BT’s 21CN & Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) Compatibility

1. BT’s 21CN & Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) Compatibility Paul ffitch & Mike Piggott BT Wholesale The dates and other information about BT's 21CN programme in this presentation are based on the best information currently available. As in any programme of this size and complexity, they may be subject to change

2. 21CN CPE Compatibility What is 21CN? What are the Implications for CPE of 21CN? Objectives and Scope of CPE Compatibility Testing Programme. CPE Compatibility Testing Progress & Focus. CPE Database. Information and Reference. Questions.

3. What is 21CN?

4. BT’s CURRENT UK NETWORK PSTN Leased lines PSTN Copper KStream DSL ATM PDH access IP Fibre SDH SDH access PDH access MSH -SDH SDH PDH End User ~5.5k sites ~300 sites ~100 sites ~15 sites ~2k sites ~1k sites

5. 21CN – BT’s SIMPLIFIED UK NETWORK Converged core Multi-service access Call Server Copper WWW DSL Fibre & Copper IP-MPLS-WDM Agg Box ISP Content Wireless ~5.5k sites ~100 sites End User

6. The 21CN Migration Challenge • Building 21CN involves: • the migration of every end user, that is around 30m PSTN/ISDN lines and around 8m broadband lines. • the replacement of network equipment housed in more than 5500 serving exchange sites. • It does not affect Private Circuits or the Mobile Network. • Migration must be achieved • Quickly i.e. in 5 years. • Cost effectively. • With minimum disruption to end users. • In parallel with business as usual activities.

7. What are the implicationsfor CPE of 21CN?

8. Implementing services on 21CN PSTN: • New PSTN line cards in new MSAN edge equipment. • IP packet based transport of voice data (legacy PSTN uses switched circuit transport). ISDN: • New ISDN line cards in new MSAN edge equipment. • IP packet based transport of voice data (legacy PSTN uses switched circuit transport). Broadband: • New ADSL/ADSL2+ line cards in new MSAN edge equipment. • Same IP packet based transport as existing broadband. Some of these changes cause certain characteristics to differ from those on the existing network.

9. CPE related 21CN differences PSTN • loop current: maximum off-hook loop current reducing. • ringing implementation moving to balanced ringing. PSTN and ISDN • echo cancellation used unless fast modems are detected. • audio path discontinuities when jitter buffers adapt. • end to end delay increasing. Broadband • No fundamental changes expected.

10. Loop current comparison

11. Ringing implementation • Existing PSTN:Uses predominantly unbalanced ringing - voltage applied to one wire of copper pair only. • PSTN on 21CN:Will use balanced ringing -half the full voltage applied to both wires.

12. Echo cancellation • Existing PSTN & ISDN:Has long since used echo cancellation for international voice calls, and some UK calls. • 21CN:Will use echo cancellation for all voice calls. Echo cancellation will be switched off when high speed modems are detected.

13. Audio path discontinuities • Existing PSTN & ISDN:Typically no audio path discontinuities. • 21CN:Some audio path discontinuities will occur when jitter buffers adapt up or down in length. Jitter Buffers are used at each far end of a call to deal with the variability in IP data packet arrival time (packet jitter).

14. Round trip delay on BT to BT callsUK to UK, fixed network to fixed network, standard geographic call routing for a long distance call (south of England to north of Scotland), excluding any customer end network • Existing PSTN: • In the region of 40-50ms round trip delay. • 21CN to existing PSTN: • Expected to be in the region of 90-95ms round trip delay. • 21CN to 21CN • Expected to be in the region of 70-75ms round trip delay. Above figures are illustrative of expectations, not absolute maximums.

15. Network is Built to Standards • BT SIN’s (Suppliers Information Notes). • Migrated services will continue to be consistent with what is in the current SIN’s. • UK Transmission Plan. • 21CN meets the performance criteria & specifications of ND1701 issued by the NICC.

16. CPE Compatibility Testing:Objectives and Scope

17. Lab Testing • Network Integration Testing (NIT) and Verification and Validation (IVVT) • 600,000 tests (100,000) since November 2006. • 9,500 trouble reports cleared. • Test labs at Adastral and Swansea (BT) and Solihull, Guilford and Reading (vendors with BT). • Test model equivalent to 20% UK inner core capacity. • Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) • Hundreds of CPE tested in the LAB and Swansea CP test facility. • Industry invited to offer CPE for testing. • Results published in open forum to industry via Consult21 test database. • Test management & automation • Central management of all test cases. • Audit trail of test configuration. • Database of test results. • Test planning and statistics on test execution.

18. Objectives of CPE Compatibility Testing • To help ensure that CPE compatibility related issues are constrained to an acceptable level. • Feedback into the 21CN design, if and when compatibility issues are found. • To help identify CPE compatibility related issues so that appropriate solutions can be communicated to all relevant stakeholders. • To help manufacturers and other stakeholders ensure that CPE functions properly on 21CN. • Where relevant, assess impact of migration process.

19. Migration Impacts

20. CPE Compatibility Testing:Progress & Focus

21. Testing Update • PSTN • Standalone mass market (business & consumer). No significant problems. • PBX’s. 1 issue. • Devices that connect to some form of receiving centre. Current focus. A very few devices have issues. • Broadband • Well down track with Initial testing of 50 ADSL modems & modem/routers representing all existing chipsets. No problems to date. • ISDN2/30 • Testing yet to start – Trial ISDN migrations March ’08, Oct ’08 for mass migration.

22. High Priority Categories • Security • Telecare • Telemetry • ATM • POS Terminal • Payphones • Emergency phones

23. We are Collaborating With ….. • Communications Providers • BSIA – British Security Industry Association • TSA – Telecare Services Association • ENA – Energy Networks Association (Gas & Electricity) • WITS – Water Industry Telemetry Standards • Environment Agency • Link Network • Home Office – specifically custodial services • APACS – UK Payments Association • Payphones • CAA/NATS – Civil Aviation Authority & National Air Traffic Services • Trinity House – lighthouses, coastguard • Fire Industry Associations • Network Rail • Lifts & Emergency Phones ………… and the list is growing …….

24. CPE Compatibility Testing21CN Testing Database

26. CPE Test Result Examples • Pass-No problems detected.-Phone has ragged ringing cadence on 21CN, but same on 20CN. • Pass 1 (user perception affected)-Phone has ragged ringing cadence on 21CN compared to 20CN.-Telecare CPE alerts on line disconnect (affects migration only). • Pass 2 (user operation affected)-Phone pulse dialling fails on 21CN, user must switch to tone dialling.-Security CPE requires reset on line reconnect (affects migration only). • Partial Fail-Phone CLI fails, but phone still provides service.-Security CPE fails to communicate with central receiving centre up to UK National Transmission Plan limit of 300ms round trip delay. • Fail-PBX fails to detect incoming calls; incoming service effectively lost.-Security CPE fails to communicate with central receiving centre.

27. Information and Reference

28. Information Sources • General information about 21CN can be found at: http://www.btplc.com/21cn • Information about 21CN and migration can be found at: http://www.switchedonuk.org • BT Supplier Information Notes (SINs) can be found at:http://www.sinet.bt.com • The UK Transmission Plan can be found at:http://www.nicc.org.uk • CPE enquiries: cpe21@bt.com • The CPE Database can be found at:http://21cntestingdb.bt.comTo request access:Use the link on the login page of this database.

29. WEBCALLSUpdate 18 April Product retirements 24 April 21CN overview 2 May Migration process 22 May CPE compatibility testing programme 31 May Switched-on communications campaign 27 Sept Migration portal overview

30. Questions  Answers