th mobile wideband and broadband capabilities. INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030: TELECOM, LAND TRANSPORT, WATER AND ELECTRICITY - ISBN 92-64-02398-4 - © OECD 2006 2. TELECOMS INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030 Its architecture is based on robust forms of the IP protocol end-to-end for isochronous media and bursty data transfers, with IPv6 or its descendants beyond 2020. It is designed from the perspective of the data communications world, and the support of packet services such as VoIP and content streaming. Such a simple architecture would gradually form over the next 10-20 years by progressive refinements of the complicated nest of existing standards and networks. Thus for both economic and technical reasons it may be deployed first in the developing world, as there are less legacy networks and protective regulation with vested interest in the commercial/technical status quo, whose power should not be underestimated. 62 The new efficiencies of such a structure will tend to seep back into the OECD communities' infrastructures. Perhaps this might occur quickly if competition forces openness, although the prolonged continuance of existing networks can be expected for commercial/ political reasons, such as the 20 years of 3G licences still to run in many OECD countries. A number of OECD incumbents (such as France Telecom and Telefonica) with mobile licences and ISPs are integrating these activities back into the main company - the purpose is to offer a single seamless service to customers using NGN linked to the operator's mobile technologies. However, the costs of 3G licences have been SO large for some major operators that they cannot be simply written off as a sunk cost. Their market reputation, as well as mandates from the financing holding companies in certain cases, plus further 3G network investments such as HSPDA could force share prices to suffer more than their boards can permit. They are thus destined to battle on with 3G technology and expensive enhancements such as IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem, needed to build an all IP pat