COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Transcription

1 COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES COU(93) 372 final Brussels, 22 July 1993 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT n Preparatry Actins in the field f Trans-Eurpean Netwrks: Integrated Bradband Cmmunicatins (TEN-IBC)

2 Cntents Summary 3 1. Backgrund 4 2. The Current Situatin 5 3. The Ratinale fr Preparatry Actins 6 4. The Objectives and Scpe f Preparatry Actins 7 5. Implementatin Framewrk 8 2

3 Summary These actins cncern the secnd dmain t be addressed in the framewrk f Trans Eurpean cmmunicatin netwrks. The first cncerns Integrated Service Digital Netwrks (ISDN) which is the subject f a special prpsal. High-speed (bradband) netwrks will enable a new range f integrated services t be intrduced in Eurpe, with cmbinatins f data and interactive vide services. These services will becme increasingly imprtant t business cmpetitiveness and allw a number f scial bjectives t be effectively addressed. The stimulatin f Trans-Eurpean bradband netwrk and service develpment is a necessary next step twards the realisatin f the bjectives f EC plicies. Hwever, Eurpe's high-speed cmmunicatin netwrks are still fragmented, and differ cnsiderably in their level f develpment This fragmentatin translates int missing links fr the functining f the internal market and the perfrmance f the EC ecnmy in internatinal cmpetitin. Bradband netwrks ~ust be develped alng the same general directin within Eurpe, and must be bradly aligned with develpments in ther regins f the wrld. Cmmnly accepted develpment "guidelines" (schema directeur) are required. Hwever, the understanding f applicatins and services t be supprted by the netwrk is still incmplete. It will be necessary t undertake a systematic investigatin f the essential features and issues in the framewrk f feasibility studies. Fr this reasn. the develpment f "guidelines" (schema directeur) needs itself t be the subject f substantial feasibility wrk. This Cmmunicatin describes the preparatry actins adpted by the Cmmissin n... 3

4 Preparatry Actins in the field f Trans-Eurpean Netwrks: Integrated Bradll>amll Cmmunicatins (TEN-KBC) L Backgrund The cmpetitiveness f Eurpean ecnmies depends n the early availability f trans Eurpean advanced cmmunicatin. The Cmmissin has adpted Cmmunicatins n "Industrial plicy in an pen and cm~etitive envirnment J.., and n "The Eurpean telecmmunicatins equipment industry", as well as the "1992 Review f the situatin in the telecmmunicatins services sectr"3 which have identified the need t imprve the cmpetitiveness feurpe's telecm vendrs, peratrs and service prviders. Eurpe can benefit frm ecnmies f scale, scpe and integratin in the transitin t bradband cmmunicatin in its sci-ecnmic develpment: The free circulatin f peple, gds, capital and services in the Cmmunity nw requires the develpment f trans-eurpean cmmunicatins. The implementatin f trans-eurpean netwrks will prvide a key infrastructure fr the prper functining f the internal market4 The Cuncil Decisins adpting the Prgramme RACES have as bjective the "Intrductin f Integrated Bradband Cmmunicatins, taking int accunt the evlving ISDN and natinal intrductin strategies, prgressing t Cmmunity-wide services by 1995". The results have prepared the grund fr the intrductin f integrated Trans Eurpean bradband cmmunicatins {IBC), starting in Hwever, the cmmercial intrductin requires a better understanding f the nntechnlgical aspects and feasibility studies t explre the ptimum way f vercming missing links. Cnsultatin f the sectr actrs has resulted in the definitin f a phased apprach t the intrductin f trans-eurpean integrated bradband services (TEN IBC) Bulletin f lbe Eurpc&n Cmmunues, Supplement 3/91, Nvember 1990 Cmmunicatin f the Cnurussin. SEC(92)1049 f111al f U July 1992 Cmmuruwin f the Cnvrussin. SEC(92)104ll flll81 f21 Clclbcr 1992 Cmmunicaun f the Cnurussu>n "Twards Trans..Eurpwt netwrks- A prg:rammc f COI11ftllllllty actin". COM(90)595 f 10 December 1990 Cuncil Decisin f 14 December 1987 n a Cmmunity pnlij8iilmc in the fcld f J.elc:c:iiiiiiWlicauns leclmlsies R&D in advanced Cmmunicatic>ns technl011es n Eurpe (RACE Jll1ll!rlllllme); /EEC: O.J. N L rB 4

