For information only CCS-WG Paper No.

4/2002

TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS ADVISROY COMMITTEE

WORKING GROUP ON COMMON CONNECTION STANDARDS (CCS)

Review of Nature of Address Indicator Setting in Signalling System No. 7

七號信令系統內㆞址性質指標設定的檢討

Introduction

This paper gives an overview of the Nature of Address Indicator (NOA)

setting in Signalling System No. 7 and a review of its current network status in
Hong Kong.

Background

2. HKTA 2202 Specification1 sets out the technical requirements for

interconnection of Public Telecommunications Networks (PTNs) in Hong Kong
using Signalling System No. 7 (C7). Such requirements include, among others, an
appropriate NOA setting in the ISDN User Part (ISUP) messages of C7.

3. NOA is the information sent in association with an address indicating the

nature of that address, i.e. "international number", "national (significant) number" or
"subscriber number". NOA is embedded in various parameters — Called Party
Number, Calling Party Number, Connected Number2, Original Called Number
(OCN)3, Redirecting Number (RGN)3 and Redirection Number (RNN)3.

1
HKTA 2202: Network Connection Specification for Network-to-Network Connection of the Public
Telecommunications Networks (PTNs) in Hong Kong Based on ITU-T Signalling System No. 7
2
Connected Number contains the information sent in the backward direction to identify the connected party.
3
For further information about OCN, RGN and RNN, please refer to CCS-WG Paper No. 9/2000.

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4. Over the last two WG meetings, members discussed the appropriate setting
of NOA in OCN. It was generally agreed that the NOA setting in various
parameters, not limited to OCN, should be fully reviewed.

ISUP Message Structure

5. ISUP is one of the user parts of C7 signalling which is used to control calls
during call set-up, conversation and call clear-down phases. Calls can be
controlled by exchanging appropriate ISUP messages which contain various
signalling information. ISUP messages are composed of parameters, which are in
turn composed of indicators. There are both mandatory and optional parameters,
and their length may be fixed or variable.

6. When a call is being set up, an Initial Address Message (IAM) is generated
and sent to the succeeding exchange. IAM contains address information such as
Called Party Number, Calling Party Number, OCN and RGN, for the call to be set
up. Called Party Number contains the terminating address of the call and hence it
is a mandatory variable length parameter carried by IAM. One of the indicators in
Called Party Number is NOA, which indicates the nature of the Called Party
Number. Calling Party Number contains the identity of the caller, which may not
be available under non-C7 interworking situation, and hence it is an optional
variable length parameter. Similar to the coding of Called Party Number, Calling
Party Number contains a NOA which indicates the nature of the Calling Party
Number. For call forwarding call, OCN and RGN are present in IAM and there are
corresponding NOA indicators for such parameters. A simplified IAM structure is
shown in Figure 1.

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8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bit Number (not to

be transmitted)
(Routing Label)
(Circuit Identification Code)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Message Type Code
(Nature of Connection Indicators)
(Forward Call Indicators)
(Calling Party's Category)
(Transmission Medium Requirement)
Odd/even Nature of Address Indicator
INN ind. Numbering Plan Spare
Called Party
2nd Address Signal 1st Address Signal Number
: :
Filler (if necessary) nth Address Signal
…

Parameter Name
0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Code of Calling
Odd/even Nature of Address Indicator Party Number
INN ind. Numbering Plan Spare
Calling Party
2nd Address Signal 1st Address Signal Number
: :
Filler (if necessary) nth Address Signal
…

Figure 1 — Simplified IAM Structure

Requirements on NOA Setting in HKTA 2202 Specification

7. According to HKTA 2202 Specification, the NOA for Called Party Number
should be set to a value of "1110000", which is one of the value "reserved for
national use" according to ITU-T Recommendation Q.763. Such setting is
interpreted as "unknown" in the context of the HKTA specification4, implying that
the Called Party Number could be a "subscriber number", a "national number" or an

4
Please refer to HKTA 2202 Section II Part III, Chapter III-2 item 2.54 and Chapter III-3 item 3.7

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"international number". There is no specific requirement on the NOA setting in

Calling Party Number.

8. Given that a call can be routed by digit analysis on the Called Party
Number without the need to examine the NOA value, there has been no reported
problem so far in setting the NOA value in Called Party Number to “unknown”.

9. According to the HKTA Specification, RGN and OCN should be supported

in C7 interconnection by 1 April 20035. There is however no specific requirement
on the NOA setting in RGN and OCN.

Current Network Status

10. In order to collect more information on the current NOA setting and its
handling across the network interconnection, a questionnaire (at Annex 1) was sent
to network operators in May 2002. Thus far eight operators have provided their
inputs.

