacity will allow AT&T to launch peer-to-peer and real-time interactive services that require a hefty return channel. Like its CDMA counterpart, EV-DO Revision A, HSUPA adds both the upstream capacity and low latency necessary to support applications like VoIP, videoconferencing and multiplayer gaming. Sprint is using its Rev. A network to extend its Next Direct Connect service to its CDMA customers by turning the push-to-talk sessions into VoIP sessions. AT&T’s ambitions for HSUPA—at least for now—appear to be more modest. In its announcement, AT&T indicated it would initially position the service as a faster peer-to-peer and file-upload option for its laptop broadband users.

http://telephonyonline.com/wireless/news/att-nears-completion-0521/

Dan Hesse: Sprint in "third inning" of rebuild

Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse says the company has made strides in overcoming its operational and financial problems, telling an interviewer that Sprint was "in the third inning" of its overhaul. One example of improvement he pointed to was making employees more personally responsible for how customers are treated.  The jury is still out on those moves. Sprint lost 1.1 million subscribers in the first quarter and ranked last among the biggest wireless companies in a customer satisfaction survey.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/20/AR2008052001596.html

Level 3 back on track after provisioning stumble

The carrier’s carrier is working to regain its wholesale edge after overcoming a hang-up in provisioning that cut its sales last year. Reports from its top competitor, Cogent Communications, suggest that Level 3's efforts are resulting in lower prices.  (Wholesale pricing for services to other carriers.)

“It sounds like provisioning is no longer an issue for [Level 3], so they’re trying to get back in the game and rev up the sales pipeline, and the easiest place to do it is in the wholesale market, where they’re well-known and respected,” said Donna Jaegers, an analyst with Janco Partners. “And Level 3’s never been shy about playing the price card.”

Level 3 is likely being most aggressive with wholesale pricing among customers that are on its network, since the relatively low cost to connect them means it can afford to drop prices. Where the carrier would need to buy a local loop from the incumbent carrier to connect, it is less likely to be willing to go as low.

http://telephonyonline.com/access/news/level-comes-back-0522/

Chambers: Collaborative tools key to Cisco future

Development of such Web 2.0 applications as TelePresence videoconferencing are critical to Cisco Systems' survival, CEO John Chambers said Tuesday as he described how collaborative efforts inside the company almost failed. Chambers said that Web 2.0 voice and video tools like unified-communications services were the most important elements of intra-company collaborative efforts.

Chambers' preferred methods of communicating, he said, are text messages and video. Beyond collaborating internally, Chambers said he's doing more virtual meetings. He already travels physically to many countries throughout the year, but with telepresence he said he will double the number of customers he speaks with while doing half his customary travel.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052108-chambers-web-2.html

Motorola Struggles to Stay Relevant

Motorola’s reversal of fortune has been striking. The Schaumburg, Ill., company shipped about 27 million handsets during the first quarter of 2008, putting its share of the global market below 10 percent — a plunge from its 22 percent market share in 2006, when its Razr flip phone was a top seller.   Motorola also has something of an image problem with its customers, particularly wireless carriers like Verizon Wireless and AT&T that got burned when the company did not deliver promised phones on time.

 “The question is, ‘What is the game plan?’ ” said Walter Piecyk, a managing director at Pali Research, an independent research firm in New York. “Motorola needs to decide what it wants to be. You can’t just keep saying, ‘I promise to come out with better phones.’ That is not enough these days.”  Roger Entner, Sr. VP at IAG Research had this to say: “With Motorola, no one knows what is in the design pipeline.  It’s like a black hole.” 

“There is no shortage of smart people there,” said Jeffrey K. Belk, a former senior vice president for strategy at Qualcomm, who worked closely with Motorola executives. “What is changing is the environment around them.”  Mr. Entner put it more bluntly: “That company suffers from a culture of failure.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/24/technology/24motorola.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Motorola++&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Google Lobbies FCC to free up TV White Spaces for wireless Internet use

In DC, Google Co-Founder Larry Page expressed “concern” over a possible missed opportunity for the country to use unused TV airwaves for wireless Internet access. Called “white spaces,” the FCC has been testing the viability of using the unused portions of spectrum for wireless access. Page reportedly said white spaces represent a much better technology for blanketing the country with wireless Internet than Wi-Fi, as they have much longer range.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/Google-Lobbies-White-Spaces.aspx

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6563360.html?industryid=48696

Google's "dark fiber" won't be used by Clearwire for WiMAX backhaul

Google said its $500 million backing of Clearwire's planned Mobile WiMAX network is not a sign that the carrier will use Google's dark -- or unused -- fiber to reduce the cost of connecting Clearwire's cell sites to the wired Internet. A Google spokesman said its funding was purely for investment reasons rather than for getting involved in its network infrastructure.

http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=154249

AT&T opens 17,000 hotspots to its 3G wireless subscribers

AT&T will allow its 3G data-service customers to access the Internet free via its Wi-Fi network at its 17,000 U.S. hotspots, the company announced Tuesday. It opened the offer to Laptop Connect subscribers, who pay at least $60 a month for data over its HSDPA and EDGE networks.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9948890-7.html

Verizon: Video Broadcast (not IPTV) integral part of FiOS

Verizon Communications is in no hurry to switch its FiOS service to an IP-based architecture because its offering is fully supported by the broadcast model. "It would have to be a situation where there's something we couldn't support on our broadcast wavelengths," said Vincent O'Byrne, director of access technologies at Verizon. "Also if we found ourselves moving more and more features to the 1490, that would be the biggest rationale, because as you go to the 1490, you're using bandwidth that you could use for other items."

