The United Nations (UN) agency in charge of telecommunications, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has declared in its latest reports that Next Generation Networks (NGN) will transform the means of communications in the world.

The ITU's Secretary General, Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, gave this insight at the unveiling of the 8th edition of 'Trends in Telecommunication Reform: The Road to NGN' in Geneva on Tuesday, noting that the report focuses on the evolution of circuit-switched telecommunications into "next-generation" networks, as the regulator issued guidelines for regulators to foster investment and access.

According to Dr Toure, the report aims at enabling regulators and policy-makers in developing countries to better understand the changes transforming the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

"So they can evolve their policy and regulatory frameworks to leverage today's technological and market developments," he said.

He emphasised that based on Internet Protocol (IP), NGN migration builds on the expansion of broadband networks, the rise of Voice over IP (VoIP), fixed-mobile convergence and IP television (IPTV).

"These new networks are being developed using a number of technologies, including wireless and mobile, fibre and cable, or by upgrades to existing copper lines," he explained, adding that while some operators are focused on upgrading their core or transport networks to NGN, others are already tackling their access networks to reach the end user.

Toure` also explained that fixed-line operators face increased competition from wireless telecommunications operators, providers of cable television networks and large Internet content providers with strong brands and deep pockets.

He pointed out that the search for new revenue streams from the increasingly popular triple or quadruple play bundled package of IPTV, voice calls and ultra-high-speed broadband Internet access has accelerated the rolling out of fibre networks closer to homes and offices.

Additionally, Dr. Toure said, operators are increasingly seeking to collect advertising revenue from the range of user-generated, social-networking and other content running on ever-higher speed broadband networks, dubbed "ultra broadband" or "broaderband" technology.

"At the same time, mobile operators are upgrading their networks to find new revenue streams fed by offering seamless connectivity to bandwidth-intensive applications like mobile TV," he said.