Digital transformation Archives - ITU https://www.itu.int/hub/category/digital-transformation/ ITU News, Publications and Membership Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:55:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 ITU Year in Review 2024: Secretary-General’s message https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/12/itu-year-in-review-2024-secretary-generals-message/ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:55:40 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=35270 Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU If 2024 has taught me anything, it’s that digital is an irrefutable force for unity — a much-needed catalyst for global cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world. This truth has been on display all year long, sometimes against the odds. And it’s evident in the adoption of the Pact for the Future and […]

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ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin


Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU

If 2024 has taught me anything, it’s that digital is an irrefutable force for unity — a much-needed catalyst for global cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world.

This truth has been on display all year long, sometimes against the odds. And it’s evident in the adoption of the Pact for the Future and Global Digital Compact at the United Nations General Assembly, in the outcomes of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), and in the wide endorsement of the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action.

The achievements you’ll find in these pages confirm the key role of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the world’s constantly shifting digital landscape. As the UN Secretary-General said when he visited our headquarters in Geneva this year, ITU’s “technical expertise and commitment to collaboration are the very qualities our world needs as we navigate a new digital age.”

But beyond the policies and milestones, what will stay with me from this year are personal stories of hope, innovation, and resilience.

Some incredible women in rural India are using digital tools to deliver banking services and drive precision farming in their local community. Luis, a young man who lost his voice to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regained it thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). And young “digital natives” are using tech to advance all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

These are the faces of digital change in 2024. They remind us why our work is so important.

As we get ready to mark ITU’s 160th anniversary in 2025, digital solutions have taken their rightful place in our shared vision of transformative and sustainable progress.

The world needs ITU’s leadership now, more than ever before, to coordinate radiocommunications, set global standards, and drive inclusive digital development for all.

The digital future is already here. Together, let’s ensure it works for all of humanity, for our planet, and for generations to come.

ITU Year in Review 2024

Boosting connectivity

Shaping transformation

Delivering impact

Annual highlights

Header image credit: Adobe Stock

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Our archives: Video spotlight series on ITU’s history https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/12/our-archives-video-spotlight-series-on-itus-history/ Tue, 17 Dec 2024 09:13:34 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=33679 From the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 to the space conference in 1963 and now the AI for Good Global Summit, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has played a vital role at every stage of global communications development. A series of videos produced by geneveMonde, with the support of the Swiss […]

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From the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 to the space conference in 1963 and now the AI for Good Global Summit, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has played a vital role at every stage of global communications development.

A series of videos produced by geneveMonde, with the support of the Swiss Republic and Canton of Geneva, offers a peek into ITU’s history and shines a light on its technical work and contribution to international cooperation over the last 16 decades.

The telegraph: Revolutionizing long-distance communications

ITU began in 1865 with a conference in Paris to resolve problems related to the telegraph. The conference brought together ITU’s 20 founding Member States from across Europe.

The diplomats agreed to sign the first International Telegraph Convention − allowing telegraph messages to be sent across borders. Two months of discussions produced agreements on tariffs, coding, equipment and regulations.

Those outcomes became the foundation of today’s ITU, and now part of ITU’s rich history.

Watch the video

SOS: Radio waves save lives

Telegraphy required sending signals by cable, but cables could not reach everywhere, particularly to and from ships at sea. When experiments with radio waves confirmed that messages could be transmitted through the air, a new medium for long-distance communication was born.

Communication by radio enabled mariners to send and receive distress calls such as the famed “SOS”. It also opened unprecedented possibilities for regular communications between moving vehicles, as well as for broadcasting news and entertainment to widely dispersed mass audiences.

In step with the times, the International Telegraph Union was renamed in 1934 as the International Telecommunication Union.

Watch the video

Geneva: Pushing back the walls

ITU was first headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, starting in 1869.

A major turning point came in 1947, with coinciding meetings of the United Nations in New York and ITU in nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey (US). Following negotiations between the two bodies, ITU became the UN’s specialized agency for telecommunications. This prompted ITU’s relocation to Geneva – home to many other UN organizations.

