broadband strategies handbook.pdf - Khazar University

However, given the various timelines for the DTT transition—somecountries have completed the transition, while others are planning for theanalog switch-off (ASO) between 2011 and 2020)—many countries are onlybeginning to consider rules and timeframes for refarming digital dividendspectrum. Many countries are waiting to award digital dividend spectrumuntil after the ASO is completed and the spectrum is no longer encumberedby broadcasters. However, some countries, such as the United States,Colombia, and Peru, have awarded or are planning to award the digital dividendahead of their ASO dates. Regardless of the approach, considerableinternational and regional harmonization is under way, including by the EUand the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity. Box 3.1 provides an overview of theDTT and digital dividend activities around the world.IP-Based Interconne ctionInterconnection of different networks is critical to ensure a competitivecommunications market. It is fundamental for service providers to ensurethat their users have the ability to connect with users of any other networkor service provider. As the Internet expands and becomes more geographicallyubiquitous and as traffic increases, more efficient IP-based Internetinterconnection will be required. This is especially relevant for developingcountries, where lack of interconnection facilities means that Internet trafficoriginating there is mostly subject to “tromboning” (that is, using internationaltransit facilities to deliver local traffic). 13 Policies to facilitatenational or regional Internet exchange points (IXPs), the physical infrastructurewhere Internet service providers (ISPs) exchange Internet trafficbetween their networks, will play a crucial role in ensuring more efficientand cost-effective Internet interconnection in these countries.Similarly, as the transition toward IP-based NGNs proceeds, questionswill arise regarding the manner and terms under which IP-based interconnectionwill take place between different types of networks and at differentfunctional levels of the network. Especially relevant are issues relating tofuture wholesale charging mechanisms that may apply to converged broadbandnetworks. The following sections address current trends and expectedregulatory developments relating to these issues.Internet Interconnection and IXPs in Developing CountriesHistorically, the exchange of Internet traffic has been focused in developedcountries. In the early years of the Internet, traffic was routed and exchanged104 Broadband Strategies Handbook