TELECOM ACCESS STANDARDS NEWSLETTER NO. 109 DECEMBER 1998 CONTENTS 1. STAFF CHANGES 2. ACCESS STANDARDS' INTERNET DEVELOPMENTS 3. TELECOM'S PROPOSED ADSL INTRODUCTION FOR FAST INTERNET ACCESS 4. HEADSET COMPLIANCE AND USER ADJUSTMENTS 5. "MINI-PCI" MODEMS: TELEPERMITTING ISSUES 6. DECT PRODUCT TELEPERMITTING 7. INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL RINGING CADENCES 8. DERIVED SYSTEMS: POSSIBLE IMPACT ON PABX SYSTEMS IN SERVICE 9. NEW ZEALAND - EUROPEAN UNION MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT 10. TELEPERMIT GRANTS DURING 1998 11. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS RETURN TO INDEX 1. STAFF CHANGES This year has seen a good deal of disruption to our "normal services" due to Peter Wheeler's accident and subsequent 6 months absence. The changes continue, with Janine Jackson leaving us at the end of this month to have her first baby. Janine is likely to be away for up to one year. In the meantime, we have a new staff member. Sonali Gooneratne joined us earlier this month and she will be standing in for Janine until her return. We have amended the internet version of the "Telepermit Overview" to show that Sonali will be answering Janine's telephone and taking over her "front desk" role for general enquiries. I am sorry to report that Peter will not be back to full duties until the middle of next year. However, we hope he will be able to continue some of his normal work from home on a part-time basis. return to contents 2. ACCESS STANDARDS' INTERNET DEVELOPMENTS Richard Brent has continued with his development work on our temporary website in readiness for its alignment with the main Telecom site. We are introducing a similar page style to that now used by Telecom, following the introduction of its new page styles at the end of November. As mentioned in Newsletter No. 108, we are keeping the number of graphics to a minimum, consistent with the required presentation formatting. We have registered the domain name "telepermit.co.nz". This will be coming into action, as we gradually exit from our free trial site. We will provide linking between the various sites so that there are several ways of accessing our information. Our aim is to extend the information presented and gradually move away from printing and postage activities for our newsletters and Overview. Another step, close to fruition, is the publication of PTC 103 on our site. Our aim is to make this document widely available at low cost. This is not just a charitable act. Our objective is to educate and encourage compliance with our premises wiring code of practice so that the number of wiring faults - and potential faults due to poor practices - are reduced. This will not only ease our maintenance and repair efforts, but also help to improve the level of service provided for our customers. return to contents 3. TELECOM'S PROPOSED ADSL INTRODUCTION FOR FAST INTERNET ACCESS As many of those in the telecommunications industry will already know, local exchange carriers worldwide are very interested in xDSL (the various forms of digital subscriber's loop technology), as it provides a means of expanding the use and value of their existing copper networks. Telecom will be using this technology to introduce its "Fast Internet" Service next year. In the meantime, it has been carrying out trials of ADSL (asymmetrical digital subscriber's line) to assess the extent to which such services can be offered to our customers. ADSL provides a higher data rate from the network to the customer than that from the customer to the network, hence the term "asymmetrical". So far, the results look very promising. In brief, the service involves using the customer's existing telephone line at frequencies in the MHz range. By providing special matching filters at the exchange and at the customer's premises, the only impact on existing voiceband services is a little extra loss due to the filters. Access to the Internet will not only offer high data rates, but also be such that logging on and logging off will not be necessary unless the computer itself is being turned on or off. The customer's computer can remain "on-line" continuously, even when the telephone or fax machine is in use. The long-term plan is to be able to offer Internet Protocol services to both customers and Information Service Providers (ISP's) at "Megabit per second" rates. The actual rates achieved will vary according to a customer's line conditions and the transmission rates available from the ISP concerned, but current indications are that the direct connection between the customer and the ISP (not allowing for slower transmission rates from distant sites) are likely to be around 1 Mbit/s. Telecom will be supporting this new technology via its own ISP, Xtra. Other ISP's are expected to support and make use of the Telecom service in due course. Trials are currently under way and initial commercial service is expected to commence early in 1999. If all goes well, it is hoped that most main centre exchanges will be supporting the service by the end of 1999. Telecom will be using network equipment supplied by Nokia of Finland. This includes the modems connected within its local exchanges. Initially at least, our plan is to have only Telecom supply the customer-end modems and to install these and the filter units as part of the service package. This will allow us to build on the information obtained from the trials, sort out any problems, and determine the best ways to deal with them. In the meantime, the ITU are working on the standards issues and it is hoped that these will be published during 1999. Once the standards are in place and we are satisfied that installation and commissioning can go ahead without significant problems, there should be several suppliers of customer equipment ready to enter the market. There will then be the usual options of external and internal modems and different modem-computer interfaces, such as parallel ports, USB, Ethernet, etc. Following confirmation that the telephone line and local exchange can support the service, the customer should then be able to have Telecom or a private contractor set up their computer so that it is ready to be connected to the new service. Our billing system is dependent on the customer having a current Telecom telephone number, so the proposed new Telecom service will be available only to our own customers. To allow the customer-end equipment to be opened to competitive supply, we expect to apply the Telepermit system to ADSL modems offered on the local market. This will give prospective customers a clear guide as to