ITU-T: Empowering global ICT development

1. ITU-T:Empowering global ICT development Simão Campos Counsellor, ITU-T Study Group 16 “Multimedia” WSIS FORUM 2009

2. ITU-T • ITU-T Recommendations(=technical standards) are defining elements in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure • Whether we exchange voice, data or video messages, communications cannot take place without standards linking the sender and the receiver • Today’s work extends well beyond the traditional areas of telephony to encompass a far wider range of information and communications technologies

3. WP WP WP Q Q Q Q Q Q ITU-T Structure Workshops, Seminars, Symposia… WTSA World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group Focus Groups IPR ad hoc SG Study Group SG Focus Group Working Party Questions: Develop Recommendations

4. Highlights of current activities (1/4) • Climate Change • Power saving checklist for standards authors • ITU Symposia on ICTs and Climate Change: London, Kyoto; two more planned for 2009 (Quito/July & Seoul/Sep). • Focus Group concluded, ITU-T Study Group 5 will take the lead • Accessibility for persons with disabilities • Checklist for standards authors • Recs for real-time text telephony, total conversation, etc • Workshops • Joint Coordination Activity on accessibility and human factors • Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (IGF) • Emergency Telecoms • Rec: Language independent prefix for emergency numbers • Rec: Child helpline • Rec: Call prioritization, alerts

5. Highlights of current activities (2/2) • Cybersecurity • Recs giving: Definition of cybersecurity; a standardized way for vendors to supply security updates and guidelines on spyware; toolbox of technical measures to counter spam. • Identity management: Draft Recommendations ongoing on data model, interoperable framework, interchange framework, and entity authentication assurance, requirements • NGN • Work progressing rapidly in ITU • Recs: requirements, architecture, OAM, signalling protocols, resource control, NNI signalling, NGN testing, and security

6. Highlights of current activities (3/4) • IPTV: Proceedings of IPTV FG collected. First Recs. approved. • Video coding and next generation multimedia conferencing • Broadband access, packet based transport, optical transport and access • Interoperability & conformance testing (Res.76) • Bridging the standardization gap • Regional forums • Remote participation

7. Highlights of current activities (4/4) • Academia initiative: Kaleidoscope peer-reviewed academic conferences • Technology Watch briefing reports: the future Internet, grid computing, climate change, lawful interception, remote collaboration tools, telepresence, USN, CALM, etc • Workshops and seminars in the regions within a wider program set up to bridge the standardization gap • Assist developing countries in establishing regional or sub regional conformity and interoperability centres and in identifying human and institutional capacity-building and training opportunities in conformity and interoperability testing • Free ITU-T Recommendationsvery popular

8. Snapshot of ITU-T Membership • 191 Member States • 300 Sector Members • 125 Associates Private sector

9. Some recent and upcoming workshops • ITU-T Workshop on "New challenges for Telecommunication Security Standardizations, Geneva, Switzerland, 9-10 February 2009 • The Fully Networked Car Workshop - Workshop on ICTs in Motor Vehicles, PALEXPO, Geneva, Switzerland, 4-5 March 2009 • Forum on Next Generation Network Standardization, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009 • Forum on "Implementation of decisions of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly-08 (WTSA-08)"Accra, Ghana, 16-17 June 2009 • ITU Symposium on ICTs and Climate Change, Quito, Ecuador, 8-10 July 2009 • Kaleidoscope event: Innovations for Digital Inclusion, Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 August – 1 September 2009 • Workshop on Accessibility: Planned in Bamako, Mali, 13-15 Oct 2009 (TBC)

10. Technology Watch • Technology Watch surveys the ICT environment for new study topics • Technology Watch Briefing Reports provide an up-to-date assessment of promising new technologies. Recent papers: • The Future Internet • Distributed Computing: Utilities, Grids & Clouds • Intelligent Transport Systems • NGNs and energy efficiency • Lawful Interception (LI) • Remote collaboration tools • Ubiquitous Sensor Networks • ICTs and Climate Change • Telepresence • Intelligent Transport Systems / CALM • Under study: speech technology; networked robotics; e-health

11. Kaleidoscope 2008 • Innovations in NGN • Part of initiative to increase dialogue between academia/ITU • Aim to identify new topics for standardization • Geneva, 12-13 May: 220 participants • Organized with IEEE CommSoc as Technical Co-sponsor and supported by Cisco, Intel, the International Communications Foundation of Japan and Sun Microsystems. • Over 140 papers submitted: 53 papers were presented • The best three were awarded prizes totaling $10,000 kindly donated by Cisco. • Included in a future special edition of the IEEE Communications Magazine. • 16 entrants received a Young Author Recognition Certificate

12. Kaleidoscope 2009 • Innovations for Digital Inclusion Mar del Plata, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009 • Technically co-sponsored by IEEE Communications Society • 83 paper proposals, 20 Lecture papers and 16 poster papers selected • Peer-reviewed by 80+ subject-matter experts • Prize fund for three best papers • 10 nominees • Proceedings published in IEEE Explore

13. Strategic direction • Truly global public/private partnership  key strength • 95% of work is done by private sector • Continuously adapting to market needs • Strong engagement with academia & research organizations • Academia initiative & Kaleidoscope events • Striving for stronger participation from developing countries • Remote participation; Regional forums on bridging the standardization gap • “ITU inside” concept: Mark to show conformance to ITU-T Recs. • Workshop programme attracts diverse audience, initiates new work • Consensus driven, open process • Very flexible • Fast, transparent procedures • Start work: 1 day / few weeks • Develop work: weeks to 2-3 yrs • Approve work: average 2 months • AAP for technical standards (= 95% of work) • Common IPR Policy: ITU-T, ITU-R, ISO, IEC

14. Challenges • To continue to reflect needs of the market • Proliferation of industry forums: 300+ ! • Increase participation especially from developing countries • Figure for percentage reduction of power consumption in broadband technologies. • Agreed figure to form part of a Resolution from the upcoming WTSA-08. • Improve efficiency, appeal and convenience to members

15. Why participate? Only UN agency dealing with ICT standards Outreach to 191 countries High credibility in emerging markets especially Africa, China and more recently India Opportunities for exercising corporate social responsibilities Excellent meeting facilities, convenient location Open, transparent and flexible Fast working – moves at the speed of industry

16. simao.campos@itu.int