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=154049

Municipalities face risk when taking own path to broadband

More than a dozen small cities and towns have decided to take on the broadband cause themselves by building fiber networks, although, according to this article, some municipalities fail to realize the expense related to essaying such a project alone.  The efforts highlight a battle over Internet policy in the U.S. Once the undisputed leader in the technological revolution, the U.S. now lags a growing number of countries in the speed, cost and availability of high-speed Internet. While cable and telecom companies are spending billions to upgrade their service, they're focusing their efforts mostly on larger U.S. cities for now.

Smaller ones such as Chattanooga say they need to fill the vacuum themselves or risk falling further behind and losing highly-paid jobs. Chattanooga's city-owned electric utility began offering ultrafast Internet service to downtown business customers five years ago. Now it plans to roll out a fiber network to deliver TV, high-speed Internet and phone service to some 170,000 customers. The city has no choice but to foot the bill itself for a high-speed network -- expected to cost $230 million -- if it wants to remain competitive in today's global economy, says Harold DePriest, the utility's chief executive officer.

It's a risky bet. Some municipal Internet efforts, including wireless projects known as Wi-Fi, have failed in recent months. EarthLink Inc. confirmed last week it was pulling the plug on its wireless partnership with Philadelphia. A number of towns have abandoned a municipal fiber initiative in Utah, called Utopia, amid financial difficulties.

The latest efforts have aroused intense opposition from private-sector providers. Cable and telecom companies have successfully lobbied 15 state legislatures to pass laws preventing municipalities from entering the broadband business. Comcast Corp., Cox Communications Inc. and other cable and telecom providers have also filed lawsuits against existing projects, arguing they're an improper use of taxpayer money and amount to unfair competition. In Chattanooga, Comcast sued the city's utility late last month in Hamilton County Chancery Court.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121115846391602439.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Vermont to build wireless Internet network for rural areas

Under legislative mandate to bring high-speed Internet to rural sections of the state, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority plans to tap a $40 million bond issue to build hundreds of towers for wireless Web and cell-phone service. But some critics, such as state Rep. Jim Masland, say fiber optic would be a better choice.

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NEWS02/805170325/1003/NEWS02

Embarq Launches IP-MPLS  Virtual Private Network (VPN) Service

EMBARQ  (x-Sprint-Local) has announced the availability of its MPLS VPN, claiming it's what their business customers want from a network.

Along with enhancing network management with in-network routing, officials said, the service also boosts security and service quality for multimedia streaming applications like Voice over IP (VoIP) and video.  EMBARQ's MPLS VPN supports multiple protocols and access options, and it also can include network management.  Moreover, it can be used to deliver “any type of network traffic,” and the packages are scalable to “fit any customer’s needs.”

http://ipvpn.tmcnet.com/topics/ipvpn/articles/28943-embarq-intros-ip-based-virtual-private-network-service.htm

III.                         Miscellaneous News

Global Dreams for a Wireless Web

FON, a company based in Madrid, Spain, wants to unlock the potential power of the social Internet. FON’s gamble is that Internet users will share a portion of their wireless connection with strangers in exchange for access to wireless hotspots controlled by others.

The swaps, in theory, would allow “Foneros” to have ubiquitous, global wireless access while traveling for business or pleasure. But despite $55.2 million in backing from such corporate heavyweights as Google and BT, the former British Telecom, as well as newer enterprises like Skype and a handful of venture capital firms, FON and Mr. Varsavsky are still missing a crucial ingredient: scale.

At the moment, there are just 830,000 registered “Foneros” around the world, and only 340,000 active Wi-Fi hotspots run FON software. Because it’s built upon the concept of sharing WiFi access, FON works well only if there are “Foneros” everywhere.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/technology/25web.html

Femtocell standards pass key approval hurdle

Members of the Femto Forum have agreed on a body of standards covering how femtocells should interface with mobile core networks, fueling hopes that final standards can be worked out in a matter of months. The results are expected to allow any femtocell -- small wireless home base stations -- to work with any mobile network.

http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=154459

E-Access (Japan) founder predicts LTE will win the 4G race

Sachio Semmoto, founder of Japanese broadband Internet and wireless company eAccess Ltd., sees a bright future for Long Term Evolution, especially since large carriers, including Vodafone, Verizon Wireless, China Mobile and NTT DoCoMo, are embracing it.

http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-33690520080521

FCC 700 MHz Auction Postscript: Big loss for US Wireless Network Competition

FCC 95 MHz safe harbor rule violated.  What will they do?

To read this exclusive scoop, with info provided from a well placed anonymous source, go to:

http://viodi.com/2008/04/11/fcc-700-mhz-auction/

Public Safety a Big Loser with Failure of Muni Wireless Networks and the 700MHz D Block Auction

Hope Fading for Muni Wireless Networks- Is WiMAX the answer?

The March 22nd  NY Times had a front page story describing the sorry state of Muni WiFi networks in the U.S.  We long ago suspected that the business model was flawed, but we did not expect that the number of WiFi Access Points on light poles had to be so much larger then originally planned.  What kind of network architects designed those networks?

To get the scoop visit:

http://viodi.com/2008/03/23/hope-fading-for-muni-wireless-networks-is-wimax-the-answer/

Has the 700 MHz Auction Been a Failure? Yes and No!

http://viodi.com/2008/03/03/has-the-700-mhz-auction-been-a-failure/

What do you think?

alan@viodi.com

Are any telecom companies making money? We don't think so- do you disagree?