As ITU’s functions and responsibilities expanded, the Canton of Geneva and the Swiss Federation offered the organization its own building. The Varembé Building, inaugurated in 1962, brought all ITU staff under one roof.

At the time, the space age was just beginning and ITU’s mandate – and workforce – was expanding. Soon, the Varembé building was no longer big enough, prompting the construction of a 15-storey tower block of offices and meeting rooms – the familiar ITU Tower in the heart of International Geneva.

Watch the video

Satellite takes off

The organization held its first space conference in 1963, soon after the launch of the first communication satellites. The new radiocommunication method required countries to come together and agree on regulations.

United Nations Secretary-General U Thant addressed the delegates from his office in New York via satellite. ITU’s Extraordinary Administrative Radio Conference to allocate frequency bands for space radiocommunication purposes (Geneva 1963) − involving 70 countries − confirmed the launch of a new era.

Watch the video

ITU News

From the beginning, ITU’s member governments recognized the importance of sharing information. A few years after ITU’s founding, they mandated the organization’s secretariat to regularly publish a journal where experts would share insights on technologies and regulations for the benefit of everyone. The first issue of the Journal télégraphique was sent, free of charge, to member administrations on 25 November 1869.

The journal has carried on until the present day, albeit under changing titles and taking different forms. The current ITU News Magazine (now an online product) is complemented by ITU’s news blog and weekly newsletter, reaching a diverse readership far and wide.

In addition, the organization maintains active social media channels, while its standardization arm produces the specialized ITU Journal of Future and Evolving Technologies.

Watch the video

Today’s UN agency for digital technologies

To this day, ITU brings governments, companies and other organizations together to set standards and share expert knowledge on communication technologies. Continually adapting to keep pace with increasingly rapid technological changes, ITU and its diverse membership now tackle regulation, standards and equitable access in an age of digital connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI).

ITU will celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2025, with World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on 17 May commemorating the signing of the International Telegraph Convention.

This article offers a very brief insight into ITU’s history. Read more about the organization’s rich history on the History of ITU Portal.

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The future of television in Europe https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/12/the-future-of-television-in-europe/ Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:25:11 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=35003 Traditional TV broadcasters are leveraging digital tools to connect with increasingly diverse audiences European television is being redefined by a combination of new regulatory requirements and changing viewer tastes. All over the world, traditional TV broadcasting has converged with digital streaming services, giving rise to hybrid models that blend the strengths of both. Today’s TV […]

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Traditional TV broadcasters are leveraging digital tools to connect with increasingly diverse audiences

European television is being redefined by a combination of new regulatory requirements and changing viewer tastes.

All over the world, traditional TV broadcasting has converged with digital streaming services, giving rise to hybrid models that blend the strengths of both. Today’s TV audiences can switch between live and on-demand content seamlessly, providing more choices and intensifying competition among broadcasters.

European broadcasters are leveraging digital tools to enhance interactivity and personalize viewer experiences, ensuring that traditional platforms stay competitive in a digital-first world.

“The convergence of traditional broadcasting and Internet services is merging media content, data, and applications using broadband networks delivered via terrestrial, satellite and Internet platforms,” said Joanne Wilson, Deputy to the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). “Streaming on multiple portable devices has made TV an integral part of life, accounting for 80 per cent of all consumer Internet traffic.”

Broadcasters and regulators – meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 7 November for an ITU-hosted “Future of television in Europe” workshop – discussed the regulatory and policy frameworks for emerging and convergent technologies for broadcast infrastructure and services.

ITU has been facilitating international technical cooperation and regulatory coordination from the early years of TV.

“We take pride in ITU’s 75 years of efforts in developing broadcasting standards and systems aligned with the latest cutting-edge technologies,” added Wilson. “This has made high-quality television available and affordable worldwide, particularly in remote areas.”

The growth of streaming services

Streaming services have grown immensely over the last two decades, offering audiences on-demand TV content across multiple genres. European broadcasters are responding by launching new platforms, shifting viewership away from traditional television, and encouraging audiences to engage with flexible and convenient digital formats.

