Research within HITS

Scalable signalling support
Despite the huge success of cellular networks and the Long Term Evolution (LTE), there are challenges ahead. The performance requirements of LTE yield massive signaling traffic, imposing further demands on already strained networks. In an effort to manage the growing volume of data in cellular networks, there has been an increasing interest in deploying relays, distributed antennas, and small cell access points (e.g., pico- and femtocells) in residential areas, subways and offices. 

Service Optimization
Traditionally, Internet-based services have had few options on how to optimize communication between involved parties. This was previously not a problem as most services had one major requirement, high throughput, which also was considered by nearly all components of Internet hardware and software. Recent years have, however, seen a major increase in both services with other requirements and in technologies, used to access the Internet, with significantly different characteristics.

Trustworthy system operations
Being able to trust that systems are operating correctly is of utmost importance for system operations. How systems are deemed trustworthy or not is a multifaceted and complex topic, with factors such as security, privacy, reliability, transparency, and assurance to name a few.

Measurements & evaluation tools
End-user Internet access has traditionally been dominated by wired connectivity (ADSL, cable). This landscape is changing, with mobile broadband (3G/4G) complementing or fully replacing the wired access. Whereas wired network access links typically provide a stable link capacity and delay, mobile wireless access adds another level of complexity. Aspects such as coverage, radio signal strength, handover and resource sharing all contribute to a varying channel capacity, packet delivery delay and delay variations.