MANAGING A BROAD-BAND ENVIRONMENT - YOU CANT BUCK THE MARKET

Demand for bandwidth seems unstoppable, and investment in network infr astructure is massive. There is a desire, indeed a competitive mandate , that network operators be able to manage these networks in an effici ent manner, with flexibility to support new customer service opportuni ties faster and cheaper. Network operators are looking to standards to help them meet this challenge. The telecommunications management netw ork (TMN) model, so effective in describing how management information must support needs at the element, network, and service levels, provi des a good starting point. However, if the supporting standards are no t developed and used wisely, a TMN approach can have the opposite effe ct of adding cost and removing flexibility. Technology-specific ''stov epipes'' may make it impossible to manage services across a range of t echnologies. In this article, the authors express their views on the n eed for a service-driven approach to standards implementation. They po int out specific challenges operators will face as they approach their management systems' needs for broadband services, and encourage servi ce providers and network operators to take a more proactive role in de fining their needs.