5 2. The Current Situatin Advanced cmmunicatins are crucial t the well-being f natinal ecnmies and t that f the Cmmunity as a whle. Nt nly is an increasing prprtin f natinal wealth taken up by investment in telecmmunicatins, but advanced telematics services have an ever-larger impact n ecnmic cmpetitiveness and n quality f life. The Treaty f Eurpean Unin calls fr the establishment f 'guidelines' in view f the intrductin f trans-eurpean bradband netwrks in the Cmmunity. The Treaty fresees actins favuring the intercnnectin and interperatin f the natinal netwrks and the access t these netwrks, taking int accunt the necessity t link the peripheral regins with the central regins fthe Cmmunity. The technlgical breakthrughs are changing the price/perfrmance f telecmmunicatins in a fundamental way and pse bth a majr pprtunity and challenge t the Cmmunity. This is particularly true in the area f bradband cmmunicatins. The main reasns fr the intrductin f bradband netwrks are imprved cst/perfrmance giving industry new cmpetitiveness, and the use f wider bandwidth fr new services t the end user. Applicatins f advanced cmmunicatins will becme increasingly multi-media, with a changing mix f image, data and vice cnfiguratins during a "call". This requires increased bandwidth and greater service integratin, bth t the ffice and the factry f the future as well as the hme. Many new cmmunicatins services will include bth cnversatinal and distributive services. Typical grwth areas reflecting future user demand include: multimedia wrkstatins (vice, text, graphics, still and mving images) data transmissin (eg LAN intercnnectin, CAD/CAM, Hst t Hst Links) Desk Tp Publishing medical Imaging dcument and vide Retrieval ( eg fr maintenance, trade, hme shpping, educatin and research) clur facsimile table-tp vide cnferencing and vide telephne HiFi and digital HDTV/Vide. Thrughut there is a cmmn demand fr lw cst, mbility, flexibility, service quality and pen access, ie unrestrained interwrking f services irrespective f the infrastructure, technlgy, peratr, service prvider r the user equipment. Functinal integratin and higher bandwidth are nt nly a technical prerequisite fr respnding t evlving user demands, but is als a key factr fr achieving lw csts. 5

6 The evlutin in value-added services and user equipment will be fast, driven by rapid innvatin and new service demand (cmparable t the grwth f Facsimile services since the 1980s). Such rapid change is nt easy t fllw in the underlying infrastructure, in netwrk equipment and netwrk management. The pace f netwrk evlutin is cnstrained by the necessity t preserve netwrk integrity and by the large scale f systems. This favurs incremental intrductin f advanced systems, inter-wrking with the installed capacity. Significant wrk has already been undertaken. Eurpe has already a significant fibre ptic trunk netwrk. Islands f ptical fibre are develping in majr cmmercial centres in several Eurpean cuntries, as well as in the United States. Once these are in place, bradband switches prviding an verlay f fast trans-eurpean cmmunicatins services will be cst-effective as early as The EC RACE prgramme has established Cmmn Functinal Specificatins and the technlgy base fr the Eurpe wide intrductin f Integrated Bradband Cmmunicatin, mc6. 3. The Ratinale fr Preparatry Actins ~ The stimulatin f Trans-Eurpean bradband netwrk and service develpment is a necessary next step twards the realisatin f the bjectives f EC plicies. Hwever, Eurpe's high speed cmmunicatin netwrks as still fragmented, and differ cnsiderably in their level f develpment. This fragmentatin translates int missing links fr the functining f the internal market and the perfrmance f the EC ecnmy in internatinal cmpetitin. The understanding f applicatins and services t be supprted by the cmmunicatins netwrks is tday still incmplete. Further investigatins and analyses are needed in several areas such as target specificatins, netwrk evlutin including terrestrial systems, mbile and satellite cmmunicatins, service infrastructure evlutin, engineering cncepts, peratinal principles, quality f services, market demand and traffic frecast, investment needs, surces f funding, and risks. The technical assessment will be als needed with regard t cnfrmance with cmmn integrated bradband cmmunicatins strategies, and cmmn functinal specificatins and standards. 6 IBC (Integrated Bradband Cmmunicatins) is an evlutinary cncept defined as fllws: "lnregra!ed" pints t "integrity" f the whle netwrk, and therefre t the prper interwrking f all its essential cnstituent parts, including the existing and emerging nes: vice telephny; packet, ISDN, bradband, satellite and mbile. It als signifies the integratin f services (at the user and the apprpriate netwrk levels). "Bradband" designates the ttal mix f services t be cnsidered, starting frm ISDN, up t what will be required by a realistic intrductin f vide (interactive and distributive) services (ie 140 Mbits/s and mre at the user interface). "Cmmunicatin" includes the "cnventinal" switchingltransmissin!cpn functins, but als advanced features t make service prvisin user-friendly, perfnning and ecnmically sund. 6

