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Sector Board 4 – Infrastructure of Telecommunications NetworksBringing market views into the standardization process

Michel P. de VecchisDirector, StandardsAlcatel – Optical Fiber DivisionChairman Sector Board 4

International Electrotechnical Commission

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Founded in 1906 to promote international co-operation on all questions of standardization and related matters in the field of electrotechnology

IEC’s missionIEC’s mission

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To achieve this mission, the IEC through its National Committee members, through cooperative agreements, and directly

– encourages national use of IEC International Standards and IEC Conformity Assessment Schemes

– stimulates world trade and business by continually striving to assure

product results are globally market relevant,

suitable for conformity assessment use, and

applicable for worldwide use and voluntary adoption

– provides the framework for Conformity Assessment in global markets

IEC’s mission (cont.)IEC’s mission (cont.)

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Types of participationTypes of participation Membership: one member per country

– 52 members

– 11 Associate members

– Total members: 63

Affiliate Country programme– 51 countries have joined*

*2002-04-30

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Member bodies of the IEC are the National Committees, NCs – one per country

NCs represent in IEC each nation’s electrotechnical interests:– manufacturers, providers, distributors, vendors

– consumers, users

– governmental agencies (all levels)

– professional societies, trade associations

– standards developers

NCs: what they areNCs: what they are

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Support the use of IEC conformity assessment schemes and standards within each nation and region

Coordinate each nation’s consensus viewpoint and present in IEC via participation in the meetings: – International consensus standards development, – Conformity assessment scheme operations, and – IEC governance

Members may vote on all policy issues and technical matters: one country, one vote

NCs: what they doNCs: what they do

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Technical committees and subcommittees are made up of– a secretariat

– a chairman

– members, which are NCs

All NCs are free to take part in the work of any TC, either– actively (P-members), carrying the obligation to vote

on drafts and to attend meetings; or

– as observers (O-members), with a right to vote on FDIS

TCs: how they workTCs: how they work

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Organization chartOrganization chart

IEC COUNCILNational Committees

COUNCIL BOARD

CONFORMITY ASSESSMENTBOARD

Management of Certification

TECHNICALCOMMITTEES

INDUSTRY SECTOR BOARDS

TECHNICALADVISORY COMMITTEE

S

STANDARDIZATION MANAGEMENT BOARD

Management of International Consensus Standards Work

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE(IEC Officers)

MANAGEMENTADVISORY

COMMITTEES

CASCHEMES

CENTRALOFFICE

The Executive

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President’s Advisory Committee on future Technologies (PACT)– top-level industry players; long-term planning

Industry Sector Boards– brings industry managers into the priority-setting

process for standardization; medium-term planning

Direct industry liaisons– designed for IEC-PAS

Systems committees– groups related TCs and SCs

Direct industry influenceDirect industry influence

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Influence the developments and content of IEC standards

Early warning of developing markets, establish customer contacts

Improve product safety and quality

Rationalization and cost reduction in design and manufacturing

Benefits to businessBenefits to business

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Acceptance of products on world markets

Meet future environmental demands

Access to the latest technology

Adds up to:

Reduced transaction costs

Increased trade

Benefits to business (cont.)Benefits to business (cont.)

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International standards are best source for governments for– legislation/regulation

– issuing tenders

Recognized source for WTO compliance– contributing towards fulfilment of the World Trade

Organization’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trades

Standards provide detailed technical interpretation of the law

Benefits to governmentsBenefits to governments

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Advisory committees to the SMB (Standards

Management Board)

In one industry sector

Main objectives:– setting of priorities by market relevance

– systems approach to standards needs

– long-term strategy for standards in the sector

Not responsible for coordination or implementation

What are Sector Boards?What are Sector Boards?

