Table Of Contenti
Growing Vulnerability
of the Public Switched
Networks: Implications
for National Security
Emergency
Preparedness
A Report Prepared by the
Committee on Review of Switching, Synchronization and
Network Control in National Security Telecommunications
Board on Telecommunications and Computer Applications
Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems
National Research Council
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.1989
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ii
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the
National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy
of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of
the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard
for appropriate balance.
This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures
approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sci-
ences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distin-
guished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of
science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter
granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the fed-
eral government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Frank Press is president of the National
Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the
National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous
in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sci-
ences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering
also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and
research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M.White is president of
the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to
secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy mat-
ters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the
National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal govern-
ment and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr.
Samuel O.Thier is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to
associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of further-
ing knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general poli-
cies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the
National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to
the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is adminis-
tered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Frank Press and Dr. Robert
M.White are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
The project is supported by Contract No. DCA100–87–C–0069 between the National Commu-
nications System and the National Academy of Sciences.
Available from:
Board on Telecommunications and Computer Applications
Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems
National Research Council
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20418
Printed in the United States of America
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iii
COMMITTEE ON REVIEW OF SWITCHING,
SYNCHRONIZATION AND NETWORK CONTROL IN
NATIONAL SECURITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS
JOHN C.McDONALD, Chairman, CONTEL Corporation,
PAUL BARAN, METRICOM
FLOYD BECKER, University of Colorado
CULLEN M.CRAIN, The Rand Corporation
HOWARD FRANK, Network Management Inc.
LEWIS E.FRANKS, University of Massachusetts
PAUL E.GREEN, JR., International Business Machines Corporation
ERIK K.GRIMMELMANN, AT&T Bell Laboratories
E.FLETCHER HASELTON, Teknekron Infoswitch Corporation
AMOS E.JOEL, JR., Executive Consultant
DONALD KUYPER, GTE Operating Group*
RICHARD B.MARSTEN, VITRO Corporation
DAVID L.MILLS, University of Delaware
LEE M.PASCHALL, American Satellite Company (retired)
CASIMIR S.SKRZYPCZAK, NYNEX Corporation
Senior Adviser
JOHN C.WOHLSTETTER, CONTEL Corporation
Staff
WAYNE G.KAY, Study Director
KAREN LAUGHLIN, Administrative Coordinator**
LOIS A.LEAK, Administrative Assistant
*Resigned August 1988.
**Until July 1988.
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iv
BOARD ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND COMPUTER
APPLICATIONS
CHARLES W.STEPHENS, Chairman, TRW Electronics & Defense Sector
(Retired)
JORDAN J.BARUCH, Jordan Baruch Associates, Incorporated
DANIEL BELL, Harvard University
HERBERT D.BENINGTON, UNISYS Defense Systems
CARL J.CONTI, International Business Machines Corporation
DAVID J.FARBER, University of Pennsylvania
JAMES L.FLANAGAN, AT&T Bell Laboratories
ROBERT Y.HUANG, TRW Space Technology Group (Retired)
JOHN C.McDONALD, CONTEL Corporation
WILLIAM F.MILLER, SRI International
ALAN J.PERLIS, Yale University
HENRY M.RIVERA, Dow, Lohnes and Albertson
ERIC E.SUMNER, AT&T Bell Laboratories
GEORGE L.TURIN, University of California at Berkeley
KEITH W.UNCAPHER, Corporation for National Research Initiatives and
University of Southern California
ANDREW J.VITERBI, Qualcomm, Incorporated and University of California
at San Diego
WILLIS H.WARE, The RAND Corporation
Staff
JOHN M.RICHARDSON, Director*
RICHARD B.MARSTEN, Director**
ANTHONY M.FORTE, Senior Staff Officer
BENJAMIN J.LEON, Senior Staff Officer
BERNARD J.BENNINGTON, Visiting Fellow
CARLITA M.PERRY, Administrative Associate
KAREN LAUGHLIN, Administrative Coordinator
LOIS A.LEAK, Administrative Assistant
LINDA JOYNER, Administrative Secretary
*Director from January 1988.
