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 Chapter 2

Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks:

Architecture and Applications

Sonia Gul and Jairo Gutierrez

Additional information
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at the
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http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73590

Abstract
With the rapid increase in users’ demand for flexibility and scalability of communication
services, broadband communication networks are facing an ongoing challenge of provid-
ing various broadband services using a single communication architecture. This leads
to the evolution of a challenging field of multiservice broadband network architectures.
This chapter discusses the basic concepts associated with broadband communication
network architectures with emphasis on provision of multiservice, and it also focuses
on the evolution of broadband communication networks from the traditional architec-
ture to the incorporation of virtualization services, that is, cloud computing. Another
important aspect, which relates to the multiservice broadband network, is the “appli-
cations” which, as this chapter highlights, are a key-driving factor for the evolution of
broadband communication networks. Moreover, this chapter also includes a discussion
on New Zealand’s government initiatives to provide improved network coverage within
the country.

Keywords: broadband, communication network, evolution, applications, architecture

1. Introduction

Broadband communication networks have become increasingly popular. These are the net-
works, which give telecommunications a new perspective by supporting traffic of multiple
types, that is voice, video and data (also known as multimedia), but also communicating
these to the end user using a single packet. Some of the networks which started with the
provision of multimedia capabilities include asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and Frame
Relay [1].

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative
Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,
Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
12 Broadband Communications Networks - Recent Advances and Lessons from Practice

Broadband communication networks are regarded as aggregated networks (providing voice,

video and data) over the wired network including Ethernet and fibre. The multiservice sup-
port of these networks not only opened a new era in telecommunications but rather also has
challenged the network operator’s abilities and capacities.
In this chapter, a tutorial background on broadband communication networks is provided.
The challenges faced and the techniques adopted by the service providers are described
with the insight into the evolution of broadband communication networks starting from
ATM to the virtualization of broadband services.

2. Broadband communication networks

During the 1980s, the telecommunication industry started to work towards the concept of
providing any type of information to anyone, anywhere. This concept pushed the evolu-
tion of wireless networks including both cellular networks and wireless local area networks
(WLANs). The WLANs have then evolved supporting faster data rates, higher throughput and
better roaming capabilities, hence a more efficient communication network for offices, home
and other purposes. Similar to WLANs, cellular networks have also gone into the transition
from 2G to the current 5G efforts mainly targeting the communication needs of mobile users.
All these advancements brought up a range of technologies including ATM, International
Mobile Telecommunication (ITM)-2000 systems [2], wireless IP networks, WLANs, and 4G
and 5G networks (ITM-2020).

2.1. History: standardization point of view

The evolution of broadband communication networks can be seen as a competition between

two technological domains, namely WLAN and cellular. The international standardization
organizations have been working hard to progress each of these technological domains that
are taking over the broadband communication era [3]. A number of standards under both
domains are being set, published and provided to the market to be used commercially. In
Tables 1 and 2, we summarize the standards to date for both technological domains.

2.2. Technological view point

The terminology “band” has been used for a long time by engineers, and it started with the
definition referring to a set of channels and/or frequencies. Later, this term has been used with
other adjectives to make it sound more understandable, for example, baseband, passband,
etc. In the 1980s, the term wideband started to be used very frequently when referring to a
number of channels [4].
In telecommunications, broadband communications are achieved using a wideband of channels.
This allows channels to have more capacity, and hence they can support communications from
 Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks: Architecture and Applications 13
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73590

Year WLAN standards Year WLAN standards

1997 IEEE 802.11-1997 2009 IEEE 802.11 n, w

1999 IEEE 802.11b 2010 IEEE 802.11z

2001 IEEE 802.11 a, c, d 2011 IEEE 802.11 s, u, v

2003 IEEE 802.11F, g 2012 IEEE 802.11 aa, ad, ae, 802.11-2012

2004 IEEE 802.11h, i, j 2013 IEEE 802.11 ac

2005 IEEE 802.11e 2014 IEEE 802.11af

2007 IEEE 802.11-2007 2016 IEEE 802.11 ai, ah, 802.11-2016

2008 IEEE 802.11k, r, y 2017 (in progress) IEEE 802.11 aj, aq, ak, ax, ay, az, ba

Table 1. IEEE WLAN standard summary [5].

