International Telecommunication Union
Overview
of
ITU-T
Xiaoya YANG
Engineer
ITU-TSB
July 2007
Contents
ITU-T
• ITU
• ITU-T
• Study Groups, Lead Study Groups,
Focus Groups
• Approval procedures
• Collaboration with other
organizations
ITU-T Overview
2
ITU-T
ITU
ITU-T Overview
3
ITU Structure
Plenipotentiary Conference
ITU-T
ITU Council
General
Secretariat
ITU-T
ITU-R
ITU-D
World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly
World Radiocommunication
Conference
Radiocommunication
Assembly
World Telecommunication
Development Conference
• ITU-T: Telecommunication standardization on a worldwide basis on technical, operating and tariff Questions
• ITU-R: Radio communications and wireless
• ITU-D: Use and deployment of telecom networks and
services in developing and least developed countries
• General Secretariat: Coordinates the Union's
activities and the overall management of the Union
ITU-T Overview
4
ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
November 2006, Antalya, Turkey
ITU-T
• PP ’06 Top policy-making body of ITU; asked ITU, among others,
• to strengthen its core competencies, esp. in radiocommunications
and standardization, in a rapidly changing ICT environment
• to enhance partnerships with private sector, regional organizations,
NGOs, PSOs, …
• to promote initiatives relating to emergency communications
• In particular, ITU-T is asked to
• Build confidence and security in the use of ICTs
• Assist members in deploying NGN effectively
• Highlight the contribution of ICTs to development
• Review the International Telecommunication Regulations
• Bridge the standardization gap
ITU-T Overview
5
Basic Operating Documents
ITU-T
• ITU Constitution and ITU Convention
http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/basic-texts/index.html
• In addition for the ITU-T
• WTSA Resolutions
http://www.itu.int/opb/publications.aspx?lang=en&parent=T-RES&selection=1&sector=2
• A-series Recommendations
http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-A/e
ITU-T Overview
6
Memberships
ITU-T
• Member States - Administrations
•
•
•
•
Members of the ITU
One per country
Presently 191 Members States in ITU
Examples: USA (State Department), France
• Sector Members
• Members of a Sector (e.g., ITU-T)
• Membership is by entities associated with a country or by
•
•
•
international entities
Presently 325 Sector Members in ITU-T
Examples: Alcatel-Lucent (USA), IEEE (International)
½ unit minimum membership 31,800 CHF (~US$26.5K)
•
•
•
•
Can participate in a single Study Group
Presently 119 Associates in ITU-T
Examples: OSS Nokalva, Plantronics
Membership fee: 10,600 CHF (~US$8.8K)
• Associates
ITU-T Overview
7
ITU-T
ITU-T
ITU-T Overview
8
ITU-T in a Nutshell
ITU-T
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unique partnership of private sector (Sector
Members) & government (Member States)
• Today, 95% of work is done by private sector
• Remaining 5% with policy or regulatory impact
ITU-T Product: Recommendations (= “standards”)
• Example: G992.1 (ADSL), G993.1 (VDSL)
Two approval processes for Recommendations
•
•
TAP for texts with policy or regulatory impact
AAP for technical texts
Work (mostly) done in Study Groups (13 of them)
Truly global
Consensus decisions
Flexible, fast and transparent procedures
Brand name
IPR Policy
ITU-T Overview
9
ITU-T work highlights 2006/7
ITU-T
• NGN-GSI (Global Standards Initiative), IPTV, cybersecurity
including identity management, ubiquitous networks,
