International Telecommunication Union

Description

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Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan

Details:

During the programme, PM Modi unveiled Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched 6G R&D Test Bed.
He also launched the 'Call before u dig' App.

About International Telecommunication Union:

It is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies.
World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly is a four-yearly global conference of ITU dedicated to standardisation of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).
It is headquartered in Geneva.

History:

It is the oldest UN agency.
It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union.

Membership: 193 countries and over 900 private-sector entities and academic institutions.

Functions:

It promotes the shared global use of the radio spectrum.
It facilitates international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits.
It assists in developing and coordinating worldwide technical standards.
It works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world.

What does ITU do?

ITU has three main areas of activity organized in ‘Sectors’ which work through conferences and meetings.

RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS
STANDARDIZATION
DEVELOPMENT

India-ITU:

India has proposed to host the next WTSA to be held in 2024.
India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for establishment of Area Office.

Area Office:

The Area Office, which is fully funded by India, is located on the second floor of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building at Mehrauli New Delhi.
It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

Bharat 6G vision document:

It is prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G).
It was constituted in November 2021 with members from various Ministries/Departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardisation bodies, Telecom Service Providers and industry.
Aim is to develop roadmap and action plans for 6G in India.

6 G Test Bed:

It will provide academic institutions, industry, start-ups, MSMEs, industry etc, a platform to test and validate the evolving ICT technologies.
It will provide an enabling environment for innovation, capacity building and faster technology adoption in the country.

Call Before You Dig (CBuD) app:

It is a tool envisaged for preventing damage to underlying assets like optical fibre cables, that occurs because of uncoordinated digging and excavation, leading to loss of about Rs 3000 crore every year to the country.
It will connect excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notification and click to call, so that there are planned excavations in the country while ensuring the safety of underground assets.
It exemplifies the Prime Minister's vision of integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects under PM Gati Shakti.
It illustrates the adoption of 'Whole-of-government approach'.
Impact:
- Benefit all stakeholders by improving ease of doing business.
- Save potential business loss and minimise discomfort to the citizens due to reduced disruption in essential services like road, telecom, water, gas and electricity.