ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter Addressed to Distribution List

Ottawa, 21 September 2018

Our reference:  1011-NOC2018-0242

BY EMAIL

To: Distribution List

RE: Request for information related to an appropriate quality of service metric for jitter to define high-quality fixed broadband Internet access service – NoC 2018-242

In Telecom Decision 2018-241, CISC Network Working Group – Non-consensus report on quality of service metrics to define high-quality fixed broadband Internet access service (Telecom Decision 2018-241), the Commission determined that a fixed broadband Internet access service is defined as a high-quality service if it provides the subscriber with a smooth experience when using real-time QoS critical applications. Consequently, the Commission determined that latency of 50 milliseconds and a packet loss of 0.25% are the thresholds that define a high-quality fixed broadband Internet access service.

In Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2018-242, Call for comments – Establishment of an appropriate quality of service metric for jitter to define high-quality fixed broadband service (NoC 2018-242), the Commission initiated a proceeding to establish an appropriate threshold for jitter that defines high-quality fixed broadband Internet access service.

The jitter thresholds proposed were to be consistent with the thresholds for latency and packet loss established in Telecom Decision 2018-241, and based on measurement, during peak times (i.e. from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time on weekdays), from the modem at the customer premises to an Internet exchange point (IXP)^Footnote1 in a Canadian Tier 1city^Footnote2 .

Commission staff is requesting information from intervenors and ISPs as set out in Appendix 1. The responses to these questions must be filed via My CRTC Account by: 28 September 2018.  Parties may file reply comments by: 5 October 2018.

Responses are to be submitted in a single document in order to facilitate accessibility and administrative processing.  Parties may choose to coordinate, organize, and file their responses in conjunction with other parties who share their positions. These responses will be published on the Commission’s website under the file number identified above.

As set out in section 39 of the Act, and in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, persons may designate certain information as confidential. A person designating information as confidential must provide a detailed explanation as to why the designated information is confidential and why its disclosure would not be in the public interest, including why the specific direct harm that would be likely to result from the disclosure would outweigh the public interest in disclosure.

Furthermore, a person designating information as confidential must either file an abridged version of the document omitting only the information designated as confidential or provide reasons why an abridged version cannot be filed.

Should any questions related to these requests arise, please contact Bhagvat Joshi by email at Bhagvat.Joshi@crtc.gc.ca

Sincerely,

Ian Baggley,
Director General, Strategic Planning, Broadband Fund & Networks
Telecommunications Sector

c.c.: Bhagvat Joshi, CRTC, (819) 635 8291, bhagvat.joshi@crtc.gc.ca
James Ndirangu, CRTC, (819) 997 3670, james.ndirangu@crtc.gc.ca  

Attachment (1)

Distribution List

hglustein@rtscanada.com; fenwick.mckelvey@concordia.ca; davemsp@gmail.com; regulatory.affairs@telus.com; Regulatory@sjrb.ca ; regulatory@cnoc.ca ; regulatory.matters@corp.eastlink.ca ; jonathan.holmes@itpa.ca ; bell.regulatory@bell.ca ; dennis.beland@quebecor.com; telecom.regulatory@cogeco.com ; rwi_gr@rci.rogers.com ;  regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca; xplornet.legal@corp.xplornet.com;  document.control@sasktel.com; regulatory@mts.ca 

Appendix 1:

In answering the following questions, please justify your responses with the appropriate supporting evidence and rationale.

Questions to Bell Canada, Quebecor, Shaw, TELUS, Xplornet and CNOC

1. In your intervention, you proposed a maximum jitter threshold for QoS sensitive applications, instead of a maximum jitter threshold for QoS critical applications as was requested in NoC 2018-242. Identify the maximum threshold for jitter in a high-quality fixed broadband network required to support QoS critical applications^Footnote3 , such as massive multiplayer online gaming, virtual private networks, or remote surgery. Identify the QoS critical applications that form the basis for your response.

Questions to all interveners^Footnote4

2. In its intervention^Footnote5 , Bell Canada states that “Although efforts are made to minimize jitter, some jitter is normal in telecommunications and is typically handled through jitter buffering by receiving applications.  There is a limit to how much buffering can be done for quality of service (QoS) sensitive and critical applications, however, as buffering adds delay to the communication.”
1. What is the minimum jitter threshold for QoS critical applications for which buffering is not required? Identify the QoS critical applications that form the basis for your response.
2. What is the minimum jitter threshold for QoS critical applications for which the delay caused by jitter buffering starts affecting the smooth experience of a subscriber? Identify the QoS critical applications that form the basis for your response.
3. Provide a list of real-time QoS critical applications where a high level of jitter could prevent a subscriber from receiving a smooth experience.

Question to Bell Canada, Bell Aliant, Cogeco, Eastlink, Bell MTS, Northwestel, Rogers, Shaw, TELUS and Videotron

3. As your company participated in the Commission’s Broadband Measurement Project^Footnote6 , please provide in the table below, as appropriate, the average jitter values based on measurements in your network during peak times (7pm-11pm on weekdays) between 15th March 2016 and 14th April 2016 as part of that project.

Speeds (Mbps)	5-9	10-15	16-39	40+	50+
Jitter for DSL networks (ms)
Jitter for FTTH networks (ms)
Jitter for Cable/HFC networks (ms)

Question to SaskTel

4. If you have carried out measurements of jitter in your fixed broadband Internet access network, provide the results of these measurements during peak-times (7pm-11pm on weekdays) as appropriate for individual ISPs. Provide details of the measurement methodology and equipment used.

Date modified:

2018-09-21