ITU-T e-FLASH
Telecommunication Standardization Sector
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Experts cast doubt on ‘jeopardize’ Internet statement |
ITU’s recent
announcement on an OAM standard for MPLS in transport networks has seen considerable interest, but not always for the right reasons with
claims from the Internet Society that it will jeopardize the Internet.
Experts cast doubt on ISOC’s statement: “… ongoing evolution along this path will jeopardize the … Internet”.
They point to the fact that several interoperability tests have been successfully performed with no reported problems. In addition the solution being proposed by ITU conforms to the MPLS-TP architecture as defined by the IETF. When network equipment uses different protocols, interoperability of the functioning of that protocol, in this case OAM, may well be affected. However, since packets for different protocols are identified by pre-assigned different codepoints, protocols running behind these different codepoints will not interfere with each other. This means that the core functionality – in this case Internet traffic – will not be affected. Therefore various protocols can coexist without causing any confusion in the network.
It is also important to understand who has contributed to this standard (draft Recommendation ITU-T G.8113.1) and why. The membership of ITU is made up of representatives from over 700 private sector companies (including most major ICT companies) and 192 Member State governments. In general technical work such as that being discussed here is undertaken by the private sector members. This solution was called for by a majority of the ITU membership in SG15 that has grown frustrated with a lack of progress in the development of a standard which is necessary to meet a market demand. Given that there are over 100,000 MPLS Transport Profile nodes already in transport networks, it is essential that the corresponding OAM toolset is standardized.
As background, in 2006 ITU started work on standards on T-MPLS, which leveraged a sub-set of MPLS that was targeted specifically for application in the transport network. However, in late 2007 the IETF indicated that T-MPLS may be in conflict with IP/MPLS. The ITU suspended work on T-MPLS and in 2008 agreed to work in cooperation with the IETF on the evolution of MPLS to meet the needs of the transport network. It was anticipated that the five existing Recommendations on T-MPLS would be replaced by mid 2009 with MPLS-TP Recommendations following within a year.
However some of the IETF input (RFCs) required to move forward were not made available and are currently still pending following the unilateral disbanding by the IETF of its group assigned to work with ITU in September 2009.ITU has issued a formal request for the necessary codepoints from IETF as these codepoints are currently administered by ICANN/IANA and can only be issued by IETF.ITU collaborates and coordinates, in good faith and on the basis of reciprocity, with other relevant organizations in the development of IP networks to ensure maximum benefits to the global community, in accordance with the decisions of the 2010 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. However, this should not lead to a situation where the ITU fails to deliver on its commitments to its own membership.
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Smart Grid specs will link comms and electricity networks |
New standards that will enable cost-effective smart grid applications such as distribution automation, smart meters, smart appliances and advanced recharging systems for electric vehicles have entered the final stage of approval at ITU.
The G.hnem standards (ITU-T Recommendations) address several smart grid applications such as distribution automation, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), demand side management (DSM), grid-to-home communications, home/building energy management, home automation, vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-charging station communications.
In a standard power system, generation, delivery and consumption of electricity all take place at the same time. This makes the control of supply and demand uniquely challenging. The new standards provide the crucial link between electricity and communications networks, enabling utilities to exercise a higher level of monitoring and control of the grid.
G.hnem is an ideal platform for smart grid applications because of its support of power lines as a communications medium that is under the direct and complete control of power utilities. Since power line communications (PLC) exploit the existing wired infrastructure, the cost to deploy a communications channel is greatly reduced. In addition, because G.hnem supports popular protocols like Ethernet, IPv4 and IPv6, G.hnem-based smart grid networks can easily be integrated with IP-based networks.
Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General, ITU: “Smart Grid is a dynamic addition to today’s energy networks, which will be capable of delivering customizable services on a massive scale. To ensure an efficient global rollout, global standards are a must.”
Malcolm Johnson, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU: “Many national stimulus plans have given smart grid significant backing, with the need for standards also cited as key to the fast rollout of the technology. The G.hnem standards now entering the final stages of approval can be applied globally today, and are ready to give a much needed boost to power line communications technology, making electricity distribution cleaner, leaner and greener.”
