THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To promulgate together with this Decision the "Regulation on elaboration, promulgation and announcement of the postal service�s standards".

Article 2.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing.

Article 3.- The director of the Office, the chief inspector, the directors of the Departments for Science, Technology and International Cooperation; Postal Policies; Planning and Economy; and Organization and Personnel; the heads of units under the General Department of Post and Telecommunications and the postal services - telecommunications enterprises shall have to implement this Decision.

For the General Director of
Post and Telecommunications
Deputy General Director
TRAN DUC LAI

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.- This Regulation defines the basic principles for the elaboration and promulgation of the Branch Standards and stipulate the announcement of the standards for compulsory application within the postal service.

Article 2.- The units attached to the General Department of Post and Telecommunications, the postal services - telecommunications enterprises, organizations involving in activities related to the postal service and telecommunication field, customers using the postal and telecommunication services and other subjects involved in the elaboration of the Branch Standards must abide by the requirements in this Regulation.

Article 3.- In this Regulation, a number of concepts shall be understood as follows:

1. Standards mean documents established by way of agreement, which are approved by a recognized organization with a view to providing rules, instructions or characteristics for operations or operation results for common and repeated use in order to achieve the optimum order within a certain context.

2. Procedures mean documents guiding the practices or procedures for designing, producing, installing or using equipment, works or products.

3. The Branch Standards mean the standards and procedures promulgated by the General Department of Post and Telecommunications for compulsory application.

4. Acceptance of international standards as Branch Standards means the promulgation of a branch standard based on a corresponding international standard or the acceptance of the effect of international standards as Branch Standards accompanied with the clear inscription of all changes.

5. Equivalent standards mean standards which are used for the same subject but issued by different standardization agencies in order to establish the interchangeability of products, processes and services. The equivalent standards may see alterations in form and content at permitted levels.

The permitted alterations in form are those which do not change the contents, such as notes, supplementary guiding information, and those which do not change the structure and the method of numbering of clauses.

The permitted alterations in content mean those which do not make any accepted clause of international standards unacceptable in the Branch Standards and vice versa.

6. Drafting sections mean units and/or individuals that are assigned the task of drafting the Branch Standards to be submitted to the General Department of Post and Telecommunications for decision on the promulgation thereof.

1. The Branch Standards are elaborated by the following methods:

- The method of self-study and elaboration;

- The method of revision and amendment;

- The method of accepting the application of international standards.

2. The elaboration of the Branch Standards by the above methods must comply with the procedural requirements prescribed in Chapter III of this Regulation.

3. The elaboration of the Branch Standards by method of accepting the application of international standards must, apart from the procedural requirements prescribed in Chapter III, additionally comply with the two following requirements:

- The written explanation for the standard elaboration must contain the analysis of possibility of application of international standards in Vietnam, bases for selection of international standards and bases for selection of the method of acceptance.

- Comments gathered in the process of publication for comments must clearly state the trustworthiness, the equivalence of translation, the rationality of alterations in forms and contents.

4. The General Department of Post and Telecommunications encourages the elaboration and promulgation of Branch Standards simultaneously in both Vietnamese and English.

5. The competent management bodies may permit the simplification of procedures for standard elaboration by method of accepting international standards when deeming that there are not any changes or permitted changes in contents.

1. In case of necessity, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall decide to announce that the Vietnamese standards, other branches� standards, foreign standards and international standards are compulsorily applied in the postal service.

2. The decision on compulsory application may contain notes on the altered contents and may not be enclosed with the specific contents of standards.

1. The Branch Standards include requirements of different types, aiming to perform the General Department of Post and Telecommunications� s task of State management over the quality of postal and telecommunications supplies, equipment, networks and services as well as radio frequencies:

a) Requirements on network and service quality;

b) Requirements relating to capability of joint operation among operators;

c) Requirements on safety (electricity, radiation, etc.), the extent of electromagnetic interference, the normal operation capabilities of supplies, equipment, networks and services;

d) Other requirements stipulated by the General Department of Post and Telecommunications according to the management requirements in each period.

The scope of requirements for a number of specific standardized objects is stipulated in Appendixes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The General Department of Post and Telecommunications prescribes other specific requirements depending on each type of supplies, equipment, network and service as well as the management requirements in each period.

