17.1. ITU

Founded in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, the ITU later changed it name to the International Telecommunications Union in 1934 and became an agency of the United Nations in 1947 with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Approximately 190 countries are members of the ITU. The ITU consists of:

• The General Secretariat, which provides administrative and financial functions

• ITU-D, the Development Sector, which coordinates and assists the development of new telecommunications infrastructure, primarily in developing countries

• ITU-R, the Radio-Communications Sector, which ensures the fair, efficient, and economical use of radio-frequency spectrum for all uses

• ITU-T, the Telecommunications Standardization Sector, which studies technical, operating, and policy questions. Previously know as the CCITT, the ITU-T issues Recommendations (nonbinding standards) for the purpose of international standardization of systems and services. In 1997, the ITU-T consisted of:

  • World Telecommunications Standardization Conference (WTSC) which defines general ITU-T policy and approves “questions” (i.e., projects)

  • Telecommunications Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) which provides advice regarding work priorities and strategies

  • Telecommunications Standardization Bureau (TSB) which provides secretariat (administrative) and coordination functions

• Study Group 1— Service definition

• Study Group 2— Network operation: network management, numbering, routing, service quality

• Study Group 3— Tariff and accounting principles

• Study Group 4— Network maintenance, TMN

• Study Group 5— Protection against electromagnetic environment effects: protection of equipment and humans from electromagnetic hazards

• Study Group 6— Outside plant: cables and associated structures

• Study Group 7— Data network and open system communications: data communications network aspects, frame relay

• Study Group 8— Terminals for telematic services: fax

• Study Group 9— Television and sound transmission

• Study Group 10— Languages for telecommunications applications

• Study Group 11— Switching and signaling: intelligent network

• Study Group 12— End-to-end transmission performance of networks and terminals

• Study Group 13— General network aspects: consideration new concepts, broadband ISDN (BISDN), global information infrastructure (GII)

• Study Group 14— Modems and transmission techniques for data, telegraph, and telematic services: modems, ISDN terminal adaptors

• Study Group 15— Transmission systems and equipment: subscriber access systems, DSLs, fiber optic transmission (DSL is addressed in Q4/15.)

• Study Group 16— Multimedia

Membership classes consist of:

• Administrations (countries)

• Recognized operating agencies (ROAs): network and service providers

• Manufacturers, scientific, and industrial organizations (SIOs)

• International and regional organizations

The ITU-T may be reached at ITU-T, Place des Nations, CH1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland, www.itu.int.