multimedia conferencing, videocoding, broadband access,
packet based transport, fibre optics, home networking
• 231 Recs/supplements published in 2006
• 30% increase 2005 to 2006 in meeting documents processed
• 61 meetings in 2006 - increase of 13% over 2005
• 44 in Geneva, 17 outside
• Workshops: Fully networked car; Digital identity; Public
warning; Grids; Multilingual Internet; RFID
• GPON Interoperability demonstrations
• ITU, ISO, IEC agreed common patent policy, including
guidelines and declaration form
• ITU-T Recommendations are available online without charge
(trial)
ITU-T Overview
10
ITU-T is fast
ITU-T
• ITU-T is fast to
• start work: 1 day / few weeks
•
•
(from 2-4 yrs)
develop work: from weeks to 2-3 yrs (from
2-3 yrs)
approve work: 2 months (from 4 yrs)
• “Speedy Gonzalez approval procedure” (= AAP)
for technical standards (=95% of work)
AAP approves Recommendations in 4-5 weeks
• publish work: couple of days after approval
(from 2-4 yrs)
ITU-T Overview
11
ITU-T Structure
ITU-T
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION ASSEMBLY
(WTSA)
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION
ADVISORY GROUP
(TSAG)
STUDY GROUP X
STUDY GROUP Y
TSBDir
or
WORKING
WORKING
WORKING
PARTY
PARTY
PARTIES
Qs. V, W, X
Qs. Y, Z
R
WORKING
PARTY
Qs. V, W
R
R
WORKING
PARTY
Qs. X, Y, Z
FOCUS
GROUP
R
GuidePart_F01
R: RAPPORTEUR GROUP FOR QUESTIONS (Qs)
ITU-T Overview
12
World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly
ITU-T
• WTSA meets at 4 year intervals
• Sets direction/structure of ITU-T
• Establishes the study group structure
• Approves their work program
• Appoints their chairmen and vice-chairmen
• Creates and approves WTSA Resolutions
• NEW: Global Standards Symposium 2008
• 1 day prior to WTSA
• Themes:


Reducing the standardization gap
Improving collaboration
ITU-T Overview
13
Telecommunication Standardization
Advisory Group (TSAG)
at 8 to 9 month intervals to act between
ITU-T • Meets
WTSAs
• Provided guidance to the TSB Director and
•
•
Study Groups
• Strategy and priorities
• Work Program
• Working Methods
• Financial matters
• EDH and EWM
Can create/modify Study Groups between
WTSAs, if necessary
Foster cooperation and coordination with other
relevant bodies
• within ITU
• with SDOs, forums and consortia outside ITU
ITU-T Overview
14
Study Groups
ITU-T
•
•
Study Groups work on Questions to prepare draft
Recommendations
The responsibility and mandates of each Study Group is
set out by WTSA in Resolution 2.
• Overall mandate
Assigned Questions
• Assigned Lead Study Group responsibilities
• Assigned Recommendations
•
ITU-T Overview
15
ITU-T
•
Study Group Management
team
Composition
- SG Chairman, Vice-Chairmen
- WP Chairman (sometimes also the Vice-Chairmen)
- TSB Engineer/Counsellor
•
Role
- Establishment of an appropriate structure for the
distribution of work: Questions assignment to SGs, WPs
- Coordination and planning of meetings to ensure the
smooth running of WP and/or SG meetings: Meeting
agenda, Documents assignment to SG, WPs, etc.
- Promotion of Study Group activities coordinated with
TSB: Providing materials for Press Release, e-flash,
etc.
ITU-T Overview
16
Questions, Rapporteurs and
Editors
ITU-T
• Questions * :
Approved by Study Groups or WTSA
Define a particular project to be studied
• Rapporteurs * :
-
Appointed by the SG or WP to each Question
Ensure progress of the group of experts towards
Recommendations
Lead, moderate debates (e-mails, conf. calls, etc.)
