Michael Lazar: "The Internet, mobile and fixed-line phones work because people were able to agree on standards"

DataArt consultant, a member of the European Network Telecommunication Standards Network Virtualization Working Group, will tell how the UN branch regulates the industry, how open protocols continue to change the market and how new standards are technically developed.

- Who sets the standards in telecom?
')
- Telecommunications is not only an industry of an incredible scale, but also the oldest technological sector of the economy, in addition to industrial production since the first steam engines. The question of standards arose here in the 1850s, when the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid. People had to agree that the signal sent from one continent was correctly decoded on the other.

In 1865, the ITU was created - then the abbreviation stands for “International Telegraph Union” - it had to guarantee the work of telegraphs around the world. ITU still remains the highest authority in the communications industry, the letter T in its name now means "telecommunications" [in Russian ITU is traditionally called the International Telecommunication Union, - Approx. Ed.]. Now it is as much a UN subdivision, although the organization is noticeably younger, but you must admit that it is solid. The ITU distributes radio frequencies, oversees the launch of satellites and formulates recommendations for all market players.

- Who exactly unites the union? Are there any special officials in it?

- It involves operators and equipment manufacturers from around the world. Below are working groups, for example, the 3GPP consortium is developing specifications for mobile communications. Working groups and subgroups formulate proposals for the introduction of standards, which usually should speed up the introduction of new technologies, increase safety or reduce costs. If there is no objection, the ITU announces a new standard, after which at least 193 states join the union.

- The implementation process can not be instant?

- When I say “follow,” I do not mean that the new protocol automatically begins to operate around the world on the same day. There are countries where the introduction of 4G and LTE is still ongoing. In 2018, commercial use of 5G will begin, but it will take ten, or even 15 years, before you can certainly use the fifth generation phone anywhere in the world.

In 2003, when I first came to Russia, my 3G phone began working as 2G. And this is a very important point for standardization - the 3GPP working group should have taken into account that not all countries will introduce third generation mobile communications quickly. Therefore, manufacturers and recommended to provide phones support 2G. Due to the fact that the ITU is looking not only forward, but sometimes looking around, we can almost always use our gadgets even after crossing the border. Fortunately, no one announces: “We have come up with a new cool technology and decided to make it a standard. Good luck! ”

In general, the support of outdated technology is a commitment that overtakes a huge number of companies. Remember how many years it took Microsoft before they could announce that Windows 3 would not work anymore, and stopped issuing licenses for its use? Moreover, they lacked problems with system vulnerability and user support.

- 2G already does not work anywhere?

- In some places, support is still there for emergency cases, but manufacturers are eagerly awaiting the moment when it can be completely abandoned. This will release the power that they can redirect. For example, to support long-range Wi-Fi. But what exactly this will be, the ITU has yet to decide.

- The operator or the manufacturer of the equipment cannot make this decision independently?

- No, they can be compared with landowners. Of course, they themselves decide what to build on the site, but they still have to get a building permit. And very many objects for them will be inaccessible. The same thing happens with frequencies - they are sold and bought, but if you become the owner of a frequency, it does not mean that you can broadcast anything you want. This is governed by national laws, which, as a rule, follow the direction given by the ITU as part of the UN.

- Although the real power of the ITU does not have?

- Whether to follow the recommendations of the union is the business of each state. In principle, they can be ignored. Another thing is that there is no reason for this, it is more profitable to listen to the ITU. In the end, if you do not follow industry standards, you will be technically cut off from the rest of the world.

In each country, ITU representatives monitor compliance with standards for wired telephony. Little has changed here since the 1970s, when the SS7 protocol was adopted, or Signal System No. 7, replacing the analog signal with a digital one. This is due to the complex billing structure: sometimes when calling, say, from the East to the West Coast in the USA, a signal can pass through 10-15 companies. Any changes here are very difficult to implement.

But the first telephone companies operated in very small territories - in principle, subscribers could not call to another city. Then they began to negotiate among themselves - phones belonging to one company learned to communicate with phones installed by another operator. All were the winners, and the condition for this was the recognition of common communication standards.

By the way, before AT & T, which, by the way, is already much more than 100 years old, established a legal monopoly in the US, Manhattan was literally entangled with wires. This can be seen in old photos. When different companies agreed among themselves and actually turned into Alexander Bell’s regional centers of the company, the wires could be replaced with single cable bundles, clearing the streets.

- How are working groups formed? How big are they?

- Everything begins with an initiative - usually it is put forward by companies willing to sponsor a group, although sometimes it can be supported by a government organization. Then all interested parties determine the amount of work. For example, if you decide to set standards for sending SMS between operators from different countries (a serious problem), you need to immediately decide whether the problem of sending MMS, which has not yet been completely resolved, will also fall within your competence.

The working group of the virtualization of network functions of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), to which I belong, initially included specialists from 11 companies: AT & T, Telefonica, Cisco, Nokia, Ericsson and other providers and manufacturers. It is very important that those who produce equipment also joined the development of open standards. After all, for many years they used the fact that any telephone company that once purchased equipment from them would have to continue to buy it from them. Since everything that they supplied was patented and should not work with "foreign" devices or programs. In addition, although open protocols do not imply mandatory open source, they can be used for free - that is, hardware and software manufacturers agree to work on what cannot be sold.

