1.5
STANDARDIZATION IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
15
z
Responsiveness to servicing requests.
z
Responsiveness and courtesy of operators.
z
Time to installation of a new telephone, and, by some, the additional services offered
by the telephone company.
One way or another, each item, depending on the service quality goal, will have an impact
on the design of a telecommunication system.
1.5
STANDARDIZATION IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Standardization is vital in telecommunications. A rough analogy is that it allows world-
wide communication because we all "speak a standard language." As the reader progresses
through this book, he/she will find that this is not strictly true. However, a good-faith
attempt is made in nearly every case.
There are international, regional, and national standardization agencies. There are at
least two international agencies that impact telecommunications. The most encompassing
is the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) based in Geneva, Switzerland, which
has produced literally over 2000 standards. Another is the International Standardization
Organization (ISO) that has issued a number of important data communication standards.
Unlike other standardization entities, the ITU is a treaty organization with more treaty
signatories than the United Nations. Its General Secretariat produces the Radio Regula-
tions. This document set is the only one that is legally binding on the nations that have
signed the treaty. In addition, two of the ITU's subsidiary organizations prepare and dis-
seminate documents that are recommendations, reports, or opinions and are not legally
binding on treaty signatories. However, they serve as worldwide standards.
The ITU went through a reorganization on January 1, 1993. Prior to that, the two
important branches to us were the CCITT, standing for International Consultative Com-
mittee for Telephone and Telegraph; the second was the CCIR, standing for International
Consultative Committee for Radio. After the reorganization, the CCITT became the
Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the ITU, and the CCIR became the ITU
Radiocommunication Sector. The former produces ITU-T Recommendations and the lat-
ter produces ITU-R Recommendations. The ITU Radiocommunications Sector essentially
prepares the Radio Regulations for the General Secretariat.
We note one important regional organization, ETSI, the European Telecommunica-
tion Standardization Institute. For example, it is responsible for a principal cellular radio
specification, GSM or Ground System Mobile (in the French). Prior to the 1990s, ETSI
was the Conference European Post and Telegraph or CEPT. CEPT produced the Euro-
pean version of digital network PCM, previously called CEPT30
+2 and now called
E-1.
There are numerous national standardization organizations. There is the American
National Standards Institute based in New York City that produces a wide range of
standards. The Electronics Industries Association (EIA) and the Telecommunication
Industry Association (TIA), both based in Washington, DC, are associated with one
another. Both are responsible for the preparation and dissemination of telecommunication
standards. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) produces the 802
series specifications, which are of particular interest to enterprise networks. The Advanced
Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards for video compression produce CATV
(cable television) standards, as does the Society of Cable Telecommunication Engineers.
Another important group is the Alliance for Telecommunication Industry Solutions. This