International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector Research Articles

A Comprehensive Review on Smart Grid Ecosystem

A smart grid is an intervention technology for the massive energy demand of the world today. It combines cyber-physical technologies, information communication technology, and electrical power networks from the generating company stations to the end-users while ensuring bidirectional communication among the actors. The smart grid is a complex growing technology that is yet to reach its maturity state. This paper seeks to examine the literature on the state of the art of smart grid technology both from the industry perspective and from academia. To this end, a literature review with a qualitative deductive approach built on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guideline and the simplified International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) five-domain model were used as a guide to this research. Furthermore, the paper reviewed Smart Grid data centre topologies and identified prospects in spine-leaf architecture as a promising architecture that can be adapted in a smart grid ecosystem data centre design. The literature was searched from the databases: IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Springer Link Digital Library, and Google Scholar, IET Digital Library, Frontiers Library, ACM Digital Library repositories resulting in 151 papers after several exclusions. The work reviewed relevant literatures published from 2002 to 2021 and grouped the reviewed papers according to the key domains of the NIST/ITU-T model. Based on the evaluated literature, the need for more built-in predictive learning curves in smart grid systems and robust Smart grid architecture with enhanced data centre design for Smart grid systems is observed and recommended Keywords: Smart Grid, Smart Metre, Data Centre Computing, Distributed Energy, Protocols

Performance Evaluation of UDSM Network to Deliver Multimedia eLearning Contents: Case of CoICT

The use of technology in education in Sub-Saharan Africa has been reported to be hindered by many factors including inadequate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, low internet speed, and lack of skills to use educational technologies. This paper aim at evaluating how the available ICT infrastructure at the College of Information and Communication Technologies (CoICT) can support, with acceptable Quality of Service (QoS), the delivery of multimedia applications for eLearning services. The evaluation was performed over a network testbed implemented in a computer laboratory for wired and wireless connections. The testbed consisted of five personal computers (PCs) connected via a switch and a router to the internet for the wired connection. The wireless connection consisted of three PCs and a laptop connected through a switch and a router to the internet via a wireless access point. Four different multimedia applications were run through the PCs, and traffic data was mirrored and captured at one of the PC using Wireshark network analyzer. The traffic included streamed and conversational video and audio using YouTube and Zoom applications, respectively; interactive web browsing using web browsers; bulk file transfer, and a mixture of all applications running on the computers. Traffic data captured during the running of these applications were packet loss, delay, jitter, and throughput. The QoS performance parameters obtained were within the acceptable threshold values as per International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) values. Results revealed that ICT infrastructure at CoICT can support delivery of multimedia content for eLearning purposes for both wired and wireless connections. Having the infrastructure capable of supporting multimedia applications with the acceptable QoS implies that instructors are equipped with a conducive environment that supports multimedia application. Hence, they are expected to use and continue using educational technologies to facilitate teaching and learning processes.

Asymmetric 160/80 Gb/s TWDM PON with supported transmission method utilizing FBG and DML

Abstract The primary objective of time wavelength-division multiplexing passive optical networks (TWDM-PONs) development at the moment is the cost-effective capacity acquisition. This work addresses this issue by demonstrating a full-system TWDM-PON was selected as a primary choice to NG-PON2 by Full-service access network (FASN) unanimously agreed and International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) G.989. An asymmetric TWDM NG-PON2 was demonstrated that provides 160 Gbps downstream and 80 Gbps upstream which is the target capacity by ITU-T G.989.1 based on OptiSystem-7 software. We propose to use fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and Er-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) to reduced both of the chromatic dispersion effect and system attenuation until given permission to enhance the distance communication system. The proposed system’s performance is evaluated and compared with other works and ITU-T G.989.2 recommendations to demonstrate how the system can be enhanced in terms of capacity, link distance, bit error rate (BER), Q-factor and receiver sensitivity. According to the results, the optimum possible distance under communication requirements (6 for the Q-factor and 10−9 for the BER) is around 65 km for the system with dispersion compensation. With the help of the low-cost directly modulated laser (DML) for uplink, we successfully improve the power budget to 41.2 dB along 65 km of bidirectional fiber at a 1:512 splitting ratio.