7 This present situatin therefre requires, as a prerequ1s1te t further prpsals n the implementatin f bradband cmmunicatins, substantial feasibility studies, validatin by trials and cnslidatin f the results in the cntext f preparatry actins. Bradband netwrks must be develped alng the same general directin within Eurpe, and must be bradly aligned with develpments in ther regins f the wrld. Cmmnly accepted develpment "guidelines" (schema directeur} are required. Hwever, the understanding f applicatins and services t be supprted by the netwrk is still incmplete. It will be necessary t undertake a systematic investigatin f the essential features and issues in the framewrk f feasibility studies. Fr this reasn, the develpment f "guidelines" (schema directeur) needs itself t be the subject f substantial feasibility wrk. The bjective f these preparatry actins is t frmulate a set f cherent guidelines fr the intrductin ftranseurpean bradband cmmunicatins netwrks in the Cmmunity ~. The Objectives an!si Scpe f Preparatry Actins The bjective f the guidelines will be t facilitate the develpment f Trans-Eurpean integrated bradband cmmunicatins services (IBC), t strengthen the ecnmic and scial chesin f the Cmmunity, the cmpetitiveness f Eurpean industry, and t establish the techn-ecnmic feasibility f trans-eurpean IBC applicatins. The specific bjectives f the preparatry actins are 1} the develpment f a framewrk f actin fr the sectr actrs drawing maximum benefit f the Cmmunity dimensin and making an apprpriate cntributin t the sci-ecnmic chesin f Cmmunity and its internatinal cmpetitiveness. 2) the develpment f a cnsensus n guidelines and establishment f techn-ecnmic feasibility f the applicatins in view f the intrductin f trans-eurpean integrated bradband cmmunicatins riented t meet real user requirements, prmting timely usage while taking int accunt the impact n cmpetitiveness and reginal develpment. The preparatry actins include investigatins relating t trans-eurpean develpments f Bearer Netwrks, with switched and managed bradband capabilities, prviding a Bearer Platfrm, and enabling intercnnectin. Service Netwrks, prviding cmpatible telematics services and their management thrughut the Cmmunity, prviding a Service Platfrm, and thus ensuring interperatin 7

8 Applicatin Netwrks fr Pan-Eurpean applicatins, interlinking users sharing the same applicatin type (ie Generic Applicatins), prviding an Applicatin Platfrm, and thus ensuring interwrking Terminal equipment and the assciated Sftware, based n mdular standardisatin. The preparatry actins will address the Develpment f target specificatins, Analyses f investment and inter-wrking implicatins in each Member State, and Cnslidatin and cnsensus develpment f guidelines Validatin in the cntext ftrials. 5. Implementatin Framewrk I Trials and investigatins f cmmn interest eligible will be implemented in the frm f a set f feasibility studies carried ut in the cntext ftrials. Interest exists in the fllwing areas: Citizen Netwrks (Health Care, Scial Services, Transprt, Educatinffraining, Telecmmuting,.. ) Netwrks f Expertise and Science (including High Perfrmance Cmputing) Industry Netwrks (prviding fr the needs f manufacturing industry and their relatins with supplier and custmers) Business Netwrks (addressing the needs f service industries with particular reference t the needs fr equal access t services thrughut Eurpe) Administrative Netwrks (prviding fr the prvisin f cst-effective administrative services t the citizens and business thrughut Eurpe) Media Netwrks (prviding fr the develpment f general purpse dial-up vide services and interactive multimedia services based n digital vide). The chice between the areas f interest will be made in the evaluatin f prpsals fr trials. 8

