Software-defined Mobile Networks: With the advances in cloud and centralized computing, more and more sophisticated processing is being pushed towards the wireless network controllers - in some cases even remotely. We are exploring intelligent architectures and software-defined solutions for mobile core (eg. network function virtualization, NFV) and access networks (eg.cloud/centralized radio access networks, C-RAN). Such architectures are critical for making future mobile networks scalable and to greatly simplify the management of a large network of small cells. We are designing solutions that not only improve the performance and QoE for users and services on the access network but also computing (energy) efficiency for network operators. We have also deployed a functional, small scale C-RAN system in our enterprise, demonstrating the multitude of benefits from our solution.

• FluidNet: A flexible C-RAN system for managing small cells; employs a dynamically re-configurable fronthaul to improve both mobile user performance on the access network as well as reduce computing resources in the processing center.

• TRINITY: A practical C-RAN system that categorizes users into profiles based on their wireless conditions and appropriately tailors wireless transmission strategies (such as DAS, network MIMO, CSMA, etc.) to user profiles to deliver significantly improved QoE to all users and applications.

• SCALE+SCOPE: A framework that leverages principles of distributed computing, network function virtualization (NFV) and SDN to scale the LTE control (SCALE) and data (SCOPE) planes for future mobile access encompassing IoT and M2M traffic.

For more information on our projects in software-defined access networks, please check here.

Mobile Edge Computing: Bringing computing closer to the wireless edge is critical to deliver the tight latencies needed for enabling time-critical, real-time applications like continuous vision (augmented/virtual reality), critical health and emergency services. We are leveraging various aspects of user context information to optimize the MEC solution and help deliver the latencies required for an enriched, mobile user experience over LTE networks.

• ACACIA: Enabling continuous vision applications like augmented reality over LTE networks using dynamic, fine-grained, low-overhead MEC