World
Telecommunication Standardization Assembly comes to Brazil.
October 2004 is an
important month for the global standardization community. The World
Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-04) taking place in
Florianopolis, Brazil, 5-14 October will define the work programme of
the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) for the study
period 2005-2008. ITU-T is the global leader for standardization of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). WTSA brings together
world industry and administrations to facilitate the extraordinary
modern technology that today allows us to communicate across the
globe.
WTSA takes place every four years to examine the structure of ITU-T
and propose strategic directions for future global standards setting.
The assembly will review and decide on working methods, including
approval processes for standards, work programmes, structure of study
groups and their specific areas of study. These assemblies also
develop procedures of cooperation with external organizations.
Essentially, WTSAs determine priorities and timeframes for completion
of work on standards preparation.
ITU has a unique
chance here to shape the future of telecommunications and it is hoped
that delegates grasp this opportunity with both hands to help ensure
that ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector ITU-T remains the
premier global standards making body, and more importantly that the
global ICT industry benefits.
Among its heavy
tasks, it’s expected that high on the agenda of this WTSA will be
restructuring of the study group system that splits ITU-T's work into
specific areas of study. And a key issue for delegates to examine will
be the way in which work related to Next Generation Networks (NGN) is
handled.
The last WTSA was
held in Montreal (Canada) in 2000, and saw agreement on an important
new way of working: the alternative approval process (AAP). This is a
fast-track procedure for agreeing on global, technical standards
(ITU-T Recommendations). It was an important step to take – meeting
industry demands that standards are produced not just efficiently, but
quickly. Increased working through electronic means was one such
process that was encouraged, and has proven to be a successful way of
bringing together experts from around the world. ITU-T Members are
satisfied with the current processes but they will make efforts at
this WTSA-04 to further improve the ITU-T working methods.
Also, at WTSA-2000,
much emphasis was put on the need for greater involvement of
developing countries in standardization activities. It has been the
remit of ITU-T to help bridge the standardization gap between
developed and developing countries since it was mandated to do so at
the Montreal Assembly. ITU-T is pleased to see an increasing
participation of developing countries during the recent years.
However, this is a theme that is still with us in 2004.
Alongside WTSA-04,
ITU will host a “Cybersecurity Symposium” that will address global
concerns on this important topic. ITU-T has conducted studies into a
range of security issues and has produced over seventy Recommendations
focused on ICT security. The event will provide a high-level overview
of the subject using practical experiences to illustrate how specific
threats can be dealt with and what lessons can be learnt from previous
experience.
Houlin Zhao
Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
International Telecommunication Union
Additional Information: The
ITU Website
may provide you with more information on this event.
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