Question 7/II - Non-voice aspects of network during the transition
period from PSTN to ISDN
(Continuation of Question 20/II, expanded, from the
1985-1988 period)

Considering

that the ISDN will evolve from the telephone network:

the standardization by the CCITT and the appearance on the
telecommunication market of increasingly numerous non-voice
applications, (e.g., facsimile, data, and other telematic services)
likely to
be handled by the telephone network;

the diversity of possible interconnections between these applications
and the telephone network, ranging from a straightforward connection
or the subscriber line to a network-to-network interconnection
(telephone network to non-telephone network):

that Recommendation E.301 describes the impact of non-voice
applications on the telephone network;

the experience already acquired by certain administrations in this
respect;

the network interworking techniques being studied in the related
Study Groups;

in view of

the constraints peculiar to the telephone network and arising from:

(a) telephone network design practices, particularly in terms of:

- planning;

- traffic engineering;

- numbering and routing plans;

(b) specifications laid down in the numerous relevant
Recommendations and in particular the evolution of telephone
switching techniques and their limitations;

(c) telephone operation practice in terms of:

- Quality of Service;

- human factors;

- network management;

- traffic measurement and recording etc.;

finally, taking into account

in broad terms the responsibility of administrations for the operations
of telephone network and ISDN at the national and international level,

1. What additions and enhancement should be made to
Recommendation E.301?

2. What repercussions would the introduction of any known or
foreseeable non-voice applications in the telephone network have as
far as the Series-E Recommendations are concerned?