Fixed-mobile Convergence: Architecture and Functionality IEEE HPSR 2015 Tutorial

Fixed-mobile convergence initially focused on optimising fixed and mobile telephone infrastructure for voice services. With the appearance of VoIP and smartphones, and the growing popularity of social networks and video services network operators and service providers had to refocus to data delivery. The move is motivated by the emergence of 5G, Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communication and ever newer over-the top services. The tutorial presentations put network convergence into focus, detailing on the functional and structural aspects of the convergence from the perspective of the COMBO European integration project.