Introducing the ITU

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Introducing the ITU
Michel R. Giroux
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The ITU in brief

• UN specialized agency, concerned with the
  development of telecommunication networks and
  services worldwide
• 135 years old
• 189 Member States, 600 Sector Members
• 750 staff / 71 nationalities
• Website http//www.itu.int

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ITU Founded on 17 May 1865
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Global Harmonization
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Technological Convergence
Broadcasting
Telecom
Computing
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ITU 1999-2003 Strategic Plan

• Strengthen the multilateral foundations of
  international telecommunications
• In addition to development of access to basic
  telecommunication and information services,
  promote global connectivity to the global
  information infrastructure (GII) and global
  participation in the global information society
  (GIS)

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ITU 1999-2003 Strategic Plan

• Coordinate international action to manage scarce
  telecommunication resources
• Encourage and enable Member States, especially
  developing countries, to draw maximum benefit
  from technical, financial and regulatory changes
  in the telecommunication environment

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ITU 1999-2003 Strategic Plan

• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Union
  structures, activities and processes

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Who pays?

• The ITU has 189 Member States plus 600 Sector
  Members (e.g., private firms)
• Each chooses to pay a certain number (or
  proportion of) contributory units
• For Member States, 1 unit315 000 SFr
• For Sector Members, 1 unit63 000 SFr
• Main budget (2 years) 332.6 m SFr

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Structure of ITU(Decision Making)

• Plenipotentiary Conference
• Council
• World Radiocommunication Conferences/RRC
• Radiocommunication Assemblies and Study Groups
• Telecommunication Standardization Assembly
• Development Conference

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Plenipotentiary Conference
ITU Council
coordination
authority and responsibility
Coordination Committee SG, DSG, Directors
Secretary General Deputy Secretary General
advisory
World Telecommunication Advisory Council
General Secretariat (Secretary General) (Deputy
SG)
Telecommunication Development Sector (Director)
Telecommunication Standardization Sector (Director
)
Radiocommunication Sector (Director)
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PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCES

• all membership
• meet in principle every four years
• adopt fundamental long-term policies
• decide on organization and activities in a
  Treaty
• Constitution (basic provisions such as purpose,
  structure, functions)
• Convention (provisions more prone to change
  working methods, procedures, financial matters,
  etc)

...
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PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCES

• determine budget limits for the next four years
  within which Council approves annual budget
• fill elective posts, including RRB and Council
• next conference Marrakech, Morocco (2002)

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ITU COUNCIL

• 46 Members
• meets annually
• 5 regions
• A Americas (8 seats)
• B Western Europe (8 seats)
• C Eastern Europe (5 seats)
• D Africa (13 seats)
• E Asia and Australasia (12 seats)

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ITU COUNCIL

• considers broad telecommunication issues to keep
  policies and strategies in line with the
  evolution in telecommunication
• ensures the coordination of the work of the Union
• exercises financial control
• adopts the annual budget

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ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R)Mission
and Outputs

• To ensure rational, equitable, efficient and
  economical use of the radio frequency spectrum by
  all radiocommunication services -- including
  those using the geostationary satellite orbit or
  other satellite orbits -- and to carry out
  studies on radiocommunication matters
• Radio Regulations
• MIFR
• Radio Recommendations (Standards)

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ITU-R Priorities

• Facilitate the development and introduction of
  MSS and IMT-2000
• Facilitate the development and introduction of
  digital TV, HDTV and DAB
• Facilitate the introduction of rural radio
  systems in developing countries
• Facilitate timely coordination of new and
  existing systems in space and terrestrial
  environments
• Assist member countries in applying the Radio
  Regulations
• Ensure that the Radio Regulations are respected

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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)

• World Radiocommunication Conferences / Regional
  Radiocommunication Conferences
• Radio Regulations Board
• Radiocommunication Assembly
• Study Groups
• Radiocommunication Advisory Group
• Bureau (BR) (Director R.W.Jones, Canada)

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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)

• World and Regional radio conferences
• World Conferences revise Radio Regulations
  (international use of frequency spectrum)
• held every two years along with a
  Radiocommunication Assembly
• adopt work plan for a four-year cycle
• Regional Conferences address issues of a regional
  nature only. Their decisions need to conform to
  the Radio Regulations and must be endorsed by a
  world conference to be included in the RR

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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)
Radio Regulations

• 9kHz to 1000GHz
• 40 services
• 1 000 pages
• international treaty
• modified at radio conferences on basis of
  negotiations between countries attempting to
  reconcile frequency requirements and spectrum
  capacity
• Table of Frequency Allocations
• Assignment or Allotment Plans when transmission
  and reception are not restricted to only one
  country
• International coordination procedures

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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)

• Radio Regulations Board
• 12 part-time members (individual capacity but on
  principle of equitable geographical
  representation)
• approves Rules of Procedure for the application
  of RR by the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR)
• considers matters which could not be resolved
  with existing Rules

...
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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)

• considers report of the BR Director on
  investigations of harmful interference and
  formulates recommendations
• meets up to 4 times a year

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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)

• Radiocommunication Assemblies
• provide technical basis for world radio
  conferences
• approve work programme of study groups
  (priorities, urgency, time-scale for completion)
• held every two years in conjunction with World
  Radio Conference

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Radiocommunication (ITU-R)

• Radiocommunication Study Groups
• teams of experts (radio) from private and public
  sectors
• 189 administrations
• 200 private sector companies (106 operators,
• 51 scientific and industrial organizations)
• 49 international organizations
• Prepare ITU-R Recommendations (gt900)
  (formerly CCIR)
• 
  

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Standardization (ITU-T)

• World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly
  (WTSA )
• Study Groups
• Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group
• Bureau (TSB) (Director H. Zhao, China)

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Standardization (ITU-T)

• technical matters
• operational questions
• tariff questions
• prepare ITU-T Recommendations (gt2500)
  (formerly CCITT)

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Development (ITU-D)

• World Development Conference
  (Valetta Action Plan 1999-2002)
• Regional Development Conference
• Study Groups
• Telecommunication Indicators reports
• Technical cooperation

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Development (ITU-D)

• Regional Field Offices
• Bureau (BDT)
  (Director Hamadoun Touré, Mali)

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General Secretariat

• Plenipotentiary Conferences
• Kyoto, 1994 Minneapolis, 1998 Marrakech, 2002
• World Telecommunication Policy Forum
• Oct. 1996, GMPCS
• March 1998, Trade in Telecom Services
• ITU Council
• ITU News
• Support services (e.g. Strategic planning,
  Finance, Personnel, IS, Common services,
  Conferences)
• ITU TELECOM

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General Secretariat

• Secretary-General (Y. Utsumi) Deputy
  Secretary-General (R. Blois)
• Strategic Planning External affairs
• Conferences
• Finance
• Personnel
• Information Services
• Common Services
• Telecom