Public broadcasters in Europe have long served as a cornerstone of high-quality programming, cultural preservation, and impartial news. However, the rapidly changing media landscape presents significant challenges, forcing public broadcasters to adapt.

According to workshop participants, European broadcasters can thrive in today’s increasingly digital and globalized media environment by embracing change, blending innovation with tradition, focusing on sustainability, and creating compelling local content.

In the UK, four national public service broadcasters – BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 – have launched a joint venture “Freely” with a mission to ensure free digital access to television for all audiences. UK audiences can stream the service’s live TV channels alongside on-demand content for free via any Internet connection, removing the need for a satellite dish or aerial.

“Being an interactive service, we can see how viewers engage with various features and pathways to content, allowing us to focus on the most popular ones,” said Sara Milton, Chief Product Officer at Everyone TV, the joint venture company for the traditional TV giants behind Freely. “We aim to enhance user experiences through aggregation, not homogenization, staying true to our core goal: making live television viewing less complicated, but not less vibrant, while honouring cultural diversity and localization.”

Emerging TV technologies

New and emerging technologies, from artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G private networks to cloud and software-defined applications, have revolutionized programme-making over the last few years.

The integration of virtual and augmented reality technologies has revolutionized the viewing experience, transporting audiences into immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. From interactive storytelling to virtual reality sports broadcasts, the industry has embraced innovation to captivate and engage audiences like never before.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games demonstrated how combining a private 5G network with 5G broadcast can revolutionize coverage of global events, offering unprecedented connectivity, immersive experiences, and operational efficiency. 5G technology provided ultra-fast, reliable, and low-latency connectivity across Olympic venues, ensuring seamless streaming through which spectators accessed high-quality, real-time video streams, stats, and interactive features on their mobile devices.

By blending innovative and traditional approaches, focusing on sustainability, and creating compelling local content, European broadcasters can thrive in an increasingly digital and globalized media environment. This evolution promises a vibrant and diverse broadcasting landscape that reflects the essence of Europe while meeting the demands of a connected world.

Mark Jordan, International Policy Spectrum Manager at Arqiva said European TV was turning hybrid: “The most cost-effective way of delivering content in the future will be a mix of technologies accommodating both streaming and terrestrial networks.”

Europe’s regulatory framework

The European TV landscape is shaped by a regulatory framework that supports the local audiovisual industry, promotes cultural diversity, and encourages streaming platforms to invest in European productions.

Recent laws in the European Union include the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, which bring more structure, fairness, and transparency to the relationship between broadcasters, public service media, and online platforms.

Jenny Weinand, Head of Media Law, Legal & Policy Department at the European Broadcasting Union, said the new laws aimed to uphold editorial freedom and independence for public media providers, as well as help journalists protect sources. “Strengthening editorial and financial independence and transparency will be essential to safeguard the credibility of public broadcasters,” she said.

Emergency communications by TV

Broadcast television remains a crucial medium for disseminating information and keeping citizens informed, alert, and safe during emergencies. With advancing technologies, TV is becoming more effective and responsive.

Traditional TV stations remain vital for emergency communications in Europe. “As technology evolves, television broadcasters are integrating innovative tools and approaches to enhance their responsiveness and effectiveness,” said Doris Martiza Delgado, Programme Officer in the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. “By adapting to the changing media landscape and leveraging cross-border collaboration, television will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring public safety across Europe.”

The workshop also featured an exhibition of recent developments in broadcasting, including the integration of 5G, AI, and Digital Video Broadcasting-Internet (DVBI) to enhance accessibility across different audiovisual devices.

ITU Workshop on the Future of TV for Europe, 7 November 2024 – Presentations

Watch video on the future of broadcasting

Header image credit: Adobe Stock

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A systems approach to understanding national cybersecurity education capacity https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/d-phcb-cyb_educ-2024/ Mon, 09 Dec 2024 14:31:02 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/d-phcb-cyb_educ-2024/ This framework, designed to help countries understand and navigate their unique cybersecurity ecosystems, emerged from the recognition of the need for a more comprehensive approach to cybersecurity capacity development. By fostering a deeper understanding of the cybersecurity education ecosystem, this approach aims to balance immediate workforce gaps with long-term requirements, ensuring sustained cybersecurity resilience.

