7 QUESTIONS WITH HOULIN ZHAO Talking Technology Trends with ITU’s Secretary General
1.
What is ITU’s mission? The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). We are committed to connecting the world. We work to bring the benefits of ICTs to everyone, everywhere. Our global membership includes 193 Member States and over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Our members come together on the neutral platform provided by ITU to broker the international agreements necessary to shared technological advance. ITU coordinates the global allocation of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbital positions. ITU standards are critical to the operation of today’s optical, radio and satellite networks. And we also assist developing countries in the application of advanced ICTs,
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SUBMARINE TELECOMS MAGAZINE
helping to bridge development divides as well as gender divides.
2.
How does ITU participate in the submarine cable market? Standardization remains central to ITU’s value proposition. The submarine telecoms industry participates in the development of ITU international standards for the design, construction, deployment, and operation and maintenance of submarine telecoms systems. International standards provide the technical foundations of global markets. They create efficiencies enjoyed by all market players, efficiencies and economies of scale that ultimately result in lower costs to producers and lower prices to consumers. And by supporting backward compatibility, international standards enable next-generation technologies to interwork