2. Requirements of other types (detailed requirements for design, manufacture, selection, operation and maintenance of equipment, etc.) which fall under the scope of base standards shall be elaborated by postal service - telecommunications enterprises under the Ordinance on goods quality. Requirements of these types may also be included in the reference appendixes to the Branch Standards, if it is deemed necessary.

The base standards must not contradict the Branch Standards.

Chapter II

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ON BRANCH STANDARDS

Article 7.- The Branch Standards include a minimum number of technical requirements in direct service of the objectives of State management by the General Department of Post and Telecommunications in the field of postal service and telecommunications and are quantified at the minimum level.

Article 8.- The Branch Standards must be built according to the principle of least dependence on a specific technology with a view to creating favorable conditions for technological creation and renovation. In cases where selection is a must, the selected technologies must be those which have been or have a great potential for being widely accepted on the market in order to ensure the initiative for enterprises and users in the selection of equipment and services.

Article 9.- The newly elaborated Branch Standards must ensure the following principles:

- The Branch Standards system is not contradictory and coincident in technical requirements;

- The technical requirements in the Branch Standards can be measured, inspected and evaluated objectively;

- The technical requirements in the Branch Standards must be expressed accurately, concisely and mono-semantically;

- The technical requirements on quantification in the Branch Standards must be demonstrated in form of limited values or appellation value together with permitted tolerable values.

Chapter III

PROCEDURES FOR ELABORATION OF BRANCH STANDARDS

Article 10.- On the basis of assorted requirements prescribed in Article 6, the subjects defined in Article 2 may propose the Branch Standards to be elaborated according to form prescribed in Appendix 6.

Article 11.- All proposals on the to be elaborated Branch Standards must express the necessity and feasibility, including:

- The name of the Draft Standards and the elaboration objectives;

- Content, scope of application and scope of regulation;

- Relevant technical documents.

Article 12.- The explanation of the purpose of elaboration of the Branch Standards must clearly state:

- The nature and scale of the matter which should be technically managed by the State;

- The evaluation of the State management requirement and extent;

- The specific targets of the State management.

Article 13.- The drawing up of plan for elaboration of Branch Standards shall cover the determination of the detailed contents and work volume to be completed, the requirements on time, human and financial resources.

The plan on elaboration of Branch Standards must be approved by the General Department of Post and Telecommunications.

1. The compilation of Branch Standards must focus on a number of the following key steps:

- Studying, summing up the typical technical requirements;

- Studying, selecting essential technical requirements based on the State management targets;

- Comparing them with the reality of Vietnam�s postal service and telecommunications networks;

- Comparing them with the existing Branch Standards, currently effective regulations of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications and relevant legal documents of the State.

2. In the course of compiling the technical requirements, it is allowed to refer to currently effective Branch Standards and standards already announced by the General Department of Post and Telecommunications for compulsory application within the postal service.

The result of the compilation stage shall be the Draft Branch Standards.

Article 15.- The Draft Branch Standards must be sent to subjects relating to the application of standards twice for their comments.

Within 15 working days as from the date of receiving the Draft Branch Standards, the consulted units and individuals have the responsibility to send their official written replies to the consulting units.

Within 7 working days from the end of the above-mentioned time limit, if the consulted units and individuals fail to send their official written replies, they are considered as having agreed with the contents of the Draft Branch Standards.

Article 16.- The dossiers sent together with the Draft Branch Standards for comments must include the following documents:

- The draft standards;

- The explanation of the draft standards. The requirements on the explanation of the draft standards are specified in Appendix 7;

- The plan for elaboration of standards;

- The international standards in cases where the standards are elaborated by method of accepting the application of international standards;

- Relevant sections of the international and/or foreign standards and referred technical documents in the written explanation of the standards;

- Comment cards. The comment card form is specified in Appendix 8.

Article 17.- Apart from the contents prescribed in Article 16, the dossiers on the draft standards for the Pre-Acceptance Test Councils of all levels to decide on necessary amendments must also additionally include:

- Contributed comments;

- Explanation on the acceptance of comments, amendments and supplements already made to the draft standards.

