EPSRC NETWORK in Next Generation Networks Systems and Services- Enablers for the Digital Economy

投资于信息和通信技术（ICT）的创新和研究对于促进社会和经济包容、改善公共服务和提高公民生活质量至关重要。我们网络的主要目的是加强对下一代电信网络的投资，以支持数字经济。这些愿望对于英国和印度的社会包容和经济繁荣至关重要。在英国，情况正在改善，但根据Ofcom最近关于2007年国家和地区的报告，需要做更多的工作，以确保所有公民都能获得和负担得起数字经济的好处。随着中产阶级的不断壮大，目前人数已近4亿，印度的电子设备消费预计将在2015年达到3，630亿美元，2005年估计为282亿美元。根据伊萨的估计，2005年国内生产总值为109.9亿美元，预计2015年将达到1550亿美元，这要归功于移动的电话、无线设备、机顶盒和智能卡终端等驱动因素。这些发展，以及政府提高教育和商业标准、解决社会和经济贫困问题的优先事项，正在推动推动通信和服务提供商提出具有成本效益的解决方案，这些解决方案可以大规模推广，以支持两国的数字经济。我们将讨论一些有助于下一代融合网络开发和部署的主题。这些主题建立在我们的网络成员的优势之上，也为技术示范提供了最大的机会，这将支持英国和印度农村和城市数字经济计划的政府政策和举措的发展。帕尔教授建立了一个英国-印度咨询小组（见英国驻印度高级专员公署人员的支持信）。该小组一直在制定两国之间的发展计划，包括下一代网络背景下的活动议程;目的是鼓励发展真实的和有意义的合作，这些合作将在国际上领先，并与英国和印度的经济相关。总的来说，其目的是建立一个联合的印度-英国虚拟卓越中心，该中心将解决下一代网络领域的问题，以造福两国。通过EPSRC互动方案提供核心资金对于建立我们的网络和使我们的计划能够在未来的坚实基础上向前迈进至关重要。

Investment in innovation and research in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is essential in order to foster social and economic inclusion, better public services, and improvements in the quality of life for citizens. The key purpose of our Network is to strengthen such investment in the area of Next Generation Telecommunications Networks in support of the Digital Economy. Such aspirations are pivotal for social inclusion and economic prosperity in both the UK and India. Within the UK, the situation is improving, but according to Ofcom's recent report on the Nations and Regions 2007, more work needs to be done to ensure that the benefits of the Digital Economy are accessible and affordable to all of its citizens. With a growing middle class that now numbers nearly 400 million people, India's electronics equipment consumption, estimated at $28.2 billion in 2005, is expected to reach $363 billion by 2015. Domestic production totalled $10.99 billion in 2005 and is projected at $155 billion in 2015, according to ISA estimates, thanks to such drivers as mobile phones, wireless equipment, set-tops and smart-card terminals. These developments, and the priorities of government to raise educational and business standards and address social and economic deprivation, are driving the pressure on the enabling communications and service providers to come up with cost-effective solutions that can be rolled out at scale in support of the digital economy in both countries.Within our proposed Network, we will address a number of themes that will contribute to the development and deployment of Next Generation Converged Networks. These themes build on the strengths of our Network Members and also provide the greatest opportunities for the consideration of Technology Demonstrators that will underpin the development of government policies and initiatives for both Rural and Urban Digital Economy programmes in both UK and India.For the past two years, under the invitation of EPSRC and the British High Commission in Delhi, Professor Parr has established a UK-India Advisory Group (see Letters of Support from British High Commission Personnel in India). This group has been formulating a development plan between the two nations, involving an agenda of activities within the context of Next Generation Networking; the purpose is to encourage the development of real and meaningful collaborations that will be internationally leading and economically relevant to both the UK and India. Overall, the intention is the establishment of a joint Indo-UK Virtual Centre of Excellence that will address the domain of Next Generation Networking for the benefit of both nations. The provision of core funding through this EPSRC INTERACT Programme is critical to the creation of our Network and to enable our plans to go forward on a sure footing for the future.