9 The trials will use the evlving service infrastructures and public bearer netwrks as available, eg: ATM Trial netwrk 0 me islands Satellite netwrks Cable Netwrks Mbile Netwrks The preparatry actins will be implemented n the basis f a clse c-rdinatin with plicies at a natinal level, ntably with the bjective f ensuring and maintaining intercnnectivity and interperability. With the understanding that a selectin f areas will be made in the evaluatin f prpsals, a Call fr Prpsals will be published fr the fllwing tasks, TO.l Operatinal Eurpe-wide Appfticaaimns- me TriaDs- fr "Citizen Netwrks" The establishment f peratinal Eurpe-wide IBC applicatins that are feasible in a shrt time frame, have a high degree f ptential Eurpean cntent, benefit Eurpean scial and plitical chesin and ecnmic cmpetitiveness, and have direct applicability and added value t Health Care, Scial Services, Transprt, Educatinn"raining, Telecmmuting. T0.2 Operatmnl lei!drpe-wide Applicatnns - me Trnals - fr ''N ~etwrlks f!expertnse and Scie1111ce" The establishment f an peratinal Eurpe-wide IBC applicatins that have direct applicability t the scientific cmmunity, including High Perfrmance Cmputing. 1'0.3 Operattrnal JEurpe-wde App~icat11s- ffic Trna!s - fr "Hilldustry Netwrlks" The establishment f an peratinal Eurpe-wide IBC applicatins that have direct applicability t the needs f manufacturing industry and their relatins with supplier and custmers. T0.4l OperraniUllaD IE Ill rpe-wide A pp!ka&ins - me l'rrials - fr "BI!Dsness Netwrks" The establishment f an peratinal Eurpe-wide IBC applicatins that have direct applicability t the needs f service industries with particular reference f the needs f equal access t services thrughut Eurpe. 9

10 T0.5 Operatinal Eurpe-wide Applicatins - me Trials - fr "Administrative Netwrks" The establishment f peratinal Eurpe-wide me applicatins that are feasible in a shrt time frame, have a high degree f ptential Eurpean cntent, benefit Eurpean scial and plitical chesin and ecnmic cmpetitiveness, and have direct applicability and added value t the prvisin f cst-effective administrative services t citizens and businesses thrughut Eurpe. T0.6 Operatinal Eurpe-wide Applicatins - me Trials - fr "Media Netwrks" The establishment f an peratinal Eurpe-wide me applicatins that have direct applicability t the develpment f general purpse dial-up vide services and interactive multimedia services based n digital vide. Tl.l Target Specificatins- Trans-Eurpean Applicatins The establishment f a target specificatin fr trans-eurpean Applicatins. and the assessment f the size fthe Eurpean market fr cmmercially viable me applicatins. Tl.2 Target Specificatins - Service Evlutin The identificatin and specificatin the services t be implemented in Guideline 1 T1.3 Target Spedficatiu- Netwrk Evhntin The establishment f a target netwrk evlutinary scenan t supprt the trans Eurpean applicatins and services T2.1 ArnaDyses f investment amll irntenvrkirng implicatins natinally At the natinal level, the definitin f an evlutinary scenari t reach the target specificatins fr trans-eurpean applicatins, services and netwrks. T2.2 Amnlyses f nvestment ami interwrkirng implicatins in Eurpe At a Eurpean level, the definitin f an evlutinary scenari t reach the target specificatins fr trans-eurpean intercmmunicatin and interwrking f applicatins, services and netwrks. T2.3 Analyses f investment and interwrking implicatins internatinally At a glbal level, the definitin f an evlutinary scenari t reach the target specificatins fr trans-eurpean intercmmunicatin and interwrking f applicatins, services and netwrks. T3.1 Cnslidatin - Trans-Eurpean Applicatins Based n the natinal, Eurpean and internatinal analyses, the establishment f an agreed plan fr the intrductin f trans-eurpean Applicatins 10

11 T3.2 Cnslidatin - Service Evlutin Based n the natinal, Eurpean and internatinal analyses, the establishment f an agreed plan fr the intrductin ftrans-eurpean services T3.3 Cnslidatin - Netwrk Evlutin Based n the natinal, Eurpean and internatinal analyses, the establishment f an agreed netwrk evlutinary scenari t supprt the trans-eurpean applicatins and services T3.4 Cnslidatin - Guideline I The integratin f the results int a "Guideline 1 fr Trans-Eurpean Netwrks - Integrated Bradband Cmmunicatins" t serve as a basis fr IBC realisatin, based n the cnslidated plans. The cmmunity cntributin t feasibility studies may be up t 100 % f the ttal csts f studies and up t 50% fr the participatin in trials. The Cmmissin shall keep infrmed the RACE Management Cmmittee relating t technlgy matters and the Senir Officials Grup Telecmmunicatins fr matters relating t the Telecm Plicy. It shall als keep infrmed ther apprpriate Cmmittees. At the end f the actin, the Cmmissin will submit a final reprt t the Cuncil and Parliament The reprt will frm ne f elements fr further prpsals cncerning the Trans-Eurpean Telecm Bradband Netwrks. 11

12 ISSN COM(93) 372 final DOCUMENTS EN 15.. ' r Catalgue number: CB... C EN-C ISBN Office fr Official Publicatins f the Eurpean Cmmunities L-2985 Luxemburg 1:!