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ITU TELECOM Forum Explores our Digital Society
Digital Society domain brings together regulators, governments and ICT industry to chart our shared digital future
Hong Kong, 6 December 2006 - From disaster prevention and relief to healthcare or remote education the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in today’s society is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, the technologies and applications themselves are becoming ever more innovative. But just how much do ICTs really transform our society? And what kind of role do governments and regulators need to play to ensure that the reach of ICTs is extended, for the benefit of all?
Join a high-level set of speakers, moderators and panelists at the Digital Society domain of the ITU TELECOM Forum to look for answers to these and other key questions, and help set down the foundations for the digital world's future.
The Society domain is one of three of the ITU TELECOM Forum domains, each designed to enable a closer look at a different aspect of our Digital World. The other domains look at Digital Lifestyles and Digital Ecosystems.
Keynote speakers in the Digital Society domain encompass top-level representatives of regulators and policy makers, as well as leading ICT industry players, guaranteeing a debate that is both broad-based as well as constructive.
Top-level regulator and government representatives speaking include:
H.E. Boris Antonyuk, Deputy Minister for Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation;
Mohamed Amir, Chief Executive, Telecommunications Authority of Maldives, Maldives;
H.E Sofyan Djalil, Minister, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Indonesia;
Michel Feneyrol, Commissioner, ARCEP, France;
H.E.Seri Lim Keng Yaik, Minister, Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications, Malaysia;
Nripendra Misra, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority, India;
Keng Thai Leong, Director General, Telecoms, Infocomm Development Authority, Singapore;
Major-General Malik Shazada Alam, Chairman, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, Pakistan.
Neil McGowan, Executive Vice-President, VeriSign Communications Services - International, VeriSign;
Zhengmao Li, Vice President, China Unicom;
Papi Molotsane, Chief Executive Officer, Telkom SA;
Katsumasa Shinozuka, President and CEO, OKI;
Joe Wright, Chairman of the Board, Intelsat;
Michael Zafirovski, President & CEO, Nortel;
Shimmy Zimels, President, CEO and Director, Deltathree;
"Every community has shared norms and values, and in some cases laws and regulations, that are in place to make its inhabitants feel happy and safe. Just like any neighbourhood, our shared Digital Society needs to be based on a common understanding and consensus on what is fair, what is right and what is wrong. But, in the case of ICTs, it is not always the most vocal members of the community that express the mainstream view" says Tim Kelly, Head of the ITU Strategy and Policy Unit. "New issues are emerging all the time, for instance over the rise of spam and phishing, theft of digital identity, cyberaddiction, or the regulation of online gambling, on which governments and regulators need to take a position. The Digital Society sessions at the Forum will help to pinpoint ways in which we can create help to build confidence and security in the use of ICTs, so that we can all be citizens of the Digital Society."
Themes and questions to be addressed include:
Shaping Our Future Digital Society: This session gives a voice to some of the leading policy-makers and regulators from around the world, as well as private sector views, on how our future digital society should be shaped.
Do we Need Converged Regulators?: With many countries moving toward uniting formerly separate broadcasting and telecommunication regulatory regimes, what are the benefits and challenges of such an approach?
Next Generation Regulation: As the transition to IP-based networks continues, a whole set of regulatory challenges are emerging, for instance in the definition of universal service, bundling and billing, or convergence. What other new challenges lie ahead for regulators? And how should they be tackled?
Reaching the next Billion Users: It took more than a hundred years to reach the first billion ICT users worldwide, and fewer than five to reach the second. What will be the triggers for reaching the third billion?
The Future of Internet Governance: This session will bring together key players to discuss the future of Internet governance, examining core topics such as management of the critical Internet resources (e.g., domain name system, IPv6), countering spam, multilingualism, cybersecurity and capacity-building.
ICTs for Disaster Relief and Prevention: This session will explore how traditional and new technologies can be used in disaster management and recovery efforts to limit losses, restore communications and help bring relief to those in the most urgent need.
Is Distance Really Dead? Innovative new technologies are dismantling the constructs of distance and duration of calls, on which call pricing has traditionally been based. What are the implications of these for universal service and for the provision of telecom services? Can voice providers survive without pricing calls by the mile and minute?
ICTs for Health: The benefits that ICTs can bring to the provision of healthcare are no longer in doubt. But what are the important principles to safeguard? And what are the key pitfalls to avoid?
Reinventing Government for a Digital World: e-government in a digital world means more than just building a website. Hear best practice case studies from some of the countries that are pioneering Digital Government, and find out what lessons are transferable.
Towards a safer digital society: A lack of trust often prevents individuals they avoid undertaking certain activities online. Fear of identity theft, bank or credit card details are some of the main concerns. So what steps do we need to take in order to build confidence and trust in our digital world?
Building digital communities: What steps can we take to ensure that digital communities are truly open to all? How can barriers such as language or wealth be overcome in building the digital community of the future?
Universal, Ubiquitous, Equitable and Affordable: Is this an achievable goal for ICT access? Can connectivity that is truly ubiquitous also be affordable? Can access really be equitable when society remains divided between ICT 'haves' and 'have-nots?' Does our vision of what constitutes universal service need to be revisited for the 21st Century?
Adding a further dimension to debate will be companies and organizations as diverse as Lucent, Rabobank, National Telemedicine Agency (Russian Federation), Microsoft, Holy Family Hospital of Pakistan; the Internet Society and NextWave Broadband.
Panelists will represent a very broad range of entities, and include
Peter Bladin, Grameen Technology Centre;
Alison Lindsay, Clifford Chance;
Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, Government, Regulatory & Public Policy, GSM Association,
Leticia Vasquez, Child Helpline International, Netherlands and
Jae-Suk Yun, Korea Information Security Agency, Korea (Rep. of).
A broad range of experts have been selected, based on their expertise in key areas, to moderate sessions. These include
Michael Kende, Analysys Mason Group;
Timothy Ellam, McCarthy Tetrault LLP;
Rohan Samarajiva, Executive Director, LIRNEasia, Sri Lanka and
Pindar Wong, VeriFi (Hong Kong)
Find out more on the major role ICTs will play in our communities in the future, and how our new Society can be safeguarded at the Digital Society domain at ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006. Further details of sessions can be accessed via the
Forum programme. Click on each session for a detailed overview of who is participating.
Useful source material:
For more information, please contact:
S. Acharya
Chief, Media relations and public information
International Telecommunication Union
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Lucy George
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Carl Wong
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Odile Bibollet
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Ortrud Wenzel
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Lucy Meacher
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