BT and strategic research into next-generation communication and applications. Presented at "Implementing Future Networks, Content and Services with Secure and Efficient Systems." At the University of Surrey 20th Sept 2010

1. Jonathan Legh-Smith
Head of Partnerships & Strategic Research
20th September

2. BT Group: the strategy today
BT Global
BT Retail
Services
BT Innovate
& Design
BT Wholesale
BT Operate
Openreach
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3. Openreach: creating the super-fast fibre access
network
Fibre FTTC
Copper Configuration
Core network
Backhaul
Overhead
distribution
• Install c.30,000 cabinets
• Lay over 50,000km of fibre
Underground
• Train & up-skill c.4,000 FTE distribution
• Enable over 1,000 exchange areas
1.5m premises 4m premises 10m premises 2/3 of UK premises
passed by early passed by end of passed by passed by 2015
summer 2010 2010 2012
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4. BT Retail: next generation TV
Today Coming to a screen near you...
BBC iPlayer on BT Vision
BT Vision Vision 2.0 More HD content, enhanced distribution
Advanced recommendation and search
Freeview
Integrated on-demand and linear TV
On-demand TV Project
Catch-up and archive PSB content
and films Canvas
Open platform
ESPN Sports
HD download
Premium Premium channels (e.g. sports)
Pay TV ‘Must have’ linear channels
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5. BT Wholesale: quality-assured video content
distribution
Broadband Access Network Core Network ISP Peering
The broadband access network can Traffic traverses the The ISP manages Internet CDN traffic
either be self provided (LLU) or core network to reach traffic in his network reaches the ISP
purchased from a network provider the broadband access to balance user network via
like BT Wholesale network experience with peering or transit
network cost links
Broadband
Access
Internet
Network
CDN
EU Exchange BRAS ISP Core ISP WWW
Network
wCC
Content providers can place
videos directly into the broadband
access network bypassing core
network and peering
Content
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6. Three Strategic Research Themes
Social TV &
Smart Britain
Communications
•Defining the Infrastructure for •Creating a unique mass market
the UK Digital Economy. TV experience.
•Validating the services required •Harnessing the momentum of
to support Smart Metering, social networking and combining
Smart Cities, Transportation, with advanced SFBB-based
Heathcare, … communications.
Efficient Enabling projects
Organisations for Core Research
•Increasing BT’s agility by linking •Future Internet Architectures
opportunities in the new •Cognitive Radio
economic and social landscape
to their consequences on BT’s
platform and people resources
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7. Social TV and Communications
Implications
Description
•‘Social TV’ is an emerging Opportunities
concept that sees television •Create compelling mass market TV experiences
evolving from a passive which combine TV content with social networking
experience to one that is more and communication services.
social, interactive and personal •For BT to actively encourage and promote the
development of new capabilities that will enable
•Social TV will allow participants to new or improved services
•discover, recommend and
chat about TV content Key questions
•communicate and interact in •How can TV be best partnered with social
the context of watching TV networking and communication services to
provided an attractive experience for viewers?
•Social TV, like social networking, •How can BT encourage, enable and promote third
has the potential to be a self- party application development?
reinforcing phenomenon •How do we retain the ability to launch and adapt
such services quickly?
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8. Smart Britain
Description Implications
•More is required of the UK’s future Opportunities
internet infrastructure to support •To create the UK’s Digital Economy infrastructure
sectors like transportation, energy offering the core information and communications
and healthcare in a low-carbon services required to support:
Digital Economy • the Energy, Transportation, Health etc. services
envisaged by Government
•Each sector requires an • the information-driven business ecosystems
information infrastructure that required of Industry.
enables the capture, distribution &
analysis of real-world, public and Key Questions
business information. •How to architect large scale information-centric
networks:
•Information & content, both real- •to enable users to both utilise information sources
time & non-real-time, must be and make personal information available
securely accessed, transmitted •to secure and protect the infrastructure
and stored across an increasingly •to ensure information is easy to access if and only if
de-perimeterised infrastructure. you have the right entitlements
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