[LEAPSECS] Footnote about CCITT and UTC

[Poul-Henning Kamp]

In message <20081212.091847.-653353160.imp at bsdimp.com>, "M. Warner Losh" writes

:

>In message: <10832.1229096666 at critter.freebsd.dk>

>            "Poul-Henning Kamp" <phk at phk.freebsd.dk> writes:

>: 

>: As part of some research on a different topic, I came across a

>: summary of the 1980 plenary meeting of CCITT, where appearantly the

>: CCITT formally decided to switch from GMT to UTC.

>

>that would make interesting reading.  Is it available?


I checked and I think this may be referring to CCITT recommendation
B.11:


	Recommendation B.11
	Fascicle I.3 - Rec. B.11
	LEGAL TIME; USE OF THE TERM UTC
	(Geneva, 1980)

	The CCITT,

	considering

	(a)     that according to CCIR Recommendation 460-3 all
		standard-frequency and time-signal emissions should conform
		to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC);
	(b)     that since 1972 UTC has been available as a worldwide
		time reference;
	(c)     that in 1975 the General Conference of Weights and
		Measures (CGPM) recommended the use of UTC as the basis of
		civil time;
	(d)     that other scientific organizations, particularly
		the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the International
		Union of Radio Science (URSI) have recommended the general
		use of UTC;
	(e)      that UTC enables the time of events to be determined
		with an uncertainty of 1 µs;
	(f)     that according to CCIR Recommendation 536 and in
		accordance with the Recommendation of the General Conference
		of Weights and Measures the designation UTC is to be used
		in all languages;
	(g)     that the World Administrative Radio Conference
		(Geneva, 1979) has decided that UTC shall be used in
		international radiocommunication activities;
	(h)     that in accordance with Appendix 2 to the Telegraph
		and Telephone Regulations, Geneva, 1973 (relating to
		reciprocal exchange of information through the medium of
		the General Secretariat) Resolution No. 1 of these Regulations
		recommends Administrations inter alia to inform the
		Secretary-General of the legal time they apply.

	unanimously recommends

	that UTC should be used to designate the time in all other
	international telecommunication activities (including
	operational information) and in all service documents of
	the International Telecommunication Union.


None of that is really interesting, except the very late date...

Poul-Henning

PS: According to Wikipedia, ISO 31-1 defines a day as 86400 seconds,
anybody here who can verify if this is really the original text ?

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