1. On the basis of the dossiers on the draft standards, the Pre-Acceptance Test Councils of all levels shall decide on the specific necessary amendments and supplements on the principle of consensus. The form of draft standard evaluation and the form of minutes of meetings of the evaluation councils are specified in Appendixes 9 and 10.

2. For the technical requirements which have not been approved according to the principle of consensus by the Pre-acceptance Test Councils of all levels, the management bodies at all levels shall organize the search for solutions and decide on necessary amendments and supplements.

Article 19.- Apart from the contents prescribed in Article 17, the draft standard dossiers to be submitted to the competent management bodies must also additionally include the written explanation of the acceptance of comments as well as amendments and supplements already made to the draft standards according to the conclusions of the Pre-Acceptance Test Councils and competent management bodies.

Article 20.- The dossiers of approval of the promulgation of the Draft Standards must include:

- The brief report of the Department for Science, Technology and International Cooperation on the process of elaborating the standards, the results of evaluation by the Pre-Acceptance Test Council of the branch level, the proposal of the Department for Science, Technology and International Cooperation on promulgation;

- The record on acceptance of the Draft Standards made by the branch-level Pre-Acceptance Test Council;

- The draft Branch Standards.

Chapter VI

ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

Article 21.- The General Department of Post and Telecommunications encourages the elaboration of Branch Standards by method of accepting the application of international standards.

Article 22.- The international standards selected for use as basis for the elaboration of the Branch Standards must satisfy the following criteria:

- Not being contrary to the currently effective regulations of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications;

- Being compatible to the management objectives set by the General Department of Post and Telecommunications.

Article 23.- The General Department of Post and Telecommunications encourages the selection of international standards accepted by many nations with compulsory application effect and the international standards for global (regional) telecommunications networks which Vietnam has joined.

Article 24.- When the Branch Standards are elaborated on the basis of accepting the application of equivalent international standards, the contents of the international standards shall be converted into the contents of the Branch Standards according to one of the following five forms:

- The form of translation;

- The form of inclusion or reference;

- The form of redrafting;

- The form of complete reprint;

- The form of cover-sheet.

The above-mentioned forms of accepting the application of international standards are specified in Articles 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 below.

1. The form of translation is the form of accepting the application, in which the international standards are fully translated into Vietnamese, enclosed with permitted changes in forms and contents, if necessary. These changes must be added immediately to the end of changed articles.

2. The fully translated standards shall be promulgated with the cover-sheet of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications, the Preface of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications, and enclosed with the promulgation decision of the General Director of Post and Telecommunications.

3. In case of bilingual (English and Vietnamese) promulgation, there must be the announcement on the legal value of the original or the translation if there arise doubts or disputes due to the way of translation; where there is no such announcement, the two versions shall have equal legal value.

4. The mono-lingual copy must indicate the language of the original.

5. The mono-lingual and the bi-lingual copies must contain notes clearly stating the changes in edition or techniques. These changes must be added immediately to the end of relevant articles and must be clearly indicated with marks "*" by the margins of such articles or be pointed out in the preface.

6. The extent of equivalence of standards depends on the nature and contents of supplemented notes and must be clearly inscribed in the preface.

1. The form of inclusion or reference is the form of accepting the application, in which the Branch Standards are fully copied or referred from the international standards with the same field of application. In the form of inclusion or reference, the international standards shall be promulgated in form of a section of the Branch Standards.

2. If the Branch Standards are fully copied or referred from the international standards with the same field of application but dwell on other objects not yet included in the international standards, such international standards are considered the acceptance for full application.

3. If the Branch Standards are fully copied or referred from the international standards with the same field of application but add some other requirements of the same standardized objects, such international standards are considered the acceptance for full application.

4. If a branch standard is referred to international standard with the wider scope of application, such international standard must not be considered the acceptance for full application.

1. The form of redrafting is the form of acceptance for application, but with redrafting, in which the amended articles shall be clearly inscribed.

2. The redrafted international standards shall be presented according to the regulations of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications.

1. The form of complete reprint is the form of acceptance for application, in which the principal contents of the international standards are completely reprinted (whether or not enclosed with the translation).

