The ITU Telecommunication Standardization
Sector (ITU-T)[1] is
one of the three Sectors of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
(see overview in Section 1.3). ITU-T was created on 1 March 1993 within the
framework of the "new" ITU, replacing the former International
Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) whose origins go back to
1865.
The
Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) is the executive arm of the
Telecommunication Standardization Sector, and is headed by a Director elected
by ITU Member States. The current Director is Houlin Zhao (China).
The ITU-T mission is to ensure an efficient
and on-time production of high quality standards (Recommendations) covering all
fields of telecommunications except radio aspects.
Standardization work is carried out by 13
Study Groups, in which representatives of the ITU-T membership develop
Recommendations for the various fields of international telecommunications. The
priority fields of study currently include:
- IP
interworking and related matters;
- Network
aspects of mobility;
- Network
access technologies (xDSL);
- Optical
networking technologies;
- Tariff
and accounting issues,
- Multimedia
services and systems.
ITU’s
IP-related standards are being developed in cooperation with other standards
development organizations (SDOs) to add to ITU’s long-term expertise in
telecommunications to the process of developing new Internet standards and the
evolution of old ones. For more details, see Annex 2: ITU-T Cooperation with
Standardization Development Organizations (SDOs), Forums and Consortia. For example, a number of ITU-T IP-related
standardization activities are done in cooperation with the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF). A common interest mapping of IETF Working Groups
to ITU-T Study Groups is available on the ITU-T Study Group 13 website.[2] ITU-T also conducts seminars and
workshops within its domains of competence. The ITU-T publishes news and public
information on its activities, including through a bimonthly newsflash that
provides updates on its activities.[3]
The main products of ITU-T are the
Recommendations. At present, more than 2 700 Recommendations (Standards)
are in force. Recommendations are standards that define how telecommunication
networks operate and interwork. ITU-T Recommendations are non-binding, however
they are generally complied with due to their high quality and because they
guarantee the interconnectivity of networks and enable telecommunication
services to be provided on a worldwide scale. Other products include ITU-T
Handbooks and Supplements. All ITU-T Recommendations are published online[4] and
up to three Recommendations can be downloaded electronically for free per year,
per e-mail address.
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization
Study Groups (SG) and their Working Parties are at the core of the
standardization work. They study “Questions” and elaborate the Recommendations.
The Telecommunication Standardization
Advisory Group (TSAG) reviews priorities, programmes, operations, financial
matters and strategies for the Sector, follows up on the accomplishment of the
work programme, restructures and establishes ITU-T Study Groups, provides
guidelines to the Study Groups, advises the Director of TSB, elaborates
A-series Recommendations on organization and working procedures.
The World Telecommunication Standardization
Assembly (WTSA), which takes place every four years, defines general policy for
the Sector, establishes the Study Groups and approves their work programme for
each study period of four years, as well as appointing the Study Group Chairmen
and Vice-Chairmen.
The next World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly (WTSA-04)[5] will
be held in Florianópolis, Brazil from 5-14 October 2004. Immediately before
WTSA-04, on Monday 4 October 2004, the ITU-T will organize a one-day “Symposium
on Cybersecurity".
ITU-T’s working
methods have changed considerably, in response to changes in the
telecommunications sector and the requirements of ITU-T’s membership. For example, consider the approval process
and time delays for ITU-T Recommendations during the last 15 years:
- Prior to 1988 approvals took place every
four years.
- From 1989 to 1993, the cycle was two
years.
- From 1993 to 1996, it took only 18
months to approve a Recommendation.
- From 1997 to 2000, this was further
shortened, to 9 months (5 months in exceptional circumstances).
- From 2002 on, a new process permits
approval in 4 weeks (best case), with an average of 8 weeks, for technical
Recommendations (vast majority of the work), while Recommendations that have
a regulatory implication (a minority) still take 9 months.
ITU-T’s working
methods are described in the A-series Recommendations, available at:
and in Resolution 1
of the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA), available at:
A database of
current work in ITU-T can be accessed at:
and
The cost of becoming
an ITU-T Sector Member is currently about USD 25 000 per year. A limited membership (Associate) costs
approximately USD 8 000 per year.
ITU membership fees
are waived under certain circumstances, subject to approval by the ITU Council,
its immediate governing body.
