QoS for Fixed and Mobile Ultra-Broadband

9QoS Regulatory Framework

The quality of service is important for each network and for each service in the telecom/ICT world. The importance and the need for telecommunication services impose requirements on their delivery. In general, quality is important in many areas, such as food quality, roads quality, bridges quality, airplanes quality, etc. Also, quality is required for many public services (e.g. electricity, cleaning, water supply system) which improve the lives of citizens. Telecoms provide communication services (such as telephony or messaging) and information services (such as TV, the Web, etc.). Certain services are less important than others (e.g. ordinary telephone calls vs. emergency calls). With the development of smart services that are based on massive machine‐type communication (e.g. smart cars, smart homes, smart factories, smart cities), the importance of QoS increases. However, to maintain the desired level of QoS, it should be regulated. This chapter covers the QoS regulatory framework and its applicability in different networks (fixed and mobile) and in different countries (regarding the development of their ICT/telecom markets).

9.1 Scope of QoS Regulation

Quality of service is being monitored in most countries worldwide [1]. From a historical point of view, QoS requirements have been applied to voice services (provided by telecom operators), but more recently regulators have been incorporating minimum QoS requirements also for data services (that is, ...