This session will bring together both users and producers of data to examine how to foster a virtuous cycle of supply and demand. Strengthening this relationship can generate sustainable investment in data collection, improve availability and quality, and ensure that evidence is fully used in decision-making. Building a strong data culture among policymakers is essential to create demand and promote effective use of statistics. Speakers will share their experiences, successes and challenges in advancing this relationship to shape digital strategies and support evidence-based policymaking. 

Achieving universal and meaningful connectivity demands robust, timely data. The Global Digital Compact calls for investments to implement national digital inclusion surveys. This session explores financing models for ICT household surveys, showcasing global best practices, cost estimates, and collaborative funding mechanisms to bridge data gaps.

Supply-side ICT statistics are continually evolving to provide decision makers with relevant insights into key trends. This session provides an update on the work of the ITU Expert Group on Telecommunications/ICT Indicators (EGTI), which develops internationally harmonized methodologies for ICT indicators based on administrative data. The session will explore two areas where better statistics can help connect the unconnected: satellite-based broadband access, and insights into sub-national variation in connectivity. Both topics have particular measurement challenges, and presentations aim to highlight innovative approaches and emerging trends in ICT statistics.

As digital technologies evolve, so too must the scope and methodology of ICT household statistics. This session highlights recent developments and recommendations endorsed by the ITU’s Expert Group on ICT Household Statistics, showcasing innovations in survey design, data collection, and thematic coverage. Discussions will address the integration of emerging topics such as artificial intelligence and ICT skills, alongside a focused exploration of measuring cybercrime. Drawing on experiences from national statistical offices, international organizations, and research institutions, the session will present practical approaches, lessons learned, and priorities for advancing the next generation of ICT household indicators.

Measuring the impact of digital technologies on well-being is essential for informed policy and programme development. This session will present recent approaches to monitoring digital well-being across populations, alongside focused efforts to assess the unique experiences, risks, and opportunities faced by children in the digital environment. Drawing on research and measurement initiatives from a range of contexts, speakers will discuss conceptual frameworks, survey methodologies, and indicators that can guide national and international strategies to promote safe, inclusive, and beneficial digital participation.

Join this off-programme session to discover the ITU DataHub – the world’s most comprehensive source of digital development statistics. The ITU team will showcase the latest features and preview upcoming tools designed to make access to, and analysis of, the DataHub’s rich datasets even easier.

Please note that this session is not part of the official programme and will be conducted in English only, without interpretation.

This session will feature discussions from the WSIS+20, focusing on how ICT measurement can support the implementation of WSIS action lines and the outcomes of the Summit of the Future. The Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development will present plans for a 2025 quantitative assessment of WSIS+20 action lines and explore how core ICT indicators can be mapped to WSIS framework, the UMC and the Global Digital Compact. The session will also consider new areas that the Partnership could include in the core list of ICT indicators to better address emerging policy needs.

This session will showcase recent work under the ITU–World Bank Mobile Phone Data project, highlighting progress from Cohort 1 countries. Discussions will focus on the MPD Maturity Matrix and its Theory of Change, providing a structured pathway for countries to integrate mobile positioning data into official statistics. The session will also demonstrate innovative methods for calculating the “uncovered” population for SDG indicator 9.c.1 (mobile network coverage). In particular, the session will highlight the critical role of regulators in advancing the use of mobile phone data, ensuring that evidence-based approaches support inclusive digital development.