The changes which have taken place in the telecoms/ICT sector since 2000 are well-known in ITU and do not need to be discussed here beyond listing those which have had most substantial impact on capacity building needs. In particular:
- Sector restructuring – built around liberalization, privatization and independent sector regulation – has continued during the decade. Almost all national telecommunication markets are now substantially competitive.
- Very rapid growth in mobile networks and services has extended the reach of networks from limited areas to the large majority of territory in most developing countries and has expanded markets from business/government/wealthy groups to mass markets including the majority of adults.
- Data communications, including the internet, have transformed telecommunication services, changing the priorities of network operators, service providers and consumers.
- The potential of broadband to deliver greatly enhanced services and developmental value has become critical to telecoms/ICT policymaking and planning.
- There is increasing convergence between telecoms and other ICT markets in technology, business organization, consumer behavior and regulation.
- The range of actors in telecoms markets has changed substantially, with the growing importance of wireless/mobile operators, the globalization of telecoms operating businesses, the advent of new internet-based businesses, and the growing/changing role of regulators.
ITU Academy
- The ITU Academy is the main online gateway to ITU’s capacity development activities. It brings together under one umbrella a wide range of training activities and knowledge resources in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and digital development.
- The ITU Academy catalogue offers a large selection of online, face-to-face and blended courses, click here
Centres of Excellence (CoE)
The Centres of Excellence (CoE) programme was launched by ITU at the turn of the millennium, with the aim to support capacity development in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by offering continuous education to ICT professionals and executives in the public and private spheres through face-to-face, online or blended learning.
A number of themes have emerged in discussions with stakeholders, which suggest the scope and scale of themes which would be appropriate. These need to be sufficiently focused to represent clear priorities, but also sufficiently broad to sustain a coherent programme of activity over a four-year period.
List of CoEs in the Americas
- Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (ANTEL) Priority Area: Wireless and Fixed Broadband -Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Fundación Universidad Pascal (UBP) Priority Area: Innovation & Entrepreneurship -Internet of Things - Smart Cities & Communities
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Capacitación de Telecomunicaciones – Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (INICTEL UNI) Priority Area: Cybersecurity
- Instituto Nacional de Telecomunicações (INATEL) Priority Area: Digital Broadcasting - Wireless and Fixed Broadband
- Universidad Técnica Particular De Loja (UTPL) Priority Area: Smart Cities & Communities
CoE training courses
To see the training courses offered by the CoEs, click here..
Digital Transformation Centres
The Digital Transformation Centres Initiative was launched by ITU in partnership with Cisco in September 2019 during ITU Telecom World held in Budapest, Hungary. The Initiative seeks to create a global network of centres, whose main purpose is to develop digital skills mainly at basic and intermediate level for citizens. The Initiative contributes to the broader goal of building an inclusive digital society, and ensuring that lack of knowledge and skills is not a barrier to participation in the digital economy.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, DTC trainers will be provided with tools and skills on how to conduct remote teaching. The train-the-trainers online course will be offered in collaboration with Cisco and will be free of charge.
The primary function of DTCs is to:
- Deliver basic digital skills training to enhance digital literacy and foster uptake of digital tools among those at the bottom of the social pyramid.
- Deliver intermediate digital skills training to provide users with job-ready skills, improve workplace efficiency and enhance chances of employability.
- Improve the capacity of policymakers to design and implement digital skills programmes.
- Conduct train-the-trainer programmes on digital skills to ensure scalability and self-sustainability in digital skills capacity development.
- Train SMEs in the field of digital technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship. DTCs are selected based on their capacity to deliver training in the specified areas.
List of DTCs in the Americas
- Centros Tecnológicos Comunitarios (CTC), Dominican Republic
- Instituto Federal de Brasilia (IFB), Brazil
Call for partners
The DTC Initiative can only achieve scale through the participation of many partners. Any organization interested in partnering with ITU and Cisco is welcome to contact the ITU Capacity and Digital Skills Development Division at dtc@itu.int
