Telecom centre advances digital development in CIS countries
The International Research, Development and Testing Centre for new equipment, technologies, and services (IRDTC) is driving digital progress across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with new activities supporting the sustainable growth of telecommunications networks.
Recent efforts include wireless equipment testing, a regional forum on future networks, a study tour for the project team, and the piloting of a technology that improves voice call quality and connection times.
These activities form part of the second phase of a project implemented by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau in cooperation with PJSC Rostelecom, a digital services provider in Russia, and the Bonch-Bruevich Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (SPbSUT).
The Centre opened in 2020 at SPbSUT with the aim of strengthening telecommunications infrastructure and supporting the digital economy in the region.
It serves ITU Member States in the CIS by testing new equipment and services, supporting standardization, and building regional capacity through policy development, technical documentation, workshops, and training programmes. Work involves students, teachers, scientists, representatives of industry, and professional associations.
The beneficiary countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation, and Uzbekistan.
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About the project
The International Research, Development and Testing Centre for new equipment, technologies, and services (IRDTC) was opened in October 2020 at the Bonch-Bruevich Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications as a result of a joint project of PJSC Rostelecom, St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (SPbSUT), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
At the IRDTC laboratory, research is carried out in the most advanced specializations of telecommunications and IT, including promising technologies for communication networks (Network 2030), Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Sustainable Cities (SSC), Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT), 5G OpenRAN communication networks, and the industrial IoT. This work involves students, teachers, scientists, representatives of industry, and professional associations.
Learn more about the project: phase 1 and phase 2.