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Next Generation Networks:Paradigm Shifts and their Effects

Source: Rapporteur Q1/13 (Keith Knightson)

Keith Knightson1806 Lahey CourtKanataOntario, K2W 1B2CANADATel: +1 613 839 0404E-mail: kgk@igs.net

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Abstract:

This presentation has two primary objectives:

a) the formulation of a set of paradigm(s) to represent the holistic effects and major changes that will result from deployment of NGN technologies;

b) identification the areas that will be impacted by effects and impacts of the NGN paradigm(s) on the telecommunications environment (including telecommunications industry and related infrastructures), and other relevant issues.

The general challenges of converged networks to technical policy will be discussed.

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TelephoneServices

DataServices (WWW,

e-mail, etc)

Video Services

(TV, movie, etc)

TelephoneServicesNetwork

VideoServicesNetwork

DataServicesNetwork

Pre-NGN

Policy Area 1 Policy Area 2 Policy Area 3

Legacy: Vertically-Integrated Networks

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Transport

Services

Telephone Services

Data Services (WWW, e-mail, etc)

Video Services (TV, movie, etc)

Point to point, Point to multipoint, Multipoint to multipoint

Point to point, Point to multipoint, Multipoint to multipoint

NGN - Convergence

NGN: Horizontally-Integrated Network

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ApplicationServer

ApplicationServer

SwitchedCore

PacketNetwork(s)

SwitchedAccess

Network(s)

TransportProtocol

Interworking

SwitchedAccess

Network(s)

TransportProtocol

Interworking

Single pointOr

DistributedApplication

UsersUsers

Separation of Service from Network

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Migration ofService Intelligence

User

Domain

CoreDomain

Access

DomainUser

Domain

Access

Domain

Re-distribution of Service Intelligence

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• The separation facilitates the unbundling of services and facilities (in both access and core).

• Each vertical stratum of NGN has its own horizontal architecture.

• The location of service platforms is not restricted.

• Telecom industry will bifurcate to reflect the new NGN architecture.

• NGN architecture will facilitate competition and innovation among service providers.

• Service intelligence will migrate to the edges.

Impacts and Effects on Service Provision - 1

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Impacts and Effects on Service Provision - 2

• Telephone service will not follow the traditional centrex,

local or long distance approaches.

• Policy frameworks designed for vertically-integrated

networks are not transferable to a horizontally-

integrated NGN.

• In an NGN, two separate policy frameworks are

required:

• one applicable to transport networks, and

• another applicable to content-based services.

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NGN InternetBut

NGN = Internet + f(x) x = 1

x = n

Internet is Basis for NGN?

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Internet Protocol(IP)

Anything & Everything

Everything

Two Policy Domains

(Any & All Network technologies)

(Any/All Applicationse.g. voice , data , video)

NGN: Shape of things to come

ScopeOf

“Internet”

Services

Transport

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IP

Applications

Application Helpers (UDP, TCP, RTP, etc)

Non-IPServices

MPLS or shim Ethernet

Optical Bit Transport

(Optional)LANor

MAN

Simplified Protocol Architecture

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• IP will become the networking protocol of choice.

• Frame Relay and ATM will diminish in importance.

• Optical networks will be a key component.

• The power and influence of ITU-T will wane, unless operators act.

• Operational and quality standards of networks may decline.

• Whose standards will become the basis for international agreements?

Impacts and Effects of Internet as NGN - 1

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• Theoretically, NGN promotes competitive service innovation.

• Broadband brings more speed, but may restrict the user’s choice of services and service providers.

• User’s life will become more complicated.

• Services need to be unbundled from transport particularly in access network.

• Policy vacuum exists for converged, horizontally-integrated NGN.

• The “technical basis” for policy must be separated from policy itself.

Impacts and Effects of Internet as NGN - 2

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User1

SP1 SP2 SP3 SP4 SP5

User2Access or BackboneAccess or Backbone

Broadband: Equal Access Model

SP = Service Provider

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SP7SP3 SP4 SP5 SP6

User1

SP1

User2 User3 User4

SP2

User5 User6

BackboneBackbone

AccessAccess

Broadband: Bottleneck Access Model

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• The separation facilitates the unbundling of services and facilities.

• Access should permit:

• independent provision of terminal equipment,• user choice for service provision, and• use of multiple service providers.

• Policy recognition of two access frameworks:

• Equal Service Access Architecture, and• Bottlenecked Service Access Architecture.

• Mass migration from dial-up access can be expected.

Impacts and Effects on Broadband - 1

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• Standards need to be rationalized among access systems such as DSL, cable wireless, etc.

• User lock-in is a common issue, due to proprietary and bundled systems.

• No technical reason why all services (voice, data, video) cannot be supplied over a single physical medium, i.e. integrated services access.

• Policy may be key to deployment of integrated services access and choice/competition.

•

Impacts and Effects on Broadband - 2

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Impacts and Effects on Telephone Service

• Traditional PSTN telco models not transferable to Internet.

• The telephone service needs to be considered separately from the delivery systems (in line with models for the gas, electricity, railway sectors).

• Maintenance of traditional telephone service functionality is an area for concern.

• The Internet will become part of telecommunications, and vice-versa.

• There is a need for a requirements definition for telephone service(s).

