Membership FAQ

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) brings together a global community of 194 Member States and over 1,000 companies, universities, research institutes, and international organizations — all working together to shape the future of digital technologies.

By joining ITU, companies, academic institutions, and organizations gain a direct voice in the decisions that influence their business and operations. Members also benefit from opportunities to connect with ICT regulators, policymakers, and technical experts, share knowledge, and develop innovative public-private partnerships.

ITU has three Sectors:

Radiocommunication (ITU-R)
Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T)
Telecommunication Development (ITU-D)

Each Sector has its own focus and activities. Organizations may join one or more Sectors either as a Sector Member or Associate.

ITU-R plays a critical role in managing the international radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit resources, and in developing global standards for radiocommunication systems.

If your primary focus is on spectrum management, satellite communications, broadcasting, terrestrial services, or other radiocommunication-related domains, membership in ITU-R is for you!

The ITU-R Sector offers the following participation options:

ITU-R Sector Members:

Sector members include companies, regional and international organizations, and other entities with an interest in radiocommunications. They actively participate in the work of the ITU-R, helping to shape global radiocommunication standards and policies, and can participate in all activities across ITU-R Study Groups.

ITU-R Associates:

Associates are companies and organizations that wish to engage in the work of a single ITU-R Study Group of their choice. This category is recommended for organizations with a focused interest in one specific area of radiocommunication.

Academia:

Universities and research institutions can join and participate across all ITU Sectors (R, T, D) as academic members at a reduced fee. Learn more here.

ITU-R Sector Members play a vital role in shaping global radiocommunication standards and policies. Their benefits include:

Eligibility to actively participate in and contribute to all ITU-R Study Group meetings and related activities, helping to shape the studies and formulation of global spectrum and orbit rules.
Full access to all ITU-R working documents, draft recommendations and reports, as they are developed throughout the development cycle.
Access to technical resources including BR Software, databases, Space Explorer and plenty of seminar/workshop materials.
Right to participate as an observer in World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs), where decisions on global frequency allocations and regulatory policies are made.[PD1] 

Possibility to take leadership roles, such as chairing groups or coordinating specific technical work in ITU-R activities.
Opportunity to collaborate directly with governments, regulators, and leading industry players worldwide and other ITU-R Sector members and Associates.
Visibility and recognition as part of a global standard-setting body in the Radiocommunication Sector.

ITU-R Associates can also valuably engage with ITU’s work, with participation and contributions limited to one specific ITU-R Study Group of their choice[PD2] .

Members from Academia enjoy similar benefits across all three sectors, although eligibility is restricted to universities and recognized research institutions.

For a detailed comparison of participation rights—including across the three ITU sectors—please refer to ITU Membership: Participation

ITU-R focuses on :

Efficient and equitable use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits governed by the ITU Radio Regulations — a global treaty that sets the international legal framework for their management.
Development and adoption of global standards (ITU-R Recommendations) in areas such as 5G, 6G/IMT, satellite systems, broadcasting, maritime and aeronautical services, and space science.
Supporting preparations for World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs), where the ITU Radio Regulations are reviewed and updated every 4 years.
Promoting spectrum harmonization and technical coordination globally through regional seminars, workshops and related capacity building activities.

For detailed information, see the ITU-R homepage.

ITU-R membership fees vary depending on the options selected and the location/nature of the organization, as outlined in our Terms & Conditions:

ITU-R Sector Members:
CHF 31’800 — standard
CHF 3’975 — for organizations from Developing Countries with an annual per capita income below 2,000.00 USD (UNDP), that are not already members of other Sectors and are not subsidiaries of multinational corporations with HQ in developed countries.

ITU-R Associates:

Pay reduced annual fees to participate in one ITU-R Study Group only.

CHF 10’600 — standard
CHF 3’975 — for SMEs from Developed Countries
CHF 1’987.50 — for SMEs from Developing Countries & LDCs

ITU Academia

Benefit from a significantly reduced fee to participate across all three ITU Sectors.

CHF 3’975 — standard
CHF 1’987.50 — for organizations from Developing Countries & LDCs

The most up-to-date fee structure is available on the ITU Membership Fees page.

The complete and regularly updated list of ITU-R Sector Members and Associates is available on the Membership Directory which allows filtering by sector, country, or organization type.

