- Originally founded in 1865 to promote cooperation among international telegraphy networks of the day
- ITU predates many other standardization bodies and its long and distinguished history contains a number of important ‘firsts’, such as the standardization of the use of the Morse code and the world’s first radiocommunication and fixed telecommunication networks
- ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.
- It facilitates international connectivity in communications networks
- It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strives to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.
- Every time you make a phone call via the mobile, access the Internet or send an email, you are benefitting from the work of ITU.
Its functions and contributions
- ITU makes phone calls possible: whether to the office next door or to a friend in another country. ITU standards, protocols and international agreements are the essential elements underpinning the global telecommunication system.
- ITU coordinates the world’s satellites through the management of spectrum and orbits, bringing you television, vehicle GPS navigation, maritime and aeronautical communications, weather information and online maps, and enabling communications in even the remotest parts of the planet.
- ITU makes Internet access possible. The majority of Internet connections are facilitated by ITU standards.
- ITU helps support communications in the wake of disasters and emergencies: through on-the-ground assistance, dedicated emergency communications channels, technical standards for early warning systems, and practical help in rebuilding after a catastrophe.
- ITU works with the industry to define the new technologies that will support tomorrow’s networks and services.
- ITU powers the mobile revolution, forging the technical standards and policy frameworks that make mobile and broadband possible.
- ITU works with public and private sector partners to ensure that ICT access and services are affordable, equitable and universal.
- ITU empowers people around the world through technology education and training.
Source: ITU
