ACCREDIT NOW

Journalists are invited to submit their credentials for official media accreditation for ITU’s upcoming World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-16) in Hammamet, Tunisia, 25 October to 3 November 2016.

WTSA is held every four years for ITU members to refine the strategic direction of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). The Assembly will review ITU-T’s structure, working methods and mechanisms for collaboration with other standards bodies, SMEs and open-source communities, and the many vertical sectors applying ICTs as enabling technologies.

WTSA-16 is an opportunity to ensure that ITU standardization remains well positioned to support the development of the Information Society. The decisions of the Assembly will shape ITU-T into a form optimized to assist government, industry and academia in achieving their ambitions for the year 2020 and beyond, in fields including IMT-2020 (5G), the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, and the ICT sector’s contribution to the pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

WTSA-16 will be preceded by the Global Standards Symposium on 24 October, an event to bring together Thought Leaders in the standardization sphere to discuss how standards efforts could best integrate the consideration of security, privacy and trust.

A series of side events will supplement the discussions of WTSA-16.

The CCITT/ITU-T 60^th Anniversary Talks will host high-profile speakers to explore the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Financial Services and their implications for industry and society, and supporting standardization and governance frameworks.

An invitation-only “CxO Meeting” will gather industry leaders to explore the new industry dynamics ushered in by the rise of over-the-top business models. The meeting will also discuss how to accelerate the deployment of innovative broadband access solutions such as giga-band through a combination of LTE, WiFi and fixed broadband (ITU G.fast) technologies.

The first meeting of the ITU Women in Standardization Expert Group (WISE) will bring together leading women in the ICT field to debate the best course of action in advocacy aimed at enhancing the participation of women in the ICT sector and supporting technical standardization activity.

An event focused on the accessibility of ICTs to persons with disabilities will highlight ITU’s latest initiatives to mainstream the consideration of ICT accessibility in the development of technical standards.

What: 
World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly

When:
25 October to 3 November 2016

Where:
Medina Hotel and Convention & Exhibition Center, Hammamet, Tunisia

Why:
Review ITU-T’s structure, working methods and mechanisms for collaboration

Who:
Delegations of ITU Member States, including representatives of industry, civil society and academic and research institutes

About ITU

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 700 private sector entities and academic institutions. Established over 150 years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. www.itu.int