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ITU-T work programme

[2025-2028] : [SG 5]

[Work programme]
Work group: Q1/5 (Presentation Web page is available here)
Title: Electrical protection, reliability, safety, and security of telecommunication/ICT systems
Description: 1 Motivation The widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is dramatically changing society, keeping people and things connected to information network, regardless of their location. Dependency among social infrastructures such as the communication and information networks, power, water/sewerage and transportation systems increase much more in future society. In particular, the communication and information networks will act as a "nerve system", and the importance of its reliability and security continues to grow. The reliable ICT networks are essential for controlling power grid systems, water supply systems and other infrastructures to get maximum efficiency, and minimize loss or waste for circular economy and smart cities. Therefore, deficiency of some infrastructure function will cause serious social disruption especially in smart cities. The infrastructure is composed of telecommunication network equipment, which is susceptible to damage or interference produced by external physical phenomena, such as nearby lightning strikes, disturbances in the neighbouring electric power system and electromagnetic attack. Therefore, if not properly protected, a highly sophisticated telecommunication system can be placed into an out-of- service condition by such phenomena. There are two kinds of methodology to provide cost effective protective measures in order to improve the telecommunication network's reliability from these events. The first one is protection measures applied to facilities and systems including earthing and bonding, magnetic shielding and cabling, coordination of SPD system, etc. The other one is specifications and test methods applied to ICT equipment and corresponding protection components and devices. This Question studies measures applicable to facilities and systems, against the effects by lightning, attacks using extreme electromagnetic field such as High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High- Power Electromagnetic (HPEM), causing threats for ICT societies. This Question is related directly and indirectly to climate change. The direct relationship is the reduction of e-waste, represented by the significant reduction of equipment replacement due to electric damage, and the need of improved protection levels as storm intensities increase. The indirect relationship is associated to the improved reliability and sustainability of the telecommunication system, which reduces fuel consumption, as people do not need to travel for face-to-face meetings as much when real-time video services are available. The following Recommendations, Directives, handbooks and supplements, in force at the time of approval of this Question, fall under its responsibility: - ITU-T K.6, K.7, K.8, K.9, K.13, K.14, K.19, K.26, K.27, K.29, K.35, K.39, K.40, K.46, K.47, K.54, K.56, K.57, K.66, K.67, K.68, K.71, K.72, K.73, K.78, K.81, K.84, K.87, K.89, K.97, K.101, K.104, K.105, K.107, K.108, K.109, K.110, K.111, K.112, K.115, K.119, K.120, K.125, K.134, K.142, K.146, K.154, K.155, L.75; - Directives (except Volume VIII); - Handbook on earthing and bonding; - Handbook on lightning; - K-series Supplements 5, 6. 2 Question The purpose of this Question is to produce new or revised Recommendations or supplements regarding the protection of telecommunication systems applicable to facilities and systems against the effects of nearby lightning strikes, disturbances from nearby electric power systems, and human-made extreme electromagnetic fields. Study items to be considered include, but are not limited to: - Lightning protection of wireless access systems, in particular radio base stations having equipment (e.g., remote radio head) installed in high structures exposed to lightning strikes, as well as miniature remote distributed base stations intended to provide wireless access in densely populated areas; - Lightning protection of fixed telecommunications lines; - Consideration of customer safety from the results of nearby lightning strikes and potential power fault events whereby telecommunication ports become influenced by the electric field of the electric power grid; - Lightning protection of home network cabling, including the unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded twisted pair (STP) used for access to Internet services; - Lightning protection of telecommunication stations (central office and access nodes), in particular those that make up part of the network's backbone, which requires a higher reliability; - Lightning protection of specific telecommunication systems installed in exposed environments; - Utilization of the data from lightning location systems (LLS) to optimize the network protection; - Protection of users of telecommunications services from the dangerous effects of lightning strikes; - Bonding configurations and earthing of telecommunication installations, including earthing of power feeding systems for protection against lightning strike and extreme electromagnetic phenomena; - Requirements for earthing and equipotential bonding under transient conditions, as those caused by lightning strike and extreme electromagnetic phenomena; - Protection of telecommunication installations where desired earthing conditions cannot be achieved; - Damages and hazards caused by electric power and electric traction systems to telecommunication systems; - Damages and hazards to telecommunication systems by the emergence of harmonics flowing on power systems, as a result of the dissemination of distributed power generation, such as inverters of the photovoltaic (PV) systems; - Protection against the effects of short-circuits in the nearby electric power lines due to the possible malfunction of newly adopted self-healing systems by the power utilities; - Requirements for the deployment of telecommunication systems on structures used by the power utilities, also considering its use for smart grid applications; - Technical requirement for preventing information leaks by unexpected radio emission from equipment (EMSEC: Electromagnetic emanation security); - Protection of telecommunication and data centres from attacks using high power radio waves (high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) and high power electromagnetic (HPEM); - Methods for mitigation of malfunction and damages caused by high electromagnetic field by applying measures including electromagnetic shielding; NOTE - The issues on protective devices for overvoltage and overcurrent are studied in context of "facilities and systems", i.e., consideration as a part of surge protection system taking into account overvoltage and overcurrent characteristics at each protection environment on power/signal lines, in this Question. The issues regarding protective devices in context of specifications, i.e., consideration of its circuit configuration, test methods, performance criteria related to protection of equipment, are under the responsibility of Question 2/5 "Equipment specification and component/device for protection against lightning and other phenomena". 3 Tasks Tasks include, but are not limited to: - Recommendations and supplements on the assessment of the conformance of radio base station regarding lightning protection and earthing; - Recommendations and supplements on the lightning protection and earthing of miniature wireless base station; - Recommendations and supplements on the use of data of lightning positioning system for network protection; - Recommendations and supplements on the protection of small-size telecommunication installation with poor earthing condition; - Recommendations and supplements on the lightning protection and earthing of video surveillance system; - Recommendations and supplements on the dangerous effects and protective measures against electromagnetic disturbances when Internet data centre is co-sited with high-voltage substation; - Recommendations and supplements on the damages and hazards on telecommunication transmissions on copper lines to cover railway interference on ADSL/ADSL2/VDSL2/G.fast and other new broadband delivery services; - Guides on the use of lightning protection, earthing, and bonding Recommendations; - Maintenance and enhancement of existing Recommendations on security concerning electromagnetic phenomena (HEMP, HPEM, information leakage); - Recommendations for the test method and procedures against HEMP, HPEM and information leakage; - Revision and maintenance of the existing publications (Recommendations, Handbooks, and Directives) under the Question responsibility, as required. An up-to-date status of work under this Question is contained in the ITU-T SG5 work programme (https://www.itu.int/ITU-T/workprog/wp_search.aspx?sp=18&q=1/5). 4 Relationships Recommendations: - ITU-T K-series Recommendations Questions: - 2/5, 4/5 Study Groups: - ITU-T SGs - ITU-R SGs - ITU-D SGs Other bodies: - IEC (e.g. TC 37A, IEC TC 77/SC 77C, IEC TC 81 and IEC JTC1) - IEEE (e.g. EMC TC5) - CENELEC (e.g. TC 81X) - ETSI (e.g. TC EE) - CIGRE (e.g. JWG C4.31, and C4.206 WG) - UIC WSIS Action Lines: - C2, C5 Sustainable Development Goals: - 7, 9
Comment: Continuation of Q1/5 and Q2/5
Acting rapporteur: Mr.ChuanyouDai
Associate rapporteur: Mr.RyuichiKobayashi
Associate rapporteur: Mr.HuagangWang