24.6. 86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 157/3 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council recommendation on the coordinated introduction of the Integrated 
Services Digital Network (ISDN) in the European Community 
COM(86) 205 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 28 May 1986) 
(86/C 157/03) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas Council recommendation 84/549/EEC (') calls 
for the introduction of services on the basis of a common 
harmonized approach in the field of telecommunications; 
Whereas the resources offered by the telecommuni­
cations networks should be utilized to the full for the 
economic development of the Community; 
Whereas the technical resources afforded by the 
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) make it 
possible to provide a range of harmonized and 
compatible services for all Community users and to 
create new means of communication using sound, the 
written word and images; 
Whereas current investment in digital switching and 
digital transmission equipment in the Member States 
makes it possible to envisage the development of the 
Integrated Services Digital Network; 
Whereas a coordinated policy for the introduction of the 
ISDN will make possible the establishment of a 
European market in telephone and data-processing 
terminals capable of creating, by virtue of its size, the indispensable development conditions which will enable 
the European telecommunications industries to maintain 
and increase their share of world markets; 
Whereas it is appropriate to implement Council Directive 
83/189/EEC (2) laying down a procedure for the 
provision of information in the field of technical 
standards and regulations; 
Whereas consideration should be given to the proposals 
for Directives made by the Commission on standard­
ization in the field of information technology and 
telecommunications and on the first phase of the 
establishment of mutual recognition of type approval for 
telecommunications terminal equipment, and to any later 
proposal for Directives that it may take; 
Whereas it is appropriate to make full use of the 
potential of the Community's financial instruments in 
order to promote the development of the Member States' 
infrastructure; 
Whereas the implementation of such a policy will lead to 
closer cooperation, at Community level, between the 
telecommunications industry and the administrations and 
the recognized private operating agencies offering 
telecommunications services, hereinafter referred to as 
'telecommunications administrations'; 
Whereas a favourable opinion has been delivered by the 
Senior Officials Group on Telecommunications (SOGT) 
according to which the detailed recommendations drawn 
up by the Analysis and Forecasting Group (GAP) 
provide a strategic basis for the development of an ISDN 
that will truly enable European users to communicate 
efficiently and economically; 
Whereas favourable opinions on these recommendations 
have been delivered by the telecommunications 
administrations, by the European Conference of Postal 
and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) and 
by the telecommunications equipment manufacturers in 
the Member States, 
O OJ No L 298, 16. 11. 1984, p. 49. O OJ No L 109, 26. 4. 1983, p. 8. 
No C 157/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 6. 86 
HEREBY RECOMMENDS: 
1. That the telecommunications administrations 
implement the detailed recommendations concerning 
the coordinated introduction of the Integrated 
Services Digital Network (ISDN) in the Community, 
as described in the Annex. 
2. That implementation of these recommendations 
focuses particularly on: 
(a) standardization and implementation of the S/T 
interface; 
(b) the timetable set out; 
(c) the network penetration objectives, as compatible 
with commercial strategies. 
3. That the telecommunications administrations continue 
the harmonization work within the European 
Conference of Postal and Telecommunications 
Administrations (CEPT), particularly concerning the 
objectives and timetable drawn up in the Annex for 
those specifications on ISDN which have still to be 
completed. 4. That the telecommunications administrations 
undertake all those measures which will facilitate the 
coordinated introduction of the ISDN, particularly 
those relating to implementation of CEPT 
specifications in equipment concerned with ISDN. 
5. That the Community financial instruments take this 
recommendation into account within the framework 
of their interventions, particularly as regards the 
investment required for ISDN implementation. 
6. That Member State Governments encourage tele­
communications administrations to implement this 
recommendation. 
7. That Member State Governments inform the Com­
mission at the end of each year, from the end of 
1986, of the measures taken and problems which may 
be encountered in the course of implementing this 
recommendation. The progress of work will be 
' examined by the Commission and the Senior Officials 
Group on Telecommunications set up by the Council 
on 4 November 1983. 
ANNEX 
1. RECOMMENDATIONS ESTABLISHED FOR THE RAPID CONVERGENCE OF EUROPEAN 
ACTIVITY ON THE INTRODUCTION OF ISDN 
All the following recommendations are related and should not be dissociated. 
1.1. General Philosophy 
All Member States are in agreement that ISDN (subscriber access at 144 Kbit/s and 2 Mbit/s) 
should be considered as a natural evolution of the telephone network, i.e. it should be used by both 
professional and residential subscribers, and the existing structure of the current telephone network 
should not be fundamentally changed by this evolution. The first decisions must take this into 
account. 
