TSAG - Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group
The ultimate aim of the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) is to make the ITU-T the most attractive place to come to do standards work.
To this end and in recognition of the increasingly dynamic environment of information and communication technologies, TSAG overhauled ITU-T working methods to streamline approval procedures for new work items and the resulting international standards. This means that on average, a standard (ITU-T Recommendation) which took as much as four years to approve 10 years ago can now be approved in about eight weeks. For Recommendations which might have policy or regulatory implications, approval takes about nine months to allow additional consultation with the world’s governments.
Work highlights
TSAG’s work is to act as an advisory body to the study groups, membership and staff of ITU-T, keeping in mind the needs of all members, from developed and developing countries, and from industry and governments. It is responsible for the working procedures defined in the A-series Recommendations and the organization of the ITU-T work programme. It performs an extremely important function within ITU-T in following up on the implementation of the work programme and advising the Director of ITU-T’s secretariat (the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau - TSB).
TSAG is called on to resolve coordination issues among the study groups, to expand electronic working methods for the ITU-T and to provide advice and procedures on relationships with other standards bodies. Additionally, this group that meets every nine months is responsible for reviewing the operational and financial plans of the ITU-T and it acts as the preparatory group for the quadrennial World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly.
Recently much work has centered on the way that NGN work should be coordinated – a key issue for all ITU-T’s study groups and focus groups.
