Doha: The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) participated in the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 (WTSA-20), organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland.
WTSA is a major event for the ITU and is held every four years, it sets the overall direction and structure for the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), which is one of the ITU’s key sectors and its main products are Recommendations (ITU-T Recs) – standards, defining how telecommunication networks operate and interwork.
Additionally, WTSA defines the general policy for the Sector, establishes related study groups, approves their expected work program for the next four-year period, and appoints their chairmen and vice-chairmen. The CRA’s participation stresses its keenness in standards development, exchanging views, and staying informed on the general policy for the ITU-T Sector and the latest standard recommendations related to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) field.
The CRA is keen to develop regulations that are in line with the best international standards in the field, to ensure supporting technological innovation, accelerating sustainable digital transformation in the State of Qatar, and that consumers in Qatar have the best experience with telecom services.
WTSA-20 also included an event organised by the ITU Women in Standardization Expert Group (WISE), coinciding with the International Women’s Day, to recognize valuable contributions made by individuals, organizations and administrations to ITU-T’s standard works in terms of impact, continuity, and leadership. The event was followed by a panel discussion on why gender matters in setting standards. The CRA also participated in the Global Standards Symposium (GSS), which preceded WTSA-20 and was organized by the ITU in Geneva on February 28, 2022, under the theme: “International standards to enable the digital transformation and achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs)”, where it included several sessions discussing related issues.
