The Home Network: Where Convergence Takes Hold

1. Global Standards Collaboration (GSC) 14 The Home Network:Where Convergence Takes Hold Tim Jeffries, VP Technology and Business Development, ATIS

2. Highlight of Current Activities • Home Networking (HNET) was named a priority issue by the ATIS TOPS Council in 2008. • ATIS member companies sought to form direction around issues associated with the deployment of IP-based Services in the Home Network and to develop a cohesive home networking infrastructure. • Since then ATIS has engaged its members to define that direction through an executive (top down) assessment and workplan. • Home Networking Focus Group (HNET-FG) • Actions resulting from this assessment: • Release of the ATIS Board-approved ATIS Home Network (HNET) Assessment & Workplan, 2009 • Launch of the ATIS HNET Forum (February 2009).

3. Highlight of Current Activities TOPS Council HNET-FG • Defining the HNET • The HNET-FG defined the Home Network as the “Network Environment” on the subscriber side of the access network termination, determined by logical interface(s). • The Home Network may itself be an access point for services involving multiple SPs (i.e., cellular SPs, Mobile SPs, etc.). • A Home Network may include multiple devices, representing different transport mediums, performing many different functions. • Technical Landscape Assessment • The HNET-FG developed a High Level Framework including essential Building Blocks (logical and functional) for IP Home Networking to use as the foundation of its assessment. • Performed an in-depth standards analysis of the industry that revealed 34 different SDOs and SIGs with study programs relevant to the elements of a Home Network. • Utilized the High Level Framework & Building Blocks to assess technical areas such as management, QoS, security, connection & discovery, remote access, and energy consumption.

4. Highlight of Current Activities TOPS Council HNET-FG Findings • Technical and operational issues were identified with regards to: • multiple access networks, • connection and discovery for the user experience, • transport medium within the home network, • managing the home network, QoS, security, content in the home network, remote access and energy consumption. • Various functions/aspects of the issues identified are spread across multiple industry groups. • There is no single group taking an end-to-end holistic approach to home networking to ensure cross-technology interoperability/ compatibility of common functions or elements. • The HNET-FG recommended that ATIS create an HNET Forum to: • centralize industry’s focus on the use of disparate technologies existing in the home networking environment; • engage the 34 different SDOs working on home networking standards development activities to prevent overlaps and conflicts; • develop and recommend specifications or technical requirements as appropriate to bridge existing voids/gaps that cannot be fulfilled by other SDO/SIG.

5. Highlight of Current Activities Home Networking Forum • ATIS launched the HNET Forum in February 2009 to address issues identified by the HNET-FG. • HNET Forum Mission • The Home Networking Forum enables the interoperability, interconnection, and implementation of IP-based home networking systems/services byproactively examining technologies and services and developing solutions supporting the rollout of these technologies and services, when appropriate. This forum will place an emphasis on ATIS member company needs in coordination with other regional and international standards development organizations. • Current work items include: • Service Provider Remote Management • Different Energy Allowances • Creating lines of communication with external fora to foster development of end-to-end interoperable solutions.

6. Strategic Direction • Support members to enable a quality consumer experience in a manner which reduces the need for costly “truck-rolls.” • Consider environmental impacts of HNET gear (i.e., ENERGYSTAR devices, sleep states.) • Identify potential challenges and gaps that if resolved would enhance revenue growth potentials. • Enable the development of remote management protocols and customer support mechanisms to create a truly interoperable home network environment with high user satisfaction and ease of use. • Identify mechanisms to classify and prioritize different traffic types (i.e., video, voice, data) in a multi-transport medium environment. • Enable the creation and harmonization of standards in the home network which allow for a multiplicity of transport medium options including existing coax, telephone/ electrical wiring as well as new optical and wireless technologies for the HNET.

7. Challenges • A Home Network must consider many different devices and various means of transport, while at the same time provide reliability, predictability, security and acceptable performance. • With current standards activities there is no assurance of successfully integrated specifications enabling a home network which can be deployed with reasonable effort, and be easily maintained. • There is a significant amount of technical work required for Device and Service discovery within the home network to address issues related to the Connection and Discovery of devices and services that is necessary to enable a satisfying User Experience. • Coordination is needed at an industry level to address issues that will have global implications in the areas of standards collaboration and energy consumption. • The Home Network is the crux of energy usage for most consumer premises. The management of the network, devices, integration with home automation aspects such as utilities, and the ability to monitor energy usage remotely is a key driver for the use of ICT to combat rising CO2 emissions.

8. Next Steps/Actions • Continue assessment of and develop recommendations to deliver a cohesive HNET infrastructure. • Where and when appropriate, develop standards to resolve technical shortfalls and challenges. • Foster continuing collaboration amongst industry’s standards developers to meet the needs of our members.

9. Supplementary Slides

10. The Home Network

11. Home Networking Technologies