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As a key participant in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Dr Perkins has been instrumental in developing key protocol standards that underpin modern telecommunications. The Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) acts as a transport layer distributing audio-visual data across the network, whilst the Session Description Protocol (SDP) describes the format and destination of streaming media. These standards are essential components of 3G and 4G mobile phone standards and form the infrastructure for many fixed telephone networks. They are implemented in Apple's Mac OS X and iOS, Google's Android, and Microsoft Windows, and feature in billions of devices around the world.
Lancaster University's pioneering research on Quality-of-Service (QoS) architecture has led to significant impact on the development of TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) — the digital radio standard used by emergency and public safety services globally. The route to impact was via UK projects on Mobile and Emergency Multimedia. It involved the transfer of QoS technology and know-how to HW Communications Ltd (HWC), a Lancaster-based SME. HWC became instrumental in developing the outcomes of our collaboration in TETRA's Multimedia Exchange Layer (MEX) standard and its specification for TETRA II (or TETRA Enhanced Data Services, TEDS) — a new version of TETRA that enables multimedia data services. MEX was adopted as a new clause in the TETRA II release in 2010. The impact is that vendors of TETRA equipment manufactured after 2010 can implement MEX in their products, thereby leveraging Lancaster's pioneering QoS research to enable applications to obtain the best possible level of service in a standardised way — which is absolutely crucial for the public-safety and related applications for which TETRA is being used.
The worldwide population of mobile TV subscribers had almost quadrupled from 75 million in 2008 to 271 million in 2011, and it is expected to reach 792.5 million by 2014 according to RNCOS report (an industry and consultancy firm) on Global Mobile TV Forecast to 2013. The recent roll-out of 4G in the UK strongly features its capacity to deliver real-time TV programmes and videos with high-definition image quality on their mobile devices. Brunel Wireless Networks and Communications Centre developed a global schema, DVB-CBMS (Digital Video Broadcast - Convergence of Broadcast and Mobile Service), subsequently adapted as OMA-BCAST (Open Mobile Alliance - Broadcasting Services Enabler Suite), which enables users to access mainstream TV channels at real time through various networks such as DVB-H in Europe, DVB-SH (satellite) in the USA and DVB-NGH in China.
OMA-BCAST has been successfully used in South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana since 2010: a digital satellite TV service provider, DStv Mobile, delivers mobile TV programmes to its 6.7 million subscribers in Africa. In Europe, 3 Italia offered DVB-H customers free access to six TV channels in 2008; 3 Austria had 90,000 subscribers to its DVB-H mobile TV service between 2008 and 2009. Major mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung and LG have launched special mobile TV editions (e.g. Nokia 5330, Samsung, Philips, Garmin, LG, Motorola, Sagem, ZTE, etc) using DVB-H technology and the convergence system.
Pioneering research at UCL Department of Computer Science (CS) into multimedia communications over the Internet led directly to the development of central techniques used in voice-over-IP (VoIP), videoconferencing, and instant messaging. Millions of people worldwide today use applications that incorporate these techniques. In particular, UCL CS created the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the Session Description Protocol (SDP), two Internet standards that comprise the primary way multimedia calls are established on the Internet. They are at the core of products made by Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Siemens, and Polycom, among many others, and are used in most 3G mobile telephone networks. Implementing the technology reduces costs for businesses, with Oracle, for example, realising $18 million in savings since 2010.
Mobile technologies and in particular mobile applications have become key drivers of the economy in many countries especially those that lack established communications infrastructures. Since 2003, the research team led by Professor Al-Begain has created both significant infrastructure and know-how that became the base for the creation of the £6.4million Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services (CEMAS) that is providing research and development to SMEs in Wales to increase their competitiveness. In the first three years since its inception 28 projects have been completed and 66 companies have received services.
The Tegola Project has undertaken basic research on deploying wireless networking in remote communities, focusing on problems distinct to the Scottish Highlands. The engineering of the Tegola research testbed has had a profound impact on community broadband in Scotland. As a direct result, some of Scotland's most remote communities are now enjoying superfast broadband for the first time. This, together with a novel analysis of broadband infrastructure that underpins the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Digital Scotland report, has substantially influenced government policy in Scotland and changed the focus of the debate across the UK and beyond.
Low-cost wireless solutions beyond the technologies available previously and developed at Loughborough University since 2005 are used by IDC, and Sure, who integrate these technologies in several products and services so generating impacts in terms of:
The technologies have been deployed in a logistics distribution centre (ToysRUs), an automotive manufacturing process (Toyota), and a safety and security system (Sure).
Essex research has investigated a range of switching techniques to enable efficient routing in optical networks. This research informed the development of the iVX8000 system, the world's first `carrier class' converged switch and transport solution, launched in May 2011 by the network equipment manufacturer Intune Networks Ltd. The development, launch and field implementation of the iVX8000 system have underpinned a period of sustained growth and success for Intune. The company has enhanced its position within the photonics transmission sector and attracted €15M of venture capital and collaborative research funding since 2011.
The impact described in this case study is the more efficient use of transport infrastructure through the application of our research into the use of wireless components and wireless communication devices. This gives passengers reduced travel times, better business performance for operators, and, for everyone, reduced pollution (including CO2) and a more pleasant urban environment as a result of reduced congestion. The impact has benefitted transport systems throughout Europe, including Nottingham and Coventry in the UK, Gouda in the Netherlands, Leuven in Belgium and Sofia in Bulgaria.
Pioneering research at Bangor on the advanced communications technology termed Optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OOFDM) has enabled industrial impact with global implications. OOFDM was a candidate technique for the ITU-T G989.1 NG-PON2 and the IEEE 802.3bm standards and is currently under consideration by the IEEE 802.3 400Gb/s Ethernet Study Group. Supported by 8 patent families and first-phase funding of £1.1M, in 2013, the pre-revenue Bangor University spin-off company Smarterlight Limited, was established. Smarterlight has deployed services to several international telecommunications companies to develop advanced solutions for access optical networks and data centres.