U.S. Opposes ITU Interoperability Proposal

The Russian Federation supported the general principles in the ITU-T director’s ITU “marks” proposal. The plan aims to boost telecom network interoperability, help developing countries make procurement decisions, cut costs, boost ITU’s visibility and educate consumers. The major question is why the work is already under way, the Russian Federation said. Marks would help assure that ITU-T recommendations and standards are doing what they're meant to, it said.

“The initiative should assume a mandatory character,” to avoid market distortions, the Italian proposal said. “Global interoperability has to be part of the scope of the standardization work from the beginning” for interconnection and interoperability “of multi-vendor products with well defined physical interfaces and management system,” Italy said. The Russian Federation doesn’t want mandatory marks.

Telecom network interoperability is an ITU mission, the Arab group said (CD October 23 p 13). Implementation should begin soon, said an Arab group official. An ITU-T study group should clarify the work, he said. The possibility for testing in ITU exists, said an official with the Arab group, citing Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite. The “ITU Logo and/or Mark for the conformity testing of the mobile hand held terminals” for GMPCS “facilitates imports of such roaming terminals,” the Arab proposal said. A manufacturer’s ITU mark on a terminal assures that it meets ITU-R requirements, which led to ITU member nation customs authorities deeming them personal belongings not needing import licenses, he said.

A conformity testing or ITU logo program has budgetary liability implications, said Richard Beaird, deputy head of the U.S. delegation. The program also is a significant shift of the ITU mandate into areas of U.S. concern, he said, citing the program’s reference to dispute resolution. Another key concern is the program’s impact on ITU-T recommendations, seen as voluntary by the U.S. and characterized as such in the International Telecommunication Regulations, he said.

Another effect of implementing the director’s proposal likely would be delays in adoption of ITU-T recommendations, officials said. ITU-T recommendations carrying an obligation would have to be reviewed with national domestic rules for consistency, significantly slowing ITU-T’s work, Beaird said. Seeking to counter criticisms that its standards work moves too slowly, ITU-T implemented an alternative approval procedure for standards without regulatory implications. Almost all ITU-T recommendations are now agreed to using the faster, alternate procedure.

Longer prep times for ITU-T recommendations to account for increased requirements, checking and verification are acceptable, said the Russian Federation. Taking time to do something well is preferable to rushing to produce something of lesser quality, it said.

An African Telecommunication Union Proposal generally lists some problems developing countries face, Beaird said (CD Sept 17 p9). Developing regimes can have technical problems in attempting to oversee and administer telecommunications equipment, type approval, certification, testing, procurement, national rules and regulations, Beaird said. Many ITU member countries and businesses may be able to provide valuable guidance addressing the issues raised by countries in the African Telecommunication Union, Beaird said.

Developing countries have more telecom equipment choices and need lower costs, said a Ugandan official. There is more substandard equipment, leading to dissatisfaction and lost resources, which African countries can’t afford, he said. Developed countries have extensive testing facilities to help attain and maintain consumer satisfaction, said a Ugandan official on behalf of the African Telecommunication Union and its proposal called “ITU Type Approval of Telecommunication Equipment.” African countries want something similar, perhaps on a smaller scale (CD Sept 17 p9), the Ugandan official said.

National testing centers are a good idea, but perhaps too costly, he said. Regional testing centers could be set up, he said. ITU test facilities preferred, he said, suggesting ITU-T study ways to help set up what’s needed in the most effective way. Costs, test facility location, human resources, viability, overall effect on ITU and manufacturers and legal implications could be studied, he said.

Cisco agreed with concerns raised by the U.S. As proposed, the ITU-T marks program “appears to overreach the ITU mandate,” said David Case, technology leader in the Cisco Corporate Compliance and Certifications Group, in a letter to U.S. Ambassador David Gross, the head of delegation. Funding and liability issues also arise, Case said. The marks could tangle ITU in the job of enforcing the mark, Case said.

The Information Technology Industry Council recommended “the U.S. delegation not accept the ITU-T proposal as it now stands,” said John Neuffer, vice president of ITI’s technology and trade policy, in a letter to Gross. ITI suggests dialogue to articulate legitimate concerns, after which proposals could take shape, he said. The Telecommunications Industry Association asked the U.S. delegation to “oppose the ITU proposal while encouraging the ITU to better identify the underlying problems it is trying to address,” said Grant Seiffert, TIA president.

ATIS said the ITU mark program won’t meet its goals and could hurt ITU and standards development body credibility. The program “will create new costs,” hurt development and use of ITU recommendations, delay products and services, and raises significant legal and liability issues, said Susan Miller, ATIS president in a letter to the U.S. head of delegation. The ITU mark could frustrate interoperability and hurt ITU’s credibility, ATIS said, stressing its “strong opposition” to trial or permanent use of the ITU mark.

The U.S. suggested ITU member countries and businesses work with ITU-T, and possibly with ITU-R and ITU-D, to develop and organize meetings in ITU’s three regions to “identify and prioritize problems or issues faced in developing countries,” it said in a filing. Human and institutional capacity building and training opportunities could then be developed in each region, it said.