A New Era Emerges. A Revolutionary Convergence

Every decade or so, technologies converge to create a generational leap.  Today, we are in the midst of a revolution that will shift the center of gravity in the business of communications. Technologies and disparate information systems are morphing to allow for one total and inclusive seamless experience.

Disruptive forces are intersecting to create the possibility of the seamless experience. One is the digitization of content and communications, creating a more natural communications experience.  Broadband explosion is another. Broadband access is moving to ever higher bandwidths over wires, cables and fibers and now includes wireless as an additional access technology.  IP-based communications and technologies like Voice over IP (VoIP) are transforming the communications industry.

The line between fixed and mobile communications is blurring.  Traditional cellular networks, which have always offered wide-area coverage, are delivering higher speed and bandwidth.  The high bandwidth and sophisticated capabilities of emerging converged networks, particularly fourth generation (4G) and WiMAX networks, are making possible a new generation of applications, interfaces, services and business growth. 

Objects are becoming smarter.  Intelligence is being embedded everywhere from household appliances to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.  Networks are providing richer content, delivered on demand and in a more interactive fashion.  Content providers, eager for new revenue streams, are exploring fresh ways to deliver content. 

This convergence of forces is creating the opportunity for a paradigm-shifting disruption: Seamless Mobility.

The Next Level of Connectivity: Seamless Mobility

Work and lifestyles are merging in new ways. From the local area networks and hot spots we are all so familiar with, to emerging wireless access technologies, wireless broadband will soon become readily available everywhere.  The world of seamless mobility envisions easy, universal, uninterrupted access to information, entertainment, communication, monitoring and control.

Already, the digitization of everything is creating a more natural communications experience. Boundaries separating spatial domains and communication nodes are dissolving.  Seamless Mobility provides users with new forms of entertainment and new levels of enjoyment, productivity and connectedness. It opens the door to a robust innovation cycle for businesses and government users, application and content developers and operators.  It offers tremendous potential to spur growth and innovation, enhance competitiveness and promote inclusion.

Creating the Seamless Mobility Infrastructure: A Tremendous Opportunity

Achieving the vision of seamless mobility requires technical innovation on many fronts, along with a strong orientation to the user experience.  It requires understanding the issues, architectures and needs of various wireline, wireless, cable and full-service providers.

Much work must be done to achieve seamless mobility’s full potential.  Network technologies must continue to advance toward a future all-IP network with easily configurable metrics such as QoS and security to deliver high-value, real-time data, voice, streaming video and multi-media.  Innovations must advance on many fronts – from nanotechnology to privacy and security.  Networking and software standards must continue to advance. 

The legislative and regulatory environment must embrace innovation and provide a level playing field for emerging and existing technologies.   The current regulatory framework in many countries which creates boundaries between voice, data, video and broadcasting services will require modification to adjust to the new convergence and IP network technologies.  For example, a discrete communication that originates, traverses, and or terminates on a variety of different platforms such as wireless, broadcast, fiber, traditional telephone lines, or satellite, should not be subject to disparate and multiple regulatory treatments. With the advent of seamless mobility, the network supports the consumer no matter where they are, and the regulatory framework should not impose artificial physical constraints either. The consumer’s IP-enabled device allows consumers to move freely between networks to the platform that can do the job best, most efficiently, and cost-effectively.  In order to realize this promise, the legislative and regulatory framework must also align with this vision.

Governments must foster a climate in which innovation and economic competitiveness flourish. Manufacturers, service providers and investors need legal and regulatory certainty in order to aggressively ramp up deployment of these new services.  A unified, deregulatory approach for these new services will provide needed certainty and encourage growth and innovation and promote inclusion by closing the digital divide. 

Seamless mobility will enrich our lives, foster inclusion, drive economic expansion and impact broad segments of society.  The initial benefits are being felt today, however to capture the true promise of seamless mobility, commitment and cooperation will be required by the organizations within this new and expanding ecosystem: network providers, content providers, application developers, legislative and regulatory bodies and businesses and government agencies. 

Across the board, consumers and organizations can continue to count on Motorola for leadership in the user-centric technology advances and industry collaboration that will make seamless mobility a reality and inaugurate a new cycle of growth, innovation and productivity.

Michael D. Kennedy
Senior Vice President of Global Government Relations
MOTOROLA