Bangkok--17 Apr--APT
Issued simultaneously by ITU and APT
ITU and the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) jointly organized a workshop in Bangkok, Thailand to plan for the implementation and development of Next-Generation Networks (NGN) in the region. Over 180 experts from 24 countries representing APT and ITU Members, international organizations and the private sector joined the forum, which was inaugurated by Mr Kraisorn Pornsutee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Royal Government of Thailand.
NGN is a catch phrase for the network infrastructure that will enable advanced new services offered by mobile and fixed network operators in the future, while continuing to support all existing services. This next-generation architecture will help leverage new technologies to dramatically reduce the cost of market entry, increase flexibility and accommodate seamlessly in a single multiservice network both voice and data.
Future direction for NGN
The ITU/APT Workshop on NGN Planning made some key recommendations:
Regulators and policy makers to provide clear and consistent enabling environments for NGN and be involved in the NGN planning, implementation and educational process
Develop standardized planning tools to assist developing countries to migrate from traditional telecommunication networks to NGN
Regulators to ensure that service providers meet agreed quality of service standards equivalent to traditional circuit switched voice networks
NGN Requirements to include security levels that meet the needs of end users and provide confidence in the use of applications and services in NGN-compliant networks
Establish NGN standards to make emergency and location-based services available seamlessly and reliably across the entire network
Raise greater awareness on the various issues related to NGN planning
Mr Malcolm Johnson, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, said, “NGN has the potential to accelerate the deployment of telecommunication networks and services in developing countries.” As cost and revenue are the drivers of this development, the capital cost of deploying NGN technology, both in the core of the network, and the operating costs are significantly lower than circuit switched technologies. “This will enable rapid expansion of network capabilities,” Mr Johnson added. “NGN will also enable a range of multimedia services to be provided more easily and with less cost, and so increase potential revenues. It offers the opportunity for developing countries to leapfrog several generations of technology.” He also stressed the importance of “bridging the standardization gap” by planning for NGN at regional levels.
Executive Director of APT, Mr Amarendra Narayan said, “We need to urgently address the needs of the Asia-Pacific region for cost effective options of Broadband access while finalizing the international standardization framework for NGN. This is particularly important for developing countries and rural and remote areas. APT and ITU can play a key role in ascertaining Asia Pacific regional needs”. He added that a range of APT programmes are already heavily involved in NGN standardization as well as policy and regulatory issues. This includes the work being undertaken by the Asia Pacific Telecommunity Standardization Programme (ASTAP) and associated policy and regulatory forums.
Ms Kim Eun-Ju, Head of the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said, “This is the first step towards meeting the main objectives of the Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative on NGN Planning, which was adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Doha in 2006. It aims to assist developing countries in our region to migrate smoothly from existing networks to NGN.” She urged participating State and Sector Members to be more pro-active in implementing next-generation networks by building partnerships to satisfy the paradigm shifts in the NGN era.
The Workshop served as a platform for discussion and exchange of views on practical guidelines on NGN planning, exploration of ways to deploy cost-effective NGN technologies and to find solutions for NGN implementation in rural and remote areas.
About ITU
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. For more than 140 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, and established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems.
ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums bringing together the most influential representatives of government and the telecommunications industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology for the benefit of the global community, and in particular the developing world.
From broadband internet to latest-generation wireless technologies, from aeronautical and maritime navigation to radio astronomy and satellite-based meteorology, from phone and fax services to TV broadcasting and next-generation networks, ITU continues to play a central role in helping the world communicate.
About APT
APT is the leading regional telecommunication organization established in 1979 by the joint initiatives of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (UNESCAP) and ITU. The APT fosters the development of telecommunication services and information infrastructure throughout the region with a particular focus on the expansion thereof in less developed areas. The APT now has 33 Members, 4 Associate Members and 107 Affiliate Members.