During last few years, there has been a large reorientation
towards IP-related standardization and accelerated procedures. A brief
overview of some of the related activities is given for each relevant Study
Group.
ITU-T Study Group 2 (SG2)[6] is
responsible for studies relating to:
- principles
of service provision, definition and operational requirements of service
emulation;
- numbering,
naming, addressing requirements and resource assignment including criteria
and procedures for reservation and assignment;
- routing
and interworking requirements;
- human
factors;
- operational
aspects of networks and associated performance requirements including
network traffic management, quality of service (traffic engineering,
operational performance and service measurements);
- operational
aspects of interworking between traditional telecommunication networks and
evolving networks;
- evaluation
of feedback from operators, manufacturing companies and users on different
aspects of network operation.
SG2 is
the Lead Study Group on Service definition, Numbering, Routing and Global
Mobility. Some specific examples of related responsibilities include:
- E.164
international numbering plan;
- E.212 mobile (“IMSI”) codes;
- ENUM:
mapping between the Internet Domain Name System (DNS) and the E.164
numbering plan;
- E.164
numbering resources for IP telephony (e.g. UPT 878 code allocated for
testing);
- ITU-T
Study Group for ongoing activities related to management of Internet names
and addresses issues.
ITU-T Study Group 3 (SG3)[7] is
responsible for studies relating to:
- Tariff
and accounting principles for international telecommunication services and
study of related telecommunication economic and policy issues. To this
end, Study Group 3 shall in particular foster
Box 4.1: Inside a Study Group: examples of activities
Examples of some ongoing activities in ITU-T Study Group 2
·
Workshops on Member States’
experiences with ccTLDs (2003 & 2004) and IDN (latter scheduled in 2004);
·
SG2 work on ENUM and “.int” (2004
and 2005);
·
SG2 Information Document 24:
Implications for numbering, naming and addressing of the convergence of the
Internet and the Telco networks - ECC Report 26 (October 2003);
·
SG2 Information Document 23: DNS
Root server mirror service (September 2003);
·
Workshop to develop a Recommendation
to clarify the management of “.int” (15-16 September 2003), resulting in SG2
work on a draft Recommendation;
·
Regional ENUM and IDN Workshops
(with SPU) in Thailand (25-26 August 2003);
·
Circular 168: IP Policy Manual (June
2003);
·
SG2 Information Documents 21 and 22:
The RIR System and IPv6 Address Management (May 2003);
·
Circular 160: Questionnaire on
Member States’ Experiences with ccTLDs (April 2003);
·
Workshop on Member States’
experiences with ccTLDs (3-4 March 2003);
·
Circular 139: Developments regarding
Internationalized Domain Names (December 2002);
·
Circular 125: Developments with
respect to Management of Internet Domain Names and Addresses (September
2002);
·
Circular 105: ENUM administration
ad-interim (June 2002);
·
SG2 Information Paper 17:
Introduction to Secure DNS (May 2002);
·
SG2 Information Paper 15: A policy look
at IPv6: Tutorial paper (April 2002);
·
TSAG/IANA correspondence on
improvement of cooperation process (June 2002-February 2003);
·
Tutorial Workshop on IPv6 (6 May
2002);
·
Tutorial Workshop on ENUM (8
February 2002);
·
SG2 Information Document 10: Global
implementation of ENUM: a tutorial paper (February 2002);
·
SG2 Information Documents 1, 2, 3,
and 4 on the DNS (January 2002);
·
Circular 26: ENUM Awareness;
·
Continuing work in SG2 on ENUM,
resulting in Supplements, draft Recommendations, and interim procedures.
|
- collaboration
among its Members with a view to the establishment of rates at levels as
low as possible consistent with an efficient service and taking into
account the necessity for maintaining independent financial administration
of telecommunication on a sound basis.
One of the most relevant of related SG3 activities is Recommendation
D.50 regarding Internet traffic exchange or so-called "peering" or
transit arrangements between Internet service providers and Internet backbone
providers which is needed in order for the ISPs to obtain global Internet
connectivity for users of the Internet. This system works well in most
industrialized countries, but for developing countries the issue of access to
the Internet remains costly and is often suffering from lack of bandwidth and
capacity.
