Evolution of IP picks up pace with new ETSI specification

• ETSI Next Generation Protocols group releases first specification
• New protocols designed for a 21st century Internet
• Use cases include 4K video, massive IoT, drone control and virtual reality

The ETSI Industry Specification Group on Next Generation Protocols (NGP ISG) has this morning announced the release of its first specifications focused on the evolution of the long-running Internet Protocol standards. The “GS NGP 001: Next Generation Protocols; Scenarios Definitions” document defines key scenarios to evolve the current IP suite architecture and addresses the future technologies that will be embedded in next generation networks.

IP protocols have been defined in the 1970s but ETSI believes that today’s ubiquitous internet requires a different approach, with new security, addressing and mobility issues to consider. The aim of the new work is to provide all stakeholders with harmonized requirements that will be suitable for multi-access communication including wireless, wired and cellular communications.

“Current and future use cases include 4K videos on various devices, massive IoT, drone control or virtual reality to name but a few: use cases that have nothing to do with those of the 70s,” said Andy Sutton, chairman of the NGP ISG. “A modernized network protocols architecture had to be triggered and this is why NGP ISG was created in January this year.”

The various NGP scenarios comprise addressing, security, mobility, context-awareness, performance improvement and content enablement as well as multi-access, IoT, virtualization, mobile edge computing and energy saving.

The ETSI NGP group hopes this new document will influence the key communications standards bodies (such as 3GPP, ETSI, IEEE, IETF, ITU-T) to shape their protocol evolution for 5G systems and 21st century networking technology so as to address the issues identified and meet the recommendations provided. The 113-page document also compares and contrasts existing IP suite protocols with next generation networking and internetworking protocol architecture proposals. Well worth downloading and studying when you have time.