Italian QoS Monitoring Network: impact on User Protection

1. Italian QoS Monitoring Network: impact on User Protection Regional Development Forum for Europe (RDF-EUR) Broadband for Sustainable Development 20-22 April 2015, Bucharest Eng. Luca Rea Project leader for the Italian Resolution n.244/08/CSP deployment

2. Outline • Project regulatory and technical aspects • Technical aspects: • End point location (Internet eXchange Point ) • Protocol type • QoS parameters and file size • Next QoS measurement metrics • Network architecture for ISP measurements • End users measurements • Ne.Me.Sys results • Ne.Me.Sys speed test

3. Italian NRA (AGCOM) Resolution n. 244/08/CSP User Protection - Main aspects - Aims: • ISP measurements:Number of measures to help consumers in understanding more on broadband service they are going to buy. Broadband results obtained by “ISP measurements” will be used by each Provider instead of “up to x Mbit/s” (advertised values) • End users measurements:By means of the software Ne.Me.Sys (Network Measurement System) every end user can evaluate its own fixed line Quality of Service. Results could be compared with ISP’s promised ones Contents: • Measurement models • Services supplied by operators • QoS control and consumers’ rights • Supervision by an independent body (Fondazione Ugo Bordoni) • Sanctions

4. Resolution n. 244/08/CSP QoS fixed-line broadband connection - Operators duties - • Operators must publish the named “Carta dei servizi”:document containing the main principles that offered services must comply with. Minimum requirements in terms of Quality of Service are established according to ETSI ES 202 765 – 4 • Operators must transmit relevant data to AGCOM (Italian NRA), publish on their websites conditions of their services and advertise correct data as far as data transmission speed is concerned • Provide predefined contents for fixed-line contracts: • communication indicating where information on aims and results concerning QoS can be found; • communication concerning the technical aspects of the QoS provided, which must be available to the customer before signing the contract; • technology used for the access (e.g., Dial-up POTS, Dial-up ISDN, ADSL, ADSL2, ADSL2+, fiber optic) and the minimum characteristics that customer’s CPE must have in order to guarantee the full and correct performance of Internet access contract;

5. Resolution n. 244/08/CSP QoS fixed-line broadband connection – Consumer rights - • Operators bind themselves to observe values indicated within the contracts, so if values measured are worse with respect to published ones, he can file a detailed complaint to the undertaking involved: • He can claim QoS level restored • If proper levels of QoS are not restored within 30 days from the complaint, the customer has the right to recede without penalties from the contract. • Each customer can formally certify the quality of his own fixed-line broadband access by means of the free software Ne.Me.Sys www.misurainternet.it

6. Measure Architecture Measurement Server Operator’s IP Network Twisted pair Operator’s IP Network IXP Central System Operator’s IP Network Twisted pair Client’s Location Management Consolle FUB • Both ISP Measurements and End-user measurements employ the same Network Measurements System, based on a PC software agent Acquisition System Measures processing Data Repository Twisted pair

7. IXP (Internet eXchange Point) IXP architecture One or more network switch, connecting the participating ISPs to each other. • It is a physical infrastructure through which ISPs exchange Internet traffic between their networks (autonomous systems). • The primary purpose of an IXP is to allow networks to interconnect directly, via the exchange, rather than through one or more 3rd party networks Providers FUB ….. 1 2 n Server FTP 1 (ISP Measurements) LAN Peering 1 Gbit/s Router Server FTP 2 (End users ) Up to 100 Mbit/s toward FTP1 Up to 900 Mbit/s toward FTP2 LAN IXP Switch Through a measurement server located in IXP, it is guaranteed that each client measures only performances related to its own ISP Network. This approach has been chosen since it allows for comparable and reproducible results

8. QoS parameters involved ETSI ES 202 765-4 List of QoS parameters defined by ETSI Standard ES 202 765-4 • Data transmission speed • Data transmission rate achieved in a fixed time period (10 seconds) separately for downloading and uploading specified test files between a remote server and a user's computer • Packet Delay (one way transmission time) • half the time in milliseconds, needed for an ICMP Echo Request/Reply Packet (Ping Command) to a valid IP address • Packet loss ratio • the ratio between the number of not replied Ping commands to the total number of sent Ping commands • Unsuccessful data transmission ratio • the ratio of unsuccessful data transmissions to the total number of data transmission attempts in a specified time period

9. QoS parameters involved ETSI ES 202 765-4 Regarding data transmission speed, the following four values relevant to data transmission speed are computed for both upload and download direction: • 95th quantile in kbps • maximum bit rate during the analysis period of 10 seconds • average bit rate during the analysis period of 10 seconds The following two values are computed relative to delay: • The mean value in milliseconds • The standard deviation

