International Telecommunication Research Articles

What is beyond 50G: future standards of optical access networks [Invited

In the past two decades, optical access networks have been widely deployed by operators around the world. The global optical access network market reaches about 1 billion users with a revenue of over 10 billion US dollars. As strategic tools to facilitate mass production, the optical access network standards play a crucial role in driving the product deployment and market growth. This paper overviews the latest effort in international standards bodies on the next generation optical access networks. It discusses projects in this area within the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Section (ITU-T), the IEEE, and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Promising technologies are investigated with the goal of providing rates beyond 50 Gbps. Challenges are highlighted to satisfy the requirements on balancing access rates, loss budgets, and cost. Candidate systems are analyzed in three categories: point-to-multipoint (PtMP), point-to-point (PtP), and new applications. These standardization endeavors will jointly guarantee optical access networks as the premiere solution of wireline broadband access.

Towards an ITU Standard for DLT Energy Consumption

Towards an ITU Standard for DLT Energy Consumption

Information and communication technology and poverty alleviation in Nigeria

There is a disconnect between the abundant resources at the national level and the severe poverty at individual and household levels in Nigeria. Information and communication technology is an efficient tool that the Asian economies have used to alleviate poverty. Information and communication technology is regarded as a tool which helps create an information and communication technology-based economy. This quantitative study examined how Nigeria can use information and communication technology to alleviate the enormous poverty levels. Data were sourced from the World Bank and International Telecommunication Union, for the period 1992–2020. In terms of the research methodology, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model was employed in the research. The empirical findings showed that information and communication technology can have a projected 50% positive effect in reducing poverty. Foreign direct investment had a positive effect on reducing income inequality. Primary research findings depicted that information and communication technology, economic growth, foreign direct investment and private domestic credit were key tools for reducing poverty in Nigeria. Concerning policy recommendations, it was suggested that private domestic credit and foreign direct investment should be channelled to the information and communication technology sector to have a greater impact on poverty alleviation.

International perspectives on measuring national digital public health system maturity through a multidisciplinary Delphi study

Unlocking the full potential of digital public health (DiPH) systems requires a comprehensive tool to assess their maturity. While the World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union released a toolkit in 2012 covering various aspects of digitalizing national healthcare systems, a holistic maturity assessment tool has been lacking ever since. To bridge this gap, we conducted a pioneering Delphi study, to which 54 experts from diverse continents and academic fields actively contributed to at least one of three rounds. 54 experts participated in developing and rating multidisciplinary quality indicators to measure the maturity of national digital public health systems. Participants established consensus on these indicators with a threshold of 70% agreement on indicator importance. Eventually, 96 indicators were identified and agreed upon by experts. Notably, 48% of these indicators were found to align with existing validated tools, highlighting their relevance and reliability. However, further investigation is required to assess the suitability and applicability of all the suggestions put forward by our participants. Nevertheless, this Delphi study is an essential initial stride toward a comprehensive measurement tool for DiPH system maturity. By working towards a standardized assessment of DiPH system maturity, we aim to empower decision-makers to make informed choices, optimize resource allocation, and drive innovation in healthcare delivery. The results of this study mark a significant milestone in advancing DiPH on a global scale.

Regulatory Standards and Guidance for the Use of Health Apps for Self-Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Scoping Review.

