Comms Alliance updates guidelines for QoS on IP networks

The Communications Alliance has updated two industry guidelines on quality of service for IP networks and called for public comment on the changes.

Changes include the addition of a new low-loss traffic class, suited to high-quality, ‘ultralow-loss’ video services, which the alliance says will help enable delivery of a range of new video services over high-speed networks.

The guidelines in question are ‘Quality of Service parameters for networks using the Internet Protocol Guideline (DR G632:2012)’ and ‘Quality of Service for networks using the Internet Protocol - Test Methods Guideline (DR G633:2012)’.

Both guidelines were first published in 2007 and have been updated to “align with more recent international developments and to work with the current layer 2 traffic classes offered by NBN Co”, the alliance said.

The first of the two guidelines changed today defines the quality parameters for a set of traffic classes on IP networks, while the other contains test methods for these traffic classes.

Communications Alliance CEO John Stanton said: “Concerns have been expressed that the quality of end-to-end service delivery to Australian consumers might be put at risk by the transition to a fibre-based delivery platform.

“The guidelines expand the foundations established five years ago by Communications Alliance and will help ensure that operators have solid guidance on network QoS issues, in the interests of all industry participants and particularly end users.”

The alliance has also called for public comment on the changes. The changes and the methods for comment are available on the Communications Alliance website.

The window for comments closes at 5 pm AEST on 6 July 2012.