2. When the international standards are completely reprinted into the Branch Standards, such standards shall be promulgated with the cover-sheet and preface of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications and enclosed with the promulgation decision of the General Director of Post and Telecommunications.

3. The notes and guiding information for each specific article, if any, must be included right in the relevant articles.

1. The form of cover-sheet is the form of acceptance for application, in which the international standards are fully attached to the cover-sheet of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications and the promulgation decision of the General Director of Post and Telecommunications.

2. The decisions on the acceptance of the application of international standards, the notes, and the guiding information, if any, must be included right in the cover sheet.

Chapter V

ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 30.- The Department for Science, Technology and International Cooperation of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall have to guide, organize and supervise the activities of elaborating, promulgating and announcing the standards in the postal services according to this Regulation.

Article 31.- All units under the General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall have to participate in activities of elaborating the Branch Standards within the scope of their functions and assigned tasks.

Article 32.- The Branch Standards drafting section shall have the responsibility to:

- Study the elaboration of the draft standards;

- Organize the gathering of comments on the draft standards;

- Prepare dossiers to be sent together with the draft for comments;

- Organize meetings in order to reach consensus on the draft, if necessary;

- Prepare dossiers on the draft standards for submission to the Pre-Acceptance Test Councils of all levels;

- Prepare dossiers on the elaboration of standards for submission to the competent management body.

Article 33.- In cases of necessity, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications may request the postal service - telecommunications enterprises to make the draft of standards and it them to the General Department of Post and Telecommunications for consideration and promulgation.

Chapter VI

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 34.- This Regulation takes effect 15 days after its signing. All previous regulations contrary to this document are now annulled.

Article 35.- Any problems arise in the course of implementation shall be reported to the General Department of Post and Telecommunications for timely consideration, amendments or supplements.

For the General Director of
Post and Telecommunications
Deputy General Director
TRAN DUC LAI

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ON BRANCH STANDARDS FOR THE SUBSCRIBED TERMINAL EQUIPMENT AND WIRELESS EQUIPMENT

1. Scope of technical requirements and State management objectives regarding the subscribed terminal equipment and wireless equipment

1.1. Technical requirements to ensure safety and health for users and operators� personnel

The Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy (directly or in reference to appropriate Branch Standards) the electric safety requirements and other safety requirements such as acoustic shock safety, mechanical safety (durability in usage, without sharp edges), human protection against electromagnetic radiation (through heat and non-heat effect of radiation without ionization effect) and safety against laser radiation in order to ensure safety and health for users and operators� personnel.

1.2. Technical requirements to ensure electromagnetic compatibility

The Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy (directly or in reference to appropriate Branch Standards) the electromagnetic compatibility requirements in order to ensure that the equipment has proper capability to combat interference and that the radiation shall not cause interference to (not affect) the public telecommunications networks and other electronic equipment.

1.3. Technical requirements to protect networks against harmful effects

The Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy (directly or in reference to appropriate Branch Standards) requirements aiming to ensure that the equipment shall not cause harm to the operation of networks and that the network resources must not be used wrongly to the extent of causing unacceptable quality deterioration.

1.4. Technical requirements to ensure efficient use of radio frequency spectra

The Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy (directly or in reference to appropriate Branch Standards) the requirements in order to ensure that radio equipment efficiently use the radio frequency spectra allocated to earth/satellite communications as well as the orbital resources to avoid harmful interference among the communications systems based in space or on earth as well as other technical systems.

1.5. Technical requirements to ensure simultaneous operation with networks

The Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy (directly or in reference to appropriate Branch Standards) the requirements in order to ensure that the equipment can perform the basic function of call control (establishing, changing, charging, maintaining and canceling virtual or real connections) when making hook-ups to networks for the performance of information transmission services between two network terminals where users can access to.

1.6. Technical requirements to ensure the use compatibility in cases of the general services (fixed, mobile GSM phones).

The Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy (directly or in reference to appropriate Branch Standards) the requirements in order to ensure the compatibility in using end terminals between identical systems providing fixed phone and GMS mobile phone services.

1.7. Technical requirements to ensure a number of special management objectives

In a number of special cases, the Branch Standards for equipment must satisfy a number of particular requirements in order to:

- Protect personal data and privacy of users;

- Ensure the capacity to provide some properties aiming to prevent frauds;

- Ensure the capacity to provide some properties with a view to ensuring the access to urgent services;

- Ensure the capacity to provide some properties with a view to supporting disabled users.

