Network & Communications

WebRTC reshaping the communication landscape

“To influence the evolution of WebRTC, mobile operators must be ready to advocate in the standard bodies, such as IETF and W3C” — GSMA Whitepaper, “WebRTC to complement IP Communication Services”.

Web Real-Time Communications

Operators have long been restricted to provide their communication services on a particular device factor (a handset), on a specific network (theirs).

The number of connected devices their subscribers own and operates is exploding, and they want their communications capabilities to follow their usage.

WebRTC reshapes the whole communication landscape by making any connected device a potential communication end-point, bringing audio and video communications anywhere, on any network. This vastly expands the ability of operators to reach their customers.

Web as a value-added services enabler

Web application developers need all the tools they can get to create smooth user experiences.

Operators have precious assets that the millions of Web apps developers are ready to exploit: user billing, identity management, real-time notifications.

By exposing these capabilities as built-in features in Web browsers via its work on Web Payments, WebRTC and Push notifications, W3C dramatically expands the number of potential adopters of operators value-added services.

Identity & Authentication

Operators already play a strong role in acting as a relay for identity verification and authentication.

As the world is moving away from passwords, the W3C work on Web Authentication opens up new opportunities for operators to help their users in managing their digital transactions.

The workshop on Strong Authentication and Identity looked at how existing work on payments, authentication, credentials and upcoming work around decentralized identity systems intersect.

The Web, the Open Platform for Mobile

“What we believe is that the third platform will be the Web, not a proprietary one” — Carlos Domingo, Director of Product Development and Innovation for Telefónica Digital.

What's next for Telecommunication on the Web?

Web & Networks

Fifth generation networks (5G) are intended provide higher bandwidth, lower latency and better coverage than today's 4G networks. Improvements to both the physical network and its control plane are expected to make the network more reactive, flexible, and with better performances, and enable better cooperation among its end points.

In parallel, transport protocols are providing more and more options to optimize performance of applications and networks alike.

To take advantage of this program, the application layer must also be up to the task, and the network and application layers will need to cooperate better.

Following up to the Web5G Workshop which started exploring how and where the mechanisms for that collaboration would happen, W3C chartered the Web & Networks Interest Group to explore solutions for web applications to leverage network capabilities in order to achieve better performance and resources allocation, both on the device and network.

WebRTC Next Version

The WebRTC Working Group has released WebRTC 1.0 as a Recommendation and has started work on WebRTC “Next Version”, offering a unique opportunities for bringing to the table new use cases, applying lessons from existing WebRTC services and products.

Web Payments & Operators

In many markets, telecommunication operators also act as payment providers: W3C has identified a number of opportunities for operators to take advantage of the seamless payments mechanisms afforded by our Web Payments activity - come and help make these opportunities come true.

Interoperability for the IoT

The Web of Things Working Group is bringing a first layer of interoperability in the hyper-fragmented space of the Internet of Things through a shared vocabulary for describing “Thing” and a common scripting framework to interact with them.

Why join?

Since 1994, we have been leading the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth of the web.

By joining these groups, you have the ability to discuss and drive the standards produced by W3C. The conversations occurring in the groups concern both current and future standards, constantly aiming to make the web a better place. You have the ability to take part in guiding the future of the web.

Our values revolve around building the web for all

The social value of the web is that it enables human communication, commerce, and opportunities to share knowledge. One of W3C's primary goals is to make these benefits available to all people, whatever their hardware, software, network infrastructure, native language, culture, geographical location, or physical or mental ability.