(Continuation of Questions 8 and 9/13 studied during 1997-2000)

Background and justification

The rapid growth of IP based networks and applications and the embedded base of legacy telecommunications networks has triggered the evolution towards integrated multi-service networks. Therefore, there is a need to address items such as:

1. Consideration of IP based backbone networks and their interworking and interaction with traditional networks and associated services.

2. Determination of how best to carry narrow-band and broadband services in a fully integrated IP based network.

3. Definition of protocol requirements for interworking of services that go beyond those provided by traditional networks. Typical examples might include, distance learning, e-commerce, text to voice (and vice versa), video on demand.

Some of these study items have already been initiated in several standard bodies and forums as well as in other ITU-T Study Groups. Examples include among others, the BICC work in the ITU-T Study Group on signalling and the ATM Forum, the H.248/MGCP/MEGACO work in the ITU-T Study Group on multimedia, the IETF and MSF, and the SIP work in the IETF. Although most of these protocols are already being developed, there is a crucial need for coordination and consolidation to complement the above work with several aspects ranging from integrated management to end-to-end service level guarantees in a national and international environment.

Items for study

1. Harmonization of interworking requirements developed in the ITU-T with those developed in other standards bodies and industry organisations.

2. Analysis of interworking and definition of protocol requirements between the newly developed protocols and traditional networks. For example a service provider evolving from TDM to IP transport while providing services through a new technology, such as SIP, with MPLS transport and the interaction with other SS7 based networks.

3. Analysis of interworking and definition of protocol requirements between the newly developed approaches in a heterogeneous network environment (e.g. different service providers using different technologies in their national networks and the related interaction, such as BICC interaction with SIP).

4. Analysis and definition of protocol requirements for service interworking for a potential evolving set of newly defined services.

5. Follow up on the results initiated in Draft Recommendation Y.1401 and in the I.5xx series of recommendations.

Specific tasks and deadlines

Recommendations by 2002.

Relationships

Cooperation is needed with:

• ITU-T Study Groups on service aspects, addressing and routing aspects
• ITU-T Study Groups on data network aspects
• ITU-T Study Groups on TV and sound program transmission
• ITU-T Study Groups on signalling and switching capabilities
• ITU-T Study Groups on transmission media aspects
• ITU-T Study Groups on audio and video coding
• ITU-R Study Groups on broadcasting and mobile aspects
• ATM Forum for service and application aspects
• IETF
• MSF