and coordinate progress
Chair the meetings of the experts (See an example of
Rapporteur Group meeting announcement *)
• Editors:
Proposed by Rapporteurs, appointed by the WP or SG,
prepare and follow-up draft Recommendations
*Examples of links to SG 9
ITU-T Overview
17
ITU-T Study Groups
ITU-T
• SG 2 Operational aspects of service provision, networks and
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
performance
SG 3 Tariff and accounting principles including related
telecommunications economic and policy issues
SG 4 Telecommunication management
SG 5 Protection against electromagnetic environment
effects
SG 6 Outside plant and related indoor installations
SG 9 Integrated broadband cable networks and television
and sound transmission
SG 11 Signalling requirements and protocols
SG 12 Performance and quality of service
SG 13 Next generation networks
SG 15 Optical and other transport network infrastructures
SG 16 Multimedia terminals, systems and applications
SG 17 Security, languages and telecommunication software
SG 19 Mobile telecommunication networks
ITU-T Overview
18
Lead Study Group Concept
ITU-T •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Oversight of work relating to multiple Study Groups
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
2 - LSG for Service definition, numbering and routing
2 - LSG for Telecommunication for disaster relief/early warning
4 – LSG on Telecommunication management
9 - LSG on Integrated broadband cable and television networks
11 – LSG on Signalling and protocols
11 – LSG on Intelligent networks
12 – LSG on Quality of service and performance
13 – LSG for NGN and satellite matters
15 – LSG on Access network transport
15 – LSG on Optical technology
16 – LSG on Multimedia terminals, systems and applications
16 – LSG on Ubiquitous applications (“e-everything”, such as
e-health and e-business)
SG 17 – LSG on Telecommunication security
SG 17 – LSG on Languages and description techniques
SG 19 – LSG on Mobile telecommunication networks and for mobility
ITU-T Overview
19
ITU-T’s Focus Group Concept
http://itu.int/ITU-T/focusgroups
ITU-T
• Create forum-like entities as an “arms-length”
•
•
•
organization under an ITU-T Study Group or TSAG
Work on a well-defined topic, scheduled for
completion at a specific time
Goal: Encourage participation of non-members
and members of other organizations (forums)
Focus Groups have substantial freedom to
establish their own rules
• Can keep own brand name and at the same
time benefit from ITU’s branding
• Non-ITU members can participate
• Focus Groups can issue its own deliverables
and can provide deliverables to its parent
Study Group but cannot issue
Recommendations by themselves
ITU-T Overview
20
ITU-T Focus Groups
ITU-T
• Identity Management – Exploring mechanisms that allow
different IdM frameworks to interoperate together
• From/In/To Cars Communication – Work on specifications
for transmission characteristics for headsets and hands free
terminals
• IPTV – Coordinating and promoting the development of global
IPTV standards
• Security Baseline for Network Operators – Defining a
security baseline so that operators can assess their network
and information security posture in terms of available
standards
• NGN Management –
Providing a centralized approach
regarding specification of NGN related fault, configuration,
accounting, performance, and security management interfaces
• Open Communications Architecture Forum – Defining
specifications for a set of components for a new carrier grade
open platforms
ITU-T Overview
21
NGN – Global Standards
Initiative (NGN-GSI)
ITU-T
http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/ngn/index.phtml
• NGN study in ITU-T
• Joint Rapporteur Groups in 2003
• FG NGN 2004-2005
• NGN-GSI since 2006
• Encompass all NGN work across ITU-T Study Groups
-
Evolution of Networks to NGN
QoS
Interoperability
Security
Generalized Mobility
Service Capabilities and Architecture
• Co-location of meetings of concerned Study Groups
(e.g. SGs 11, 13 and 19) and Rapporteur Groups
ITU-T Overview
22
ITU-T
ITU-T
Recommendations
ITU-T Overview
23
ITU-T Recommendations
ITU-T
• Developed by 13 Study Groups and TSAG divided
into themed series:
• A-series covers the Organization of the Work of
ITU-T and guidelines related to Recommendations
• Series D through Z cover specific subject areas, for
example:
• the G-series covers Recommendations on
“Transmission systems and media, digital systems
and networks”
• The Y-series covers Recommendations on “Global
information infrastructure, Internet protocol
aspects and next-generation networks”
ITU-T Overview
24
Approval of
Recommendations
ITU-T
•
Traditional Approval Process (TAP)
For Recommendations subject to policy or
regulatory implications
Initiated by an SG or WP meeting and completed, for
final approval, at the subsequent SG meeting (§9 Res.1)
•
Alternative Approval Process (AAP)
For Recommendations without policy or regulatory
implications
Once the text is considered sufficiently mature, it is
submitted for AAP by an SG or WP meeting (Rec. A.8)
ITU-T Overview
25
AAP sequence
ITU-T
Approved
LC
4 weeks
(a)
3 weeks Approved
4
SG or
WP
meeting
(1)
Edited
text
for LC
(2)
(b)
Director's
announcement (c)
(7)
and posting
for LC
Comment
resolution
(3)
LC: Last Call
AR: Additional Review
Director's
SG
announcement Meeting
and posting
(6)
AR
(5)
