Executive summary: Meeting of ITU-T Study Group 12 (Performance, Quality of Service, Quality of Experience), Geneva, 27 November - 6 December 2018
Note: This is not an official record and is subject to correction or modification
Overview
ITU-T Study Group 12 held its fourth meeting of the study period in Geneva, 27 November – 6 December 2018. The meeting was attended by 141 participants from 50 countries. 12 delegates used the remote participation facilities.
The meeting received
87 Contributions and handled
169 TDs. Delegates reviewed
41 incoming Liaison statements and adopted
16 outgoing Liaison statements.
Ten Recommendations were consented (4 new, 5 revised, 1 Amendment) by the meeting (see below for details).
A pre-SG12 meeting workshop took place on 26 November and discussed "Telecommunication Service Quality Regulatory Frameworks and Experience-Driven Networking".
A webinar (announcement |
recording |
slides) was held on 6 December 2018 following the closing plenary, summarizing key meeting results.
Major accomplishments
Completed work
ITU-T Rec. No. |
Question |
Reference |
New/Rev. |
Title |
AAP/Last Call |
G.191
| 2/12 |
TD648R3
| Rev.
| Software tools for speech and audio coding standardization
| AAP-49
|
P.1100
| 4/12
|
TD644R1
| Rev. | Narrowband hands-free communication in motor vehicles
| AAP-49
|
P.1110
| 4/12 |
TD643R2
| Rev.
| Wideband hands-free communication in motor vehicles
| AAP-49
|
P.340 Amd.
| 6/12 |
TD646R1
| Rev.
| Transmission characteristics and speech quality parameters of hands-free terminals
| AAP-49
|
P.811
| 7/12 |
TD655R4
| New
| Subjective test methodology for evaluating speech oriented stereo communication systems over headphones | AAP-49
|
Y.1550
| 8/12
| TD703R1
| New
| Considerations for realizing virtual measurement systems
| AAP-49
|
G.1028.1
| 11/12
| TD630
| New
| End-to-end QoS for video telephony over 4G mobile networks
| AAP-49
|
P.917
| 13/12
|
TD726
| New
| Subjective test methodology for assessing impact of initial loading delay on quality of experience
| AAP-49
|
P.1203.1
| 14/12 |
TD735
| Rev.
| Parametric bitstream-based quality assessment of progressive download and adaptive audiovisual streaming services over reliable transport - Video quality estimation module | AAP-49
|
P.1203.3
| 14/12 |
TD736
| Rev. | Parametric bitstream-based quality assessment of progressive download and adaptive audiovisual streaming services over reliable transport - Quality integration module | AAP-49
|
The meeting consented
new ITU-T Recommendations on
(1) End-to-end QoS for video telephony over 4G mobile networks (will be known as ITU-T G.1028.1);
(2) Subjective test methodology for evaluating speech oriented stereo communication systems over headphones (ITU-T P.811);
(3) Subjective test methodology for assessing impact of initial loading delay on quality of experience (ITU-T P.917);
(4) Considerations for realizing virtual measurement systems (ITU-T Y.1550).
The meeting consented
revisions and amendments to existing ITU-T Recommendations on
(5) Software tools for speech and audio coding standardization (ITU-T G.191);
(6) Transmission characteristics and speech quality parameters of hands-free terminals (ITU-T P.340 Amendment);
(7) Narrowband hands-free communication in motor vehicles (ITU-T P.1100);
(8) Wideband hands-free communication in motor vehicles (ITU-T P.1110);
(9) Parametric bitstream-based quality assessment of progressive download and adaptive audiovisual streaming services over reliable transport - Video quality estimation module (P.1203.1); and
(10) Parametric bitstream-based quality assessment of progressive download and adaptive audiovisual streaming services over reliable transport - Quality integration module (P.1203.3).
New work items
SG12 established work items for new Recommendations on the following topics:
(1) Application guide for ITU-T Recommendation E.804 (E.804.1);
(2) Methodology for determining QoE-relevant KPI thresholds (G.MDKT); and
(3) Dimension-based subjective quality evaluation for video content (P.VQD).
WTSA matters
Implementation of
WTSA Resolution 95 (ITU-T initiatives to raise awareness on best practices and policies related to service quality) is progressing.
A new web page created by SG12 contains information on a questionnaire released by SG12 on the status of national quality regulatory frameworks, as well as country case studies and SG12 activities to implement the Resolution. The web page can be found at
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/studygroups/2017-2020/12/Pages/resolution95.aspx.
