Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV)

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) offers ways to design build and manage dynamic, cost-effective and adaptable networks, making it ideal for the high - bandwidth, dynamic nature of the applications.

The basic concept of SDN is to separate control & data plane, centralization of control and programmability of network.

Why SDN?

·         Networks are hard to manage and evolve

·         Computation and storage have been virtualized

·         Creating a more flexible and manageable infrastructure

·         Ongoing innovation in systems software.

SDN gives far greater flexibility and efficiency to organizations so they can tailor networking to suit a particular application at any time.

SDN will help the CSP’s to virtualize their packet core technologies, reduce CAPEX & OPEX and usher in service innovation.

Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and others have invested heavily in Software Defined Networking.

Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) differs from SDN by decoupling the network functions like DNS, Caching etc. from proprietary hardware applications.

NFV is able to support SDN by providing the infrastructure upon which the SDN software can be run.

NFV is applicable to any data plane packet processing and control plane function in mobile and fixed networks.

Benefits of SDN and NFV:

·         Reduced Capex and Opex

·         Delivering Agility and Flexibility

·         Reducing Time to market

Challenges Faced:

While SDN and NFV technologies have the potential to realize the benefits mentioned, there are technical challenges they need to address before realizing the full potential.

Although customer demand for SDN and NFV is high, they also face organizational challenges, lack of skills and a clear business case.

Portability/Interoperability, Management, Automation, Network stability are some of the other challenges faced.

Market Growth

Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Market is forecast to grow at 86% CAGR from $2 Billion in 2015 to USD 45 Billion+ in 2020 NFV represents the lion's share of the combined SDN - NFV market. VC investment in SDN related technologies has grown manifold from $10M in 2007 to $454M in 2012. SDN acquisitions till date are more than $1.5Billion.

Dennis Marcel
Batch 2016
Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management

Security Threats in IoT

Internet of Things is the latest buzzword in today’s world of ICT. IoT is a new wave in the market which is all set to sensationalize our lives with no obscurity. There is an estimate that over the next decade or two about 26-100 billion IoT based devices will evolve surpassing the entire human population of the world. [Source: Gartner].
Now interconnected devices on such a large scale will bring forth the issues of privacy and security. Mulling over the solutions for such concerns is indispensable now. Devices under the umbrella of IoT will be interconnected with the help of IP addresses based out of IPV6 where each device will be identified with an IP address assigned to it. When you build a network using uniform standards, it becomes more vulnerable. Hence in a way the use of IP addresses will invite major security issues.

Following are the top five areas of security concerns with respect to Internet of Things:

Privacy Concerns: Majority of the IoT devices will indulge in collecting personal information like name, date of birth, address, health, credit card information and much more. Most devices would transmit this information across interconnected networks. If unknowingly users somehow misconfigure their home network, then it is very likely that their personal information can be exposed via wireless networks. The situation can even be fatal; imagine what can happen if someone hacks into a cardiac pacemaker or a car being driven on the road!

Insufficient Authorization /Authentication: A huge number of devices per single user would eventually end up with users keeping weak and simple passwords and sometimes common passwords. Many such users would also use the same password in the cloud for cloud products. This issue can be mitigated by defining strong password policies which may even fail if there are common passwords everywhere.

Transport Encryption: When information that is being transferred from one device to another device is encrypted; it is called Transport encryption. Transport encryption is crucial and failing to do so might also create a backdoor for hackers to extract information from the devices or the cloud itself.

User Interface: IoT devices will bring in security concerns with their user interfaces. These issues would include: persistent cross-site scripting, weak default credentials and poor session management. Hackers can identify valid user accounts and take over control using features like password reset etc.

Device Constraints: IoT would work if only if the end devices use as little energy as possible. This means that the devices will have comparatively low processing power. Hence devices cannot run a complicated security software else it would hamper its processing speed. Developing specialized security software for such devices will be another issue. Also many current firewall systems may not control the traffic flows into these devices which is another security concern.

Therefore security threats for IoT should be addressed throughout the device lifecycle i.e. from its initial design to its operational environment. This will include: Secure Booting, Access Control, Device Authentication, Firewall and IPS, Updates and Patches etc.
Simultaneously security at both the device and network levels is crucial for the successful operations of IoT. Fortunately, this need not require a revolutionary approach, but rather an evolution of steps and controls similar to those which have proven successful to a greater extent in IT networks. Instead of searching for an exclusively revolutionary solution that as of now does not exist, one can focus on delivering the current IT security controls and measures adapted and optimized to an extent to address security threats for the new and complex embedded applications and  systems driving Internet of Things.


