MOBILIA (Mobility Concepts for IMT-Advanced) project targets ITU IMT-advanced requirements for future wireless systems, i.e.. peak data rates of 100 Mbps for mobile applications and 1 Gbps for low mobility. The IMT-advanced vision of future network as being formed of interworking access systems will also be considered. A derived target is to obtain an increased aggregate throughput/ user satisfaction vs. existing systems. MOBILIA will address these various challenges, in the context of IEEE802.16m, 802.16j and beyond, 3GPP LTE. MOBILIA addresses the “Integrated Telecommunications system” approach of CELTIC in various ways.
Indeed, future broadband wireless systems will need advanced air interfaces at PHY and System layers, including MIMO techniques, as well as seamless session roaming between access networks, two main research axes of MOBILIA. In addition, in these multi-networks environments, terminals should be reconfigurable, and also optimise power consumption. These two issues are considered in MOBILIA, the latter one through a cross-layer (PHY and MAC) approach. Eventually, implementation issues of the above mentioned concepts will be tackled through proof-of-concept demonstrators and complexity studies. MOBILIA will study the following enabling technologies:
- Multiple antennas (MIMO) schemes, new algorithms will be developed.
- Relaying schemes: cooperative relays, can be seen as “virtual MIMO”, and may compensate spectral efficiency imbalance between cell center and edge. Several schemes will be developed and evaluated.
- In both cases, realistic performances will be obtained with polarized 3D channel models derived from a ray tracing tool, diagrams of RF and antennas developed in the project (see below). Diversity, a combined effect of propagation channel and antenna diagrams, will be studied, with a focus on polarization diversity.
- Cross-layer techniques for multi user MIMO and relays, assessed by system level simulations
- Network and functional architecture supporting the efficient and transparent cooperation between heterogeneous wireless access networks. Service framework for adaptation of services to underlying resources
- Reconfigurability at baseband, RF and antennas levels, facilitating heterogeneous handovers and reducing terminal cost.
Several platforms will be showcased/developed, as proof-of-concept for the above techniques: a reconfigurable baseband platform, based on a Network-on-chip, reconfigurable multi band RF, reconfigurable multi band multiple antennas, both for base station and for mobile -in this latter case, up to 4 antennas will be integrated in a small terminal-, a reconfigurable terminal for flexible energy trade-off, a WiMAx MIMO demonstrator, a proof-of-concept demonstration inline with the ubiquitous services, connectivity and networks concept, and an example of remote diagnosis mechanism
The key results from this project are relevant to the CELTIC strategic objectives targeting a Pan European Lab. Indeed, the scenarios defined in the scope of the MOBILIA project are targeting interoperability between WiMAX and E-UTRAN, which may form part of the coexistence scenarios for B3G. The technology framework to address these scenarios can be considered relevant to the “common technology vision” envisaged for the development of the PAN European lab. One of the proposed Platform could be an important element of Panlab.
