Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of the international spectrum management regime ... more Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of the international spectrum management regime on the introduction of flexibility in the national allocation of radiocommunication services. This is achieved through focusing on the main elements of the international regime. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative inductive methodology is adopted that examines the different elements of the international radiocommunication service allocation framework. Data are drawn from 66 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who are actively involved in International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector discussions. Findings The international radio regulations (RR) are perceived to be more of a framework for harmonisation that does not constrain the flexibility of countries. Countries are only restricted on their borders with their neighbours, and flexibility is already facilitated through a range of different measures. Moreover, several elements of the RR can be used to ...
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the European countries in Regi... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the European countries in Region 1 of the Radio Sector of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R). More specifically, the focus is on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting to explore whether European influence is in decline. Design/methodology/approach – This article adopts in-depth case study of the 700-MHz issue. Qualitative data are drawn from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who participated at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting. Findings – This article concludes that the influence of European countries in the ITU-R in Region 1 has changed. The influence of Arab and African countries has increased, with that of European countries declining. However, European countries remain more influential than their African and Arab counterparts. Research limitations/implications – This article sheds light on an often overlooked but pivotal element of the internationa...
ABSTRACT The lack of interoperability between 2G standards motivated the radio sector of the Inte... more ABSTRACT The lack of interoperability between 2G standards motivated the radio sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) to become involved in the standardisation process of personal mobile telecommunication. The efforts of the ITU-R ended with a family of five radio interfaces called International Mobile Telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) that collectively constitute 3G standards. ITU-R also identified several spectrum bands for IMT-2000. Later on, The ITU-R grew the IMT-2000 family to six standards by the inclusion of WIMAX (802.16e) after great resistance from several countries and vendors. The ITU-R work on 4G standards (IMT-Advanced) accommodates only two standards: LTE and WIMAX (IEEE 802.16m). The decline of the latter and the global adoption of the former have achieved the original target of the ITU-R to have one global standard. The paper examines the influence of IMT standardisation and spectrum identification processes within the ITU-R on the position of national regulators on technology neutrality. Furthermore, the paper assesses the impact of these processes on the 3G and 4G technology developments and deployment with a focus on the decline of WIMAX and diffusion of LTE. To do so, a case study approach is adopted that draws on two case studies of national regulators that are in favour of technology neutrality and supported inclusion of WIMAX into the IMT family but have not subsequently introduced it. The paper also analyses the activities of the IMT standardisation and spectrum identification in the various ITU-R working parties and previous WRCs. The paper draws on primary data from semi-structured interviews with the ITU and IMT standards representatives in addition to the main stakeholders in the selected case studies (e.g., regulators, operators, vendors). Moreover, secondary data are gathered mainly from the contributions regarding IMT in the ITU-R. The paper argues that while the IMT standardisation process has accelerated the development of 3G and 4G technologies and encouraged the global harmonisation of spectrum bands, it has also influenced negatively national regulators’ position on technology neutrality for several reasons. Firstly, defining and standardising 3G and 4G technologies have enabled regulators to differentiate between similar services according to the deployed technologies to claim additional license fees. Secondly, the ITU-R identification of several spectrum bands for the family of IMT standards has excluded the non-IMT standards from accessing the spectrum which has delayed the adoption of these standards. On the other hand, it has also restricted access of IMT standards into spectrum bands allocated to mobile service but not identified to IMT standards. In addition, the paper demonstrates that the IMT standardisation process has been used as a tool by the industry to have additional spectrum identified to IMT and to put the ITU stamp on their technologies without achieving the original aim of ITU-R of having interoperability between the different technologies. The selected case studies show also that the ITU-R definitions on IMT-2000 and IMT-advanced speeds are not used by operators to define commercial 3G and 4G speeds. Instead, it is the technology that defines the mobile generation. For instance, LTE is considered as 4G technology even if some of its releases are not part of IMT-Advanced family. In addition, technologies such as EDGE are not considered by operators as 3G although they are part of the IMT-2000 family. Moreover, it is found that ITU-R definitions are used in some cases by regulators to restrict access of 3G or 4G technologies to spectrum identified to IMT even if these technologies do not in practice achieve IMT requirements.
The Internet of things (IoT) is currently a highly<br> researched topic, especially within ... more The Internet of things (IoT) is currently a highly<br> researched topic, especially within the context of the smart home.<br> These are small sensors that are capable of gathering data and<br> transmitting it to a server. The majority of smart home products use<br> protocols such as ZigBee or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). As these<br> small sensors are increasing in number, the need to implement these<br> with much more capable and ubiquitous transmission technology is<br> necessary. The high power consumption is the reason that holds<br> these small sensors back from using other protocols such as the<br> most ubiquitous form of communication, WiFi. Comparing the power<br> consumption of existing transmission technologies to one with WiFi<br> inbuilt, would provide a better understanding for choosing between<br> these technologies. We have developed a small IoT device with WiFi<br> capability and proven that...
