4. Changes in technical standards

The DGPT's activity here basically involves regulation, and is mainly carried out by publishing regulations.

However, setting general technical standards has a significant impact on the business environment. Standardisation is of course mainly voluntary, but in reality it often becomes compulsory. The regulator also needs to attentively follow general developments in standards for telecommunications systems. This is a function of the standardisation mission of the DGPT.

The setting of standards is becoming the responsibility of a growing number of different organisations, bringing together an increasing number of players: traditional institutions like the ITU-T and ETSI, as well as more informal bodies. This is a result of the impact of the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector as well as of the growing awareness of the general movement towards an "information society", in which telecommunications, IT and the audiovisual sector are converging.

Concretely, the DGPT coordinates the activity of the French representatives to the ITU-T and takes part in the technical and general meetings of ETSI as well as in the French committee of the ETSI, which is under AFNOR's authority. It also represents the French government in a certain number of high-level think tanks working on future standards. Finally, it takes part in key technical committees of the ITU (ATM and optical transmission, services, pricing policy, numbering systems, and intelligent networks).

ETSI

The European Technical Standards Institute (ETSI) which is headquartered in Sophia Antipolis in France, was created in 1988 when the activities carried out by the CEPT (European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) related to standardisation were transferred to it.

Any organisation with its headquarters in Europe and which carries on activity in the world of telecommunications may become a member.

On 31 December 1994, ETSI had 369 members, with many different profiles: regulators, telecommunications operators, manufacturers, service providers, and users.

The work of ETSI is based on the setting of telecommunications standards, and specifically on drawing up European Technical Standards (ETS).

In France, the Commission française (French Committee) of ETSI (CF/ETSI) includes the 57 French members of ETSI.

The role of this committee is to coordinate the French position in the general and technical meetings of ETSI, to prepare comments on proposed standards during public consultations, and to decide the national vote on each standard proposed.

The DGPT takes part in the work of the ETSI under the authority of the Ministry. In this capacity, the DGPT participates in the general and technical meetings as well as in meetings of the French Committee, during which it ensures that the Ministry's positions are taken into account while deciding on France's positions on proposed standards; finally, the DGPT helps with the work of some committees and sub-committees of ETSI in which standards are being drawn up.

Chapter X