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This framework, designed to help countries understand and navigate their unique cybersecurity ecosystems, emerged from the recognition of the need for a more comprehensive approach to cybersecurity capacity development. By fostering a deeper understanding of the cybersecurity education ecosystem, this approach aims to balance immediate workforce gaps with long-term requirements, ensuring sustained cybersecurity resilience.

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U4SSC Key Performance Indicators for People-Centered Cities For city leaders https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/t-tut-smartcity-2024-4/ Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:56:34 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/t-tut-smartcity-2024-4/ The post U4SSC Key Performance Indicators for People-Centered Cities
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Quantum: No longer 20 years away? https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/11/quantum-no-longer-20-years-away/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:43:24 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=34956 By Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General, ITU Quantum mechanics dates back to 1925, and the idea of quantum computing spans almost half that period. The first experimental demonstration of a quantum algorithm happened 30 years ago. But still today, these technologies used to scour vast databases and factor massive numbers are considered “new and emerging.” Because […]

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By Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General, ITU

Quantum mechanics dates back to 1925, and the idea of quantum computing spans almost half that period. The first experimental demonstration of a quantum algorithm happened 30 years ago.

But still today, these technologies used to scour vast databases and factor massive numbers are considered “new and emerging.” Because we have barely scratched the surface of what they can do.

The untapped potential in this field is central as we prepare for 2025 as the International Year of Quantum.

Because these technologies can help fix the world’s biggest problems, from connectivity gaps to poverty and inequality to the climate crisis.

What quantum can do

Quantum information tech – far more powerful than classical information technologies – will enable breakthroughs we cannot yet imagine in medicine, climate action and more. Notably, it promises to supercharge artificial intelligence (AI).

From the perspective of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the United Nations agency for digital technologies, this makes quantum information tech a potential supercharger of sustainable development.

However, this massive potential does not come without risks. Today’s cybersecurity, for instance, will be no match for quantum cyberattacks.

More troublingly, however, quantum development brings the prospect of widening digital divides. Only a handful of countries are currently investing in quantum research and development. The world’s leading digital markets are poised to leap further ahead, and that could mean leaving others even further behind.

I urge leaders in the field to share and compare their expertise to help promptly close this emerging quantum divide.

What we need to do

Together, as the international technology community, we must help countries grow their expertise, build a quantum-ready workforce, create opportunities (including for women and girls), equip youth for further quantum development, and foster quantum research locally.

This means encouraging knowledge transfer on quantum information tech, reviewing and enhancing national and regional cybersecurity strategies for quantum-readiness, following “early” use cases, and solving deployment challenges for the quantum era.

In parallel, we must step up standards development. Naturally, this includes promoting existing standards that can accelerate global uptake and help shape quantum for good.

Of course, leveraging quantum depends on several prerequisites, starting with connectivity for the estimated 2.6 billion people who currently remain offline, many of them in the world’s least developed countries.

Fibre infrastructure, including fibre-to-the-home networks, will be a key foundation for quantum-enabled communications.

In one promising example, digital infrastructure company Eurofiber is trialling quantum Internet capacity in partnership with Dutch research institute QuTech, with the aim of demonstrating secure quantum communication via Eurofiber’s existing fibre-optic network.

Many more such investments will be needed to create truly quantum-ready communications networks.

The power of quantum to boost AI pattern recognition and machine learning must be at the forefront, with an unwavering emphasis on harnessing all these breakthroughs for the good of humanity and our planet.

Quantum for Good is sure to become a key part of our AI for Good platform, which highlights innovative AI solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Quantum standardization

Collaboratively developed international standards can help everyone prepare for the quantum future and realize massive benefits.

ITU standards are addressing network and security aspects of quantum information technologies with an initial focus on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for quantum-safe encryption and authentication. This work has involved over 300 experts from 180 organizations and 43 countries.