Deepika Dave
Batch 2017
Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management

Spectrum Sharing - India

Exponential growth in consumer demand for wireless services is driving the evolution of wireless networks towards high speed data networks. But with most spectrum already allocated, it is becoming exceedingly difficult to find vacant bands to either deploy new services or to enhance existing ones. It has also been found out that a significant amount of spectrum remains idle at any given point of time and location. To issue the problem of call drops and ease telecom congestion, Government of India on August 12, 2015 allowed Telecom operators to share airwaves in the same band by giving approval to the guidelines of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). This will also help to improve spectral efficiency and Quality of Service.
 
Some of the important guidelines are as follows:
1) Spectrum sharing would be allowed only when both the licensees are having spectrum in the same band. 
2) Spectrum usage charge will be levied on the entire spectrum holding in the particular band and spectrum including traded spectrum will be shareable. 
3) Spectrum usage charge of each licensees post sharing shall increase by 0.5% of Aggregated Gross Revenue (AGR).
4) Both licensees sharing the spectrum will have to give a prior intimation for sharing the right to use spectrum at least 45 days before the sharing starts. 
5) Sharing will be permitted where both entities are having administratively allotted spectrum where one entity has spectrum acquired through auction (liberalized spectrum) and other entity has spectrum allotted administratively, sharing shall be permitted only after spectrum charges are paid for liberalizing the administratively allotted spectrum. Spectrum sharing is an alternative of auction to companies who need more airwaves for expanding their wireless bandwidth to deliver high speed internet services.

Spectrum sharing is taken as a welcome move by telecom operators across the country. Telecom operators like Uninor who have not won any spectrum in February 2015, will benefit by this decision.  After the government allowed spectrum sharing, Reliance Communications (RCOM) and Reliance Jio Infocomm announced on 14th August 2015 that they are set to ink a pact that will enable Jio to offer fourth generation (4G) services over the 800 MHz band across 10 circles. The airwaves sharing pact will allow Reliance Jio to access 10 MHz of contiguous 4G bandwidth in Mumbai, UP-East, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Northeast, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Reliance Communications too will benefit as it will gain access to Jio's 4G network in the 10 circles at virtually zero incremental capex costs.


Parth Vora
Batch-2017
Symbiosis Institute Of Telecom Management

Payment Banks - India

India, a country where out of 1.27 billion people, we have touched 1 Billion Telecom subscriber base while on other hand as per World Bank Report of 2014, around 35% population have access to formal Banking system.

To promote the Modi Government’s vision of financial inclusion and Digital India, RBI issued guidelines and invited applications for Payment bank licences.

It received 41 applications from various companies such as telecom operators like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, retailers such as the Future Group, several payment facilitators such as Oxigen and One97, and large conglomerates like Reliance Industries and Aditya Birla group and few others.

What is a Payment Bank?

Objective of payments banks is to increase financial inclusion by providing small savings accounts, payment/remittance services to migrant labour, low income households, small businesses, other unorganised sector entities and other users by enabling high volume low value transactions in deposits and payments/remittance services in a secured technology-driven environment.

This will mainly help the lower strata of society who doesn’t have access to formal banking but has the necessity of money transfer and remittance service. A CRISIL report projects that the current Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 90,000 crore domestic remittances market will grow at  11% to 13% CAGR in the next few years based on an assessment of remittances to the low-income migrant population. This segment is expected to be among the early users of payments banks.

Finally on 19^th August 2015 RBI gave In-Principle approval for Payment Bank licences to following 11 entities:

Reliance Industries

Aditya Birla Nuvo

Vodafone M-Pesa

Bharti Airtel

Department of Posts

Cholamandalam Distribution Services

Tech Mahindra

National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL)

Fino PayTech

Sun Pharma’s Dilip Shantilal Shanghvi

PayTM’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma

 Things you should know about Payment Banks

·         Can accept demand deposits, i.e., current deposits, and savings bank deposits from individuals, small businesses and other entities.

·         Can hold a maximum balance of Rs One lakh per individual customer.
 
·         Will be allowed to set up branches, ATMs, BCs.
 
·          Allowed to issue debit cards also offer internet banking.
 
·         Can accept a large sum of money for remittance but at the end of the day the balance should not exceed Rs. One lakh.
 
·         Allowed to accept remittances to be sent to or receive remittances from multiple banks.
 
·         Permitted to handle cross border remittance transactions in the nature of personal payments / remittances on the current account.
 
·         Allowed to distribute mutual fund products, insurance products and pension products.
 
·         Can allow various bill payments.

But they have following restrictions

·         Payment Banks Cannot issue credit card
 
·         Not allowed to set up subsidiaries to undertake non-banking financial services activities    
 
·         Other financial and non-financial services activities of the promoters should not be mingled with the working of payment banks
 
Appropriate and affordable technology accompanied by the right business model can make financial inclusion economically viable for the formal financial sector and transform it from an obligation to an opportunity.

Malay Maniyar

Batch - 2017

Symbiosis Institute Of Telecom Management 

Call Drops - India

What is a dropped call?

