What: ITU together with sponsors BT, Cisco, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, Nortel and Siemens is holding a one day event to mark a new milestone in ITU's work on next-generation networks (NGN). The event will present an overview of NGN work so far, details on future direction and some of the business drivers for NGN. In addition to announcing this completion of work on the Release 1 standards for NGN by ITU-T's Focus Group on Next-Generation Networks (FGNGN), the event will communicate the next phase of NGN work to be progressed under the banner of the NGN Global Standards Initiative (NGN-GSI).

Morning sessions will focus on technical aspects of the NGN work, while the afternoon will be devoted to market/business drivers. Registration is required.

When: 18 November, 2005

Where: Hilton, Gatwick, London, UK

Why: Operators from around the globe are implementing NGN strategies and plan to invest billions of dollars in the eventual rollout of new packet-based networks. Their involvement in global standards stimulates innovation and superior technology; enables interoperability allowing multi-vendor product offering; and protects current and future investment.

The operators, systems vendors and governments that have driven this standardization work see NGN as delivering substantial cost savings due to the economies of scope inherent in a single converged network. They believe that standards will facilitate an open market for systems, lowering costs and allowing a mix and match approach to implementation, while also allowing interoperability on a global scale. NGN will see consumers benefit from innovative new services, greater control and personalisation, ease of migration between services as well as offering continuity for existing services. 

Who: The event is aimed at those involved in product planning and service creation, whether from systems vendors or service providers. Typically that will mean systems designers or product implementers from systems vendors and those involved in service development from service providers.  Media/analysts wishing to attend please contact toby.johnson@itu.int.