10. ISP measurements network architecture Network deployed on the whole Italian Country Bolzano Measurement Server: Neutral Acess Point (NAP) BL TN UD PN Trieste VR NO Venezia PD MN Milano PR Measurement Client: Ministry peripheral premises Torino FO Bologna Genova LU Main peripheral site (Ispettorato) Ancona AR Firenze Secondary peripheral site (Dipendenza) PG Avezzano PI SI TR GR PE Sulmona RI VT FUB central site: central system CB LT Roma FR BN CE Bari AV PZ SA TA Napoli Cagliari CS CZ Palermo R.Calabria MS TP CT

11. ISP measurements (site characteristics) www.misurainternet.it/stats.php • Upload line attenuation is considered because it is less affected by frequency depending. • The Italian average distance between customers and exchange is about 1,2 km and the corresponding average upload Line Attenuation is 11 db • 11 db in upload line attenuation & 1,2 km between users and Central Office (Exchange) regards 50% of xDSL consumers in Italy To have a comparison between ISP performances also Line Attenuation must be the same

12. ISP www.misurainternet.it/stats.php Loop modem Ispettorato Regionale Cabinet ”probe room” PCs Twisted copper pair cable 0,6 mm (22 AVG) or 0,4 mm (26 AVG) Attenuation equal to 11 dB in Upload Access Network Line termination OLO room Central office

13. ISP mesurements Example of Probe Room

14. ISP mesurements www.misurainternet.it 5th percentile, computed on the whole national samples, represents the value that each ISPs can advertise. In a short time the minimum will be 95thquantile . All other values are available by local analysis at www.misurainternet.it

15. End User measurements: Ne.Me.Sys Ne.Me.Sys (Network Measurement System) It is an open source software that allows to any consumer to certify himself his own fixed-line QoS • Free download from www.misurainternet.it • Registration is needed • Cross-platform • It runs under all major OSes : Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux • Before starting measures, Ne.Me.Sys checks CPE right environment • Before of a single test user’s LAN is analyzed to assure that nobody share bandwidth it is going to measure. RAM occupation and CPU busy are also controlled. • Measures endure 24 hours • To obtain a significant number of samples that allow to well characterize the fixed line under test, Ne.Me.Sys executes at least 50 tests per hour. 50 tests (20 download, 20 upload and 10 ping) constitute a measure.

16. Headline Speed VS Actual Speed Up to now, more than 31000 users has completed fixed-line characterization Certified distribution • The average Actual Speed is ever half with respect to headline one. In many cases, it is due to the distance between user’s location and the central office

17. Ne.Me.Sys Statistics Emittedcertificates

18. Ne.Me.Sys Statistics Registeredusers

19. Resolution n. 244/08/CSP QoS fixed-line broadband connection – MisuraInternet Speed Test- • To give to users an easier instrument to estimate QoS, a short version of Ne.Me.Sys has been realized. Such a version is named MisuraInternet Speed Test, and it allows users to have an immediately result. • Obviously results do not have an official value from “receding contract” point of view, anyway crowdsourcing approach allows an ex ante information to evaluate the single ISP performance according to coverage • Sample collected are one the pillar of national statistic with the aim of monitoring the growth and evolution of broadband

20. MisuraInternet Speed Test Up to now, more than 399160 users has used MisuraInternet Speed Test

21. Conclusions The Italian Experience Next Challenges: • Extend the monitoring/evaluating system to mobile connections • Create a detailed National’ Actual Speed Map to give right information to users • Exactly identify coverage areas and suggest solution for broadband connectivity according to 2020 European Digital Agenda Target (i.e. LTE, LSA Carrier Grade, FTTx) • Stimulate competition between ISPs • This map is obtained by Telecom Italian Wholesale portal. It is an approximations because of each local municipality perimeter has been colored according to the ISP presence and technology

22. Italian QoS Monitoring Network: impact on User Protecion Next Meeting: Villa Griffone, Bologna – Italy The head office of Guglielmo Marconi Foundation is in Villa Griffone, the place where the Bolognese inventor began to develop the system of wireless telegraphy which then spread throughout the world. Villa Griffone is located in Pontecchio Marconi, about 15 km from Bologna, Italy. The garden and the rooms of the villa are home to the Marconi Museum which is dedicated to the origins and development of radio communications. Villa Griffone is a National Monument Thanks for your attention Luca Rea lrea@fub.it