When a mobile phone call gets terminated due to the failure of getting latched to a nearby mobile site or a base station (also known as dead zones), this unexpected termination is termed as a call drop.

Why is it a major concern?

According to TRAI’s report for June 2014 quarter, there was an increase of 5 % in the call drops from March 2014 to June 2014, resulting into 14 % call drops of all 3G operators. For 2G, out of 183 operators, almost 13 % amongst them had call drops of 3.28%. So, the irking statement while making a call ‘The xyz Operator you are calling seems unavailable at the moment’ is going to be heard quite often if the situation prevails.

Why call drops in India?

1.      Insufficient number of towers.

·         Current number: 4.25 lakh (Approx.)

·         Required: 6.25 lakh

2.      There has been a remarkable rise in the data and voice traffic which the current spectrum supply cannot suffice. Indian operators hold an average of 12-15 MHz of airwaves compared to 40-45 MHz Globally.

Effect on operators?

 There is no gain for an operator if the CDRs are generated on second basis, but if the subscriber has opted for a certain number of free calls plan or if the CDRs are generated on per minute basis, consumers are affected more. Also the ARPU generated per minute gets reduced.

How to deal?

Government’s role:

·         Some spectrum from the defense services can be released for use.

·         The roofs of the government buildings can be utilized for setting up towers

·         Uniform procedures on towers must be followed and implemented.

Operators’ role:

As there have been constant alarming warnings from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telecom Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Telcos claim that they are helpless despite making huge investments of 1.34 lakh crores in spectrum and network. There has been constant demands from the operators for allowing the access to Government premises and cantonment areas to overcome this horrendous problem.

Rajat Arora

Batch - 2016

Symbiosis Institute Of Telecom Management 

M2M is defined as a technology that enables electronic and mechanical devices to communicate with each other seamlessly and perform actions without human intervention. M2M (machine to machine) leverages innovations in micro computing and wireless technology that allow embedded devices to collect and distribute real-time data and has the potential to connect millions of machines today, and even more in the near future.

M2M has become an integral part of IOT. It has open new streams of revenue to be grabbed. Many Telecom Operators have launched new services based on M2M communication. Vodafone started its M2M services in 2013 with the launch of Remote Monitoring & Control Service (RMCS). It also provides global SIM card to support M2M applications around the globe. Similarly many telecom operators have followed the suite.
The global machine to machine (M2M) data traffic from 2013 to predicted 2018 (in terabytes per month)

Source: Statista  

It’s imperative for telecom operators to grab this huge opportunity of revenue generation. It is projected M2M industry total size by 2022 would be $199.6 bn with global market revenue of $37.2 bn.

Coming to India, M2M modules (device) market generated 2732 million USD (134.9 crore INR) revenues in 2011 and is expected to generate to 82.6 million USD (413.3 crore INR) by 2015, growing at a CAGR of 32.3%33. Source: Cyber Media research report (2012).

Kunjesh Mehta

Batch - 2016

Symbiosis Institute Of Telecom Management 

Start-ups With Their Game Changing Ideas !

1. GLAMSQUAD:  By Victoria Eisner launched in January, 2014. Idea: Wishing that beauty services could come to me at a single click/touch of button.
 
2.  DWNLD:  Launched in September 2014. Idea: WordPress coming to Apps. Just create an app quickly & cheaply and put it in App store. Within 7-10 days it gets approved.

3. Ello: Launched in August, 2014. Idea: Social network promising no ads and not selling personal information to advertisers.

4. SHYP: Launched in September, 2014. Idea: Forget to go to the post office. It sends the packages for us; just take a picture of what is to be sent and a driver comes to pick the package in min. and we are done.

5. ALFRED: Marcela Sapone & Jessica Beck came up with the idea. Launch in September. Idea: Is your affordable personal butler. After working out a schedule, Alfred will stop by once or twice a week & take care of all chores: folding clothes, sorting mail, picking up laundry, & cleaning your house.

6. YO: By Arbel launched in April. Idea: Notification to any friend in the simplest manner in a robotic voice.  took 8 hours to create become #1 social networking app in US store & #4 in app overall.

7. Team Indus: By Rahul Narayan, Dilip Chabria, Julius Amrit, launched on 29 Dec, 2014. Idea: Building capabilities to provide cost effective, rapid turnaround, full spectrum services for Aerospace applications to global customer.

8. Proof of Performance: Harjaap Singh Mann, Arvinder Mann, launched on 29 Dec, 2014. Idea: Prevent revenue leakage. Services include outdoor media planning, compliance audits and competitive intelligence.

9. Zoomcar: David Back (President), Greg Moran (CEO) launched on 29 Dec, 2014. Idea: Self-drive cars on hire. Reserve a car through the website or a mobile application on hour/day basis.

Aditya Raina

Batch - 2017

Symbiosis Institute Of Telecom Management