A special
Rapporteurs Group which deals with ITU Recommendation D.50 about international
Internet connections (IIC) regarding transit or exchange of traffic on the
international Internet backbone networks is continuing the discussions,
particularly with regard to revision, if any, of ITU-T Recommendation D.50.[8]
ITU-T Study Group 4 (SG4)[9] is responsible for studies relating to:
- the management of telecommunication
services, networks, and equipment using the telecommunication management
network (TMN) framework.
- Also responsible for other
telecommunication management studies relating to designations,
transport-related operations procedures, and test and measurement
techniques and instrumentation.
SG4 is ITU’s Lead
Study Group on TMN. Some examples of recent activities related to IP-based
networks include:
- developing framework for unified management of
integrated circuit-switched and packet-based networks (with initial
emphasis on IP-based networks);
- active in IMT-2000 3rd generation mobile
and beyond network management for service provisioning and security.
ITU-T Study Group 4 (SG9)[10] prepares
and maintains Recommendations on:
- Use
of cable and hybrid networks, primarily designed for television and sound
programme delivery to the home, as integrated broadband networks to also
carry voice or other time critical services, video on demand, interactive
services, etc.
- Use
of telecommunication systems for contribution, primary distribution and
secondary distribution of television, sound programmes and similar data
services.
SG9 is ITU-T’s Lead Study Group on integrated broadband cable and
television networks. Some examples of recent activities related to IP-based
networks include:
- “IPCablecom” project[11] specifies architecture and protocols
for delivery of time-critical IP-based interactive services over cable
television networks;
- J.122, J.112, and J.83 Recommendations define provisioning of IP-based services over
cable networks using cable modems;
- J.120, defining a transmission protocol and
configuration for distribution of sound and television programs
(webcasting) over IP networks.
A description of cable modems and the related ITU-T
Recommendations is given in Chapter
Seven: Case Study—How ITU’s Broadband Standards Improve Access to the Internet.
ITU-T Study Group 11 (SG11)[12] is
responsible for studies relating to:
- signalling
requirements and protocols for Internet Protocol (IP) related functions,
some mobility related functions, multimedia functions and enhancements to
existing Recommendations on access and internetwork signalling protocols
of ATM, N-ISDN and PSTN.
SG11 is the Lead Study Group on intelligent networks. Some examples of
recent activities related to IP-based networks include:
- Standardized signalling for IP and advanced network
applications, Intelligent Networks (“IN”);
- Signalling support of mobility services
(e.g., IMT-2000);
- IP related signalling (e.g., bearer
independent call control (BICC: Q.1901);
- Signalling
transport over IP and Interactions between IN and IP-based networks;
- Use
of SIP for user access and network-to-network interfacing;
- Interworking
between Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Bearer Independent Call
Control Protocol or ISDN User Part.
ITU-T Study Group 12 (SG12)[13] is responsible for:
- Guidance on the end-to-end transmission
performance of networks, terminals and their interactions, in relation to
the perceived quality and acceptance by users of text, speech, and image
applications. This work includes the related transmission implications of
all networks (e.g., those based on PDH, SDH, ATM and IP) and all
telecommunications terminals (e.g., handset, hands-free, headset, mobile,
audiovisual, and interactive voice response).
SG12 is the ITU-T
Lead Study Group on Quality of Service and performance.
- As Lead ITU-T Study Group on
Quality-of-Service (QoS) and Performance, Study Group 12 provides
leadership for the ITU-T in dealing with QOS-related issues. Internal to
the ITU-T, this leadership involves providing a roadmap for QOS activities
that can be used to identify and resolve QoS-related issues across Study
Groups. External to the ITU-T, this leadership involves active
communication with other organisations, with a goal of improving the
visibility of ITU-T expertise in QoS and more effectively leveraging this
expertise in specifications being developed elsewhere in the industry.
Some examples of recent activities related to
IP-based networks include:
- End-to-end transmission performance of
networks;
- Transmission
requirements for IP gateways and terminals;
- Voiceband
services via IP networks;
- Perceptual appreciation of quality of speech;
- QoS issues related to IP networks (e.g. G.1010);
- Multimedia QoS/performance;
- In-service
non-intrusive assessment of VoIP.
ITU-T Study Group 13 (SG13)[14] is responsible for studies relating to:
- Internetworking of heterogeneous
networks encompassing multiple domains, multiple protocols and innovative
technologies with a goal to deliver high-quality, reliable networking.
