Short for
International Telecommunication Union, an intergovernmental organization through which public and private organizations develop
telecommunications. The ITU was founded in 1865 and became a United Nations agency in 1947. It is responsible for adopting international treaties, regulations and
standards governing telecommunications. The standardization functions were formerly performed by a group within the ITU called
CCITT, but after a 1992 reorganization the CCITT no longer exists as a separate entity.