Regional ITU Consultation on
Conformance Assessment and
Interoperability
(Nairobi, Kenya, 30-31 July 2010)
WTSA-08 Resolution 76:
the ITU-T approach to Conformity
Assessment and Interoperability for
developing countries
Paolo Rosa
Head, Workshops and Promotion Division
Telecommunication
Standardization
Bureau
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
What happens everyday
• Lack of performance and of compliance to
conformity and interoperability requirements
• Market invaded by counterfeit products
• Legacy, regulatory, contractual and legal
issues
• Developing Countries linked to one vendor
only
– poor market competition
– lack of technology neutrality
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2
Effects
Impact on ITU:
– Erosion of the perceived importance of ITU as the place of
choice to develop the full range of interoperable standards.
Reaction from Developing Countries members:
– a plea expressed for ITU to help and to assist in achieving
the requested level of conformity to standards and
interoperability among vendors both nationally and
internationally
ITU commitments:
– WTSA-08 Resolution 76: ITU-T not proposing to do anything
that is not already being done by other successful SDOs
including those that are expressing opposition to Res.76
implementation
– WTDC-10 Resolution 47 : supporting and complementing the
Res.76 from the development sector point of view
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The contents
1. WTSA-08 Res. 76, WTDC-10 Res. 47,
Councils 09 and 10 highlights
2. Conformity
3. Interoperability
4. Assistance to Developing Countries
5. Conclusions
4
1
The WTSA-08 Res. 76
the WTDC-10 Res. 47
Council-09 and -10 decisions
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WTSA-08 Resolution 76
Johannesburg, October 2008
“Studies related to conformance and
interoperability testing, assistance to
developing countries, and a possible
future ITU mark programme”
6
Conclusions on Res.
76
•
Res. 76: meet the needs of Developing Countries for conformance and
interoperability
•
Conformity as a first step to increase the probability of interoperability
between different equipment, manufacturers, vendors, service
providers
•
Identification of Labs able to carry out tests according to the ITU-T
Recommendations requirements and training programs
•
Voluntary based ITU conformity programme as a demonstration of
conformance to ITU-T Recs and possible creation of an ITU-Mark: the
“ITU inside” concept that now is dropped.
•
The increased business opportunities and benefits to both suppliers
and customers, positive industry response
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
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TSB studies conducted with…
• Experts and External
Organizations
• IEC, ISO,
• Regulators,
• Laboratories,
• Training institutions
• Governments
• UNIDO, WTO
• Accreditation bodies (ILAC, IAF, BIPM)
• Private sector, members and non-members of
ITU
8
The TSB Programme
• Conformity assessment:
– first step to interop,
– certification
– conformity database
• ITU as facilitator for interop events to:
– identify the interoperability problems
– develop Interoperability test suites as needed
• Current international procedures (ISO/IEC - CASCO
toolbox) adoption
• Conduct feasibility studies in developing countries to:
–
–
–
–
implement good conformity assessment practices
improve interoperability
build capacity
establish test centres
• Development of a business plan
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
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TSB Director’s Recommendations
endorsed by the Council-09
•
Implement conformance assessment and interoperability
events programme, including the creation of a
conformance database instead of an ITU mark
•
Creation of human resources capacity building
opportunities
•
Assist establishment of test facilities in developing
countries
•
Report to next Council on the effective implementation of
the above.
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
Cons from Members
• The database presents both legal and associated financial
liability risks for the ITU and the ICT industry
• A step-by-step approach should be taken in order to take
into account the concerns of the membership as ITU moves
forward in implementing the action lines adopted by Council
2009
• The use of accredited test labs is time consuming and
expensive, delaying users’ access to technology and
slowing global trade
• TSB should first prepare a business plan to establish the
real costs, potential liabilities and measurable benefits to
society before launching the ITU-T Conformity Database
• Test centres in developing countries, according to one
contributor, would lead to confusion in the market place
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
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Pros from Members
•
Interoperability as Mission for ITU (Res. 71 – Strategic Plan)
•
Res. 76 intended to assist DCs and manufacturers should
contribute to its implementation
•
Examples of problems associated with interoperability and
conformance of equipments and systems. Documentation
submitted to TSB so far
•
The conformance database would be exceedingly useful for
operators and end users for whom equipment are manufactured.
