The Covirán Case
Bustinza 2 , Marco Opazo-Basaez 2
barring of outgoing calls
barring of incoming calls
It is common for networks to offer a wide range of such services. Some of these are shown in the diagram.
SOFTWARE
Call Forwarding Call Barring Call Waiting Ring Back
Ring Hold Advice of Charge Calling Line Identification
Multiparty
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Call costs are constantly being driven down due to competition. This is ideal from the customer’s perspective, but from the service provider or network operator’s view, it poses a question: ‘How can I generate new revenue streams to compensate for the drop in call charges?’
One solution is the provision of VASs in addition to teleservices and SSs.
Examples of VASs are found in both fixed and mobile networks, and include such services as location-based services, multimedia messaging and Unified Messaging (UM).
Typically, VASs are implemented using INs. INs do not define the services to be delivered; they provide an overlay infrastructure on existing circuit-switched networks. An IN acts as a service enabler allowing communication providers to develop, test and deploy attractive operator-specific services which may act as a differentiator between themselves and other providers. This helps the provider to retain their existing customers and generate new revenue streams from them, and also to attract new customers and further increase revenue.
Multimedia Messaging
Unified Messaging
Location-based Services INBOX
Fax, SMS, Voicemail, e-mail
… and many others.
Problem: Call charges are going down.
How can I generate new revenue streams to increase profitability?
Solution: Value Added Services (VAS)
Call Charges
Time
Intelligent Network
(IN)
Service Enabler
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Telecommunication Services Summary
In telecommunications, any service that is offered to a customer is known as a telecommunication service. This collective term can be divided into two main categories, bearer services and teleservices.
The basic services for both teleservices and bearer services can be modified by a supplementary service. For example, the basic bearer service of 64 kbit/s (for voice) can be modified by the network building a bridging circuit to link more than two subscribers together, a service known as ‘multiparty’.
A network operator may attempt to increase revenue by offering SSs and VASs to their customers.
Telecommunication Services
Teleservices
telephony fax SMS
data 64 kbit/s data 9.6 kbit/s data 4.8 kbit/s data 3.1 kHz audio
multiparty call hold call forwarding
call waiting calling line ID
PSTN PSPDN etc.
Bearer Service
Basic Service
Supplementary Service
Plus VASs to increase revenue Basic Service
Supplementary Service
TY2600/v4.1 © Wray Castle Limited 1.19 Telecommunications Regulation
The telecommunications industry is highly regulated. Operators have critical obligations over and above providing a range of services. These include the provision of emergency call services (999, 112, 911, etc.) and, in some cases, ‘universality’ – the right for customers to be connected to networks at a fair and level cost for all (even the connection cost may vary dramatically).
A telecommunications regulator is usually an agency or a department of central government. A regulator’s role encompasses regulation and dealing with competition issues; it often acts as a mediator in disputes between network operators.
With the increasing convergence between services, networks and technologies the regulators in many countries are being restructured. Traditionally, different bodies or regulators were responsible for telecommunications, radio (spectrum) and broadcast, but these are sometimes now combined in a single agency.
An example of this regulation convergence is the creation of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) within the United Kingdom.
Ofcom assumed its authority at the end of 2003. It was created by bringing together the following roles:
Radiocommunications Agency (RA)
Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA)
Independent Television Commission (ITC)
Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC)
Office of Telecommunications (Oftel)
Radio Authority
The combined role of Ofcom covers all aspects of telecommunications and broadcasting including the regulation of content and the handling of complaints from customers.
Radiocommunications Agency (RA) Radio Authority Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Independent Television Commission (ITC) Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC)
Government Appoints/
runs
Convergence of technologies and market leads to
Telecoms
Broadcast
Radio
Office of Telecommunications (Oftel)
Single (‘super’) Regulator
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Telecommunciations Standards Bodies
Standards are critical in an industry such as telecoms because they are key to providing a competitive environment. Standards create so-called ‘open systems’, which by means of standard interfaces allow a network operator to build a multi-vendor network and allow customers to take their terminal from one network to another network.
