ITU-T Study Group 13 - Future networks including mobile and NGN
This page refers to a previous study period. For its most recent version, please see
here.
Study Group 13 leads ITU's work on standards for next generation networks (NGN) and future networks.
Broadly speaking the phrase NGN refers to the move from circuit switched to packet based networks that many operators worldwide are undertaking . This will mean reduced CAPEX and OPEX costs for service providers who will in turn be able to offer a richer variety of services.
As with all ITU standards, reduced energy consumption is a key factor taken into account at development stage. Indeed NGNs are believed to offer significant savings over traditional networks.
Convergence, ubiquitous and smart are key words in the NGN and Future Network fields. NGN will support fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) and telecom-broadcasting convergence such as IPTV. NGN will also provide capabilities to support convergence between ICT and other industries such as the vehicle manufacturing industry in support of the networked vehicle. Work going beyond NGN and looking at future networks in SG13 will support standards development for the “Internet of Things” as well as for reducing energy consumption and green house gases of/by ICT. Many believe that the development of these technologies are impossible without the development of global standards.
Work highlights
SG13 has developed global standards for various networks including IP-based and NGNs. Aspects covered include quality, security and mobility supporting fixed-mobile convergence for services to seamlessly reach the users on any device anytime anywhere.
Further studies have led to the development of functional requirements and architectures for networks supporting content delivery in IPTV, identity management, sensor networks/RFIDs, open services and platforms for service integration and delivery. Continuing work focuses on ubiquitous networking, distributed service networking, Ad-hoc networks, the Internet of things, energy saving networks and recently Future Networks and beyond NGN. SG13 publishes its standards in I- and Y- series of ITU-T Recommendations.
In the past the work by SG 13 included a standard (ITU-T Recommendation) to provide interworking between two dominant technologies in next generation networks (NGN), Ethernet and MPLS (multiprotocol label switching). SG 13 has also done much work in the field of VPN in particular on standards that allow VPNs to work over all kinds of networks - optical, MPLS, IP etc. Also SG13's earlier work on global information infrastructure (GII) was an important precursor to today's NGN work.
Study Group 13 Flyers:
NGNITU-T Cloud Computing 
