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Digital Communications is explored through the following:
Future Communications Systems
Connectivity and Coverage
With the advent of smarter devices and services, demand for wireless data increases exponentially. A key resource in this regard is wireless spectrum, which is scarce. Systems that are self-aware, self-optimizing and self-healing are on the horizon.
Spectrum scarcity will only be exacerbated by the spread of devices with online connections via the Internet of Things, not to mention future communications systems that will rely on aerial drones, in-car connections and underwater cables. Massive efforts are underway to address this issue.
New developments such as cognitive radio, for example, which can automatically channel communication through available spectrum, and so-called small cell networks, which use low-powered radio access nodes to increase capacity and coverage, are meant to ease spectrum scarcity.
Indoor coverage can also be provided by Wi-Fi networks, which work on unlicensed spectrum that is unrestricted and not allocated or approved by a regulator. However, these technologies are based on conventional, block structure-based communications systems - which provide stability, but also suffer from inherent limitations when it comes to fulfilling high-capacity requirements such as fast signal processing.
Machine learning, which uses artificial intelligence to help computers gather information on their own without programming, and deep learning, where computers learn algorithms in much the same way a human brain absorbs information, have become increasingly important for the industry.
According to a white paper published by the WEF in 2017, a communication network currently servicing 10 million endpoints and 10,000 nodes could see those numbers increase by up to five times by 2020 - which would be impossible for human beings to control and manage without the aid of machine-learning techniques.
Researchers are actively engaged in extending deep learning capabilities to communications infrastructure; they are generally attracted by the conceptual simplicity of systems that can learn to communicate over any type of channel, without the need for complex mathematical modelling and analysis.
So-called autonomous cognitive networks, which will be a reality soon, are self-aware, self-optimizing, and self-healing. However, there are related challenges. Although recently proposed deep learning-based algorithms show signs that they can achieve better performance, they lack solid theoretical analysis. While communication channels are now being generated by mathematical models during simulations, actual channel scenarios are far more complex and subject to change.
Electronic communications infrastructure can play a fundamental role in the fourth industrial revolution, by providing connectivity anywhere and anytime with uniform quality regardless of region or socio-economic status. Seamless connectivity among cellular networks, vehicles, satellites and drones could help erase the digital divide.
One related issue to consider is functionality in the event of natural disasters. While current, state-of-the-art disaster response networks are proprietary and ad hoc in nature, drone-based networks could be deployed quickly and efficiently.
An efficient infrastructure can, for example, address the issue of the digital divide, which separates those able to access computers and the internet and those who must do without. The number of global internet users rose to roughly 3.4 billion by 2016, from about 2 billion in 2010, according to the International Telecommunications Union; still, only about half of the households in the world had internet access as of 2017, according to the ITU.
That is despite the fact that over the past 60 years, both wireline and wireless networks have undergone radical evolution. A multitude of technologies have emerged in parallel, helping to connect the world via fibre broadband networks, undersea cables, cellular mobile networks, and satellites. More significantly, advances in chip design and ever-increasing computing power have made mobile devices extremely powerful. There were about 5 billion mobile phone subscribers in the world as of 2017, a figure expected to grow to nearly 5.9 billion by 2025, according to the trade group GSMA. The exponential growth of the cellular mobile market makes wireless connectivity increasingly affordable.
New, Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based networks have eliminated some standards issues, while delivering fast speeds for streaming media, and LTE is expected to be embraced across the world. Meanwhile emerging networks for vehicular communication play a critical role in intelligent transportation systems, and have stringent quality requirements compared with LTE networks; from conception to implementation, care should be taken to ensure that vehicular networks are compatible with LTE networks.
In sparsely populated, remote and underdeveloped regions, LTE in its current form may not be economically feasible for cellular operators. Users in these areas are currently served through satellite networks, which are inefficient. For maritime communication, however, these satellite networks are the only option. Unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, networks could provide a viable alternative; the relatively low cost of their development and deployment make them potentially attractive for operators.
Sustainable Communications Infrastructure
Technologies like blockchain and software-defined networking can cut both costs and energy use. The amount of electricity consumed by information and communications technology networks rose 31% between 2010 and 2015, while related operational carbon emissions rose 17%, according to a study published in 2018 by the Centre for Sustainable Communications at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
That trend is expected to continue unabated, as internet users, devices, and data rates increase, and networks expand. More energy-efficient infrastructure can directly result in a reduction in carbon emissions; this is a particularly pressing need as the world braces for the fourth industrial revolution, which is a result of a combination of emerging technologies related to digital communications, including cloud computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and drones. This mix of technologies may also lead to a related mix of standards - and to a resulting fragmentation of valuable resources and capacity.