Those standards are crucial for secure integration of QKD technology into large-scale tech networks, providing guidance in areas such as network architecture, key management, protocols, security, quality assurance, and machine learning in QKD networks.

The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) that concluded in New Delhi, India, on 24 October has tasked our expert study groups with further developing QKD and exploring so-called post-quantum cryptography (PQC), and counteracting the growing threat landscape fuelled by generative AI. (Read the WTSA-24 Proceedings.)

One of our highest priorities is promoting and enabling effective collaboration among expert communities.

Our quantum focus group, active from 2019 to 2021, offered an open platform to define the right way forward for coordinated, comprehensive standards work. This is now the responsibility of our Joint Coordination Activity on Quantum Key Distribution Networks.

Currently, we are creating a database to capture quantum standards from around the globe.

Practical use cases

Quantum is poised to revolutionize many industries, solving complex problems that until now seemed unfathomable. 

Imagine the possibilities for drug discovery, disease risk prediction, and biological research in high-impact areas like protein folding, as well as in weather forecasting and climate modelling.

Quantum can advance molecular chemistry and material design; optimize industrial processes and supply chains; and manage complex financial portfolios, smart cities, and sustainable energy grids. All these advantages hinge on ramping up AI and machine learning like never before.

Importantly, quantum itself will enhance cryptography and data security to keep ahead of growing cyberthreats. Dutch partners Eurofiber and QuTech are working with US-based Juniper Networks on innovative encryption, aiming to protect against cybercrime and keep vital information secure as quantum computing emerges on both sides of the law.

As we enter the next age of global communications, quantum can help the space industry with coordinating growing numbers of Low and Medium Earth Orbit (LEO and MEO) satellites.

Quantum reality getting closer

Experts who muse that “quantum always seems 20 years away” have started feeling different about it.

The advantages are clear. The risks are also real. But together, we can do so much good with quantum information technologies.

With 2025 as our symbolic rallying point, we are building partnerships between governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society to push worthy quantum initiatives forward.

Let’s work together to make quantum a force for good.

Based on remarks by Tomas Lamanauskas at a Quantum for Good discussion hosted by the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) and Quantum Delta NL, in The Hague, The Netherlands, on 20 November 2024.

Header image credit: Adobe Stock

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Proceedings of ITU Kaleidoscope 2024: Innovation and digital transformation for a sustainable world https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/t-proc-kalei-2024/ Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:50:38 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/t-proc-kalei-2024/ Kaleidoscope 2024 took place on 21-23 October in collocation with the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) in New Delhi, India. The theme of Kaleidoscope 2024: Innovation and digital transformation for a sustainable world captures the ongoing global efforts to harness the power of technology for positive and sustainable change. These proceedings of the conference contain 56 papers that were selected by the Technical Programme Committee on the basis of double-blind reviews, with the help of over 70 subject matter experts from leading academic and research institutions worldwide; one keynote summary and two invited paper that were peer-reviewed by the Kaleidoscope 2024 Steering Committee. These original contributions present research on how technologies can drive positive change, particularly in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Kaleidoscope 2024 highlights the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in shaping a more sustainable future. The conference underscores how ICTs can address societal challenges, from reducing energy consumption to improving digital inclusivity, by enabling global connectivity and fostering digital ecosystems that are environmentally and socially sustainable.

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Kaleidoscope 2024 took place on 21-23 October in collocation with the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) in New Delhi, India. The theme of Kaleidoscope 2024: Innovation and digital transformation for a sustainable world captures the ongoing global efforts to harness the power of technology for positive and sustainable change. These proceedings of the conference contain 56 papers that were selected by the Technical Programme Committee on the basis of double-blind reviews, with the help of over 70 subject matter experts from leading academic and research institutions worldwide; one keynote summary and two invited paper that were peer-reviewed by the Kaleidoscope 2024 Steering Committee. These original contributions present research on how technologies can drive positive change, particularly in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Kaleidoscope 2024 highlights the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in shaping a more sustainable future. The conference underscores how ICTs can address societal challenges, from reducing energy consumption to improving digital inclusivity, by enabling global connectivity and fostering digital ecosystems that are environmentally and socially sustainable.

