1. Contact: mfungahema@tcra.go.tz
African Region Involvement in ITU-T Activities and Africa’s Participation in WTSA 12
Raynold C. Mfungahema
Contact:
Member of the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) Team at the 2nd African Regional Preparatory Meeting for the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA-12) 21st - 24th May 2012 Durban, South Africa

2. Agenda Introduction WTSA – 12 African Group Preparatory Status
Agenda of the WTSA – 12
AFCPs WTSA 12
Expected Results
African Group Participation

3. WTSA - World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly
ITU-T World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA)
WTSA sets the overall direction and structure for
ITU-T and meets every four years. It defines the
general policy for the Sector, establishes the
study groups, approves their expected work
programme for the next four-year period, and
appoints their chairmen and vice-chairmen.
An output of WTSA is a set of Resolutions which
are available at:
itu.int/ITU-T/wtsa/resolutions

4. ITU – T Study Groups
Study Group 2: Operational aspects of service provision, networks and performance
- Lead Study Group for service definition, numbering and routing
- Lead Study Group for Telecommunication for Disaster Relief/Early Warning
Study Group 3: Tariff and accounting principles including related telecommunication economic and policy issues
-Foster collaboration among its members with a view to the establishment of rates at levels as low as possible consistent with an efficient service and taking into account the necessity for maintaining independent financial administration of telecommunication on a sound basis.

5. ITU – T Study Groups (cont…)
Study Group 4 : Telecommunication management
- The management of telecommunication services, networks, and equipment, including support for next generation networks (NGN) and the application and evolution of the telecommunication management network (TMN) framework.
Study Group 5: Protection against electromagnetic environment effects -protection of telecommunication networks and equipment from interference and lightning.
-electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), to safety and to health effects connected with electromagnetic fields produced by telecommunication installations and devices, including cellular phones.

6. ITU – T Study Groups (cont…)
Study Group 6 : Outside Plant and related indoor installations
- construction, installation, jointing, terminating, protection from corrosion and others forms of damage from environment impact, except electromagnetic processes, of all types of cable for public telecommunications and associated structures.
Study Group 9: Integrated broadband cable networks and television and sound transmission
- Use of cable and hybrid networks, primarily designed for television and sound programme delivery to the home, as integrated broadband networks to also carry voice or other time critical services, video on demand, interactive services, etc.
- Use of telecommunication systems for contribution, primary distribution and secondary distribution of television, sound programmes and similar data services.

7. ITU – T Study Groups (cont…)
Study Group 11 :Signalling requirements and protocols
- signalling requirements and protocols for Internet protocol (IP) related functions, some mobility related functions, multimedia functions for networks including convergence toward NGN, and enhancements to existing Recommendations on access and internetwork signalling protocols of BICC, ATM, N-ISDN and PSTN.
Study Group 12 : Performance and quality of service
- The end-to-end transmission performance of terminals and networks, in relation to the perceived quality and acceptance by users of text, data, speech, and multi-media applications. - a special focus is given to IP QoS, interoperability and implications for NGN, and also includes work on performance and resource management.

8. ITU – T Study Groups (cont…)
Study Group 13: Next Generation Networks
- The architecture, evolution and convergence of next generation networks including frameworks and functional architectures, signalling requirements for NGN, NGN project management coordination across study groups and release planning, implementation scenarios and deployment models, network and service capabilities, interoperability, impact of IPv6, NGN mobility and network convergence and public data network aspects.
Study Group 15 : Optical and other transport network infrastructures
- the development of standards on optical and other transport network infrastructures, systems, equipment, optical fibres, and the corresponding control plane technologies to enable the evolution toward intelligent transport networks. This encompasses the development of related standards for the customer premises, access, metropolitan and long haul sections of communication networks.

9. ITU – T Study Groups (cont…)
Study Group 16 : Multimedia terminals, systems and applications
- Multimedia service capabilities, and application capabilities (including those supported for NGN). This encompasses multimedia terminals, systems (e.g., network signal processing equipment, multipoint conference units, gateways, gatekeepers, modems, and facsimile), protocols and signal processing (media coding).
Study Group 17 : Security, languages and telecommunication software
- security, the application of open system communications including networking and directory, and for technical languages, the method for their usage and other issues related to the software aspects of telecommunication systems.