the applications that require high data rates. As per the standard (802.16-2004) broadband refers
to “having instantaneous bandwidths greater than 1 MHz and supporting data rates greater
than about 1.5 Mbit/s” [6]. Lately, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has increased
the download and upload speeds to at least 25 and 3 Mbits/s, respectively [7].
Broadband communication networks are still considered as one of the vital factors which
may help businesses throughout the world to achieve their goals for sustainable develop-
ment, by 2030 [8]. A number of broadband technologies are required to work together to
meet this goal. These technologies include, but are not limited to, mobile and fixed broad-
band, backhaul satellite networks, Wi-Fi (unlicensed) technologies and cellular (licensed)
networks.

With the advancements in technology, wireless networks are able to support almost the same
data rates as those of some wired networks (including cable modems and asymmetric digital
subscriber line (ADSL). Therefore, both fixed and wireless broadband networks have grown
tremendously in previous years [9]. In Table 3, the broadband technologies to date are sum-
marized for easy reference.

Year Cellular network standards Year Cellular network standards

1985 AMPS (TIA, EIA), N-AMPS, TACS, 2003 UMTS, W-CDMA
ETACS

1992 GSM, CSD, HSCSD, CDMA, D-AMPS 2005 HSPA, HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX, Flash-OFDM

2000 GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 2011–2013 LTE Advanced/Pro, WiMAX (IEEE 802.16m),
WiMAX 2.1

Table 2. Popular cellular network standard summary [10].

14 Broadband Communications Networks - Recent Advances and Lessons from Practice

Year Broadband technologies Data rate (max)

Fixed line

1990 Hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) 400 Mbits/s

1990s Broadband over power lines (BPL) 3 Mbits/s [11]

1998 ADSL 12.0–1.8 Mbits/s

2003 ADSL2+ 24.0–3.3 Mbits/s

2008 FTTH-FTTX 2.5 Gbits/s–622 Mbits/s [12]

Wireless

1947 Microwave 800 Mbits/s

1998 LMDS 64 kbits/s–155 Mbits/s [13]

1998 MMDS 27–38 Mbits/s

2000 W-CDMA, CDMA2000 153 kbits/s

2008 FSO 10 Gbits/s

2008 LTE (standard) 144 Mbits/s

2011 WiMAX 30 Mbits/s–1 Gbits/s

2011 LTE Advanced 200–300 Mbits/s

2015 LTE Advanced Pro 1 Gbits/s

*Satellites are also being used for broadband communications.

Table 3. Popular broadband technology summary.

3. Multiservice-broadband network architecture evolution

The evolution of multiservice broadband network architectures extends from the digital sub-
scriber line (DSL) architecture [14, 15]. The network architecture has evolved to fulfill the
increasing demands of service, not only for residential users but also for wholesale markets
and businesses. Based on these the focus is not only of the provision of quality of service (QoS)
but also on availability and reliability. This leads to a whole list of new motivations about the
services which were expected from the multiservice broadband network architecture includ-
ing a simpler network design architecture, unified connectivity, enhancements and improve-
ments in operations, independent provision of services, improved availability, improved
scalability and efficient support for multi-edge services [15, 16].
Multiservice broadband architectures evolve to address the needs of triple play and con-
verged broadband networks. This evolution provides a pathway for service providers to face
the upcoming broadband network challenges in an effective and efficient manner. Some of
these challenges are listed below [17]:
• Easy and quick provision of services for both business and residential users
• Support of IP-based applications
 Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks: Architecture and Applications 15
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73590

• High level of quality of service (QoS), security, reliability, scalability and availability
• Effective management of services
• Support for virtualization services

3.1. Triple play services: aggregated services using multicast

In the early 2000s, there was an increasing demand for voice, data and video (triple play)
services especially for residential purposes. Based on the demand, the network architecture
started to evolve towards providing these triple play services using Ethernet technology
[18–21]. One major requirement which turns up for the provision of the said service aggre-
gation is multicast forwarding which is designed to minimize the number of network links
used for media streams.