**Director until January 1988.
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PREFACE v
Preface
This report concludes a multifaceted study conducted by the National
Research Council's (NRC) Committee on Review of Switching,
Synchronization and Network Control in National Security
Telecommunications. The committee, established at the request of the Manager,
National Communications System (NCS), had its first meeting in November
1986. Phase I of the committee's work involved evaluating the NCS Nationwide
Emergency Telecommunications Service (NETS), which is one of three
programs to improve survivability in national security emergency preparedness
(NSEP) telecommunications capabilities mandated by presidential order in
National Security Decision Directive NSDD-97. NETS, the largest in scope of
the programs, is intended to provide survivable switched voice and data
communications. The committee worked on an accelerated schedule during this
phase, holding meetings every month. They concluded their work with a formal
briefing to the NCS Manager and his staff in April 1987. The committee's
interim report, Nationwide Emergency Telecommunications Service for
National Security Telecommunications, was published in August 1987 and
fulfilled Task 1 of the NCS study requirements.
The committee reconvened in September 1987 to address the remaining
tasks of reviewing and assessing synchronization, switching, and network
control of the public switched network (PSN). The committee found that
existing synchronization capabilities are likely
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PREFACE vi
to be adequate to support NSEP telecommunications. An in-depth discussion of
Issues in Digital Network Time and Frequency Synchronization is included in
this report as Appendix B and fulfills Task 2 of the NCS study requirements.
For Task 3 the committee was to review the inventory of switching installations
for survivability of switching and control functions after nuclear attack,
considering redundancy and alternative connectivity (see Appendix A for the
complete Task 3 statement). However, for this task it was implicitly necessary
to look to the future evolution of the network rather than merely to examine the
current status. The future network is likely to be different from that of today
because of changes in regulation, technology, competition, and customer
demand. Accordingly, with the concurrence of the Deputy Manager of NCS,
this report considers how the network may evolve by the year 2000, the drivers
influencing its architecture and topology, and the vulnerabilities it may have.
The committee considered the implications of two opposing trends in
network development: (1) a trend, driven by competition, toward the provision
of many networks and (2) a trend, driven by economic forces, toward
decreasing interoperability and restorability in emergencies.
The intended audience for this report is the NCS Manager and those who
provide oversight to him. They include policy-level officials of the Office of the
Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, the Office of Science and
Technology Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Congress.
The report is also addressed to the providers of public and private
telecommunications facilities, to the extent that NSEP telecommunications
ultimately depends on their systems.
The committee appreciates the strong support and personal involvement of
the NCS staff, especially Benham E.Morriss, Deputy Manager. We are also
grateful to all who provided information and insights as to where the networks
are likely to be in the year 2000. These estimates were highly valuable in
helping the committee understand network trends and their NSEP implications.
The committee was ably supported by the NRC staff and the Director of
the Board on Telecommunications and Computer Applications, Dr. John
M.Richardson. In particular the committee thanks Wayne G.Kay, Consultant
and Study Director, for his personal and professional commitment of excellence
to the task. We also praise Karen Laughlin, of the staff, for her outstanding
administrative effectiveness on our behalf. We also thank Lois A.Leak and Linda
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PREFACE vii
Joyner, also of the staff, for their invaluable assistance. In addition, I want
personally to thank my assistant, John Wohlstetter, for his able contributions.
Finally, my personal thanks to each member of the committee for his time,
perseverance, and dedication to this important study.
John C.McDonald
Chairman
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PREFACE viii
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CONTENTS ix
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
The Emerging Problem 1
Recommendations 2
1 INTRODUCTION 9
Current Programs 10
The Committee's Approach 10
Some Conclusions 11
Structure of the Report 14
References 15
2 NATIONAL SECURITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS 16
INITIATIVES TO DATE
Background 16
Commercial Satellite Interconnectivity 18
Commercial Network Survivability 19
Nationwide Emergency Telecommunications Service 20
References 21
3 PUBLIC SWITCHED NETWORKS IN THE YEAR 2000 22
Regulation 23
Technology 23
Competition 27
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