ITU telecom standards event kicks off in Delhi

From the Linux Foundation CEO to regulators from around the world to even a representative from the Vatican, the Global Standards Symposium set the stage for the World Telecommunications Standards Assembly to be held this week in the capital.

Ahead of the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA) held under the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in New Delhi, the Global Standardization Symposium (GSS) was kicked off here, with participation from top telecom ministers and regulators from around the world. This is the first edition of the quadrennial GSS and WTSA, twin events focusing on harmonizing telecom standards globally, being held in Asia. A previous edition in 2020 planned to be hosted in Hyderabad was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Standards are more than mere technical specifications,” Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the Secretary General of the ITU, said when opening the day-long event. “They foster interoperability, promise innovation and promote it, and can serve as safeguards,” among other things, that technologies like Artificial Intelligence are “developed and deployed responsibly in ways that uphold human rights.” 

“Governance of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) cannot just be an afterthought,” Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Communications said in his remarks. “We must address concerns of privacy, bias, transparency, ensuring that these technologies serve as a force for good.” Mr. Scindia spoke on Indian progress in 5G, digital public infrastructure like UPI and Aadhaar, and the Bharat 6G Alliance, which aims to contribute significantly to the standards for the next generation of telecommunications.

At a high level meeting that followed — chaired by India — representatives from China, Egypt, Burundi, the United States, Gabon, Armenia, Poland, Japan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Burundi, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico shared their views on the evolving technology and telecom landscape. 

Some notable speakers at the session included: Raffaella Petrini, a religious sister serving as the Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, who spoke of the importance of making sure that AI served humans and respected human rights above all; Linux Foundation CEO Jim Zemlin, who urged policymakers to engage more with open source developers; and other private and public sector representatives from Ericsson, British Telecom, BSNL, and the Global Esports Federation.

Published - October 14, 2024 05:22 pm IST