Between December 2017 and October 2018, Study Group 12 conducted a survey among ITU member states to collect detailed information about QoS and QoE indicators, measurement strategies, enforcement and publication approaches. The survey results were presented at a pre-SG12 meeting workshop on
Telecommunication Service Quality Regulatory Frameworks and Experience-Driven Networking, held on 26 November 2018. The “Report of the questionnaire on the status of national quality regulatory frameworks” is available
here.
In response to WTSA-16 Resolution 95, development of a new Recommendation ITU-T E.RQUAL – Strategies to establish quality regulatory frameworks – is progressing in SG12 according to plan. The work item was established during the first SG12 meeting of the current study period (January 2017), and based on the contributions and comments received from many ITU members, in particular from national regulatory authorities, stable text in
SG12-TD712 was prepared during the meeting.
Other activities
A technical tutorial on Rail QoE metrics: Key enabler for trackside mobile networks - novel concepts to assess QoE in rail use cases was given by a representative of Deutsche Bahn, Germany.
Approximately 15 people from 10 countries attended the SG12 newcomers’ session.
SG12 in the news
Results by group directly reporting to Plenary
Q1/12
- Approved updated plan on the implementation of WTSA-16 Resolution 95 on “ITU-T initiatives to raise awareness on best practices and policies related to service quality” and introduced a dedicated webpage
https://itu.int/en/ITU-T/studygroups/2017-2020/12/Pages/resolution95.aspx;
- Considered the results of an ITU workshop on Telecommunications Service Quality Regulatory Frameworks and Experience Driven Networking (Geneva, 26 November 2018);
- Discussed the applicability of machine learning in the context of ITU-T SG12’s mandate.
Q2/12
- Consented a revision to Recommendation ITU-T G.191 “Software tools for speech and audio coding standardization”. The revision represents a major overhaul of the software tool library and was developed in an open source software project on GitHub,
https://github.com/openitu/STL.
SG12 Regional Group on QoS for the Africa Region (SG12RG-AFR)
- Reviewed its action plan
- Coordinated African contributions to SG12
Quality of Service Development Group (QSDG)
- Provided briefings on recent workshops in Istanbul and Geneva;
- Reviewed and updated its work programme for 2019.
Results by working party
Working Party 1/12
- Produced the following Recommendations for consent in plenary:
- New Recommendation ITU-T P.811: Subjective test methodology for evaluating speech oriented stereo communication systems over headphones;
- Revised Recommendation ITU-T P.1100: Narrowband hands-free communication in motor vehicles;
- Revised Recommendation ITU-T P.1110: Wideband hands-free communication in motor vehicles;
- Amendment to Recommendation ITU-T P.340: Transmission characteristics and speech quality parameters of hands-free terminals.
- Established a work item on a new Recommendation: P.VQD.
Working Party 2/12
- Produced the following Recommendations for consent in plenary:
- Revised Recommendation ITU-T P.1203.1: Parametric bitstream-based quality assessment of progressive download and adaptive audiovisual streaming services over reliable transport - Video quality estimation module;
- Revised Recommendation ITU-T P.1203.3: Parametric bitstream-based quality assessment of progressive download and adaptive audiovisual streaming services over reliable transport - Quality integration module.
- Established a work item on a new Recommendation: P.VQD (between Q7/12 and Q19/12).
Working Party 3/12
- Produced the following Recommendations for consent in plenary:
- New Recommendation ITU-T Y.1550: Considerations for realizing virtual measurement systems;
- New Recommendation ITU-T G.1028.1: End-to-end QoS for video telephony over 4G mobile networks;
- New Recommendation ITU-T P.917: Subjective test methodology for assessing impact of initial loading delay on quality of experience.
- Established work items on two new Recommendations: E.804.1 and G.MDKT.
Future meetings and workshops
Meetings of SG12
- Geneva, 7-16 May 2019
- TBC: 26 November – 5 December 2019
Meetings of Rapporteur groups
Please see
here for updated information). Additional conference calls of Questions will be announced on the respective mailing lists.
- Q4/12: Copenhagen, 13-14 March 2019
- Q12/12: Kigali, 7-8 March 2019 (jointly with workshop and SG12RG-AFR)
- Qs 13, 14 and 17/12: TBC: Berlin or Stockholm, 5-7 March 2019
Meeting of SG12 Regional for QoS for the Africa Region (SG12RG-AFR)
- Kigali, 6-7 March 2019 (jointly with workshop and Q12/12)
Meeting of Quality of Service Development Group (QSDG)
- TBC: Asia, September 2019 (jointly with workshop and Q12/12)
SG12 Workshops
- Kigali, 4-5 March 2019 (jointly with SG12RG-AFR and Q12/12)
- TBC: Asia, September 2019 (jointly with QSDG and Q12/12)