(a)
(b)
3 weeks
Approved
9
11
(b)
(a)
Edited Director's
Director's
notification
announcement
text
for AR and posting
and publication
for AR
(8)
(see Rec. A.11)
(10)
(12)
TG120480-00
See Figure 1 (Rec. A.8)
ITU-T Overview
26
ITU-T Recommendations
available online for free
ITU-T
• ITU Council 2006 decided to run a trial
from Jan. to Sept. 2007:
• Whole world has access to published ITU-T
•
•
Recommendations online for free
- MSWord +PDF for ITU-T members
- PDF only for non-members
ITU-T members also have access to prepublished version (PDF, MSWord)
Over 1 million Recommendations
downloaded in first 4 months of 2007
ITU-T Overview
27
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/ipr/
ITU-T
• Patents
• Software Copyrights
• Marks
• Copyright
• Database of declarations
ITU-T Overview
28
Patents
ITU-T
• ITU-T/ITU-R/ISO/IEC Common Patent Policy
•
•
•
•
Three options:
• Free license on reasonable terms and conditions on
a world-wide non-discriminatory basis
• Paid license on reasonable terms and conditions on a
world-wide non-discriminatory basis
• Unwillingness to grant a license as above
Guidelines for Implementation of the Common Patent
Policy for ITU-T/ITU-R/ISO/IEC
ITU-T/ITU-R/ISO/IEC Common Patent Statement and
Licensing Declaration form
General Patent Statement and Licensing Declaration
form (ITU-T/ITU-R only)
Patent Statement and Licensing Declaration database
ITU-T Overview
29
ITU-T
Collaboration
with
other
Organizations
ITU-T Overview
30
Pre-requisites
ITU-T
• ITU’s Constitution/Convention asks that ITU-T
•
cooperate “with other world and regional
intergovernmental organizations, and those
non-governmental organizations concerned
with telecommunications".
ITU-T has a wealth of instruments in place to
collaborate with others
ITU-T Overview
31
Cooperation with ISO and IEC
ITU-T
• World Standards Cooperation (WSC)
• Annual meetings of the leadership teams of ITU-T,
ITU-R, ISO, IEC
• ITU-T Resolution 7 “Collaboration with ISO
•
and IEC”
ITU-T Rec. A.23 "Collaboration with ISO and
IEC on information technology"
• Annex A: Guide for ITU-T and ISO/IEC JTC 1 Cooperation
•
(= Annex K to JTC 1 Directives)
ITU-T has hundreds of “common texts” with ISO/IEC
• ISO/IEC/ITU-T Strategic Advisory Group on
•
Security (SAG-S)
Common Patent Policy, Guidelines, Form
ITU-T Overview
32
ITU-T
ITU-T Rec. A.4: "Communication
process between ITU-T and
Forums and Consortia"
• Goal: to facilitate documentation exchange
• Criteria: straightforward and common sense
• Subject area should be of relevance to the work done in
ITU-T.
• Documents submitted to ITU-T should not contain
proprietary information (no restriction for distribution)
• Forum membership should not preclude ITU MS or SM.
• Patent policy: must be consistent with ITU-T patent
policy
• A formal communication process can initiated
•
either by the forum or by ITU-T
Communication can be initiated at any time
ITU-T Overview
33
ITU-T Rec. A.4: Communication
ITU-T and Forums/Consortia
• 3G Association
• ASN.1 Consortium
• ATSC (Advanced Television
ITU-T
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Systems Committee)
AVS (Audio-Visual coding
Standard working group)
DSL Forum
ETIS (e-and
telecommunication
information services)
GSM Association
Home Gateway Initiative
IMTC (Multimedia)
IPDR Organization
IPsphere Forum
IPv6 Forum
Liberty Alliance
MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum)
• MMTA (Mobile Multimedia
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Technology Alliance)
MFA Forum
MSF (Multiservice Switching
Forum)
NRO (Number Resource
Organization)
OASIS
OIF (Optical Internetworking
Forum)
OMA (Open Mobile Alliance)
OMG (Object Management
Group)
SDL Forum Society
SDL Task Force Consortium
TM Forum (Tele Management
Forum)
UNICODE
W3C (World Wide Web
Consortium)
Under study: CEPCA (Consumer Electronics Powerline
Communication Alliance), EPC Global, MAAWG, UPnP
ITU-T Overview
Forum
34
ITU-T
ITU-T Rec. A.6: "Cooperation and
exchange of information between
ITU-T and national and regional
standards development
organizations"
• Similar in spirit to A.4
ITU-T Overview
35
ITU-T Rec. A.6: Communication
ITU-T and SDOs
ITU-T
• ARIB (Association of Radio
• JCTEA (Japan Cable
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Industries and Businesses)
ATIS ( Alliance for
Telecommunications
Industry Solutions)
CEA (Consumer Electronics
Association)
CCSA (China
Communications Standards
Association)
Ecma International
ETSI (European
Telecommunications
Standards Institute)
IEEE (Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers)
•
•
•
•
•
Television Engineering
Association)
NIST (National Institute of
Standards and Technology)
SCTE (Society of Cable
Telecommunications
Engineers)
SMPTE (Society of Motion
Picture and Television
Engineers)
TIA (Telecommunications
Industry Association)
TTA (Telecommunications
Technology Association)
TTC (Telecommunication
Technology Committee)
ITU-T Overview
36
ITU-T Rec. A.5: Generic procedures
for including references to
documents of other organizations
ITU-T in ITU-T Recommendations
Normative referencing
• The whole, or parts of a referenced document
considered an integral part of the Recommendation
• The source of the normative reference should be
Rec. A.4 and A.6 Qualified Organizations
• Normative referencing is usually limited to approved
documents of the referenced organization.
