30/09/2009  12:00

Under a new two-year agreement, NICTA will collaborate with Singapore’s A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R) to develop and demonstrate fast, low-cost, temporary mobile wireless communications networks.

In this research project, I²R and NICTA’s focus is to design a new system that will let people connect with each other in real-time using their mobile phones or smart phones, without the need for expensive communications infrastructure. Unlike traditional wireless networks with fixed access points, the connective ‘tissue’ of the proposed temporary network will vanish once the communication is complete.

The network forms as different devices (smart phones and mobiles) come within range of one another and the data ‘hops’ between the devices. These ‘ephemeral’ networks could be generated at large gatherings like rock concerts, allowing people to exchange video footage showing various views of the action on the stage.

“With this project, we are exploring opportunities in the mobile services area which involve collaborative communications,” said NICTA Project Leader Dr Roksana Boreli. “This research is seeking a way to share content across a temporary mobile network using existing wireless links like WiFi or Bluetooth.” The project will also propose a trust mechanism to secure these new, ‘ad-hoc’ communications. ”It is important that the connections are trusted by users and are also cost-effective,” Dr Boreli noted.

I²R Project Leader Associate Professor Chen-Khong Tham concurs. “What is exciting is that we are exploring ways to encourage mobile phone users to let their phones help others in the vicinity, and recognising and rewarding the trustworthy helpers.”

The proposed architecture would be suitable for a variety of future streaming, broadcast and unicast applications and promises potential savings in the areas of infrastructure and connection costs, It will be based on I²R Co-Project Leader Dr Robert Hsieh's prior work on the Opportunistic Temporal-Pairing Access Network (OPAN) framework.

Professor Lye Kin Mun, Deputy Executive Director, I²R (Research) said, “This is the second time we have had a good research partnership with NICTA and the cross border alliance leads to better co-operation and advantages between the two parties.”

“Over the last year, NICTA and I²R have conducted joint research on the development of innovative maritime wireless mesh networks. I look forward to continuing this fruitful association in this exciting new project,” said NICTA’s Acting CEO Dr Phil Robertson.

Document(s): NICTA collaborates with I²R to build innovative wireless network using mobile phones
Contact: Dorothy Kennedy
Phone: +61 2 9376 2098 or +61 488 229 687
Email: dorothy.kennedy@nicta.com.au