Ubiquitous Communication
Introduction
Seamless exchange of information across devices and
environments.
Users or devices can communicate and access data from
anywhere, enhancing flexibility using continuous connectivity.
It has wide range of interactions, including messaging, voice calls,
data streaming, remote access to services, and more.
Ubiquitous communication relies on availability of communication
networks, such as the internet, wireless networks, and cellular
networks.
Technologies such as cloud computing, wireless communication
protocols, and IoT platforms play a crucial role in enabling
ubiquitous communication.
Challenges : security, privacy, interoperability, and network
Audio Networks
PSTN Voice Networks
PSTN(Public Switched Telephone Network) networks are
designed for voice communication like phone calls.
Evolution: Initially, PSTN used analog technology where voice
signals were transmitted over copper wires.
Workplace Setup: Separate networks for voice and data.
Edge Connectivity: Local loops connecting homes and businesses
remain analog in most areas.
Access Devices: Telephones serve as access points to the PSTN,
often connected to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) at work.
Quality of Service (QoS): Maintains higher QoS but with
non-optimal channel usage, as no data is transferred during pauses
in voice calls.
Global Interoperability: PSTN networks support global standards,
Intelligent Networks and IP Multimedia Subsystems
(IMS)
Traditional Networks: Early digital telecommunication networks were
rigid and tailored to specific services. New features or services required
direct implementation in core switch systems, leading to long introduction
times.
(call waiting)
Intelligent Networks (IN) allow Telcos to offer customized voice services.
Ex:- Toll-free numbers, When you call a toll-free number, the call is routed
through the telecommunications network to the destination without the
caller incurring any charges.
IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) :- Initially developed for 3G wireless
networks, IMS now supports WLAN and fixed network environments.
Users access IMS using IP, enabling various communication services such
as voice/video sessions, multimedia conferences, messaging, and presence.
ADLS Broadband
ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) technology enables
high-speed data transmission over existing copper-wire telephone lines.
Telephone signals only use a small portion of the available bandwidth on
copper-wire lines (around 3 kHz). So ADSL utilizes unused bandwidth on
telephone lines for simultaneous voice and data transmission.
It uses techniques like Digital Signal Processing(DSP) to modulate digital data
onto the unused frequency spectrum allowing for simultaneous transmission of
voice and data signals over the same line.
Key Components:
1. Splitters: Separate telephone signals from ADSL data signals at exchange
and customer premises.
2. Digital Signal Processing (DSP): Modulates digital data for transmission over
copper-wire lines.
Example: landline telephone to access high-speed internet services.
Wireless Telecoms Networks
Established to provide access anywhere for mobile or cell phone
users, wireless telecoms networks vary by region and generation
(G).
Generations of Networks:
a) 1G: Analog networks.
b) 2G: Digital networks, including GSM (prevalent in Europe, Asia,
Africa, and Australia) and CDMA (mainly used in North America).
Network Infrastructure:
• Wireless transmitters or base stations strategically positioned to
form overlapping cells.
• Seamless handover between cells enables uninterrupted
communication during movement.
Wireless Telecoms Networks…(cont)
DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications):
• Utilized for wireless voice communication within a local area.
• Operates at frequencies between 1.88–1.9 GHz and 2.4 GHz
ISM frequency band.
• Supports data exchange via DECT Packet Radio Service (DPRS)
DECT vs. Bluetooth:
• DECT commonly used for LAN cordless household telephones.
• Bluetooth prevalent in WAN mobile phones, games consoles,
etc. due to its versatility. Bluetooth operates in 2.4 GHz
frequency band.
Example: Imagine using your smartphone to make a call while walking
through a city. As you move between cellular regions, the network seamlessly
transitions your call between base stations, ensuring uninterrupted
Audio Broadcast Networks
Radio supports listening to music and voice during various activities,
such as driving, without requiring visual attention.
Radio receivers are designed to receive a wide spectrum of RF
broadcasts on multiple channels.
Digital radio, like the Eureka 147 Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB)
standard, replaces analogue radio.
DAB:-
• The transition to digital radio offers enhanced audio quality
and improved reception of signals.
• Efficient spectrum utilization and tuning by station name rather
than frequency are key objectives.
Example:- Imagine driving your car and seamlessly switching
between radio stations using the station names instead of frequencies
Data Networks
Introduction
Data networks are the used for the exchange of digital information
between devices across the globe.
They facilitate the transmission of data packets through various
interconnected nodes, allowing for seamless communication
between users, applications, and systems.
Computers connected via intermediate nodes.
Shift from analogue to digital communication to prevent signal
degradation across multi-node networks.
Packetization of Data:-
Large data split into fixed-size data packets for efficient transmission
Network Protocol Suites
Fixed Data Packet Size: Protocols set a specific size for data
packets, making it easier to handle and transmit them efficiently.
Data Segmentation: Large messages are broken down into smaller
packets for smoother transmission, called data segmentation.
Control Packets: Additional packets, like synchronization and
acknowledgment packets, help manage and coordinate data transfer.
Addressing: Each packet is tagged with the recipient's address,
allowing it to be routed to the correct destination.
Multiplexing: Multiple packets from different messages can share the
same network space, maximizing resource usage.
Encapsulation: Protocols can layer different types of packets, hiding
lower-level complexities and adding functionality for better
communication.
Addressing
Network Addresses: Devices on a network need unique addresses to
communicate. These addresses are allocated within logical ranges
called subnets.
Two Parts: Network addresses consist of two parts: the network
address and the host computer address.
IPv4: The current standard, IPv4, supports 32-bit addresses, which
can accommodate about 4.3 billion unique addresses. However, this is
becoming insufficient due to the growing number of connected
devices.
IPv6: IPv6 supports 128-bit addresses, offering a vast number of
unique addresses (around 10^28 per person).
Address Exhaustion: There is concern that the pool of available IPv4
addresses will be exhausted soon due to the rapid increase in
connected devices. IPv6 adoption is seen as a solution to this
Routing and Internetworking
Multiple paths may exist between sender and receiver nodes on
different networks, forming an Internet.
Data is often split into packets and transmitted along various routes,
known as data routing.
Routers examine packet addresses and use routing tables to
determine the next network for forwarding.
Packets transmitted along multiple routes may arrive out of order or
get lost, requiring reassembly at the destination.
Packet Switched Data Networks (PSDN):-
• Data networks use unreliable protocols like IP for packet
transmission, where packets may be lost or arrive out of order.
• To ensure reliable delivery, protocols like TCP are used at the
transport layer, providing sequencing, acknowledgment, and error
correction.
• TCP adjusts transmission rates to avoid overwhelming receivers or
network congestion.
• UDP(User Datagram Protocol) is another transport protocol used for
multicast communication, lacking the complexity of TCP but also its
reliability features.
Multimedia Streaming:
▪ Media streaming involves continuously delivering content to
users in real-time.
▪ Unreliable protocols like UDP are used for media streaming,
where packets may be lost or corrupted.
▪ Protocols like RTSP, RTP, and RTCP are specifically designed
for real-time media streaming over networks, built on top of
UDP.
▪ TCP can also be used for more reliable media streaming but
adds complexity due to timeouts and retransmission, potentially
