Executive summary of the SG13 meeting

Executive summary of the SG13 meeting
6 - 17 November 2017, Geneva, Switzerland

Recommendations consented for Last Call (Recommendation A.8 - AAP)

After the SG13 meeting ETRI submitted the patent declaration for Recommendation ITU-T Y.3601 “Big data - framework and requirements for data exchange​”. It was duly registered in the ITU-T Patents declaration database.

The AAP Last Call period for the consented 10 Recommendations starts from the 16 December 2017 (see AAP-26). 

                                     Supplement agreed to (Recommendation A.13)

Important decisions (apart of Recommendations)

Human assets

• Nominated Kangchan Lee, ETRI, Republic of Korea, as a Liaison rapporteur for ISO IEC/JTC 1/SC38 to replace Babak Jahromi, Microsoft, USA
• Nominated as Acting Rapporteur for Q2/13 Huan Deng (China Telecom) who chaired the Q2/13 meetings on 6 – 9 November 2017
• Agreed to appoint as Acting Rapporteur for Q22/13 Jie Zhang (CAICT, China) who chaired the Q22/13 meetings on 6 – 10 November 2017
• Nominated Leo Lehmann as a Liaison rapporteur for JCA-MMeS 
  

Formation of the FG-ML5G "Machine Learning for Future Networks including 5G"

The idea to start Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) studies in SG13 in a form of the focus group was brought by 8 contributions from 9 entities. After some debates at the three dedicated informal (ad-hoc) meetings (report in TD 75 (PLEN/13)), SG13 agreed to establish a new Focus Group on Machine Learning for Future Networks including 5G (FG-ML5G) with the ToR as in TD 73 R1 (PLEN/13).

New FG will be looking at the machine learning in bringing more automation and intelligence to ICT network design and management.

Parent group: SG13
Lifetime: one year from the first meeting
Deliverables (non-exhaustive list):

• description of the ecosystem for future networks;
• analysis of possible requirements on ML applied to future networks;
• draft technical reports and specifications for ML for future networks, including interfaces, network architectures, protocols, algorithms and data formats;
• analysis of the impact of the adaption of ML for future networks (e.g. autonomic network control and management).
  
  Supporters: Fraunhofer HHI, Tunisia Telecom, China, KT, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Rwanda, Russian Federation and Nigeria as well as KAIST and HUFS from Republic of Korea.
  
  SG13 nominated the following leadership for this FG.
  
  FG-ML5G Chairman is Slawomir Staczak, Fraunhofer HHI, Germany.
  
  Vice-chairmen of the Focus Group:
  
              Charles Chike Asadu, University of Nigeria
  
              Seongbok Baik, KT, Republic of Korea
  
              Viliam Sarian, NIIR, Russian Federation
  
              Mingjun Sun, CAICT, People's Republic of China
  
   
  
  The first meeting of the FG-ML5G will take place in Geneva from 30 January to 2 February 2018. A workshop on Machine Learning for 5G and beyond will be held the day before the first meeting of the FG-ML5G, on 29 of January 2018, at the same location.
  
   
  Implementation of WTSA-16 Resolutions and decisions of TSAG

• In response to the WTSA-16 Resolution 94 on annual reporting to TSAG, SG13 chairman developed a short report on the progress of IMT2020/5G studies to date, TD 99 R1 (PLEN/13).
• SG13 reviewed and up-dated its action plan on IMT2010/5G (known under the name of the technical packages), TD 102 R2 (PLEN/13) page 6.
• The ad-hoc group on guidance for drafting technical Recommendations led by Wu Tong (China Telecom) and Marco Carugi (NEC, Japan) reported its progress in the meeting of July 2017, TD 67 (PLEN/13) in Geneva and e-meeting of October 2017, TD 68 (PLEN/13). Output document produced in October meeting may be found in TD 181 (GEN/13). The group had two more live sessions during the November SG13 meeting with report available in TD 79 (PLEN/13) and the draft guidelines and methodologies for developing technical Recommendations - in TD 197 (GEN/13).
  