Health apps are increasingly recognized as crucial tools for enhancing health care delivery. Many countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, can substantially benefit from using health apps to support self-management and thus help to achieve universal health coverage and the third sustainable development goal. However, most health apps published in app stores are of unknown or poor quality, which poses a risk to patient safety. Regulatory standards and guidance can help address this risk and promote patient safety. This review aims to assess the regulatory standards and guidance for health apps supporting evidence-based best practices in sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on self-management. A methodological framework for scoping reviews was applied. A search strategy was built and applied across the following databases, gray literature sources, and institutional websites: PubMed, Scopus, World Health Organization (WHO) African Index Medicus, OpenGrey, WHO Regional Office for Africa Library, ICTworks, WHO Directory of eHealth policies, HIS Strengthening Resource Center, International Telecommunication Union, Ministry of Health websites, and Google. The search covered the period between January 2005 and January 2024. The findings were analyzed using a deductive descriptive content analysis. The policy analysis framework was adapted and used to organize the findings. The Reporting Items for Stakeholder Analysis tool guided the identification and mapping of key stakeholders based on their roles in regulating health apps for self-management. The study included 49 documents from 31 sub-Saharan African countries. While all the documents were relevant for stakeholder identification and mapping, only 3 regulatory standards and guidance contained relevant information on regulation of health apps. These standards and guidance primarily aimed to build mutual trust; promote integration, inclusion, and equitable access to services; and address implementation issues and poor coordination. They provided guidance on systems quality, software acquisition and maintenance, security measures, data exchange, interoperability and integration, involvement of relevant stakeholders, and equitable access to services. To enhance implementation, the standards highlight that legal authority, coordination of activities, building capacity, and monitoring and evaluation are required. A number of stakeholders, including governments, regulatory bodies, funders, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the health care community, were identified to play key roles in regulating health apps. Health apps have huge potential to support self-management in sub-Saharan Africa, but the lack of regulatory standards and guidance constitutes a major barrier. Hence, for these apps to be safely and effectively integrated into health care, more attention should be given to regulation. Learning from countries with effective regulations can help sub-Saharan Africa build a more robust and responsive regulatory system, ensuring the safe and beneficial use of health apps across the region. RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025714.

A perspective on digital health platform design and its implementation at national level.

Accessible and affordable health services and products including medicines, vaccines, and public health are an important health agenda of all countries. It is well understood that without digital health technologies, countries will face difficulties in tackling the needs and demands of their population. Global agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), etc. have been instrumental in providing various tools, and guidance through digital health strategies in improving health and digital health maturity of the countries. The Digital Health Platform Handbook (DHPH) is a toolkit published by WHO and ITU to help countries create and implement a digital health platform (DHP) to serve as the underlying infrastructure for an interoperable and integrated national digital health system. We apply the foundational principles of DHPH and provide a perspective of DHP components in a layered, enterprise architecture of a digital health infrastructure. India has rolled out the blueprint of its National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) to address the emerging needs for digitization of healthcare in the country. In this paper, we also illustrate the design and implementation of WHO-ITU DHP components at the national level by exploring India's digital health mission implementation utilizing various digital public goods to build a digital health ecosystem in the country.

Preliminary Research Results on Exploring the Business Ecosystem and the Value Sources of Metaverse

Metaverse has become an emerging trend for both academia and industry, and it seems to concern the next generation of the Internet. Although it is still in its grassroots, metaverse is estimated to bring disruption to people’s lives. One of the effects concerns the generation of new value opportunities that don’t exist in real life. These new types of value as well as their impact on people’s lives must be explored. In this respect, this paper utilizes literature evidence to define the value types of metaverse, which are circulated with experts from the focus group on metaverse of the International Telecommunications Union. Results uncover economic, public, and social values that metaverse generates, which can ensure its financial viability and the community’s social sustainability. The economic value sources come from both the industrial and the commercial sectors, while the public values concern citizen empowerment and government efficiency. The social values of metaverse concern employment growth, and the provision of immersive experiences in entertainment and education environments. Finally, this paper critically reviews their role for environmental, economic, and social sustainability. The literature review indicated that metaverse can on the one hand, enhance sustainability but on the other hand, it can cause environmental impact.

