Backgrounder
Emerging Telecommunication
Policy and Regulatory Issues
The spread of converged networks and services is creating a host of challenges for public
policy-makers, as new types of content and innovative ways of sharing and accessing
information open up new horizons for ICT users – and give rise to unprecedented risks.
The expected 1000+ delegates to ITU’s fourth World Telecommunication Policy Forum
will examine a range of new public policy issues in areas ranging from cybersecurity,
privacy protection and identity management to the use of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) in emergency response, and as new and effective weapons in the fight
against climate change.
The key issues:
Cybersecurity
Always-on connections, cheap bandwidth, the popularity of e-mail and online services, and
easy access to audio and video content on fixed and mobile devices are raising important
issues in areas such as security and child protection. The World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) recognized the importance of public trust and network security to the
building of an equitable, inclusive information society. As the Facilitator of WSIS Action Line
C5 (Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs), ITU is actively working on ways of
enhancing international coordination in the fight against cyberthreats. Delegates to this
year’s WTPF will consider strategies for strengthening ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Agenda
and new Child Online Protection Initiative, while striving to forge common understanding on
internationally applicable principles governing cyberprotection.
Identity Management (IdM)
In a virtual world, IdM is essential to maintaining secure control over information access
and exchange between data providers, end users and even networked objects (including
terminal devices, “smart” chips and executable software). ITU’s X.509 digital certificates
already serve as the cornerstone of trust and security in the online world. Now, new
work through ITU-T’s Identity Management Global Standards Initiative, such as the X.1250
Recommendation for global IdM trust and interoperability, will provide the framework for
tomorrow’s IP-based network infrastructures and services.
www.itu.int/wtpf2009
This Background Paper is for information only. Source: Secretary-General
Personal privacy and data protection
Data protection is all too often implemented as an afterthought, once networks and
services have been deployed. But with security an increasingly pressing issue, many are
calling for data protection features to be built into technologies from their inception. WTPF
delegates will consider how coordinated efforts at the global, regional and national levels
can help foster trust in networks, through innovative technical, market and organizational
mechanisms.
ICTs and climate change
In their manufacture, use and disposal, ICTs contribute around 2.5-3% of global greenhouse
gas emissions. But while they are part of the problem, ICTs have the potential to be
a major part of the solution, through more energy-efficient products and systems and
active monitoring of key climatic variables. By enabling online content delivery, ICTs can also
help reduce the need for raw materials, the impact of manufacturing, and the emissions
resulting from physical distribution. Advances in videoconferencing technologies (many of
which rely on ITU-developed standards, such as H.264) mean ICTs can increasingly replace
corporate travel, while online collaboration tools now support effective, cost-efficient tele
commuting.
Emergency response
ICTs already play a vital role in disaster response, providing the crucial links that help
authorities keep people informed and coordinate aid activities in times of emergency. ITU
has long been a major proponent of ICTs in emergency response, and was instrumental in
brokering the 1998 Tampere Convention on cross-border deployment of wireless systems
for disaster relief. Now, the Action Plan forged at the World Summit on the Information
Society calls for the more widespread deployment of ICT-based monitoring systems to
help predict, track and limit the impact of natural and man-made disasters, particularly
in the developing world. This year’s Forum will examine the collaborative actions needed
to ensure standards-based, all-media, all-hazards public warning systems become a core
infrastructure component available to all communities worldwide.
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 20 – Switzerland