Specific aspects are architecture, interworking and adaptation, end-to-end
considerations, routing and requirements for transport.
The mission of Study
Group 13 is:[15]
- To provide a focal point in ITU for
technology-independent network architecture and long-term evolution
studies, including IPnetwork studies, through development of the necessary
frameworks and architectures, coordination with the various related
studies in the other ITU study groups and collaboration with other
standards bodies.
- To help ITU-T continue to respond to the
changes to studies and priorities necessary to integrate traditional
telecommunication networks with IP-based networks in order to provide full
integration of services and applications to end users. Also, to give
network providers the tools and information to support the market-driven
changes to the telecommunication industry.
- To conduct IP-related studies focusing
on network architecture, network capabilities, network evolution, service
and performance aspects, and access arrangements to achieve
interoperability in the multi-vendor and multi-network-operator
environments. These studies will be performed in cooperation with other
study groups and other standards bodies. Particular areas of study key to
this evolution are IP-based network architectures, IP-based network
performance, IP transfer
capabilities, IP-VPN (virtual private network) services, IP-based
network resource management and access arrangements.
- To conduct the remaining studies in the
area of B-ISDN resource management, performance and the ATM Layer and its
adaptation and interworking.
- To encourage harmonization of IP-related
and GII studies across the ITU-T study groups through the evolution and
further development of the ITU-T IP and GII projects.
- To collaborate with other
standardization bodies in identifying gaps in the standardization
programmes concerning IP networking and to develop proposals and
Recommendations to advance the necessary work.
SG13 is the ITU-T
Lead Study Group for IP related matters, B-ISDN, Global Information
Infrastructure and satellite matters. Some
examples of recent activities related to IP-based networks include:
- Y.801:
Relationships among ISDN, Internet protocol, and GII performance
recommendations;
- Y.1001:
IP Framework - A framework for convergence of telecommunications network
and IP network technologies;
- Y.1221:
Traffic control and congestion control in IP-based network;
- Y.1231:
IP Access Network Architecture;
- Y.1241:
Support of IP-based services using IP transfer capabilities;
- Y.1242:
Circuit Multiplication Equipment optimized for IP-based networks;
- Y.1261:
Service requirements and architecture for voice services over
Multi-Protocol Label Switching ;
- Y.1281:
Mobile IP over MPLS;
- Y.1310: Transport of IP over ATM in public
networks;
- Y.1311.1:
Network-based IP VPN over MPLS architecture;
- Y.1321:
IP over SDH using LAPS;
- Y.1401:
General requirements for interworking with Internet protocol (IP)-based
networks;
- Y.1402:
General arrangements for interworking between Public Data Networks and the
Internet;
- Y.1411:
ATM-MPLS network interworking - Cell mode user plane interworking;
- Y.1412:
ATM-MPLS network interworking - Frame mode user plane interworking;
- Y.1501:
Relationships among ISDN, Internet protocol, and GII performance
recommendations;
- Y.1540:
Internet protocol data communication service - IP packet transfer and
availability performance parameters;
- Y.1541:
Network performance objectives for IP-based services;
- Y.1560:
Parameters for TCP connection performance in the presence of middleboxes;
- Y.1704.2:
Distributed Call and Connection Management: Signalling mechanism using
GMPLS RSVP-TE;
- Y.1704.3:
Distributed Call and Connection Management: Signalling mechanisms using GMPLS
CR-LDP;
- Y.1710:
Requirements for OAM functionality for MPLS networks;
- Y.1711:
Operation & Maintenance mechanism for MPLS networks;
- Y.1712:
OAM functionality for ATM-MPLS interworking;
- Y.1713:
Misbranching detection for MPLS networks;
- Y.1720:
Protection switching for MPLS networks;
ITU-T Study Group 15 (SG15)[16] is the focal point in ITU‑T for
studies on optical and other transport networks, systems and equipment. This
encompasses the development of transmission layer related standards for the
access, metropolitan and long haul sections of communication networks.
Particular emphasis
is given to global standards providing for a high-capacity (Terabit) optical
transport network (OTN) infrastructure, and for high‑speed (multi‑Megabit)
network access. This also includes related work on modelling for network
management, technology‑specific transport network architectures and layer
interworking. Special consideration is being given to the changing
telecommunication environment towards IP‑type networks.
