'3-Networks Integration': Race of Dream Vs Reality

Today, since people are living in an information age, the question of putting the "three networks-in-one" has been placed before the world's people.

Clients Long for Integration of Three Networks, a Problem Put Forward Several Years Ago

The Problem of putting China's "three networks in one" can be traced back to 1993. President Qi Mingqiu of the Jitong Network Communication Co. Ltd. said that when the program for the "Golden Bridge Project" was under discussion at that time, some people put forward the idea that taking computer technology as the basis, the three businesses of image, voice and data be established on one network platform, i.e., putting "three networks in an integral whole".

Now this old topic is brought up again after an interval of eight years, but the focus of attention is somewhat different: at first people were thinking about the question concerning the feasibility of the new technology, but now what people are longing for is about whether the existing three "physical networks"-computer network, telecom business network and wired TV transmission network can be put into one integral whole. The advancement from abstractedness to concretion indicates that people have gained a deeper understanding of the networking law.

The telecom network has the longest history, covers a wide area and receives strict management. But the value of its main asset--the copper wire-join-up network, seems to be reduced along with change in people's BW (bandwidth) demand.

Although the history of wired television network is short, its development is very fast. Currently, there are 940 million users worldwide, the number of wired TV users has exceeded 80 million in China, making the country the No.1 largest wired TV network in the world. But its fatal weakness (one-way transmission), is difficult to transform.

Internet, a business rising on a large scale in recent years, has an open structure and culture, and the growth in the number of users knows no bounds. But currently, Internet is mainly "dependent on" the telecom network for its operation, it can't gain "speed". For this reason, various countries around the world are trying hard to step into the "broad band age" at an early date.

It is thus clear that telecom network, wired TV network and computer network (Internet) are three networking systems of different historical background, different technological standard and different interest mainstay, so the plan for putting the three networks in an oversimplified way into a "three-in-one" pattern is obviously unrealistic. Under this circumstance, there appeared the formulation of "integrating the three networks".

The CPPCC Sets Up Forum, Telecom Businessmen Air Their Views

In March this year, the Program of China's 10th Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development explicitly noted the need to energetically "promote the integration of three networks of telecom, television and Internet". Its aim is to organically combine telecom network, the wired television network and Internet, optimize the allocation of resources and serve to constantly accelerate the process of informationization.

At the NPC session and the CPPCC session in the past few years, NPC deputies and CPPCC members reported on the social situation and popular feelings concerning the question of the "integration of the three networks", and submitted proposals or motions. Given this, the Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports Committee (ESCHSC) of the CPPCC regarded this as an important piece of work for this year and, at the end of July, held a large-scale seminar on the "integration of the three networks and the telecom system".

The seminar was presided over by Xu Guanhua, vice-chairman of the ESCHSC and minister of science and technology, relevant leaders of the Ministry of Information Industry, Ministry of Railways, and the State Bureau of Radio, Film and Television attended the meeting, respectively expounding their stand on the question concerning the "integration of the three networks". General managers from the China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Jitong, China Netcom, and China Railcom, as well as noted experts and scholars from various social sectors, totaling more than 100 people, participated in the meeting. They offered many concrete opinions on the topic concerning the "integration of the three networks".

At the seminar, Zhang Chunjiang, vice-minister of information industry, made public his stand on behalf of the said ministry, expressing the hope that "the wired television network company would be permitted to enter the telecom market, and at the same time the State-owned telecom company be allowed to enter the radio and television program transmission market, so as to realize "symmetrical accession to the two markets". His understanding of the "integration of the three networks" is like this: Through technical upgrading, all the three networks provide society with comprehensive, multi-media information services including voice, data and image, so as to bring the role of the infrastructure facilities of China's existing information communications into full play and improve the information communications services oriented toward all members of society.

He Dongcai, original radio, film and television vice-minister, pointed out in his speech that it is unrealistic to conduct the "symmetrical opening" of telecom network and the radio, film and television network at the present stage, because radio, film and television is an important public opinion position of China, which involves the question concerning ideology and national interest. In his opinion, we should begin with the "unsymmetrical opening" of the telecom network and the radio, film and television network, the Ministry of Information Industry should allow wired television organization to manage the data business, for instance, internet accession and video frequency requested program. After three to four years of preparation, conditions are available for wired television network to engage in "equal competition" with telecom enterprises.

Integration Is Not a Dream, Technology Is the Key

Whether the party who cries for the immediate "integration of the three networks", or the party who calmly points out the need to be cautious toward the "integration of the three networks", the unanimous view is: the "integration of the three networks" is the irresistible general trend. At the seminar, many experts shared the view that the "integration of the three networks" should begin with "unsymmetrical opening".

The crux of the matter is: how to use a scientific and rational as well as economical and practical technological formula to technically transform the three major networks smoothly, thereby giving maximum play to the role of existing networking resources at the minimum price. To conduct "two-way transformation" of the wired television network in line with the existing technological formula will mean that either the operator or the client has to spend a lot of money, causing "the loss to outweigh the gain", while running the "broad band" on existing telephone line seems to be still a dream, no wonder there are so many operators rushing for bringing in broad bands.

New technological breakthrough is being expected of for the integration of the three networks.



This report, written by Reporter Yang Mingfang of People's daily, is carried on Page 7 of this newspaper.


People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/