Good experience in this field is proven by existing DBs from other
SDOs
•
Confidence of users in the kind of equipment they buy is more
important than how quickly they appear on the market
•
ITU-T Recommendations must be studied in view of conformance
assessment and interoperability testing as relevant
•
Some of them already ensure interoperability of products provided
by different manufacturers. For these Recommendations
conformance and interoperability testing are complementary
considering that conformance is the first step to enable
interoperability.
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Where are the problems?
B
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Problems
• Yesterday: limited negative effects thanks
to preliminary and mandatory type approval
/ homologation tests
• Today: Concerns from end users,
improvement of standards C&I testing are
needed
• Tomorrow: Common actions required: end
users, vendors, SDOs, regulators, int’l and
reg’l organizations
• Lack: Effects on image, service, business,
budget
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Next steps:
Regional Consultation Meetings 2010
• BDT event - 2-4 August 2010 Nairobi, Kenya
on NGN and creation of test labs in Africa
• Asia Pacific – 16-17 September – (Sydney,
Australia)
• http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/wtsa08/res76/index.html#events
15
WTDC-10 Resolution 47
(Hyderabad 2010)
“Enhancement of knowledge and
effective application of ITU
Recommendations in developing
countries, including conformance
and interoperability testing of
systems manufactured on the
basis of ITU Recommendations”
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WTDC-10 Res.47 –
“resolves” linked to Res. 76
• to assist developing countries in capacity
building / training in collaboration with ITU-T
• to assist TSB in conducting conformance
assessment and interoperability testing
events, preferably in the developing countries
• to collaborate with the Director of TSB to
implement the actions endorsed by the ITU
Council in 2009 on Resolution 76
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2
Conformity
Ability of a product to meet the
requirement(s) of a standard
18
The ITU C&I Programme:
Testing
• Voluntary basis & free programme open to ITU
members. Non-members may participate on a
case by case basis waiting for public availability
• Testing
• 1st , 2nd, 3rd party accredited labs conformity
assessment
• 3rd party accredited certifiers (any lab)
• Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)
(ISO/IEC 17050)
19
ITU-T Recs &
test suites
Supplier’s
conformity
route
decision
Test results
(ITU-T X.290)
Accredited
(ISO/IEC Guide 65)
Certification body
Evaluation
1st party
Evaluation
Conformity
Certificate issued by
Certification
Body
Supplier’s Conformity
Declaration
(ISO/IEC 17050)
ITU CIP services
Supplier’s
Request to ITU
ITU Conformity
Database
Implementation
of the ITU Conformity
Test results
(ITU-T X.290)
Test lab
(certification body
responsibility)
Programme
Conformity Assessment / Certification
20
1st 2nd or 3rd party
accredited lab
(ISO/IEC 17025)
ITU Conformity Pilot Database
• Voluntary and free-of-charge tool permitting
manufacturers and service providers to make
a visible declaration that their equipment
conform to ITU-T Recommendations.
• Information entered directly by vendors.
• Users advised that the DB contains only
information provided by companies and that
ITU is not in a position to verify the accuracy
of the information received. Declaration of
responsibility requested.
• The Pilot Database may provide information
on applicable normative references by other
standards organizations complying with
Recommendation ITU-T A.5.
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
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Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity – SDoC 1/2
22
Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity – SDoC- 2/2
23
24
The ITU Pilot Conformity Database:
Example
Company
Vendor A
ITU
code
Prod.
Name
C-12345
AH-1234
Product
category
VDSL 2
ITU-T
Recs/Ed.
G.992.2,
G.995, GPON
SDOs
stand.s
IEEE,
IETF,
OIF
Vendor B
Vendor C
Search facilities for
any field
25
Date
01.01.11
SDoC
“.pdf”
A possible Reference data base
for conform products
Company
Member A
Prod.
