Expert group identifies emerging demands of ‘5G’ to fuel ITU standardization
Open-source communities to join ITU study of networking innovations
Geneva, 17 December – The
ITU-T Focus Group on network aspects of
IMT-2020 (‘5G’) has received an extension
to its lifetime, with a mandate to undertake
in-depth studies into areas such as ‘network
softwarization’ and slicing, emerging networking
technologies, mobile backhaul and fronthaul, and
end-to-end quality of service (QoS). New Terms of
Reference call for the group to engage open-source
communities, influencing and taking advantage of
their work by introducing them to the challenges
that telecoms players must overcome in the
development of the 5G ecosystem.
The Focus Group’s vision of the 5G era is of a highly
dynamic information and communication technology (ICT) industry characterized by
the entrance of new players to the networking business and new opportunities for
telecoms companies. The approach to year 2020 will play host to the emergence of
new business models capitalizing on the transformative effects of softwarization
and the associated convergence of open-source and telecoms communities.
The Focus Group was established in May 2015 to analyse how
emerging 5G technologies will interact in future networks as a preliminary study
into the networking innovations required to support the development of 5G
systems. The group took an ecosystem view of 5G research of development,
identifying 85 ‘gaps’ in existing standards to be addressed in the approach to
year 2020, and published the analysis in its
Report.
“The analysis of emerging demands on networking carried
out by ITU’s Standardization Sector is a valuable complement to the 5G
standardization programme overseen by ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector,” said ITU
Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “The road to the 5G era will see the ICT industry
undergo significant transformation, and I am pleased to see ITU members creating
an open platform to build greater cohesion in 5G innovation.”
The Focus Group’s Chairman Peter Ashwood-Smith outlines
ambitions for 2016 in an interview.
“Telecoms companies are calling for more softwarization,” says Ashwood-Smith,
Huawei Senior Researcher and Technical Vice President. “Standards development
for network-function virtualization and software-defined networking has received
strong support from telecoms players hoping to introduce more softwarization and
benefit from the use of general-purpose, ‘white-box’ hardware.” Read more
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In 2012, ITU established a programme on
“International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond
(IMT-2020)”, providing the framework for 5G research and development
worldwide. Recommendation
ITU‑R M.2083‑0 defines the framework and overall objectives of the
future development of IMT for 2020 and beyond. The ITU Radiocommunication
Assembly held in Geneva, 26-30 October 2015, endorsed Resolutions ITU-R 65 and
56-2 that establish the roadmap for the development of 5G mobile and the term
that will apply to it: “IMT-2020”..
ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is coordinating
the international standardization and identification of spectrum for 5G mobile
development. ITU’s Standardization Sector (ITU-T) will play a similar convening
role for the technologies and architectures of the wireline elements of 5G
networks.
“The work of the ITU-T Focus Group on network aspects of
IMT-2020 has met the high expectations of the ITU membership,” said François
Rancy, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. “ITU’s Radiocommunication
Sector welcomes the decision to extend the Focus Group’s lifetime, and we look
forward to building on the results to emerge from the next phase of the group’s
study.”
“5G research and development is being driven by a great
number and diversity of industry players, research institutes and
standardization bodies,” said Chaesub Lee, Director of the ITU Standardization
Bureau. “Our Focus Group on network aspects of IMT-2020 is analysing how all the
elements of the 5G ecosystem will work in harmony, a welcome contribution to the
multifaceted 5G preparations being undertaken worldwide.”
The Focus Group, which is open to participation by any
interested party, has provided the launching point for ITU-T’s contribution to
5G standardization. The group’s initial findings have been presented to ITU’s
standardization expert group responsible for future networks, cloud computing
and network aspects of mobile communications,
ITU-T Study Group 13.
In extending the Focus Group’s lifetime, ITU-T Study Group
13 granted the group a new mandate, outlined by the following Terms of
Reference:
- Explore demonstrations or prototyping
with other groups, notably the open-source community
- Enhance aspects of network softwarization
and information-centric networking
- Continue to refine and develop the
IMT-2020 network architecture
- Continue to study fixed-mobile
convergence
- Continue to study network slicing for the
fronthaul/backhaul network
- Continue to define new traffic models and
associated aspects of QoS and operations, administration and
management (OAM) applicable to IMT-2020 networks
ITU-T standardization activity based on the findings of
the Focus Group will prioritize the alignment of 5G deliverables with those of
ITU-R, ensuring that standardization work on the network aspects of 5G is
informed by the progression of its radio-transmission systems.
Note to the editor:
ITU-T
Focus Groups are formed in response to immediate ICT standardization
demands, charged with laying the foundations of subsequent standardization work
in membership-driven
ITU-T Study Groups. Focus Groups are open to organizations
outside ITU’s membership and they are afforded greater flexibility in their
chosen deliverables and working methods.
For more information,
please contact:
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations & Public Information
ITU
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