Initially scheduled for the last quarter of 2022, the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA 20) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will be held from 1 to 9 March 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland. As the highest body of the Standardisation Sector of the ITU (ITU-T), the WTSA normally takes place every four years. The Assembly will be preceded by the Global Standards Symposium on 28 February in the same location.
ANACOM will be represented at the highest level, with the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, João Cadete de Matos. In addition to monitoring the work of the Assembly, the Chairman’s presence is an opportunity to hold a series of meetings with leading ITU officials, underlining Portugal's commitment to this United Nations Agency.
It should be noted that Portugal, through the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), submitted a proposal to WTSA-20, with a view to drafting a new ITU-T Resolution on SMART submarine cable systems. A next generation of submarine cables will combine their traditional use for electronic communications with the introduction of additional capabilities: carrying out environmental and seismic detection (including tsunami and earthquake early warnings) and detection of other types of underwater activity. Portugal has been engaged in innovative work in this area within the scope of the project to replace the ring of submarine cables that connects mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira.
As well as this proposal, key decisions will be made at this important ITU meeting for the next period of activity, including on measures relating, in particular, to the reorganisation of the ITU-T´s structure and working methods.
Approval will also be given to the guidelines of the ITU-T for the next four years, in a wide range of matters, such as standards for OTT services, Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communication, smart cities, Artificial Intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Further information:
- World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-20) https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/wtsa20/Pages/default.aspx