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Television – a powerful communication tool with evolving technologies https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/11/television-a-powerful-communication-tool-with-evolving-technologies/ Thu, 21 Nov 2024 07:42:03 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=34875 By Thiago Aguiar Soares, Chair, and Roger Bunch, Vice-Chair, Study Group 6, ITU Radiocommunication Sector Television remains the world’s largest source of audiovisual content, with household adoption still growing globally. Recognizing its significance, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day to highlight television’s role in global communication and cultural exchange. […]

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By Thiago Aguiar Soares, Chair, and Roger Bunch, Vice-Chair, Study Group 6, ITU Radiocommunication Sector

Television remains the world’s largest source of audiovisual content, with household adoption still growing globally. Recognizing its significance, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day to highlight television’s role in global communication and cultural exchange.

With the evolution of large screen sizes, ongoing improvements in video and audio quality, and the rise of handheld devices, TV remains a powerful communication tool, blending traditional stationary and portable viewing to raise awareness on critical issues.

Modern TVs are now interactive, offering multimedia options. The streaming of high-definition video films and music via smart TVs connected to the Internet, make TV a versatile medium for both broadcast and on-demand content.

The streaming effect

The emergence of streaming has driven a major shift in audiovisual consumption over the past decade. These new delivery systems reflect broader shifts in technology, viewing habits, and economic models.

While streaming has brought undeniable advantages and flexibility, the structure and simplicity of linear TV still resonate with a portion of the audience, as an indication that portability and large screen viewing both have roles to play.

21st century TV: Linear and on-demand platforms

In the 21st century, television is not just a one-way channel for broadcast and cable content delivery anymore. Whether content is broadcast via traditional over-the-air channels or delivered over a cable or fiber optic link – e.g. fiber to the home (FTTH) – from an Internet-based streaming service, it’s clear that audiovisual content is being consumed both in linear and on-demand platforms.

ITU’s technical TV standards

Since it released its first technical standards for television in 1949, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has consistently developed globally harmonized standards that have progressively enhanced television viewing experience, addressing both visual and audio quality.

From early colour TV standards to developing parameters for 4:3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio television, ITU has championed the switch to digital TV broadcasting, high definition and ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV). These transitions enabled more services, and improved picture and sound quality

These efforts include seminal achievements like the last Emmy Award-winning ITU-R BT.2100 Recommendation for high-dynamic range (HDR)-TV, setting global benchmarks for high-quality viewing experiences.

ITU has been crucial in developing services that improve the accessibility of audio-visual content, which has led to a massive increase in the availability of subtitles, audio description, and multiple languages.

Embracing innovation

ITU is a key figure in the history of TV and is poised to play an equally important role in shaping its future.

New and emerging technologies, from artificial intelligence (AI) driven workflows, 5G private networks, to cloud and software-defined applications, have over the last few years revolutionized programme making. 

The integration of virtual and augmented reality technologies has revolutionized viewing experience − transporting audiences into immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between reality and fiction.

From interactive storytelling to virtual reality sports broadcasts, the industry has embraced innovation to captivate and engage audiences like never before. These innovations build upon a history of technological advancements, such as early cathode ray tube (CRT), followed by plasma, light-emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal displays (LCD) and the evolution of UHD and HDR technologies. These all demonstrate television’s transformative journey.

Emergency broadcasting

Television has a broad reach, making it an effective medium to broadcast emergency alerts quickly to a large audience. Unlike radio, television can provide visual information, such as maps, emergency instructions, and live updates, making complex information clearer and easier to understand. Television for emergency broadcasting is an essential, trusted tool for reaching people quickly and effectively with life-saving information, when every second counts.

A hybrid future?

The future of television broadcasting is poised for further significant transformation, influenced by technological innovation, shifts in viewer habits, and the blurring of lines between traditional and digital formats. Linear TV will continue to coexist with a multitude of streaming platforms and on-demand content.

As these trends evolve, the viewing experience of the future may be multifaceted, providing the best of both worlds: The engagement and choice of streaming combined with the simplicity and community-driven nature of linear TV.

