Converging service platforms, trends

1
Converging service platforms, trends

• Regulatory and policy aspects
• Nuno Encarnação, OFCOM(CH)

2
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
  

3
Exemples

• Many mobile phones may, with a fixe, satellite or
  mobile access
• receive radio and TV
• exchange e-mails
• access Internet and reach many Information
  Society Services ISS
• or simply call someone else
• Information Society Services
• 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.

4

Radio HD
5
Which seems comparable to
Radio HD
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
6
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!

7
Issues and opportunities (related to
standardization issues)

• Service providers have increased data from their
  clients
• Services will be tailored for users (opinion
  scores do help!), offer and demand tend to better
  match covering particular users and societal
  needs
• Security is a critical component (who has access
  to what information)
• 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)

8
Impact

• Different society sectors have mutual influence
• Users/ consumers and content providers have more
  choice
• Actors 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?

9
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 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
• copy of the Swiss art. 3.b of the SR 784.10,
  Telecommunications Act, TCA telecommunications
  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.

10
Law comparaison EU - CH
A comparison between Swiss and European legal
frameworks may help
CH (Acts) Theme EU (Directives)
RTVA TCA Communications infrastructures RTTE ECNS Directives
RTVA TCA Communications services ECNS Directive
RTVA (Title 3)backed by TCA Radio and TV transmission ECNS Directive
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
11
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

12
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)