Joint ITU-GISFI Workshop on
“Bridging the Standardization Gap: Workshop on
Sustainable Rural Communications”
(Bangalore, India, 17-18 December 2012)
Teaching standardization to Engineers
- CMI experience
Knud Erik Skouby,
Professor, CMI/ Aalborg University
skouby@cmi.aau.dk
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
Standardisation
Standards are specifications that
determine the compatibility of
different products
(also minimum quality and
reference standards)
Standardisation is the process where
standards are agreed
What/ why do we teach to
engineers?
Basics of the ‘Information Society’
The rapid technological change has
highlighted the strong
link between technological
standards, innovation, market
performance and economic welfare
The ability to communicate
electronically is the foundation
Standards enable the electronic
communication
2012 INFO SOCIETY
Aalborg, Denmark, 8-9 October 2012
4
WWRF -2020 Vision: 7 trillion
wireless devices
serving 7 billion people
All people will be served with wireless devices
Affordable to purchase and operate
Calm computing: technology invisible to users
Machine to machine communications
• Sensors and tags: e.g. in transport and
weather systems, infrastructure, to
provide ambient intelligence and context
sensitivity
All devices are part of the (mobile) internet
7 Trillion Devices in a decade
Smart meters
Sensors
Objects
Knowledge from Data –
O2O
Tags
Personalized medicine
6
Need for standards
Technology:
Interworking/interoperability/overall
architecture is a must
Socio-economics:
Prevention of Market failures
Information asymmetry
Externalities
Development of ‘Natural’ monopoly
IPR: Intellectual Property Right
Patent
Copyright
Design registration
Aalborg, Denmark, 8-9 October 2012
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Students need to understand the
elements – and the relations – in
standardization
Institutions
Drivers/ barriers
Processes
Impact
Aalborg, Denmark, 8-9 October 2012
8
Institutions
Old Regime: ITU
National sovereignty
Joint provision
Interoperability via
negotiated standards
Present regime
Hyper fragmented -and
volatile- “standards
market”
Myriad of agents in the
standardization process
(SDOs, forums,
companies)
ICT standards specified
in “islands”
GTSC
GRSC
End to end monolithic
standards are “last
millenium”
Aalborg, Denmark, 8-9 October 2012
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Drivers/ Barriers in standards
TECHNOLOGY
Digitalization
Computerization
Packet based Switching
Internet Protocol (IP)
Mobile
Next Generation Networks
(NGN)
Convergence &
converged services
Ambient ICT
Applications
Regulation
POLICY
Competitive environment
Enabling of changes
Creation of adequate
infrastructures and
services
User empowerment
Services
MARKET
Tech development
Techno-economic efficiency
Cost / prices
New infrastructures and
services
Standardization Proces(ses)




Impact: Winner factors – ‘acceptable’?
Be first
Luck / coincidence
Co-operation with complementary
producers
Might be the best product, but
Lock-in
 QWERTY as an example
 Path dependence / hysterisis


Market failure or ?
Impact Paradox?
Freedom
Creativity
Dynamics
Stability
Order
Routine
„In fact, fast-changing economies have a
greater need for standards and norms.”
A WLL low-cost, low-energy solar
panel powered
Sept. 3-5, 2012
14
Evergrowing Spectrum Demand
Work starting to calculate demand in
preparation for WRC 2015
Not adequate VHF/ UHF bands
available
Possible solutions
Sharing
Satellite occupies 3600 – 4200 MHz
Lower Broadcasting bands
Or Research new technology techniques
Key success factors
complexity/cost
backhaul requirements
business models and usage scenarios
spectrum and standardisation
Efficient signalling
Realistic deployment scenarios and
performance evaluation
System architecture aspects and backward
compatibility
Cross layer optimisation
CMI course on standardization
9 topics are examined in the
course:
Economics of standards
Taxonomy of standards
Standardization organizations and processes
Standards and innovation
Standardization strategies
Standards and business models
Standards and IPR
Standardization and regulation
EU approach to standardization and
certification
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
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Economics and taxonomy
The course combines a technology view on
standards with an economics and policy
approach with focus on economics. The
economics of standards are examined with
respect to how standards develop in the
markets and what their implications are for
market developments.
At the taxonomy level, the issues of reference,
minimum standards, and compatibility
standards are dealt with. The course primarily
focuses on compatibility standards clarifying
also the difference between de facto and de
jure standards.
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
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Standardization organizations and
processes & Standards and innovation
Following the differentiation between de facto and
de jure standards, the categories of
standardization setting organization are studied:
official standardization organizations; professional
organizations; Internet organizations;
standardization forums. Furthermore, the
processes in the different types of organizations
are presented.
The mentioned ‘contradiction’ between innovation
and the implementation of standards is
discussed: standards can be seen as generic and
necessary platforms for new innovations to occur.
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
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Standardization strategies & business
models
Depending on their position in the markets, the
different players may have different interests in
promoting standards. Large companies will have
an interest in promoting their own standards and
may form alliances with other companies in order
to further their interests. Examples of standards
‘wars’ are examined.
The technology design is an important part of
business models. There is, therefore,
interdependence between the business models
implemented and the technology standards
applied. The extent to which specific standards
determine the specific business models is
discussed.
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
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Standards, IPR & regulation
Part of the standardization strategies relate to the
establishment of intellectual property right,
patents –and in the case of software, first and
foremost copyright. The manner in which IPRs
affect the standardization processes is dealt with.
Most de jure standards are voluntary. But some
standards also become mandatory regulations. In
the course, the relationship between standards
and regulations are examined.
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
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EU approach to standardization and
certification
In order to promote the Internal Market, the
European Union has implemented procedures to
secure a common approach to standardization
and certification in general. The EU approach is
examined in order to get a broader view on
standardization than the issue of compatibility
standards.
Bangalore, India ,17-18 December 2012
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Conclusions and Recommendations
Standardization @
universities: an
academic discipline
Theory
Methodology
Data/ facts
Understand the
process
Aalborg, Denmark, 8-9 October 2012
Complicated
Not ‘in it self’/ by
nature
It is
multidisciplinary
Research needed
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”Wireless Mobile Communications
from WW1 (Sommes 1918)
The use of pigeons
Was not cancelled
From the Danish
Military Budget until 1995