INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
JOINT COORDINATION ACTIVITY
ON CONFORMANCE AND
INTEROPERABILITY TESTING
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
JCA-CIT-I-043
English only
STUDY PERIOD 2013-2016
Original: English
Geneva, 10 April 2014
DOCUMENT
(Ref: SG15 - LS 151 -E)
Source:
ITU-T Study Group 15
Title:
LS/i/r on Conformance and Interoperability (reply to COM11-LS027) [from ITU-T
SG 15]
LIAISON STATEMENT
For action to:
SG11
For comment to:
JCA-CIT
For information to:
TSAG
Approval:
ITU-T SG15 meeting (Geneva, 4 April 2014)
Deadline:
17 November 2014
Helmut Schink
Vice Chairman Innovation
and Marketing
Contact:
Tel: +49 172 8146471
Email: helmut.schink@nsn.com
This liaison answers SG11 - LS 27.
A new liaison statement has been received from SG15.
This liaison statement follows and the original file can be downloaded from the ITU ftp server at
http://ifa.itu.int/t/2013/ls/sg15/sp15-sg15-oLS-00151.docx.
Attention: Some or all of the material attached to this liaison statement may be subject to ITU copyright. In such a case this will be
indicated in the individual document.
Such a copyright does not prevent the use of the material for its intended purpose, but it prevents the reproduction of all or part of it in a
publication without the authorization of ITU.
-2JCA-CIT-I-043
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
COM 15 – LS 151 – E
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
English only
STUDY PERIOD 2013-2016
Question(s):
Original: English
All/15
LIAISON STATEMENT
Source:
ITU-T Study Group 15
Title:
LS/r on Conformance and Interoperability (reply to COM11-LS027)
LIAISON STATEMENT
For action to:
ITU-T SG11
For comment to:
JCA-CIT
For information to: ITU-T TSAG
Approval:
ITU-T SG15 meeting (Geneva, 4 April 2014)
Deadline:
17 November 2014
Contact:
Helmut Schink
Vice Chairman Innovation and Marketing
Tel: +49 172 8146471
Email: helmut.schink@nsn.com
ITU-T SG15 would like to thank SG11 for the liaisons received, which include a response on
SG15’s liaison from its last meeting. SG15 has discussed the liaisons in its meeting on Innovation
and Marketing, C&I and BSG on Monday 31 March 2014 and in a rapporteur meetings of Q13/15.
SG15 appreciates the work of SG11 on the coordination of C&I issues as agreed by WTSA and
TSAG. SG15 would like to continue to be informed about the activities on frameworks,
methodologies, relationships to external bodies and appreciates the information given to SG15.
SG15 is working with the Home Grid Forum on testing for G.hn since experts in SG15 see a market
need to increase the probability of interoperability for this technology. SG15 would like to work
with SG11 to make this a success and would like to further understand the concept of a “Pilot
Project”.
SG15 is working on Synchronous Ethernet for many years and discussed the proposal to develop
test specifications for conformance testing. The SG15 chairman and several members of the SG15
management team pointed to the fact that conformity assessment is currently performed only
against essential requirements on safety and EMF issues (as also pointed out in the TSB slides).
Conformance tests against specifications in the transport area have been done more than 20 years
ago for e.g. for SDH to provide national operating agencies guidelines to purchase equipment. The
experience even at this time was quite negative, since the development of conformance test
specifications took a long time and the interoperability still was not given. As a consequence
industry decided that for network equipment like transport conformance test do not really help, but
are rather costly and delay progress.
-3JCA-CIT-I-043
Discussion on conformance test for Synchronous Ethernet was done in Q13/15 which came to the
conclusion, that during this meeting no new work item would be generated, since there has been no
consensus. In this case lack of consensus meant significant objections from a number of delegates.
Delegates expressed concern on cost and delay, whilst the market need was not obvious. The
meeting proposed to reopen the discussion as soon as market need is made evident, i.e. after
interoperability problems are shown to Q13/15 which could have been solved by conformance
testing.
SG15 also would like to raise concerns on issues SG15 has with the process around C&I. Whilst
SG15 understands that SG11 has been appointed as coordinator for C&I and in this function SG11
will develop guidelines, framework, cooperation agreements with test facilities, etc., SG15 does not
fully understand the value of the various living lists on “Recommendations to be tested” and “Key
Technologies under study in SG11 suitable for C&I testing”. SG15 understands that it is the
responsibility of the individual study groups to decide on suitability and market need for C&I
testing activities. In the case of SG15 this is done extensively and in good cooperation with other
SDOs. SG15 has contributed to the list of “Recommendations to be tested” but, in the light of the
workload in SG15, does not see sufficient justification to burden experts with an ongoing update of
the list. Concerning the list of “Key Technologies under study in SG11 suitable for C&I testing”
SG15 would like to emphasize the mandates of each ITU-T study group and ask SG11 not to study
issues clearly falling under the responsibility of SG15 to avoid any confusion and maintain
consistency within ITU-T.
_________________