The ultimate winner, as always, will be the viewer, who can enjoy content tailored to their ever-changing needs.

Header image credit: Adobe Stock (generated using AI)

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Open source programme offices step up digital transformation  https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/11/open-source-programme-offices-step-up-digital-transformation/ Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:45:00 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=34871 Developing digital public services can be a challenge for countries and organizations pursuing wide-ranging digital transformation projects. Open source solutions can help build local skills and capacity, promote inclusive design, reduce duplication of efforts, and speed up the entire process of shaping a digital society and economy. But ensuring the open source technologies are developed, […]

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Developing digital public services can be a challenge for countries and organizations pursuing wide-ranging digital transformation projects.

Open source solutions can help build local skills and capacity, promote inclusive design, reduce duplication of efforts, and speed up the entire process of shaping a digital society and economy.

But ensuring the open source technologies are developed, deployed and used to best effect, either within an institution or economy-wide, can itself become a time-consuming challenge.

Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) are dedicated internal offices that can help drive open source strategies for government offices, private companies or other organizations. OSPOs can help maximize the benefits of open source while navigating obstacles.​

Typically, the OSPO manages and promotes the use, development, and release of open source technologies throughout the wider organization. This can include setting up policies, ensuring compliance with licenses, guiding the organizational ecosystem on best practices, and fostering an open source culture. 

Promoting the OSPO concept

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is promoting the OSPO concept to help countries and companies accelerate their adoption of digital solutions, including services dispensing digital public goods (DPGs) like online identification and payments.

“Open source technologies can improve people’s lives by helping to build inclusive digital ecosystems and advance digital transformation, which in turn advances socio-economic development,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU. “We can support both national and international stakeholders in the creation, adoption, and implementation of open source solutions, policies, and frameworks.”

ITU’s Open Source Programme Office is promoting DPGs and digital public infrastructure (DPI) globally.

The project, supported by the Tides Foundation and led by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, aims to contribute to the global open source ecosystem and empower a diverse range of organizations to utilize and keep creating open source technologies for equitable and sustainable digital transformation​.​

International DPG initiatives

Ongoing international DPG initiatives include GovStack, the Be Healthy Be Mobile project by the World Health Organization (WHO), and ITU’s own Open source Ecosystem Enabler (OSEE).

Key activities for ITU’s OSPO project include: 

  • Engaging with countries to raise awareness and encourage the use of open source to strengthen digital infrastructure and digital services. 
  • Promoting technology solutions aimed at poverty reduction and equitable economic inclusion in local contexts, along with enabling inclusive software design and development in low- and middle-income countries. 
  • Creating learning and capacity building materials as well as resources on the use and adoption of open source technologies for public services. 
  • Supporting existing initiatives with open source software for community development, code review, licensing and legal support, and open source software implementation support. 
  • Collaborating with other UN agencies to advance environmental protection and other priorities through open source technologies; integrating into the wider UN open source ecosystem; and fostering collaboration and alignment for lasting impact.  
Embracing AI to enhance public services

The project is also exploring how open source artificial intelligence (AI) models could enhance digital public services, especially in countries with scarce resources.

Potentially, AI could boost efficiency, accessibility, and overall service delivery without significant financial investment in proprietary technologies.

Ultimately, the success of open source initiatives relies on the active participation and collaboration worldwide.  

“Together, we can harness the transformative power of open source to build inclusive digital systems that leave no-one behind,” said Zavazava. “As we move forward, let us continue to collaborate and contribute to open source solutions, driving positive change and making a lasting impact on communities worldwide.”

Header image credit: Adobe Stock/AI generated

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Research advances AI applications for well-being and education https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/11/research-advances-ai-applications-for-well-being-and-education/ Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:40:57 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/?p=34774 India’s Oxford College claims Kaleidoscope 1st prize for research on AI support to stroke survivors The latest Kaleidoscope academic conference organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) bestowed awards for research papers focused on ensuring that tech works for the good of people worldwide. Researchers from India’s Oxford College in Bengaluru are this year’s recipients […]

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India’s Oxford College claims Kaleidoscope 1st prize for research on AI support to stroke survivors

The latest Kaleidoscope academic conference organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) bestowed awards for research papers focused on ensuring that tech works for the good of people worldwide.