On one side, the use of multicast enhances the performance and reduces the network load,
while, on the other hand, using it with the traditional Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
(PPPoE) sessions makes the big picture more complex [22, 23]. To address this issue, the use
of a more dynamic protocol, that is, DHCP is introduced instead of PPP for IP [24]. In broad-
band networks the sessions using DHCP started to prove their worth by proving simple and
always-on connections for residential users.

This aggregated multicast networks proved so successful for residential clients that soon ser-
vice providers started to offer these for businesses. This led to the next step of its evolution
where the same network architecture is used to transport both mobile and fixed traffic. This
was enabled with the introduction of backhauling for mobile traffic of 2G/3G networks, a
capability that was later moved to work with 4G/LTE networks [25, 26].

3.2. IP to MPLS-based routing

Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) is a well-adopted technology

[27, 28]. However, based on its flexible nature, it was initially used for backbone and core
networks. Later on, this technology also started to spread in the aggregated service network
domain and started to support the service access layer which connects IP-based service nodes
and customer premises equipment (CPEs).
The success of IP/MPLS in the access layer of multiservice broadband networks opened new
horizons for building a unified network architecture using commonly used technologies. This
allowed service providers to use the same technology throughout their network including at
the access, aggregation and core levels, which results in [29, 30]:
• Better scalability of the network
• Flexibility in the placement of service nodes
• Simple provision of aggregated services
Based on the need and functionality of access node (AN), two implementation models for IP/
MPLS have been mainly used [17]:
16 Broadband Communications Networks - Recent Advances and Lessons from Practice

3.2.1. Seamless MPLS model

Seamless MPLS model extended only limited functionality to the AN. This model used the
simplest form of IP routing, that is, static routes between aggregation nodes and the access
nodes. To get better scalability, the label distribution feature of MPLS is used.

3.2.2. Full MPLS model

On the other hand, full MPLS model extended the complete functionality of Layer 3, that is,
dynamic routing to AN. This makes access nodes and aggregation nodes functionally equivalent.

The choice of model depends on the specific requirements and the current network structure.

3.3. Architecture-supported functions

Based on the challenges mentioned in the previous section, the functions of the multiser-
vice broadband architecture are defined. These functions are defined keeping in mind the
main objective, that is, provision of all these services using a common network infrastruc-
ture [31]:

• Layering functions include forwarding (relaying layer information) and termination/adap-

tation functions (mapping user information to a specific layer).

• Control functions include session control and resource control.

• Filtering and scheduling involve filtering of data (e.g. using ACL-access control lists) and
scheduling considering priorities, policies, etc.
• Synchronization functions deal with frequency, phase and time synchronization.

3.4. Service layers

The unique multiservice nature allows the provision of services at various layers. This yield
to the design of various service layers as follows:
• IP-service layer: These include the IP-layer services which can be seen directly by the end
user. Such services include VPNs, Internet access for business and residential purposes,
etc.

• Ethernet-service layer: These are the services which provide transport capabilities based on
the service, for example, service aware, such as Ethernet access services (some are defined
by Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)), etc. [32, 33]. This is mainly achieved by using the concept
of Infrastructure Virtual Circuit (IVC).

• Support-aggregation layer: These services support to map Ethernet services on top of other
technologies, for example, IP/MLPS, etc.

Cloud computing and virtualization services do not get across to all the above-mentioned
layers. Figure 1 depicts the view of the discussion above.
 Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks: Architecture and Applications 17
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73590

Figure 1. Multiservice broadband network’s service layers.

3.5. Trend of fixed mobile convergence

The need for ubiquitous service delivery between fixed and mobile networks has emerged
with the advancement in technology, specifically the availability of IP-based mobile hand-
sets/devices. The number of mobile devices’ users continues to grow, and the demand for
service availability regardless of the type (i.e. fixed or wireless) of the access network has
increased. This laid the basis for a new trend in technology, that is, fixed mobile network
convergence [34].

