Wireless technology
Research Topic
Language: English
This is a research topic created to provide authors with a place to attach new problem publications.
Research problems linked to this topic
- Identifying the distribution of productivity benefits from telecoms infrastructure investment (fixed and wireless): (i) to what extent can, or has, telecoms investment reduce(d) the difference in productivity between areas of the UK? (ii) what is the impact of telecoms infrastructure on the differences in productivity between firms within sectors (e.g. can it help address the issue of ‘long-tail’ of low productivity firms)? And how do the productivity impacts differ between different industries? (iii) what are the barriers to scaling up wireless enterprise applications for growth and how are they changing? (iv) How do productivity impacts vary across public mobile networks, private mobile networks (e.g. private 5G) and fixed networks including the role of Wi-Fi? For further relevant questions on productivity see BDUK section 9.
- "What is the interaction between mobile and fixed connectivity? What is the role of 4G mobile connectivity in people’s online access compared to broadband/fixed access? Are there certain benefits or disbenefits which are only achieved with both mobile and fixed connectivity?"
- Given changing TV viewer habits (online vs terrestrial TV), how can the use of the remaining Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) spectrum be optimised? What is the potential of incentivising more spectrally efficient technology (e.g. Digital Video Broadcasting — Second Generation Terrestrial or ‘DVB-T2’) and enabling increased access for mobile services while facilitating a sustainable future for DTT (albeit with a reduced set of channels). Note: this work will need to be coordinated with DCMS and its planned DTT viewing and policy reviews.
- Evaluate the technologies that will drive terabit networks: supporting the development of next-gen fibre technology, leveraging opto-electronics, encoding and graphene expertise to deploy a terabit network.
- What impact do open internet regulations have on the efficient deployment and use of full fibre and 5G networks to meet the growing connectivity demand? How do changes in these regulations impact network investments, deployment and use - e.g. impact on traffic growth, traffic management, costs for ISPs and requirements of new use cases?
- What are the barriers to delivery of full mobile coverage across the UK? What possible solutions exist to these barriers?
- What journey-related mobile connectivity needs do passengers have now and in the future? How best can these needs be met, and what role could government play to support delivery of these outcomes?
- How can advances in communication technologies be used to inform our understanding of trade in digital services?
- To what extent can existing rail and roadside infrastructure be used to support or deliver expanded mobile coverage across the UK? What innovative business models might promote improved coverage in road and rail corridors?
- There are legitimate but competing demands for access to the Upper 6GHz band by proponents of Wi-Fi and mobile services both internationally and in the UK. What are the advantages/disadvantages to the UK of an allocation favouring mobile or Wi-Fi compared to a hybrid option, which enables access but with limitations to both services?
- What are implications of advances in communications technologies for trade in services?
- What is the industry view on the potential of and the requirements for 6G? How far will 6G take us?
- How will new and emerging technology change travel patterns and demand on the Strategic Road Network?
- What is the potential for future technologies in delivering mobile connectivity more efficiently and effectively than contemporary technologies e.g. low earth orbit satellite technology? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies, including their feasibility and possible barriers to implementation?
- What are some of the emergent technologies which will increase the need for gigabit connectivity for (i) residential premises; (ii) business premises?
- Evaluate the technologies that will drive smart networks: evidencing the utilisation of the UK’s lead in AI and Edge technology to develop self-organising, secure and highly optimised network software.
- Digital Infrastructure - High capacity fixed and wireless networks adoption
- How do changes in technology usage and market structure change the risks faced?
- What will be the role of terrestrial and non-terrestrial (satellite and intermediate platforms) in delivering high quality mobile coverage and capacity across different regions of the UK? What regulatory changes will be needed, including on spectrum management?
- How can small cell technology support the delivery of mobile coverage and capacity across the UK? What are the advantages and limitations of incorporating this technology into delivery strategies?
- How does the mobile network landscape differ by quality and capacity across the UK for rural and urban areas? Additionally, how does this differ for transport specific contexts?
- What are the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations in using non-terrestrial technology to support the expansion of mobile coverage across the UK?
- What are the impacts of 5G on users’ day-to-day lives? How will people and businesses use this connectivity?
- What modern provisions most effectively address emerging technologies, emerging data flows and digital trade?
- To what extent are telecommunications companies investing in research and development to devise and implement alternative ways, to traditional telecoms mast structures, of expanding wide area mobile coverage across the UK? Low altitude balloons; repeaters etc.
- Which areas of research on the uses of next generation networks may need policy interventions (e.g. Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence)? This may include driving strong take-up of fibre and 5G/6G, encouraging the adoption of the products and services, and increasing Willingness to Pay and supporting industry to make the necessary investments?
- What is the current forecast of non-fibre based technology (including anything capable of delivering speeds above superfast but below gigabit[30Mbps - 1Gbps], or speeds which exceeds gigabit [>1Gbps]) and its role in delivering broadband connectivity to homes and businesses where fibre is not feasible? What is the lifespan and redundancies of these technologies?
- What are the potential opportunities and issues associated with the development and deployment of open telecoms solutions such as Open RAN, and how should government intervention be targeted to utilise or mitigate these? How is Open RAN adoption progressing and what is the likely trajectory? What are the barriers to adoption and acceptance of open architectures for 5G deployment and how are they changing? What are the economic benefits associated with this?
- Given that Wi-Fi is the go-to access method between fibre to the premises (and Gigabit capability) and user devices: (i) identify options for future evolution of Wi-Fi technologies and network architecture in premises (domestic and business) that will match the data capacity of fibre? (ii) what are the spectrum implications and options for transitioning to the desirable spectrum requirements (e.g. using spectrum above 50 GHz or LiFi).
- "Could 4G mobile connectivity be enough, especially for extremely isolated populations that would be extremely costly to connect with fibre? For how long could 4G coverage be sufficient instead of broadband for (i) a residential premise; (ii) a business premise? To what extent is there demand in these communities for broadband connectivity?"
- What is the potential for future technologies in delivering mobile connectivity more efficiently and effectively than contemporary technologies e.g. low earth orbit satellite technology? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies?
- What will gigabit capable speeds not be sufficient for, and will this interact with overall network capacity and/or government ambitions? Does this differ for other characteristics of connectivity such as bandwidth and latency?
- What are the economic trade-offs of achieving capacity improvements in mobile networks over the coming decade? How does achieving this exclusively through increased use of spectrum compare to network densification? In comparing strengths and weaknesses, what might be an optimal combination of both?