CELEX: 51986PC0205
Language: en
Date: 1986-05-20
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON THE COORDINATED INTRODUCTION OF THE INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK ( ISDN ) IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

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,                          indispensable development conditions which will enable
                                                                  the European telecommunications industries to maintain
                                                                  and increase their share of world markets;
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community,
                                                                  Whereas it is appropriate to implement Council Directive
                                                                  83/189/EEC (2) laying down a procedure for the
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                provision of information in the field of technical
                                                                  standards and regulations;
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par-                 Whereas consideration should be given to the proposals
liament,                                                          for Directives made by the Commission on standard-
                                                                  ization in the field of information technology and
                                                                  telecommunications and on the first phase of the
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and                  establishment of mutual recognition of type approval for
Social Committee,                                                 telecommunications terminal equipment, and to any later
                                                                  proposal for Directives that it may take;
Whereas Council recommendation 84/549/EEC (') calls
                                                                  Whereas it is appropriate to make full use of the
for the introduction of services on the basis of a common
                                                                  potential of the Community's financial instruments in
harmonized approach in the field of telecommunications;
                                                                  order to promote the development of the Member States'
                                                                  infrastructure;
Whereas the resources offered by the telecommuni-
cations networks should be utilized to the full for the           Whereas the implementation of such a policy will lead to
economic development of the Community;                             closer cooperation, at Community level, between the
                                                                  telecommunications industry and the administrations and
                                                                  the recognized private operating agencies offering
Whereas the technical resources afforded by the                    telecommunications services, hereinafter referred to as
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) make it                 'telecommunications administrations';
possible to provide a range of harmonized and
compatible services for all Community users and to                 Whereas a favourable opinion has been delivered by the
create new means of communication using sound, the                 Senior Officials Group on Telecommunications (SOGT)
written word and images;                                           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
Whereas current investment in digital switching and                that will truly enable European users to communicate
digital transmission equipment in the Member States                efficiently and economically;
 makes it possible to envisage the development of the
 Integrated Services Digital Network;
                                                                   Whereas favourable opinions on these recommendations
                                                                   have been delivered by the telecommunications
Whereas a coordinated policy for the introduction of the           administrations, by the European Conference of Postal
 ISDN will make possible the establishment of a                    and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) and
 European market in telephone and data-processing                  by the telecommunications equipment manufacturers in
terminals capable of creating, by virtue of its size, the          the Member States,
 O OJ No L 298, 16. 11. 1984, p. 49.                                O OJ No L 109, 26. 4. 1983, p. 8.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 157/4                                  Official Journal of the European Communities                                        24. 6. 86
HEREBY RECOMMENDS:                                                       4. That       the     telecommunications        administrations
                                                                             undertake all those measures which will facilitate the
1. That     the      telecommunications          administrations             coordinated introduction of the ISDN, particularly
   implement the detailed recommendations concerning                         those     relating    to    implementation      of   CEPT
   the coordinated introduction of the Integrated                            specifications in equipment concerned with ISDN.
   Services Digital Network (ISDN) in the Community,
   as described in the Annex.
                                                                         5. That the Community financial instruments take this
2. That implementation of             these    recommendations               recommendation into account within the framework
   focuses particularly on:                                                  of their interventions, particularly as regards the
                                                                             investment required for ISDN implementation.
   (a) standardization and implementation of the S/T
       interface;
                                                                         6. That Member State Governments encourage tele-
   (b) the timetable set out;                                                communications administrations to implement this
                                                                             recommendation.
   (c) the network penetration objectives, as compatible
       with commercial strategies.
                                                                         7. That Member State Governments inform the Com-
3. That the telecommunications administrations continue                      mission at the end of each year, from the end of
   the harmonization work within the European                                1986, of the measures taken and problems which may
   Conference of Postal and Telecommunications                               be encountered in the course of implementing this
   Administrations (CEPT), particularly concerning the                       recommendation. The progress of work will be
   objectives and timetable drawn up in the Annex for                      ' examined by the Commission and the Senior Officials
   those specifications on ISDN which have still to be                       Group on Telecommunications set up by the Council
   completed.                                                                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.
 ---pagebreak--- 24.6. 86                               Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s               N o 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 N T l 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 T O BE DEFINED AND SPECIFIED IN DETAIL BY T H E E N D O F 1986 IN ORDER
            T O 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;
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 157/6                                Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s                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 T O BE SPECIFIED BY T H E END OF                                     1987 AND          WHICH MIGHT BE
               IMPLEMENTED DURING T H E PERIOD 1988 T O 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 T U P + may be restricted.
 ---pagebreak--- 24.6.86                                Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s             N o C 157/7
        4. SERVICES T O BE SPECIFIED BY T H E E N D 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 N o 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 T U P 4- is based on the Red Book T U P 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).
 ---pagebreak--- 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.