Reconsideration of approval process for Recommendations ITU-T I.570 and Y.DPI-ReqFN

China and China Telecom submitted a contribution C338R1 proposing to change the approval process from TAP to AAP for the revised Recommendation ITU-T I.570 "Public/private ISDN interworking". Rationale: original Rec I.570 was approved back in 1993 when AAP didn't exist. Given the technical nature of this Recommendation, AAP may be applied to the approval of this Recommendation. The meeting agreed to change the approval process for I.570 to AAP. Furthermore, draft revised Rec ITU-T I.570 was consented at this SG13 meeting.

At the meeting Canada, UK and USA expressed the opinion that the approval process for the draft new Recommendation Y.DPI-ReqFN "Functional requirements of deep packet inspection for future networks" should be changed from AAP to TAP (TD 72 (PLEN/13)). Rationale: Deep packet inspection is strongly related to considerations of privacy, security, and anonymity, all of which have significant policy and regulatory implications which require careful consideration by Member States. It was agreed to change the approval path from AAP to TAP for Y.2774 (Y.DPI-ReqFN). Furthermore, SG13 November meeting determined this draft new Recommendation as Y.2774.

Coordination activities 

• The regular JCA-SDN meeting took place on the 9 November 2017. As usual it agreed to incorporate the new material into the SDN roadmap. This was the last meeting of the group that reached the end of its lifetime according to the ToR agreed by its parent group in February 2017. The main output of the group, SDN standards roadmap, was entrusted for maintenance to the JCA-IMT2020. JCA-SDN participants were invited to follow JCA-IMT2020. JCA-SDN, thus, ceased its activities and SG13 formally closed it. The final progress report of the JCA-SDN to its parent group may be found in TD 77 (PLEN/13). The JCA-SDN chairman, Ms Ying Cheng (China Unicom) received thanks in appreciation of her leadership. 
• The JCA-IMT2020 had its second meeting on 10 November 2017. As part of its business, it inherited the SDN standards roadmap from the JCA-SDN. JCA-IMT2020 reviewed the IMT-2020 standardization map and the available online tools supporting its maintenance. A number of inputs were agreed for incorporation into this roadmap. Next meeting of JCA-IMT2020 will take place alongside the SG13 and SG11 co-located rapporteur group meetings in April 2018 in Geneva. 
• With the agreement of the convener of the Correspondence Group on Future Networks from the ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 6 side, Shin-Gak Kang, SG13 agreed to formally close the named correspondence group as there has been no activity of this group since 2012.
  
   
  Issues for further elaboration
  
  The Q7/13 text revision, as proposed in C215, was not agreed at this point in time. Question 7/13 "Big data driven networking (bDDN) and Deep packet inspection (DPI)" text elaboration was left for the next meeting. To this end, the Q7/13 description as developed at this meeting was kept in the living list, TD 172 (WP2/13).
  
   
  Workshops/Promotion/Outreach
  
  SG13 agreed to hold three workshops as follows:
• A workshop on Machine Learning for 5G and beyond before the first meeting of the FG-ML5G, 29 January 2018, Geneva. Slawomir Staczak (Fraunhofer HHI, Germany) was entrusted to lead the workshop steering committee.
• Sixth SG13 regional workshop for Africa on "Standardization of future networks: What are the future opportunities for Africa?" will take place on 26 – 27 March 2018 in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire, alongside SG13RG-AFR meeting (workshop objectives are depicted in TD 87 (PLEN/13)). Rim Belhassine-Cherif (Tunisia Telecom) was nominated as a head of the workshop steering committee.
• A workshop on 5G developments and demos during SG13 meeting 16 – 27 July 2018. The workshop steering committee will be led by Rim Belhassine-Cherif (Tunisia Telecom).
  

In addition to the above, decision was taken to convene a session on AI/ML alongside the next WSIS forum (during 19-23 March 2018, Geneva) as a side event activity.

Two newslog stories were disseminated to announce the outcomes of this SG13 meeting: establishment of the FG-ML5G and consent of three new Recs on IMT-2020.

Bridging Standardization Gap (BSG)

BSG topic appeared on the agenda of the SG13 meeting in association with the activities of its Regional Group for Africa. The report of the fifth physical meeting of the latter was approved, (TD 66 (PLEN/13)). Also, the meeting followed the brief overview of the workshop on future networks held back to back with the fifth meeting of the SG13RG-AFR in Cairo, Egypt in April 2017 (Workshop report is in TD 76 (PLEN/13). Besides that SG13RG-AFR had a number of electronic meetings results of which are captured in the reports, TD 69 (PLEN/13) and TD 74 (PLEN/13). Both reports were approved by the SG13.