Weakly Coupled Multicore Fiber Technology, Deployment, and Systems

Space-division multiplexing (SDM) technology is a promising candidate to achieve massive parallelism in optical fiber cables and overcome the capacity limitation of the conventional single-mode fiber (SMF). Among the several kinds of SDM fiber, a weakly coupled multicore fiber (MCF) is advantageous in that it can be easily upgraded for use in existing equipment and requires no complex signal processing for optical multi-input multi-output (MIMO). In this article, we discuss the progress and standardization activity of MCF technologies from the viewpoint of accelerating the practical application of SDM technology. We first describe the possible application areas of SDM fibers and then show the recent progress of the essential technologies to construct the MCF link: the MCF itself, its splicing and connectorization, and the input/output techniques. We also discuss the availability and deployability of MCF as a large-capacity transmission medium and detail the progress on establishing a new international standard for SDM technology, which includes both historical progress and more recent endeavors on the standardization of optical fiber cables and SDM technology in International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). We close with a summary of MCF technology and its standardization activity with an eye to next-generation transmission systems and the long-term development of ultralarge capacity SDM transmission technology.

The Art of 6G (TAO 6G): how to wire Society 5.0 [Invited

The opening Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition 2021 plenary talk on how technologies and applications drive the evolution of networking concluded by presenting the equation Networking = Art + Science + Engineering. Due to their growing complexity, modern networks may be better viewed as techno-social systems that resemble biological superorganisms. In this paper, we expand on the aforementioned equation in the context of future 6G mobile networks, putting a focus on its first part, the Art of 6G (TAO 6G). To set the stage, we first elaborate on the 6G vision from an optical fiber fixed networks perspective, taking into account the respective viewpoints of the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector and the FTTH Council Europe as well as the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s recently launched fifth-generation fixed network initiative of bringing fiber to everywhere and everything, which is supposed to be the foundation of the new digital age and is a prerequisite for the digital transformation of the whole society. Towards this end, we present our ideas on what the digital society of the future will or potentially could look like. After briefly reviewing our work on tactile immersive use cases of so-called cyber-physical-social systems (CPSS), we inquire into the emerging human-centric Industry 5.0 and its mutually beneficial underlying principles of digitalization and, more interestingly, biologization. Specifically, we borrow ideas from biological superorganisms with brain-like cognitive capabilities found in natural societies for a stigmergy-enhanced Society 5.0, using tokenized digital twins for advancing collective intelligence in CPSS via indirect communication. Finally, we present our CPSS-based bottom-up token engineering framework designed for Society 5.0.

Guest Editorial Introduction to the Special Section on the VVC Standard

In this Special Section of the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, it is our honor to introduce the Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard, the latest of the historic partnership collaborations between the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the field of video coding standardization.

AI-Empowered Software-Defined WLANs

The complexity of wireless and mobile networks is growing at an unprecedented pace. This trend is proving current network control and management techniques based on analytical models and simulations to be impractical, especially if combined with the data deluge expected from future applications such as augmented reality. This is particularly true for software-defined wireless local area networks (SO-WLANs). It is our belief that to battle this growing complexity, future SO-WLANs must follow an artificial intelligence (AI) -native approach. In this article, we introduce aiOS, which is an AI-based platform that builds toward the autonomous management of SD-WLANs. Our proposal is aligned with the most recent trends in in-network AI promoted by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) and with the architecture for disaggregated radio access networks promoted by the Open Radio Access Network Alliance. We validate aiOS in a practical use case, namely frame size optimization in SD-WLANs, and we consider the long-term evolution, challenges, and scenarios for AI-assisted network automation in the wireless and mobile networking domain.

