WASHINGTON – ATIS today announced the launch of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Transition Landscape Team, which is making a high-level comprehensive assessment of critical issues associated with the transition underway from the PSTN to an IP-based network. The Landscape Team will evaluate PSTN replacement network architecture and capabilities, define the requirements for services on the new network, and assess whether standards are in place to handle IP-based telephony as a replacement for PSTN telephony. It also will examine the potential regulatory implications of rolling out the new network, specifically for VoIP and OTT providers. Its focus encompasses security issues as well as the transition of the network to meet key societal goals. Findings will direct further work by ATIS Focus Groups.
The Landscape Team is chaired by Brian Daly, Director, Core & Government/Regulatory Standards, AT&T Mobility Services LLC and Mike Nawrocki, Director, Wireline Standards, Verizon Network & Technology.
“Beyond being an inventory of issues to ensure the ICT industry is ready for this transition, ATIS sees this work as a major opportunity to advance service in the new network,” said Susan Miller, ATIS President and CEO. “The Landscape Team will be a major force in the orderly transition of the network’s existing capabilities onto next generation networks. This effort is also exploratory in that it will seek to understand how innovations can reach their full potential on the networks of the future.”
Proactively advising the FCC on critical regulatory issues in the PSTN transition is part of the Team’s mission, and it is closely aligning its efforts with issues set forth by the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council Task Force and Critical Legacy Transition Working Group.
The initiative is receiving unprecedented interest among ATIS members and others in the ICT industry. This work will be closely integrated with that of other ATIS groups concerned with network architecture issues including the Cloud Services Forum and M2M Focus Group. Working at an accelerated pace, the PSTN Landscape Team will complete its work by March 31, 2012.
About ATIS
ATIS is the leading technical planning and standards development organization committed to the rapid development of global, market-driven standards for the information, entertainment and communications industry. More than 200 companies actively formulate standards in ATIS’ Committees, covering issues including: Cloud Services, IPTV, Energy Efficiency, IP-Based and Wireless Technologies, Quality of Service, Billing and Operational Support, Emergency Services, Architectural Platforms and Emerging Networks. In addition, numerous Incubators, Focus and Exploratory Groups address evolving industry priorities including Smart Grid, Machine-to-Machine, Networked Car, IP Downloadable Security, Policy Management and Network Optimization.
ATIS is a founding partner for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a member and major U.S. contributor to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio and Telecommunications’ Sectors, and a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). For more information, please visit www.atis.org.