The next meeting of the SG13 Regional Group for Africa will take place in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire, 28 – 29 March 2018 hosted by Telecommunications Regulation Authority of Côte d'Ivoire (ARTCI).

Organization of the work

A first SG13 tutorial (on Artificial Intelligence) took place on 6 November 2017. Three talks were well received, the presentation material is kept in TD 195 (GEN/13).

Given some difficulties encountered over the last few SG13 meetings convened in a format with the opening Plenary running on Monday of the second week of the meeting, SG13 reconsidered such way of working. It agreed to come back to the classic way of operation with opening SG13 plenary on the first day of the SG13 meeting and the closing plenary on the last day of the SG13 meeting. In addition, a one session plenary will be held in the middle of the meeting, namely, in the morning of Monday of the second week. This format will be applied from the next SG13 meeting scheduled for July 2018. 

Future plans

An important number of interim activities were agreed to. In particular, all SG13 Questions will meet as Rapporteur groups in Geneva on 9 – 18 April 2017.

Next meetings
The Working Parties 1, 2 and 3/13 plenary meetings will be convened on 18 April 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland in order to give consent to the following draft Recommendations and agree on the Supplement, new work items and future plans:

 WP 1/13:                      

• Y.IMT2020-frame "Framework of IMT-2020 network", Q20/13
• Y.IMT2020-BM "Business models of IMT-2020", Q20/13
• Y.IMT2020-MultiSL "Framework for the support of Multiple Network Slicing", Q21/13
• Y.UMCDN "Recommendation on Unified Distributed Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)", Q21/13
• Y.PTDN-OAM "OAM functions and mechanisms for Public packet Telecommunication Data Network (PTDN)", Q22/13
• Y.MM-RN "Mobility management framework over reconfigurable networks", Q23/13
• Y.MobileP2P "Mobility supporting architecture for mobile P2P service in heterogeneous wireless networks", Q23/13
• Supplement to ITU-T Y-series of Recommendations: "Information-Centric Networking - Overview, Standardization Gaps and Proof-of-Concept", Q22/13 (with authorization of the SG13 November meeting).

WP 2/13:

• Y.dsf-reqts "Requirements for data storage federation", Q17/13
• Y.csb-reqts "Cloud Computing-Requirements for Cloud Service Brokerage", Q17/13

WP 3/13:

• Y.trustworthy-media "Framework of Trust-based Media Services", Q16/13
• Y.energy-platform "Framework of energy sharing and trading platform", Q16/13
  
   

Next meeting of Study Group 13 will take place from 16 to 27 July 2018, place TBC.

​Past Executive Summaries:

• Geneva, Switzerland, 6-17 November 2017
• Geneva, Switzerland, 14 July 2017
• Geneva, Switzerland, 6-17 February, 2017
• Geneva, Switzerland, 27 June - 8 July 2016
• Geneva, Switzerland, 29 April 2016
• Geneva, Switzerland, 30 November - 11 December 2015
• Geneva, Switzerland, 23 July2015
• Geneva, Switzerland, 20 April - 1 May 2015
• Geneva, Switzerland, 21 November 2014
• Geneva, Switzerland, 7-18 July 2014
• Geneva Switzerland, 28 February 2014
• Uganda, Kampala, 4-15 November 2013
• Geneva Switzerland, 28 June 2013
• Geneva Switzerland, 18 February - 1 March 2013
• Geneva, Switzerland, 4 - 15 June 2012
• Geneva, Switzerland, 6 February 2012
• Geneva, Switzerland, 10 – 21 October 2011
• Geneva, Switzerland, 20 May 2011
• Geneva, Switzerland, 17 - 28 January 2011
• Geneva, Switzerland, 16 September 2010
• Geneva, Switzerland, 19 – 30 April 2010
• Mar Del Plata, Argentina, 2 – 12 September 2009
• Geneva, Switzerland, 12 – 23 January 2009