Global thrust to achieve universal broadband connectivity
ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference opens in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates
Dubai, 30 March 2014 – The sixth ITU World Telecommunication
Development Conference (WTDC-14) opened today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
with a call to achieve universal broadband connectivity. Under the theme
‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’, the conference will focus on
development priorities in telecommunications and information and communication
technologies (ICT) and agree on the programmes, projects and initiatives to
implement them.
Mr Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunication
Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates and Head of the UAE delegation
was elected Chairman of the Conference. He noted that the focus on the theme
‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’ brings attention to the critical aspect
of leading edge ICT in enhancing a nation’s development. “Since the beginning of
this Millennium, mobile cellular subscriptions have continued to rise, social
media usage has rocketed, and an ever increasing number of people across the
globe have been able to access the Internet, making use of the immeasurable
quantity of information that greater connectivity provides,” said Mr Al Ghanim.
“Yet one of the most persisting concerns that face us all is the ‘digital
divide’. Serious practical solutions are required to close the gap and stem this
endemic inequality of access.”
“ICTs, and in particular broadband networks, offer perhaps the greatest
opportunity we have ever had to make rapid and profound advances in global
social and economic development,” Said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré at
the opening ceremony of WTDC-14. “By delivering efficiencies across so many
areas, from education and healthcare to transportation, water and energy,
broadband networks can quickly pay for themselves, creating a virtuous circle of
investment, productivity and human development.”
The Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Mr Brahima Sanou
said that in the recent past, the growth of ICTs and their relevance in
advancing the economic and social well-being of people have been extraordinary.
“Yet, despite progress, significant challenges remain,” Mr Sanou said. “And that
is the reason we are here. We need to create conditions for entrepreneurships
and innovation; we need to create conducive and enabling regulatory environments
to reach digital inclusion for all.” Mr Sanou stressed that “we should work
together to put ICTs in the hands of ordinary people”.
One of the expected outcomes of WTDC-14 is the Dubai Action Plan – which will
set the agenda for telecommunication and information and communication
technologies development over the next four years. The dialogue, which will
shape the future of the telecommunication and ICT sector and its contribution to
social and economic development, will focus on:
- Sound policies and regulatory frameworks that will foster
investment and further develop telecom/ICT networks
- Improved access to ICT applications to provide people with
services such as education, health, and empower them with the
means to achieve sustainable development
- Increased safety and security in the use of telecoms/ICTs
- Capacity building in the area of ICTs
- Emergency telecommunications
WTDC-14 opened with the screening of a
film on telecommunication and ICT development. Some 1650
participants from around 150 countries attended the Conference opening,
including over
60 ministers and high-level delegates.
BROADBAND FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
An Executive Strategic Dialogue on Broadband for Sustainable Development was
held on Saturday, 29 March.
The event provided a platform for an interactive debate on the trends,
challenges and opportunities of the telecom/ICT sector. In particular, it
focused on strategies and policies directed towards broadband development
worldwide.
Noting that there are almost 1.5 billion smart phones in use, and that number
is likely to double in the next few years, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I.
Touré said, “The broadband universe is evolving incredibly quickly, especially
with the advent of mobile broadband, which is the fastest growing technology in
human history. Most of this growth will come in developing countries, if the
pattern of recent years continues to be repeated – with 90 per cent of the
mobile growth and over 80 per cent of the growth in Internet users coming from
the developing world over the past four years.” Dr Touré stressed that we need
to continue measuring progress in order to see what still needs to be done and
added: “What we decide and define here in Dubai over the next two weeks will
shape not just the future of ICT development over the next four years – but the
future shape of the very world we live in.”
In his opening remarks, Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication
Development Bureau said, “We still have the huge challenge of bridging the
‘broadband divide’ by exploring, debating and innovating the best ways to
reinforce impact related to deploying broadband infrastructure and making
broadband-based services and applications affordable.”
Mr Sanou added: “I do not doubt that the impact of broadband is significantly
reinforced by the power of the mobile revolution. With more than 6.8 billion
mobile subscriptions worldwide, we need, now more than ever, to join forces to
empower people – no matter where they live – and contribute to socio-economic
development.”
The keynote speaker was Mr Gerd Leonard, Futurist and CEO of The Futures
Agency (Switzerland). Panellists included Mr John Nasasira, Minister of
Information and Communication Technologies, Uganda; Mr Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim,
Director General, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, UAE; Mr. Yoon
Jong-Rok, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Republic
of Korea; Ms Kathryn C. Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Internet Society; Mr
Samer Halawi, Chief Executive Officer, Thuraya; Mr Luigi Gambardella, Chairman
of Executive Board, European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association;
and Ms Lobna Smida, Policy Expert in Accessibility, Tunisia.
A series of events during WTDC-14 will address a number of ICT development
issues:
www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/WTDC/WTDC14/Pages/item.aspx?ItemID=677.
Media Information:
Media accreditation for WTDC-14 is compulsory. Pre-registration is highly
recommended. For accreditation procedures please see:
www.itu.int/en/newsroom/wtdc-14/Pages/media-accreditation.aspx