Rethinking the Use of Broadband access for Experience-optimized Networks and Services

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• The objective of RUBENS is to define and validate an access network architecture that takes the service requirements and evolutions in the access network into account, and delivers a novel environment to boost the service delivery opportunities in a cost-effective and dynamic way

The objective of RUBENS is to define and evaluate a new broadband access infrastructure that offers personalized Quality-of-Experience in a flexible and scalable way for a large variety of applications, delivery models, and devices. The RUBENS results will provide a solution for the operators to deal with the increased consumption of personalized and long tail content (e.g. Internet TV), and the ever-increasing triple-play bandwidth requirements (e.g. transition to HDTV) in an economically sound way.   Broadband networks stand at a key crossroad in their history. The amount of personalized information, content and services available to every user keeps increasing exponentially. Best effort service delivery of the Internet offers flexibility, but produces potentially poor and unreliable quality. Triple play networks on the other hand enable quality-guaranteed delivery, but remain restricted to a few application provider domains, are expensive, and scale poorly. In order to accommodate the ever-growing bandwidth demand, the broadband access network is further evolving by shortening copper loops and consolidating the central offices with longer fibre loops.  

Within this new broadband access topology and functionality, one has the opportunity to rethink how to enable flexible service and content delivery in a cost effective and scalable way by investigating a better integration of QoS mechanisms, content delivery protocols, and video streaming technologies.  RUBENS will therefore study techniques that optimize the user experience dynamically, through an optimal co-operation between the network and applications.

The RUBENS architecture will be specified such that it combines adaptability in the content delivery with an increased flexibility in the network, leading to innovations in network protocols, architecture and the Quality-of-Experience driven interaction with the service layer. The research will also increase the flexibility by defining (content) wholesale interfaces enriching the end-user experience.  Proof-of-concept implementations, simulations, usability tests and lab trials will validate and visualize the approach. Additional business case modeling and standardization will ensure the economical viability and a wide acceptance of the RUBENS solution.