The migration to NGN in India from a regulatory perspective
Martin Lundborg, Matthias Ehrler, Ernst-Olav Ruhle, Wolgang Reichl, Stephan Wirsing
ITS 2012 Conference, India
Disclaimer: This presentation only contains the personal view of the authors
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NGN are result of demands being placed on the network operators by market and technologicaldevelopment
Demands from business
Demands from consumers and government
Demands from investors
NGN describes key architectural evolutions in telecommunication core and access networks aswell as on the service control platform
The network is based on the Internet Protocol (IP)
In NGN networks one network transports all information and services (voice, data, and all sorts of mediasuch as video) by encapsulating these into packets.
All telecommunication operators are currently about to, or will, migrate to NGN for severalreasons
NGN networks utilizes economies of scale and scope to a higher extent, lowering the cost of services
NGN enables new networks and services
NGN networks are more flexible
Introduction
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Circuit basednetworks
replaced bymore efficient
All-IP-Networks
Impact on networks
New network architectures
Switches/MSC are replaced by IP-Routers
New network structures (more centralized networks with lowernumber of POIs and MDF as well as more centralized networkfunctions)
All applications and services implemented in one IP-network
New signaling and interfaces within and between networks
New and more differentiated management of quality of service
Migration to Next Generation Networks
This evolution requires operators to evolve their infrastructure in three areas – thecore, the access and the service provision/control platform.
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Traditional market boundaries have become increasingly blurred in thepresence of IP-enabled services and fixed-mobile convergence.
Regulatory frameworks which were generally designed for a traditionalcircuit-switched environment may not be equipped to address an IP-basedenvironment where multiple services can be offered over a single platform.
Access providers and network operators must make intensive investmentsin upgrading and building new infrastructures and are looking forregulatory certainty.
New potentials for bottleneck structures and market dominance in thetelecommunications industry may emerge.
Traditional business models undergo significant change.
Important Policy Aspects
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Relevant Issues
The issues with regard to the migration to NGN can be added into three main groups,i.e. interconnection, licensing and quality of service.
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Multilateral coordination regarding standards forarchitectures, interfaces and signaling isrequired.
Regulated interconnection offers may needrevision to safeguard any-to-anycommunications
Between IP networks and between IP and PSTNnetworks
Regarding different services (emergency calls,indirect access, roaming)
Establishment of new business models (e.g.service providers providing the service platformonly) and protection of current providers?
Technological changes
New architectures(IMS, softswitch,SBC)
New interfaces(Ethernet)
New signaling(SIGTRAN, H.284btw. Media gatewayand MGW-controller, SIP,H.323, VoIP,H.323/SIP)
Policy implications
Architectures, Interfaces and Signalling
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Multilateral coordination and/or regulation of thepoints of interconnection (PoI) as fewer are needed /efficient.
Mandatory POIs?
Establishment of centralized exchanges forinterconnection (NIXI)?
Development of migration rules for thedecommission of POI and the migration to new POI.
Compensation for disadvantaged operators?
Establishment of joint technical committees?
Development of a timeframe for migration?
Distribution of responsibilities and costsbetween operators?
Introduction of NGN relatedtransmission technologies
As each network link andconcentration node canhandle larger trafficvolumes, less andincreasingly centralisednetwork nodes are needed.
The interconnectionarchitecture increasinglyresembles datainterconnection
The introduction of NGAleads to fewer MDFs (maindistribution frames)
Policy implications
NGN Architecture Implies Fewer Sites
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NumberingNumbering system alternatives are the E.164 and the currentnumbering plan or to implement new systems (especially ENUM).Decision which services and which numbering resources should beallocated in the future. Especially new services (nomadic voiceservices, video calls, video-on-demand) might be facilitated by arevised numbering plan.In an NGN number portability could be handled based on the use of theDNS.
Other Interconnection Issues (I)
Routing principlesHot potato routing as in the Web or as close to the B-party as possible?Rules for transit and third-party routing considering QoS control andservice classes as well as cascade routing and billing.Rules and standards for overflow traffic and network congestion.
Charging regimesInter alia Capacity Based Charging, Volume Based Charging, Bill &Keep, IP-Peering.
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Quality and SLAs
Lawful interception
The quality of voice interconnection is in difference to PSTNinterconnection not standardised.Hence SLAs must be agreed upon, monitored and enforced.
Digital networks are more secure and thus more difficult to handle withrespect to interception.Legal basis with respect to the demand by the public institutions willundergo change in order to cover lawful interception in NGN.
Other Interconnection Issues (II)
RoamingThe current roaming is based on the concept of home and visitednetworks.GSMA is developing a private IP network which allows to connectmobile operator‘s networks. This is called IPX (IP eXchange).There is usually no regulation involved regarding roaming (apart fromtermination rates).
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Types of licenses
Contents andservices
Modification of current licenses vs. introduction of new NGN licensesNetwork vs. service licensesTechnology neutrality (modification of current licenses)New network architecture might facilitate new business modelsnot covered by current licenses
Obligations for value added services, emergency calls, indirect access,(Mandatory access to content and services?)QoS and SLAsPricingIntellectual property rights (IPR)
Equipmentlicensing
Need for equipment licensing and type approvals in order to safeguardinteroperability between networks for all relevant services.Right for end users to connect the devices of their own choice (networkneutrality)
Policy Issues Related to Licensing
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Need for mandatory traffic exchange in order to safeguard any-to-anycommunications
Mandatory exchange of traffic at an Internet exchange?
Solutions to safeguard interoperability between PSTN and NGNnetworks
Rules for interfaces, QoS and SLAs
Lawful interception for both bilateral and multilateral exchange oftraffic
Mandatory Exchange of Traffic
Measurements needed to enable any-to-any communications
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The network neutrality debate is about the regulation of telecommunicationnetworks operators relationships to content providers, end users and equipmentvendors.
The five principles of network neutrality:
End users access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
End users ability to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needsof law enforcement.
End users right and ability to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm thenetwork.
Competition among network providers, application and service providers, and contentproviders.
Network Neutrality
The question is whether and how network neutrality should be treated in the licenses?
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In difference to PSTN, there are no standardised QoSin NGN networks;
End-to-End requirements for QoS exist
Measurements needed to harmonize and safeguard QoS
Definition of QoS parameters (network centric, customer centric,service centric)
Definition of service classes
Regulation of wholesale charges for different service classes and/orQoS parameters?
Quality of Service
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The migration to NGN changes the way telecommunicationsproviders interact, exchange traffic and provide their services.
The three main topics with respect to migration include largelyinterconnection and the safeguarding and regulation of QoS forservices and traffic across network borders.
The regulatory environment should rely on market forces andcompetition.
The migration to a sustainable NGN environment should focus onthe Indian situation and should incorporate only in a certain extentwhat has happened and what happens in Europe and the WesternHemisphere, respectively.
Summary
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