Federal Office of Communications
TC
Converging service
platforms, trends
Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM(CH)
17th October 2011, ITU Workshop Service Delivery Platforms
Convergence, seen from ‘regulators’,
is to obtain… (informal opinions in a discussion group)
• Several services over the same device or network, i.e.
• more information society and communications services like
traditional telephony, TV/radio distribution
• on a single communications platform (e.g. Internet), infrastructure
or device
and/ or
• The same service over several devices or network, i.e.
• any particular service
• from different/ several or multiple platforms, infrastructures or
devices, e.g. TV or telephony services over Internet, IPTV,
satellite, DSL, HFC
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Exemples
• Many mobile phones may, with a fixe, satellite or mobile access
•
•
•
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receive radio and TV
exchange e-mails
access Internet and reach many Information Society Services [ISS]
… or simply call someone else
• Information Society Services
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•
•
•
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Content preparation for radio et TV broadcasting
Multimedia services other than transporting information
The printed press and other information
Telephony applications, SMS, MMS excluding transport
Access to databanks, public documents, media contents and other
remotely offered services up to the distribution interface
• Interactive services (as far as transport is excluded)
• e-voting, e-health, e-learning, e-banking,…
• e-government, e-voting, e-tax declaration, blogs, etc.
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Radio HD
…
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Radio HD
Which seems comparable to…
From ITU-T rec. Y.2240
But…
Information society services (ISS, contents, applications) are typically in
the user layer but may also be seen as resources for communications
platforms, depending on the situation, if they are ‘exposed’ (publicly
available?) or not; user generated contents and applications are in the
same situation as the ISS…
… to be seen in a case by case basis
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Users, services and resources
• Communication services (transport of information) increase
their independence from infrastructures and resources, since
the same service may be provided over several supports
• Information Society Services (ISS) and users/consumers
increase their independence from communication services and
infrastructures due to the greater offer in these domains
• As mentioned above, contents and applications (ISS) may be
seen in the user cluster/ layer or (in the case of being ‘exposed’
on the platform offer) in the resource cluster/ layer…
• … clear universal borderlines among users, communication
services and resources do not yet exist!
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Issues and opportunities
(related to standardization issues)
•
Service providers have increased data from their clients
•
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Security is a critical component (who has access to what information)
•
•
•
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Services will be tailored for users (opinion scores do help!), offer and
demand tend to better match covering particular user’s and societal needs
Personal data protection: providers have detailed users’ profiles
Content protection right: access, usage, copy and distribution
Service and network protection: no disturbance, only for recognized clients
System specific solutions may impair the right of the user to choose
(and change) the supplier and delay the evolution…
•
standardized offers are welcome…
•
Increased competition (incl. FTTH) and data exchange (more available
services) will require technology decisions (e.g. switch-off analog TV)
•
The reproducibility of multiple-play offers should be checked (new
comers to have comparable opportunities, no discrimination)
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Impact
• Different society sectors have mutual influence
• Users/ consumers and content providers have more choice
• Actor’s behavior change
• The impact on public policy and economy is important
• Authorities should survey tightly the different sectors’ evolution
… and verify if law application needs adaptation
• There is a great amount of risks and opportunities
… ‘video killed the radio stars…’
• But the core of the revolution is e.communication platforms
• What information (voice, video…) to transport from whom to whom
• Under which conditions… which are the risks and opportunities?
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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The e.communication service is…
•
Note: Swiss law is independent but in general tries to evolve taking in account EU
regulatory and policy concepts developments
•
[partial copy of EU Framework Directive 2002/21/EC, art.1c] means
•
[copy of the Swiss art. 3.§b of the SR 784.10, Telecommunications Act, TCA] telecommunications
•
a service …which
consists …in the conveyance of signals on electronic communications
networks, including … telecommunications services and
transmission services … for broadcasting, but exclude services
providing, or exercising editorial control over, content transmitted using
electronic communications networks and services; it does not include
information society services…
service means transmission of information for third parties by
means of telecommunications techniques.
Art.1 of SR 784.40 Federal Act on Radio and Television recognizes TCA
as the relevant law for transmission aspects.
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Law comparaison EU - CH
A comparison between Swiss and European legal frameworks may help
CH (Acts)
Theme
EU (Directives)
RTVA + TCA
Communications
infrastructures
R&TTE + ECNS
Directives
RTVA + TCA
Communications
services
ECNS Directive
Radio and TV
transmission
ECNS Directive
RTVA (Title 3)
[backed by TCA]
‘Linear’/ ‘live’ in
RTVA
Media
‘Live’ & ‘on-demand’
AVMS Directive
The increasing independence among sectors (infrastructures, communication
services and information society) may imply stronger splitting their legal handling
Note: A ‘EU green paper’ online distribution of audiovisual works discusses
distribution rights aspects
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Visions and trends
• A ‘total communication for all‘ (‘e-accessibility’), may mean the
future inclusion in the concept of Universal Service of…
• Synchronized transmission of audio/ voice, video, text and other data
(subtitling, sign language, audio description, files… aggregation) for:
• (video)-telephony, radio, TV and access to Internet
conversational/ interactive (possibly aggregated) services
• The control function of networks and services…
• Is moving to application layers and management centers, often out of
the control of the traditional telecom service provider
• A good part of liability and editorial shaping of the contents…
• Is moving to end-users
• A part of media policy…
• Is moving under the control of business interests
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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Some essential supporting items for
service platforms
ICT services need to check following very generic items
(needs of standardization to be specified per new service …
even if new services result from the aggregation of earlier ones)
• Localization: user local, emergency calls, regional/ local services
(including emergency alarms, cell broadcasting… fix and mobile)
• Interoperability, interconnection and public access, all interfaces
should ensure interoperability, standardized solutions are welcome
• Quality: when too much required (in the law), it limits competition…
if it is too low, functionality is questionable, may be unacceptable…
• Security: network, services, contents (owner, distribution, access
rights), personal data protection, children and special social groups
content protection, identification, authorization, lawful interception…
• Environment compatibility: emc and rational use of the spectrum
(air/ radio, cable and fiber)… but also… rational usage of energy
resources and materials (including recycling)
Converging Service Platforms I Regulatory and policy aspects
Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM (CH)
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