Abstract

Abstract: The Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure (DAFNI) represents an £8 million investment from the EPSRC -funded UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) focusing on infrastructure modelling, simulation and visualisation. Consequently, this talk examines the applications of DAFNI ’s high-performance computing environment for analysing the UK’s digital infrastructure, specifically the rollout of Fibre-To-The-Premises (FTTP) and 5G broadband networks. In recent years, the development of the open-source Cambridge Communications Assessment Model has provided a decision support system to understand how different digital infrastructure strategies for FTTP and 5G perform in terms of capacity, coverage and cost. Thus, a method will be presented detailing an FTTP model which comprises a virtual engineering-economic representation of the British fixed broadband access network, spanning 30 million premises and over 4.3 million geospatial network assets. Secondly, a mobile infrastructure model is presented which enables the testing of 5G expansion strategies. Results from these models are visualised and findings discussed. The integration of the Cambridge Communications Assessment Model is one of DAFNI ’s first pilot projects, with new developments making it much easier for non-technical users to run modelling simulations from their web browser via a graphical user interface.

Speaker bio: Edward is known for developing decision-support models of digital infrastructure for both industry and government. He carried out one of the first assessments of 5G in Britain. Generally, his research includes assessing the capacity, coverage and cost of new digital infrastructure, against the revenue opportunities new services can provide. Currently, Edward has published 14 papers and been awarded over £480k in funding. This includes working on a variety of projects for organisations including the UK’s Department for Transport, HM Treasury’s National Infrastructure Commission, the UK Met Office, the Asian Development Bank, Airbus Space and Defence, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, AIG , Lockheed Martin and the Canadian Space Agency. In 2017, he was nominated by the US Embassy (London) for the International Visitors Leadership Program based on his telecommunications research. Edward holds an MPhil and PhD from the University of Cambridge, is a 5G Researcher in Residence at the UK’s Digital Catapult, has an Adjust Assistant Professorship at Carnegie Mellon University, and holds an Honorary Fellowship at the British Antarctic Survey.