India to host World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly in 2024
India will host the prestigious World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) in 2024. Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, made the announcement at the India Mobile Congress today. This marks a significant milestone in the nation's journey toward 5G and 6G network implementation. Held every four years, the WTSA serves as the governing body for the ITU Standardisation Sector (ITU-T). The previous WTSA was held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Recognition of India's 5Gi standards
Vaishnaw underscored India's achievements in the realm of telecom standards, pointing out that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has acknowledged India's 5Gi standards as one of three technologies for 5G. He stressed that the global community is closely watching India, with expectations of adopting technology developed within the country. This recognition highlights India's position as an innovator, exporter, and leader in the technology sector.
Transformation of the telecom sector
The minister lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in transforming India's telecom industry in recent years. Vaishnaw observed that a decade ago, it took 230 days to set up telecom towers, while today it takes a mere 10 days. Ten years ago, India imported around 98% of its mobile phones, but in the past year, the country exported handsets worth Rs. 90,000 crore, the minister noted.
ITU area office and innovation centre agreement
On March 3, 2022, Vaishnaw and Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), signed the Host Country Agreement (HCA) to establish an Area Office and Innovation Centre of ITU in New Delhi. The HCA outlines the legal and financial framework for setting up and operating the area office, further cementing India's standing in the global telecommunication arena.