Name
AH-1234
Product
category
F.O. modem
Applications
GPON, Access,
multilambda
SDOs
stand.s
ITU,
IEEE,
IETF, OIF
Member B
Member C
Search facilities for
any field
26
Customers
A, B, C, E, F
Transitive property for C&I
Conformity : necessary but not sufficient condition to increase the
probability of interoperability and improve quality of service
Customers: looking for conformity as the main requirement to increase
interoperability and confidence in vendors, to optimize investments and to
benefit of improved quality of service
Vendors : claiming for conformity to standards and interoperability as key
elements able to create better business opportunities and to demonstrate the
excellence of products with respect to the competitors in the marketplace
THEREFORE
ITU Conformity Database showing products claimed as successfully
tested for conformity is a “key tool” to:
a) to help customers find best solutions for their needs
b) to offer vendors a for-free additional opportunity to make business
giving visibility to their conforming products
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Existing DBs from other
SDOs
•
IEEE – ICAP Product Conformance Registry
www.ieee-isto.org/icap-program/products
•
Open Mobile Alliance – Products Listing
www.openmobilealliance.org/Application/ProductListing/products
•
FCC part 68 - www.fcc.gov/wcb/iatd/part68faqs.pdf “The rules also provide for the
development and maintenance of a publicly accessible database of approved TE and for
labeling TE that have been shown to comply with the technical criteria. All approved TE are
required to be listed in the database and to be properly labeled”. The Administrative
Council for Terminal Attachments (ACTA), joint sponsorship of the Alliance for
Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA), mandate “for maintaining a publicly accessible database of all approved
TE”
•
•
WiMAX Forum Spectrum and Regulatory Database:
www.wimaxforum.org/resources/wimax-forum-spectrum-and-regulatory-database
http://www.wimaxforum.org/certification/certified-product-showcase
•
Wi-Fi certified products database: www.wifi.org/certified_products.php
•
Global Certification Forum (GCF) (mobile phones and wireless devices based on 3GPP
standards) GCF's guiding maxim is "test once, use anywhere."
http://www.globalcertificationforum.org/WebSite/public/home_public.aspx
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The FCC Conformity Database
FCC – 00 – 171
NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING
Adopted: May 15, 2000
•
Item 68 :
Released:
May 22, 2000
Declaration of Conformity.
(omissis)……DoC is a procedure under which the party responsible for the equipment's compliance
with specific technical parameters, the manufacturer, importer, or assembler, causes measurements
to be made of equipment performance with regard to those parameters. The party
performing such measurements must be accredited for doing so by
an authorized accreditation body based on the International
Organization for Standardization and International
Electrotechnical Commission ("ISO/IEC") Guide 25. (omissis)
•
Item
76 Database of Approved or Certified Equipment
Currently, the Commission maintains a data base of terminal equipment registered pursuant to Part
68. Consistent with our proposal in this Notice to privatize many of the Commission’s current Part
68 functions, we propose that a private entity be responsible for sponsoring and maintaining a
similar database. We propose that entities obtaining equipment approval from TCBs and entities
using either DoC or verification be required to submit pertinent information
regarding their identity and approved equipment to a
database administrator. (omissis)
A nationwide data base ameliorates concerns regarding the
potentially adverse impact of non-compliant CPE on the PSTN.
