Internet Governance Forum 2021
Main Session: How Can We Achieve a Multilingual Internet?
What is Meaningful Connectivity, and How Would a Multilingual Internet Play a Role?
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
8 December 2021
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening everyone, and thank you for inviting me to open this IGF session on one of the most critical issues for universal digital inclusion.
I've been asked to kick-off your discussions today with some framing remarks around what constitutes what we call 'meaningful connectivity'.
For me, that's an issue that has been much on my mind, because last week, ITU released new figures on the state of connectivity around the world.
Those new data were broadly encouraging, with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic translating into a steep rise in the numbers coming online.
We estimate that almost 800 million new users connected between 2019 and 2021 – the strongest growth in over a decade – to bring the total number of people online to 4.9 billion.
As I said yesterday at the opening of the IGF, that's very positive news.
But, as often, statistics can mask a more nuanced picture.
Because it is clear that a large proportion of those 4.9 billion currently counted as 'connected' do not enjoy the kind of connectivity that all of us rely on every day. Many of them are not what we would call 'meaningfully connected'.
What do we mean by 'meaningfully connected?'.
The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development defines the term as broadband that is available, accessible, relevant and affordable, and that is also safe, trusted, and agency-building.
In a nutshell, we mean connectivity that people can use freely, and whenever they need it, to make a tangible difference to their lives.
ITU statistics show that more than 95% of the world's people are within reach of a mobile broadband signal.
That means that they could – theoretically – connect. And yet 2.9 billion remain totally offline.
The barriers to connection are many.
Affordability is a big one. Lack of digital skills is another.
But our analysis also shows that lack of compelling, actionable content in relevant languages remains one of the most important blocks to wider internet uptake.
Most of us are familiar with the figures: of an estimated 7,000 languages and dialects, only around ten have any substantial online presence.
That means thousands of indigenous, minority and low-resourced languages are excluded, and, with them, millions of people cut-off from the benefits and opportunities of the digital world.
Language is so much more than just syntax and phonetics.
The languages we speak are integral to our identity. Language defines the way we view the world, the way we interact with others, and the way we express our own unique realities.
We will never achieve our vision of an 'InternetUnited' if we do not ensure that the online world reflects and amplifies the full diversity of our human experience, in all its richness.
Which means there can be no universal meaningful connectivity until we achieve a truly multilingual online space.
Yes, we have made some progress. The creation of IDNs was one major step forward.
And technological advances like online translation engines, multilingual voice-driven interfaces, and new AI-powered language processing systems are all helping expand the internet's linguistic capabilities.
But technology is no magic bullet.
The reality is that very few online language tools have been developed for lesser-used languages.
And while powerful, machine-learning technologies require huge amounts of data to train on – literally billions of words, and thousands of hours of speech.
Yet rich datasets are not available for all languages, nor do many minority language speakers have the means, or skills, to develop strategies to promote their own languages online.
Clearly, relying on technology alone won't be enough. That's why working together and incorporating grassroots efforts by local communities needs to be a key element of our work.
I was hugely encouraged to read recently of new partnerships between digital language activists in Africa, who are working with organizations like Wikimedia to improve the online presence of widely-spoken languages like isi-Zulu, Dag-bani, Igbo, Akan, and others.
In Norway, meanwhile, the Sami Parliament and Arctic University in Tromsø are collaborating on free, accessible technologies for Sami speakers, including keyboards, spell checkers and machine translation systems.
And just this week, the Indian government affirmed its commitment to a multilingual internet as part of its Digital India vision, engaging with big-name partners from across the tech sector, civil society and academia to promote regional languages to support full digital inclusion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Tunis Agenda adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society in 2005 could not be clearer about the importance of multilingualism to bridging the digital divide.
And ITU's own Resolution 133 affirms ITU Member States' commitment to linguistic diversity and equality.
In just a few days' time, we will celebrate the beginning of the Decade of Indigenous Languages.
To reflect that, next year's WSIS Forum will feature a special track on ICTs and Indigenous Peoples and Cultures, along with a Hackathon and a WSIS Special Prize. I hope many of you connected today will join us for those exciting and enriching events.
Dear colleagues,
As digital services continue to expand into every aspect of our lives and our economies, the benefits of connectivity have never been greater.
Ensuring everyone can access and can benefit from those opportunities, regardless of where they live or the languages they speak, is absolutely fundamental to our vision of a connected planet, and to our pledge to Leave No-One Behind.
I look forward to following your discussions today, and, even more importantly, to working in partnership with many of you to build a richer, more equitable online space where each and every person has the opportunity to make their voice heard.
Thank you.
