International Telecommunications Regulations

The International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) constitute an international treaty covering the provision and operation of international telecommunication services offered to the public as well as the underlying international telecommunication transport infrastructure used to provide such services.

The ITRs were last amended at the World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference (Melbourne, 1988).  This conference was renamed at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2002 as the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT). The next WCIT is scheduled for 2012 as set out in ITU Resolution 146 (Antalya, 2006).

It is important to ensure that the ITRs are reviewed and, if deemed appropriate, revised and updated in a timely manner in order to facilitate cooperation and coordination among Member States and to reflect accurately the relations between Member States, Sector Members, administrations and recognized operating agencies.

Resolution 146 (Antalya, 2006) resolves that the fourth WTPF should consider emerging telecommunications policy and regulatory issues, with respect to international telecommunication networks and services, for the purpose of understanding them and possibly developing opinions as appropriate. The WTPF should prepare reports and, where appropriate, opinions for consideration by Member States, Sector Members, relevant ITU meetings and the Council.  The World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF) has historically provided an appropriate venue for discussing global and cross-sectoral issues of high concern to the ITU membership.

Selected online resources and policy papers

• ITU, International Telecommunication Regulations, Final Acts of the World Administrative Telegraphy and Telephone Conference (WATTC-88), Melbourne, 1988.
• ITU, ITU Working Group on the ITRs.
• ITU, Information on the ITRs prior to 2001.
• ITU, Reform of the ITRs, Background Documents relating to the ITRs.
• Expert Group on the International Telecommunication Regulations, Correlation between ITRs and the Constitution and Convention of the ITU, 1999.
• Expert Group on the International Telecommunication Regulations, Review of the ITRs. Background paper prepared by the Secretariat, 1999.
• OECD, International Telecommunications: A review of issues and developments, August 1995. 
• F. Lyall , Journal of information law & Technology, Communications Regulation : The Role of the International Telecommunication Union, 1997.
• Chairman's summary and presentations made at the ITU-T Study Group 3 workshop on network externalities, Geneva, 4 October 2007.
• Report of work in ITU-T Study Group 3 on network externalities, March 2008.
• Draft ITU-T Recommendation on network externalities.
• Draft study for ITU-T Study Group 3 Tariff Group for Asia and Oceania on financial aspects of network security: malware and spam, March 2008.
• Overview of fraud in telecommunications presented to ITU-T Study Group 3 Tariff Group for Africa, January 2008.
• Resolution 20 of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly: Procedures for allocation and management of international telecommunication numbering, naming, addressing and identification resources.
• ITU-T Recommendation E.156: Guidelines for ITU-T action on reported misuse of E.164 number resources.
• ITU-T Recommendation E.156 Supplement 1 : Best practice guide on countering misuse of E.164 number resources. 
• Anthony M. Rutkowski, the ITU treaty provisions for infrastructure protection: how they came to be and why they are relevant today, 2005.
• Chairman, ITR-EG, List of telecommunications policy and regulatory issues with respect to international telecommunication networks and services compiled by the Chairman, July 2008.