Several aspects have been considered for the internetworking of fixed and mobile network
architectures, but mainly the standardization bodies have focused on the following:

• Convergence of business needs and services

• Convergence of network technologies and infrastructure

• Convergence of end user devices and management

The broadband forum has produced a technical report considering all the challenges and
aspects of the internetworking of fixed and mobile networks [35]. The main aim is to provide
a converged network architecture that will support the provision of any service, anywhere to
anyone regardless of type of the access network.
For the convergence of network technologies and infrastructure, one of the emerging solu-
tions is the use of fibre wireless (FiWi) networks. Wired networks based on fibre optics are
considered as having potential to deliver huge bandwidth to the end users; however, the
technology has limitations in terms of supporting end user roaming requirements. While the
networks using wireless-access technologies are supporting easy roaming and mobility, they
are not supporting high-bandwidth and long-distance solutions. Fibre wireless (FiWi) has
18 Broadband Communications Networks - Recent Advances and Lessons from Practice

introduced to the best features of both wired-fibre networks and wireless-access networks
[36]. FiWi technology allows to use wireless technologies for access, while the rest of the net-
work is mainly fibre.

A conceptual view of the fixed mobile convergence is illustrated in Figure 2.

The above-illustrated conceptual view incorporates various technologies which support high-
bandwidth requirements with mobility. Such technologies include access networks using
mm-wave and radio-over-fibre (RoF), micro−/millimetre wave-based relay and RoF and digi-
tal baseband-based core/backhaul networks. Another important aspect included in the above
conceptual view is the support of cloud computing. More details on cloud computing and
virtualization support are provided in the following section.

3.6. Cloud computing and virtualization support

To keep pace with the increasing demands of the applications over the network, service pro-
viders have started to embrace cloud computing. Cloud computing has given freedom to the
service providers which enabled them to serve the user requests with the use of virtualization
services in a cost-effective and time-saving manner. Virtualization enabled them to achieve
ubiquitous and on-demand access to network services.
Cloud computing is one of the vital parts of the multiservice broadband architecture.
Virtualization services have been added in the said architecture in many ways; however, one
of the popular techniques is to incorporate virtual services as one of the network functions
[17]. Virtualization services should be providing the following features:

• The resources are accessible immediately as per the request, and the allocation can be ter-
minated when the job is done.

• The resources should be available whenever requested, that is, resource scarcity should
not occur.

Figure 2. Conceptual view of fixed mobile convergence [36].

 Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks: Architecture and Applications 19
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73590

• Supports resource scalability according to the demand.

• Ubiquitous access of resources is provided.
• Resources are provided using a single infrastructure for multiple users.
• Accountability of resources usage is done, and customer is billed accordingly.
A number of frameworks have been proposed to fulfill the virtualization of service require-
ments. These cloud services have taken communication networks towards an entire new
dimension. Currently, researchers have stated working towards a multi-access edge comput-
ing (MEC) platform. The MEC aims to converge services from IT and telecommunications
and provide these at the edge of a radio network, that is, access layer. It also proposes to use
cloud computing to provide an efficient access to requested services [37–39]. Another key tool
used to achieve the said virtualization is network function virtualization (NFV) [40]. This is
considered as an embedded part of the network, which ensures tight integration among vari-
ous network nodes in order to provide a better communication service.
Cloudlets [41] are also introduced to address the challenge of quick response between the
mobile devices and the associated cloud. Cloudlets are there to support the applications with
high user interaction and require real-time responses. Cloudlets are small-scale cloud-based
data centres which are located towards the edge of Internet to provide quick responses to
mobile user requests. One of the other candidate technologies for supporting virtualization is
fog computing [42]. It is considered as the combination of edge and cloud computing.

4. Application-driven network evolution

The evolution of multiservice broadband networks was not only led by the advancement in
technology; another rather important factor was the “Applications”. Applications are what
the end users’ experience, and network architectures have to enhance their offerings to pro-
vide end users with the flawless experience they are looking for. The following are some of
the application trends, which contributed to network architecture advancements:

• IP television supporting through broadcasting

• Video on demand (VoD)

• Internet TV

• Video playing functions: play, pause, rewind, forward, etc.

