Question 7/11

During the 2009-2012 study period, ITU‑T has conducted studies on signalling requirements and protocols for network attachment of next generation networks (NGN), focusing on the interfaces between network attachment control functions (NACF) and other entities, including resource and admission control functions (RACF), service control functions (SCF) and mobility management and control functions (MMCF). As identified in the start of 2009-2012 study period, mobility and identification issues in NACF have been introduced in stage two works, to enforce Question 7/11 to work for making revisions on NACF signalling protocols. It will be continued in this study period, while taking emerging issues into account.

 

NGN will involve a wider range of service, including convergence aspects, based on its IP-based connectivity capability, to have multiple sources of heterogeneous media and multiple display devices of different capabilities in dynamic combination for collaboration. This is the so called "multi-screen service" or "N-screen service", and the network attachment functionality and protocols are expected to bridging the source and the device to realize it. Those will involve federated authentication and configuration for dynamic media handover, per-session allocation of IP addresses and terminal configuration, network access authorization checking, in-session modification of service connectivity, attachment control for fixed mobile convergence (FMC), and other functions. These procedures will have to be designed to take into account protocols such as PPP, DHCP, RADIUS and DIAMETER.

Maximizing service versatility and device capability also requires the maximization of resource utilization and awareness based control. Accordingly, the core aspects of future networks, such as virtualization and software defined networking for access network, must be considered. Network attachment will evolve along with the introduction of future networks, while taking SG 13 relevant studies into account.

 

Machine-to-machine (M2M), Internet of things (IoT) and even device-to-device (D2D) communication technologies potentially impact NACF; a huge number of machine devices can generate excessive signalling traffic simultaneously, short and frequent traffic from the machine devices could be unsuitable for traditional network attachment. Wider range of QoS categories could be required to allocate attachments, and D2D communication might need the support of the access infrastructure. This aspect will impact NACF while providing new requirements to attachment functionalities and signalling protocols.

Recommendations in force: Q.3201, Q.3202.1 (Q.nacf.auth1), Q.suppl.58(Q.NGN-trx.profile), Q.3223(Q.nacp.Ru), Q.3221(Q.nacp.S-TC1), Q.3222(Q.nacp.Ng), Q.3220(Q.nacp.0) Q.3203 (Q.nacf.mob2), Q.3230(Q.nacp.M13), Q.IdM.sig, Q.nacp.M1, Q.nacp.M2, Q.nacp.Nc, Q.nacp.Ne.

 

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

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

An up-to-date status of work under this Question is contained in the SG 11 work programme
(http://itu.int/ITU-T/workprog/wp_search.aspx?Q=7/11)