• At the network level, the starting point will be the concept of a cellular-based augmented network with a cooperative extension, where the cooperative component is an enhancement of the conventional cellular infrastructure. The concept is illustrated in Fig. 1. Although fixed relaying stations can be used, the key point of the project is the inclusion of cooperative capabilities in the user equipment.

• At the physical transmission level the project will consider multiple access OFDM-based cooperative networks.

Considering the previous points, at the system level the project will target the evolution of cellular systems and WMAN’s. The interest in both systems is motivated by the current trends towards the fixed-mobile convergence (endorsed by the EU); therefore there is interest in addressing the two systems that are currently separated, to develop technologies with maximum reusability that would fulfil the reconfigurability trend, which is currently one of the major constraints in the development of wireless systems.

Fig. 1 - Reference model for the CODIV project

As the project targets the analysis, specification, simulation, implementation and validation of concepts for efficient communication systems integrating terminal cooperation with other forms of diversity, it will encompass the three different levels from the concept to the deployment as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 The different planes for the project development

b) Main Objectives

The focus of the project (Fig. 2) includes two main components: one, the dominant, specifically dealing with technical aspects and a second one addressing business / deployment models related with the topic of the project and techniques under study.

At the technical level the main goals are

• Define and validate access and transmission concepts integrating cooperative diversity with other forms of diversity techniques for provision of the broadband component of future wireless systems.

• Provide a proof of concept for the investigated technologies. The proof of concept will be both in terms of implementation feasibility, and system level performance.

• Evaluate the implications of the usage of cooperation upon the current wireless architecture models and provide roadmaps for evolution

and in terms of business models

• Make the business cases associated to different views of diversity, and it combinations

• Study of the economic impact, on system deployment costs, of the usage of diversity mechanism for radio links.

• Analyze the different cost models involved in the provision of different diversity enhanced radio technologies.