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ATIS and SIP Forum Complete New IP-Based Network to Network Interface (NNI) Technical Specification

Joint task force delivers major milestone with the publication of the first standardized, industry-based, consensus-driven specification designed to achieve IP-based interconnection of service provider networks.

NORTH ANDOVER, MA (July 21, 2015) – ATIS and the SIP Forum today announced completion of the first standardized IP-based network-to-network interconnection (NNI) with consensus across North American Service providers. This accomplishment enables a major objective identified in the United States National Broadband Plan, to ensure that all service connections between providers occur at the Internet Protocol (IP) level. It also helps the industry advance a major business objective of achieving the interconnection needed to reliably deliver a range of exciting new IP-based services. This work is the product of the ATIS/SIP Forum Joint Task Force, which is at the forefront of conducting an industry effort to evaluate the current state of IP-IP interconnection, identify problem areas, and provide detailed protocol-level specifications to advance solutions.

Two recently completed documents provide a detailed, protocol-level IP-NNI specification for one service – voice. From this initial profile, further specifications can more easily be developed. The two new ratified documents are (1) IP Interconnection Profile, which describes a reference architecture and specifications for both the protocol and media as it appears “on-the-wire” at interconnect points; and (2) IP Interconnection Routing Report, which documents mechanisms for identifying the preferred IP interconnection point for a given phone number.

“By simplifying IP interconnection for voice and making it easier to set up IP services, the groundwork is in place for delivering ubiquitous advanced real-time communications,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. “The opportunities are virtually limitless, but examples of new services envisioned on the horizon are high-definition voice, point-to-point video calling and multimedia text across wireless, wireline and cable providers. ATIS is excited about the value our collaboration with the SIP Forum is delivering the industry.”

With the new specification in place, work on Phase 2 of the ATIS/SIP Forum IP-NNI Joint Task Force is underway. It will address inter-carrier video calling, enhanced calling name delivery (CNAM), and develop an implementation profile for secure caller ID based on the IETF STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) Working Group. These technical initiatives represent the commitment and leadership of the industry to protect consumers and enterprises from the plague of Caller ID Spoofing and Robocalls.

Phase 2 will also provide requirements for IP-NNI interoperability testing and conduct a detailed assessment of the ongoing security requirements for VoIP (Voice over IP) interconnect.

“It is our intention to build on success. We are delighted with our collaboration with ATIS,” said Richard Shockey Chairman of the SIP Forum. “We are jointly committed to fulfilling the promise of the “any-to-any” model of real-time communications over an all-IP infrastructure. In addition, we will fully integrate our SIPconnect Specification for seamless IP-PBX or Cloud- based services into the NNI effort. Once that is achieved, we will have fulfilled the promise of ubiquitous multi media Enterprise Unified Communications.”

Both of the new specifications are available free of charge in the atis.org White Paper Center:

IP Interconnection Routing

https://access.atis.org/apps/group_public/download.php/22840/ATIS-1000062-SIPForum_TWG-6.pdf

IP NNI Profile

https://access.atis.org/apps/group_public/download.php/22841/ATIS-1000063-SIPForum_TWG-6.pdf

These documents are also available from the SIP Forum website free of charge.

IP Interconnection Routing

https://www.sipforum.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,771/Itemid,261/

IP NNI Profile

https://www.sipforum.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,772/Itemid,261/

About ATIS

As a leading technology and solutions development organization, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) brings together the top global ICT companies to advance the industry’s most pressing business priorities. ATIS’ nearly 200 member companies are currently working to address 5G, the All-IP transition, network functions virtualization, big data analytics, cloud services, device solutions, emergency services, M2M, cyber security, network evolution, quality of service, billing support, operations, and much more. These priorities follow a fast-track development lifecycle — from design and innovation through standards, specifications, requirements, business use cases, software toolkits, open source solutions, and interoperability testing.

ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ATIS is the North American Organizational Partner for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a founding Partner of the oneM2M global initiative, a member and major U.S. contributor to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as well as a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). For more information, visit www.atis.org.

About the SIP Forum

The SIP Forum is an IP communications industry association that engages in numerous activities that promote and advance SIP-based technology, such as the development of industry recommendations, the SIPit, SIPconnect-IT and RTCWeb-it interoperability testing events, special workshops, educational seminars, and general promotion of SIP in the industry. The SIP Forum is also the producer of the annual SIPNOC conferences (for SIP Network Operators Conference), focused on the technical requirements of the service provider community. One of the Forum’s notable technical activities is the development of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation – a standards-based SIP trunking recommendation that provides detailed guidelines for direct IP peering and interoperability between IP PBXs and SIP-based service provider networks. Other important Forum initiatives include work in Fax-over-IP interoperability, User Agent Configuration, Video Relay Service interoperability, security, NNI, and SIP and IPv6. For more information, please visit: https://www.sipforum.org.

Media Contact

Marc Robins
SIP Forum
+1-203-829-6307
marc.robins@sipforum.org

ATIS Contact

Marcella Wolfe
+1-202-434-8851
mwolfe@atis.org
www.atis.org

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