On Fixed-Mobile Network Convergence

As the convergence in digital industry takes shape, the digital networks, both wireline and wireless, are also converging to offer seamless services and enhanced experience to the user. With the arrival of the mobile Internet the mobility is also moving into new areas, e.g., imaging, games, video, multimedia, and across different types of networks. In this paper we explore why, what, and how of the network convergence, and identify how the industry viewpoints align and differ. We also identify the key barriers to achieving true network convergence. We then discuss the role of the Internet Protocol (IP) as the common thread that enables network convergence, and the key industry and standards initiatives to actually provide solutions and the equipment to implement a cost-efficient and high performance converged network.