ITSF 2013 was held in Lisbon, Portugal and the theme of the conference was “Time for Phase”. This year ITSF moves to Budapest Nov 4-6th and we are poised to roll-out “Phase-Ready” networks to deliver new fast mobile services over the next 24 months. Appropriately, the conference theme is “Time for the Future”. This will bring new challenges related to applications such as CoMP, eICIC and TDD; new time delivery technologies such as GNSS alternatives; new technologies for resilient timing and threat mitigation and new standards and measurement metrics. If you want to know the stories behind these challenges and acronyms, you had better attend.

There will be a pre-conference evening drinks reception and then on Day 1 ITSF will begin with a tutorial session “Time to Learn”. This is ideal for new attendees and regulars alike and will be delivered by invited subject matter expert speakers. The conference proper will open with the conference theme session “Time for the Future” examining future time, timing/frequency and phase requirements and delivery technologies. A panel session will wrap up the first day with panel members drawn from Day 1 Speakers. Day 1 will conclude in the evening with the annual sponsored “Icebreaker” event.

Day 2 will begin with invited papers from Industry Standards committee members reviewing the latest additions in the session “Time in Standards”. This will be followed by “Time to Apply” looking at the applications that need Time, Timing and Phase. During the evening we will hold the annual “Time Lord award” sponsored dinner to which all delegates and partners are invited.

Day 3 will begin with a review of vulnerabilities in sources, distribution and transport “Time Under Threat”. This perhaps will be one of the key sessions of the conference as we explore vulnerabilities, mitigation techniques and political pressure to adopt new time delivery techniques. ITSF 2014 will conclude with “Time in Distribution” examining performance monitoring, measurement issues and techniques.

I hope to see you in Budapest. ITSF 2014 “Time for the Future” will be a key knowledge transfer and networking session as the industry builds the new networks necessary to address the phenomenal bandwidth demands of the Tablet and Smartphone user community that will emerge in 2015 and 2016.

Prof. Charles Curry, BEng, CEng, FIET
Chairman ITSF Steering Group