2. Technical requirements related to measurement and inspection

2.1. Measurement and inspection methods

The measurement and inspection methods must be clearly defined and compatible to the purpose of equipment compatibility certification. The measurement and inspection methods must be objective, which yield accurate and repeated results in order to ensure that the measuring methods under the determined conditions are comparable.

2.2. Measurement and inspection process

The Branch Standards must define the measurement and inspection process if such process can affect the measurement and inspection results. The measurement and inspection process can refer to international measurement and inspection standards.

2.3. Taking samples for measurement and inspection

Where it is necessary to take a number of samples in order to determine the compatibility with specific technical requirements, the Branch Standards must stipulate the required number of samples.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ON BRANCH STANDARDS FOR THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

1. Concept

The Branch Standards on telecommunications network quality are legal documents technically prescribing a number of the requirements on the network�s capacity to carry information from subscribers to subscribers in a prompt, truthful and complete manner to the requested addresses.

2. General quality parameters

The network�s capacity is evaluated on the basis of three basic functions, namely the access establishment, information transmission and access release according to three quality criteria being speed, accuracy and reliability, which shall be construed as follows:

- Speed: Speed is the quality criterion reflecting the use duration for performing a function or the speed to perform a function.

- Accuracy: Accuracy is the quality criterion reflecting the exactness of a performed function.

- Reliability: Reliability is the quality criterion reflecting the sureness of performing a function within a prescribed period of time without taking into account the speed and the accuracy.

Nine corresponding quality parameters are:

- The access establishment speed, the information transmission speed, the access release speed.

- The access establishment accuracy, the information transmission accuracy, the access release accuracy.

- The access establishment reliability, the information transmission reliability, the access release reliability.

3. Scope of technical requirements

3.1. The General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall manage the network quality on the basis of nine general quality parameters. The General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall concretize the assorted general quality parameters into technical requirements on the particular quality for each type of network.

3.2. Each type of quality parameter must be concretized into at least one technical requirement on network quality.

3.3. The frame regulations on technical requirements on channel switch network quality and package switch network quality in accordance with Recommendation I.350 of the International Telecommunications Union- ITU-T.

3.4. Principle on selecting a concrete quality requirement

A concrete quality requirement in the Branch Standards must satisfy some following requirements:

- It relates to events or states observable at the interface of connection elements;

- It can be measured and inspected at the interface of connection elements. The determination thereof shall not depend on the inherent characteristics of network (part of network) and not depend on the assumptions of causes of damage or quality deterioration unbservable at interfaces.

3.5. Principle for determining the extent of requirements

The network quality requirements must harmoniously combine the economic interests of postal service and telecommunications enterprises with the society�s satisfaction with the quality of the telecommunication services provided on such networks.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ON THE BRANCH STANDARDS FOR NETWORK CONNECTION

1. The principle on elaboration of standards for network connection and technical requirement selection

The elaboration of standards for network hook-up and technical requirement selection must ensure the following management objectives:

1.1. Ensuring the equal right to connection (without discrimination).

1.2. Having details to ensure that inter-connected telecommunications networks can provide basic services.

1.3. Being technically and economically feasible.

1.4. Being open to allow and boost the development of provision of new services on inter-connected telecommunications networks.

2. Connection points

A connection point is a physic point where two telecommunications networks are inter-connected so that calls may be switched from one network to another.

3. Connection lines

A connection line is a line that establishes one or many transmission routes through connection points and connect two telecommunications networks together.

4. Network terminal connection points

Network terminal connection points are physical connection points with necessary technical characteristics, through which access to networks can be made and communications can be carried out efficiently through networks. When a telecommunications network is connected to another telecommunications network, the two-network-connecting points, where calls are transferred from one telecommunications network to another, are considered network terminal connection points.

5. Network connection interface

A network connection interface is a collection of technical and procedural parameters, which, at the network terminal connection points, are used to hook up telecommunications networks with one another, and necessary for joint-operation and joint-provision of services to customers of networks.