Article: View on Regulations Concerning Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) Service in Civil Aviation

This article presents the overall regulatory environment related to the provision of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) services in civil aviation. Through the evolution of international standards established by the Chicago Convention and through the development of CNS services, insight was given into the importance ofCNSservices in ensuring safe and efficient air traffic.The functions of the CNS system are presented and explained, as well as the key contribution of international organizations such as ICAO and International Telecommination Union (ITU) in the development of these services. Through research on the complexity of CNS services, the evolution in the past decades, the text explains the legal aspects related to civil aviation, but also international telecommunications and space activities that are related to civil aviation. The legal framework that regulates space activities, that is, the use of satellites in air traffic management, is especially covered. airspace (CNS/ATM). ICAO initiatives are additionally addressed, particularly the integration of satellite technology through Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) and the legal significance of resolutions such as A32-19 on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) services from the 1998 Rio Conference. The narrative further examines the implementation of CNS/ATM concepts, legal considerations in air-ground communications, harmonization efforts, and the consolidation of resolutions for effective global implementation. The text concludes by highlighting ICAO’s ongoing commitment to align technological advancements with legal frameworks, promoting the seamless utilization of CNS/ATM systems worldwide. The significance of regional and national regulations, with a focus on European CNS regulations, is underscored for enhancing air traffic safety and fostering the development of CNS services. CNS Services, Chicago Convention, ICAO international standards, Annex 10, ICAO resolutions, CNS/ATM, ITU, FANS, GNSS, regional and national regulations

Rain Attenuation Prediction at Different Time Percentages for Ku, K, and Ka Bands Satellite Communication Systems over Nigeria

This paper evaluates the influence of rainfall on propagated signal at different time exceedance percentages of an average year, over the climate zones of the country. Specifically, it demonstrates critical and non critical signal fade or signal outage time exceedance (0.001% to 1%) for Ku, K, and Ka-band systems in an average year. The study was carried out using meteorological data made available by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) over a period of 10 years (2009–2018). The four climate zones in the country were represented by five (5) locations; Maidugiri (warm desert climate), Sokoto (tropical dry climate), Port Harcourt (tropical monsoon climate), Abuja and Enugu (tropical savanna climate). The parameters were simulated into the International Telecommunications Union Recommended (ITU-R) models for rain attenuation over the tropics and results presented using MatLab and Origin Lab. Results of Ku band propagations showed that only locations in the tropical savanna and tropical monsoon climates experienced total signal outage for time percentage exceedance equal to or below 0.01% for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. At K band propagations, the five locations showed to have experienced signal outage at time exceedance equal to and below 0.01%, almost same was recorded for the Ka-band propagation. It was also observed that horizontal and vertical polarization of signal had slightly different rain attenuation values for the studied bands at the five locations, with horizontal polarization having higher values than vertical polarization.

Exploring Interference Issues in the Case of n25 Band Implementation for 5G/LTE Direct-to-Device NTN Services.

This paper delves into an interference analysis, focusing on the forthcoming Starlink Generation 2 satellites, stated to operate within the 1990-1995 MHz frequency band. The aim is to assess the potential interference from this Starlink system to the satellite receivers of mobile satellite systems (MSSs), which are set to function within the 1980-2010 MHz range, and satellite receivers of the NTN systems, which are planned to operate in the n256 bands, defined by the 3GPP specifications. Through simulation-based evaluations, both single-entry and aggregate interference levels from Starlink to MSSs and NTN systems are comprehensively explored. To estimate the interference impact, several protection criteria were used. The study is in line with the Recommendations of International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) and common approaches that are used when performing compatibility studies between satellite systems. The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing the n25 band for NTN direct-to-device services.

Evaluation of rainfall rates and rain-induced signal attenuation for satellite communication in the South-South Region of Nigeria

Rain fade causes signal attenuation which can relatively results in signal quality performance degradation, increased pathloss and coverage area reduction in satellite communication networks, most especially in the tropics and at higher operational frequencies above 10GHz. Analysis of rain attenuation provides useful insight for satellite communication engineers for efficient network planning and design within the region of study. Hence this paper presents threeyear analysis of signal-induced attenuation in the South-South States of Nigeria for the cities of Port-Harcourt, Uyo, Calabar and Eket, whose terrain characteristics could be generalized to represent urban, sub-urban and rural terrains in Nigeria. The International Telecommunications Union Radio-wave propagation (ITU-R P618-13) model was used to estimate the long-term rain attenuation at 10GHz, 20GHz and 30GHz for satellite communication applications. Results obtained at 10GHz, 20GHz and 30GHz operational frequencies show that at high frequency, rain fade can cause signal attenuation levels in the south-south region of Nigeria. In all, Calabar recorded the highest rain rate and corresponding highest attenuation level of 96.13dB at 30GHz compared to 50.29dB at 20GHz for the period under review.

