TELECOM ACCESS STANDARDS NEWSLETTER NO. 102 DECEMBER 1997 CONTENTS PTC 200 TESTING PABX SPECIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO PTC 107 TELEPHONE MEMORY RETENTION REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MARKS NEW TEST LABORATORIES CELLULAR/CDPD TELEPERMIT APPLICATION FORM TELEPERMIT GRANTS DURING 1997 CHRISTMAS GREETINGS return to index PTC 200 TESTING Suppliers and testing laboratories are advised that, as far as analogue equipment is concerned, we will accept test reports ONLY to PTC 200: 1997 after 1 April 1998. A forewarning of this was given in Newsletter No. 99 in September of this year. There may be some special exceptions to this general rule, such as for specialised professional equipment not intended for sale on the open market, but our primary aim is to have all analogue equipment fully tested to PTC 200. In particular, this includes full ringing performance testing for all four distinctive alerts, even where the product is not intended to respond to other than DA-1, the standard Telecom ringing cadence. Problems with ringer compatibility between products and between individual products and the network interface seem to be on the increase. In view of this, we are anxious to get sufficient information from test reports to be able to advise suppliers where we detect potential problem sources. While we have from time to time, been accepting Austel/ACA test reports, there is growing variance between the two networks and greater difficulty in ensuring a reasonable level of compatibility of product tested to TS requirements. We charge extra for our work in "translating" between TS results and our own requirements, but this work is becoming more difficult because both networks' requirements have been subject to change. Where additional tests prove necessary, it is often easier (and sometimes cheaper) for the test laboratories to run a complete automated PTC 200 test programme than to carry out only selected parts. As a result, the part-testing charge plus our extra charge may not be much different from a complete PTC 200 test programme. Full testing also provides the supplier with better assurance that his product meets Telecom requirements. Return to Contents PABX SPECIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO PTC 107 Early next year, we plan to fully revise our PABX system PTC Specifications, PTC 107, PTC 108 and PTC 109. This is necessitated by a number of developments since these documents were issued in 1989. In the meantime, Amendment No. 4 to PTC 107 has been prepared to align the specification with the now well-established current Telecom practices. The amendment amounts to only four-pages, but since the full text is not of interest to most readers, it is not being issued with this Newsletter. Also, most systems in service which were affected by this change are expected to have been modified by now. The actual changes apply to Tables 7.6 (3), 7.6 (4), 7.6 (5) and 7.6 (6), where the 2-bit "Blocking" signal should be two "1"s rather than two "0"s. Also, there are now separate bit patterns to differentiate between "Forward Blocking" (from the exchange to the PABX) and "Backward Blocking" (from the PABX to the exchange). As a result, the bottom line of Table 7.6 (3) and the bottom line of Table 7.6 (5), originally reading Blocking <----- 1 0 0 0 and the bottom line of Table 7.6 (4) and the bottom line of Table 7.6 (6), originally reading Blocking<----- 0 0 1 0 should now ALL be replaced with the two lines:- Forward Blocking -----> 1 1 1 0 Backward Blocking <----- 1 0 1 1 The Amendment, which has been published in A4 format to align with the copies of PTC 107 now held in stock, may be obtained free of charge on request to Access Standards. Those readers with the original A5 version may prefer to simply mark up their copies as explained above until the 1998 editions are made available. I would also be interested to hear from any suppliers who are aware of any errors, discrepancies or shortcomings in the three PABX specifications. We are anxious to achieve maximum accuracy and input from the industry helps in this respect. Return to Contents TELEPHONE MEMORY RETENTION The growing use of the internet and its often very long call holding times, coupled with Telecom's "Talk all Day" special offers is leading to increasing risk that some telephones and other CPE may not be able to retain memory content. During any long periods that another CPE device is off-hook, the voltage across the off-hook device may be insufficient to allow an on-hook device on the same line to draw the current needed to maintain line-powered features, such as memories and clocks. PTC 200, Fig 6.1, recommends that there be at least 6 V across any off-hook device where the line current is 20 mA or more. However, this is mainly recommended to allow hand-over from one telephone to another and usually does not apply with modems and fax machines, which tend to have very low on-hook voltage drop and do not need to handover calls in the usual sense. In view of this growing possibility, it is best to provide for a back-up battery within any CPE device with features that are normally line-powered. However, should customers return products to the retailer or complain that their CPE is losing stored information, it would pay to check whether long calls have been involved, and not simply accept that the item concerned is at fault. Return to Contents REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MARKS During 1999, New Zealand and Australia are expected to be introducing a common product labelling regime to indicate