Chirped-apodized Thue-Morse quasiperiodic structures for multichannel optical dispersion compensation

Nowadays, optical data transmission systems are significantly involved in telecommunication networks. Particularly, hundreds of data channels can be sent concurrently over a single optical fiber through dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and optical time division multiplexing technologies. Nevertheless, dispersion imposes main limitations for having high capacity systems with high transmission rates. This paper suggests a new dispersion compensating scheme by introducing one-dimensional chirped and apodized Thue-Morse quasiperiodic structures. Numerical investigations of the dispersion features of the proposed structure is presented. According to the acquired relatively smooth and negative slope group delay (GD) along with corresponding negative constant group velocity dispersion (GVD) of the reflection bands, it would be possible to apply the suggested structure in an efficient way in DWDM applications for multiband dispersion compensation in optical communication systems. The designed multilayer structure with short physical length and ultrahigh negative dispersion coefficient and with the free spectral range (FSR) of about 0.8 nm meets the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T) Sector requirements. Besides, the impact of main structural design parameters on the spectral features of the suggested system are presented in this paper.

An Overview of the MPEG-5 Essential Video Coding Standard [Standards in a Nutshell

Since the 1970s, various image and video coding techniques have been explored, and some of them have been included in the video coding standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Motion Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) and International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG). MPEG is the most successful standards development organization (SDO) for multimedia compression standardization. In particular, most of the widely deployed video coding standards of the past 30 years have been developed within this working group. One of the first, standardized in 1996, was the MPEG-2 standard [1], which is still in use as a digital TV standard in many countries.

PROTOCOL STRUCTURE ANALYSIS AND STANDARDIZATION

Internet protocol (IP) then optical networking applied sciences are frequently based of Generalized Multiprotocol slip Switching (GMPLS), Path Computation Element (PCE), then layer-1 virtual private network (L1VPN) enable unified control and management of future backbone network layers that will be able to cope with unexpected situations such as drastic changes in demand and multiple failures effectively and quickly according to an operator's policy and that will let us create new network services. This article describes the latest standardization of IP and optical networking technologies in IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) and ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Standardization Sector).

Assessment of Call Voice Quality of GSM Network Operators in 5 Cities in Kwara State

This paper evaluates voice quality of four Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communication providers in five selected cities in Kwara State with thoughtfulness of network performance evaluation and the quality of service (QoS) improvement of GSM network system. Three assessment components/parameters which are network accessibility, service retainability and connection quality for evaluating QoS on the network were mainly adopted. The parameters were applied on four GSM networks in the studied areas using customers’ complaints method. Also, a standard method known as Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ) — (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector) ITU-T standard P.862, used for measuring call voice quality and Mean Opinion Score (MOS) is adopted. The two methods were therefore compared to assess call voice quality of the four GSM networks. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on which the GSM networks were tested include call set-up success rates (CSSR), call drop rate (CDR), call completion success rates (CCSR), handover success rates (HSR) and traffic channel congestion rate (TCHR). The result of the study shows that the Quality of Service of GSM system in the selected cities is unreliable. The study also shows that the GSM network accessibility and retainability in the country are unsatisfactory. However, the call voice quality was observed to be on the peak in these cities across the four network providers. At the end of this manuscript, suggestions are given on how to advance both the Quality of Service and the positive impact of GSM network in the selected areas and the country as a whole.

Development of Movable and Deployable ICT Resource Unit (MDRU) and its Overseas Activities

Based on the lessons learned from the East Japan Great Earthquake of March 11, 2011, the authors have been engaged in the research and development of movable and deployable information and communication technology (ICT) resource units (MDRUs), which provide immediate and minimally required ICT service in areas struck by disaster. The MDRU is a transportable unit that contains equipment necessary for ICT service provisions and is designed to be quickly transported to and set up in affected areas after a natural disaster has struck. The unit is used to quickly construct a wireless local network in the area, and thus provide immediate and minimally required ICT service to the people in the area. In this paper, we describe MDRU technology and other technologies that lead to improved performance and/or service when connected or linked up with the unit. Along with this development, we have conducted various activities aimed at its international deployment. Specifically, we conducted trials with resident participation in the Philippines and Nepal to verify the validity of these technologies overseas, where we were able to confirm its validity under various conditions. Furthermore, we have undertaken activities for its standardization, and have succeeded in the standardization of MDRU at International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T).