Electric and Magnetic Fields Analysis of the Safety Distance for UAV Inspection around Extra-High Voltage Transmission Lines

The deployment of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for transmission line inspections, has brought attention to the potential impact of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on UAV operations. This work describes a mathematical model based on the finite elements method (FEM), designed to examine the electric and magnetic fields produced by extra-high voltage (EHV) conductors. The current study extends the analysis to encompass both electric and magnetic fields and evaluates the safe distances for UAVs operating near 345 kV, 500 kV, and 765 kV transmission lines. The electromagnetic environment around these EHV transmission lines was simulated using electrostatic, magnetostatic, and transient magnetic modules within the QuickField software 6.6. Electric and magnetic profiles were estimated using 2D finite element analysis, including a numerical simulation for phase-to-phase fault EMFs for the above transmission lines. These results were then cross-verified with theoretical calculations at specific intervals and further validated using the EMFACDC analytical method developed by the International Telecommunication Union. This comprehensive assessment concludes that precise distance considerations are necessary to ensure UAV safety during power line inspections, mitigating potential risks from EMF interference.

Sixth Generation 6G to the Waying Seventh 7G Wireless Communication Visions and Standards, Challenges, Applications

The increasing need for next-generation wireless networks becomes apparent as the Internet of Everything (IoE) gains prominence in smart services, projecting widespread popularity in the future. While sixth generation (6G) networks have the capability to support a diverse range of IoE services, their potential limitations in meeting the demands of innovative applications prompt consideration for seventh generation (7G) wireless systems. This article seeks to compare the characteristics of 6G and the planned 7G wireless systems. The commercial development of fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems is currently underway, introducing new services and enhancing user experiences. Despite these advancements, 5G encounters challenges that require on-going improvements. With the International Telecommunication Union Radio communication Sector (ITU-R) actively envisioning 6G and anticipating a consensus on 7G by October 2024, numerous unresolved questions persist in global discussions. This paper delivers a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of 7G, exploring the vision, technical requirements, and application possibilities. It presents a critical evaluation of the 7G network architecture and essential technologies. Furthermore, the article provides an in-depth examination of advanced 7G verification platforms and existing test beds, unveiling these aspects for the first time. Future research directions and lingering issues are emphasized to contribute to the on-going global discourse on 7G networks. Discussions on lessons learned from 7G networks culminate in the suggestion that 7G systems signify the pinnacle of mobile communication technology. The ongoing research on 7G, an intelligent cellular technology, holds promise for the future of wireless communication.

Does ICT influence carbon emissions in the context of universal connectivity: a global perspective?

The Connect 2030 initiative, launched by the International Telecommunication Union, is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030. Its main objective is to achieve universal connectivity, a goal that is closely related to environmental issues. This topic currently receives attention from researchers and policymakers. Given these considerations, our study investigates the impact of information and communication technologies on carbon dioxide emissions for a panel of 84 countries spanning the years 2009 to 2020. Using principal component analysis, we construct an ICT index that encompasses international bandwidth, reflecting the universal connectivity, and participation in international data exchanges. The empirical analysis applies the pooled mean group-panel autoregressive distributive lag (PMG-ARDL) approach to estimate both the long-run and short-run coefficients of CO2 emissions' determinants. Our findings show that ICT and renewable energy mitigate CO2 emissions, unlike financial development, GDP, and non-renewable energy, which contribute significantly to emissions for the full sample. These outcomes suggest that promoting ICTs in general and international bandwidth in particular, as part of universal connectivity, improves the quality of the global environment.

