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Calls & Context
IPv6 Wireless Internet IniTiative - 6WINIT
Abstract
The 6WINIT project will validate the introduction of a mobile wireless internet in Europe that uses the new Internet Protocol version 6 and wireless protocols such as GPRS and UMTS. It is expected to address problems such as scarcity of IP addresses, quality of service and security from the IP side and lack of spectrum and bandwidth from the wireless side. It will link to existing IPv6 infrastructures and will be validated using existing applications with an emphasis on the clinical domain.
Objectives
The main objective of 6WINIT is to validate the introduction of a new mobile wireless internet based on IPv6 and wireless protocols such as WLAN, GPRS and UMTS, ensuring these implementations are generic and not commercially biased. It also includes the validation of the integration of the related protocol suites into real applications by running application testbeds. It attempts to ensure that the validation applications are not too specific to a particular platform or network. It targets particularly, though not exclusively, the clinical domain. It tries to maintain an international perspective in its activities.
Technical Approach
The project covers a whole range of activities in the context of IPv6 and the Wireless Internet. These range from particular protocols and specific applications through network components, networks and full testbeds. There are five themes of the work: Architecture, Applications, Components, Networks and Testbeds. Since 6WINIT plans complete applications testbeds, one set of activities is the provision of IPv6-enabled applications - though not their development; here it has deliberately chosen both generic ones, and ones in the clinical domain. Amongst the generic applications are video conferencing and a weather station; amongst the clinical ones are tele-consultation from ambulances, access to cardiology databases and remote viewing of radiograms. The components include the provision of mobility support in routers, provisions for security and Quality of Service at interfaces to the wireless domain, and ensuring that platforms such as PDAs can use IPv6 over various wireless networks. The networks used include IEEE 802.11b WLANs and GPRS; the project hopes to have access to UMTS before the end. 6WINIT chooses architectures that define the protocol structures to be used, and would allow the validation of the applications in the IPv6 and wireless environments. These architectures should be consistent with the work in the standards bodies like the IETF and 3GPP and CEN, though the project is quite prepared to deviate from their recommendations, and put forward modification proposals at their meetings. Finally, the approach will be validated by carrying out complete system trials and demonstrations.
Preliminary Experiments
Much of the first year was spent in ensuring that the different applications and platforms were IPv6 enabled. Wireless LANs were put in at most of the partners' sites, and GPRS was enabled for partners in Germany and the UK. IPv6-enabled Routers were installed in several sites, and the protocol stacks envisaged in the architecture were partially put together. Several demonstrations were given, including some at IST2001. In this the project used IPv6 over WLANs, GPRS and a simulated ambulance situation, showing tele-consultation and the transfer of data from a simulated patient to a medical team and another showing a position aware system on a wireless LAN. In other occasion, 6WINIT showed also remote wireless access to a cardiology database from a PDA, using application/IPv6/IPv4/GPRS. Yet another demonstration showed video streaming from an IPv6 to an IPv4 network at Mbps streams using WLANs with different transition mechanisms between the two networks.
Technical Approach and Test-bed
6WINIT expects to set up testbeds in three hospitals - in Tubingen, Krakow and London. Complementary clinical applications that make full use of the generic applications like conferencing, media conversion at the wireless boundary, virtual private networks and mobile IP will be explored. The 6NET IP network is expected to be used to provide IPv6 connectivity between the 6WINIT sites. UMTS test-bed facilities should be available towards the end of the year.
Applications
It is clear that this work will have considerable applicability not only to the clinical environment, but also to many others. An important aspect is to show the mobile carriers that it there are many applications waiting to go onto their networks as soon as they make them available.
Innovation
The main innovation is that all these components are being put together into a real systems environment. 6WINIT will not be concentrating on little pieces of the problem, but will be going all the way from a real application through to a systems testbed.
Schematic of the networks planned in 6WINIT
- Project name:
- 6WINIT - IPv6 Wireless Internet IniTiative
- Contract no:
- IST-2000-25153
- Project type:
- RTD
- Start date:
- 01/01/2001
- Duration:
- 24 months
- Total budget:
- 6,018,800 €
- Funding from the EC:
- 3,492,000 €
- Total effort in person-months:
- 550
- Website:
- http://www.6winit.org/
- Contact person:
- Prof. Peter T. Kirstein
- email: p.kirstein@cs.ucl.ac.uk
- tel: +44 (0) 20 7679 7286
- fax: +44(0) 20 7387 1397
- Project participants:
- 6WIND - F
- BT - UK
- Ericsson-Poland - PL
- Ericsson-Research - SE
- Ericsson-TED - DK
- IABG - DE
- RUS - DE
- Telscom - CH
- T-NOVA - DE
- TZI - DE
- UCL - UK
- UKT - DE
- UMM - PL
- UoS - UK
- VTT - FI
- Keywords:
- IPv6, wireless, applications, testbeds and mobile.
- Collaboration with other EC funded projects:
- 6INIT
- 6LINK
- 6NET
- ANDROID
- NGNI
- WINE