Nevertheless, the speed of market penetration will depend on numerous economic, social and 
cultural factors and, of course, on the impact of the network itself, i.e. the dissemination or actual 
penetration of the new services at any point in time. 
It is clear that in all Member States, the professional sector has significantly greater expectations 
and requirements for the services than the residential sector. 
The professional sector will be penetrated through the supply of multiservice PABXs and of ISDN 
accesses. In this sector, a major submission is that the terminals connected to ISDN basic access 
and behind the PABXs should also be compatible, which necessitates the use of a common standard 
for both public and private networks. 
24.6. 86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 157/5 
A significant demand from the residential sector will only develop following a sustained policy of 
anticipated supply launched over such a period as to attain a critical mass of new service 
penetration and thus creating in effect a 'snowball5 reaction. 
This policy should be supported by marketing and tariffing activities to help stimulate demand. 
1.2. Definition of the interface between the public and private network 
A standard physical interface between ISDN terminals and the public network is recommended. 
This should be at the CCITT S or T reference point and should be in accordance with CCITT and 
CEPT recommendations. In the case of basic access (i.e. 144 Kbit/s) the physical interfaces at the S 
and T reference points must be identical. This terminal interface should also be offered by PABX 
manufacturers so that common design of terminals can be achieved. 
The above statements imply that for basic access at least the NTl function is provided by the public 
network operator. 
Agreement is urgently needed between telecommunications administrations, within the framework 
of CEPT, on a standard physical interface at the T reference point for primary rate access 
(i.e. 2048 Kbit/s). 
Clearly, during a transitional phase of several years, PABX multiservices will use different 
standards but as soon as possible these PABXs ought to be able to offer, in addition to these 
standards, the S interface. The manufacturers' representatives consulted were in agreement on this 
point. 
2. SERVICES TO BE DEFINED AND SPECIFIED IN DETAIL BY THE END OF 1986 IN ORDER 
TO BE PROVIDED IN ALL MEMBER STATES STARTING FROM 1988 
The following items will have to be specified in detail at the latest by the end of 1986: 
(a) Bearer services 
Circuit switched transparent at 64 Kbit/s; 
(b) Teleservices 
— Telephony 3,1 kHz at 64 Kbit/s, 
— Facsimile at 64 Kbit/s (Group IV), 
— Teletex at 64 Kbit/s, 
— Mixed-mode teletex/facsimile at 64 Kbit/s; 
(c) Supplementary services 
In order to enhance the services, a common set of supplementary services among the Member States 
should be implemented. 
These supplementary services are intended to be added to those already available in the telephone 
network and to those inherent in the definition of ISDN protocols. (Procedures for sub-addressing, 
terminal portability, user-to-user signalling in call control messages have to be specified, although 
their implementation is foreseen at a later stage). 
The telecommunications administrations are invited to establish within the framework of CEPT the 
following set: 
— call-waiting, 
— calling-line identification, 
— closed-user-group (this service might be implemented later by some countries), 
— direct-dialling-in; 
No C 157/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 24.6.86 
(d) Adaptors (for connection of existing terminals to the ISDN via the S interface) 
— adaptor X 21, 
— adaptor X 25 on the B channel (for access to packet-switched services), 
— A/D adaptor specified according to national needs. 
Note 1: Special attention should be given to the definition of personal computer use on the bearer 
service at 64 Kbit/s. 
Note 2: Special attention should be given to compatibility between circuit-switched and packet-
switched services, where compatibility may be realized in the terminal or in the network. 
3. SERVICES TO BE SPECIFIED BY THE END OF 1987 AND WHICH MIGHT BE 
IMPLEMENTED DURING THE PERIOD 1988 TO 1993 
(The precise date of introduction of such services will be decided as soon as possible.) 
(a) Bearer service 
Packet bearer service on D channel 
The telecommunications administrations are invited to study within the framework of CEPT the 
usefulness of teleservices, in particular videotex, teletex, message handling and teleaction on packet 
bearer service; 
(b) Teleservices at 64 Kbit/s 
In order to augment demand, the following list of teleservices should be considered with priority: 
— Telephony (7 kHz) at 64 Kbit/s, 
— Audioconference at 64 Kbit/s, 
— Videotex alphageometric at 64 Kbit/s, 
— Image transmission and computer communication at 64 Kbit/s. For these two teleservices, the 
telecommunications administrations are asked to identify within the framework of CEPT 
possible services and produce detailed specifications of first services; 
(c) Adaptors 
— X21a, 
— for asynchronous terminals (V 24); 
(d) Supplementary services 
The telecommunications administrations are invited to study within the framework of CEPT, by the 
end of 1987, the following list of supplementary services based on CEPT's own list: 
Advice of charge, 
Completion of call meeting busy, 
Conference call, 
Diversion of call, 
Freephone, 
Malicious call identification, 
Three party call, 
Called user identification. 
