UK Government Secures Seat on the Global UN Telecoms Council

The United Kingdom has succeeded in getting itself elected to hold a seat on the influential governing council of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which will give it more of a say in future standards (broadband, satellite, mobile technologies etc.) and the allocation of global radio spectrum etc.

As part of the Western European Regional Group (B), the United Kingdom found itself competing for one of eight seats held by France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Nevertheless, the UK received the second-highest number of votes in this group (securing 151 votes out of a possible 179).

The UK’s success comes as US candidate Doreen Bogdan-Martin was elected on Thursday as the first female Secretary General of the ITU, defeating Russia’s Rashid Ismailov. The result was welcomed by the UK as a “significant win for the efforts of western democracies to block attempts by authoritarian regimes to put greater government controls on the internet“.

The Government (DCMS) said it would use its membership to “ensure the ITU focuses on keeping information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the hands of industry and the free market and making sure they remain interoperable.”

Damian Collins, Tech and Digital Economy Minister, said:

“With a seat on the ITU’s governing council, we will champion tech as a solution to the world’s biggest challenges, redouble our efforts to close the divide between those cut off from technology and those in the digital fast lane and make sure the internet remains free and open.”

The government’s part ownership of OneWeb’s constellation of LEO broadband satellites, as well as any related aspirations to add global positioning and navigation features to future GEN2 platforms, may be a factor in their desire to hold such a seat. The ITU is naturally responsible for helping to agree crucial details about the orbits of such satellite platforms and constellations.

Last year we also reported that several senior Government MPs, as well as Ofcom and the IET, had called for a new approach to the development of future 6G based mobile technologies. In short, they would like to see everybody aiming to prioritise societal benefits over the usual focus on delivering “ever higher data [speeds] and ever higher spectrum bands” (here).

The 6G standard has yet to be finalised, so there’s still time to have an impact, but we’re sceptical of the UK’s influence on this front. 6G development started a while ago and shows no sign of giving up on the old approach. Otherwise, the full results of the recent election can be found below:

ITU Council

Member States elected to serve on ITU Council for 2023-2026 are:

• Region A — The Americas (9 seats) – Argentina; Bahamas; Brazil; Canada; Cuba; El Salvador; Mexico; Paraguay; United States

• Region B — Western Europe (8 seats) – France; Germany; Italy; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Türkiye; United Kingdom

• Region C — Eastern Europe and Northern Asia (5 seats) – Azerbaijan; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Poland; Romania;

• Region D — Africa (13 seats) – Algeria; Egypt; Ghana; Kenya; Mauritius; Morocco; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; South Africa; Tanzania; Tunisia; Uganda

• Region E — Asia and Australasia (13 seats) – Australia; Bahrain; China; India; Indonesia; Japan; Korea (Rep. of); Kuwait; Malaysia; Philippines; Saudi Arabia; Thailand; United Arab Emirates

Radio Regulations Board

Election results for the ITU Radio Regulations Board 2023-2026:

• Region A: The Americas: Chantal Beaumier (Canada); Agostinho Linhares de Souza Filho (Brazil)

• Region B: Western Europe: Yvon Henri (France); Mauro Di Crescenzo (Italy)

• Region C: Eastern Europe and Northern Asia: Sahiba Hasanova (Azerbaijan); Rizat Nurshabekov (Kazakhstan)

• Region D: Africa: El-Sayed Azzouz (Egypt); Hassan Talib (Morocco); Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko (Ghana)

• Region E: Asia and Australasia: Revathi Mannepalli (India); Majed Alkahtani (Saudia Arabia); Jianjun Cheng (China)