Bandwidth, latency and security are the new watchwords of the connected world, as consumers take control from operators and service providers, the executive vice president of Alcatel-Lucent’s networking business believes.
Philippe Keryer says wireless access must be re-engineered with a technology agnostic approach, and that fixed-line services should be catered for with a combination of fiber and copper pairs that bring true 100G connectivity into the home.
“At the end of the day it’s about scalable bandwidth,” Keryer told Broadband World Forum delegates in a keynote, adding. “It’s all IP now – not about fixed and mobile.”
The all-IP world makes service-level agreements critical, while combinations of technology are also required to gain more performance from existing spectrum. Most industry players now accept that wireless broadband will require a combination of LTE, Wi-Fi and 3G technologies, he argues, noting that while there remains some skepticism over femtocells, few would now bet against the need for some form of micro cell.
However, future connectivity requires a collective global effort to enable growth in the services accessed online, and Keryer questions whether current regulations – such as the EC’s aim of connecting 50% of homes to 100Mbps networks by 2020 – are actually hindering development by moving slower than the pace of demand for services.
Regardless of the future, Keryer notes that power has already shifted from operators and service providers into the hands of consumers. In fact, the end-user is becoming so addicted, many would rather give up their car or partner than their Web connection, he says, pointing to research among young Germans.
“The smartphone, tablet and TV are your window into the world,” he says, adding that those devices will eventually connect to “billions of sensors” to control functions in the home and beyond.