The two G.hnem standards ITU-T G.9955 and G.9956 contain the physical layer specification and the data link layer specification, respectively, for narrowband OFDM power line communications transceivers for communications via alternating current and direct current electric power lines over frequencies below 500 kHz. These ITU-T standards support indoor and outdoor communications over low voltage lines, medium voltage lines, through transformer low-voltage to medium-voltage, and through transformer medium-voltage to low-voltage power lines in both urban and long distance rural communications.
As background, in 2006 ITU started work on standards on T-MPLS, which leveraged a sub-set of MPLS that was targeted specifically for application in the transport network. However, in late 2007 the IETF indicated that T-MPLS may be in conflict with IP/MPLS. The ITU suspended work on T-MPLS and in 2008 agreed to work in cooperation with the IETF on the evolution of MPLS to meet the needs of the transport network. It was anticipated that the five existing Recommendations on T-MPLS would be replaced by mid 2009 with MPLS-TP Recommendations following within a year.
However some of the IETF input (RFCs) required to move forward were not made available and are currently still pending following the unilateral disbanding by the IETF of its group assigned to work with ITU in September 2009.ITU has issued a formal request for the necessary codepoints from IETF as these codepoints are currently administered by ICANN/IANA and can only be issued by IETF.ITU collaborates and coordinates, in good faith and on the basis of reciprocity, with other relevant organizations in the development of IP networks to ensure maximum benefits to the global community, in accordance with the decisions of the 2010 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. However, this should not lead to a situation where the ITU fails to deliver on its commitments to its own membership.
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New challenges in providing confidence and security in the use of ICT |
A meeting of ITU-T’s Security Study Group (Study Group 17) at the end of 2010 saw several new standards (ITU-T Recommendations) approved and progress in several important areas. Immediately prior to the main Study Group meeting a workshop,
Addressing security challenges on a global scale, open to members and non-members alike attracted 115 participants from 29 countries. Also open to external experts an
Identity Summit succeeded as a new tool to add value to technical discussions in SG17.
Some of the new ITU-T Recommendations facilitate the interconnection of security and management systems and to exchange cyber security information, such as of security events and of security attack incidents. The standards specify how this information can be shared across organizations for enhanced security preparedness and broader and better risk mitigation against vulnerabilities, to allow vulnerability databases and other capabilities to be linked together, and to facilitate the comparison of security tools and service.
In detail, Recommendation ITU-T X.1209 identifies real-life scenarios where cybersecurity information can be exchanged across organizations. The standard specifies the principal technical and organizational capabilities necessary for systems in terms of cyber security information exchange. Related new work includes draft Recommendation ITU-T X.1500 which surveys the various candidate techniques for cyber information exchange, and draft Recommendation ITU-T X.1520 which identifies the high-level requirements for enumerating common vulnerabilities.
Also during December meeting two new Recommendations were approved (X.1243 and X.1245) that counter spam and other unsolicited communications though an interactive gateway system. In addition the use and application of the extended validation certificates as put forward in new draft Recommendation ITU-T X.1261 will provide enhanced and superior security to users on the Internet with a trustworthy confirmation of the identity of the entity that controls the website or other services that the users are accessing.
Study Group 17 also saw new and ongoing security and identity management standardization work in the area of cloud computing and virtual service platforms
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How business leaders increase competitive advantage by using standards |
ITU and its partners ISO and
IEC have launched a new electronic newsletter providing concrete examples of how standards impact the bottom line, stimulate economic growth, productivity and innovation and allow businesses large and small to access broader markets.
The newsletter goes out under the banner of the World Standards Cooperation (WSC) which the three organizations established in 2001 in order to strengthen and advance the voluntary consensus-based international standards systems of IEC, ISO and ITU.
The first issue of the WSC eNewsletter includes the following success stories:
How Tyco Electronics achieved additional profits of USD +50 million by participating in standardization
In addition, the eNewsletter includes articles on the following subjects:
Now you can calculate the cost and benefit of standardization
Standards have a direct impact on the bottom line which you can calculate. The cost of standardization is relatively easy to calculate, but the calculation of its benefits was much trickier... until now.
