Bridging The Standardization Gap (BSG)

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The standardization gap can be defined as disparities in the ability of developing countries, relative to developed ones, to access, implement, contribute to and influence international ICT standards, specifically ITU Recommendations.

Click here to find out : How can countries participate in ICT standardization process?

The Action Plan in Resolution 44 of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA 2008, Johannesburg) outlines four major programmes for developing countries:

1. Strengthening standard-making capabilities
2. Assisting developing countries in enhancing efforts in respect of standards application
3. Human resource building
4. Flagship groups for bridging the standardization gap

• Facilitate the participation of developing countries in the ICT standards development process
• Allow developing countries to profit from access to new technology development
• Ensure that the requirements of developing countries are taken into account in the development of standards

So far contributions totaling CHF 289,000 have been received from Nokia Siemens, Microsoft, Cisco and the Korea Communications Commission. Your contribution will be used for workshops and meetings in developing countries, fellowships, surveys or study programmes. 

The objective of the Standards Q&A forum is to enable developing countries to submit their queries concerning their understanding and application of ITU-T Recommendations and seek advice from Study Group experts. It is an open forum for questions concerning the standardization work of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).  ​To submit your query or comments about ITU-T Recommendations or best practices go to Standards Q&A website​.

Program 4 of the Annex to WTSA Resolution 44 concerns flagship groups for bridging the standardization gap. This new type of group was defined by WTSA in 2004. More information about the work of regional and flagship groups can be obtained here.

This report presents ITU-T's research project on building standards capacity in the developing world; case studies of national standards capability and recommends what a national profile of standards readiness would look like (see National Standards Capability Scale below). The report also identifies the primary standards gaps between developing and developed countries based on these case studies and proposes best practices and actionable steps for improving national standards capacity in the developing world. This report encompasses work being done to measure the standards gap and a recent workshop on BSG, with the kind support of the Korean administration.

 ITU-T Report : Measuring and reducing the standards gap 

• ICT and Climate Change

• Optical Transport Networks​​

​DSL Story​ (2010)   

ITU-T Manual on Optical Transport Networks from TDM to Packet (2010)  

ITU-T Handbook on Optical fibres, Cables and Systems (2009) 

• Future Networks 

            Converging networks (2010)​ 

Deployment of packet-based networks (2009) 

• ​​Quality of Service

          Subjective testing practical procedures (2011)         ​​

• Multimedia and Audio Coding

         H.350 Implementer’s Guide​             

​ Technical Paper : H.323 Advanced Multimedia Systems (AMS) Requirements​

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• Cybersecurity

• Accessibility

• Numbering 

• IPTV

HSTP-CONF-H721 - Conformance testing specification for H.721 (2011)

HSTP-IPTV-AISC - Access to Internet-sourced contents (2011)

HSTP-IPTV-PITD - Delivery and control protocols handled by IPTV terminal devices (2011)​

HSTP-CONF-H762 - Conformance testing specification for H.762 (2011)

HSTP-CONF-H770 - Conformance testing specification for H.770 (2010)

HSTP-IPTV-ISPF - IPTV retail service provider model (2010)

HSTP-MCTB - Media coding toolbox for IPTV: Audio and video codecs​ (2009)