• Need to submit justification for the specific reference
using a Format given in Appendix I to Rec. A.5
ITU-T Overview
37
ITU-T Rec. A.5: Including
References in ITU-T Recs
• ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and
ITU-T
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Businesses)
ATIS ( Alliance for Telecommunications
Industry Solutions)
ATSC (Advanced Television Systems
Committee)
AVS (Audio-Visual coding Standard working
group)
CCSA (China Communications Standards
Association)
DSL Forum
Ecma International
EPC Global
ETSI (European Telecommunications
Standards Institute)
Home Gateway Initiative
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers)
IMTC (Multimedia)
ISOC/IETF (Internet Society/Internet
Engineering Task Force)
JCTEA (Japan Cable Television Engineering
Association)
Liberty Alliance
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MAAWG
MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum)
MFA Forum
NIST (National Institute of Standards and
Technology)
OASIS
OIF (Optical Internetworking Forum)
OMA (Open Mobile Alliance)
OMG (Object Management Group)
SCTE (Society of Cable
Telecommunications Engineers)
SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers)
TIA (Telecommunications Industry
Association)
TM Forum (Tele Management Forum)
TTA (Telecommunications Technology
Association)
TTC (Telecommunication Technology
Committee)
UNICODE
UPnP Forum
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
Under study: EPC Global, MAAWG, UPnP Forum
ITU-T Overview
38
Global Standards Collaboration (GSC)
ITU-T
Annual meetings of nine leading national
and regional standards organizations:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ARIB (Japan)
ATIS (USA)
Communications Alliance (Australia)
CCSA (China)
ETSI (Europe)
ISACC (Canada)
TIA (USA)
TTA (Japan)
TTC (Korea)
and ITU
ITU-T Overview
39
Cooperation with IETF
ITU-T
• IETF and ITU-T collaboration guidelines:
"Supplement 3 to ITU-T A-series
Recommendations" (same as IETF RFC 3356)
• Regular meetings of IETF and ITU-T leadership
teams (IETF area directors, ITU-T study group
chairmen)
• Last meeting was on 21 July 2007
• Joint ITU-IETF Workshop on NGN, May 2005
ITU-T Overview
40
Additional Information
ITU-T
The Lighthouse
http://itu.int/ITU-T/lighthouse
An advanced technological Web
Communication Centre as an ITU-T promotion tool to:
• Live news feed with blogs and RSS facilities for Members
and non Members
• Friendly and proactive portal to the ITU-T standards world
• Host discussion forums for developing countries, academia
and R&D including technical papers and articles
• Technology Watch activities and Correspondence Groups as
a free platform, to share views, ideas and standardization
needs on new emerging technologies
• Voice to the regions, ITU Regional Offices and Centres of
Excellence
• Highlight ITU-T events, SGs, workshops
ITU-T Overview
41
Useful Links
ITU-T
• ITU home page: http://www.itu.int
• ITU-T Recommendations
• ITU-T Guides, Tools and Templates :
http://www.itu.int/ITUT/studygroups/templates/index.html
ITU-T Overview
42
ITU-T
Thanks for
your attention!
ITU-T Overview
43