Topics covered
include routing, switching, interfaces, multiplexers, cross-connect, add/drop
multiplexers, amplifiers, repeaters, regenerators, network protection switching
and restoration, gateway equipment, and network signal processing. Many of
these topics are addressed for various transport technologies, such as metallic
and optical fibre cables, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), optical
transport network (OTN), synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), asynchronous
transfer mode (ATM), and plesiochronous digital hierarchy (PDH). In its work,
Study Group 15 takes into account related activities in other ITU study groups,
standards organizations, forums and consortia, and collaborate with them to
avoid duplication of effort and identify any gaps in the development of global
standards.
SG15 is the Lead
Study Group on Access Network Transport and related to the Optical Networking
technologies.
SG15 is extremely active in
standardizing high-speed Internet access over copper wire loops using DSL
technologies. A description of this technology and the related ITU-T
Recommendations is given in Chapter
Seven: Case Study—How ITU’s Broadband Standards Improve Access to the Internet.
SG15 is also active in standardizing
optical access networks for delivery of broadband IP-based services,
including fibre-to-the-home and SMEs, and optical
transport of Internet packets such as IP over Wavelength Division Multiplexing
(WDM), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), and Coarse Wavelength
Division Multiplexing (CWDM).
ITU-T Study Group 16 (SG16)[17] is responsible for studies relating to
multimedia service definition and multimedia systems, including the associated
terminals (including facsimile terminals), modems, protocols and signal
processing. SG16 is the Lead Study Group on multimedia services and systems
(e.g. includes VoIP).
SG16 works on the
following items:
- definition of a framework and roadmaps
for the harmonized and coordinated development of multimedia communication
standardization to provide guidance across all ITU-T and ITU-R study
groups, and in close cooperation with other regional and international
SDOs and industry forums; these studies will include mobility, IP and
interactive broadcasting aspects;
- development and maintenance of a
database of existing and planned multimedia standards;
- definition of multimedia architectures;
- operation of multimedia systems and
services, including interoperability;
- protocols for multimedia systems and
services including facsimile communication;
- media coding and signal processing;
- multimedia terminals including facsimile
terminals;
- QoS and end-to-end performance in
multimedia systems;
- security of multimedia systems and
services;
- accessibility to multimedia systems and
services;
- e-commerce and e-business.
Some examples of SG16’s
standardization work include:
- standards for IP telephony (e.g., H.323
series);
- modems (e.g., V.90, V.92);
- audio and video codecs (e.g., G.723.1
and G.729 series, H.260 series);
- H.248 “media-gateway” series for
interworking between IP networks & PSTN;
- H.264:
advanced new video coding;
- Emergency
services;
- Wideband
voice codecs.
SG16
is responsible for the H.323 series of Recommendations. ITU-T H.323 is the
world’s most widely deployed Voice over IP (VoIP) technology.
Box 4.2: ITU
advanced video standard opens new opportunities
ITU has been working on technical
specifications for combined Internet and mobile networks, such as ITU’s 3G IMT‑2000
initiative, for over a decade.
Currently there is a lot of interest in
next-generation multimedia standards for streaming media, particularly for a
new generation of advanced mobile devices. One of the most promising standards
to emerge is the new high-performance video encoding/decoding standard ITU-T
H.264: Advanced Video Coding for Generic Audiovisual Services, produced
by ITU-T Study Group 16. H.264 is the result of work by the Joint Video Team
(JVT) which combined the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the
ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).
The new standard is likely to find use in a
wide variety of applications from mobile phones to High Definition TV and is
destined to revolutionize video picture quality over networks such as the
Internet, 3G Wireless and the PSTN. The new standard uses significant less
bandwidth for the same quality as MPEG-2 (e.g., as used on DVD players).
Earlier this year, the International
Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium (IMTC) advocated the approval of a
royalty-free baseline profile for H.264 to "enable industry to bring an
open, internationally standardized video codec to market quickly, without
time-consuming and fractious licensing negotiations." There's also an open
source H.264 project on SourceForge.net.
