P1143

Perspectives for Future Work on IP-QoS Issues

closed

EURESCOM has been addressing QoS issues for a few years. The last two years the provision of ensured QoS in IP-based networks has been in focus. The work and results produced have not only been used by Shareholders internally, but have also enabled Shareholders to influence the work of international standardisation fora favourably.

For IP-based services harmonised, commercial QoS solutions are not available from any operator yet (except to a limited extent within single-operator domains). ‘Commercial QoS solutions’ are understood as a variety of QoS related activities, functionality from network and management point of view, applications, etc. The market seems to have arrived at a turning point with different options and directions.

The forming question for this Study is: What QoS and related issues are to be addressed (e.g. by EURESCOM projects) on short to medium term (i.e. the next 1-3 years) to enable the provision of commercial IP-based services with ensured QoS?

What are the main objectives of this Study?

1. Define a limited set (3-4) of realistic and interpreted scenarios for future service provisioning with ensured QoS. Some of these scenarios could have a longer-term perspective (e.g. 3-5 years).
2. Derive from scenarios key needs of network operators and service providers with respect to the enabling of applications and commercial IP-based services on short to medium (or even long) term.
3. Identify remaining issues and problems that need to be solved in order to accomplish objective 2, considering the work already done or ongoing. Part of this objective is also to consider possible additions or modification to ongoing activities.
4. Propose actions to be taken by EURESCOM or by Shareholders individually in order to accomplish objective 2

Define strategies to influence IETF, ITU or other standardisation bodies, and propose means to co-ordinate with EU activities (e.g. IST projects).

What are the clients and intended exploitation of the results?

Project results will recommend further steps to be undertaken by EURESCOM (and/or its shareholders) related to efficient managing IP QoS issues. For EURESCOM, this may be included in the next work programme. Reviewing results of recent and ongoing EURESCOM projects may also provide basis for a coherent story on the activities. However, the survey is also to identify critical missing issues that should be addressed.

Based on the results some shareholders may also undertake their own activities, possibly in co-operation under the EURESCOM frame.

The results may also form a basis for contribution to international fora on open issues that need to be resolved.