Here are the key steps to becoming a member of the ITU-R:

Determine the right participation modality (optional)
Determine the type of Membership (Sector member, Associate, Academia) that best fits your organization’s needs as outlined above.
If you are unsure, please contact the Radiocommunications Membership Team at
 itu-r_membership@itu.int

Complete and submit the application
• Fill in and submit the online Application Form
E-mail a signed copy to membership@itu.int, with a copy to itu-r_membership@itu.int

Obtain national administration approval
Applications from companies, organizations and academia must be approved by the relevant national telecommunication administration (usually the relevant telecom authority or regulator) in the Member State where your organization is based.
After receiving your signed application, ITU will forward it to the relevant national administration for approval and will copy you in the communication, so they can contact you directly if needed.
You are encouraged to inform your national administration of your intention to join ITU or to follow up on your application.
A full list of national administrations is available here.

For your application to be valid, it must be signed by a senior official or manager, with the authority to sign legally binding agreements with third parties on behalf of your company/organization, including the obligation for the payment of fees.

Applications must be approved by the relevant national administration. The timeframe may vary depending on the internal procedures of each administration.  

By following up on your application with your national telecommunication administration, you may help speed up the approval process and enable you to participate in ITU-R activities sooner. 

Applications from international and regional organizations do not require Member State approval and are typically processed within a few weeks by the General Secretariat of ITU in Geneva (Switzerland).

No. ITU does not offer membership to individuals of any capacity.

In addition to Member States, ITU offers membership solely to legal entities such as corporations, international and regional organizations, associations, and academic institutions active within the field of ICTs.

Yes. subsidiaries or branches can hold separate ITU memberships if they are legally independent entities.

They can participate in relevant ITU activities in their respective country/region, as well as global activities. 

Yes, it is possible.

Approval of membership applications is solely the prerogative of Member States, with ITU involved only for international and regional organizations.

Applications that are not approved by the national telecommunication administration of the relevant Member State are not processed by the ITU Secretariat.

Yes. Regional and international organizations may be exempted from financial contribution subject to reciprocity and several specific criteria, such as being a non-profit-making organization. The full criteria are available here.

Reduced fees are also available for members located in developing countries, as well as for companies or organizations that qualify as SMEs.

Please refer to the answer under “What fees are associated with ITU-R membership?” for more details.

For further information, please contact itu-r_membership@itu.int

SMEs can participate either as Sector Members or Associates in any of ITU’s three Sectors. 

ITU provides for reduced fees for SMEs that wish to participate as Associates. 

To be eligible for these reduced Associate fees, companies must:

Be approved by their respective Member State as meeting national criteria for an SME,
have fewer than 250 employees, and
Have annual revenues below CHF 15 million.

Learn more here.

Membership fees are payable in Swiss francs (CHF) and must be paid through a bank transfer upon issuing of a bill.

ITU must receive the required funds prior to activating a new Membership.

The invoice will include ITU’s official banking details and a reference number, which must be indicated in your payment to ensure the correct allocation.

ITU can accept membership fees’ payments by Credit Card, however all charges must be covered by your company/organization. Please check payment instructions on your invoice or contact the ITU Finance Department for confirmation.

Please note:

All bank charges are to be borne by the payer.
Payment must be made in full; partial payments cannot activate membership.
Memberships run from 1st January to 31 December of each year (calendar year), except for the year you join, when Membership is activated once payment has been received. Afterwards, it will be automatically renewed on a yearly basis.

For any questions related to payment methods or invoices, please contact:

Financial Department FIN-Debt@itu.int with a copy to membership@itu.int and itu-r_membership@itu.int.

All membership contributions are invoiced and payable in Swiss francs (CHF).

Under certain exceptional circumstances, and upon prior acceptance of the ITU Financial Department (FIN-Debt@itu.int), payments may be accepted in US dollars (USD) or Euros (EUR).

Membership is automatically renewed every year, with payment fees due before 31^st March of each year. 

For more information, please refer to our Membership Terms and Conditions.

Yes. For all official correspondence relating to your membership and participation, you must designate an official contact.

Yes. You can create as many user accounts as needed for colleagues to access ITU documents  and participate in ITU activities and events.

To change the official contact person or update contact details, please notify membership@itu.int

No. The Membership Agreement is a standard document and cannot be altered.

To change your membership status, you need to notify the ITU Membership Team at membership@itu.int .

You will be required to sign a new Membership Agreement. This will include a recalculation of your dues for the new financial year, payable before 31^st March of the year in which your new membership takes effect.

Membership of ITU is tacitly renewed each year on 31^st March, unless an official cancellation notice from your company/organization has been received by the ITU General Secretariat.

Cancellation takes effect six months following the end of the month of the date of receipt of the official notification by the Secretary General of the ITU.

To cancel, please complete and filling in the membership cancellation form.