1. ESTABLISHMENT
1.1 The ANC (132-9) agreed to the establishment of the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network Panel (ATNP) on 9 February 1993 and approved its terms of reference and work programme. On 14 December 1993, the ANC (134-23) approved nominations to the ATNP received from nineteen States and international organizations in response to State letter SP 54/1-93/54, dated 2 June 1993. Since then the work programme and the membership of the panel have changed several times.
1.2 The present terms of reference and work programme of the panel are provided in Attachment A; information on working groups can be found in Attachment B; and a current list of members is shown in Attachment C.
2. PAST ACTIVITIES
2.1 1994
a) ATNP/1 (Montreal, 8 to 21 June 1994) examined and endorsed two documents developed by the now-dissolved Aeronautical Fixed Service Systems Planning for Data Interchange Panel (ASPP) which covered exchange of ATS messages over existing AFS and the ATN. The panel also made plans to progress its work in this regard, formed three working groups: one to handle the systems planning and concept, one to develop SARPs for ATN internet, and one to develop SARPs for the application and other upper layers of the ATN.
2.2 1995
a) Working group meetings were held to progress the work, with emphasis on the definition of requirements, features and technical characteristics for the first set of SARPs (named "CNS/ATM-1 Package") to be finalized by November 1996.
2.3 1996
ATNP/2 was held from 4 to 15 November 1996 and finalized the first set of draft SARPs for the ATN (named "CNS/ATM-1 Package").
2.4 1997
a) The panel formed a Configuration Control Board (CCB) to identify and resolve defects in ATN technical provisions.
b) Work continued towards the development of further SARPs and guidance material.
2.5 1998
The first set of ATN SARPs was incorporated in Annex 10. These SARPs were supplemented by technical specifications shown in the "Manual of Technical Provisions for the ATN" (DOC 9705), First Edition. A complete set of guidance material was developed for publication as an ICAO manual. Work continued towards further SARPs and associated guidance material.
2.6 1999
The second edition of DOC 9705 was published.
The panel developed SARPs and technical specifications for ATN security, system management, directory services and made a number of enhancements to existing ATN provisions. Newly developed material was finalized at a meeting of the working group of the whole (WGW) in December 1999 in Tokyo, Japan.
2.7 2000
The third meeting of the panel was held in in Montreal from the 7th to the 18th of February 2000. New material on ATN security, system management, directory services and other enhancements to existing technical provisions were finalized at that meeting. However, it was suggested that while amendements to ATN SARPs be processed by ICAO right away, detailed technical specifications be withheld until results of validation activities could be finalized at the fourth meeting of the working group of the whole (WGW/4) in August 2000.
3. FUTURE ACTIVITIES
The panel will finalize the third edition of DOC 9705 (in support of newly developed ATN features/ applications/ enhancements) and appropriate guidance material by September 2000. The panel will then continue its work according to the new work programme that was approved by the ANC on 1.06.2000.
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ATTACHMENT A
CURRENT TERMS OF REFERENCE AND WORK PROGRAMME OF THE AERONAUTICAL TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK PANEL (ATNP)
Terms of reference
To undertake specific studies, as approved by the ANC and reflected in the work programme of the panel, with a view to advising the ANC on technically practical and operationally feasible ICAO provision, as necessary, to meet the objectives specified in the work programme.
PROPOSED REVISED WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE ATNP
ANC Task No. Work Programme Item Estimated Completion Date
CNS- 9901
CNS-8101 1) Further develop procedures for evolution and operation of data communication elements of the aeronautical fixed service (AFS). 2004
CNS-9403 2) Assess requirements for incorporation of new features like multicast, encryption and QoS management in the ATN and develop appropriate technical provisions as necessary, while ensuring backwards compatibility and interoperability. 2004
" 3) Monitor the development of new operational requirements and new fixed/mobile subnetworks and develop appropriate technical provisions as necessary, while ensuring backwards compatibility and interoperability. 2004
" 4) Monitor actual ATN implementations in order to provide expert advice as necessary and to maintain the relevance and currency of SARPs, technical specifications and guidance material. Ongoing
" 5) Define, as required, elements, operations or functions that will have institutional implications in the provision of communication services over the ATN. Ongoing
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ATTACHMENT B
WORKING GROUPS OF THE ATNP
NEW WORK STRUCTURE
The panel is now structured into:
a) Working Group A — Applications and implementation;
b) Working Group B — Communication services; and
c) the CCB (with the existing terms of reference which is the maintenance of ATN technical specifications and guidance material).
Specific terms of reference and work programmes of the two new working groups are outlined below.
Working Group A
This working group monitors the development of new concepts (e.g. the required communication performance (RCP)) and operational requirements and assesses/develops the relevant technical provisions. It also monitors ATN implementation activities and provides expert advice as and when required. Specific work items of this working group are:
a) develop additional provisions in response to new and/or revised application user requirements received from operational bodies. For example: requirements for new flight information service applications; requirements for air traffic flow management applications; requirements for new inter-centre applications, etc;
b) develop application enhancements to existing ATN provisions based on implementation experience. For example, enhancements to the CM and ADS application and directory services;
c) further develop procedures for evolution and operation of the data communication elements of the aeronautical fixed service (AFS);
d) develop guidance material for an ATN financial accounting architecture;
e) identify potential institutional issues and monitor development of solutions to those that can be addressed by the ATNP; and
f) monitor the implementation of the ATN and provide expert advice as and when required.
Working Group B
This working group develops new/revised provisions related to internet communications service (ICS), upper layer communications service (ULCS), systems management and security. Specific work items of this working group are:
a) develop additional provisions in response to new and/or revised user requirements received from operational bodies for communication services. For example, requirements for a more flexible and extendable means of mobile subnetwork route selection, requirements for multicast services, etc.;
b) assess and develop communication service enhancements to existing ATN provisions based on implementation experience. For example, investigate improved data compression techniques, consider enhancements to the connection oriented transport service to better cope with loss of TPDUs resulting from changes in mobile subnetwork connectivity, etc.;
c) develop proposed amendments to other ICAO documents relating to security to better reflect the requirements for the ATN security services;
d) develop enhancements to existing ATN provisions to add provisions for data confidentiality (encryption) to the ATN security services;
e) develop enhancements to existing ATN provisions to add provisions for security for Generic ATN Communication Services (GACS) and multicast users;
f) develop provisions for subnetwork dependent convergence functions (SNDCFs) within the ATN provisions for additional subnetwork types. For example, broadcast mobile subnetworks, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) ground subnetworks, etc.;
g) develop provisions for Quality of Service (QoS) management functions; and
h) provide expert advice on ATN communication services as and when required.
CONFIGURATION CONTROL BOARD (CCB)
Established: 1997
Terms of reference:
Maintain the correctness of ATN SARPs and guidance material by systematically identifying and correcting defects.
Experts sho have been nominated to lead the above-mentioned bodies of the panel as shown below:
Mr. Jean-Yves Piram (France) — Rapporteur of Working Group A
Mr. Brian Cardwell (United Kingdom) — Rapporteur of Working Group B
Mr. Stephen Van Trees (United States) — Chairman of the Configuration Control Board