Information-Centric Networking: Research and Standardization Status

Information-centric networking (ICN) is a new approach to networking contents rather than devices that hold the contents. It has recently attracted much attention of network research and standardization communities. National and multi-national funded research projects have progressed worldwide. International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) started ICN standardization activities in 2012. In parallel, the standards-oriented research cooperation is progressing in the Information-Centric Networking Research Group (ICNRG) of the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF). All these global efforts have been collectively advancing the novel network architecture of ICN. However, there are very few surveys and discussions on the detailed ICN standardization status. To update the reader with information about the ICN research and standardization related activities, this paper starts with the history of global activities on ICN from 2010, giving references to various projects. It then describes the recent progress in the standardization of ICN component technologies in ITU-T and various documents produced by ICNRG. Lastly, it discusses the future directions for progressing ICN.

Access and home networking technology standards

This IEEE Communication Standards Series addresses industry standards and the technologies used for the portion of the communications network nearest to the customer. This includes home networking technology used by a multitude of networked devices within the home or business to communicate with each other (local area networking) and to communicate with the public network (wide area networking). This Series also addresses the access technologies providing communications between the customer premises and the nearest traffic aggregation node of the public network, such as a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) or optical line terminal (OLT). This Series focuses on the industry standards for access and home networking including standards development organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), IEEE, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), industry organizations such as the Broadband Forum, Cable- Labs, Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), TeleManagement Forum (TMF), and open source entities such as Open Compute Project (OCP) and Open Platform for NFV (OPNFV). Article submissions related to the work of these and other relevant industry standards bodies are invited for future issues of IEEE Communications Standards. The article in this issue is written by experts working on fixed broadband access technologies and participating in several SDOs as well as cooperative projects. From a customer point of view, not only is downstream data rate important but also upstream.

Access and home networking technology standards

This IEEE Communication Standards Series addresses industry standards and the technologies used for the portion of the communications network nearest to the customer. This includes home networking technology used by a multitude of networked devices within the home or business to communicate with each other (local area networking) and to communicate with the public network (wide area networking). This Series also addresses the access technologies providing communications between the customer premises and the nearest traffic aggregation node of the public network, such as a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) or optical line terminal (OLT). This Series focuses on the industry standards for access and home networking including standards development organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), IEEE, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), industry organizations such as the Broadband Forum, Cable- Labs, Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), TeleManagement Forum (TMF), and open source entities such as Open Compute Project (OCP) and Open Platform for NFV (OPNFV). Article submissions related to the work of these and other relevant industry standards bodies are invited for future issues of IEEE Communications Standards. The article in this issue is written by experts working on fixed broadband access technologies and participating in several SDOs as well as cooperative projects. From a customer point of view, not only is downstream data rate important but also upstream.

Real-Time Programmable DSPs for Video Processing: The Challenges of Their Development

Video signals can be processed by homogeneous multiple digital signal processors (DSPs) using the overlap-save method. The target application of the video signal processor (VSP) was video phones and video conferencing, along with the development of International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Recommendation H.261, video transmission over ISDN lines on which data rates are multiples of 64 kb/s. A commercial H.261 codec was developed based on the proposed VSP architecture, and the extension to high-definition TV (HDTV) signal processing had also been achieved and demonstrated. This article describes the challenge of real-time programmable VSP development during the 1980s.