6. Technical standards for telecommunications network connection

Technical standards for telecommunications network connection are technical documents which set forth technical requirements on network connection interface, network synchronism quality requirements and connection line quality requirements.

7. Network connection interface standards

The network connection interface standards are technical documents which set forth technical requirements on network connection interfaces with a view to ensuring the capability to jointly operate and to jointly provide services to customers of the connected networks.

8. Network connection interfaces

The General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall manage the following connection interfaces classified according to the nature of interface technical parameters:

- Physio-electric interface;

- Transmission interface;

- Signaling interface.

9. Scope of physio-electric interface standards

The physio-electric interface standards include essential electric and physic requirements on number-distributing interfaces used for network connection. Priority shall be given to accepting appropriate technical requirements in Recommendations G.703 and G.958 of the International Telecommunications Union.

10. Scope of transmission interface standards

The transmission interface standards include essential requirements on copper frame structure, requirements on procedures for frame synchronism and procedures for checking the round surplus. Priority shall be given to accepting appropriate technical requirements in such Recommendations as G.704 and G.706 of the International Telecommunications Union.

11. Scope of signaling interface standards

The signaling interface standards include essential signaling procedures to establish calls.

12. Scope of network synchronism quality standards

The network synchronism quality standards include appropriate requirements on synchronous signals in various synchronous regimes and modes aiming to minimize the cascading timing. Priority shall be given to accepting appropriate technical requirements in such Recommendations as G.811. G.812 and G.822 of the International Telecommunications Union.

13. Scope of connection line quality standards

The connection line quality standards include number transmission quality requirements. Priority shall be given to accepting appropriate technical requirements in such Motions as G.821, G.823 and G.826 of the International Telecommunications Union.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ON BRANCH STANDARDS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE QUALITY

1. Concept of Branch Standards on telecommunications service quality

The Branch Standards on telecommunications service quality are legal documents technically prescribing a number of requirements on the postal service - telecommunications enterprises� capabilities to provide and support the use of services as well as a number of requirements on the capability of the services themselves to provide prompt, truthful and complete communications at users� requests.

The services� capability means the capability that services are provided to users within the prescribed limits and pre-set conditions throughout the time of request by users.

2. The capability to provide and support the use of services

Providing and supporting the use of services cover activities of selling goods, providing, changing, ceasing and restoring services, charging and making invoices, managing networks and services performed by customers.

The capability to provide and support services is construed as follows:

- The goods selling capability means the capability to carry out all appropriate activities from the time the contact is established between the postal service - telecommunications enterprises and customers to the time the service provision contracts are signed;

- The service-providing capability means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to the service provision from the time the service provision contracts take effect to the time the customers can use the services;

- The capability to change services at customers� request means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to the change of services from the time the customers request the service change to the time the changes satisfy the customers� requests;

- The capability to support services means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to service support in order to enable customers to use the services;

- The repair capability means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to the restoration of services for customers after the break-down appears, which leads to the partial or complete loss of services;

- The capability to cease services means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to the cessation of services from the time the customers so request till the time such cessation satisfies the customers� requests;

- The capability to calculate charges and make invoices means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to the calculation of charges and the making of invoices for services provided to customers;

- Exercising the management of networks and services by customers means the capability to carry out activities closely linked to pre-determined changes in services or network structures at customers� requests.

The capability to provide and support services is evaluated according to three quality criteria: the speed, accuracy and reliability, which are understood as follows:

- Speed: The speed means a quality criterion reflecting the use duration for performing an activity of providing support for services or the speed of performing an activity of providing support for service;

- Accuracy: The accuracy means a quality criterion reflecting the exactness with which an activity of providing support for service is performed;

- Reliability: The reliability means the quality criterion reflecting the sureness of the performance of an activity of providing support for services within a prescribed period of time without taking into account the speed and the accuracy.

3. Types of parameters for the quality of provided services

The capability of services or the technical quality of services is evaluated through types of quality parameters prescribed in Section 2, Appendix 2.

4. Scope of technical requirements

4.1. The General Department of Post and Telecommunications shall manage the service quality on the basis of the requirements on the capability to provide service support and nine types of quality parameters.

