SCOPE OF THE REPORT
The study aims to provide comprehensive profiles of 41 carriers’ plans to replace legacy TDM based infrastructure with new next generation networking equipment. It also reveals these carrier’s plans to introduce new revenue generating services and NGN commercial deployments and public trials around the world. The analysis comes form recent interviews conducted as part of our continuing monitoring of worldwide NGN markets and offerings in the “Dittberner Perspective” subscription services on Next Generation Networks.

The purpose of this study is to assist NGN Vendors in determining how, why and when carriers will move from the RFI / trial stage to real NGN deployment. It also provides NGN vendor management with an understanding of service provider's main requirements, deployment plans and overall strategy guidelines for TDM switch replacement and/or next generation networks technology implementation.

The scope of this project is the current and future (short-term) status of next generation network technologies deployment, with particular focus on major applications, existing services enhancements, new services, and operations improvement, being implemented as the result of NGN deployment.

1. CARRIER AND GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE
The geographic scope is Worldwide. The carriers of major interest are those carriers, which are already utilizing or are known to be planning, some form of NGN solutions for their networking needs.

2. CUSTOMER SEGMENT
The objectives to be achieved from the scope of the report was to permit Dittberner’s customers to have insight into the level of interest of telecom operators in deploying NGN solutions and introducing softswitch integrated applications/services. In order to make the objectives of this study achievable the following telecom operators were interviewed:

1. Allegiance Telecom
2. AT&T
3. Belgacom
4. Bell Canada
5. Bell South
6. Brasil Telecom
7. British Telecom
8. Broadwing
9. Century Tel
10. China Netcom
11. China Telecom
12. CTC Chile
13. Deutsche Telekom
14. Eircom
15. Embratel
16. France Telecom
17. Intelig
18. Korea Telecom
19. KPN
20. MCI
21. NTT
22. Polish Telecom
23. PT Telekom Indonesia
24. Qwest
25. SaskTel
26. SBC
27. Sonera
28. Sprint
29. TDC
30. TDS Metrocom
31. Telecom Argentina
32. Telecom Egypt
33. Telecom Georgia
34. Telecom Italia
35. Telenor
36. Telefónica de España
37. Telia
38. Telmex
39. Telstra
40. Time Warner Telecom
41. Verizon

3. TIME FRAME
The time frame of this study addresses the current critical requirements for NGN deployment and short-term (2003 - 2004) assessment of the deployment plans of next generation networks and services by major U.S. and European operators.

PRIMARY RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of this study is to provide both NGN equipment suppliers and telephone service provider’s management with enough factual data and insights into the carrier's current and future plans regarding NGN deployment, which will allow them to reach decisions on the timing, achievable market and competitive posture for their planned NGN solution for wireline markets. The results of this study address the following:

Provides a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the short term (2003 - 2004) deployment plans of next generation networks of major carriers worldwide

Provides an analysis of major applications, services enhancements, and new services, being implemented as the result of NGN deployment.

DETAILED RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Specifically, the study answers the following issues as addressed by some NGN vendor management:

• Provides information on the current status of NGN deployment by service providers
• Provides insights as to why these service providers are not deploying NGN solutions. What are the main barriers to adoption
• Provides information on when these carriers are planning to stop investing in legacy TDM switched network solutions
• Provides estimates of how much these service providers are planning to spend on NGN solutions
• Provides insights on approximate timing when these service providers are planning to widely deploy IP-based NGNs (define "deployment" timing for each service provider)
• Provides information on how long these carriers expect the rollout of the new services to take
• Provides insights on these carriers' architectural preferences regarding NGN solutions deployment (in other words what architectures do they prefer to implement?)
• Provides information on the most important/attractive services that these service providers are planning to deploy
• Provides information on who is the preferable main supplier for NGN solutions and why, including what criteria is being used or currently evaluated to buy NGN solutions
• Provides insights if these service providers are willing to consider choosing multiple vendor solutions
• Provides information on the major value drivers and expected benefits from deploying NGN solutions
• Provides information on whether these service providers have issued or are planning to issue (when) an RFI/RFP for NGN solutions
• Provides information on main equipment suppliers these carriers use to offer voice or IP services and/or to transport voice traffic now and by January 2004