what may or may not be connected to the Telecom service. Requirements relevant to ADSL modems will be published in a new PTC Specification. The usual electrical safety requirements of AS/NZS 3260 or IEC 950 will apply, as will any radio frequency interference regulatory requirements set by the Ministry of Commerce. More on these issues will be published in future Newsletters. return to contents 4. HEADSET COMPLIANCE AND USER ADJUSTMENTS "Universal" headsets (those designed to replace the handset of any telephone) and the ways in which these headsets must be adapted to a telephone if they are to maintain the original loudness ratings have been causing us some concern. The interface between the handset and the telephone's internal circuitry is not defined in any standards. As a result, there are several wiring options, even when the usual mini 4-way modular handset plug has been used. Even more seriously, the range of receive and transmit transmission levels at the handset interface is extremely wide. We require telephone suppliers to go to some lengths to ensure that the Loudness Ratings of their products comply with PTC 200 requirements, but the connection of any headset in place of the correctly matched handset negates this compliance. Headsets are being more and more widely used and there is now a wide range of different types for the customer to choose from. This indicates a need for suitable "Do it Yourself" methods for calibrating the headset against a telephone. Some of the more well known makes of headset provide a settings chart for particular types of telephones, but many of these telephones are not used here and, of course, we have many types in use here that will not be listed. As a result, the setting is largely a matter of trial and error. What we are hoping to minimise is the "error part", as poor transmit settings cause difficulty for the other party on the call, not the headset user. The first step is to determine the correct wiring connections. A common approach is to connect the headset and check for dial tone. If this cannot be heard with the headset switched to "ON", a the switch setting is adjusted until the tone can be heard. With only four wires, this should mean that the transmitter settings are also correct. The receive volume control is then adjusted until the level is about right. This particular part of the sequence is not usually critical because the user is able to adjust the receive volume for every call. However, because it can relate to the setting of the transmit side, as explained below, the adjustment should be made with some care. Luckily, dial tone from the public exchange is set at a closely defined level but reduced by the customer's line loss, so it is a useful reference source. The next step is to set the transmit side. This may require the use of a tool of some sort, as the aim is to have this setting maintained once it has been correctly set up. Calling another person and asking their opinion is a rough way of getting the setting into the nominal range. A slightly better approach is to call a voicemail system, record some speech, then replay and check the recorded message level. If too quiet or too loud, the transmit level should be re-adjusted to a comfortable message receive level with the receive volume control at either mid position or the position set up in the dial tone level adjustment. These arrangements are not ideal in comparison with properly adjusted handsets, but we have to accept that customers will be using more or less any headsets with any telephone. This is obviously outside the control of the suppliers concerned, yet the Telepermit system cannot reasonably be used to restrict the sale of headsets to those which are customised to specific telephone types. return to contents 5. "MINI-PCI" MODEMS: TELEPERMITTING ISSUES A consortium of ten companies, including 3Com, Amp, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, Hitachi, IBM and Toshiba, have developed a new series of form factors for portable computer peripherals, know as "Mini-PCI". These are even smaller than the PCMCIA format. Of the three types being introduced, Type II has an integral RJ11 jack, but Types I and III of the newly developed mini-PCI modem standard require that the host computer provides the connection from the modem to an external RJ-11 jack. This means that issues such as safety, balance to earth, etc, could be partially dependent upon the host computer as well as the modem. To be 100% certain of total compliance it would be necessary to test each type of host computer as a series non-terminating device. However, it is understood that this connection is specified to be a simple point to point metallic connection, and the results of such a test should be obvious from a telecommunications point of view. As the host must be electrically safe in any case, this connection would be addressed by manufacturer as part of the safety certification for the host which we wouldn't normally be involved in. Based on the information we have to date, Telecom New Zealand Ltd will accept test reports for the mini-PCI modems by themselves independent of the host computers. This approach would be reviewed in the unlikely event of there being significant problems in practice. return to contents 6. DECT PRODUCT TELEPERMITTING The Ministry of Commerce geographic restrictions on the use of DECT frequencies are due to be lifted early next year. As a result, we are receiving numerous Telepermit applications for DECT products. The following explains how we are dealing with these applications and what information we expect to receive in support of them. DECT products come in several basic forms; 1. a digital cordless phone connecting to a single exchange line and supporting one or more portable units; 2. a proprietary cordless PABX system, consisting of an interface/control unit connecting to the PABX and supporting one or more antenna/base stations and any number of portable units; 3. a general purpose cordless PABX system that can connect to several exchange lines or to several PABX extension ports and support one or more antenna/base stations, with any number of portable units; 4. public access type systems, using DECT portable units. Each of the above may have either an analogue or a digital exchange line interface. In addition, the portable - base interface may be PAP (Proprietary Access Protocol) or GAP (Generic Access Protocol). PAP provides support only for proprietary portable units, whereas GAP-compatible base units will support any make of portable that supports the commonly agreed protocol. The relevant