IPTV-JCA

Following a consultation amongst ITU-T members in April 2006 it was agreed to establish, according to provisions of Recommendation A.7, a Focus Group on IPTV. The focus group website (http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/IPTV/) contains details of its activities and results achieved.

Subsequent to the agreement at the consultation meeting TSAG decided that the parent of the IPTV Focus Group should be Study Group 13 and that a Joint Coordination Activity (JCA) should be established amongst the management of the concerned study groups to provide an interface to the IPTV Focus Group.

The mandate of the IPTV-JCA has been to support Study Group 13 in its role as parent of the focus group and to ensure that a proper relationship is established and maintained between the focus group and the concerned study groups and that arrangements are put in place to ensure the smooth handover of the results of the focus group.

It has been further agreed that the ongoing work of the IPTV Focus Group (terminated in 01/2008) should be done under the umbrella of a Global Standards Initiative (the IPTV-GSI) modeled on the arrangements already in place for the NGN work.

As part of the establishment of the IPTV-GSI the membership of the IPTV-JCA is being extended to include other standards organizations involved with the ITU-T in the IPTV work stemming from the results of the IPTV Focus Group. Also an IPTV-GSI Technical and Strategic Review process has been set up. This will operate at every IPTV-GSI event (Study Group meetings, co-located Rapporteur meetings) and will bring to the IPTV-JCA any issues requiring guidance or recommendations for action e.g. concerning work allocation.

The continuation of IPTV-JCA was confirmed at the first IPTV-JCA meeting in 2009 – 2012 Study Period (subsequently approved by TSAG April 2009 meeting) with the following Terms of Reference:

Definition of IPTV

"IPTV is defined as multimedia services such as television/video/audio/text/graphics/data delivered over IP-based networks managed to support the required level of QoS/QoE, security, interactivity and reliability."

Objectives

• To identify and co-ordinate activity on IPTV across all the relevant ITU-T study groups (currently ITU-T SGs 2, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17) and to liaise with ITU-R, in particular on impacts of and/or requirements for public networks, e.g. NGN.
• To provide a visible contact point for IPTV activities in ITU-T, to seek co-operation from external bodies working in the field of IPTV and enable effective two-way communication with these bodies.

Working methods

The membership of the JCA-IPTV is comprised of all ITU-T SG Chairmen, all ITU-T SG Counsellors/Engineers, the TSAG Chairman and Counsellor, a number of SG Chairmen’s appointees and IPTV contact persons in ITU-T Study Groups. Representative of other SDOs will be considered when appropriate.

The JCA-IPTV is working primarily by correspondence but can also meet in association with meetings of Study Group 13 where necessary. In addition urgent issues requiring attention can be flagged up at any time and the JCA can convene as appropriate to take action. JCA-IPTV- sets up Technical and Strategic Review (TSR), and TSR coordinator will bring to the JCA-IPTV any issues requiring guidance or recommendations for action, e.g., concerning work allocation.

Specific tasks

• Maintain a list of contacts for IPTV in each study group.
• Maintain a list of designated contacts within the external IPTV bodies.
• Coordinate with any proposed new and revised Questions in the IPTV area.

Contacts:

• IPTV-JCA Documents