scope:

General

In order to furnish guiding principles to Administrations, the CCITT recommends the following principles for the general maintenance organization for international circuits.

Definitions relating to the various maintenance elements, each representing a set of functions, are given in Recommendations M.710 to M.725 for automatic circuits, and in Recommendations M.1012 [1], M.1013 [2], M.1014 [3] for leased and special circuits.

The size and complexity of the maintenance organization will depend on the particular case and the particular country concerned. In some instances it may be possible to carry out all sets of functions from a single location; in others only some of the functions might be combined and carried out from one location. The precise arrangement will depend on the Administration concerned, and the CCITT limits itself to defining the functions of the separate elements, leaving the manner in which the elements are grouped to be determined by the Administration.

If a country so desires and/or if it judges that the complexity of its international telecommunications so requires, the international maintenance organization can be responsible for all types of circuit for which Study Group IV makes recommendations.