WALDO RUSSO of Union Engineering

In the presentation, it was highlighted that Internet of Things (IoT), generically a network of physical objects - vehicles, buildings and devices - that contain technology used for their automation, presents diversified and evolving definitions, several of them mentioned and discussed.
Diversity is also present in the verticals (service sectors) and domains (Application Groups) in the IoT ecosystem, which implies a diversity of devices typically associated with each service / application, as well as depending on the typical locations of use.
Such information (e.g., location, type of device and applications) will characterize the necessary connectivity requirements. At first glance, this seems to require several technologies, with specific performances and capabilities, something completely unviable from a technical-economic point of view.
We can then pose the first challenge here: Is it really necessary to keep these domains separate, with specific individual solutions, or should we try to define common features and technologies, which could be made available as an integrated solution for different areas, services and applications?
A positive answer to this question is necessary, as it does not make sense for any operator or connectivity provider to develop a platform for transportation, another for energy, another for surveillance, etc.
In other words, what is being sought now in academia and companies is a unique platform, characterized by a set of common functionalities, which can serve different domains of different applications.
But it is not just this type of diversity that has great potential for impact on IoT connectivity solutions.
Something very important is the “softerization” that has been taking place universally in the technological world.
In the case of Telcos, "softerization" will interfere in the networks, which will be more a case of Software than of switches and systems, implying a strong transformation in the operators' networks.
We are used to working at the core of the network and considering terminals very simple.
But the world has changed and now there are more smart terminals capable of talking to sensors in different ways, over the network or directly via short distance connectivity, through short-range connectivity like Bluetooth, Zigbee and others.
The concept of communications is changing with IoT, with a myriad of ways of communicating between objects and services.
In addition, there is what some experts call “Continuum Virtual”: today any physical object can be represented in the cloud, making it possible to establish some kind of connection between a physical object and its virtual representation (“digital twin” or a software object) , which can then provide some type of service. In short, there is the ability to virtualize objects and develop services with the virtualized version. And with this, new connectivity needs, now associated with the integration of the virtual and physical worlds (Metaverse, collective and virtual shared space, constituted by the sum of "virtual reality", "augmented reality" and "Internet").
A comparative overview was presented, covering wide-ranging technologies - Low Power Area Network (LPWAs), Wireless Neighborhood Area Network (WNANs), Wireless Local Area Network (WLANs), Wireless Factory Area Network (WFANs), Wireless Home Area Network ( WFANs), Wireless Personal Area Network (WPANs) - and Proximity technologies (NFC - Near Field Communication).
The different satellite connection options were also discussed in the presentation, including (HTS - high-throughput satellite), the operators in the Ka, Ku and V bands, the low-orbit satellite constellations (LEO-Low Earth Orbit) and the small satellites (cubsats, nanosats) for IoT.

Biography:

Mr. Russo is the founder and main executive of UNION Engenharia de Telemática Ltda., a consulting company in the field of Telecommunications Engineering.

At UNION, he presently involved on study groups created by Brazilian Government and industries to study and propose directions for Internet of Things (IoT) and cellular fifth generation (5G) implementation in the country.

Mr. Russo has developed satellite communications solutions to several important clients, such as the Brazilian Government National Satellite Program (he was responsible for the elaboration of the Term of Reference (Executive Project) of the Brazilian Government GEO satellite SGDC - Geostationary Satellite for Defense and Communications, a hybrid satellite with Ka band (civil application) and X band (military application) payloads), the modernization of telecommunications infrastructure that support the Brazilian air traffic control for the Air Force and several projects involving VSAT networks customized designs, employing different suppliers and technologies, for large public and private companies such as Petrobras, CPqD, IBM, Comsat (now British Telecomm) and others.

Other consultancy work has been mainly on the area of supporting Companies with different core business willing to invest in the telecommunications area, as wide area wireless network, GEO and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite systems

He is also a researcher at CETUC, the Center of Studies in Telecommunications of Rio de Janeiro Pontifical Catholic University, where he is the project leader of a consultancy project for modernization of the telecommunications infrastructure of the Brazilian air space control department. At CETUC, he is also a member of the research team devoted to studies on IoT technologies (sensors, gateways, communication networks and analytics), involving IoT lab implementation and training.

He was a researcher at INMETRO, the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology, acting as technical leader of the group created to study and evaluate international research, implementations, and tests of Cognitive Systems, aiming to help the definition of standards for the Brazilian regulatory organ, Anatel.

As Telecommunications director of Racimec Eletrônica, he was responsible for the design and implementation of the first wireless data communication system in Brazil, using Ericsson’s Mobitex technology.

He was Director of Telecommunications of Gtech do Brasil, responsible for design and implementation of the country’s first on-line wireless lottery system, with a hybrid network of UHF radios as last mile and satellite communications as backhaul.

Mr. Russo was one of the first members of VICTORI Communications (VICOM) and in eight years acting as the company Systems Manager, helped it to be the one of the largest consulting and service provider Company in Brazil. There, he was responsible for satellite link budgets, design and dimensioning of communications networks (via satellite, fiber optics, microwave radio), systems performance analysis, study and technical evaluation of new services, being project manager of important programs, as CLASS, the first Brazilian private satellite network program, Teletrim, the first nationwide paging system implemented in the country and SISCOMIS, the Brazilian military satellite communications system at X band.

He spent 15 years as senior technical and management staff of EMBRATEL, the Brazilian PTT, responsible for all inter-state and international telecommunications of the country. Among other activities, he was responsible for the interface with international organizations as INTELSAT - where, for seven years, was a member of the Board of Governors Advisory Committee on Technical Maters (BG/T) - INMARSAT and ITU, and developed economic and technical studies for the implementation of satellite communications facilities in the country as Intelsat Standard A´s and Inmarsat Land Earth Stations, being project manager of several programs. At Intelsat, he was involved in the Intelsat VA and VI satellite programs and in the development of the TDMA/DSI system, among other challenging projects.

In the domestic arena, was a member of the group of experts created by EMBRATEL to design and implement its first generation of domestic satellite system, the Brasilsat system.

Mr. Russo is a member of GRR-3, the Radio-communications Report Group of the Brazilian Communications Commission 2 (CBC 2), group of experts created by the Brazilian Telecommunications Agency ANATEL which deals with subjects related to fixed and mobile satellite services, on the sphere of action of the ITU-R, CITEL, International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO), International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO).

He is also an active member of the IEEE ComSoc (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Communications Society), SSPI (Society of Satellite Professionals International), SCTE (Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers) and SBrT (Brazilian Telecommunications Society).

He is the present chairman of the IEEE Communications Society Rio de Janeiro Chapter.

Mr. Russo holds a B.Sc. and post graduation studies in Telecommunications Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ) and a M.Sc. degree in Systems Engineering (Operations Research) from the Military Institute of Engineering of Rio de Janeiro (IME).

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