Title: IP-based content delivery over Next Generation Networks

Authors: Diogo Gomes, Filipe Pinto, Joao Goncalves, Rui L. Aguiar

Addresses: Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago 3810, Aveiro, Portugal. ' Portugal Telecom Inovacao S.A., R. Jose F.P. Basto, 3810-106 Aveiro, Portugal. ' Portugal Telecom Inovacao S.A., R. Jose F.P. Basto, 3810-106 Aveiro, Portugal. ' Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago 3810, Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract: Trends towards Next Generation Networks (NGN) are also changing the fundamental nature of TV services. Entertainment is becoming an increasingly participative experience, both with user feedback, and with user-generated content. Furthermore, the diversity of delivery mechanisms is increasing, reaching the mobile environment. The diversity of actors and technologies is now leading to a trend into IP-based content delivery, as a solution to heterogeneity management. We present an architecture for future environments, which bridges the gap between the content production and communication infrastructures, able to operate across different networks. This architecture resorts to the notion of Service Enablers deployed above evolved converged multimedia networks, based on the IP protocol. We demonstrated this architecture by laboratory prototyping.

Keywords: IPTV; service enablers; NGN; next generation networks; content delivery; communication infrastructures; multimedia networks; IP television; internet protocol television.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIPT.2008.020949

International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology, 2008 Vol.3 No.3, pp.170 - 181

Published online: 25 Oct 2008 *

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