The Network Inter-Operability Committee (NIOC)

Mission: The Network Inter-Operability Committee (NIOC) provides an open forum to address and resolve industry-wide issues related to installation, maintenance, management, architecture, technical interconnection, and testing guidelines for interconnected telecommunications and signaling networks to promote industry progress and network reliability, and facilitates the exchange of information concerning these topics. The NIOC mission encompasses the convergence of existing and Next Generation Network (NGN) telecommunications technologies and services.

Functional areas within the NIOC Mission include, but are not limited to:

New Technology
• Next Generation Network (NGN)
- Voice over Packet (VoP) / Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Interconnection and/or Architecture
• Wireline
• Wireless
• Short Message Service (SMS)
• Open Network Architecture (ONA)
• Security
• Signaling Operational Issues (e.g., SS7)

Management
• Emergency Communications
• Network Interaction
• Notification (Maintenance and Trouble)
• Traffic Management
• Notifications (Traffic Affecting: Network Outages and Changes)
• Mass Calling
• Trouble Management

Testing, Installation and Maintenance
• Facility Guidelines
• Installation and Maintenance Testing Guidelines
• Test Line Coordination
• Installation Guidelines
• Maintenance Guidelines
• Maintenance Windows

Purpose: The NIOC addresses issues and develops consensus resolutions which become industry agreements. These agreements may be in the form of resolutions, methods and procedures, practices, proposed changes to national databases or other documents.