BDT Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin moderated a Ministerial Roundtable that brought together ministers, regulators and private sector leaders to examine the significance of connectivity in the light of the global pandemic and explore the future role of digital technologies in national digital strategies. It was also an opportunity for the public and the private sector to exchange views, align supply and demand in connectivity, and define a faster way for economic recovery through collaboration. H.E. Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister, Ministry of Information and Communications, Viet Nam and Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU, opened the Ministerial Roundtable.
Ms Bogdan Martin reminded delegates of the essential nature of broadband, explaining how, in a world polarized by growing inequalities, broadband was “emerging as a rich-world commodity; plentiful in a tiny handful of wealthy nations, scarce and costly in most of the world, and quite simply non-existent for a full half of all humanity."
Yet it is the countries which could most benefit from the transformational power of broadband that are the least likely to have access. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has injected a new urgency into the drive for connectivity, she asked, ''how can we harness that unprecedented tide of political will to put digital at the centre of our global recovery, and build back better with broadband?''
Panelists from governments, regulators and the ICT industry shared views on these opportunities, the challenges they faced, the acceleration of digital transformation and how the pandemic has underlined the vital importance of connectivity.
Ms Bogdan-Martin noted some of the key elements discussed by panelists, including how they have and will use the crisis as an opportunity to accelerate digital transformation, particularly in areas such as e-health and online learning. She remarked that panelists provided great examples of their efforts in connecting the last mile, tackling disinformation, raising awareness, and pioneering new uses for digital technology such as remote diagnostics or forging new cooperation including with the postal service. In conclusion, she urged all to connect and collaborate for global recovery and to ensure no one is left behind.