Co-regulation strategy dominated by double short molecules permitting the regrowth of quantum dots for efficient deep-blue perovskite light-emitting diodes

Recently, blue perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) have garnered considerable attention for use in full-color optoelectronic displays. However, the large specific surface area caused by the small particle size of blue PeQDs results in high defect state density, which severely limits their optical pursuit. To address this issue, a co-regulation strategy using double short-chain molecules of tetraoctylammonium fluoride and tetraethylammonium perfluorooctanesulfonate is proposed to enhance the regrowth of blue CsxRb1−xPb(ClyBr1−y)3 PeQDs. Long-chain insulated oleylamine and oleic acid ligands, which restrict the growth of PeQDs, are substantially replaced using short-chain ligands with higher adsorption energy. This replacement promotes PeQDs to regrow considerably from ∼8 to ∼18 nm, and the defect-state density decreases by 3–5 times. Consequently, highly efficient blue PeQDs with a photoluminescent quantum yield of unity are obtained. Moreover, the PeQDs exhibit lower insulating ligand density and improved charge injection property. As a result, the synthesized deep-blue PeQD light-emitting diodes (PeQLEDs) exhibit a maximum external quantum efficiency of 5.7% at the CIE coordinate of (0.148, 0.032). According to the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector television standard (Rec. 2100), the obtained PeQLEDs are state-of-the-art among colloidal deep-blue PeQDs. This study provides a novel strategy to improve the optical performance of deep-blue PeQLEDs and paves the way for developing high-end wide color-gamut displays.

A deep-learning approach for turbulence correction in free space optical communication with Laguerre–Gaussian modes

Free space optical communication has become increasingly popular in the past decade due to its terahertz bandwidth, unlicensed spectrum, and enhanced security features. This technology has been attracting significant interest from the network community due to its broad applications in future military and civilian protocols. Recently, the use of orthogonal spatial states of the light field, including those with nonzero orbital angular momentum, has increased communication system capacities and bit-transfer rates per photon. However, atmospheric turbulence disrupts the orthogonal spatial modes over propagation. We present a novel deep learning architecture, cGULnet, to mitigate the effects of atmospheric turbulence on spatial multiplexing of Laguerre–Gaussian structured light modes. The model predicts the phase correction patterns required for an adaptive optical system. It is a U-shaped architecture trained adversarially to a patch discriminator similar to conditional generative adversarial neural-networks. The network is trained for exact phase recovery systems without approximating Zernike polynomials, enabling its use in highly phase-sensitive but high-speed spatial multiplexed communication systems. The proposed architecture can predict the successive three frames in a single shot using the previous ten frames. The method was evaluated for a wide range of beam waist sizes in a simulated Laguerre–Gaussian spatial mode multiplexed 1 km free space optical communication link. We have considered 20 dB optical signal-to-noise ratio, with turbulence conditions parameterized by the refractive index structure parameter of Cn2≤5×10−15m−23. It was found to reduce the bit error rate to the International Telecommunication Union recommended forward error correction limit of 3.8×10−3 under high turbulence conditions.

Structured Field Coding and its Applications to National Risk and Cybersecurity Assessments

Data on cybersecurity capacity building efforts is critical to improving cybersecurity at national levels. Policy should be informed not only by measures that allow internal assessment of strengths and weaknesses that enable cross-national comparisons. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and its Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) has used a standardized survey that has been adapted and used in multiple national assessments by the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre. This adaptation includes an addition of open field coding assessments that rely heavily on trained experts and interactions with national focus groups. These assessments are checked using multiple coders to increase reliability and reduce bias. This process of ‘structured field coding’ (SFC) is an approach to collecting and coding observations based on multiple methods, quantitative as well as qualitative. This approach differs from open field coding in providing a set structure for coding observations from the field based on established frameworks for assessment. The SFC process is explained along with a discussion of the origin and the advantages and limitations of this methodological approach. It can be used in a variety of studies but is presented here as a means to integrate data for cross-national comparative analyses. Its application to improving the reliability and validity of data collection across a region, such as the EU, would help stakeholders evaluate where they should invest resources to improve their cybersecurity capacity.

