ITU Regional Standardization Forum for Americas (Washington D.C., United States, 21 September 2015) Conformance and Interoperability Activities in CITEL PCC.I Wayne Zeuch Rapporteur: Standards, Conformity and Interoperability CITEL PCC.I

Since 2010, PCC.I meetings have examined Conformance and Interoperability in the Americas Region as well as monitoring the progress of the Conformance and Interoperability Testing Programme at the ITU CITEL PCC.I has already developed positions on interoperability. CITEL IAPs on Interoperability were forwarded to the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference PP-10 (Guadalajara October 2010), WTSA-12 (Dubai: November 2012) and PP-14 (Busan: October 2014). Positions included: – Encouraging the analysis of conformance and interoperability mechanisms to prove their viability and, prior to implementation, follow a “step-by-step” approach - the first step being the identification of interoperability problems in the Americas Region. CITEL PCC.I has approved mandates and terms of reference with respect to conformance and interoperability studies within the Working Group on Deployment of Technologies and Services (WGDTS) Conformance and Interoperability in CITEL PCC.I

CITEL PCC.I Rapporteurship on Standards, Conformity and Interoperability To study the standards development activities for information and communication technology (ICT) standards and the conformity of products and network deployments to these standards To focus on the ongoing evolution toward converged networks to ensure the interoperability of network equipment and services To promote the exchange of information and to raise awareness about the development of standards and about conformity assessment and interoperability activities that best serve the current and future needs of the users of these networks in the region Mandate:

Conformance and Interoperability Technical Notebook This Technical Notebook provides a repository for new and historical information on conformance testing and interoperability activities and programs within the Americas Region and internationally Objectives for maintaining this Notebook include: – the identification of mechanisms and methodologies that assist in the evaluation of product and network interoperability based on existing standards – archiving discussions and positions within CITEL PCC.I and within the ICT community if the Region Promoting interoperability by highlighting conformance and testing initiatives, identifying issues and archiving valuable information for the use of the ICT standards community

Americas Region Input Two Standards Organizations, representative of the Americas Region, are: – ICT Standards Advisory Council of Canada (ISACC), and – Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) In 2010, both organizations had the opportunity to present views regarding Interoperability at the 15th Global Standards Collaboration Meeting (GSC-15) Excerpts from these presentations have been captured in the Technical Notebook on Conformance and Interoperability

ISACC on Interoperability New Paradigm for SDOs Key elements of telecom standards development in 21st Century for competitive SDOs: – Natural language standard vs. formal description of standard using FDTs (Field Device Technologies) – Test suites and test methodology for the standard – Testing for conformance with the standard – Interoperability testing including conformant products embedded in systems Definition of Interoperability (in the context of telecom systems/ products) – Interoperability is a property referring to the ability of diverse systems and products to work together (inter-operate) – Standards and conformance to standards is the fundamental basis for interoperability a necessary but insufficient condition cooperation and peer recognition of competence based on trusted credentials is the basis for sharing test results to minimize costs of testing

ISACC on Interoperability Root Causes of Non-Interoperability – Fundamentally incompatible systems – Non-standard or inaccessible interfaces – Proprietary closed solutions – Inadequate specification of system requirements – Errors and omissions in definition of requirements – Incompatible selection of options in standards – Incomplete understanding of legacy and outside network points of interconnection and interfacing – Inconsistent or inaccurate interpretation of the standards – Lack of formal specifications and imprecision of natural language text – Absence of conformance testing data for standard implementation – Poor understanding of the technology and standards – Need for capacity building especially in developing countries

ATIS on Interoperability Strategic Direction – Since 1984, ATIS has assessed a range of options to most effectively promote interoperability: Develop technical standards and associated programs to inform the industry about these standards Provide guidelines to facilitate interconnection Develop test suites Conduct Interoperability tests

ATIS on Interoperability Complementing its primary focus on development of technical standards, ATIS provides guidance related to interconnection and occasionally sponsors targeted testing programs - validating that standards are “interoperable” ATIS provides an open forum to facilitate discussion and resolution of the operational and interoperability issues necessary to effectively interconnect multiple service provider businesses The ATIS Next Generation Interconnection Interoperability Forum (NGIIF) developed guidelines and templates for interoperability and testing In several very special cases, ATIS has sponsored one-time, interoperability testing programs to meet targeted, national needs ATIS and its members have also played prominent roles in FCC Advisory Committees on the topics of interoperability and interconnection.

ATIS on Interoperability Challenges – Standards processes, while promoting interoperability, should also foster innovation, competition and infrastructure development that address user needs on a timely and cost-effective basis. – The inclusion of options, ambiguities, etc., in standards make interoperability more difficult, but reflect the realities of consensus- development and the need for users to decide what features and capabilities meet their needs. – Compliance with technical standards does not guarantee interoperability – Innovations in user applications and in network capabilities to support them are driving the development of standards. – These challenges can be mitigated through interop “profiles” backed by detailed test specifications for the profile

Summary Interoperability of networks and network components is a key mandate within CITEL PCC.I CITEL continues to monitor conformance testing and interoperability activities and programs within the Americas Region and internationally CITEL PCC.I invites contributions from Member States and the ICT industry regarding interoperability issues and their root causes, conformance testing programs and selections of standards that maximize interoperability Providing interoperability of networks and network components through standardization encourages market growth, promotes innovation and deployment of new services, and serves the current and future needs of the users of these networks throughout the Region

Thank You Wayne Zeuch CITEL PCC.I Vice Chair, Working Group on Deployment of Technologies and Services Rapporteur, Standards Coordination, Conformity and Interoperability