Huawei works with ITU to advance digital inclusion for all
ITU News
Chinese multinational technology corporation Huawei says it has brought connectivity to 90 million people in remote areas of nearly 80 countries as part of its “Partner2Connect” (P2C) pledge in support of meaningful connectivity and digital transformation for all.
The P2C Digital Coalition, launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), mobilizes commitments across the industry, prioritizing remote communities in countries and regions that lack digital access.
“Let’s not choose between tech and sustainable development. We need both,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Let’s thrive together with tech. Let’s build a digital future that advances progress for people and planet.”
Huawei Chairman Dr Liang Hua announced the company’s P2C pledge progress until October 2023 at the company’s 2023 Sustainability Forum on 21 November in Dongguan, China.
Fostering young digital leaders
At the same “Thriving Together with Tech: Realizing Sustainable Development” session on 21 November, Huawei unveiled a new joint fellowship programme with ITU to advance digital inclusion for young people worldwide.
The ITU Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme in Partnership with Huawei will be open to applications from all regions of the world for three years. Each year, the company says, 30 young visionaries aged 18-28 years will win a place in a 12-month leadership project supported by Huawei and ITU.
“Through ITU and Huawei’s joint efforts, young people will learn, contribute and lead in the digital world,” said Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “Digital is a prerequisite for accelerating the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We want youth to push the envelope on the evolving global digital ecosystem and make their transformative contributions. I thank Huawei for this great partnership, and I look forward to seeing the global impact of this innovative project.”
Huawei signed its global P2C commitment last year, setting goals to bring connectivity to about 120 million people in remote areas in more than 80 countries by 2025.
Since then, the company has worked with government departments and universities in Cambodia to train over 2,000 information and communication technology (ICT) professionals, with plans to train at least 10,000 in five years.
In another P2C-related initiative, the company notes how extending connectivity to remote villages in Ghana has enabled live-stream marketing, smart tourism and farming that have boosted local economic growth and employment.
See Huawei’s press release
Header image credit: ITU
