Now-ISDN Camp '95, Aug 1995, Tokyo

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

       ASIAN TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION PROGRAM (ATIP)


REPORT:  ATIP95.57 : Now-ISDN Camp '95, Aug 1995, Tokyo
To: Distribution
From: Chris Stiles, [chris () atip or jp]
Date: 08/25/95 [MM/DD/YY].      This is file name "atip95.57"


Tokyo Office:  Asian Technology Information Program (ATIP)
               Harks Roppongi Building 1F
               6-15-21 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106
               Tel: +81 3 5411-6670; Fax: +81 3 5411-6671


Date: Aug 25, 1995
ATIP95.57 : Now-ISDN Camp '95, Aug 1995, Tokyo


ABSTRACT: Tokyo's August, 1995 "Now-ISDN" Conference, sponsored by
NTT, brought together representatives from leading international telecom
and ISDN applications firms representing Japan, Europe, and the United
States. "Now-ISDN" is the name NTT has chosen to market its ISDN products
to businesses and consumers in Japan.  The focus for the August 2nd portion
of the conference, which we cover here, was on applications of ISDN
technology.  The conference emphasized the global growth potential of ISDN
into home, consumer and commercial markets.  In particular, demand is being
fueled by interest in the Internet, telecommuting, education and interest
in the NII/GII.  This report offers a synopsis of the comments made by each
of the panelists, along with an edited transcript of the concluding
panelist Q & A session.


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Synopsis of Now-ISDN Camp '95
Conference & Discussion for Now-ISDN
Tokyo Kohgakuin University
August 2, 1995


CONTENTS:


1.0  ISDN FUNDAMENTALS
2.0  THE EUROPEAN ISDN EXPERIENCE
3.0  ISDN IN JAPAN
4.0  ISDN FOR NII...THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
5.0  ISDN FOR TELECOMMUTING
6.0  MULTIMEDIA EXPERIMENTS USING NOW ISDN
7.0  ISDN REPORT FROM SILICON VALLEY
8.0  Q & A ROUND TABLE
9.0  CONTACT INFORMATION




--------------------------------


1.0  ISDN FUNDAMENTALS


Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a set of digital
transmission protocols defined by CCITT (the Consultative
Committee for International Telephone and Telegraph, recently
renamed the Telecommunications Standards Sector of its parent, the
International Telecommunications Union). The protocols are
accepted by virtually all the world's communications carriers
as standard.


Some of the characteristics that distinguish ISDN are:


-It builds on groups of standard transmission channels. Bearer
channels (or B channels) transmit user information at relatively
high speeds, while separate Data channels (or D channels) carry
call set-up, signaling and other information.


-There are two types of ISDN channels. B channels are clear
channel "pipes" for user voice and data. D channels are packet-
switched links for call set-up and user data.


-It handles all types of information. Unlike some other digital
communications technologies, ISDN handles all types of information
voice, data, studio-quality sound, still and moving images. They
are all digitized, and transmitted at high speeds in the same flow
of data.


-It handles many devices and many telephone numbers, on the same
line. Up to eight separate telephones, fax machines or computers
can be linked to a single ISDN connection, and have up to 64 "call
appearances" of the same or different telephone numbers.


-It supports up to three calls at the same time. Two voice, fax or
PC "conversations," and one data "conversation" can take place at
the same time, through the same ISDN connection.


-It offers variable, responsive transmission speeds. Two or more
channels can be combined into a single larger transmission "pipe."
Channels can be assembled as needed for a specific application (a
large video conference, for example), and then broken down and
reassembled into different groups for different applications
(normal voice or data transmissions). Combining B channels in this
manner is called inverse multiplexing , or bonding.


-It offers inverse multiplexing or "bonding", i.e. the combining
of channels to make larger "pipes".


-It uses switched digital connections.


Perhaps the most important single feature of ISDN, however, is that it can
offer less expensive dialed digital access to the worldwide
telecommunications network. ISDN supporters hope that users will feel it is
no longer necessary to lease costly dedicated lines for high-speed digital
transmissions. They hope that users will also appreciate that ISDN, by
using digital rather than analog signals, increases data speed and reduces
the accuracy problems associated with currently available modems.






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