ITU

Quantum information technology (QIT) is a class of emerging technology that improves information processing capability by harnessing principles of quantum mechanics. It has promoted the booming of the second quantum revolution and will have a profound impact on ICT networks.

The ITU-T Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Networks (FG-QIT4N) was established in September 2019 to provide a collaborative platform for pre-standardisation aspects of QIT for networks. Its main objectives are:

• to study the evolution and applications of QIT for networks;
• to focus on terminology and ​use cases for QIT for networks;
• to provide necessary technical background information and collaborative conditions to effectively support QIN-related standardization work in ITU-T Study Groups;
• to provide an open cooperation platform with ITU-T Study Groups and other SDOs.​​

SCOPE: This Recommendation specifies an architectural framework for machine learning in future networks including IMT-2020. A set of architectural requirements is presented, which in turn leads to specific architectural components needed to satisfy these requirements. This Recommendation also describes an architectural framework for integration of such components into future networks including IMT-2020 and guidelines for applying this architectural framework in a variety of technology-specific underlying networks.

Recommendation Y.3172 (06/19) - Approved in 2019-06-22

The ITU-T Focus Group on Machine Learning for Future Networks including 5G was established by ITU-T Study Group 13 at its meeting in Geneva, 6-17 November 2017. The Focus Group will draft technical reports and specifications for machine learning (ML) for future networks, including interfaces, network architectures, protocols, algorithms and data formats.

The main objectives of the Focus Group are:

• Study the economic benefit and impact of introducing DFC over mobile money;
• Investigate the ecosystem of digital fiat currency implementation for financial inclusion;
• Map the functional network reference architecture and process components required to implement digital fiat currency and integration with existing payment systems for interoperability;
• Identify use cases, requirements and applications of digital fiat currency;
• Develop better understanding of the security, regulatory implications, consumer protection, fraud prevention and counterfeiting issues of DFS and how can digital fiat currency can address these concerns;
• Identify critical sovereign security, transparency and verifiability of DFC technology and provide guidelines towards the escrow of critical software and hardware components to ensure trust and verifiability; and
• Identify new areas for standardization in ITU-T study groups.

​Study Group 2 is home to Recommendation ITU-T E.164, the numbering standard which has played a central role in shaping the telecom networks of today. ITU-T E.164 provides the structure and functionality of telephone numbers, and without it we would not be able to communicate internationally. In recent years SG2 has worked on ENUM, an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocol for entering E.164 numbers into the Internet domain name system (DNS).

An equally important product of SG2 is Recommendation ITU-T E.212 which describes a system to identify mobile devices as they move from network to network. International mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) is a critical part of the modern mobile telecoms system, allowing the identification of a roaming mobile terminal in a foreign network and subsequently the querying of the home network for subscription and billing information.

ITU-T Study Group 5 (SG5) is responsible for studies on methodologies for evaluating ICT effects on climate change and publishing guidelines for using ICTs in an eco-friendly way. Under its environmental mandate SG5 is also responsible for studying design methodologies to reduce ICTs and e-waste's adverse environmental effects, for example, through recycling of ICT facilities and equipment.

ITU-T Study Group 9 (SG9) carries out studies on the use of telecommunication systems in the distribution of television and sound programs supporting advanced capabilities such as ultra-high definition and 3D TV. This work also covers the use of cable and hybrid networks – primarily designed for the distribution of television and sound programs to the home – as integrated broadband networks to provide interactive voice, video and data services, including Internet access.

ITU-T Study Group 12 is the expert group responsible for the development of international standards (ITU-T Recommendations) on performance, quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE). This work spans the full spectrum of terminals, networks and services, ranging from speech over fixed circuit-switched networks to multimedia applications over mobile and packet-based networks.

Recommendation ITU-T Y.3324 specifies the high-level and functional requirements and architecture of autonomic management and control (AMC) for IMT-2020 networks. It also specifies interworking reference points between AMC and IMT-2020 management and orchestration architecture, and legacy NMS/OSS. In Appendix I, it describes a use case to realize the AMC architecture through the ETSI GANA reference model(ETSI TS 103 195-2).

Recommendation ITU-T Y.3519 describes the functional architecture for big data as a service (BDaaS). The functional architecture is defined on the basis of the analysis of requirements and activities of cloud computing-based big data described in Recommendation ITU-T Y.3600.

This draft Recommendation presents the high-level requirements and reference framework of Smart City Platform (SCP). The SCP is a fundamental platform supporting all the services and applications of a smart city, with the objective to improve quality of life, provide urban operation and services for the benefit of the citizens while ensuring city sustainability.

The purpose of this Recommendation is to specify requirements and capabilities of the IoT for Big Data. This Recommendation complements the developments on common requirements of the IoT [ITU-T Y.2066] and functional framework of the IoT [ITU-T Y.2068] in terms of the specific requirements and capabilities that the IoT is expected to support in order to address the challenges related to Big Data. Also, it constitutes a basis for further standardization work (e.g. functional entities, APIs and protocols) concerning Big Data in the IoT.