Note: The provision of the supplementary services assumes the availability of an ISUP. Should the ISUP 
not be available, their provision via the TUP + may be restricted. 
24.6.86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 157/7 
4. SERVICES TO BE SPECIFIED BY THE END OF 1990 
(a) Teleservices based on packet service 
(If the telecommunications administrations agree on the need to specify such packet services, refer 
to paragraph 3 (a)) 
— Teletex, 
— Videotex, 
— Message handling (see CCITT rec. X 400), 
— Teleaction, a set of services providing to the users a reliable transfer of small volumes of packet-
sized information. 
This service may be adapted to several teleservices: telealarm, telesupervision, telealert, 
telecommand, telemetry, teleshopping, etc.; 
(b) Teleservices based on 64 Kbit/s 
— Audiography at 64 Kbit/s, 
— Alphaphotographic videotex at 64 Kbit/s, 
— If possible, viewphone at 64 Kbit/s; 
(c) Supplementary services 
Work to be continued. 
5. NUMBERING, ADDRESSING AND SIGNALLING 
The achievement of the full CEPT specifications on ISDN user part (ISUP), Signalling Connection 
Control Part (SCCP) and Transaction Capabilities (TCAP) is recommended to the telecommunications 
administrations in order to reach a common standard within Europe at the earliest opportunity. 
As an interim solution, it is recommended to all telecommunications administrations that, starting from 
1988 and when CCITT No 7 is introduced, international digital exchanges (linked by digital circuits or 
possibly also by analogue circuits) should be interconnected by means of the enhanced Telephone User 
Part (TUP + ) for both PSTN and ISDN services. 
The telecommunications administrations should provide within the framework of CEPT detailed 
technical specifications on TUP-I- by the end of 1986. 
It is required that interworking with the existing public telephone network is also achieved, including 
some means for identifying different teleservices and terminals. 
Note: The TUP 4- is based on the Red Book TUP of CCITT enhanced to meet ISDN requirements, 
including the supplementary services hereabove. 
6. TARIFF CONSIDERATIONS 
The issue of tariff levels and structures for the ISDN is fundamental for its rapid take-up. 
In the longer term, following an inevitable period of high investment costs, the level of investment per 
basic access should be comparable with that of the current telephone network, with an investment 
structure related to the type of transmission and digital switching which may be different from that of 
today. 
Several studies on ISDN tariffs have still to be completed. The telecommunications administrations are 
invited to study within the framework of CEPT the following proposals: 
— In accordance with current trends, tariffs for all services, including telephony, should be less 
dependent on distance than at present (always bearing in mind the problems of transit costs through 
other countries). 
No C 157/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 24.6.86 
— In the transitional phase from the analogue network to the ISDN corresponding to the period 1988 
to 1993, the telecommunications administrations are requested to study within CEPT the 
relationship between, on the one hand, the tariff threshold applicable to ISDN services and to ISDN 
basic access and, on the other, tariffs applicable to telephony. 
— Tariffs for teleservices which use the same bearer capabilities should be independent of the 
teleservice. On the contrary, all value added by the network should be charged independently of the 
utilization of the bearer capabilities. 
— An agreement should be obtained on the ratio between the monthly rental for the primary rate 
access (2048 Kbit/s) and that for the basic access (144 Kbit/s). 
A ratio of the order of 10 might be discussed. 
7. INTERWORKING BETWEEN NATIONAL ISDN TRIALS 
Those administrations implementing national trials of ISDN before the full implementation of the 
present recommendations should endeavour, where provided, to interconnect these services in order to 
increase early experience of ISDN in Europe. 
8. LEVEL OF PENETRATION 
Forecasts of demand in new fields, such as the services supported by ISDN, do not provide a parti­
cularly relevant basis for market planning. 
Nevertheless, it is realistic to set objectives attainable over the next eight years, i.e. up to the end of 
1993, for a level of penetration of ISDN which permits the market for services and terminals to reach a 
mature phase. 
The objective should be for an adequate geographic coverage and rate of penetration at national level 
for each country. 
The administrations should plan to provide by 1993 ISDN accesses for a number equivalent to 5 % of 
1983 subscriber main lines. This figure depends, among other things, on the capability of the industry to 
offer cost-effective ISDN solutions for the infrastructure and the terminal equipment. 
The territorial coverage should be sufficient to permit 80 % of customers to have the option of the 
ISDN access.