SG13: Future networks and emerging network technologies
SG13 meeting, 14 November 2022, Geneva, Switzerland
This meeting was an extra one-day SG13 meeting called up by the Collective-letter 2/13 (of 2 August 2022) and agreed at the July 2022 SG13 meeting.
It attracted 156 delegates (29 in person and 127 remote) and considered 25 documents split as 4 contributions and 21 TDs.
Main meeting results
Summary of activities since the July 2022 SG13 meeting:
- Results of the work of the Ad-hoc group on CNC1 definition coordination were presented by its co-convener, Mr Alojz Hudobivnik, Slovenia, TD64/PLEN. Report, in particular, has the definition of the CNC as “Computing and network convergence (CNC): A capability framework that achieves joint optimization of computing resource and network resource utilization, management, and control". Contribution 243 from UK shared some concerns about the CNC work in SG13 and calls for action of clear distinction between the CNC and other terms (like CPN2 and CAN3). After the short discussion, the SG13 chairman expressed his wish for the more sophisticated definition to be elaborated. So, the CNC discussions will continue alongside the SG13 November Rapporteur Group Meetings (14 – 25 November 2022) in a form of the special sessions because it is necessary to make clearer the distinguish between the CNC and other its relevant definitions to approve the pending 5 work items. Pending on the result of these discussions, the decision on approval of the 5 new work items on CNC was deferred to the WP1/13 and WP3/13 meetings of 25 November 2022.
- The correspondence group for datasets applicable for AI/ML in networks co-convenor, Mr Marco Carugi, Huawei China, gave the heads-up on the developments at the kick-off meeting of the group that took place on 8 November 2022. Mainly the group reviewed its Terms of Reference and got prepared for the work. Participants were invited to join the activities of this correspondence group.
JCA-IMT2020 and Beyond
The meeting took note of the JCA-IMT2020 progress report (TD65/PLEN), assessed its ongoing work to date and further to JCA-IMT2020 request, laid out in TD63/PLEN, agreed on continuation of the JCA-IMT2020 operation until end of the study period with the same management team (Mr Scott Mansfield, Ericsson Canada, as chairman and Ms Ying Chen, China Unicom, as vice-chairperson) and little editorial updates to its current ToR (see TD63/PLEN). TD58/PLEN from SG17 invited members to consider a more precise language in the ToR of the JCA-IMT2020 to emphasize the importance of the security aspects and SG17 leading role on security (IMT-2020 security in particular). No concrete text was suggested by SG17, so, JCA-IMT2020 was continued with unchanged ToR, (as agreed in TD63/PLEN), however, recognising the importance of this issue for SG17, inputs to improve the JCA-IMT2020 ToR were invited to the next JCA-IMT2020 meeting. Liaison Statement to TSAG and ITU-T SGs about continuation of the JCA-IMT2020, TD68/PLEN, was agreed.
Subsequently, on 21 November 2022, at the 14th meeting of the JCA-IMT2020 in Geneva the SG17 Vice-chairman provided a change to the ToR of the JCA to address issue of concern from SG17. JCA agreed to this change in its ToR. Updated ToR will be submitted to the next meeting of the SG13 for approval (March 2023).
JCA-ML
SG13 became aware of the adjustment to the ToR of the initiated in July 2022 its new Joint Coordination Activity on Machine Learning (JCA-ML), TD59/PLEN. Comments were elaborated by the IEC/ISO/ITU TSAG Standardization Programme Coordination Group. SG13 reviewed and agreed on those amendments and another small adjustment resulted from the discussion in plenary. Final ToR for the JCA-ML may be found in TD59-R1/PLEN. An LS to TSAG with the second request and updated ToR of JCA-ML was agreed for dispatching (TD67/PLEN). TSAG was requested to review and endorse JCA-ML operation.
FG-AN
SG13 reviewed and took note of the FG-AN progress report, TD61/PLEN. TD60/PLEN transferred two FG-AN Deliverables to the parent group for action. SG13 approved the creation of the two new work items based on the technical specifications of the FG-AN in
- Q20/13 draft Recommendation “Architecture framework for Autonomous Networks", TD63/GEN and
- Q16/13 draft Recommendation “Trustworthiness evaluation for autonomous networks including IMT-2020 and beyond", TD64/GEN
A.1 justification forms may be found in TD60/PLEN.