technical and performance specifications have been published by ETSI and the great majority of these systems and components seen to date have been approved for use within the European Union. To certify this, they bear the "CE Mark". This indicates that full compliance testing will have been carried out. For Telepermitting purposes, we will accept copies of the EU test certificates to CTR 6, CTR 10, CTR 22, etc, and do not need the full test reports. Our aim is to make use of the standard EU-approved portable units without modification, as we do not want to do anything which would impact on full GAP compliance. For cases 1, 3 and 4 above, we require a test report to the appropriate exchange line interface; PTC 200 for analogue lines, TNA 134 for ISDN lines, or TNA 117 for 2 Mbit/s digital interfaces. For case 3, the DECT system is treated as a proprietary PABX terminal and is subject to manufacturer self-certification followed, where deemed necessary, by a Limited Permit trial. The general approach will be to Telepermit each type of portable unit, each type of antenna/base station and each type of control system (where these are separate from the antenna/base station), where they are "stand-alone" units. Where the control system is a card or assembly of cards forming an integral part of a PABX, such units will be covered by an extension to the PABX Telepermit. The above is provided as a general guide on Telepermitting issues, and may be subject to change or development as these systems come into wider use. Suppliers are required to ensure that they have met all Ministry of Commerce radio requirements before placing any of these systems and components on the local market. return to contents 7. INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL RINGING CADENCES Further to the announcement in Newsletter No. 108 that the additional cadences are due to be introduced in April, there is a current application of the DA-3 (Distinctive Alert) ringing cadence for the "Automatic Callback" feature in our CENTREX service. DA-3 is provided to the called party when this feature is used. The telephone will continue to ring with this cadence until the original calling party answers the call. return to contents 8. DERIVED SYSTEMS: POSSIBLE IMPACT ON PABX SYSTEMS IN SERVICE In Newsletter No. 108, I mentioned that our increasing use of derived transmission systems impacts on our ability to provide leased lines over copper. The progressive conversion of the network and its local reticulation from copper to digital systems and the impending development of wideband services are not only leading to less availability of copper, but also to the use of modern transmission systems which present a slightly different interface to that of our telephone exchanges. This conversion is a worldwide trend and network operators are having to align with general industry practices, as it is neither practicable nor economic to have equipment manufacturers produce special versions for each network. I mentioned the lack of support for bothway analogue DDI services in Newsletter No. 104. Another significant change in the line interface is the use of lower voltage line feeds - typically around 36 - 38 V, rather than the traditional 50 V. It has been observed that some of the earlier PABX systems are not compatible with these lower voltage interfaces. return to contents 9. NEW ZEALAND - EUROPEAN UNION MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT The Mutual Recognition Agreement between New Zealand and the European Union was signed in July, but it does not finally come into force until 1 January 1999. The EU Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (TTE), Low Voltage (electrical safety) and EMC sectors are the ones of direct interest to our telecommunications industry. New Zealand has been something of a problem for the EU during the long negotiations, because we have neither a Telecommunications Regulator nor a set of "national" type approval standards. However, Telecom has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Commerce, under which we will incorporate MRA-type arrangements into our Telepermit system. At this stage, we are not considering adoption of the EU and Australian self-certification schemes, whereby the local manufacturer or importer holds a technical compliance folder. We wish to retain our present scheme of having the technical information submitted to us, so we can check that there are no significant problems. In reality, this is little different to the self-certification scheme, as both require the preparation and holding of a full set of test reports. I will provide more information on the impact of the MRA in later Newsletters. return to contents 10. TELEPERMIT GRANTS DURING 1998 Despite the loss of Peter Wheeler over the past six months, by the time of writing this last newsletter for 1998, we had managed to process 630 Telepermits during the year. The total number continues to climb at about the same rate, year by year, and it is now very close to the 5 000 mark. This year has seen a significant increase in cordless products, largely as a result of the partial and soon complete introduction of DECT and PHS in New Zealand. Another relatively big increase has been in headsets. 40 types were Telepermitted during the period 1988 - 1995, but this jumped to almost 60 in the past three years. Modems and fax machines continue to be the most common class of equipment submitted for Telepermit, mostly due to the wider introduction of 56 kbit/s modems and V.17 (14.4 kbit/s) fax machines. return to contents 1. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS I and the rest of the Access Standards team, Richard Brent, Janine Jackson, Peter Wheeler and Sonali Gooneratne and, of course, our recent part-time back-up man, Kevin Lethbridge, wish our readers and customers a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a successful 1999. Special thanks and best wishes to the other Telecom staff who assist us with specification writing and investigations into technical and operational issues. Our readers don't hear much about the many people in Telecom who help us out, but they make a very significant contribution to our work. The other group that must not go unnoticed are the test laboratory staff who provide the test reports and help keep us in touch with new developments. We now have a world-wide network of testing laboratories and this is expected to grow even wider as the NZ - EU MRA comes into full operation. Our thanks and good wishes go to all those involved. return to contents DOUG BURRUS Manager Access Standards