2018 International Conference on Smart Communications and Networking (SmartNets), 2018
Telecommunications are a crucial element of smart grid technologies. Utility communication system... more Telecommunications are a crucial element of smart grid technologies. Utility communication systems need to combine cost effectiveness with the need for high reliability. Due to its wide geographic coverage, satellite communication can be an appropriate alternative for power system automation in order to reach remote substations. This paper presents the experimental testing of Broadband Global Area Networks (BGAN) M2M technology between the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system running a primary front end processor (FEP) and the reclosers. Hardware test results for a number of different scenarios are discussed, compared and validated. The challenges for keeping the polls reliability at highest levels are also discussed.
The Internet of Things (IoT) approach to interconnected devices has become a significant topic in... more The Internet of Things (IoT) approach to interconnected devices has become a significant topic in recent years, and is likely to be a major influence on future networking standards, such as ongoing work on 5G. IoT introduces connectivity to a much wider range of devices than seen previously, which raises a number of challenges, both technical and ethical. This paper explores some of these challenges which IoT faces, as a result of the personal and confidential information which may be transmitted from body-worn sensors, and the inherent challenges of introducing connectivity to standalone devices, rather than to equipment operated by users.
The Radio Sector of the ITU (ITU-R) has been involved in two aspects of personal mobile communica... more The Radio Sector of the ITU (ITU-R) has been involved in two aspects of personal mobile communication systems, namely defining the standards and identifying frequency bands related to these systems under the label of the International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT). This paper has investigated the influence of IMT standardisation activities in the ITU-R on national spectrum management policies with regard to decisions related to technology neutrality and technology selection. This paper has shown the different views on the importance of being one of the IMT technologies on regulator decision on technology selection, and has also revealed the elements in the IMT process that encourage and discourage more neutrality approach in technology selection. Moreover, different views on the mutual influence between the IMT definitions and 3G and 4G market definitions are highlighted. Furthermore, this paper has demonstrated how that the IMT spectrum identification has different positive influe...
Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of the international spectrum management regime ... more Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of the international spectrum management regime on the introduction of flexibility in the national allocation of radiocommunication services. This is achieved through focusing on the main elements of the international regime. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative inductive methodology is adopted that examines the different elements of the international radiocommunication service allocation framework. Data are drawn from 66 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who are actively involved in International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector discussions. Findings The international radio regulations (RR) are perceived to be more of a framework for harmonisation that does not constrain the flexibility of countries. Countries are only restricted on their borders with their neighbours, and flexibility is already facilitated through a range of different measures. Moreover, several elements of the RR can be used to ...
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the European countries in Regi... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the European countries in Region 1 of the Radio Sector of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R). More specifically, the focus is on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting to explore whether European influence is in decline. Design/methodology/approach – This article adopts in-depth case study of the 700-MHz issue. Qualitative data are drawn from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who participated at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting. Findings – This article concludes that the influence of European countries in the ITU-R in Region 1 has changed. The influence of Arab and African countries has increased, with that of European countries declining. However, European countries remain more influential than their African and Arab counterparts. Research limitations/implications – This article sheds light on an often overlooked but pivotal element of the internationa...
