Executive Summary of SG13 meeting

    
Important decisions (apart of Recommendations)

Focus Groups closure

FG NET2030 reported its activities through the length of its life in TD279/PLEN.

At July meeting the FG-NET2030 submitted five deliverables for the consideration by SG13. Together with three previous deliverables, the FG delivered eight output documents in total. A small drafting group led by the WP1/13 Vice-Chairman, Mr Alojz Hudobivnik, was set up by the opening plenary to draft an outgoing Liaison Statement about accomplishments of the FG NET2030. The drafting group operated by email correspondence and held an online meeting on 30 July. The drafting group delivered a Liaison Statement text to the closing plenary for approval.

The activities of the FG NET2030 were concluded, its mandate was accomplished. SG13 noted the FG NET2030 final report
(TD279/PLEN) and closed the FG NET2030. Thanks were extended by SG13 chairman on behalf of all participants to FG NET2030 management team, active contributors and all the FG members.

Furthermore, at the July meeting, two of the FG's new technical specifications and two technical reports were kept in the Q2/13 Living List (TD478-R1/WP3) for future elaboration towards new work items in SG13.

In addition, the closing plenary approved for publication the new Supplement 66 to ITU-T Y.3000-series of Recommendations "Network 2030 Services: Capabilities, performance and design of new communications services for the Network 2030 applications" and new Supplement 67 to ITU-T Y.3000-series of Recommendations "Representative use cases and key network requirements for Network 2030", mentioned in the table above, that are largely based on the previous deliverables of the FG NET2030 transferred to SG13 in October 2019 and March 2020 respectively.

FG ML5G reported its activities thought its lifetime in TD284/PLEN. The FG handed over five technical specifications to SG13 for consideration at this meeting. (TD278/PLEN). On top of that the FG ML5G gap analysis document may be found in TD574/WP1.

The activities of the FG ML5G were concluded, its mandate was accomplished. SG13 noted the FG ML5G final report TD284/PLEN and closed the FG ML5G.

Thanks were extended by SG13 chairman on behalf of all participants to FG ML5G management team, active contributors and all the FG members.

Furthermore, the SG13 agreed on establishment of five new work items in the work programme of Q20/13 based on the Deliverables of the FG ML5G (TD311/PLEN, Annexes VII – XI).

In addition, the closing plenary gave consent to the draft new Recommendation ITU-T Y.3176 "Machine learning marketplace integration in future networks including IMT-2020" (see table above) that is largely based on the output of the FG ML5G brought to SG13 back in October 2019.

Coordination activities

Quantum communications related studies – CQ
Co-located meeting of Q16/13 and Q4/17 took place on 22 July 2020. Outcome of discussions may be found in clause 4.4 of the TD491/WP3. In short, the scope of the proposed new Work Item Y.QKDN_ovint "Overview of integrating QKDN with conventional and emerging secure network infrastructures" was reviewed from the perspective of work being done by SG13 and SG17. New work item was agreed to be established as Y.QKDN_frint “Framework for integration of QKDN and secure network infrastructures”.​
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Work Item transfer
Q20/13 work item Y.IMT2020-CAN-req "Use cases and requirements of computing-aware networking for future networks including IMT-2020" (TD561/WP1) was agreed to be transferred to Q17/13.

JCA IMT2020
The regular JCA-IMT2020 meeting took place on 13 July 2020. In particular, the group evaluated its operation in the current study period, revised its Terms of Reference as depicted in TD287/PLEN and agreed to request SG13 for continuation of its activities for year 2021. This request was satisfied by the SG13. Opening plenary approved continuation of the JCA-IMT2020 operation until the end of 2021 with the updated Terms of Reference as found in Annex 1 to TD PLEN TD287/PLEN and the same management (Mr Scott Mansfield, Ericsson Canada as a chairman supported by Ms Ying Cheng, China Unicom, China, JCA-IMT2020 Vice-chairperson). In addition, SG13 plenary noted TD286/PLEN containing the progress report of the JCA-IMT2020 operation since its establishment in February 2017.

Ad-hoc activities

Drafting group on Liaison Statement on FG NET2030
As mentioned above the opening plenary set up a drafting group, led by WP1/13 Vice-chairman Mr Alojz Hudobivnik, create text for an outgoing liaison statement about closure of the activities of the FG NET2030. The group worked via email correspondence alongside the SG13 July meeting, had one meeting in the evening of 30 July and produced the text of the outgoing liaison statement as found in TD321/PLEN. This communication was further approved by the SG13 closing plenary as appears in TD321-R1/PLEN.

The Ad-hoc on Next Study Period (NSP Ad-hoc) led by SG13 Vice-chairman, Mr Yoshinori Goto, met in six sessions during the July meeting, including one joint session with SG11 on 23 July. NSP Adhoc report may be found in TD290/PLEN. The group came to the end of its mandate, the SG13 meeting noted the report, TD290/PLEN, closure of adhoc activities and thanked for dedication and strong leadership its convenor, Mr Yoshinori Goto.

In total SG13 succeeded in preparation of the set of 12 Questions for the next study period as well as SG13 portion of WTSA Resolution 2. These outcomes are captured in TD291-R1/PLEN. TD292/PLEN lists the proposed texts of Question F "Requirements, capabilities and architecture for Future Vertical Communication Networks including support of high precision and deterministic networking" and Question G "Framework and Technologies for ManyNets in Future Vertical Communication Networks" that haven't yet reached agreement.

