Motivation

The emerging multimedia applications require various functions and facilities. The end-to-end multicast functions will be one of the key features of the multimedia applications that require multi-party communication capability.

Recommendations X.601, X.602, X.605, X.606, X.606.1, X.607, and X.608 and draft Recommendations X.607.1 and X.608.1 specify multi-party communications framework, group management facility, end-to-end multicast communications service and protocols over IP multicast network environments.

Recommendations X.603, X.603.1 and draft Recommendation X.603.2 specify relayed multicast framework and protocols which provide end-to-end multicast communication services for the one-to-many group applications over unicast IP network environments. Recommendation X.603.1/Amd.1 specifies security extensions for the one-to-many relayed multicast protocol. Draft Recommendation X.mmc-1 specifies multicast framework over wireless access network environment.

Draft Recommendations X.mmc-2 and X.mmc-3, which specify the multicast protocols over wireless access network environment, need to be completed in the 2009-2012 study period. These standardization works have been progressing successfully in collaborative manner with ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 6 to develop common standards of both standardization bodies.

Emerging multimedia applications such as IPTV and User Created Contents (UCC) broadcasting services require efficient multicast communications capability over various network environments. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) based multicast communications technology may be a possible solution for providing new emerging applications which require high performance and scalable communications capability. The new set of Recommendations will provide end-to-end multicast communications capability for the emerging services such as IPTV and UCC, over the fixed network as well as wireless/mobile network environments.

Recommendations under responsibility of this Question include: X.601, X.602, X.603, X.603.1, X.605, X.606, X.606.1, X.607 and X.608.

Question

Study items to be considered include, but are not limited to:

• What modifications or enhancements to existing Recommendations need to be developed in response to new market requirements?
• What enhancements or new Recommendations need to be developed to provide end-to-end multicast communications protocols for the wireless network environment?
• What enhancements or new Recommendations need to be developed to meet new requirements of emerging applications such as IPTV and UCC contents delivery?
• What enhancements or new Recommendations need to be developed to provide end-to-end multicast communications protocols to meet new requirements of evolving new network environments such as NGN?
• What enhancements to existing Recommendations under review or new Recommendations under development should be adopted to reduce impact on climate changes (e.g., energy savings, reduction of green house gas emissions, implementation of monitoring systems, etc.) either directly or indirectly in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) or in other industries?”

Tasks

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Maintenance and enhancements of Recommendations in the X.60x-series in response to new market requirements (if needed).
• Produce updated or new Recommendations on end-to-end mobile multicast communications protocol over IP multicast network environments.
• Produce updated or new Recommendations on end-to-end mobile multicast communications protocol over network environments where IP multicast is not fully deployed.
• Produce updated or new Recommendations on end-to-end multicast communications protocol based on P2P technology to support streaming service such as IPTV and UCC.
• Produce updated or new Recommendations on end-to-end multicast communications protocols over NGN environments.
• Collaborate with ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 6 on multicast related issues including development of common text standards for both standardization bodies.
• Collaborate with other Study Groups within ITU-T that are dealing with multicast related issues for NGN as well as non-NGN.
• Collaborate with other organizations, such as Internet Society/IETF, on architectural, service and protocol issues for end-to-end multicast communications.

Relationships

Recommendations:

• X.200, X.214, X.224, Y.ngn-mcastsf, Y.ngn-mcast-fa and Y.iptv-mcastfr.

Questions:

• ITU-T Qs E/17, I/17 and O/17.

Study Groups:

• ITU-T SGs 11, 13 and 16.

Standardization Bodies:

• ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 6; IETF.