17 20OctoberConnect20011

Internet Challenges &IP Telephony: 

Internet Challenges & IP Telephony Connect 2001 Cancun, October 16-18, 2001 Robert Shaw <robert.shaw@itu.int> ITU Internet Strategy and Policy Advisor International Telecommunication Union The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the ITU or its membership.

Internet in Latin America& Caribbean (LAC): 

Internet in Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) mid-2000 to mid-2001, international Internet connectivity to Latin America & Caribbean grew 500% Growth twice as fast as any other world region 2,500% growth between Latin America countries Fastest growth of any intra-regional bandwidth Source: Telegeography, Packet Geography 2001

Inter-regional Internet backbone: 

Inter-regional Internet backbone Source: TeleGeography Inc., Global Backbone Database. Data valid for Sept. 2000.

Top Latin America & CaribbeanInternet Hub Cities in 2001: 

Top Latin America & Caribbean Internet Hub Cities in 2001 Source: Telegeography, Packet Geography 2001

Top Latin America International Internet Routes: 

Top Latin America International Internet Routes Source: Telegeography, Packet Geography 2001

IP Telephony: What is it?: 

IP Telephony: What is it? Internet Protocol (IP) Telephony is a generic term describing voice or fax carried over IP-based networks, such as the Internet. IP Telephony is important: In the short-term, because it cuts the cost of calls, especially if routed over the public Internet In the longer-term, because telecoms carriers are migrating their separate voice and data networks to converged IP-based networks Examples of IP Telephony Service Providers include Net2Phone, Dialpad.com, iBasis, etc.

Why is IP Telephony important?IP Telephony traffic, in million minutes: 

Why is IP Telephony important? IP Telephony traffic, in million minutes Source: ITU Internet Reports, adapted from TeleGeography Inc.

IP Telephony Flavours: 

IP Telephony Flavours Often treated differently from policy or regulatory perspective Carried solely across the public Internet IP is underlying transport or signalling technology for PSTN services (e.g., using SS7) IP telephony on full end-to-end “private” IP networks (e.g., using “softswitch technology”) Combinations of the above with gateways between Internet or private IP-based networks and the PSTN

Country positions on IP Telephony189 ITU Member States: 

Country positions on IP Telephony 189 ITU Member States As of March 2001. Based on responses to ITU regulatory questionnaire and inputs to WTPF-01. No policy or No response 98 Prohibited 35 Regulated if "real-time" 7 Unregulated, 26 countries Unregulated if not "real- time", 18 Light regulation 5

Pricing IP Voice Services: 

Pricing IP Voice Services In high-price, monopoly markets Where permitted, IP Telephony creates opportunities for low-cost calls Even if not permitted, IP Telephony is widely used to reduce costs of international call termination In markets in transition to competition IP Telephony offers a route towards early introduction of competition and creates downward pressure on prices In competitive, low-price markets Main market opportunity for IP Telephony is in value-added services, e.g., unified messaging

What are the Key Issues?: 

What are the Key Issues? Technical: How to define IP Telephony? Is quality of service comparable? Will it improve? How to handle numbering/addressing issues? Economic: What price and cost savings can be expected? How quickly will carriers migrate their networks? Isn’t it just a form of bypass of telecom monopolies? Regulatory: Is it voice or is it data? License it? Prohibit it? Restrict it? Liberalise it? Should IP Telephony providers contribute to Universal Service?

ITU Information Resources: 

ITU Information Resources ITU Internet Reports 2001: IP Telephony http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/inet/2000/ 2001 World Telecommunication Policy Forum: IP Telephony http://www.itu.int/wtpf/ Secretary General’s Report on IP Telephony http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/wtpf/wtpf2001/sgreport/ ITU Internet Country Case Studies http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs/ IP Telephony Case Studies (e.g., Bolivia, Columbia, Peru) http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/wtpf/wtpf2001/casestudies/

ITU Information Resources: 

ITU Information Resources ITU News Article on IP Telephony http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs/material/IPTelephony.pdf BDT’s Meeting on WTPF Opinion D Part 3 http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/e-strategy/internet/iptelephony/ Workshop on Internet and IP Telephony, Lima, Perú, 18-20 July 2001 http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/e-strategy/internet/iptelephony/Seminars/perujuly2001/ Note on IP Telephony for Americas Regional Prepatory Meeting (16-18 October 2001) for WTDC 2002 http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/pdf/3982-007-en.PDF

ITU Information Resources: 

ITU Information Resources ITU-T Study Group 13: Lead Study Group for IP related matters http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com13/ Some SG13 IP Overview Matters http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com13/ip/ ENUM (E.164 Numbering Plan Mapped to DNS) http://www.itu.int/infocom/enum/ and http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com02/ Packetizer: A resource for packet-switched conversational protocols (technical site by Rapporteur of ITU-T Q.2/16 dealing with H.323) http://www.packetizer.com/