Researchers from India’s Oxford College in Bengaluru are this year’s recipients of the best paper award at Kaleidoscope 2024 for their research proposing a smart drinking device for stroke survivors.

The research proposes an AI-driven tilt sensor to monitor the movement of a drinking glass and provide real-time feedback to find the correct drinking angle.

Read the winning paper (presentation) authored by Preeta Sharan and Anup M Upadhyaya from India’s Oxford College of Engineering and R Vasanthan from the Oxford College of Physiotherapy.

ITU Kaleidoscope is a peer-reviewed academic conference. Each annual edition highlights emerging research trends and their implications for international standardization.

ITU Kaleidoscope 2024: Innovation and digital transformation for a sustainable world ran from 21 to 23 October in New Delhi, India, alongside the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), the governing conference for ITU standardization work that took place between 15 and 24 October.

And the runners up are…

Second prize this year goes to researchers from India and Japan for a proposed wellness companion for the elderly. The companion detects health anomalies in real time using voice emotion recognition and video-based posture recognition.

The voice emotion module is constructed using deep learning and the posture module by transfer learning, with both modules operating on a single-board computer based on the Raspberry Pi platform.

Read the paper (presentation) authored by Dhananjay, Kumar, Mehal Sakthi, Muthusamy Sivaraja, Sowbarnigaa, and Kogilavani Shanmugavadivel from the Department of Information Technology, Anna University, MIT Campus, Chennai, India, and Ved P. Kafle from National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Tokyo.

Researchers from India and South Africa received third prize for their educational Android application, Alpha-Bit. Offering guided instruction and individual progress reports, the app aims to support universal access to tailored education experiences. 

The app uses optical character recognition powered by deep learning models such as convolutional neural networks and sequential networks.

Read the paper (presentation) authored by Gobi Ramasamy, Arokia Paul Rajan, and Priyadharshini Rengasamy from India’s Christ University in Bengaluru and Antoine Bagula from South Africa’s University of the Western Cape in Cape Town.

Read all the papers and review all the talks

All papers accepted and presented at the conference are published in the Kaleidoscope Proceedings and the IEEE Xplore Digital Library.

Outstanding papers may also be published in international journals, including the ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies and the IEEE Communications Standards Magazine.

Authors of the three best papers received special recognition and shared in a prize fund of 6,000 Swiss francs (CHF).

Authors up to 30 years of age who presented accepted papers at the conference received a Young Author Recognition Certificate.

Review all presentations on the Kaleidoscope 2024 programme and revisit the conference’s recording on its homepage.

Thanks to the Kaleidoscope community

Kaleidoscope conferences – alongside the ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies and ITU Academia membership – support growing collaboration between academia and industry in research and development, as well as in bringing the latest innovations to market.

ITU Kaleidoscope 2024, hosted by India’s Ministry of Communications, was organized with the technical co-sponsorship of IEEE and the IEEE Communications Society and in partnership with Waseda University, the Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan, the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers of Japan, the Chair of Communication and Distributed Systems at RWTH Aachen University, the European Academy for Standardization, the University of the Basque CountryLiverpool John Mores University, and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Header image credit: ©ITU/D. Woldu

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GSS-24 – The 5th Global Standards Symposium – Conclusions https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/t-proc-gss-24-2024/ Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:22:46 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/t-proc-gss-24-2024/ The post GSS-24 – The 5th Global Standards Symposium – Conclusions appeared first on ITU.

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Accelerating sustainable and inclusive digital transformation in SIDS: A 10-step plan for SIDS https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/d-sids-plan-2024/ Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:12:41 +0000 https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/d-sids-plan-2024/ Based on ITU's participation and contribution to SIDS4, here are the actions that ITU will be focusing on in support to SIDS in accelerating the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.

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Based on ITU’s participation and contribution to SIDS4, here are the actions that ITU will be focusing on in support to SIDS in accelerating the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.

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