The Telecommunications Handbook: Engineering Guidelines for Fixed, Mobile and Satellite Systems

2 Standardization and Regulation

Jyrki T. J. Penttinen

2.1 Introduction

Without commonly agreed rules for communications within and between telecommunications systems, with functionalities and interfaces, the end-to-end calls between devices of operators and countries would not be possible. Standards are thus designed at all levels both nationally and internationally. In addition to systems, within wider communities like the European Union, there are also processes to unify definitions in order to provide fluent end-to-end functionality and performance.

This chapter gives an introduction to the most important institutes and their roles in telecommunications standardization and definition of new solutions, including guidelines on how to identify information sources and how to seek specific information.

This chapter gives an overall view as well as sufficiently deep details to understand the focus and aim of each group involved in the definitions of common rules for fixed and mobile system development. This chapter also gives practical points of view about challenges, for example, in spectrum requirements, differing availabilities and usefulness of different bands at national, regional and global level.

2.2 Standardization Bodies

2.2.1 ITU

ITU (International Telecommunications Union) is a worldwide organization that takes care of the global requirements of telecommunications. ITU belongs to the United Nations (UN). ITU is specialized for information and communication technologies ...