ABSTRACT The lack of interoperability between 2G standards motivated the radio sector of the Inte... more ABSTRACT The lack of interoperability between 2G standards motivated the radio sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) to become involved in the standardisation process of personal mobile telecommunication. The efforts of the ITU-R ended with a family of five radio interfaces called International Mobile Telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) that collectively constitute 3G standards. ITU-R also identified several spectrum bands for IMT-2000. Later on, The ITU-R grew the IMT-2000 family to six standards by the inclusion of WIMAX (802.16e) after great resistance from several countries and vendors. The ITU-R work on 4G standards (IMT-Advanced) accommodates only two standards: LTE and WIMAX (IEEE 802.16m). The decline of the latter and the global adoption of the former have achieved the original target of the ITU-R to have one global standard. The paper examines the influence of IMT standardisation and spectrum identification processes within the ITU-R on the position of national regulators on technology neutrality. Furthermore, the paper assesses the impact of these processes on the 3G and 4G technology developments and deployment with a focus on the decline of WIMAX and diffusion of LTE. To do so, a case study approach is adopted that draws on two case studies of national regulators that are in favour of technology neutrality and supported inclusion of WIMAX into the IMT family but have not subsequently introduced it. The paper also analyses the activities of the IMT standardisation and spectrum identification in the various ITU-R working parties and previous WRCs. The paper draws on primary data from semi-structured interviews with the ITU and IMT standards representatives in addition to the main stakeholders in the selected case studies (e.g., regulators, operators, vendors). Moreover, secondary data are gathered mainly from the contributions regarding IMT in the ITU-R. The paper argues that while the IMT standardisation process has accelerated the development of 3G and 4G technologies and encouraged the global harmonisation of spectrum bands, it has also influenced negatively national regulators’ position on technology neutrality for several reasons. Firstly, defining and standardising 3G and 4G technologies have enabled regulators to differentiate between similar services according to the deployed technologies to claim additional license fees. Secondly, the ITU-R identification of several spectrum bands for the family of IMT standards has excluded the non-IMT standards from accessing the spectrum which has delayed the adoption of these standards. On the other hand, it has also restricted access of IMT standards into spectrum bands allocated to mobile service but not identified to IMT standards. In addition, the paper demonstrates that the IMT standardisation process has been used as a tool by the industry to have additional spectrum identified to IMT and to put the ITU stamp on their technologies without achieving the original aim of ITU-R of having interoperability between the different technologies. The selected case studies show also that the ITU-R definitions on IMT-2000 and IMT-advanced speeds are not used by operators to define commercial 3G and 4G speeds. Instead, it is the technology that defines the mobile generation. For instance, LTE is considered as 4G technology even if some of its releases are not part of IMT-Advanced family. In addition, technologies such as EDGE are not considered by operators as 3G although they are part of the IMT-2000 family. Moreover, it is found that ITU-R definitions are used in some cases by regulators to restrict access of 3G or 4G technologies to spectrum identified to IMT even if these technologies do not in practice achieve IMT requirements.
The Internet of things (IoT) is currently a highly<br> researched topic, especially within ... more The Internet of things (IoT) is currently a highly<br> researched topic, especially within the context of the smart home.<br> These are small sensors that are capable of gathering data and<br> transmitting it to a server. The majority of smart home products use<br> protocols such as ZigBee or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). As these<br> small sensors are increasing in number, the need to implement these<br> with much more capable and ubiquitous transmission technology is<br> necessary. The high power consumption is the reason that holds<br> these small sensors back from using other protocols such as the<br> most ubiquitous form of communication, WiFi. Comparing the power<br> consumption of existing transmission technologies to one with WiFi<br> inbuilt, would provide a better understanding for choosing between<br> these technologies. We have developed a small IoT device with WiFi<br> capability and proven that...
2018 International Conference on Smart Communications and Networking (SmartNets), 2018
Telecommunications are a crucial element of smart grid technologies. Utility communication system... more Telecommunications are a crucial element of smart grid technologies. Utility communication systems need to combine cost effectiveness with the need for high reliability. Due to its wide geographic coverage, satellite communication can be an appropriate alternative for power system automation in order to reach remote substations. This paper presents the experimental testing of Broadband Global Area Networks (BGAN) M2M technology between the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system running a primary front end processor (FEP) and the reclosers. Hardware test results for a number of different scenarios are discussed, compared and validated. The challenges for keeping the polls reliability at highest levels are also discussed.
The Internet of Things (IoT) approach to interconnected devices has become a significant topic in... more The Internet of Things (IoT) approach to interconnected devices has become a significant topic in recent years, and is likely to be a major influence on future networking standards, such as ongoing work on 5G. IoT introduces connectivity to a much wider range of devices than seen previously, which raises a number of challenges, both technical and ethical. This paper explores some of these challenges which IoT faces, as a result of the personal and confidential information which may be transmitted from body-worn sensors, and the inherent challenges of introducing connectivity to standalone devices, rather than to equipment operated by users.
The Radio Sector of the ITU (ITU-R) has been involved in two aspects of personal mobile communica... more The Radio Sector of the ITU (ITU-R) has been involved in two aspects of personal mobile communication systems, namely defining the standards and identifying frequency bands related to these systems under the label of the International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT). This paper has investigated the influence of IMT standardisation activities in the ITU-R on national spectrum management policies with regard to decisions related to technology neutrality and technology selection. This paper has shown the different views on the importance of being one of the IMT technologies on regulator decision on technology selection, and has also revealed the elements in the IMT process that encourage and discourage more neutrality approach in technology selection. Moreover, different views on the mutual influence between the IMT definitions and 3G and 4G market definitions are highlighted. Furthermore, this paper has demonstrated how that the IMT spectrum identification has different positive influe...
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Papers by James Irvine