Basic Concept of Quality Standards for the INS

NTT is proceeding with construction of an advanced digital network called the Information Network System (INS) to meet the increasingly complex telecommunication demands expected in the near future. In providing telecommunication services, it is very important to study the quality levels offered to users, as well as the various functions and tariffs of these services. This paper presents the basic concept of quality standards for the INS from the viewpoint of user requirements. It also discusses the setting up of objectives for quality levels, quality evaluation methods and disclosure of network quality. Quality standards should be the basis for network design and management standards. They should also be an accurate reflection of user satisfaction. Setting such standards requires diversification of quality levels, finding evaluation methods that consider distribution of quality, and establishing quality measurement units appropriate to the nature of INS services.