PTCIF: NGNs All Set to Roll

Convergence of networks, customer premise equipments and services is the key
to the success of next generation networks (NGN) was the message at the 11th
annual conference on Next Generation and Networks: Services and Content
organized by India Chapter of Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC India
Foundation) on 11—12 March 2005.

Vijay Madan, executive director, C-DOT and Pradip Baijal, chiarman, TRAI
inaugurated the two-day conference. Delivering the keynote address Madan
stressed on the migration to IP based networks and open platforms for developing
applications and content for the NGN. He emphasized on the requirement of a
technology neutral environment for the migration to next generation networks.
"The basic change in the NGN would be to switch from voice to packet
centric networks and convergence of voice and data on single network,"
Madan added.

While there was unanimity on the huge potential of the rural market, concerns
were raised on the power supply to keep the networks and equipments working in
these areas.

Speaking on the occasion Baijal said the demand is there in the rural areas
and supply has to be facilitated. The need for a proactive regulator and having
standards for the next generation networks also came up for discussion.

The TRAI chief pushed broadband as the medium to deliver and bring in the
next generation networks. "We have the advantage of starting late and thus
we have access to the latest technology. The low cost networks can to easily
replaced and next generation networks can be put up unlike China or Japan where
they have to completely replace the legacy PSTN network," Baijal said.

Baijal
was also conferred the Telecom Award for 2004 by the PTCIF for the role of TRAI
in bringing changes in telecom sector.

The conference also discussed the evolving trends in NGN and the convergence
of network. The speakers also dwelt upon spectrum, security, privacy, quality of
service, inter-connection and legal issues. There were panel discussions on
accelerating subscriber growth with NGN and broadband content, applications and
opportunities. Rajesh Kumar, joint DDG (strategic planning), BSNL said the
future applications would include direct TV broadcast, video on demand, distance
learning and telemedicine, and the public sector telecom operator was creating a
robust network to carry all these multiple applications.

While TN Prabhu, vice president (strategy and planning), Rediff.com raised
the legal, billing and pricing issues; Air Cmdr SS Motial said unless masses are
kept in mind there was no use of talking about broadband.

Anurag Prasad