• Distant learning

• Advertising: embedded inside the video

• Internet-based business-supported applications including HTTPS, Email, FTP and VPNs

• Gaming: multiplayer Internet-based gaming

• High-definition TV

• IP telephony, etc.
20 Broadband Communications Networks - Recent Advances and Lessons from Practice

Figure 3. Future broadband application domains.

4.1. Latest trends in broadband applications

In 2017, the growing demand for broadband communications still persists with the increasing
need for mobility, machine-to-machine communications, big data, all-purpose sensors and
the Internet of things (IoT) [43].

The need for hybrid networks (fiber and wireless) is growing to address the challenging goals
of upcoming application domains. The latest application domains for broadband networks
are highlighted in Figure 3. With the ongoing growth of broadband users for both business
and residential [44] in conjunction with increasing demands for large volumes of data, the
applications are getting more and more data hungry.

5. Broadband network: a New Zealand perspective

New Zealand has taken a number of steps to embrace the fibre broadband in previous years.
Some major initiatives are the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB), Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI)
and Mobile Black Spot Fund (MBSF) [45].

5.1. Ultra-fast broadband (UFB)

The UFB project aims to deploy optical fibre cables to provide fibre to the premises (FTTP) to
as many New Zealanders as possible. Previously copper lines were laid in the whole country,
and they served as the main communication medium. With the advancement in technologies
 Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks: Architecture and Applications 21
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and the need for more speed and data (more specifically broadband technologies), the copper
has to be replaced by optical fibres. With the UFB New Zealanders will be able to access data
and applications at the speed of 1000 Mbits/s approx.
In New Zealand, UFB is considered one of the biggest infrastructure-based projects. Around
85% of the population will have access to fibre to the premises (FTTP) towards the end of 2024
[46]. The NZ government, to make the UFB accessible by as many people as possible, is invest-
ing $1.8 billion. Figure 4 shows the progress of the UFB deployment till June 2017.

5.2. Rural broadband initiative (RBI)

The Ultra-Fast broadband project mainly focuses on the provision of fast Internet services to
urban areas. However, there are various rural and coastal areas in the country, which also
need access to these fast network connections. To ensure every New Zealander can access
and experience the improved Internet access, the NZ government has started another project
named Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI). Funds worth 430 million NZD (approx.) has been
allocated for this initiative.

The RBI project is divided in multiple phases. The first phase of the RBI project has already
been completed by mid-2016. In this phase fast broadband connections are being provided to
rural areas using the combination of upgrading existing fixed lines and installing new wire-
less fixed coverage solutions. Figure 5 shows the highlights of the improved connectivity in
rural areas after the completion of RBI phase 1.

The RBI (phase 2) project aims to provide fast broadband connection to more than 70,000 busi-
nesses and households in remote and rural areas. For the second phase, the NZ government is
encouraging local network operators to propose some innovative ideas/solutions rather than
specifying any particular technology use.

Figure 4. User (business and household) connections, UFB-1 [46].

22 Broadband Communications Networks - Recent Advances and Lessons from Practice

Figure 5. Summary of improved connectivity in rural areas after RBI phase 1 [47].

5.3. Mobile black spot fund (MBSF)

Another important step taken by the NZ government is the creation of MBSF. The purpose
of MBSF is to provide improved network coverage to areas which are of tourists’ interest
and also to better cover the country’s state highways. The government is looking forward to
achieving improvements in the fields of public safety and in the tourism industry. The project
will explicitly target two state highways (6 and 94) in Southland, covering in total of 11 tour-
ism areas [48].

6. Conclusion

This chapter discusses the evolution of broadband communications with a focus on the devel-
opment and adoption of multiservice broadband network architectures with the support of
cloud and virtualization services. The need for this evolution is also discussed with focus on
triple play services, IP/MPLS and mobile-fixed network convergence. Applications are also
recognized to play a vital role in this evolution of broadband networks with the latest trends
 Evolution of Broadband Communication Networks: Architecture and Applications 23
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73590

in broadband applications being discussed. Lastly, an overview of New Zealand’s govern-

ment initiatives to improve the network coverage is also provided including a brief discussion
about Ultra-Fast Broadband, the Rural Broadband Initiative and the Mobile Black Spot Fund.

Author details

Sonia Gul* and Jairo Gutierrez

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

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