- This is a recent trend?

- The last six to seven years. There will be no return, although open standards are a source of serious concern for network equipment manufacturers. But at the same time, standards allow you to create universal solutions that are suitable for any market - and in this sense they are attractive to everyone.

- Does the presence of open standards simply exacerbate competition?

- At some point, the operators wanted to offer video calls to subscribers. By the way, for the first time the technology was demonstrated in the late 1960s, and in Europe it was possible to make video calls long before the first iPhone. I could do it from my old American mobile phone - there was such a small, funny, but still futuristic picture - but not in the USA. So, when the operator comes to the supplier of iron and says that he would like to establish something like Skype, he can answer: “Brilliant idea! It will cost you only five billion dollars. ” Much more has already been invested in the equipment of this manufacturer, and in principle the operator could not turn to a competitor.

I was not at that meeting, but I can imagine how once the representatives of the largest telecommunications companies came together and calculated how much they spend on equipment and software annually. It turned out that more than $ 100 billion. Then they thought that for such money they could themselves be engaged in production in a consolidated manner. As a result, they came to ETSI - the European Telecommunications Standards Institute - which sets standards, including for microwave ovens with televisions. They proposed to the institute to create a group of NFV - the virtualization of network functions - which could offer common standards for different communication providers. They were ready to sponsor the group - the initiative came from the industry itself, and, unlike other ETSI projects, is not related to the government. Now NFV - ETSI has gained a lot of influence, it works closely with both 3GPP and the ITU itself.

- How is the routine work in the group?

- The meetings, which take place three times a year, are usually attended by from 100 to 200 people, representing 60–80 organizations. The main type of communication is general conversations. In our NFV working group, they pass every two weeks and last for about two hours. However, it is not necessary to attend every such call. At meetings of any format gather those who have something to say.

- Is ETSI an organization exactly European?

- I guess, yes. There are also working groups in the USA, China and India. But since ETSI copes very well, the standards it has developed are often accepted in other continents.

- How many ITU working groups?

- There are a lot of them. For example, the TCP / IP model did not appear by itself and was not established by the decree of some government agency. DARPA participated in the development of the protocol - the US Department of Defense's advanced development department - but then TCP / IP turned into a de facto standard. Just because the devices must speak the same language in order for the Internet to work in principle. Fixed phones continue to operate, there are cellular and satellite communications, Wi-Fi, IP telephony associated with the SIP protocol, etc. All this is possible only through an agreement reached. That is, some clever professionals gathered, showed a friend the presentations, argued, lobbied and came to a consensus: now the technology will work like this.

- Does the question of introducing new standards often come up against money?

- Almost any problem has a solution, the question is what its implementation will cost the participants of the process. For example, there is such a thing as Premim SMS, when you are charged a special fee for sending a message to a specific number. Behind this is often hidden fraud, and the market volume of such scams, along with calls to paid numbers comes to $ 30 billion dollars a year.

You cannot forbid people to call where they want, but the phone can send messages to paid numbers without the owner's participation - this is done by malware. Ultimately, the bulk of such money settles in the dirtiest hands. Calls to paid numbers can also be made by a hacked corporate PBX. But even if everyone understands that the company has become a victim of fraudsters, it will still have to pay - the contracts are arranged.

Ten years ago there was a terrorist attack known as the “attack on Mumbai”. More than 150 people were killed, and people were accused of financing terrorists in the American courts, including those from whose accounts money was written off by fraudsters in favor of extremists. New standards could prevent this, but rebuilding the infrastructure will require multibillion-dollar investments. So far, the user is responsible for everything, but this may change.

- NFV specialists - ETSI - enthusiasts? Or for someone just work at the institute - the main?

- In some companies there are people who get paid just for being constantly working in ITU groups. The organization pays, delegating them, but it pays just for participating in the development of standards. As a rule, such people are not in one working group - there may be five, 10 or 15. They spend all the time traveling from one meeting to another, where they represent the interests of their countries or companies when discussing a variety of standards.

- Standards - always the subject of fierce disputes?

- Imagine that you represent a company that manufactures SIM cards - directly smart cards with microprocessors. Can you calmly listen to how manufacturers are discussing the massive transition to E-SIM?

- In the end, everything is decided by the vote?

- More often in groups they try to come to a consensus - to find a solution that suits everyone. Sometimes they resort to direct voting. There is a third option - an accepted proposal is considered, which no one causes a decisive rejection. If no one actively argues, then everyone is more likely to agree. This is often reminiscent of a parliamentary debate, but the traditions of delivering a final verdict can vary from group to group.

- Are you in NFV - ETSI vote?

- We are looking for consensus. But the strict, approved once and for all the definition of this word is not. Therefore, often the work in each subgroup begins just with the negotiations, what exactly we will mean by a decision that suits everyone. In some groups that deal with Internet protocols, everything determines the nature and duration of the indefinite sounds that its participants make at the time of the discussion. When it comes time to choose, they sometimes just chuckle - it can be assumed that they are not enthusiastic, but not too opposed. I was very surprised by this, but the Internet, as you can see, works. This means that experience allows participants to capture the appropriate solution.