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Priority settingPriority setting Main task of a Sector Board

May involve:– proposing work on an urgent item not (yet) in work

program

– raising the priority of an existing work item

– recommending no effort, or less effort, on an existing work item whose market priority is seen to be lower

Chief criterion is always market relevance

Technical complexity / maturity may also play a role

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Effect of SB’s recommendationsEffect of SB’s recommendations SB must express opinion on new work

proposals (NP) and work items– recommend high or low priority

If SB recommends terminating a project:– frees up experts’ time for something more important

– quality image of IEC work is improved

If SB recommends high priority for a project:– increases strength and legitimacy of project

Recommendations only: can always be discussed

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SB 4’s industrial sectorSB 4’s industrial sector Infrastructure of telecommunications

networks: “Basic building blocks to support telecommunications systems”

– expected lifetime longer than the applications using it

– used by different applications sequentially or simultaneously

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SB 4’s industrial sector (cont.)SB 4’s industrial sector (cont.) Includes:

– all types of physical media & their means of interconnection

– physical interface to the media

– installation, testing, validation and maintenance

– rules of safety, compatibility (e.g. EMC), non-interference

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SB 4 in briefSB 4 in brief Established in 1998

13 countries

About 20 members representing: – industrial companies (MNCs and SMEs)

– users (telecom operators)

– end consumers

Meetings: 12/98, 5/99, 10/99, 3/00, 9/00, 4/01, 10/01 and 4/02

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SB 4 in brief (cont.)SB 4 in brief (cont.) Recommendations to the SMB in

10/99, 3/00, 10/01 and 4/02

3 task forces on specific items: – Future Watch Group (FWG)

– industry participation

– review group: New Work Proposals (NWP)

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SB 4: main pointsSB 4: main points Produce recommendations based on

market relevant priorities (installation, EMC, xDSL, DWDM)

Establish a Future Watch Group (FWG) with internal reports

Launch a New Work review process

Promote and support IEC work (support experts’ work, promotional event)

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SB 4: main points (cont.)SB 4: main points (cont.) Need for high speed publications (pre-

standards) accepted in Oct. 2000– for fast moving technologies

– help IEC to maintain its pre-eminent position over consortia/fora

Recommendations on relationships between system and component committees to avoid confusing the market

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Related technical committeesRelated technical committees TC 46: Cables, wires, wave guides, R.F.

connectors and accessories for communication and signalling

TC 48: Electromechanical components and mechanical structures for electronic equipment

TC 86: Fibre optics

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Related TCs (cont.)Related TCs (cont.) TC 100 / TA 5: Cable distribution networks

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 : Interconnection of information technology equipment

Cooperation with ITU-T ( SG6 and SG15 in particular)

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Main prioritiesMain priorities “Pre-standards” for high-technology (fibre

optics)

Standardizing installation conditions & instructions

DWDM-techniques: optical amplifiers, fibres

xDSL-techniques: installed/new passive infrastructures

Major changes in fibre types: influence on standards

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Future Watch GroupFuture Watch Group First report published

Describes: – expected (future) traffic growth

– telecommunications services offered

– techniques used

– migration paths

– developments needed to realise traffic expansion

Recommends standardization in:– five items listed on previous slide, and also for

– new developments in Multimedia Home Cabling

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Pre-standards backgroundPre-standards background Need for a quick way of publishing

orientation documents identified by SB 4

For quickly evolving technologies it is important to provide orientations to the market when:– there is a sufficient technical consensus

– it could be a basis for a future Standard

– it is not possible to wait for the time needed to reach a full consensus

Example of foreseen field of application:– optoelectronic components

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Pre-standard situationPre-standard situation Proposal made by SB 4 to the IEC

Standardization Management Board: – accepted on a trial basis of three years in the

Stockholm General Meeting, October 2000, as “internal” PAS (Publicly Available Specifications)

– already several Pre-Standard proposals made and accepted or under voting

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Strategic review of TCsStrategic review of TCs First time in Firenze (10/01) with TC 86 and

SCs

Five priorities for future discussions:1. Cooperation IEC SC 86A / ITU-T SG6 on “Cable

Systems” concerning new solutions - ??

2. Possibility of having a single, joint type of deliverable from ITU-T SG15 and IEC SC 86A concerning fibre - ??

3. Is the number of connector standards too large?

4. Need to consider new Plastic Optical Fibres - ??

5. Access loop and FTTx