Resolution 101 (Rev. Antalya, 2006)

Internet Protocol-based networks

The Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (Antalya, 2006),

aware

a)      that one of the purposes of the Union is to promote the extension of new telecommunication technologies to all the world’s inhabitants;

b)      that, in order to fulfil its purposes, the Union should, among other things, facilitate the worldwide standardization of telecommunications, with a satisfactory quality of service,

recalling

a)      the outcomes of the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), especially §§ 27 c) and 50 d) of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, relating to international Internet connectivity;

b)      No. 196 of the ITU Convention, which stipulates that telecommunication standardization study groups shall pay due attention to the study of questions and to the formulation of recommendations directly connected with the establishment, development and improvement of telecommunications in developing countries at both the regional and international levels,

considering

a)      that advances in the global information infrastructure, including the development of Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks and especially the Internet, continue to be an issue of crucial importance, as an important engine for growth in the world economy in the twenty-first century;

b)      that the increased use of the Internet introduces new additional applications in telecommunication services based on its highly advanced technology: the utilization of e-mail has become commonplace, voice over Internet is being developed rapidly even though there are challenges regarding quality of service, uncertainty of origin, and the high cost of international connectivity;

c)       that current and future IP-based networks will continue to introduce dramatic changes in the way we acquire, produce, circulate and consume information;

considering further

a)      that the Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) has made significant progress and carried out several studies on the promotion of infrastructure and the use of the Internet in developing countries, through its 2002 Istanbul Action Plan, through human capacity building efforts such as its Internet Training Centre initiative; and the outcomes of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (Doha, 2006), which endorsed the continuation of these studies, and called on the Sector to give assistance to developing countries, least developed countries, and small island developing states to set up high-speed backbone networks for the Internet, as well as national, subregional and regional access points for the Internet;

b)      that studies are ongoing in the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) on IP‑based network issues, including service interoperability with other telecommunication networks, numbering, signalling requirements and protocol aspects, security and infrastructure component costs, and issues associated with the evolution to next-generation networks (NGN), including the migration from existing networks to NGNs;

c)    that a general cooperation agreement exists between ITU-T and the Internet Society (ISOC) and its Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF),

recognizing

a)      that IP-based networks have evolved to a widely accessible medium used for global commerce and communication, and there is therefore a need to identify the global activities related to IP-based networks with respect to, for example:

i)        infrastructure, interoperability and standardization;

ii)       Internet naming and addressing;

iii)      dissemination of information about IP-based networks and the implications of their development for ITU Member States, particularly the developing countries;

b)      that significant work on IP-related issues is being conducted within ITU and many other international bodies;

c)       that the quality of service of IP-based networks should be consistent with ITU-T Recommendations and other recognized international standards;

d)      that it is in the public interest that IP-based networks and other telecommunication networks should be both interoperable and provide, at a minimum, the level of quality of service provided by traditional networks, consistent with ITU-T Recommendations and other recognized international standards,

urges

a)      ITU-T to continue its collaborative activities on IP-based networks with ISOC/IETF and other relevant recognized organizations, in respect of interconnectivity with existing telecommunication networks and migration to NGN;

b)      the three Sectors to continue to consider their future work programmes on IP-based networks and on migration to NGN,

resolves

1        that ITU shall fully embrace the opportunities for telecommunication/information and communication technology (ICT) development that arise from the growth of IP-based services, in conformity with the ITU purposes and the outcomes of the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of WSIS, taking into account the quality and security of services;

2        that ITU shall clearly identify, for its Member States and Sector Members and for the general public, the range of Internet-related issues that fall within the responsibilities incumbent on the Union under its basic texts and the activities in the WSIS outcome documents where ITU has a role;

3        that ITU shall collaborate with other relevant organizations to ensure that growth in IP-based networks along with and taking into consideration traditional networks, delivers maximum benefits to the global community, and participate as appropriate in any directly related international initiatives;

4        to continue the study of international Internet connectivity as an urgent matter, as called for in § 50 d) of the Tunis Agenda, and to call upon ITU-T to complete as soon as possible its studies that have been ongoing since the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (Montreal, 2000),

instructs the Secretary-General

1        to prepare an annual report to the Council with the appropriate input from Member States, Sector Members, the three Sectors and the General Secretariat, that provides a comprehensive summary both of the activities that ITU is already undertaking in regard to IP-based networks, including the development of NGNs, and of the roles and activities of other relevant international organizations, describing their involvement in IP-based network issues; the report shall indicate the degree of cooperation between ITU and these organizations, drawing the required information wherever possible from existing sources, and containing concrete proposals on improving ITU activities and such cooperation, and shall be distributed widely among the Member States and Sector Members, the advisory groups of the three Sectors and other groups involved;

2        based on this report, to continue collaborative activities related to IP-based networks, especially those related to the implementation of the relevant outcomes of the two phases of WSIS,

invites the Council

to consider the above-mentioned report and take into account comments, if any, made by the advisory groups of the three Sectors through their respective Bureau Directors and, when appropriate, undertake further steps,

invites the Member States and Sector Members

1        to participate in, and follow the progress of, the current work of the Sectors of the Union;

2        to increase awareness at national level among all interested non-governmental parties and to encourage their participation in relevant ITU activities, and in any other relevant activities emanating from the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of WSIS.

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