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Impacts and Effects on Telephone Service

• Telecommunications should be regarded as a generic term covering all forms of communication.

• The role of the Internet in the provision of telecommunications services needs to be recognized.

• Policy designed for one kind of vertically-integrated network will not be transposable to another kind, and particularly not to a converged NGN.

• No adequate technical model exists for a converged NGN, which can be used for consistent consideration of areas and issues where policy might or might not be required.

• A new technical framework is required to identify technical areas for policy consideration.

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What means what?

• When we speak of Internet what exactly do we mean?IP?DNS?NAS?E-mail?Web-sites?Voice Servers?

• When we speak of Telecommunications what exactly do we mean?

PSTN, PSTN plus voice services?Cable-TV systems?Ethernet?

Huge terminology problemNo consistent basis for policy determination

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Impacts and Effects on Policy - 1

• Telecommunications should be regarded as a generic term covering all forms of communication.

• The role of the Internet in the provision of telecommunications services needs to be recognized.

• Policy designed for one kind of vertically-integrated network will not be transposable to another kind, and particularly not to a converged NGN.

• No adequate technical model exists for a converged NGN, which can be used for consistent consideration of areas and issues where policy might or might not be required.

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Impacts and Effects on Policy - 2

• A new technical framework is needed to deal with the convergent environment provided by an NGN to:

• provide a consistent set of terms and definitions,

• illustrate NGN environment,

• identify areas and issues where policy may be required, and

• Generally illustrate the challenges of convergence.

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Impacts and Effects on Broadband - 1

• Standards need to be rationalized among access systems such as DSL, cable wireless, etc.

• User lock-in is a common issue, due to proprietary and bundled systems.

• No technical reason why all services (voice, data, video) cannot be supplied over a single physical medium, i.e. integrated services access.

• Policy may be key to deployment of integrated services access and choice/competition.

•

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InternetTransport

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Network Connectivity Services

Content ServicesTV

programmingMovies

Web-basedservices

E-mail

Radioprogramming

Wireline Wireless

Telephony

PolicyDomain

2

PolicyDomain

1

Other

ATM

Spectrum

FRTDMAnalogue

Point-to-point

Ethernet

DSL Wires & Cables

Point-to-multipoint Switched services

Cable

Possible Way Forward?

INTERNET

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Need for:• Tools to assist policy-makers to meet the challenges of

convergence and converged networks.• Tools to position technologies into appropriate policy

domains.• Appropriate terms and definitions. Why:• Things ain’t what they used to be.• Technology has overtaken policy.• A new overarching approach has to be taken.• Potential policy impacts of converged networks have to

be articulated.Not about:• Policy itself, just the technical underpinnings.

Conclusions

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Next Generation Networks: The Challenges of Convergence

Supplementary Information

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• Certain expectations/requirements wrt PSTN:• 911 capabilities• Lawful interception• Number portability• Local/long distance differentiation• Good QoS• Reliability• Calling/Called party identification• Disaster Relief• Points of Interconnection and standards

• Internet-based Telephone Service (over cable, etc)

• ?

Telephone Service(s)

Service is separate from delivery system

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• Internet-based Radio programming

• Internet-based TV programming

• Broadcast is a technical “mechanism” not a content service.

• Programming is content

Radio/Video Service(s) Trends

Again: Service is separate from delivery system

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Terminology Examples - 1

• US FCC - Policy Paper no. 36

• Basic Service networks - no network processing (i.e telephony technology).• Enhanced Service networks - network processing

(i.e. packet technology) with PSTN access model, and viewed as Enhanced over Basic.

• Telephony over IP becomes Basic over Enhanced!

• Definitions of Basic and Enhanced Services conflict with Voice Services over IP, and with

Broadband Access.Flawed technical framework = Flawed Policy

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• Policies cannot be assumed to be 1:1 transposable from one vertical network to another, nor to a single network.

• EU Directive 21*New definitions being proposed:

Electronic Communications Network (ECN)Electronic Communications Service (ECS)

Terminology Examples - 2

• EU Green Paper on Convergence

New technicalbasis

Old technical basis

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Typical questions to be answered - 1

• What constitutes a public telephone service?• Is the telephone service tied to the PSTN?• Should the telephone service have a set of defined

minimum requirements/characteristics (and what should they be)?

• Should telephone services be categorized, i.e. Minimum, Basic, Supplementary, Enhanced, etc?

• Is the Internet a public service?• What effect does separation of services and network have

on policy?• If services and transport are to be technically separated,

should policies also be so separated?• What is the technical scope and extent of

telecommunications?

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Typical questions to be answered - 2

• Is there a distinction between the Internet a telecommunications network? If so what?

• What is the meaning universal service in the context of a converged NGN?

• What services are deemed essential in the context of a converged NGN?

• Do the following technical provisions apply equally well to NGNs:• Emergency services (data, voice, or both)?• Disaster Relief capabilities (data, voice, or both)?• Lawful interception (data, voice, or both)?

• How would national numbering be affected by Internet Telephony:

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Typical questions to be answered - 3

• How would national numbering be affected by Internet Telephony:• What is the technical scope of E.164 numbers?• User issues (number portability from PSTN to Internet)?• Allocation issues (e.g. telco versus ISPs)?• Rights and ownership of numbers?