that the items concerned have complied with electrical safety and radio interference regulations. I will advise further on the use of the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) and "C-ticks" in a future Newsletter. In the meantime, information on electromagnetic compatibility requirements can now be obtained from the Ministry of Commerce Radio Spectrum Management group via the Internet. The full address for this information is:- www.moc.govt.nz/rsm/dp10.pdf This seems a good opportunity to advise readers that there are no foreseen changes to our Telepermit procedures, which are not "regulatory". We still require test reports against our PTC/TNA specifications to be submitted with each application. These test reports result in a Telepermit, which establishes a formal contractual relationship between Telecom and the Telepermit holder. The trend overseas towards self-certification and inter-nation Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA's) has little effect on our procedures, mainly because New Zealand does not have a Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, and the Telecommunications Act leaves each network operator responsible for establishing and maintaining standards within its own network. This, of course, includes requirements for the connection of CPE. Return to Contents NEW TEST LABORATORIES Those readers who do not have a recent Telepermit Overview may be interested to learn that three more test laboratories have been accredited to carry out Telepermit testing. These are:- Detecon Inc ISDN Layers 1 and 2 (BRI & PRI) 1775 Old Highway 8 Products with E1/E3 digital interfaces for TNA 115 & TNA 117 St Paul 55112-1891 Bandwidth Management systems to PTC 217 USA Products with V. or X. interfaces Tel: +1 612 639 0775 Fax: +1 612 639 0873 British Standards Institute Testing All voice and non-voice products - PTC 202, 211 and 212 Communications Systems Laboratory ISDN Layers 1 and 2 (BRI & PRI) Unit 1, Finway Road Products with E1/E3 digital interfaces for TNA 115 & TNA 117 Hemel Hempstead Bandwidth Management systems to PTC 217 Herts HP2 7PT United Kingdom Tel: +44 1442 230442 Fax: +44 1442 232442 Telephone Equipment (NSW) Pty Ltd All voice and non-voice products - PTC 202, 211 and 212 P O BOX 419 Narrabeen NSW 2101 AUSTRALIA Street Address Tel: +61 2 9970 5588 5/1 Vuko Place Fax: +61 2 9970 8111 Warriewood NSW 2101 Return to Contents CELLULAR/CDPD TELEPERMIT APPLICATION FORM Suppliers of cellular terminal equipment are advised that Telecom has published a new Testing and Telepermit application form along the lines of that used for other classes of CPE. The form is in three parts; Part 1 is a request for testing; Part 2 is the actual Telepermit application form; and Part 3 is the notification by our cellular test group that the product complies. This is associated with the overall form, but not filled in by the applicant. There is also an explanatory sheet, which assists applicants to complete Parts 1 and 2. Although the form looks fairly daunting at first sight, it has been designed to expedite testing, especially as regards very clear statements as to the supporting documentation required by Telecom and its testing staff. The form covers every cellular-based product from single mode analogue and dual mode analogue/digital cellphones, through to Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) devices with optional connection to the PSTN. With the wide number of features now being developed for IS-136 cellphones, more emphasis is being placed on confirming the compatibility with our network of the advanced features specified by the supplier. The overall aim of the new form is to ensure that suppliers know what is required and can make sure that our testing staff get the necessary documentation to carry out the tests. It is hoped that this will help to avoid the delays currently being experienced by those suppliers who omit to send us manuals and other information that is essential to the correct set-up of their products for testing purposes. Copies of the new form can be obtained from Access Standards or from our cellular testing staff. Return to Contents TELEPERMIT GRANTS DURING 1997 1997 has been another fairly busy year for Telepermit processing and grants during the calendar year have amounted to 625 new Telepermits, 30 Limited Permits and a host of minor amendments, such as transfers and changes to existing products or product names. These figures are almost identical to the 625 new Telepermits and 34 Limited Permits that had been granted by mid-December last year. As at mid-December, the total number of Telepermits granted since we started in 1987 had reached 4295. This demonstrates not only the vast range of customer choice that has resulted from telecommunications deregulation in this country, but also gives a pretty clear indication of the level of product innovation and development that has taken place over the last 10 years. All this in a customer market that has been estimated to represent less than 0.4% of the world market. Return to Contents CHRISTMAS GREETINGS I and the rest of the Access Standards team - Peter Wheeler, Richard Brent and Janine Jackson - not to forget our "irregular" back-up staff member, Kevin Lethbridge, wish our readers and customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May you all have a successful 1998. In particular, I would like to thank those "behind the scenes" Telecom staff who provide us with the technical information we need to define and publish our Telepermit requirements. Return to Contents DOUG BURRUS Manager Access Standards