86/659/EEC: Council Recommendation of 22 December 1986 on the coordinated introduction of the integrated services digital network (ISDN) in the European Community
Date: 1986-12-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: CEPT, harmonisation of standards, standardisation, trans-European network, transmission network













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31986H0659

86/659/EEC: Council Recommendation of 22 December 1986 on the coordinated introduction of the integrated services digital network (ISDN) in the European Community  


Official Journal L 382 , 31/12/1986 P. 0036 - 0041 





COUNCIL  RECOMMENDATIONof 22 December 1986on the coordinated introduction of the integrated services  digital network (ISDN) in the European Community(86/659/EEC)THE COUNCIL OF THE  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Whereas recommendation 84/549/EEC (4) 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 telecommunications networks should be utilized to the full to  maintain the Community's worldwide competitiveness in the light of the rapid pace of development in  the telecommunications sector; 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 of 28 March 1983 laying down a  procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations  (5); Whereas consideration should be given to Council Directive 86/361/EEC of 24 July 1986 on the  initial stage of themutual recognition of type approval for telecommunications terminal equipment  (6) and to Council Regulation (EEC) N° 3300/86 of 27 October 1986 instituting a Community programme  for the development of certain less-favoured regions of the Community by improving access to  advanced telecommunications (STAR programme) (7); Whereas it is appropriate to make 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 policy should pay proper attention to user privacy protection; 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, 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; (1) OJ N° C 157, 24. 6. 1986, p. 3. (2) Opinion delivered on 12 December 1986 (not yet published in the Official Journal), (3) Opinion delivered on 17 September 1986 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (4) OJ N° L 298, 16. 11. 1984, p. 49. (5) OJ N° L 109, 26. 4. 1983, p. 8. (6) OJ N° L 217, 5. 8. 13. that the telecommunication administrations continue the harmonization  work within the 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 by 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. the Member State Governments encourage telecommunications administrations to implement this  recommendation; 7. that Member State Governments inform the Commission at the end of each year, from the end of  1987, of the measures taken and problems which may be encountered in the course of implementing  this recommendation. The progress of work will be actively examined by the Commission and the SOGT  set up by the Council on 4 November 1983 in order to ascertain whether the priorities and the  implementation of the programme as a whole is satisfactorily achieved. The progress of work will be  the subject of an annual report from the Commission to the European Parliament. Done at Brussels, 22 December 1986. For the CouncilThe PresidentG. SHAW ANNEXDETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE COORDINATED INTRODUCTION OF THE INTEGRATED  SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK (ISDN) IN THE COMMUNITY1. RECOMMENDATIONS ESTABLISHED FOR THE RAPID  CONVERGENCE OF EUROPEAN ACTIVITY ON THE INTRODUCTION OF ISDNAll the following recommendations are  related and should not be dissociated. 1.1. General philosophyAll 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. 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 'snowball' 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 networkA 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 NT1 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 manufacturer's 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 1988The following items will have to be specified in detail at the  latest by the end of 1986. (a) Bearer servicesCircuit switched transparent at 64 Kbit/s; (b) Teleservices- Telephony 3,1 kHz at 64 Kbit/s, - Facsimile at 64 Kbi- Teletex at 64 Kbit/s, - Mixed-mode teletex/facsimile at 64 Kbit/s. (c) Suppplmentary servicesIn 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 subaddressing, 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 supplementary services: - call-waiting, - calling-line identification, - closed-user-group (this service might be implemented later by some countries), - direct-dialling-in, (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 1Special attention should be given to the definition of personal computer use on the bearer  service at 64 Kbit/s. Note 2Special 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 servicePacket bearer service on D channelThe 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/sIn 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- X 21 bis, - for asynchronous terminals (V 24). (d) Supplementary servicesThe 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, - Freephone, - Malicious call identification, - Three party call, - Called user identification. NoteThe provision of these supplementary services assumes the availability of an ISDN user part  (ISUP). Should the ISUP not be available, their provision via the telephone user part (TUP) + may  be restricted. 4. SERVICES TO BE SPECIFIED BY THE END OF 1990(a) Teleservices based on packet serviceIf the  telecommunications administrations agree on the need to specify such packet services, referred to  in paragraph 3 (a). - Teletex, - Videotex, - Message handling (see CCITT recommendation X 400), - Teleaction, set of services providing to the users a reliable transfer of small volumens of  packed-sized information. This service may be adapted to several teleservices: tele-alarm,  telesupervision, tele-alert, 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 servicesWork to be continued. 5. NUMBERING, ADDRESSING AND SIGNALLINGThe achievement of the full CEPT specifications on 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 telecomunications administrations that, starting  from 1988 and when CCITT N° 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 + 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. NoteThe TUP + is based on the red book TUP of CCITT enhanced to meet ISDN requirements, including  the supplementary services hereabove. 6. TARIFF CONSIDERATIONThe 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 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  dependant on distance than at present (always bearing in mind the problems of transit costs through  other countries). - 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 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 (2 048 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 TRIALSThose administrations implementing national trials of  ISDN before the full implementations 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 PENETRATIONForecasts of demand in new fields, such as the services supported by ISDN,  do not provide a particularly 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 penetrations 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 administration 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  equipments. The territorial coverage shou