It's that time again, where large numbers of telecoms and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) companies are faced with the un-nerving prospect of a United Nations agency regulating fundamentally important aspects of the internet, as well as significantly increasing its jurisdiction over the ICT and telecoms industries.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a UN agency whose sole objective is to focus on the ICT and telecommunications industries. The ITU is over 100 years old and claims that it is: 'the sovereign right of each state to regulate its telecommunications', as such refusing any authority to regulate domestic communications.
The remit of tasks performed by the ITU includes; allocating global satellite orbits and radio spectrum, developing interconnection by promoting technical standards, and working to improve telecommunications accessibility for underprivileged and underserved communities.
Regulations put forth by the ITU do not carry the weight of law, but do set out suggested regulations and requirements for national regulatory authorities, addressing, among other things, economic and technical issues and standardisation.
At the forthcoming conference - which will take place in Dubai later this year - a significant treaty made in 1988 known as the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) will be renegotiated.
As well as the ITRs playing a pivotal part in arranging and setting in place the necessary framework detailing international telecommunication transport and services, it also established the guidelines which have provided the foundation for mutual and private agreements between both countries and no-governmental organisations.
Although they will not be passed as law, any decisions made during the course of the world conference will send a clear message to both domestic and international regulators alike concerning the most appropriate course of action to be taken, and it will very likely be that the decisions made at the conference will go a long way to defining the internet and telecoms regulations for the 21st century.
Whatever changes are deemed fit to be introduced, and however much opposition there may be towards them, the telecoms industry can count itself lucky that it has been able to avoid a re-assessment of its' guidelines for so long. And maybe there can be some comfort taken from the fact that whatever guidelines are introduced, the future of Voip is incredibly bright and will only continue to grow for the foreseeable future, meaning there will be no lack of new customers any time soon.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a UN agency whose sole objective is to focus on the ICT and telecommunications industries. The ITU is over 100 years old and claims that it is: 'the sovereign right of each state to regulate its telecommunications', as such refusing any authority to regulate domestic communications.
The remit of tasks performed by the ITU includes; allocating global satellite orbits and radio spectrum, developing interconnection by promoting technical standards, and working to improve telecommunications accessibility for underprivileged and underserved communities.
Regulations put forth by the ITU do not carry the weight of law, but do set out suggested regulations and requirements for national regulatory authorities, addressing, among other things, economic and technical issues and standardisation.
At the forthcoming conference - which will take place in Dubai later this year - a significant treaty made in 1988 known as the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) will be renegotiated.
As well as the ITRs playing a pivotal part in arranging and setting in place the necessary framework detailing international telecommunication transport and services, it also established the guidelines which have provided the foundation for mutual and private agreements between both countries and no-governmental organisations.
Although they will not be passed as law, any decisions made during the course of the world conference will send a clear message to both domestic and international regulators alike concerning the most appropriate course of action to be taken, and it will very likely be that the decisions made at the conference will go a long way to defining the internet and telecoms regulations for the 21st century.
Whatever changes are deemed fit to be introduced, and however much opposition there may be towards them, the telecoms industry can count itself lucky that it has been able to avoid a re-assessment of its' guidelines for so long. And maybe there can be some comfort taken from the fact that whatever guidelines are introduced, the future of Voip is incredibly bright and will only continue to grow for the foreseeable future, meaning there will be no lack of new customers any time soon.
About the Author:
Saul Saresi writes regularly about Voip communications and technologies for his site which can be found here business voip previous examples of his work can be found here business phone
