ITU-T Chief Urges Telcos: ‘Put the ITU First’ for Standards-Setting
LONDON -- Launch of the first set of standards for next generation networks (NGNs) shows the ITU can act efficiently and at low cost, the dir. of ITU’s telecom standardization bureau said Fri. The specifications were drawn up so quickly ITU no longer can be seen as slow, Houlin Zhao said. But, fearing industry will continue to refuse to work with the organization, Houlin pleaded for the telecom sector to “start with the ITU” on standardization. His comments came at an ITU-sponsored NGN conference here.
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The new standards govern NGN scope and requirements, architecture, network evolution, quality of service and security. They're backed strongly by British Telecom (BT), now rolling out its 21st Century Network (21CN), said Group Technology Officer Mick Reeve. But the standards-setting is far from complete. The new standards form the core of an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network, Reeve told us: “It’s a start -- something to hang the hat on of the other bits.”
One such bit is IPTV, which must become part of NGN and be subject to a global standard from the ITU, Reeve said. Users’ view of TV and TV services will change when they move past broadcasting to become more interactive and communicative, not just broadcasting. Some nations already have submitted proposals to begin developing IPTV services architecture as part of NGN, said Keith Dickerson, BT head of standards.
BT wants to persuade the ITU and other standards bodies to devise a “release strategy” for coming standards, Reeve said. In the fixed-line world, standards bodies always work toward the next standard, giving industry advance warning of what’s next. The fixed and IP worlds need to do likewise, he said. The ITU, the European Telecom Standards Institute (ETSI) and others must see these standards as the first, into which later standards will fit, he said.
On using ITU for standards-setting, Reeve said telcos always are trying to cut spending on standards. There are 3 kinds of standards-setting groups, he said: (1) Ad-hoc forums such as the Internet Engineering Task Force and DSL Forum. (2) Regional organizations like the Alliance for Telecom Industry Solutions and ETSI. (3) ITU. With so many groups, telcos are seeking order, he said.
The ITU has had a “perception problem or some real problems,” Houlin told us: (1) Standards were approved at meetings held every 4 years, a schedule industry couldn’t handle. There was griping about other meetings being held too frequently or too rarely. (2) ITU was viewed as govt.-controlled when industry dominates its standards activities. Other standards-development bodies emerged, mostly driven by one or 2 major players that set up their own processes. If industry gripes about standards body proliferation, Houlin said, industry is partly to blame.
BT and others say ITU shouldn’t write every standard but should focus on global standards harmonization, Reeve said. ITU is the obvious place for that, but industry is “wary” of ITU doing it all. Previous ITU inefficiency left operators distrustful of the body, Dickerson said.
In fact, ITU’s next NGN work will be on details of protocols needed to offer the broad range of services NGNs are expected to enable. An NGN Global Services Initiative -- a continuation of the focus group that developed phase 1 standards -- probably will harmonize approaches to NGN architecture around the world, the ITU said.
Houlin doesn’t expect harmonizing NGN approaches to cause problems. ITU remains respected as the international data and communications technology family leader, he said. He noted that the NGN conference was sponsored by such as BT, Cisco, Motorola and Lucent.