Telcordia, Toshiba demonstrate Internet-style mobile functionality

While admitting that standards and interoperability issues must be overcome, Telcordia Technologies and Toshiba America Research delivered a proof-of-concept demonstration of a mobile Internet core for members of the Mobile Wireless Internet Forum [MWIF] in Telcordia’s Morristown, N.J. headquarters yesterday to support the notion that IP will be an integral part of future mobile wireless networks.

The companies’ combined effort, called Internet Technologies Supporting Universal Mobile Operations [ITSUMO], was a four-prong demonstration to show the capabilities of a “pervasive wireless mobile Internet,” said David Famolari, a Telcordia research scientist.

This included a customized traffic information system that delivers personal traffic information alerts via HTML to computer, PDA and handheld screens and an audio alert translation for cellular, IP and standard phones. Using session initiation protocol [SIP] provided a flexible service delivery, said Famolari.

A second demonstration showed secure wireless Internet roaming as a user carried a portable laptop from one serving area to another, without losing connectivity.

The third demo showed multiple radio interfaces within a wireless LAN working interchangeably with 3G mobile within a confined space, based on connectivity strength.

“Users and service providers are going to want to embrace this choice,” said Famolari. Because the signal is loaded onto a network based on the strength of the connection, this option “can benefit the provider in terms of load balance,” he added.

The fourth part of the demonstration showed a plug-and-play system that automatically determines the requirements for roaming Internet connectivity and downloads the appropriate software to activate the service.

Famolari emphasized that the work was a proof-of-concept and that neither Telcordia nor Toshiba was wedded to a particular delivery mechanism or middleware.

“IP is fundamental,” he said. “We make use of open and standard protocols.”