Greater adaptability of infrastructure, in a world of diverse wireless standards, is essential; however, current, state-of-the-art communications networks, including emerging LongTerm Evolution (LTE) networks, are based on rigid, centralized architecture.
According to a white paper published by the WEF in 2017, these technologies are being used to replace traditional, hardware-based platforms, and increase efficiency while reducing both operating costs and energy consumption.
Blockchain-style distributed networking, where users are able to communicate through direct, peer-to-peer links, could improve service quality by reducing latency, and cut energy costs. Software-defined networking, which enables a network administrator to quickly manipulate traffic and services independent of hardware, and network functions virtualization, where things like intrusion detection can be done through software rather than having to rely on hardware, are being touted as the future of networks.
Renewable energy can be problematic due to the intermittent nature of the related energy supply. However, due to the evolution of advanced power storage technologies, sustainable power generation is expected to emerge as a reliable alternative to fossil-fuel-based power in the near future. Another way to cut energy consumption, and to increase environmental sustainability, is to replace telecom networks powered by the electricity grid and batteries.
When it comes to Internet of Things networks, for example, energy harvesting sensors can provide a sustainable alternative to battery-powered sensors. The digital communications industry should make efforts to optimize accordingly.
Sustainable Communications Infrastructure
The amount of electricity consumed by information and communications technology networks rose 31% between 2010 and 2015, while related operational carbon emissions rose 17%, according to a study published in 2018 by the Centre for Sustainable Communications at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Technologies like blockchain and software-defined networking can cut both costs and energy use.
That trend is expected to continue unabated, as internet users, devices, and data rates increase, and networks expand. More energy-efficient infrastructure can directly result in a reduction in carbon emissions; this is a particularly pressing need as the world braces for the fourth industrial revolution, which is a result of a combination of emerging technologies related to digital communications, including cloud computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and drones.
This mix of technologies may also lead to a related mix of standards - and to a resulting fragmentation of valuable resources and capacity. Greater adaptability of infrastructure, in a world of diverse wireless standards, is essential; however, current, state-of-the-art communications networks, including emerging Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks, are based on rigid, centralized architecture.
Blockchain-style distributed networking, where users are able to communicate through direct, peer-to-peer links, could improve service quality by reducing latency, and cut energy costs. Software-defined networking, which enables a network administrator to quickly manipulate traffic and services independent of hardware, and network functions virtualization, where things like intrusion detection can be done through software rather than having to rely on hardware, are being touted as the future of networks.
According to a white paper published by the World Economic Forum in 2017, these technologies are being used to replace traditional, hardware-based platforms, and increase efficiency while reducing both operating costs and energy consumption.
When it comes to Internet of Things networks, for example, energy harvesting sensors can provide a sustainable alternative to battery-powered sensors. The digital communications industry should make efforts to optimize accordingly.
Another way to cut energy consumption, and to increase environmental sustainability, is to replace telecom networks powered by the electricity grid and batteries. Renewable energy can be problematic due to the intermittent nature of the related energy supply. However, due to the evolution of advanced power storage technologies, sustainable power generation is expected to emerge as a reliable alternative to fossil-fuel-based power in the near future.
An Expanding Internet of Things
Secure Data Transmission
Waves of connected devices are blurring the boundary between the physical and digital worlds. The Internet of Things facilitates a flow of information between smart devices, cars, and home appliances; an estimated 8.4 billion physical objects were actively connected via the technology in 2017, according to the research firm Gartner, or an increase of nearly a third compared with the prior year.
The impact this has on peoples’ daily lives is considerable. One can now cut travel time by making better decisions and taking an optimal route with less traffic, for example, while remote health monitoring for elderly patients is now more feasible. The spread of connected devices, and increased social media use and general online activity, have paved the way for new marketing techniques and customization, and play vital roles in new wealth creation. However, an increasing number of connected devices may make it difficult for wireless service providers to guarantee quality; one way to reduce cost and latency for the Internet of Things might be to deploy decentralizing blockchain technology.
The advancement of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence has triggered a major shift in the interaction between machines and humans. Intelligent human-machine interfaces could be deployed among connected devices, as could virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, in order to enhance efficiency.
The potential for blending these technologies is tremendous; examples of related application areas include real estate (where property could be “visited” by someone virtually), architecture (where someone could tour a building before its construction), and healthcare (enabling the remote monitoring of patients).
According to a report published by the trade group GSMA in 2017, about 30% of smartphone owners in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India had never used the internet on their phones due to a lack of digital literacy; Internet of Things-based human-machine interfaces could help overcome such challenges, by enabling the use of simple human gestures to access digital services.