10. ITU – T Study Groups (cont…)
Study Group 19 : Mobile Telecommunication Networks
- network aspects of mobile telecommunications networks, including International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000) and beyond, wireless Internet, convergence of mobile and fixed networks, mobility management, mobile multimedia functions, internetworking, interoperability and enhancements to existing ITU-T Recommendations on IMT-2000.

11. Africa Preparations for WTSA 12
Begun in Cairo, Egypt.
African Proposals To WTSA-12 based on the set out Agenda
To be Consolidated Here in Durban
Be ready for the WTSA 12 Dubai meeting in November 2012

12. What is a “Resolution” ?

13. WTSA 12 Preparatory Meetings
Resolutions guide activities in ITU – T
At WTSA Preparatory meetings main discussions are on resolutions
-In 2008 about 30 input documents were on resolutions, mainly from regional organizations.
- At WTSA 12 Implementation Review of the resolutions will be given.
-At the WTSA 12 it is expected more good inputs to be received from the regional preparatory meetings.
WTSA will be preceded by a Global symposium on bridging the Standardization gap

14. Global Standards Symposium, Dubai, UAE, 20 November 2012
The Global Standards Symposium (GSS), to be held in Dubai on 20 October 2012, just ahead of WTSA-12, will bring together standards makers and other interested parties to discuss how developing countries can become better involved in the standards making process and bridge the “standardanization gap”.
SG-“disparities in the ability of developing countries, relative to developed ones, to access, implement, contribute to and influence international ICT standards, specifically ITU-T Recommendations”.

15. Side Events at the WTSA 12
During the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-12) Dubai, UAE, 20 to 29 November 2012, ... side events will be held from 20 to 28 November 2012,
The events will focus on Cybersecurity, ICT Accessibility and ICT and Climate Change and will give participants updates on the status of the work in ITU and a chance to discuss future activities, including new Resolutions. The output could be given as input to relevant ad-hoc groups established by the WTSA-12 plenary.

16. Standardanization Gap Challenges

17. African Group Bridging the ICT Standardization Gap
Climb the standardization development ladder to different levels at which African Group Members most of which are categorized as Developing can participate in ITU’s standards-making activities.
At each stage of the ladder, it is possible to identify both indicators to measure the level of participation, and actions that can be taken to promote participation.
I encourage African group members to use the opportunity of Symposium and WTSA-12 to make and support proposals, for instance in terms of an update to Resolution 44 on Bridging the Standardization Gap, proposals for new study group questions, nominations of regional representatives for study group officials, proposals on the allocation of the Standardization Gap Fund etc.

18. EXPECTED Results WTSA 12 and Beyond\

19. The standardization ladder of development:Tim Kelly(ITU-T)

20. Africa Common Proposals to WTSA 12…
This Slide Demand your input.

21. Africa Common Proposals WTSA 12…
SGs Restructuring
Any Comments ?

22. Africa Common Proposals to WTSA 12
Other Issues
- Testing and certification ? Any feed Back ? Uganda , Ghana ?
- Migration from IPv4 to IPv6 ? any Comments ?
- ICT and Climate change?
- Cyber security and Accessibility ?
Africa consider the proposals put forward by other regions. ? Do we know them ? When to do that ? -

23. Africa Common Proposals WTSA 12
Resolutions to assist Developing Countries
- All the Resolutions addressing this issue, namely Res. 1,17, 26,43,44, and 54 were reviewed and approved as AFCP .
Candidature for chair and vice chair for SG and TSAG
- Interested parties are asked to present their names and particulars to ITU following the laid down procedures and inform ATU for coordination purposes
The request is still standing for the 2012 – 2016 study period

24. Africa Common Proposals WTSA 12
Leadership at WTSA 12
- Ghana presided over meetings of the African Group during the WTSA-08 as per ATU Regulations.
- Tanzania was appointed as Vice Chair of the WTSA - 08, in conformity with AU rules .
How are we organised for the WTSA 12 ?

25. Reducing the Standardazation Gap

26. Possible New initiatives
Any recommendation ?

27. WTSA 12 and Beyond

28. Any Africa Group Hot Topics ?

29. Challenge: Way forward
WTSA 12 DUBAI November 2012
AFCPs started in Cairo November 2011
Dedicated address
Wtsa – Wcit
AFCPs Being consolidated here in Durban
Let US Use the 2008 WTSA format Rally Around ATU… Show example.