OMEGA - a converged ultra-broadband home network

Abstract

Future Internet services running over new high-speed optical access networks and the rapidly growing number of devices exchanging media content in the home require ultrahigh rate, reliable home area networks. Such home area networks play a key role in realising upcoming and novel broadband Internet and multimedia services. Extending access into the home and to individual devices is the only way to ensure the success of these new business opportunities. The OMEGA project set a global standard for ultra-broadband home area networks with gigabit throughput via heterogeneous communication technologies, including powerline and wireless communication. Due to the trade-off between data rate and coverage range inherent to wireless systems, only a mixture of different wireless technologies trimmed to the different classes of applications can fulfil all the requirements to the desired extent. The presentation gives an overview on the considered radio technologies and their integration into a converged heterogeneous radio network, which meets the customer's demands with respect to quality of service, reliability, throughput, ubiquity, and self-configuration. Furthermore, the key concepts realising the challenging project goals was explained. This includes the description of the envisioned mechanisms at PHY and MAC layer as well as cross-layer and transceiver implementation approaches to achieve coexistence on system and hardware level. (22 pages)