Attached is another formal announcement for the coming conference in Turin, Italy.
It does not include a call for papers, but the organizers will be soliciting them. They hope to be able to announce the invited speakers and session structure shortly. The organizers are especially interested in contributions that can quantify the software costs and savings associated with any change, particularly the possibility of inserting now new leap seconds after N years. Below the asterisks there follows an ascii conversion of the attached Word document. Demetrios Matsakis ***************** Press Release Preliminary Announcement: Colloquium on the UTC Timescale 28-30 May 2003 Torino (Italy) Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale "Galileo Ferraris" Conference Hall Strada delle Cacce, 91 Torino (Italy) A Colloquium on the UTC Timescale will be held at Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale Galileo Ferraris (IEN) in Torino, Italy from 28-30 May 2003. The purpose of the colloquium is to discuss the future of the UTC timescale. As a result of issues raised by sector members of the ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union - Radiocommunications) and a letter from the Director of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) to the Secretary General of the ITU, a new question, ITU-R 236/7 (2000) "The Future of the UTC Timescale", was generated by ITU-R Study Group 7 (Science Services) Working Party 7A (Standard Frequency and Time Signal Services). The question considers the future definition and use of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in the ITU-R Recommendations. Any major change to the UTC timescale as defined in the current recommendations has a potentially significant impact on synchronization of communications networks and navigation systems and time distribution performance. Accordingly, Study Group 7 Working Party 7A has established a Special Rapporteur Group (SRG) to specifically address the future of the leap second and related issues. The SRG has held several coordination and technical exchange meetings to generate, analyze and discuss alternative approaches to reduce or eliminate the operational impact of the leap second. The work to date has produced a consensual opinion that the SRG wants to present and discuss with interested and representative parties. In support of that purpose the SRG has organized a concluding Colloquium for deliberating and drafting a recommendation to the ITU-R. Invited presentations will be made by distinguished representatives in the areas of International Timekeeping, Navigation, Earth Rotation, Telecommunications and Internet Timing. These areas could be impacted by changes in the UTC Time Scale. In addition, contributed presentations will be sought to insure that additional viewpoints would be expressed. Additional information can be obtained from Ron Beard, Chairperson of the SRG ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) and Bill Klepczynski, Secretary of the SRG ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). ***************** General information Technical Program Ron Beard, Chairperson of the SRG E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bill Klepczynski, Secretary of the SRG E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Local Organizing Contact Person Elisabetta Melli Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale "Galileo Ferraris" Strada delle Cacce, 91 - 10135 Torino E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
ITU-UTC_leaflet.PDF
Description: Adobe PDF document