The Full Service VDSL Specifications were published on June 5, 2002. This means that anybody can access them from this web site, that any vendor can implement them, provided they comply with IPR rules, and that any operator can use them to provide services on their network.

This forum has therefore achieved the first objective foreseen when the FS-VDSL Committee was set up in 2000. The normal result should have been to wind up the forum on expiry of its work. However, the FS-VDSL specifications are only private documents, with no legal basis and despite their technical value, they cannot be referenced in official procurements in the same way as recognised standards - only official recognised standards have such status.

The Telecommunication Standardisation Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), a multi-governmental entity which is part of the United Nations, has now facilitated this forum to join their efforts to promote global standards. The FS-VDSL Management Committee has agreed to form a specialised group tasked with publishing ITU-T specifications or Recommendations based on the work done so far.

This group has been accepted by the ITU-T management as the FS-VDSL Focus Group (see http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com16/fs-vdsl/index.html) within ITU-T Study Group 16 (multimedia systems and applications) and will works towards the publication of Reccomendations based on the work of the FS-VDSL Committee to date.
http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/vdslfg.html

The creation of the Focus Group was formally approved by Study Group 16 at it’s meeting in October 2002. The Terms of Reference of the Focus Group, including the action plan, were endorsed by SG16, and can be found at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com16/fs-vdsl/tor.html

The Focus Group has now had three meetings, and has recently submitted draft Recommendations to Study Group 16 for consideration for “Consent” (the first stage in the ITU-T Recommendation approval process) at the meeting in May 2003.

All present members of FS-VDSL committee as well as members of the Telecommunication Sector of the ITU (provided they join the Focus Group and agree to the working rules, including the financial support to the work) will be entitled to participate in this Focus Group.

	FS-VDSL Committee	October 30th, 2000