4.2. The requirements on the capability to provide and support services shall include at least but not within the following requirements:

- Requirement on average time for service provision;

- Requirement on time for service restoration;

- Requirement on time for service cessation;

- Requirement on wrong-invoicing probability;

- Requirement on probability for wrong calculation of charges.

4.3. Each type of service quality parameter must be concretized into a service quality requirement.

4.4. The allround frame for service quality standards (including all requirements on capability to provide service support) is prescribed in Table 3 (not printed).

4.5. The requirements on service capability is prescribed in Table 4 (not printed).

4.6. The application of Table 3 and Table 4 depends on each specific type of service, the customers� sensibility to each requirement in case of a specific service.

4.7. For the quality requirements listed in Table 3 and Table 4, which have not yet been specified in the Branch Standards, they must be included right in the list of service quality requirements which the postal service - telecommunications enterprises themselves shall have to monitor and report to the General Department of Post and Telecommunications when requested.

5. The principle on selection of service quality requirements

Each specific service quality requirement in the Branch Standards must satisfy some following requirements:

- It relates to the effect felt by the customers, not depending on the assumptions on the causes of damage or quality deterioration, which cannot be observed at the service access points;

- It does not depend on the structure and internal organization of the network when determining the quantitative values;

- It can be evaluated objectively at service access points;

6. The principle on determination of requirement extent

The service quality must be at levels acceptable to the society under certain socio-economic conditions, which is demonstrated through the extent of customers� satisfaction.

CONCRETE REQUIREMENTS ON THE BRANCH STANDARDS FOR POSTAL
SERVICE QUALITY

1. The concept of Branch Standards for postal service quality

The Branch Standards for postal service quality are legal documents technically prescribing a number of requirements on the postal service - telecommunications enterprises� capability to provide and support the use of services as well as on the capability of the services themselves, enabling the customers to send and receive commodity objects and information in a prompt, truthful and complete manner between two locations at the customers� requests.

The services� capability means the capability with which the services are provided for customers within prescribed time limits and under the pre-set conditions, when so requested by users.

2. Requirements on capability to provide and support the use of services

The Branch Standards on postal service quality must satisfy the requirements on the capability to provide and support services, including:

- Requirement on capability to access and use services;

- Requirement on extent of customers� satisfaction;

- Requirement on legal liability and settlement of compensation, complaints.

3. Requirements on capability of provided services

The Branch Standards on postal service quality must satisfy the requirements on the quality of provided services, including:

- Speed: The speed means a quality criterion reflecting the time span used for performing the service provision;

- Reliability: The reliability means the quality criterion reflecting the sureness of the performance of a function within a prescribed duration without taking into account the speed and safety;

- Safety degree: The safety degree means the quality criterion reflecting the degree of wholeness of commodity objects and information at places of reception.

4. The principle for selection of service quality requirements

A service quality requirement specified in the Branch Standards must satisfy some following requirements:

- It relates to the effects felt by customers;

- It does not depend on the structure and internal organization of the networks when determining the quantitative values.

5. The principle for determining the requirement extent

The service quality must be at levels acceptable to the society under certain socio-economic conditions, which is demonstrated through the extent of customers� satisfaction.

REQUIREMENTS ON THE WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF THE DRAFT STANDARDS

1. Concept: The explanation of the draft standards is the explaining document which aims to create conditions for subjects involved in the process of evaluating the draft standards to make accurate remarks on the standard contents, the purpose, practical significance, feasibility of standards, on which the management bodies shall make correct decisions on the promulgation and application of the standards.

2. The written explanation contains the following principal contents:

2.1. Standard appellation

2.2. Introduction: Summarizing the characteristics, situation of standardized objects inside and outside the country, the reasons for and purposes of elaborating the standards.

2.3. Grounds for elaboration of technical requirements: Synthesizing, analyzing technical documents, research results,�, which serve as bases for compiling each technical requirement.

2.4. Explanation of standard contents: Summarizing principal contents of the standards, highlighting the cohesion of specific technical requirements to the management objectives of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications as put forth in this Regulation; clearly presenting the amendments and supplements against the corresponding international (regional) technical requirements and the grounds therefor.

2.5. The interrelationship to the Branch Standards System: Clearly pointing to the inter-relationship of the draft standards to the current Branch Standards, relevant current legal documents.-