However, the legacy of telecommunication development in different countries and regions means that there are variations in technical standards around the globe. For example, a telephone terminal purchased in the UK will not be capable of connection in other European countries or North America as the line jack is different; and even if this was replaced, line signal differences would still lead to incompatibility. The same is true for mobile telephony, where different standards are used in different global regions.
A diverse range of national, regional and international bodies are responsible for standards that apply to telecommunications networks, terminals and services. There is often a complex relationship between these bodies and large manufacturers and network operators will ensure that they have representatives in the important groups within the standards committees.
The subject of standards can be very ‘political’, particularly when a company wants its technology to become, or be included in, a standard. This way the company may gain a lead in the market by virtue of already having the technology working; secondly, they may earn revenue from licensing their technology to others (so-called Intellectual Property Rights – IPR).
IPR has caused major legal issues in telecoms in recent years and most standards bodies insist that for a technology to be adopted within a standard it must be available for license on a fair and reasonable basis.
TY2600/v4.1 © Wray Castle Limited 1.21 Standards Bodies
The diagram shows some the major standardization bodies responsible for producing standards and recommendations used by the telecommunications industry. The principal organizations are described below.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The ITU has its headquarters in Geneva and is part of the UN. It is responsible for the international coordination of telecommunications and networks. To achieve this aim it is divided into three entities: the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), the Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and the Development Sector (ITU-D).
European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
ETSI, based in France, is an independent, non-profit organization that is officially responsible for standardization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within Europe. ETSI comprises 766 members from 63 countries including manufacturers, network operators, research bodies and users.
Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
3GPP, formed in December 1998, unites the telecommunications standards bodies ARIB, CCSA, ETSI, ATIS, TTA, and TTC, which are known as ‘Organizational Partners’. 3GPP was formed to produce globally applicable specifications and reports for a third-generation (3G) network, which evolved into the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). 3GPP also has responsibility for the specifications for the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technologies.
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
The IETF is an international body of network designers, operators, vendors and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and effective Internet operation. The IETF’s work is done in Working Groups (WGs), which are organized by topic (e.g. routing, transport, security).
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
The ISO identifies requirements for international standards and goes on to develop those standards in collaboration with the industry sectors that will put them into use. It is a non-governmental organization comprising the standards organizations of 162 counties (one per country) from every world region. In 2010, the ISO’s portfolio contained over 18,500 standards.
International
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Standards Bodies (continued)
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
The TIA represents those who provide information and communications technology products and services to the global marketplace. It does this through standards development, domestic and international policy advocacy, and business opportunities for members. The Association enables convergence between communications networks as well as promoting a competitive and innovative market environment.
Electronics Industries Alliance (EIA)
The EIA is a trade organization comprising an alliance of trade associations for electronics manufacturers in the USA. Those associations in turn govern sectors of EIA standards activity. The associations include the TIA and the Electronic Components Association. The EIA is accredited by ANSI to help develop standards on electronic components, consumer electronics, electronic information, telecommunications and Cyber security.
For more information see http://www.ecaus.org/eia/site/index.html The Broadband Forum
The Broadband Forum is the central organization driving broadband wireline solutions and empowering converged packet networks worldwide to better meet the needs of vendors, service providers and their customers. Their aim is to develop multi-service broadband packet networking specifications addressing interoperability, architecture and management.
For more information see http://www.broadband-forum.org/about/mission.php The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Established in 1994 and with over 400 member organizations from around the world, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) promotes the WWW application of the Internet by developing common protocols and ensuring interoperability. The W3C’s overall goal is to ensure that the Web is accessible to all and has a standardized design. The W3C plays an active role in setting standards for the Internet and fostering co-operation to make the standards freely available. W3C standards include: the language of the Web, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the ‘next generation’ language, eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and MathML for marking up mathematics for the Web.
International