(omissis)
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
The FCC-Administrative Council for
Terminal Attachment
ACTA (TIA-ATIS) Database
Ref. FCC 00-400 of 21 December 2000
•
(item 108) the database “will permit interested parties such as the
Commission, providers of telecommunications, and consumers to
track and identify suppliers or importers of non-compliant
equipment. As such, the database should ameliorate concerns
regarding the potentially adverse impact of non-compliant
terminal equipment on the PSTN by ensuring that suppliers are
held accountable for any damage their equipment may cause to
the PSTN”
Registration Numbering and Labeling
• (Item 81) As stated previously, when the Commission determines that a
piece of terminal equipment meets the technical requirements for that
equipment, the Commission assigns a unique registration number to that
piece of equipment. We tentatively conclude that although the Commission
will no longer be responsible for CPE registration, some form of unique
identifying label must be applied to all terminal equipment. This
identifying label is necessary to adequately identify CPE as an
approved piece of terminal equipment that customers are entitled
to connect to the PSTN (omissis)
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
Is ITU C&I DB creating confusion on the
marketplace? The GCF – Certific. explained
•
GCF Certification delivers extra confidence throughout the mobile value
chain by demonstrating that a mobile phone or wireless device:
is compliant with requirements agreed by GCF, which in turn reference
core and test specifications published by recognised standards
organisations and other industry forums
•
will interoperate correctly when used on a variety of digital mobile
networks
•
Manufacturers who certify their mobile devices to GCF rules and
procedures are assured that:
– their products will benefit from a high degree of interoperability
– time-to-market for new products is reduced using this respected
'one-stop' verification process
– expensive and time-consuming duplication of testing effort can be
avoided
•
With GCF's 'tested once, use anywhere' maxim, manufacturers
can significantly reduce the requirement for operator acceptance
testing if presenting GCF certified devices.
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
Just an example from WiMax Forum…
Or better two examples…the GCF DB
The step-by-step approach
•
How long will each step be [time] and how many steps are
foreseen?
•
Are the industry, the operating companies, regulators and endusers willing to wait for the results of the proposed multi-year
step-by-step approach before deciding how to make investments
and how to deploy new risk-free technologies?
•
To gain time we can benefit of the step-by-step approaches
followed by others SDOs, Especially those that found reasonable
and frutful the creation of a conformity database.
•
A step-by-step approach that benefits of the experience of others
SDOs should be developed in parallel to the implementation of the
Res. 76, 46 and to the action lines endorsed by Council-09.
Considering the activities of other SDOs well consolidated, the
“ITU parallel step-by-step” approach will allow:
–
–
–
–
To satisfy needs of vendors and customers
To fine-tuning the activities of ITU on res. 76 and 47
To give advice to ITU Study Groups to consider for new studies for test
suites as needed
A better coordination with other SDOs in the field of C&I
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The TSB step-by-step approach
Res. 76
Conformity and interop
tools
S-by-S STND
Standardization needs
S-by-S FIN
Financial issues
Res.47
Capacity building / test
centres
Conformity Data Base and
Interop events reports
available to the public
immediately
SDoC Completeness & liability
advices, database layout
Evaluation of additional costs
due to certification and
impact (%) on the costs of
products in the factory
Creating a conformity testing
and interoperability culture in
the regions: workshops
Promote conformity / interop
testing and the ITU-T
database.
Inputs from any vendor and
free access by end users
Continue monitoring of main
C&I requirements from
developing countries linked to
applications and technology,
neutrality
Evaluation of time increase
(%) to conduct certified
instead of non-certified
testing
Status of the existing labs in
regions. Type of testing labs
Development of criteria to
establish test centres in the
regions
Create a C&I portal managed
by ITU to provide a general
overview on C&I and links to
activities of other
SDOs/Industry/regulators/
Governments and to Labs
Comparison of test methods,
creation of ITU reference test
methods and alternative test
methods (ITU/SDOs).
Overlapping/duplication issues
Stimulate MRAs in the regions
Analysis of the status of
MRAs worldwide.
Benefits of MRAs in terms of
time to access markets and
savings on unnecessary
repeated testing worldwide.
Establishment of costs for the
establishment / enhancement
of labs in the regions and
creation of regional networks
Establish a coordination with
ILAC, IAF, BIPM, UNIDO,
Financial Institutions and
other SDOs
Study new / adapt existing
test suites where needed and
still not available.