There are challenges that need to be addressed before mass adoption is possible. The cost of devices needs to become cheaper, for example, and data privacy and protection must be addressed. Human-machine interface technology could also be hampered by the bulky size, price, and compatibility of virtual reality and artificial reality devices. Still, there are exciting possibilities.
Increased computing power may make digital communication more vulnerable to hacking. Next-generation digital networks are expected to make broadband connectivity a reality anywhere, anytime.
Every facet of our lives is going to be digitalized and networked, as governments around the world push initiatives involving self-driving vehicles, environmental monitoring and online payments. This will increase the exchange of sensitive data across networks, and the networking of critical assets. The key to the success of these initiatives is therefore the protection of data integrity, and of data privacy.
Since the World War II, increasingly robust and diverse cryptographic techniques, used to essentially write sensitive information in code, have been deployed to keep the data on networks secure. State-of-the-art cryptographic techniques are based on the exchange of widely available public keys, and undisclosed private keys, both of which function like passwords and are related through complex mathematical expressions.
Due to ever-increasing computing power, however, these keys may become vulnerable to so-called brute-force attacks, which involve testing all the possible combinations of characters in a key through extensive trial and error, in order to decrypt information.
Emerging cryptographic techniques like quantum cryptography, which relies on physics rather than math in order to encode information using elements such as light particles, deserve attention; the first quantum transaction, in 2004, used entangled photons to transfer money into a bank account. Blockchain is another networking paradigm gaining traction, as a distributed, cryptography-based service enabler.
Traditionally, a dedicated security layer within a network’s protocol stack, or the software that sets the rules for a network’s interconnectivity, is used to provide secrecy - while the physical layer of networking equipment is limited to tasks related to signal processing and transmission. However, it has recently been discovered that the physical layer can also be used to potentially provide security.
Policy-makers and system architects must take these new paradigms into account, when conceiving the next generation of communications infrastructure. In addition, communities focused on open-source software, developers, industry groups must seek to ensure that proposed solutions are affordable, and can be widely adopted. Privacy is not necessarily guaranteed through blockchain, but the integrity of data can be ensured using the technology, which can also reduce transaction costs - and is expected to be adopted for a wide variety of applications in the near future.
An Expanding Internet of Things
Waves of connected devices are blurring the boundary between the physical and digital worlds. The Internet of Things facilitates a flow of information between smart devices, cars, and home appliances; an estimated 8.4 billion physical objects were actively connected via the technology in 2017, according to the research firm Gartner, or an increase of nearly a third compared with the prior year.
The impact this has on peoples’ daily lives is considerable. One can now cut travel time by making better decisions and taking an optimal route with less traffic, for example, while remote health monitoring for elderly patients is now more feasible.
The advancement of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence has triggered a major shift in the interaction between machines and humans. Intelligent human-machine interfaces could be deployed among connected devices, as could virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, in order to enhance efficiency.
The spread of connected devices, and increased social media use and general online activity, have paved the way for new marketing techniques and customization, and play vital roles in new wealth creation. However, an increasing number of connected devices may make it difficult for wireless service providers to guarantee quality; one way to reduce cost and latency for the Internet of Things might be to deploy decentralizing blockchain technology.
The potential for blending these technologies is tremendous; examples of related application areas include real estate (where property could be “visited” by someone virtually), architecture (where someone could tour a building before its construction), and healthcare (enabling the remote monitoring of patients). However, there are challenges that need to be addressed before mass adoption is possible.
According to a report published by the trade group GSMA in 2017, about 30% of smartphone owners in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India had never used the internet on their phones due to a lack of digital literacy; Internet of Things-based human-machine interfaces could help overcome such challenges, by enabling the use of simple human gestures to access digital services.
The cost of devices needs to become cheaper, for example, and data privacy and protection must be addressed. Human-machine interface technology could also be hampered by the bulky size, price, and compatibility of virtual reality and artificial reality devices. Still, there are exciting possibilities.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
The digital communications industry is facilitating unprecedented levels of global internet use, online social interaction, and financial inclusion. As the industry is transformed, effective policy and regulation that support businesses could boost productivity.
At the same time, the industry must be open to new models of collaboration and governance, in order to better address challenges like data privacy and growing demands on infrastructure.
Digitalization will likely have profound effects on societies and economies and is expected to be an essential precondition for six major transformations needed to reach the SDG targets by 2030: improved human capital; responsible consumption and production; a decarbonized energy system; healthy, affordable food and clean water; sustainable cities and communities; and a digital government.