India to host Global Telecom Standards Conference in October 2024

The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) of the Department of Telecom (DOT) and ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) jointly organised the first National Preparatory Workshop for World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2024 (WTSA-24) on 10th January 2024 . WTSA is the flagship event of the ITU standardization sector and is held every four years to prepare the standardisation agenda for the global telecom industry for the next four years.

WTSA-24, will take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India from 14 to 24 October 2024 with more than 1500 participants including about 1000-1200 foreign participants. The event will be on the lines of G-20 and is likely to be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.

Global preparations for WTSA are in full swing and within Asia, the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) will hold its 2nd Meeting of the APT Preparatory Group for WTSA-24 (APT WTSA24-2) from 5 to 6 February 2024.

The key objective of the TEC-IAFI workshop was Indian administration to prepare proposals for the ITU WTSA-24 and APT WTSA24-2. The TEC-IAFI workshop on 10th January was inaugurated by Shri Manish Sinha, Member Finance and Smt. Gunjan Dave, Member, Technology of the Digital Communications Commission(DCC).

In his opening speech, Shri Manish Sinha, Member Finance of the Digital Communications Commission(DCC) said that “such a mega event of ITU is planned to be hoisted in India, it is my duty as Member (Finance), that sufficient finance is available for arranging the resources to make the event successful. I discussed the proposal with Ministry of Finance to consider the event at par with G-20, as resources play critical role in turning the dreams into reality. WTSA demands not just intellectual and technical prowess, but also needs robust financial resources”. He further said that organizing such a global event requires meticulous planning and prudent allocation of resources and offered his unwavering support in ensuring the financial success of this momentous event.

In her opening speech Ms. Gunjan Dave, Member, Technology said that “such kind of mega event of ITU is planned very first time in India, even first time in Asia. This is not just India’s WTSA; it is the world’s WTSA. So, let us embrace this opportunity to come together, share our expertise, and collectively shape a future where technology empowers, connects, and propels us towards a brighter tomorrow. In coming months, we have to work tirelessly to create a platform that fosters meaningful dialogue, facilitates knowledge exchange, and paves the way for ground-breaking resolutions. We will utilize India’s vibrant technology ecosystem, showcasing our cutting-edge advancements and diverse perspectives. She further reiterated that the DOT will engage with stakeholders across the country, ensuring that all the voices of all are heard and represented.

Shri Bharat Bhatia, president IAFI introduced details of the events that will be held along with WTSA-24 and their preparatory activities. He also outlined the importance of forthcoming WTSA-24 which is going to play a pivotal role in addressing the evolving landscape of telecommunication standards, fostering international collaboration, and navigating the industry’s response to the on-going global challenges. This was followed by addresses by Guest of honour Smt. Tripti Saxena, Sr. DDG & Head, TEC. She said that TEC feels proud and happy to co-organise this crucial workshop which is a first key step towards hosting the momentous World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly in New Delhi.

The technical sessions at the workshop during the day covered important issues like Structure and organization of WTSA and Related Resolutions (Resolutions 1 and 2); Review of Existing WTSA Resolutions; Proposals for New Resolutions followed by concluding remarks.
The workshop had an impressive list of speakers and panellists that included Sh. Premjit Lal, DDG (IR), DOT who spoke on Structure of WTSA, Chairs and Vice chairs of WTSA; Sh. Bharat Bhatia, President, IAFI Sh. Avinash Aggarwal, DDG (Standardization), TEC, apart from Views of TSDSI and BIF.

Sh. Avinash Agarwal, DDG (C&B) deliberated on Responsible AI in Telecommunication/ICT while Sh. B. K. Singh, DDG (TS), TEC offered his views on Critical Infrastructure. On outcomes and discussions on various resolutions Sh. T R Dua; Chairman IAFI, Sh. S. K. Singhal, DDG (RC), TEC; Sh. Jitendra Singh, Vice President, IAFI; Sh. Rakesh S. Desai, DDG (FA), TEC; Sh. B. K. Singh, DDG (TS), TEC; Sh. Satyen Gupta, Secretary General, IAFI; Sh. Anand Katoch, DDG (TC), TEC; Sh. N V Satyanarayana; Sh. V K Roy, DDG (Radio), TEC; Sh. Vimal Wakhlu, VP, IAFI; Sh. R S Singh, DDG (IOT), TEC; Sh. Piyush Chetiya, DDG (MT), TEC gave their informed opinions WTSA-24, a quadrennial event, is ITU-T’s mega affair, which will be held at prestigious Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India from 15th to 24th Oct, 2024. Bharat Mandapam. The last event, WTSA-20, was planned to be arranged in India, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, event was relocated to Geneva, Switzerland. Finally, WTSA-20 was held from 1st March to 9th March, 2022, preceded by the Global Standards Symposium on February 28, 2022. IAFI has been regularly coordinating with its industry partners and members, TEC and DoT to make WTSA-24 the most successful event and ensure its resounding success.

CT Bureau