11. Based on the operators' response, the current network status is as follows:
! Most networks do not generate Connected Number.
! There is no standardised NOA setting in Calling Party Number;
“subscriber number”, “national (significant) number” or “international
number” may be generated, depending on the network.
! Most networks cannot handle a NOA setting of “unknown” for Calling
Party Number received.
! Some networks can only handle a NOA setting of “subscriber number”
for Calling Party Number in terminating calls, while some others can
only handle a setting of “national (significant) number” in such cases.
! Most networks cannot handle NOA setting differently on a per route
basis.

5
Please refer to HKTA 2202 Note 1/Q.762 and Note 1/Q.763.

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Way Forward

12. Operators' response to the concerned questionnaire will form the basis of
discussion on the appropriate NOA setting in various parameters. The industry is
invited to contribute towards the review which shall cover:
! whether the NOA setting in Called Party Number shall be maintained
as “unknown”, and
! any specific requirement on the NOA setting in Calling Party Number,
RGN and OCN.

13. Subject to the review, the revised requirement on NOA setting shall be
incorporated in the forthcoming revision of HKTA 2202 Specification.

Office of the Telecommunications Authority

July 2002

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Questionnaire on Nature of Address Indicator Setting

Operator: _________________________________

Q1. What ISUP version are you using?

A1: ______________________

Q2. How does your network handle NOA?

Note: Only signalling at the network boundary is considered.

A2: (Please fill in the table below, *Delete as appropriate)

Role of Your Network

Originating Network Originating Network

(Call pattern A) (Call pattern B)

Called Party NOA coded to _____________ NOA coded to _____________

Number

Calling Party NOA coded to _____________ NOA coded to _____________

Number

Connected NOA values can be handled: NOA values can be handled:

Number _______________________ _______________________

Original Called N/A NOA coded to _____________ /

Number Parameter not generated*

Redirecting N/A NOA coded to _____________ /

Number Parameter not generated*

Role of Your Network

Terminating Network Terminating Network

(Call pattern C) (Call pattern D)

Called Party NOA values can be handled: NOA values can be handled:
Number _______________________ _______________________

Calling Party NOA values can be handled: NOA values can be handled:
Number _______________________ _______________________

Connected NOA coded to _____________ / NOA coded to _____________ /

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Number Parameter not generated* Parameter not generated*

Original Called N/A NOA values can be handled:

Number _______________________

Redirecting N/A NOA values can be handled:

Number _______________________

Role of Your Network

Transit Network Incoming Leg (Call Transit Network Outgoing Leg

pattern E, interface 1) (Call pattern E, interface 2)

Called Party NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ passed transparently*

Calling Party NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ passed transparently*

Connected NOA coded to _____________ / NOA values can be handled:

Number passed transparently* _______________________

Original Called NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ passed transparently*

Redirecting NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ passed transparently*

Role of Your Network

Transit Network Incoming Leg Transit Network Outgoing Leg

(Call pattern F, interface 1) (Call pattern F, interface 2)

Called Party NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________

Number _______________________

Calling Party NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ passed transparently*

Connected NOA coded to _____________ / NOA values can be handled:

Number passed transparently* _______________________

Original Called NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ passed transparently / Parameter not
generated*

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Redirecting NOA values can be handled: NOA coded to _____________ /

Number _______________________ Parameter not generated*

Q3. Can NOA be handled differently on per route basis?

A3: Yes / No (Please delete as appropriate)

Q4. If answer to Q3 is yes, how can NOA be handled?

A4: Discard / Coded to a specific value (please specified ____________) / Others, please
specified ______________________ (Please delete as appropriate)

NOA Value (based on Blue Book ISUP):

0 Spare
1 Subscriber number
2 Spare, reserved for national use
3 National (significant) number
4 International number
70H Unknown

Call Patterns:

Call pattern A

Your Other
Network Network
Call Setup direction
----->

Calling
subscriber

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Call pattern B

Your Other
Network Network
Call Setup direction
----->

Call
forwading
subscriber Calling
subscriber

Call pattern C

Other Your
Network Network
Call Setup direction
----->

Calling
subscriber

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Call pattern D

Other Your
Network Network
Call Setup direction
----->

Call
forwading
subscriber Calling
subscriber

Call pattern E

Interface 1 Other
Network
<----
Call Setup direction
Your Interface 2
Network

----> Other
Call Setup direction Network

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Call pattern F

Interface 1 Other
Network
<----
Call Setup direction
Your Interface 2
Network

----> Other
Call Setup direction Network
Call
forwading
subscriber

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