1541-4922/05/$25.00 © 2005 IEEE
Published by the IEEE Computer Society
In Brief
Benjamin Alfonsi
A project to facilitate European and international collaboration regarding future wireless systems research has released a new report on user expectations and requirements in developing countries.
EU-Funded Consortium Looks Beyond 3G
A project to facilitate European and international collaboration regarding future wireless systems research has released a new report (http://mocca.objectweb.org/Wiki.jsp?page=Deliverables) on user expectations and requirements in developing countries. The project, called MOCCA (http://mocca.objectweb.org) ( Mobile Cooperation and Coordination Action), established a special "think tank" committee of representatives from developing countries in South America and Africa as well as India to develop the report.
Emerging economies will surprise
Roland Hüber, former director of the EU Commission and recipient of the 1997 IEEE Frederik Philips Award, chaired the committee. According to Hüber, awareness of telecommunications' importance for developing countries has increased. However, little research has addressed the specific role of mobile communications. The MOCCA report documents differences and similarities with the developed world's next-generation mobile and wireless communication requirements.
Hüber says developing economies will utilize mobile and wireless services at a much faster rate than has been widely anticipated. "They will not trail developed markets and they are likely to be very innovative in their use of data services," he predicts. "Developing economies will surprise the developed regions."
He also sees mobile communications as a socioeconomic development tool whose importance has so far been underestimated.
According to MOCCA director Fiona Williams, "No other organization is focusing on the requirements of the emerging economies." It has taken a position that emerging market requirements for Beyond 3G systems are essentially the same as those of developed markets.
MOCCA highlights the pervasive link between technological and socio-economic drivers, says Werner Mohr, Siemens VP of preengineering, mobile network division. This is one reason Siemens AG participated in the project study. Mohr believes future mobile and wireless systems will provide services far beyond voice-centric applications. The use of these systems, he says, depends on economic and cultural considerations.
"Current systems are mainly developed from the perspective of highly industrialized countries, where the current market was foreseen," according to Mohr. "However, other emerging regions—such as China, India, Latin America, and Africa—will provide the next wave of growth."
Maintaining European mobile market strength
MOCCA's Williams says the project originated last June under the Sixth EU Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development (http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/glance-print.htm). Its immediate purpose is to facilitate European and international cooperation on future mobile and wireless systems at the research stage.
The focus on emerging market requirements is just one of its operational objectives. It also aims to facilitate collaboration and cooperation among researchers in Europe and the rest of the developed world with a view toward "harmonizing" global standards.
"The use of research results in international standardization and the international collaboration which will precede it," says Siemens' Mohr, "are important in enabling consensus building and harmonization of views necessary to ease the standardization process."
MOCCA is open to all interested European Research Area projects and supports collaboration with mobile and wireless research programs worldwide. The project currently includes 13 industry partners, including DoCoMo Euro-Labs, France Telcom, and Siemens.
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