Find out how your company can assess and communicate the economic benefits of international standards, and determine which areas are likely to result in the highest benefits…
Senior executives share their insider tips on standardization
This Canadian study looked both at the impact of standards on overall economic growth and provided insights by senior executives from private and public sectors about participation in standardization…
The benefits of standards in "CEO speak"
Order or download your free information package that summarizes all the benefits of using International Standards and participating in their development.
New evidence links technological change, productivity and economic growth directly to standardization
A series of recent studies conducted in
Australia,
Canada,
France,
Germany and the
UK, point to a direct relationship between the use of standards and economic growth, labour productivity, ability to export and more.
The WSC eNewsletter will be published three times a year. A subscription form is available at this
address. Additional information on the WSC and its activities can be accessed on the WSC Website:
www.worldstandardscooperation.org
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Standards and e-Health, a new ITU-T Technology Watch Report |
A new ITU-T Technology Watch Report envisions the future of eHealth. eHealth systems use information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the delivery of healthcare services and information hold great promise for improving global access to healthcare services and health information, particularly in the developing world. Delivering on this promise requires more universal eHealth interoperability standards, overcoming technical infrastructure barriers, and addressing privacy, security, and other legal requirements. These and other issues are addressed by experts of ITU-T Study Groups
16,
17 and in other standardization bodies.
In December 2010, ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré joined the World Health Organisation Commission on women’s and children’s health, in which he serves as co-Vice Chair, alongside WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. Dr Touré contributes his expertise in the field of ICTs as tools to advance and improve healthcare.
The report, by Dr Laura DeNardis of Yale University, presents a snapshot of the current eHealth standardization landscape, describes some obstacles that must be overcome, and identifies the emerging standardization opportunities and activities within the ITU that will contribute to the global deployment of efficient and secure eHealth systems.
Go to report
Go to dedicated website
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The fully networked human? - Innovation for future networks and services |
A call for papers has been issued and invites submissions until
15 May 2011. A prize fund totaling $10,000 will be awarded to the three best papers. The winning papers will be featured in a future special edition of IEEE Communications Magazine, with all papers available from the IEEE Xplore online catalogue. Young authors presenting a paper at the conference will receive Young Author Recognition certificates.
Organized by ITU-T with
IEEE ComSoc as Technical Co-Sponsor, Kaleidoscope 2011 has been invited to Cape Town University, South Africa, 12-14 December.
Kaleidoscope 2011 will highlight multidisciplinary aspects of future information and communication technologies (ICTs) including future services and applications demand as well as social, economic and policy aspects of human-centric systems. In this environment, the user is placed at the center, and virtualized networks, other IT resources, services and applications are adaptively and automatically configured to support the users in carrying out their everyday life activities.
However, the shift to human-centric ICT also raises social, economic and policy issues, which need to be addressed, including access to ICT, safety, privacy, environmental sustainability, etc.
This year, in addition to an exhibition for local universities and the presence of high-level keynote speakers and invited papers, ITU Kaleidoscope 2011 will host the second Jules Verne’s corner, a special space for science fiction writers and visionaries.
Kaleidoscope events are peer-reviewed academic conferences that aim at increasing the dialogue between experts working on the standardization of ICTs and academia.
For sponsorship opportunities please contact the ITU-T Kaleidoscope secretariat at
kaleidoscope@itu.int.
For additional information see the event webpage at:
http://itu-kaleidoscope.org/2011.
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UPCOMING EVENTS: |
ITU-T MEETINGS
- SG3RG-AO (Phuket, Thailand, 08-11 March 2011)
- FG CarCOM (Kiel, Germany, 9-10 March 2011)
- SG 9 (Geneva, Switzerland, 14-18 March 2011)
- SG 16 (Geneva, Switzerland, 14-25 March 2011)
- IPTV-GSI (Geneva, Switzerland, 14-18 March 2011)
- JCA-ICT&CC (Online meeting, 25 March 2011)
- SG 3 (Geneva, Switzerland, 28 March - 1 April)
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
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INFORMATION LINKS |
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