Further information can be found on the ITU
website.[18]
ITU-T Study Group 17 (SG17)[19] takes the primary role for developing
Recommendations in the following areas:
- packet and frame relay, including
interworking cases for data communications;
- directory services and systems (F.500-
and X.500-series);
- security, including frameworks,
mechanisms and protocols (X.800-series);
- abstract syntax notation one (ASN.1)
(X.680/X.690-series);
- languages and description techniques
(Z-series);
and for ongoing
maintenance of Recommendations in the following areas:
- open systems interconnection (OSI)
(X.200-, X.600-series, etc.);
- open distributed processing (ODP)
(X.900-series).
In addition, SG17 is
the ITU-T Lead Study Group for:
- frame relay;
- communication system security,
- languages and description techniques.
Some examples of SG17’s ongoing or
planned standardization work include:
- X.509; reference standard for
authentication services using asymmetric cryptography and Public Key
Infrastructure (“PKI”) services, which is
widely used in digital signature technologies and for E-commerce on
IP-based networks;
- X.85/Y.1321:
IP over Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) Networks;
- New
versions of frame relay standards offering improved support for IP
networks;
- X.842:
Information technology - Security techniques - Guidelines on the use and
management of trusted third party services;
- X.843:
Information technology - Security techniques - Specification of TTP
services to support the application of digital signatures;
- Security related activities with new work items
started in:
o Security
management;
o Telebiometrics;
o Mobile
security.
Over seventy ITU-T Recommendations focusing on security have
been published, and the work includes studies on security from network attacks,
theft or denial of service, theft of identity and security for emergency
telecommunication. The ITU-T has recently released a manual on Security in
Telecommunications and Information Technology which can be downloaded from the
ITU website.[20]
For an overview of SG17’s security activities, see: http://ww.itu.int/itu-t/studygroups/com17/cssecurity.html.
Immediately before the next World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly (WTSA-04)[21]
in Florianópolis, Brazil, from 5-14 October 2004. WTSA-04, the ITU-T will
organize a one-day “Symposium on Cybersecurity".
This Study Group has the primary
responsibility within ITU-T for overall network aspects of what are generally
known as third-generation (3G) mobile systems developed under the aegis of
ITU’s International Mobile Telecommunications banner
(IMT-2000). For a description of IMT-2000, see Section 2.3 3G
Systems or IMT-2000). This Special Study Group IMT is responsible for:
·
Developing a work plan for ITU-T activities on IMT-2000
systems and beyond, to ensure that this work is progressed effectively and
efficiently with organizations external to ITU and internally with ITU-R and
ITU-D, as appropriate;
·
Providing a migration path regarding network aspects
and mobility from existing IMT-2000 systems towards systems beyond IMT-2000;
·
Enhancing an overview roadmap (Supplement to ITU-T
Q.1701) on network aspects and mobility of existing IMT-2000 systems specified
by ITU-T and external organizations (e.g., Standards Development Organizations
(SDOs), Partnership Projects (PPs), IETF, and relevant external forums, etc.);
·
Providing interworking functions as needed and if not
provided by other organizations, to allow for global mobility between existing
IMT-2000 systems specified by external organizations.
The second point
above includes the development of a long term common IP-based network
architecture as applicable to IMT-2000. The fourth point above, considering the
ongoing evolutionary directions of network infrastructure, includes near term
IP-based internetworking.
In addition, this
Special Study Group will study:
- Harmonization of different IMT-2000
Family member standards as they evolve beyond IMT-2000 as much as possible
in cooperation with relevant bodies.
- Evolution of network aspects of IMT-2000
from the existing fixed network by utilizing the IMT-2000 radio
transmission technologies as fixed wireless access.
- Network aspects of the convergence of
fixed and wireless networks and ultimately migration to interoperable and
harmonized network architectures to provide services transparently to
users across different access arrangements.
- Assessment of the need for, and
standardization of, IMT-2000 interfaces to provide multi-vendor advantages
for operators, if not provided by external organizations.
This Special Study
Group is the Lead Study Group for “IMT-2000 and Beyond” and for mobility within
ITU-T, and collaborates with ITU-R Working Party 8F on the radio aspects of the
terrestrial elements, and with ITU-R Working Party 8D for satellite elements.
The ITU-T is also
party to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Electronic Business with the
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UN/ECE), which specifies a framework of cooperation and collaboration between
international standardization organizations in the field of electronic business.
For example, the group is active in standards work related to XML and
E-business.
