DoT sets the ball rolling with outreach sessions ahead of WTSA 2024 next month

India is set to host the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly in Delhi from October 15 to 24

With India set to make a significant mark in the telecom sector by hosting the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly in New Delhi from October 15 to 24, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set the ball rolling by launching the WTSA 2024 outreach sessions in different parts of the country.

The outreach sessions, scheduled in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, aim to provide a distinctive platform to students for learning and direct engagement with industry experts, fostering meaningful interactions and knowledge exchange.

Scheduled in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, the outreach sessions aim to provide a distinctive platform to students for learning and direct engagement with industry experts, fostering meaningful interactions and knowledge exchange. The WTSA 2024 is being held for the first time in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s history of 150 years in India, and will be attended by world leaders and experts of the telecom sector from over 190 countries.      

The outreach sessions have been held at Delhi Technical University (Delhi), Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) and Indian Institute of Information Technology (Hyderabad). Prominent dignitaries from ITU, National Communication Academy, Telecom Engineering Centre, senior professors and leading experts from the telecom industry engaged students in discussions about the WTSA, ITU, and the critical role of telecom standards in fostering global connectivity and innovation.

The sessions emphasized how standardization supports the deployment of technologies like 5G and the upcoming 6G, ensuring interoperability and influencing the future of global telecommunications. The event was attended by more than 500 students physically across the three institutes, in addition to more than 450 participants joining the event in online mode.

The sessions, according to DoT, were an opportunity for young minds to grasp the importance of telecom standards in shaping India’s leadership in the telecom sector. It also explained ways by which they contribute to shaping the future of telecom.

Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Director General, National Communication Academy; R.R. Mittar, WTSA-24 Chair Designate; Prof Prateek Sharma, Vice Chancellor, DTU; Prof. Bharadwaj Amrutur, Director, ArtPark, IISc; Atul Sinha, Rajesh Gupta, Avinash Agarwal, Dy DG, and other senior officers from DoT and its field offices shared valuable inputs with the participants.

Hemendra K Sharma, Spokesperson, DoT, said that India's hosting of WTSA-2024 is an opportunity to influence the global telecom agenda as we prepare for advancements like 6G and beyond.

The Department of Telecommunications also launched the 5G-6G Hackathon 2024, designed to identify and promote innovations and applications tailored to India's unique needs, fostering the development of next-generation telecom technologies. The hackathon attracted a diverse range of participants, including telecom stakeholders from government, academia, and industry. The participants of Hackathon aim to develop India-specific use cases harnessing the capabilities of 5G, 6G and its associated technologies.