On the Study of Interference Scenario on TV Broadcast and Wireless Systems for Emergency Communication Networks in TVWS

This paper investigated frequency sharing between primary TV systems (channels 32 and 49) and Emergency Communication Networks (ECNs). The networks to be implemented in the Osogbo axis of Osun State function on a secondary geographical basis, creating no harm to the original licensed primary TV viewers. A minimum separation distance of 41 dB was suggested as the protected contour for the UHF spectrum to oversee the protection of primary TV users for the UHF bands under consideration. The effects of changing the secondary systems' transmitting power, transmission frequency, and antenna height on the service coverage distance were also explored. The performance of the UHF band was evaluated when it was utilized for secondary transmission at both low and high transmitting powers, with the performance criterion being percentage coverage distance. This work complies with the International Telecommunication Union-Radio sector (ITU-R) recommendations of 16 dB for signal-to-noise ratio and 41 dB for signal strength. It can also be deduced from the result that when the transmission power of ECN devices is raised from 40 mW to 4 W, Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) is used; it caused a 76.19% reduction in the coverage spacing for TV channels of ECN Network secondary devices. For the White Space Device (WSD) to operate in Temporal mode, the maximum allowable power (4 W) used in spatial mode should be replaced by a 76.19 per cent reduction. Additional sensing margins of 3.76 dB and 4.04 dB for channels 33 and 43 must be added to the FCC threshold limit of -114 dBm criterion for TV white spaces to assure ECN deployment without causing severe interference to TV customers.

Rain Attenuations Based on Drop Size Distribution (DSD) Model and Empirical Model at Low THz Frequencies

Rain attenuation based on the drop size distribution (DSD) with different rainfall rates (R) at low THz frequencies is investigated in this paper. The rain attenuation is calculated using the DSD measured for one year and the extinction cross-section (ECS) by the Mie scattering theory. Moreover, the obtained specific rain attenuation is verified by the empirical model using the measurement system consisting of a transmitter, a receiver, and weather measurement units. We measured the received power against the uniform transmitted power at 240, 270, and 300 GHz on the rooftop of the National Radio Research Agency (RRA) in Korea during the same period as the DSD measurement period. After curve fitting by regression analysis, we compared both rain attenuations obtained in two methods with the recommendation International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) P.838-3. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) of the DSD model are 2.8977, 2.8646, and 2.8331 at 240, 270, and 300 GHz, respectively. The calculated result using the Mie scattering and the measured DSD methods shows the best fit to the data of the ITU-R recommendation for a rainfall rate of up to 5 mm/h. On the other hand, the empirical results using the T/Rx antenna system are slightly higher compared to the data of the ITU-R recommendation. As the rainfall rate increases, the difference between our results and ITU-R recommendation increases. This study will be useful for predicting rain attenuation for terrestrial wireless links operating at low THz frequencies.

Axial ratio bandwidth improvement of compact planar monopole antenna with dual‐band and dual‐sense

SummaryA small size, dual‐band and dual‐sense monopole antenna is proposed to improve the axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW). The proposed antenna is considered on a low‐cost lossy FR4 substrate with parasitic strips (PSs) and partial ground plane of half guided wavelength dimensions. The dimension of the antenna in terms of wavelength is , where is the wavelength at the lowest resonant frequency. The circularly polarized (CP) mode is created for strong orthogonal electric fields and . The obtained phase difference (PD) between two electric fields and is varied from to under ARBW. The achieved ARBW is 3.68–3.8 GHz, 4.84–12.58 GHz, and impedance bandwidth (IBW) is 3.51–3.82 GHz and 4.28–15 GHz. The applications of the proposed antenna are International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 5G, C‐band IEEE 802.11a wireless local area network (WLAN) at 5 GHz (5.15–5.825 GHz) and X‐band wireless systems.