Contributions 214-R1 and 247 proposed/supported the continuation of the FG-AN operation beyond the current lifetime (first SG13 meeting in 2023). The group discussed the proposals and what the FG is still going to accomplish (like glossary of terms and definitions, Proof-of-Concepts, implementation guidelines). There was no agreement if the FG should continue its studies on detailed architecture and implementation guidelines while the framework architecture document was passed over to the SG13 and will be developed further there. After some debates the meeting felt appropriate to revisit assessment of the FG-AN operation in view of its lifetime extension at the next SG13 meeting (March 2023, Geneva).
New Queston on coordination (Q10/13)
SG13 chairman presented the TD57/PLEN with the text of the new Question, reporting to the plenary and doing the coordination of studies and collection and evaluation of new definitions. He announced that the new Question has been supported by NICT Japan, Ericsson Canada, Slovenia, Tunisia Telecom, India and Uzbekistan. The meeting spent some time, having considered different forms coordination may be performed in, and clarifying the need of such coordination and focal point for vocabulary issues. The meeting assessed in-depth the different options of doing such coordination and the new Question option was agreed as a most suitable one. Text of the new Question may be found in TD57-R1/PLEN. Since there were some comments on the exact wording, the chairman invited comments to be send to him as well as shared via mailing list until 25 November 2022. Liaison Statement to TSAG with the request to review and adopt the SG13 new Question was elaborated, TD70/PLEN. It was dispatched having not received any final editorial touches to the Q10/13 text before the announced deadline, 25 November 2022.
Mr Kazunori Tanikawa, NICT Japan will serve as Rapporteur for new Q10/13, Mr Scott Mansfield will perform the Associate Rapporteur duties for this Question.
SG13 preparations to WTSA-24 – Ad-hoc on Next Study Period preparations (Ad-hoc NSP)
The meeting agreed to set up an ad-hoc group on NSP with the ToR as in TD62-R1/PLEN. Mr Hyung-Soo (Hans) Kim, KT Korea, SG13 Vice-chairman, was nominated as convener. The ad-hoc will start its activities in November 2022 alongside SG13 RGM in Geneva. It has a dedicated mailing list (t22sg13nsp@lists.itu.int) and documents repository.
Potential FG on metaverse
SG13 received the information from the SG16 about its deliberations on the new FG on metaverse set up (TD87/GEN). C244 from UK calls SG13 to express its opinion (via LS) and engagement from the point of view of cloud computing in this subject area. To this end, SG13 reviewed the topic of metaverse from the SG13 perspective and drafted the outgoing LS pointing out its relevant technical areas (like web3.0 and cloud computing), TD66/PLEN.
SG13 schedule of meetings in 2023
SG13 chairman announced the availability of the rooms at ITU for SG13 to meet
- 13 – 24 March 2023, SG13 meeting
- 24 July – 4 August 2023, SG13 RGM
- 23 October – 3 November 2023, SG13 meeting
A delegate from UK, Mr Philip Rushton, expressed his disappointment with the dates clashing with the SG2 meeting in Geneva in March.
Subsequent note: SG13 management team on 22 November 2022 agreed to convene 1 – 2 days workshop “Workshop on future technical trends for 2030" (IMT-2030, quantum communications and web3.0) and one day WPs/13 meetings on 24 – 26 July in Geneva.
Nominations
Mr Kangchan Lee, ETRI Korea, was nominated the Acting WP2/13 chairman at this meeting to bridge the link to the WP2/13 chairman, who participated in SG13 November activities from remote only (Ms Yuan (Sophie) Zhang).
Future activities
WPs/13 meetings will take place on 25 November 2022 in Geneva.
Next SG13 meeting runs on 13 – 24 March 2023 in Geneva.
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1 - CNC stands for Computing and Network Convergence
2 – CPN – Computing Power Network
3 – CAN – Computing Aware Networking
