Communications Alliance, the peak body for the Australian communications industry, today released a paper proposing a definition for wholesale data services to be provided by the National Broadband Network and other broadband infrastructure providers.
The paper, NBN Wholesale Service Definition Framework – Ethernet, is intended to provide highly-detailed input to assist decision making on the National Broadband Network by scoping options for a Layer 2 Ethernet Service. The service description also provides a useful framework for service providers to consider the issues associated with integrating NBN services into their own operations and delivering those services to customers.
The Framework has been developed as part of the Communications Alliance NBN Project by its Wholesale Services working group and follows the release of the National Broadband Network Reference Architecture last month. The Service Description will form the foundation block for further work around the provision of voice, data and video services.
NBN Wholesale Service Definition Framework – Ethernet outlines key capabilities to be specified in the NBN service definition for three wholesale data service types:
- Ethernet Line Access Service (ELAS) - provided by a Broadband Access Provider and modelled on the Broadband Forum's Network Service Provider (NSP) model and Layer 2 Ethernet NSP wholesale service.
- Ethernet Line Backhaul Service – used to backhaul ELAS services between points of interconnection within the network.
- Ethernet Multicast Service - used to deliver multicast information streams from a point of interconnection to a set of End-User Premises.
According to Communications Alliance CEO Anne Hurley, the paper takes industry input to a new level of detail.
“Ensuring the NBN delivers wholesale services with the features and functionality required by service providers will be critical to its success. This paper is the first step in defining those requirements from a technical perspective and we will be expanding these definitions to include other aspects of wholesale services in coming months.
“As the second formal outcome of our NBN Project, the Wholesale Services paper is another terrific example of the industry working together to provide collaborative input into the NBN. I would like to thank the Wholesale Services group for their commitment to this important and highly-detailed work,” Ms Hurley said.
Communications Alliance invites public comment on the paper with submissions due by 5pm on Friday 4 December 2009. Responses to the paper will be published on the Communications Alliance website.
The NBN Wholesale Service Definition Framework – Ethernet paper is available from the Communications Alliance website at: http://commsalliance.com.au/Documents/public-comment
The Communications Alliance NBN Project was established in July 2009 and includes seven working groups: NBN Reference Model; Wholesale Services; Early Stage Deployments; End User Premises; Operational; Technical; and End User Migration. The NBN Project’s first paper, NBN Reference Architecture, was released on 15 October 2009.
About Communications Alliance
Communications Alliance is the peak body for the Australian communications industry. It presents a unified voice for its members in public policy, facilitates industry solutions to industry issues, and provides up-to-date information on industry issues. Communications Alliance is also leading the industry's response to the National Broadband Network implementation. For further information see www.commsalliance.com.au