The International Telecommunication Union’s Standardization Sector (ITU-T) has established a new Focus Group that will take the first steps towards creating globally recognised standards for the metaverse. The new group, known as FG-MV, will investigate and explore the technical, economic, and societal aspects of the metaverse. The first meeting of the group will be hosted by Saudi Arabia on March 8-9, with the National Cybersecurity Authority announcing that they will hold the first ITU Forum on Embracing the Metaverse on 7 March 2023 in Riyadh, aligning with the Focus Group.
The FG-MV aims to prepare a pre-standardisation roadmap and establish a community of experts whose impact will reach a global level. It will discuss issues surrounding the metaverse with participation mainly from governments, but also industry, academia, and other international organisations. The output of the FG-MV will be a set of deliverables, which may include reports, guidelines, and workshops. Once the FG-MV reports back to ITU-T, the ITU membership will decide how to move forward on establishing standards for the metaverse under the ITU-T Study Group structure.
Access Partnership works closely with ITU membership on initiatives ranging from internet governance to global frequency allocations. We maintain a consistent presence at events such as the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, liaising with stakeholders and member states to provide expertise, share insight, and promote beneficial policy outcomes. Through our Metaverse Policy Lab, Access Partnership is at the forefront of debates on the metaverse’s regulatory future. If you would like to know more please contact Gökhan Tok at gokhan.tok@accesspartnership.com.