The SG13 closing plenary reviewed the progress and results of NSP Adhoc operation and approved the set of 12 Questions for study in 2021-2024 study period as appears in TD291-R1/PLEN. The meeting further approved the new title, mandate description, points of guidance, lead Study Group roles and the series of ITU-T Recommendations under SG13 responsibility for the next study period (Annex L of TD291-R1/PLEN).

The meeting agreed to consider the remaining unresolved issue, Questions F and G texts, at the one-day SG13 meeting (18 December 2020) at the end of the co-located rapporteur group meetings. Current Questions F and G texts can be found in TD292/PLEN. In the meantime the discussions might continue in a dedicated drafting group on [Questions F&G], described below.

Drafting group on [Questions F&G] was set up at closing plenary per the proposal from the floor. Led by SG13 chairman it will bridge the gap between July and December 2020 SG13 activities on Questions F and G texts, if needed.

Bridging Standardization Gap
SG13RG-AFR had its meeting in February 2020 in Abuja, Nigeria, and reported its results to SG13 13 March 2020 meeting. This meeting seen two contributions from African region agreed in February for transmission to the SG13 meeting.

The meeting plans for SG13RG-EECAT were suspended because of the pandemics.

BSG hands-on training session was offered by TSB to the SG11 and SG13 delegates on 21 July. 34 persons joined the training. 24 out of 34 were SG13 delegates.

The questionnaires on Big Data Adoption in Developing Countries and use of ITU-T Recommendations in developing countries (launched at summer 2018 SG13 meeting) formed basis for the Supplement 65 to Y.3600-series of Recommendations "Big Data Adoption in Developing Countries" and Technical Report "Use of ITU-T Recommendations by Developing Countries" respectively. These Supplement and Technical Report were approved for publication at July 2020 SG13 meeting (see table above).

New Work Items
This meeting seen 40 proposals to initiate the new work items, out of which 36 were drafted in the form of a new Recommendation (35)/Supplement(1) and four kept in the living list.

Three new work item proposals from Q7/13 deferred from 13 March 2020 SG13 meeting were enhanced according to the comments received, presented to the interim plenary, C980, and approved for establishment.

As indicated above, in total this meeting agreed to the initiation of 36 new work items, TD311/PLEN, TD294/PLEN, TD309-R1/PLEN, C980.

Outreach
SG13 continues its work on

-  Revised Supplement on big data standardization roadmap, TD605/WP2. Anticipated approval in 2022.Original was published as
   Supplement 40 to Y.3600-series in 2015.
-  Supplement with the roadmap on trustworthy networking and services including quantum enhanced networks, TD486/WP3, target for
    2022.
-  Supplement on Artificial Intelligence Standardization Roadmap, TD608/WP2. Anticipated completion in 2021.

Award
A SG13 award for dedication and outstanding support since 2013 to the work of SG13 was offered to one SG13 member following the practice since July 2018 SG13 meeting. This time the SG13 Fellow award was granted to Dr Rim Belhassine-Cherif.

Future activities
An important number of interim meetings was agreed to. Each Question of SG13 will be meeting during the co-located rapporteur group meetings in Geneva on 7 – 18 December 2020.

On top of that the SG13 closing plenary set up the drafting group led by the SG13 chairman to continue work on unresolved issues with proposed Questions F and G. Details on its operation will be announced in due course on the main SG13 mailing list.

The JCA-IMT2020 meeting will take place sometime in 2021 alongside the first meeting of the group succeeding current SG13.

Next SG13 meetings
A half-day virtual SG13 plenary meeting was agreed to be run in the morning of 7 December 2020 (Geneva time) to

- consider the establishment of the new work item "Gap Analysis of Network 2030 New Services, Capabilities and Use Cases" based on
  ​the
  technical report of FG NET2030 (477-R1/WP3, TD437/WP3);
- allocate the received contributions and Liaison Statements;
- if needed, set up drafting group to run alongside SG13 rapporteur group meetings in December

A one-day SG13 virtual plenary meeting will be convened on 18 December 2020 in order

- to make a decision on unresolved issue with proposed Question F "Requirements, capabilities and architecture for Future Vertical Communication Networks including support of high precision and deterministic networking" and Question G "Framework and Technologies for ManyNets in Future Vertical Communication Networks" for the next study period (TD292/PLEN);

- to give consent to the following draft Recommendations, consider for approval draft Supplement "Gap Analysis of Network 2030 New Services, Capabilities and Use Cases", consider the new work items, the outgoing liaison statements and future plans:

• Y.IMT2020-qos-lg, Requirements for latency guarantee in IMT-2020 network, Q6/13
• Y.ML-IMT2020-RAFR, Architecture framework for AI-based network automation of resource adaptation and failure recovery for future networks including IMT-2020, Q20/13
• Y.IMT2020-NSC IMT-2020, IMT-2020 network slice configuration, Q21/13
• Y.FMC-EC, Unified edge computing for supporting fixed mobile convergence in IMT-2020 networks, Q23/13
• Y.FMC-SS, Service scheduling for supporting FMC in IMT-2020 network, Q23/13
• Y.SBN-TR, Service brokering network framework for Trusted Reality, Q23/13
• Y.NGN-PLA-reqts, Scenarios and Capability Requirements of Programmable Log Analysis in Next Generation Networks, Q2/13
• Y.OBF_trust, Open Bootstrap Framework enabling trusted devices, applications and services for distributed diverse ecosystems, Q16/13