Evaluate costs incurred by
end users and vendors due
to the lack of C&I
Establishing capacity building
programs / technologies /
teachers, events and costs in
cooperation with industry,
UNIDO etc…
Improve conformity data base
according to vendors / users
needs
Adapt easy and not expensive
market surveillance tools
Evaluation of possible
financial contributions by non
members to input data in the
ITU Conformity Database
Create criteria and methods
to prepare RFPs for private
and public entities (e.g. the
Germany Project)
Improving interop capabilities
/ technologies and web pages
Create synergy
users/vendors/regulators/SDO
to improve the C&I system
Advice on a possible
Business Plan
Periodical review/streamline
the process in function of the
S-by-S approach
Study new tools to parallel the
database and to give feedback
to ITU-T SGs for standards
review and studies.
C&I, Nairobi 30-31 July, 2010
The Global Conformity and
Interoperability Portal
• Links to Conformity Databases from all the SDOs
on a reciprocal basis
• Links to ICT testing labs and organizations
worldwide
• Repository of global MRAs for C&I
• Information on ITU and other SDOs Interop
events
• Contributions on best practices
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Interoperability
Ability of two or more systems or
applications or network management
products and services from different
suppliers to exchange information and
to mutually / fruitfully make use of it
37
TSB interoperability initiatives
www.itu.int/interop
 TSB facilitator and co-organizer, calendar of interoperability
events & partnership with relevant SDOs/forums/consortia
 Possible hot topics:
 IPTV
 G.9960 (Home Networking); HomeGrid Forum
 VDSL; Broadband Forum
 GPON (Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network)
 G.hn (home grids / networks)
Interested Companies SDOs, Forums, Consortia
to contact TSB (interop@itu.int).
38
IPTV Interop event
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Next ITU Interop events
• Singapore – IPTV – September 2010
• Geneva – G.hn ??? – November 2010
• India – IPTV – December 2010
Interested Companies SDOs, Forums, Consortia
to contact TSB (interop@itu.int).
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4
Assistance to
Developing Countries:
Capacity Building and
Test Centres
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Capacity building and test centers
•
The ITU-T Secretariat (TSB) is implementing proposals on
human capacity building in close collaboration with the
ITU-D Secretariat (BDT) (WTDC Res. 47), needed to:
– assign more resources
– hold workshops and tutorials on conformity assessment and
interoperability on the BDT project on International
Telecommunication Testing Center.
42
•
The ITU-T will assist in the establishment of test facilities in
developing countries and in cooperation with international
institutions is planned (UNIDO, International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation - ILAC, International
Accreditation Forum - IAF,…)
•
Visits to various Labs are in progress in the regions
•
A project to create a test center in Tanzania is in progress
International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
International Accreditation Forum
ILAC
IAF
APLAC
EA
PAC
IAAC
SADCA
Source
ILAC
APLAC Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
EA
European cooperation for Accreditation
IAAC
Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation
SADCA Southern African Development Cooperation for Accreditation
43
5
Conclusions
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What we said
• Resolutions 76(ITU-T) and 47(ITU-D) : the reply to the
needs of Developing Countries about conformity and
interoperability
• Conformity able to increase probability of interoperability
• Created the voluntary based and free pilot conformity
database to be populated since now
• ITU-T interop events started
• TSB committed to the implementation of the Res. 76
requirements
• Capacity Building activities and creation of test centers
started in cooperation with the BDT
45
Useful links
• ITU-T Conformity and Interoperability
www.itu.int/C&I
• ITU-T Conformity : www.itu.int/conformity
• ITU-T Interoperability : www.itu.int/interop
• ITU-T Workshops and Seminars
www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/index.html
• ITU-T News www.itu.int/net/ITU-T/info/news.aspx
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Addressing interoperability is one of the very reasons for
founding ITU and for which Experts in ITU-T Study
Groups are engaged in developing
Recommendations and test suites.
There is no point in developing test suites if ITU
does not give some recognition to manufactures
having their equipment tested to ITU-T
Recommendations
TSB is committed to consulting and collaborating with all
the ITU-T membership to ensure the successful
implementation of Resolution 76 as endorsed by the ITU
Council
“It is a long and winding road but
there is no turn back”
47