Recent mobility strategy
developments in HEAnet
Mike Norris
9th November 2011
Agenda
• HEAnet background, fixed network
• Mobility Strategy v1
• Intervening changes
• Mobility Strategy v2
• Highlights
• Roles of NREN
Fibre network April 2008 (~2300km)
Galway Access Ring
NUIG Northern
Computer Room, CoLo, Monlvea Road
IDA Dangan
NUIG ASSC Computer
Room 139 GMIT Comms Room
GMIT Comms Room 924
Open Learning Centre
NUIG M Ryan Institute
CAO
UCHG Clinical
Science Institute
Network Trends, since 1991
Status of Fixed Networks
• Dark Fibre
• Bluenet, Rednet, Greennet...
• IP, p2p
• IPv4, IPv6
• Campus LANs
– Multiple devices per person
E-Learning in HEAnet
• VLEs
• Mobility
• Student as a content provider
• Context and location dependency
• Apps for everything (including project outputs)
Wireless/Mobility Strategy
Mobility Strategy v1 (2008)
• NREN support for Education & Research
• Ubiquitous service
• eduroam deployment
• 3G service
- below market price
- pre-pay and contract
• No to WiFi off campus
• WiMax trials
• Engage with regulator
eduroam service
• Available in:
6 out of 8 universities
7 out of 13 institutes of technology
2 out of 4 other third-level institutions
3 other client institutions
• See http://www.eduroam.ie
• See also http://www.edugate.ie
as eduroam and Federation are loosely coupled
Mobile broadband growth
5 000
4 500
4 000 Mobile PC
Subscriptions (million)
3 500 & Tablets
3 000
2 500
2 000
1 500
1 000 Handheld
500 devices
0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Mobile broadband growth
• Ericsson predict:
- the mobile traffic growth will be 60% CAGR in
the next five years
- number of smartphones to increase 5-fold…
- … and generated traffic 8-fold
- number of tablets to increase 10-fold…
- … and generated traffic 40-fold
Technology Trends
Short Medium Long
3G
MVNO/APN Partnering 5G ?
Nationwide MVNO/APN Partnering
LTE
WiFi
Near Campus WiMax Partnering
Partnering
WiFi
On Campus
WiFi
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Mobility Strategy v2 (2011)
• 3G service
- added value
- range of devices
- framework agreement
- pre-pay and contract
• WiFi + eduroam off campus
• 5 x provide, 3 x advise, 1 x (facilitate, ensure,
develop, promote, evolve, drive)
• Engage with regulator
HEAnet strategy directives
Drive, 1
Evolve,
Promote, 1 1
Provide, 5
Develop, 1
Ensure, 1
Advise, 3
Facilitate, 1
Mobility update, Nov 2011
• Mobile broadband service
- new contract began in September 2011
- around 3000 subscribers at end of October
- over 92% go for 1-year contract
- range of devices, dongle most popular (92%)
- steady uptake from all clients
- popular with students and staff
- collaboration on federation
• Extracts from other strands of strategy
- off-campus WiFi/eduroam being explored
Extracts from other strands of
strategy
• Build up capability, provide centre of excellence
• Promote e-learning, options to support
• Continue to engage with regulator
Possible projects, with O2 and others (1)
• Federated access in O2 website
• Trial of eduroam off-campus
• Mobile application development
• APN for specific user group or purposes
• 3G and WiFi integration
• Fixed to mobile connection, SIP trunk
Possible projects, with O2 and others (2)
• Cloud service e.g. unified communications
• E-learning projects
• LTE trial
• Knowledge transfer
• IPv6 rollout in APN
Roles of NREN
• Broker
• Advocate
• Technical Advisor
• Provider
• Other ...
GÉANT 2020
“GÉANT 2020 needs to be much more active in
the wireless domain and the NRENS may even
wish to consider delivering such services
themselves.”
Report of the GÉANT Expert Group
October 2011
Spectrum for education & research
• In the USA, the FCC has the Educational
Broadband Service
• In Ireland, the Communications Regulator
acknowledges the case for spectrum reserved
for education purposes