QoE rating performance evaluation of ITU-T recommended video quality metrics in the context of video freezes

In real-time video streaming, video quality can be degraded due to network performance issues. Among other artefacts, video freezing and video jumping are factors that influence user experience. Service providers, operators and manufacturers are interested in evaluating the quality of experience (QoE) objectively because subjective assessment of QoE is expensive and, in many user cases, subjective assessment is not possible to perform. Different algorithms have been proposed and implemented in this regard. Some of them are in the recommendation list of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). In this paper, we study the effect of the freezing artefact on user experience and compare the mean opinion score of these videos with the results of two algorithms, the perceptual evaluation of video quality (PEVQ) and temporal quality metric (TQM). Both metrics are part of the ITU-T Recommendation J.247 Annex B and C. PEVQ is a full-reference video quality metric, whereas TQM is a no-reference quality metric. Another contribution of this paper is the study of the impact of different resolutions and frame rates on user experience and how accurately PEVQ and TQM measure varying frame rates.

Recent developments in visual quality monitoring by key performance indicators

In addition to traditional Quality of Service (QoS), Quality of Experience (QoE) poses a real challenge for Internet service providers, audio-visual services, broadcasters and new Over-The-Top (OTT) services. Therefore, objective audio-visual metrics are frequently being dedicated in order to monitor, troubleshoot, investigate and set benchmarks of content applications working in real-time or off-line. The concept proposed here, Monitoring of Audio Visual Quality by Key Performance Indicators (MOAVI), is able to isolate and focus investigation, set-up algorithms, increase the monitoring period and guarantee better prediction of perceptual quality. MOAVI artefacts Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are classified into four categories, based on their origin: capturing, processing, transmission, and display. In the paper, we present experiments carried out over several steps with four experimental set-ups for concept verification. The methodology takes into the account annoyance visibility threshold. The experimental methodology is adapted from International Telecommunication Union – Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Recommendations: P.800, P.910 and P.930. We also present the results of KPI verification tests. Finally, we also describe the first implementation of MOAVI KPI in a commercial product: the NET-MOZAIC probe. Net Research, LLC, currently offers the probe as a part of NET-xTVMS Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Cable Television (CATV) monitoring system.

Guest editorial

Passive optical network (PON)-based access technology represents a profound departure from the “traditional,“ point-to-point twisted-pair-based network architecture that telecommunications operators have used for more than 100 years. First, it is an optical network that employs different components, relies on different design principles, and requires different deployment, troubleshooting, and maintenance procedures. Second, a timedivision multiple access (TDMA)-PON, which includes IEEE Ethernet PON (EPON) and International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Gigabit PON (GPON), can be viewed as a form of distributed switch that spans the entire access area. All of the intelligence of this distributed switch is concentrated in the edge devices, while the switching fabric is just a passive point-to-multipoint medium. To ensure seamless delivery of the various services, quality of service (QoS) enforcement, various network monitoring features, and various power-saving modes, the optical line terminals (OLTs) and optical network units (ONUs) must fully interoperate at all protocol layers. At the same time, the OLT and ONUs are separate physical devices, which typically are supplied by different vendors.

Ginga‐NCL architecture for plug‐ins

SUMMARYGinga is the middleware of the Japanese‐Brazilian terrestrial digital TV (DTV) system, ISDB‐T B, and also the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU‐T) Recommendation for Internet Protocol television services. Ginga supports NCL (Nested Context Language) applications in its declarative environment (Ginga‐NCL) for which we devise an architecture for plug‐in integration. This paper focuses on this plug‐in architecture and its innovative solutions, detailing the plug‐in API, life‐cycle and control model, besides discussing how the architecture can be extended to other software systems, in particular to other DTV middleware systems. In the paper, we show how Ginga‐NCL can embed other declarative language engines. On the other hand, we also extend an HTML browser to allow it to embed Ginga‐NCL. This proof‐of‐ concept is important because NCL and HTML players are not only the most common players found in DTV middleware systems but also because they are ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector Recommendations for terrestrial and Internet Protocol television services (NCL and Broadcast Markup Language (BML)/Lightweight Interactive Multimedia Environment (LIME)). Therefore, this proof‐of‐concept also provides a contribution to DTV middleware interoperability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.