The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is recognized by the United States as the Agency for international telecommunications policy and regulations. Figure B-1 presents the ITU structure with its components as approved at the Additional Plenipotentiary Conference, Geneva 1992.

The structure of the Union comprises:

The Plenipotentiary Conference, which is the supreme organ of the Union;

The Council, which acts on behalf of the Plenipotentiary Conference;

World conferences on international telecommunications;

The Radiocommunication Sector, including world and regional radiocommunication conferences, radiocommunication assemblies, and the Radio Regulations Board;

The Telecommunications Standardization Sector, including World Telecommunications Standardization Conferences;

The Telecommunication Development Sector, including world and regional telecommunication development conferences; and

The General Secretariat.

The authority of the ITU is derived from its member nations and is contained in the Constitution and Convention of the ITU and is further complemented by the Administrative Regulations which are the International Telecommunication Regulations, and the RR, each of which holds treaty status.

The Plenipotentiary Conference meets every 4 years to determine the operational framework of the Union including:

Elect the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General;

Elect the ITU Council Members (43);

Elect the Directors of the Bureaus of the Sectors and the Radio Regulations Board Members;

Authorize any World or Regional Radiocommunications Conferences;

Approve any changes to the ITU Constitution or ITU Convention;

Determine the budget for the Union.

The Council meets annually and is comprised of 43 members elected by the Plenipotentiary to serve until the next Plenipotentiary. The functions served by the ITU Council are:

To establish agendum and actual dates for upcoming conferences, and

To manage Union resources between Plenipotentiary meetings.

The functions of the Radiocommunication Sector are to fulfill the purposes of the Union relating to radiocommunications:

By ensuring the rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum by all radiocommunication services, and

By carrying out studies without limit of frequency range and adopting recommendations on radiocommunication matters.

The Radiocommunication Sector works through:

World and regional radiocommunication conferences;

The Radio Regulations Board;

Radiocommunication assemblies, which are associated with world radiocommunication conferences held once every 2-3 years;

Radiocommunication study groups and their associated working parties and task groups; and

The Radiocommunication Bureau, headed by the elected Director.

The functions of the Telecommunications Standardization Sector shall be to fulfill the purposes of the Union relating to telecommunication standardization:

By studying technical, operating and tariff questions; and

Adopting recommendations with a view to standardizing telecommunications on a worldwide basis.

The Telecommunications Standardization Sector works through:

World telecommunication standardization conferences;

Telecommunication standardization study groups; and

The Telecommunication Standardization Bureau headed by the elected Director.

The functions of the Telecommunications Development Sector shall be to fulfill the purposes of the Union relating to telecommunication development:

By promoting and offering technical assistance to countries in the field of telecommunications;

By promoting the mobilization of the material and financial resources needed for implementation; and

By promoting the extension of the benefits of the new telecommunication technologies to all the world's inhabitants.

The study groups of the Radiocommunication Sector are responsible for specific areas of technical interest as follows:

Study Group	Name of Group
1	Spectrum Management
3	Radiowave Propagation
4	Fixed-Satellite Service
6	Broadcasting Service (terrestrial and satellite)
7	Science Services
8	Mobile, Radiodetermination, and Amateur and Related Satellite Services
9	Fixed Service

The United States uses a similar structure for its National Radiocommunication Study Groups (see Appendix C, Figure C-1, and Figure C-2).

Figure B-1 Structure of the ITU