Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks

The Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks (TISPAN) is a standardization body of ETSI, specializing in fixed networks and Internet convergence. It was formed in 2003 from the amalgamation of the ETSI bodies Telecommunications and Internet Protocol Harmonization Over Networks (TIPHON) and Services and Protocols for Advanced Networks (SPAN).

TISPAN's focus is to define the European view of the Next Generation Networking (NGN), though TISPAN also includes much participation from regions outside Europe.

TISPAN Release 1 was published in December 2005. Its architecture is based on sharing common components between cooperating subsystems. This allows new subsystems to be added over time to cover new demands and service classes. By making network resources, applications, and user equipment common to all subsystems, it ensures mobility of users, terminals and services as much as possible, even across administrative boundaries. A key subsystem is based on the architectures of 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Release 6 and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) Revision A.

TISPAN has adopted the IMS architecture of Release 6 and is adding wire-line access to it.

TISPAN is working on the next release of the NGN.

TISPAN is also working on the specification of IPTV services and Business Communications (e.g. Business Trunking) over the IMS.

External links

* [http://www.tispan.org Official TISPAN web site]
* [http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=95511 An introduction to the TISPAN architecture]